Captivated by the deadly mafia boss

Kasia

There isn’t exactly a directory posted at the train yard, but I remember this place. My father took Diana and I here when we were kids. He let us play on the empty train car while he talked with men in suits. They talked too fast for me to understand them. My Polish wasn’t as good then.

A quick look around the car and I find what I need. A gun is hidden in the middle console.

“You may want to draw your weapon,” I say to Michael as we climb out of the SUV. We’ll have to walk down several rows of cars before we get to the place my father took me.

“This isn’t a good idea. Let’s wait for Dominik to get here,” he says.

I pause a moment, then realize my error. “There’s GPS in the car. He knows exactly where we are.”

“So maybe we should wait,” he urges me but keeps his voice low.

There’s a sound up ahead that makes me stop. I put a finger over my lips to keep him quiet too. He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. He’s probably done this a million times and doesn’t need me to explain to be quiet.

“Almost loaded, Marcin.” I hear a familiar voice carry to me. The car’s already loaded on the tracks.

I wave Michael to follow me and run toward the sound.

“Don’t forget the fucking water this time. Last week two of them nearly fucking died. I had to take half price on them.” My father’s voice booms. He’s not even trying to maintain a low profile. But why would he?

I look over at Michael, at the gun in his hands, then at the one in mine. I’ve never fired one before. I swallow, fear claws at my throat. No matter what I think I know what I’m going to find, it could be worse.

There’s never been much love between my father and myself, but I’ve always thought him decent. As good as a man in his position could be, but now, I’m being faced with a horror that was meant for me. A terrifying scene that he’d planned for me.

“Kasia.” Michael’s whisper shakes me from my thoughts. “What are you hoping to accomplish here? Your father has many men here. There’s just us. Let’s wait for Dominik. He’ll have others with him.”

It’s a sound plan. But I’m tired of waiting for backup. It’s never come before, and it’s not going to start now. My father wanted me to grow up alone, he sent me with a man who would keep me in solitude. I won’t cow to it. I can be strong all on my own.

He curses when I move forward. I won’t be talked out of this. When I get to the next row, I press myself against the car before looking around the corner.

What I see twists my stomach.

Women tethered together at the ankles and hands stand at the bottom of a ramp leading into the open train car on the tracks. They’re dirty, their clothes are tattered, and they’re scared. Their muffled sobs tear at my heart. Not even the gags in their mouths are helping to keep them silent. This was meant for me. That was to be my future.

Tears prick my eyes, but I dash them away. There’s no time for that.

“Kasia-”

“No.” I put my hand up in Michael’s face. “No more.” I glance back at the women. My father is walking around the five of them huddled together. The moonlight strikes his face and for a moment I can see his features. How pleased he is with his capture.

“Come with me or don’t. That’s your decision.” I cock the gun and take a deep breath. “I’ve already made mine.”

He calls for me again, but I’m already walking toward them, toward my father, those women.

“Tata!” I call out to him. He freezes like he’s been struck in the back. When he turns toward me, two of his men flank him, weapons drawn and pointed at me. That’s fine, mine is aimed at him.

“Kasia?” He squints, the darkness probably makes it hard for him to see me. “What are you doing here?” he demands. “You little fool. Is your husband here?” He looks past me, but there’s only Michael. I can feel him close to me.

“This is what you wanted for me?” I stop several feet from him. The women huddle closer together. “You wanted to put me on this train? Where’s it going, anyway?”

“Who told you this?” he asks. His hands fidget at his sides. “Who lies to you? Your husband? The Staszek asshole?”

My insides shake. “You sent the Kominski family to take me, to steal me away so you could sell me.” I can’t seem to get the volume in my voice to match the rage in my chest.

“Kamac!” Lies.

“It was supposed to be me in that car, how many times over the years did you remind me? Me! But you didn’t want me dead… you wanted me here. Tied up like this, taken away and sold.” My voice breaks toward the end, but I can’t help it. Tears build in my eyes. This is my father. My dad. The man who taught me to ride a bike when I was little. The man who once held my hand as we crossed the street.

Before it was confirmed my mother could never get pregnant again, he held some tenderness for me. He was kind. That’s the father I’ve been holding in my heart. But this man standing here, looking disgusted by my presence. This isn’t him.

I raise my gun higher, pointing it at his head.

“What? You think you can pull the trigger? You’re a badass now?” He taunts me, raising his square chin. “Go on. Show me what a bad ass you are.”

A tear falls down my cheek. Why can’t I be steady? Why can’t I tug on this fucking trigger? He deserves worse, he deserves to burn in hell.

“Why?” The question leaves me on a breath. “Why do this when you could have just let me leave?”

“Leave?” His brows raise. “You wouldn’t leave. You’d come back, you’d always be there, always need me. You’d always be a spot on my family name. You needed to go away.”

