With This Secret

Within twenty minutes, I heard the sirens approaching, but to my shock they stopped.

I panicked.

Perhaps the guards had stopped them at the gate. Luckily, the door flew open then. I conjured up a grimace of pain as I lifted my gaze to the two guards that stood at the doorway.

At the sight of me on the floor, they rushed over. It was clear they had no idea what to do. “What’s wrong, Miss? What’s going on?” Full of concern they tried to lift me up.

I just sealed my eyes and played dead.

I remained limp as they checked my pulse and spoke urgently to each other in Russian. Through my eyelashes, I could see one of them pull his cellphone out. I assumed he was going to contact Levan. I knew then I needed to be out of here before he found me. To distract him, I began to wail pitifully.

Just then, I heard the door fling open again.

Paramedics dressed in hi-visibility vests and bright orange emergency kits burst in.

I didn’t say a word as they tried to get me to speak to them. It worked. I was quickly put on a stretcher, carried out of the house, and placed into an ambulance.

I kept my face contorted in pain as I was driven out of the compound. I was certain the guards were following close behind.

When we arrived in the emergency room, the questions about what was wrong with me abounded from every corner and yet, I didn’t give a response.

Then the doctor inspected me, a stethoscope to my chest … and a penlight to my pupils.

I needed to end this before I got caught.

I held onto the doctor’s hand and made a simple request, “I need to use the—bathroom,” I pleaded in a broken voice.

He looked confused and just a bit ticked off. “What?”

“I need to use the bathroom.”

“Sure,” he said a little shocked, and took a step back.

The nurse in attendance took over. “Can you walk?”

I nodded and with her help, I slowly rose to my feet.

As I walked away supported by her, I couldn’t help but notice all the other true emergencies that filled the room. For a second, the sight twisted my heart with guilt, but my best friend’s life was on the line. I had nothing to apologize for.

She guided me into the restroom and the moment we were alone, I turned to her. “Please help me,” I pleaded. “Can you take me somewhere those men who came with me can’t follow, please?”

Her eyes narrowed, part confusion part suspicion, before they widened with understanding and hardened into twin lights of determination. “Do they have you against your will?”

“Uh … not really. Usually I like them around but not tonight.” Then I realized I was sounding like some spoilt rich brat that was trying to evade the protection her insanely wealthy father had arranged for her, so she could slip away and party. “I need to be away for something very, very urgent, and important. Please, my best friend’s life depends on it.”

Now, she looked confused again.

“Please help me,” I cried. “I beg of you.”

“Does this mean then that you’re fine?” she asked.

My heart dropped into my stomach with shame. “Yes, I’m fine, but it was the only way I could get away to help my friend. I’m so sorry.”

She didn’t seem very happy with me anymore and I didn’t blame her, but I was lucky. She pressed on, “And you’re sure you don’t want me to call the cops? This doesn’t sound good at all.”

“No, trust me under normal … well, what’s normal for me these days? I’d need them by my side.”

She sighed then and looked away in contemplation. “Those men out there look pretty tough. You’re putting me in a real situation young lady. I hope you know what you are doing.”

“I do and thank you so much for this,” I said quickly.

“Right, I’ll take you for uh … perhaps a CBC test. We should be able to get away then.”

My eyes misted with gratitude. “Thank you so much,” I whispered with relief and leaned on her again as we went out of the bathroom.

My three designated bodyguards were indeed waiting right in front of the door, their gazes filled with a mixture of concern and suspicion. It no doubt had little to do with my actual wellbeing, and only how it related to their jobs and probably their heads if anything went wrong with me. One of them was on the phone in a corner looking gloomy.

Now my heart thundered in my chest, hoping he wasn’t speaking to Levan.

She took me back to my bed.

I immediately laid down and balled up into a fetal position as if in great pain.

A few moments later, she returned with a wheelchair and told them about the test she wanted to take me up for. “Just wait here,” she said. “It’s down the hall. We’ll be back soon.”