Are You My Love?

ARE YOU MY LOVE?

Published by Henry Givens

Copyright 2013 by Henry Givens

Smashwords Edition

Cover Art by Henry Givens

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Are You My Love is a work of fiction. Though some actual towns, cities, and locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Any similarities of characters or names used within to any person past, present, or future is coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Books by Henry Givens

Pasco, Blood Revenge

Are You My Love?

The Treasure Series

A Soldier Finds His Treasure

My Treasure To Hold

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Are You My Love?

Chapter One

At 10:43 p.m. an ambulance sped past a police blockade two miles from the Klesky River Bridge, just south of Durbansk, Russia. The police sergeant held up the open palms of both of his hands. The ambulance driver announced solemnly, We have ten minutes from right now, gentlemen. Let's make this happen.

His two comrades gave no answer. They didn't even look at each other. This was the fifth time they had been through this routine and neither of them was too pleased about it. But, a job is a job, especially for Kirill. It was either her or them. He had made that plain enough.

Lying on the floor of the ambulance, wife #16 was rousing again. Her hands and feet had been duct taped together. Her mouth had been duct taped as well. She had made every attempt to get free but it was no use. The duct tape around her mouth made breathing so difficult that she had passed out several times due to lack of oxygen.

As her senses began to come back to her, she tried to steel herself to her fate. Crying brought tears. Tears made breathing difficult. If she was going to pass out one more time it would be when they lowered her into the river. God, if there is one, let me pass out, please let me pass out. Help me however You can.

She tried to calm herself down by telling her this would all be over in a few minutes. No more lecherous statesmen. No more sex for secrets. No more being locked in a house for her own safe keeping. And, best of all, no more Kirill. Death was far better than being anywhere around him.

She heard the noise of the tires on the road change and felt the vehicle start climbing the bridge. Her stomach tightened and her heart began to race again. Frantically, she looked at the two men as if trying to plead with them again. They never looked at her.

Finally, the vehicle stopped. The driver left the motor running and climbed out. He felt the camera bang against his chest as he moved. The boss always wanted a video of these things. However, with the thick fog coming up off the water tonight, he probably wouldn't get a chance to film the body thrashing around in the water as they had done in the past. He would still be able to film her screaming, if she didn't pass out again.

He opened the rear door and ordered in Russian, Viktor, hold the concrete block in one hand and the roll of rope in the other as we get her out. He didn't want to but he looked at her before he said, Ilia, take the tape off of her mouth so we can record her screaming.

Her stunned look at him was interrupted by Ilia grabbing her jaw. Her pleading eyes cried out to him as he snatched the tape from her mouth. A-a-a-a-h! she screamed.

I'm sorry, he muttered and looked toward Stepan.

She looked from one to the other as she shook her head and begged, Don't. Please, don't do this. P-l-e-a-s-e! I'll do ANYTHING for you. I'll get lost somewhere. I'll never show myself again. Please, he'll never know. I won't show up anywhere. I swear.

Stepan adjusted the camera in the holder that was strapped to his chest and set it to record. Since he was now filming, he callously grabbed her ankles and pulled her to the rear of the vehicle. Ilia, stand her up while I strap the harness to her. Viktor, keep a tight hold on the release wire and don't pull it until the rope gets slack. That's the only way that we'll know that the concrete block is on the bottom.

He stood back so the camera would get a good shot of her. She looked at the camera and wanted to scream obscenities at Kirill. She wanted to tell him exactly what a low life he really was. But, that was exactly the reaction that he was looking for.

Instead, she managed a smile and looked at each of them. Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go, gentlemen. Personally, I'm anxious to get this over with. Despite the knowledge that she was about to die, she was going to have the last laugh by not screaming......for Kirill. God only knows she had done enough for him already.

Ilia pulled her backwards into his arms, Stepan grabbed her by her legs and Viktor led the way with the concrete block to the edge of the bridge. Hurry, Stepan warned, we don't have much time and it's over 25 feet down to the water.