“You could have just killed me.” A sharp pain hits me. I knew he didn’t love me, but this, this look of disgust squeezes my heart.

“You were worth more alive.” His lips twist into a disturbing grin.

“Ah, but you aren’t, Garska.” Dominik’s voice booms from behind me. Tension eases in my shoulders, but I don’t lower my gun. This is for me to end. Not him.

“What are you talking about?” Dad sneers. “Zabij ich!” Kill them!

I swing my gun to the left of my father, to his men, and pull the trigger. One yelps, but doesn’t go down. I think I’ve hit his shoulder. Dominik rages behind me, grabbing me and shoving me backward. It takes only a second for him to pick off the two guards. One shot to the one I wounded, then one to the second man. They both crumble to the ground.

My father looks behind him. The women are in a panic, screaming behind their gags.

“Where is everyone! Come! Come!” my father yells.

Dominik stalks up to him, his gun lowered. “Your men have been taken care of,” he says, coming toe to toe with him.

“Dominik!” I yell. He doesn’t turn away from my father. “He’s… let me,” I say still holding my gun up.

“Michael, take this prick over there for now. If he moves, shoot his cock off.” Dominik grabs my father by the collar and shoves him toward Michael who is already making his way to him.

I want to demand they stop moving. To stop taking over this moment from me, but I can’t get the words out. My hands shake so hard, I’m not sure I’d even hit my target.

I lower the gun and run to the plank leading to the train car. I need to see. I need to know how many there are.

Air escapes me. The car is nearly full. More than twenty women. All tied together with rope, all dirty, their gags are around their necks. Some have been beaten. Others injured in other ways. All of them look back at me with terrified eyes.

I cover my mouth, unable to bear the horror. A few of the girls are barely teenagers.

“I’ll get you out,” I promise them as I run to the closest woman and tug on the knots. I need a knife. “I’m sorry… so sorry.” I’m sobbing and tugging on their restraints.

“Kasia.” Dominik enters the car. “Kasia.”

It’s not until he touches me that I realize I’m not moving anymore. He turns me to face him, brings up my chin.

“They’re hurt,” I say, a numbness starting to cloud me.

“They will be taken care of. I promise.” He holds my face in his hands. “Are you hurt?”

“He wanted this for me.” I blink, tears stream down my cheeks.

“He won’t hurt you ever again.” His jaw clenches.

“I didn’t listen to you. I came without you.” My mind wanders like the breeze.

He presses his forehead to mine, breathing deeply and wrapping his hands around the back of my neck.

“These girls. They need… why would he… and you… I know you wouldn’t…”

“Shhhh.” He lifts away from me, leveling me with his arrogant stare. “What do you need, Kasia? How do I help? What do you want me to do?”

It takes a few seconds for the words to sink in. He’s asking me for directions. Me, his wife.

“We have to help these women,” I say firmly. “We can’t let this go unpunished.”

“Your father.” He nods. “There’s been a decision on that that even I can’t disobey.”

I can’t imagine there being a higher power than him, but I know how these things work. At least in generalities. He answers to his father, and his father answers to the families at the highest ranks.

“Do you want to say anything to him?”

“No.” I look at the women. They aren’t huddled anymore. No one says anything. They’re probably too afraid.

Dominik gestures to one of his men at the entrance of the car. I can’t make out who it is before he jogs down the ramp and out of sight.

Dominik pulls me to his chest, he wraps his arms around my body, then one around my head. I can’t breathe very well, it’s too tight, but then I hear it.

A single shot. Muffled, but I know it for what it is.

My father’s dead.

If Dominik wasn’t holding me up, I’m not sure I’d stay on my feet.

When he unravels me from his arms, he kisses my forehead. It’s tender, sweet, nothing like him, but exactly what I needed.

“My men will help these women. We need to leave now, though,” he says to me, softly.

“They aren’t to be mistreated, Dominik.”

“They won’t be. I swear it, Kasia.” He brings my hand to his chest. “So long as my heart beats, I will never lie to you.”

I swallow back another sob. The night has been too much. All the strength I had when I started out has waned away, leaving me a mess.

“I think I want to go home, Dominik.”

Silently, he takes my hand and leads me from the car. His men are already inside untying the women, speaking softly to them, being careful. The women that witnessed my exchange with my father watch me as I walk past them. They rub their wrists that are no longer bound.

“Thank you,” one says, then another.

“I am so sorry this was done to you,” I say to them. Dominik tugs me along before I can say more.

Two of Dominik’s men drag something heavy behind them, away from the car. A body. My father.

Dominik won’t let me stop; he tugs me along. Shouldn’t I feel something? I can’t untangle everything running through my mind.

By the time we get to the car, Tommy’s already there, holding the back door open. Dominik helps me inside. He says something to Tommy then climbs in next to me.

My family is dead.

All of them, gone.

I’m all alone.