***
Balthazar kept a hand tight over Anya’s mouth as he carried her like a rag doll to the very back of the attic. He knew that there was an entry that led up to the roof of the house where he could gain access out. Kicking the entryway open, he pulled himself and Anya out onto the side of the red-roofed house where the ledge leveled out smoothly. The sunlight broke into the attic and sound of the ruckus drew Dmitry and Anatoly from the side of the attic to the light.
“Remember, don’t kill him,” Dmitry said to Anatoly as they approached.
Anatoly was in front of Dmitry because his father’s weight and height prevented him from moving too fast, lest he fall through the ceiling and onto the floor of the house. Making their way to the entry, they both came out on the ledge with Balthazar who was trying to figure out how to get down.
When Balthazar saw that he was not alone, he turned towards the men with his gun at Anya’s temple.
Dmitry froze at the sight. He kept his eyes on his baby girl, so close to the edge of the house. Putting out his hands, he tried to calm Balthazar.
“Anatoly,” Dmitry said, swallowing hard.
“I’m on it, papa,” Anatoly answered getting on the radio. He stepped backwards at the same time that his father stepped forward.
“Make one more fucking step and this little bitch goes over!” Balthazar threatened as he motioned towards the edge.
“Let’s just talk about this,” Dmitry said, putting his gun down. “Look. I’m no threat. Whatever you do, just don’t hurt her. She has been through enough.”
“Daddy!” Anya screamed out. “Please, Daddy, help me!” Her shrieking cry dug into Dmitry’s temples.
“Daddy is here,” Dmitry said soothingly. Although nervous, he put on a smile for his daughter as he put his hands up where Balthazar could see them. “What do you want, Balthazar? Name it. You can have it. Just, please, let her go.”
“Do I look like a fucking fool to you?” Balthazar screamed, glasses dipping off his nose. Keeping the gun on Anya, he tried to hold his balance even as he looked around frantically at his hopeless position.
“No, you’re not a fool. I don’t think you’re one. I just want to come to some kind of an understanding, okay. I want to get you both down off this ledge and get you to somewhere safe where we can talk.”
“You and I both know that is not going to happen,” Balthazar said in a chaotic laugh. “I killed your sister by the way. Yeah. She’s in the garage. Did you a favor really.” He looked down over the ledge at the twelve-foot drop to the ground but the ground itself sloped down over twenty additional feet on a steep hill that led to the back of the beach. “Fuck!” he screamed again in frustration.
***
Gabriel rushed with his M107A that he had taken from the safe house in Vienna up the side of the house directly across the road from Balthazar’s house. His incredible height came in handy as he pushed a garbage can up beside the house and jumped to the roof. Setting the gun up quickly, he laid down on the ledge, got Balthazar in his sights and put his hand on the trigger.
“Shit,” he said, seeing Anya so close. He knew that he had to take the shot but with the wind moving southeast, if he missed, he could kill both Balthazar and the girl. Plus, even if he was off just a bit, he could risk killing Balthazar and giving him an easy death, the one thing that Dmitry did not want. Taking a deep breath, he focused in and put his finger on the trigger as he exhaled, he squeezed it.
When the bullet hit Balthazar, it tore his arm right off of his body. Dmitry ran as fast as he could. He caught Anya in one hand and Balthazar in the other just in time to keep them from tumbling off the side.
Dmitry held his daughter tight. Kissing her head, he calmed her as she cried. “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you,” he said, holding her in his embrace. With a devious smile, he looked over at Balthazar. “
Somebody stop the clot quickly
!” he screamed towards Anatoly. “I don’t want this guy dying on me.”
Chapter 31
At ten o’clock at night, the front grounds of the Medlov chateau lit up under the spotlight of Dmitry’s helicopter. Whirling around large tornados of dust and debris, the aircraft landed loudly with a host of VIP passengers. One by one, they filed out. Gabriel stepped out carrying his new favorite toy, the M107A sniper rifle that had disarmed Balthazar literally. Anatoly stepped out with his backpack over his shoulder and his I-pod buds in his ear contemplating something in deep thought followed finally by Dmitry, carrying Anya in his arms, never to let her go again.
The front doors to the chateau flung wide open and in a near sprint, Royal ran down the front stairs two at a time, then broke out in a sprint across the vast lawn. Her arms were stretched out, tears gushed down her burning hot cheeks and her hair flowed behind her in the moonlight.
“
Anya!” she cried out. “Oh, thank God,” she sobbed as she ran.
When Anya saw her mother, Dmitry put his little angel down and let her run to her mother. Her little choppy steps quickened with speed as she moved towards her mother screaming her name. “Mommy!” she screamed.
They met half way. Falling to her knees in the dirt, Royal scooped her daughter up in her arms and rocked her back and forth. A thousand-pound weight lifted off her shoulders when she saw her. Smelling her hair and holding her face, she inspected Anya as she kissed every inch of her plump little face.
“
I missed you so much,” Royal cried. Her lips quivered, her throat tightened making it nearly impossible to talk. All she could do was sob joyous tears. “Thank you God for bringing her home to me,” Royal said, looking up in the sky. A strong wind blew through the chilly night air and Royal knew that God had heard her prayers, answered them and made her life whole again.
Dmitry approached with tears in his own eyes. He looked over at Anatoly and Gabriel and nodded. “Thank you,” he said to them as he helped his wife up.
Walking back to the chateau together as the helicopter lifted back up in the sky and disappeared in the distance, the Medlov family finally was allowed to experience joy again.