As he lowered the concrete block over the side of the bridge, Viktor stated, It's so dark and foggy I can't see the water. Why did they have to turn the lights out on the bridge?

To make it look like there had been an accident and so that no one would see what we were doing. Stepan answered as he and Ilia edged her over the side of the bridge as easily as they could. He was amazed at how still she was. The others had been screaming their heads off and thrashing around by this time.

Stepan took the rope and the release wire away from Viktor. Help him lower her down. I'll take care of this. I can't afford to lose another rope. Fifty feet of rope flopping around in the river is too much evidence for the boss to handle. If we don't bring this thing back to him, WE'LL be the ones dangling over the river. Let 'er down quickly.

It was peculiar that she remembered holding her breath until she passed out when she was a kid. Instead of screaming, she took a big gulp of air and hoped for a quick and peaceful end. She could hear the rush of the water getting louder. The tide was going out. She had no idea of how that would affect her. 'Keep holding your breath. Don't let it out,' she told herself.

Was that a whisper? Katrina.

She was dying for sure. All of her life she had heard that when the old folks died they would hear their relatives calling them from the other side. But, she wasn't old and just where or what was the other side?

The concrete block hit the water and began traveling toward the Kola Bay. Her feet touched the water and she almost exhaled. The whisper came again, Katrina. It's Ok.

She heard something moving in the water as a pair of hands grabbed her legs. She screamed and jerked around. A dark figure appeared from nowhere. A rubber clad arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to his body. She screamed again.

She felt a tug on rope to the concrete block and the weight was no longer there. The one that held her cautioned her in her native Russian, Sh-h-h-h, it's OK. We're here to save you.

She kept her wits about her enough to whisper quickly, When the rope gets slack they'll think I'm on the bottom. They said something about pulling a release wire and slipping this harness off of my body. It's attached to back of me somehow.

Smitty, can you see if you can feel it while I hold her? he asked him in English. She was already shivering. He wasn't sure if it was from the water or her nerves. Even though it was July, in this part of Russia the temperature was supposed to be down to 45 degrees tonight. Slowly, he turned her until her back was toward his partner.

Yeah, Dude. I'm letting a little wire slip upwards through my fingers now, was his calm answer.

Dude asked her in Russian, Katrina, can you feel it pulling on you?

Yes. I feel it loosening, She began to wriggle to help the harness slide free. Her voice began to rise in pitch and she shook a couple of times, There must....be...a God. There must a God. He heard me. I...I...know He must have heard me. It took everything she could to hold herself together but the emotion of the moment was getting to be more than she could hold in.

A door slammed up above them. Then another slammed as the vehicle revved and drove away. With no one but her rescuers to hear her now, Katrina broke loose with uncontrollable sobs. She turned herself around and threw her duct taped hands around Dude and held to him as she cried.

Fortunately, they were only an arm's reach away from the railings that kept the ships from bumping into the pylons that supported the bridge. With one strong arm he held on to her and the other he held on to the railing which kept them from being carried under. As she wept uncontrollably, Smitty went around behind them and cut her hands loose from the duct tape. Then he swam to get the rubber dinghy.

Dude knew a little about Katrina. She was married to the head mafia boss in all of Russia, although being officially married through the court system was never proven. The mafia can make anything look real. This guy had married several wives. Somehow the wives were talked into going to bed with various and sundry leaders. Dude guessed you could call it 'giving favors for getting favors'. When a wife lost her usefulness she was killed and another took her place. None of them lasted more than four or five years. Who knows, there might have been four or five at the same time.

The Secret Service had been closing in on him ever since they received word through a couple of their informants that the President of the United Stated was in danger. No one seemed sure at this time what that danger was. So, when they got word that he was going to have her killed, they hurriedly threw together a rescue team.

Another mission accomplished, so far. They still had to get her and themselves to safety without the Russian government OR the mafia from finding out what they had done.

Smitty came up with the dinghy. He reached in and pulled out the wet suit they had brought for her. Here, ma'am, you need to put this wet suit on. Oh, I forgot. You tell her, Dude.

