I woke up wrapped in Nestor's arms and I could almost forget the events from yesterday. It wasn't until my eyes actually opened and I found myself in the room I once shared with someone I thought truly loved me, that was when I realised we weren't in our own home. I slipped out of his embrace and smiled as he rolled into my spot and buried his face in my pillow. I showered and dressed before heading downstairs to see how everyone else had fared overnight.
Ivanka still sat slumped in the chair she was tied to and the ballroom was filled with mattresses. The men who were on night shift were now sleeping, loud snores filling the room. I closed the curtains before leaving and closing the door behind me.
"Francis, how long do you think this will take?" I asked the mortician as we sat at the dining table with our coffees.
"About an hour or two. It depends on how much concrete we are going through and what condition we find in the casket." He replied sombrely.
I finished my coffee and grabbed my tablet before heading into the command Center.
"Good work." I told the man who had been monitoring the security cameras all night. "Go have a break, I'll watch this for an hour."
He thanked me before making his way out of the wing and to the main area. I kicked my feet up on the desk and opened the Bratva communication network. I logged into Kirill's account and created a notice for all of them.
The funeral for our beloved brothers and my daughter Tahlia shall be held at our sacred Alexander Nevsky Cathedral 12 PM tomorrow.
Without pain we learn no strength.
The old man loved to end with an obnoxious proverb, whether it fit or not. Immediately responses came through confirming attendance and repeating the proverb back in agreement. I left the chat room and monitored the cameras.
The hour passed by quickly and the man came back to take over. I found Nestor in the kitchen with Alpa and Bishop. I gave him a quick kiss and stole his slice of toast with a grin. I ducked under his arm when he reached out to grab it back and shot off down the hall with a laugh. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and hoist me off my feet.
"It's a good thing I love you." He growled in my ear.
"I don't know, you wouldn't do that thing that I really love last night." I purred.
"I don't need a platoon of men hearing how sexy you sound when you scream my name. That's for my ears only." His hands tightened on my hips as he ground himself into the back of me making me moan.
"Stop teasing me Nessy-Boo."
He threw his head back with a groan and slapped my ass for using the name he hated.
"Finish my toast, it's almost time to head out."
He kissed me again before going back to his remaining breakfast that I hadn't stolen. I pulled on some combat boots and went to the garage where the crates of weapons were being stored. I looked at my watch and found I still had 45 minutes before we left for the exhumation. I opened some of the containers that had major warnings labels across them. I pulled on a pair of coveralls and a N95 face mask.
I cleared bench space and pulled scales, scoops, pipettes and beakers out of another crate. When the space was prepped and ready I grabbed a 5kg bag of the nitramide powder known commonly as RDX. I carefully measured the other chemicals compounds and poured the binder over the mixture and churned it until it became the final putty result. I cut the putty to specific weights and rolled them up before wrapping them and placing them in the container and sealing it up. I had just finished the bag off when I heard a knock on the door.
"I'll be out in a moment." I replied and heard the footsteps retreating.
I cleaned the beakers and utensils before packing them away and stripping the coveralls off. I picked up the heavy container of freshly made C4 and took it to the waiting crew Cole was leading, they were all in civilian clothing.
"You have the floor plans and the areas these need to be placed?" I confirmed and he nodded.
I handed him the container over and looked him in the eye.
"Don't fuck this up. This will be the only opportunity we have." I warned him seriously before I watched them climb into my old Range Rover and head off.
Nestor drove around the corner in Tahlia's Lexus and I hopped in before we left to meet Francis and the Mayans who had left earlier. The rest of the soldiers remained on the premises to keep watch and as a back up should anyone need it.
We arrived at the mausoleum and found Taza saying a prayer while Creeper our safety googles on and hefted a sledge hammer onto his shoulder. I looked at the concrete cover that closed the vault holding each sarcophagus. I ran my hands along the etched lettering.
