[Sasha Girl]

BACK AT THE SAFE HOUSE - DAY 1

Gabriel and Wolfgang convinced the Wolf Squad to carry out their execution at the safe house. Think about it, they said. If you do it out here someone could hear and come snooping. The chances were remote after all the explosions, but it was a risk the Wolf Squad could not afford to take. Not if they wanted to remain invisible in the eyes of the world and they very much wanted that.

“Come on then. Hurry up,” Dirk said and they waited until the trio put on their clothes before marching them back to the house.

And now they were in the basement again. All three of them bound tighter than was necessary. The gang were quite angry at the inconvenience caused them. There would be no mistakes the second time around.

“I told you they’d find us,” Wolfgang said when they were alone again. Gabriel threw him a look that said: please. Otherwise he said nothing.

Time had never passed more slowly and yet it did not seem to Natasha like they had enough time left. This cannot be happening, she thought. She realised she was in denial but she did not care. She had never thought she would end her life in front of a firing squad and she was not about to accept such a verdict now. Not until they pulled a bag over her head and maybe not even then…

*******

In contrast to his outward appearance, Gabriel’s mind was working feverishly. Not focusing on what had happened to cause them to get caught, since that was neither relevant nor helpful for present purposes. No. He was trying to come up with a solution, a way out for all of them. As always when facing death square in the face, Gabriel remained calm and collected. It was what had enabled him to avoid a hundred deaths so far and if he was lucky, it would help him one more time today. The one thing he did not know was: how would Natasha react when all hell breaks loose around her? Ultimately he decided not to warn her. He could not possibly prepare her for what was about to transpire and that being the case it was best to leave her ignorant, for now.

*******

“Up you get,” Dirk said and Natasha knew straight away it was time. She felt her knees tremble as the men pulled her to her feet and wheeled her toward the door. She did not beg, however. She did not want to give them the satisfaction.

Walking behind Natasha, Gabriel saw her lift her chin and he smiled. That a girl, he thought proudly. He wriggled the ropes around his wrists. They were still fairly tight, even after Wolfgang did his best to loosen them. He would just have to hope he could get his hands out when the time came.

The room the Wolf Squad chose for the execution was the large common room in the centre of the house. It had high ceilings with exposed timber beams and a fireplace at one end: quite a lovely ambience during regular times. Today, however, it was a chamber of horrors in Natasha’s eyes. They had taken away the furniture and spread black plastic on the floor. The men were lined up in a neat row along one side and when Natasha, Gabriel and Wolfgang arrived, they were led before them.

“Kneel,” they told them, and since their arms were tied behind their backs they helped them comply. As her knees hit the floor, the reality of the situation finally began to sink in for Natasha and she began to tremble in earnest. Beside her she heard Gabriel say:

“I don’t need a blindfold.”

There was a loud metallic noise. A sliding followed by a click. Then another and another. They were guns with silencers being made ready, she saw. With her heart in her throat, she averted her gaze.

“How about you Natasha?” Georg asked. “Would you like to be blindfolded or not?”

She could not find the voice to answer, so he reached down and put the blindfold on regardless. She would soon have cause to feel grateful for it.

“Hey, Dirk,” it was Wolfgang speaking this time. “I have a final wish.”

There ensued a quick hushed conference.

“All right,” Dirk said. “But make it quick. This is hard enough as it is.”

Natasha did not see Wolfgang nod, but she heard the collective groan that went up when he said:

“I want to kiss Gabriel one more time.”

In an instant the men went from being silent like the death to chatting amongst each other excitedly, almost jovially.

“I said… I said they had the hots for each other…” – “You said? Get outta here! I’m the one who saw it first… I’ve known it for years…”

“Silence!” Dirk cried, obviously realising they were getting side-tracked. He gestured for Georg and Torsten to come forward.

“Go ahead and help them,” he instructed, watching as Wolfgang was dragged the short distance and set down before Gabriel. Everyone leaned forward expectantly.

“Here goes nothing,” Gabriel whispered, giving Wolfgang a wink. Right before he leaned forward and head butted him. He did not use a lot of force, but Wolfgang made up for it by faking a faint. As his lover sprawled lifelessly on the floor, Gabriel pretended to explode.

“Get him out of my sight you morons! Can’t you see he’s just stalling for time?” he yelled, so that several of the men burst out laughing.

Once more there was an outpouring of chatter and this time even Dirk joined in. Suddenly there was a hoarse shout:

“They’re loose!”

Being blindfolded, Natasha did not get to see Wolfgang and Gabriel slip their ropes and launch themselves at Georg and Torsten, who were standing closest to them. Before the others could come to their aid, the two men were relieved of their weapons and turned into hostages.