She pulled her head up off of Dude's shoulder and looked at him, W-w-wet s-suit? She stammered through her tears.

Do you speak English? Dude chuckled in surprise. But then he remembered that English was the second language of a lot of Europeans. He took the wet suit from Smitty and laid it over his left arm.

And French and Italian, she answered as continued looking at him. She was trying to see his face. Who was this man? He hadn't touched her like other men had. He must be married. Well, that didn't stop the other men, either.

Dude's tone of voice was almost apologetic. Ma'am....I'm going to suggest that you take....your dress off.....uh...so you can put this wet suit on. When you put this on and we zip you into it, your body heat will......uh..warm the water and you'll.....u-u-h get warmer. Way to go, Dude. You sounded more like a sixth grader explaining something than an experienced Navy Seal.

To Katrina, it did sound as if he was embarrassed by suggesting that she take her dress off. Well, that was probably just a come on. She'd heard worse lines than that before. She slipped the straps of her evening dress off of her shoulders and tried to get a look at his face. Everybody knows you don't wear a bra with an evening dress. He had turned his head so that he was looking at the pylons. How could he?

The lights on the bridge came back on. Her bare bosom was clearly in sight even in the murky water. He kept his head turned and didn't even cut his eyes her way.

Dude continued, Why don't you hook your foot around the railing down there...you know where my foot is. And I'll hold you steady by holding on to your elbow like this. He cupped his right hand around her left elbow. Slide your right foot down that rail. Feel that rail down there? Now let it slide back until it comes to a post going up and down and kinda hook it on the post. It'll keep the tide from carrying you away.

As she pushed the dress down past her knees and lifted each leg out of it, she continued to stare at him. He had to sneak some kind of look at her. She just knew he had to. He was a man.

Smitty? You behind her?

Waitin'

Ma'am, just kinda throw your dress over your shoulder and Smitty will put it in the dinghy for you. We can't let anything get away from us that might let Kirill think you're still alive. Just reach over here and get this suit while I hold you steady and put it on your legs first.

She pulled the wet suit from his shoulder. As she bent over to put her legs into the suit she repeated his words in her mind. It wasn't just what he said. It was the way he said it. Respect? Concern? Was he just fooling her or did he really care about how she felt? If he was for real, where had he been all of her life?

As she zipped up the body of the suit, she dismissed it all. After all the men that she had been with, what would he want with her? Surely, there was some reason that they wanted her alive. That was the kicker. They only saved her because they wanted to use her for some reason. Oh, well, she was alive. But, what would they do with her when they got through using her? Would they just throw her away too?

We'll get your foot and wrist zippers for you, Ma'am, Dude offered as he and Smitty ducked under the water. Their practiced hands made quick work of the zippers. Now all that was left was for her body heat to begin warming her up. We have a pair of gloves for you to wear, also. They're in a pouch attached to the dinghy.

Another wave of tears began to wash over her. Out of desire, she threw herself into Dude's arms again and began to sob. I don't know what's wrong. I can't stop crying and shaking.

It's Ok, he told her as he held her tight. Let me hold you for just a little bit. It'll help your wet suit warm up and your shaking will calm down. You had a pretty big adrenaline high and coming down from one of those leaves you kinda wilty. I know. I've been there many times. With a chuckle he made fun of himself, And you oughta see me cry and shake.

She chuckled also and her sobs began to subside as her wet suit began to warm up. He was right. She was calming down some. I know you guys want something.

He talked to her from his heart. After listening to the prattle of the fakes she had pried secrets out of for the past four years, she could tell an honest heart. She was glued to him.

They heard the sound of vehicles approaching the bridge from both sides. The delay caused quite a bit of traffic to back up. The bridge and the pylons vibrated from the sudden barrage. They would have to wait until the traffic cleared before they made a break for it with the dinghy. If the Russians ever found out that they were in their domain without the official paperwork, the whole mission would be scuttled. And,