Chapter 6 - When the Queen DisappearedSadi woke upside down.
For several seconds, she could not understand why the ceiling was beneath her.
Then pain arrived.
Her shoulder.
Her neck.
Her ribs.
The SUV rested on its passenger side.
Her seat belt cut brutally across her waist.
Rainwater poured through shattered glass.
"Felix?"
No answer.
"Felix!"
A groan.
Relief hit her so hard she nearly cried.
"Ma'am."
His voice came from somewhere below.
"Are you hurt?"
"I don't know."
"Can you move your legs?"
Sadi tested them.
"Yes."
"Hands?"
"Yes."
"Good."
She remembered the training.
Assess.
Breathe.
Exit.
The driver's seat was empty.
No.
Not empty.
She could see an arm.
Motionless.
"Felix, the driver—"
"I know."
A shadow moved outside.
Felix instantly went silent.
Sadi heard footsteps crunching over broken glass.
One person.
Then another.
Felix whispered.
"Release your belt when I say."
Her pulse hammered.
She found the buckle.
A figure appeared through the shattered windshield.
Felix moved.
Fast.
A violent grunt.
Something struck metal.
Sadi released the belt.
She dropped hard onto the side panel.
Pain shot through her hip.
She crawled.
A hand reached through the broken windshield.
Sadi grabbed a piece of glass.
The hand seized her ankle.
She kicked.
Once.
Twice.
The grip tightened.
Do not fight strength with strength.
She twisted onto her back and drove the heel of her free foot toward the wrist.
The attacker cursed.
His grip loosened.
Sadi pulled away.
Felix appeared.
Blood covered half his face.
He grabbed the attacker and slammed him against the vehicle.
"Go!"
Sadi crawled through the rear window.
Rain hit her face.
The street was chaos.
One SUV burning.
Another blocking the intersection.
No Roman.
No Arthur.
She ran.
Exactly as instructed.
Not toward the station.
Away.
Her shoes slipped on wet pavement.
Behind her, gunshots cracked through the night.
Sadi did not turn.
She reached an alley.
A man stepped from the darkness.
She froze.
Black coat.
Gloves.
Crown tattoo.
Sadi backed away.
He smiled.
"Mrs. Roman."
Her body wanted to freeze.
The old Sadi would have.
The woman who apologized when Trevor screamed.
The woman who believed survival meant becoming smaller.
That woman no longer existed.
The attacker reached for her.
Sadi threw her body sideways.
His fingers caught her coat.
She abandoned it.
He stumbled.
She ran.
A second man appeared ahead.
Trap.
Sadi turned toward a steel service door.
Locked.
The first man approached behind her.
"Don't make this difficult."
Sadi looked around.
Dumpster.
Fire escape.
Broken pallet.
No exit.
Her heart hammered.
She picked up a loose length of wood.
The men laughed.
"Put that down."
"No."
One moved forward.
Sadi swung.
He blocked easily.
The second grabbed her from behind.
She screamed.
Not because she expected rescue.
Because screaming disoriented people.
She dropped her weight.
Drove her heel backward.
Missed.
An arm locked around her throat.
Sadi clawed at it.
The world narrowed.
Then she remembered Felix.
Hands.
Eyes.
Groin.
Anything.
Her fingers found the attacker's little finger.
She grabbed it with both hands and bent it backward.
Hard.
Something snapped.
The man screamed.
His grip loosened.
Sadi twisted free.
The first attacker struck her.
The blow exploded across her cheek.
She hit the brick wall.
Stars burst across her vision.
He grabbed her hair.
"Enough."
A gunshot cracked.
The man jerked.
Released her.
Collapsed.
Sadi stared.
Felix stood at the mouth of the alley.
Blood ran down his face.
His left arm hung uselessly.
But he was upright.
The second attacker fled.
Felix fired once into the pavement beside him.
"Stop."
The man stopped.
Felix approached.
Then headlights flooded the alley.
Three vehicles.
Too many.
Felix looked at Sadi.
"Run."
She did.
She reached the opposite end of the alley.
A black sedan skidded sideways.
The rear door opened.
A woman sat inside.
Silver hair.
Elegant coat.
Perhaps sixty.
She held a pistol casually.
"Get in."
Sadi stopped.
The woman smiled.
"Unless you'd prefer Viktor's men."
"Who are you?"
"Someone Roman should have introduced you to."
Gunfire erupted behind them.
The woman sighed.
"Family reunions are always badly timed."
Sadi looked back.
Felix was pinned behind the dumpster.
More men were entering.
She had seconds.
The woman extended her hand.
"My name is Elena."
Sadi stared.
"Elena what?"
The woman's smile faded.
"Roman's mother."
Sadi got into the car.
The sedan accelerated before the door fully closed.
For ten minutes, nobody spoke.
Sadi pressed a cloth against her bleeding cheek.
Roman's mother.
Roman had never mentioned a living mother.
Elena looked at her.
"You look disappointed."
"I'm deciding whether to believe you."
"Good."
"Roman said his mother died when he was young."
"Roman says many things when he wants doors to remain closed."
"Why would he lie?"
Elena looked through the windshield.
"Because I left him."
The words were simple.
The guilt behind them was not.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere Viktor cannot find easily."
"I need to contact Roman."
"No."
Sadi turned.
"That wasn't a request."
Elena smiled faintly.
"I understand why he married you."
"Phone."
"Viktor compromised Roman's network."
"Then give me yours."
"He'll trace it."
"I don't care."
"You should."
Sadi leaned forward.
"Roman thinks I'm dead."
Elena's expression softened.
"Yes."
"Do you know what that will do to him?"
"Yes."
"Then give me the phone."
Elena studied her.
Finally she removed a small device.
"One call. Fifteen seconds."
Sadi dialed Roman's number from memory.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then connected.
No voice.
"Roman."
Silence.
Then breathing.
"Sadi?"
The way he said her name broke something inside her.
"I'm alive."
A sound escaped him.
Not quite a breath.
Not quite a sob.
She had never heard Roman make a sound like that.
"Where are you?"
"I'm safe."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
Elena gestured.
Time.
"I'm with someone named Elena."
The line went dead silent.
Sadi continued.
"She says she's your mother."
Roman's voice changed.
"Get away from her."
Sadi looked at Elena.
"That's not reassuring."
"Sadi, listen to me. Elena is dangerous."
"More dangerous than Viktor?"
"Yes."
Elena laughed quietly.
Roman heard it.
"Mother."
"Hello, Roman."
It was the first time Sadi had heard fear and rage occupy the same silence.
Elena took the phone.
"Your wife is alive. Viktor does not have her."
"Bring her back."
"Not yet."
"Mother."
"If you threaten me, I'll be offended."
"I will burn every place you've ever touched."
Elena smiled sadly.
"Still your father's son."
Roman's voice became deadly.
"Bring. Her. Back."
Elena disconnected.
Sadi stared at her.
"You kidnapped me."
"I rescued you."
"Against my will."
"Temporarily."
"That's kidnapping."
"Technically."
Sadi almost laughed from disbelief.
"Your family is insane."
"Correct."
The sedan entered an underground tunnel.
Sadi watched darkness swallow the windows.
"Why now?"
Elena's smile disappeared.
"Because Viktor did not come back for Roman."
Sadi felt cold.
"Then who?"
Elena looked directly at her.
"You."
Sadi's pulse slowed.
"Why?"
"Because Viktor knows something Roman doesn't."
"What?"
The car stopped.
Elena opened her door.
May you like
Before stepping out, she looked back.
"Your father wasn't who you think he was."
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