And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, and there, in the west, he put the boy whom he had formed. - Genesis 2:8
I never really thought about why that was the chosen words for a final resting place. A niggling feeling took over and I couldn't let it go. I saw Creeper about to swing and yelled for him to stop. Everyone looked shocked at the outburst.
"We have to do this Lily." Nestor said gently.
"I know but somethings not right. Russian Orthodox doesn't have the Old Testament." They looked at me and I pointed to the bible verse. "Genesis, it's Catholic not Russian orthodox."
I pulled out my phone and quickly searched the verse and found it.
And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
I held it out to Nestor and he read the verse then what was written on the plaque.
"In the west he put the boy whom he had formed. It's a fucking clue about Alex." I said excitedly. I turned to Alex's vault door and read his verse.
Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful crown for your head and penchants for your neck. - Proverbs 1:8-9
Once more I searched on my phone the verse and found this to be incorrect as well. My heart skipped a beat and hope soared at another clue.
"Open them." I instructed as I back away before the concrete was shattered open.
As soon as the concrete was broken a horrific smell filled the space. We all quickly exited the enclosed space to the fresh air outside.
"Fucking hell Francis. A little heads up wouldn't have hurt." I complained as I tried to get the rancid smell out of my nasal passage.
The men around me complained in agreement while Francis pulled a mask and oxygen tank from his car and entered the room once more. We waited patiently outside and after a while we heard the sledge hammer at work again. Francis joined us back outside and removed his muddy browned gloves and removed his mask.
"The body in KJ's casket, dental records match, it is definitely KJ in there. I found a single bullet hole in his skull." He said as he tapped to the execution spot on the middle of the back of his head. "The casket in Alex's tomb was empty except for this."
I took the book that he held out for me.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I opened it and found my writing on the inside cover.
For my little prince, may you see the truths beneath the surface of lies.
I closed the book up and put it in my back pocket. I knew where I had to go.
When we pulled up at the mansion I didn't follow the others inside, instead I walked around the building past the gym and down the path that led to Alex's treehouse. I climbed the ladder and ducked inside the short doorway. I sat on the small padded bench and opened the little cupboard pulling out the copy of The Little Prince. I opened the book and found it was just a dust sleeve of the book cover not the actual book. I read the first page of KJ's handwriting, his written apology to me and our son. I closed it up and put it with the other book in my lap when I heard someone climbing up the ladder.
"Alpa said he saw you sneak off this way." Nestor said as he sat beside me. "Any luck figuring it out?" He pointed at the book.
"I know where Alex is." I said with a sad smile.
The words in the verses pointed to: the west being America and the boy being Alex. What referred to mother's teaching was where I was schooled in London. Alex had a penchant for dressing up as a king and this treehouse was his kingdom. We had a crown commissioned in advance for his fourth birthday. It was a Jewellery store downtown from our New York home. London Jewellers, New York. Singularly, the clues made no sense but all together they created the map to where he had been sent.
"So what are we doing here? Let's get him." He stated standing up.
"Sit. Please." I patted the seat and he sat back down slowly. I held up the notebook KJ had left. "Confessions of a dead man. Kirill has given KJ and order to kill me. He knew what would happen if he refused so he sent Alex to a haven in New York and created the bread crumb trail. He knew he was going to die, he failed his mission when he fell in love with me."
Tears escaped, relief that it wasn't all a lie. He had been instructed to get me to fall for him but he fell too. I leant on Nestor as he let me grieve in his arms once more. When the tears ran out and the streaks dried I felt better. If all went well tomorrow, we would be on our way to get my boy before going home.
"Did Cole get his task done?" I asked with a sniffle.
"Yeah babe, everything is set. It's almost over. Let's head back inside, you should eat." He said but I had other plans.
I moved into his lap and claimed his lips while running my hands down his shirt popping buttons as they went.
"Not yet, I have another hunger that needs satiating first." I said between kisses as I pushed his shirt back off his shoulders and pulled mine over my head.