“Arms up bitches!” Wolfgang yelled. Using the two men as shields, they commenced their retreat. Gabriel however could not leave without Natasha. Passing by her he stooped and slipped her blindfold off.

“Hello Natasha,” he spoke perfectly calmly, transferring his confidence to her. “Do you think you could stand up for me?”

Nodding dumbly, Natasha started to do so and slipped. She had forgotten about the slippery plastic she was kneeling on. Seeing her take a tumble, Gabriel reacted instinctively. Reaching for her with his free hand – which just happened to be the one holding the gun.
It was their undoing. For by removing the gun from Georg’s temple, Gabriel had left himself exposed and the squad took instant advantage.

Bang! The shot went off in the enclosed space, deafening them. With Gabriel’s arm around her, Natasha saw the men rush forward and overpower Wolfgang in one swell swoop. They were not attacking Gabriel though, and she wondered about this. Then she realised that Gabriel no longer had his arm around Georg’s neck. Instead, Georg seemed to be supporting him. She raised her eyes to Gabriel’s face and saw that he had gone very pale.
Deathly pale, in fact.

“Gabriel?” she stammered. She wanted to reach up and touch him, but her arms were still bound behind her back.

Still holding her against him Gabriel looked down at her, a sad smile on his face.

“My little girl…” he said, his wolf eyes glowing like she had never seen them glow before. “I wanted to tell you when you were ready… but now there’s no time left…”

He stumbled and she heard several of the men curse. Georg grimaced as he adjusted his hold, taking on more of Gabriel’s weight.

“I love you, Natasha,” Gabriel said and she saw his eyes fill with tears.

“Oh, Gabriel…” she suppressed a sob, desperate to get the words out. “I… I love you, too.”

He smiled like a child on Christmas morning and he said:

“Don’t feel sad for me, little girl. Lucky is a man who can die as happy as I feel right now.”

Then he collapsed against her with all his great weight, taking Georg with him. The gathered men jumped to their assistance and as they helped her up Natasha saw Gabriel lying on his back, a pool of blood spreading underneath him around his waist.

“Gabriel!” she cried, the tears streaming down her face. “Please, don’t leave me!”

He reached up and cupped her face with a trembling hand.

“Shh… little girl… remember, I’m a monster…” he said. Then almost as an afterthought: “By the way I killed your Dad.”

And for the hundredth time since she had met him, Natasha cursed Gabriel’s name.

*******

In the aftermath of the botched execution a hush fell over the room. No one moved from where they stood and no one thought to finish what they started. They just stood and looked at Gabriel. Their leader come defector come dead man… and all for the sake of a woman. It was a tale as old as time but it did not make it any more believable to them. The Wolf Squad did not take women for themselves. That was the whole point. It was even written in the Code and Gabriel had known it well. All at once it was clear to the men why their leader had chosen to let Natasha go after marking her with his sign. He did not want her to belong to them. Silently they bowed their heads.

Natasha half expected them to murder her on the spot. She felt she deserved it, for all the trouble she had caused. She actually looked forward to the bullet, this time around. Life was not worth living without Gabriel and the cage.

In the stillness a phone rang.

*******

The phone rang for a long time without ringing out.

“Ignore it,” Dirk said, his voice soft. Presently though someone went to take a look. He returned panting urgently:

“That’s the red phone!”

In a flash the men became mobilised, running for the room next door. Natasha heard them pick up.

“Dirk speaking.”

Silence, as he listened to the person at the other end. Followed by:

“Thank you Mr President. We appreciate it very much.”

Another silence and then another reply:

“Who was responsible for the breakthrough? That would be Gabriel, Sir. He stayed behind on his own as it looks less suspicious that way…”

He stopped suddenly, clearly having been cut off. When he spoke again his voice shook.

“I’m sorry, Mr President… he can’t come to the phone. There’s been an accident you see…”

Another quick pause and then:

“Well, no, we haven’t sent for help. What? Oh… um… because it only just happened, Sir. I beg your pardon? Yes… Yes, of course. We will bring him over right away. Thank you, Mr President, and good night.”

There was a click, signalling the end of the conversation. A moment later the men re-entered the room and headed straight toward Natasha and Gabriel. And while Georg was untying her wrists, Dirk was checking Gabriel’s pulse.

“He still lives!” he exclaimed and a cheer went up. At Natasha’s puzzled glance Georg turned to her and said:

“Mr President is very impressed with Gabriel’s latest mission. He said to get him to his private hospital right away. There will be a surgeon waiting by the time we arrive.”

As they were stemming the flow from Gabriel’s wound and placing him onto a stretcher, Wolfgang asked:

“Um… guys… what about the Code?”

“Fuck the Code,” Dirk said, and that was that.

*******