Conditioned...

37 - It Will All Be Okay...

She'd paced enough in the last half hour for water to be poured into the trench she'd left in her carpet and the man eating alligators to dwell. Kris could not help how peaked her anxiety was. Ivan hadn't helped to diminish it any either when he asked her about Lilith's pregnancy. The man that had her was the obsessed patient that had attacked her in her office...and she had allowed the fucker into her club. No, she hadn't known, but she had always been so careful. How could she have missed this? Checking her cell phone once more for the message that Ivan had promised her, she exhaled in defeat when she confirmed that it was not there. Someone had better call her soon or she was going to go look for Lilith herself. Maybe that was why Ivan had not told her of the location she was being kept; she would dash there in a heartbeat to go rescue her friend. She felt absolutely useless just waiting. It probably wasn't a chirp but she swiped her finger over her phone surface to answer the unknown number before it had a chance to make a reasonable ring.

"Hello? Ivan?"
"No, not Ivan but the alternative. Is this Kristen?" The gravel like voice on the other end was something like spice cognac on her pallet. Even if it wasn't for the obvious reason that she had been exposed long enough around Ivan, it would be easy for Kristen to pick up he was Russian.

She had to physically shake off the affects and try to get back on track after the brief moment of derailment.

"Who's this?"
"Nobody important. Ivan has instructed me that upon his arrival to the location of Dr. Ashton, I am to call you and tell you to call the authorities."
"Well didn't you take forever to say it..." Kris replied sardonically. She narrowed her eyes at the view outside her widow as if she could send its power to the caller.

"And you are taking longer with just pointing it out. Before you respond with another snide remark, I have sent the address to where Dr. Ashton is, to your phone. Of course, it is for the police's usage and not yours."
"Excuse me?" On the road to being pissed? Yep...
"Ivan wants you to stay put and not play Cat Woman right now..."
"Listen Mr. Nobody, even though I would look fucking amazing in skin tight leather suits, I am also quite capable of taking care myself. Did Ivan really think I would just sit here and wait-"
"You will get in the way Kristen..."

His comment stunned her much longer than she'd wanted. Again, who the fuck was this guy and why was it that he felt so confident that he knew enough about her to make such a blatant statement. Kris tried, she really tried to not be that bitch, but Mr. Nobody had succeeded and she was ready to empty her arsenal of insults and pent up anxiety due to Martin on him.

"Get in the way? Hear me you fucking smug shriveled up dick-'
"Maybe some other time. For now moya malen'kaya koketka,-"

"...the fuck you just say to me?" Kris grumbled her insertion.
"I have to keep this line clear in case Ivan calls back."
"Wait!"
"I'll call you as soon as I get word from him. Skin tight leather suits huh?"

The way he purred those last few words had Kris holding onto the phone even after he'd ended the call a whole minute ago. Only the chime of her text reminder told her to snap out of the trance he'd woven. There would be sufficient time to deal with Mr. Nobody later; she had to do her part and trust that Ivan would bring her Lilith home to her.

*******

The piercing beam of the headlights had been shut off long before the black, sleek car pulled up in the deserted parking lot of the old factory. No light warmed the windows; some even shattered from neighborhood mischief. There was something cold and menacing about the place that maybe was only the illusion the night and brilliant moon could be faulted for. No matter if there were tormented crooning ghosts haunting its halls and vacant rooms, no matter if danger was waiting there for them; the most dominating presence to be feared had just stepped out of the car and made the old factory shudder in horror. Once she was safe, Ivan hoped to burn the son of a bitch down with the bastard that he had already accepted as his victim. Martin would not be able to find the right words that would stay Ivan's hands from delivering him to death; they simply did not exist. He would not be able to find the smallest, deepest and darkest crack in wall to hide from him there; that place was not even possible in Barney's imagination. And there was no region, hill or valley, mountain or blue hole, space or beneath the earth's very crust that his legs could take him that was far enough; there was no place to run. Every answer was Ivan. He would only find Ivan in whatever poison he chose; they would all end him.