They gathered in the family room together, passing around Anya’s favorite foods as they talked and laughed. Dmitry. Royal. The twins. Anya. Stepan. Gabriel. Briggy. Anatoly. Renee. Vasily. Even the dogs. Every Medlov whether by blood or brotherhood was there to experience the moment and what a glorious moment it was. It was an incredible night where they allowed themselves to be normal. The couples cuddled up together while Stepan and Vasily laugh and drank in the corner. Anya played with the dogs in the middle of the floor and the twins were rocked in their
bassinets
.
“
Alright, alright,” Dmitry said, standing up. He picked up his wine glass and held it in the air.
The room grew quiet.
“
I’d like to propose a toast to family,” he said, looking around the room. “Even if a man has everything - money, power, the key to eternal life - he still is nothing if he is without a family to love him and for him to love. This trial was one that nearly destroyed this family. Losing even one of us is too much. The cost is too great. We have to be there for each other. We have to answer the call, travel the distance, be willing to put ourselves on the line or even make the shot.” He looked at both Anatoly and Gabriel. “All we have is each other. Remember that. So a toast to us. Here is to family. The Medlov family.”
Everyone raised their glasses and unison said, “The Medlov family.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Liv stepped in still in his tactical gear and went over to Dmitry quietly. “Sir, we’re all packed up. Just wanted to let you know. We’re all starting to head out now.”
Dmitry stuck out his hand. “Thank you very much.”
“
No, sir. Thank you for trusting us enough to call,” Liv said, bowing out gracefully.
As he left the room, nodding to all the men, he stopped at Anatoly and pulled him to the side. “I managed to get what you asked for,” he said, passing him a package.
“
Great,” Anatoly said taking it and stuffing it down in his cargo pants. “I was getting worried.”
“
Well, we have great contacts there. It wasn’t a problem. I just called them and told them it was for you and even though it was after hours, they gave me the exact one that you said you wanted.”
Anatoly stuck out his hand. “Thanks.”
“
No problem. Good luck,” Liv said, leaving the room.
Turning back to the family, Anatoly went over to Royal and sat back down. His dogs quickly rushed over to him and pushed their heads under his hands.
“
What was that about?” Renee asked.
Anatoly raised a brow. “Oh, nothing. It was just… business,” he said, picking his glass back up. “What are you drinking?” he asked, eyeing her glass.
“
Orange juice,” she said, passing it to him. “Want some?”
“
No,” Anatoly smirked. “After today, I need something a lot stronger than orange juice.
Renee laughed and rubbed her stomach. “Yeah, I bet you do, but you know what, you did great. I’m really proud of you.”
“
Yeah?” he said, cracking a half grin.
“
Yeah,” she said, putting her head on his chest. “I sure am.”
***
Within the hour, everyone retired, exhausted from such a long haul. Dmitry and Royal took the kids up to their room to all sleep together tonight. Briggy and Gabriel headed to their quarters and Anatoly and Renee headed to theirs.
Anatoly was the first to jump in the shower. Doing his normal routine, he turned on the television, started his water and brushed his teeth while Renee sat on the bed thumbing through emails about her shop. Within minutes, he emerged from the shower, hair wet and a towel wrapped around his waist and went to his dresser to look over his cologne. Reaching in the back of the tray, he pulled out Ralph Lauren black and sprayed it on quickly, then pulled his underwear drawer out to pick out a pair to slip on.
“
Leave it,” Renee said, eyeing his backside.
Anatoly turned slowly with a naughty grin on his face. “You’re such a naughty girl,” he said, walking over to the bed.
She threw her legs over the side of the bed and ran her hands down his chest. “Thank you for coming home to me,” she said seriously. “I prayed for you from the moment that you walked out of that door until the moment you touched down.”
“
You pray more than any woman I know,” he said, bending down in front of her to rub her stomach.
“
Well, you need more prayer than any man I know.”
Anatoly raised his brow. “You may have a point there.” Looking across the room in a daze, he bit his lip and then scratched the back of his head.
“
What’s wrong? You look nervous,” Renee said, lifting his chin.
“
Why do you have to always be so nosy?” Anatoly asked, sticking his hand in his pants on the floor.
“
That’s my job, Ana. I’m the nosy girlfriend,” she joked. “You want to talk about it.”
“
It’s just that I almost lost her out there today. She came this close to falling off the ledge of the house,” Anatoly said putting his index finger and thumb together. “When I saw Dad leap for her and catch her, it’s like my heart jumped out of my body. I literally felt like I was having a heart attack. I mean, I got on the phone, told Gabriel where to go to get a good shot but the entire time I was thinking all the what if’s, you know?” He smacked his lip and pushed past the thought. “I’m just glad that she’s okay and home safe.”
“
Everyone is,” Renee said, rubbing his back. “You did good, baby.”
Anatoly stayed on his knees. Pulling the package out of his jeans, he tore the sheath of the padded envelope and pulled out a blue Tiffany box.
Renee looked down with a curious frown on her face. She looked at him confused. “What’s this?” she asked as he lifted it towards her. It was then that she realized that her less than romantic boyfriend was not just on his knees talking to her or rubbing the baby, he was in a stance.
Anatoly looked down at the box and took a deep breath. “My father is right. There is nothing more important than family. And I do have everything. I’m rich. I’m powerful. I have a beautiful girl and a beautiful family and now I have a child. But I want to give it more than what I had as a boy. I want to give it all the love it needs on a regular basis. I want to give it a foundation, you know… something real… something tangible that he or she can see every day just like my sisters and brothers in there with my dad and Royal.” Opening the box slowly, he turned it towards her to reveal a perfect canary yellow five-carat diamond in platinum settings. “Renee Anabeth Cooper, even though you are bossy, and you think that you know everything because you’re three years older than me,” he chuckled and then straightened up his angelic face. His blue eyes looked up at her with all the love that he muster. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife.”