A PALE HORSE

Max froze as he focused on the area where the voice had come from, and Maggie quickly reached up to her pendant. Lev sat quietly in the highback chair across from the door and took in the trio with an irritated look. Boris stood off to his side, ever the loyal lapdog, and sneered openly at Maggie and Max.

“I have come to collect my mother. She was never yours!” Max said emphatically.

“Yes, yes… you are quite right, Maxim. She was never mine. That has ever been my problem.” Lev said. Max was confused, ordinarily Lev would have been hurting someone by now, but in this instance, he was calmly taking in the whole scene. Max didn’t trust him at all.

“Maggie, get behind me. Now.” Max whispered quietly. Maggie edged her way behind Max and was regretting not staying in the car at this moment. She was a highly-accomplished fighter, but there were way too many variables in play for her to assert herself at this moment, so she demurred. She said a small prayer instead for assistance in getting them out of this mess.

“You have gall, father. She gave you everything and then you lied about her dying? Why?” Max could mask most of what he felt from Lev with anger, but Maggie knew that he was hiding the hurt in a cloud of rage. That cloud threatened the storm of the century, right there in that opulent library.

Max is either going to liberate his mother or get them all killed in the process. “Max,” She whispered from behind him while tugging on his sleeve, “let’s just go”, even as she knew in her gut that Lev would never let them leave alive. She inched towards the door pulling him along after her. Max shrugged out of her grasp and faced Lev again, matching calm for calm, both men marshalling a maelstrom that could be unleashed at any second. Maggie wasn’t sure if Max had heard her until he took a step backwards towards the door. She knew then that while he was trying to get answers, he was also trying to make it out of the house alive, for all of their sakes. As it turned out, Lev would be the first to break.

The man shook his head and spat, “That cheating shlyukha! Lying pizda! Maxim, your mother was not the faithful wife you thought she was. She cheated on me. On us, son!” Maggie recognized the tactic, and hoped against hope that, in his vulnerable and emotional state, he wouldn’t fall for it. Max stopped moving.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“She was seeing another man, and, as much as it pains me to tell you this, she had his baby!” Maggie could tell that Lev was looking for sympathy as the victim of adultery, she couldn’t see Max’s face but she could tell by the way he stood that he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“If she was cheating on you, why not divorce her? Divorce, not fake her death and torture her for forteen years! You imprisoned her in OUR HOME!” The thunder in Max’s voice clapped directly in his father’s unflinching face, and Maggie could see the indifference and annoyance that Lev really felt, not the act he was using with his son. She never hated anyone more than she did Lev Avatov at that precise moment.

Burn in hell, you heartless bastard, she thought. Lev threw his hands in the air in a gesture of exasperation.

“I loved your mother and didn’t want her to be with anyone but me. I was jealous, son. I wanted her to myself, to us! You needed your mother as I needed my wife. As punishment for cheating, she was sentenced to a life without everything she loved, and when her bastard daughter was born, she stayed with her until she was of an age to be shipped off to boarding school.” Max was stunned. If what he was hearing was correct, his sister, Ilyana, was not a full sister but a half sister. A baby by another father. Max looked down at the frail woman in his arms and then back at the man who had never been a true father to him.

“If she had a baby by a different man, maybe it was because you were not man enough to keep her!” Max heard a growl coming from Boris. Lev just smiled a small, cold smile. He walked up to Max as he held his mother in his arms and smacked him across the face. Lev stepped back from Max and wagged a scolding finger, as if disciplining a small child.

He’s toying with him now, thought Maggie.

“Respect, Maxim. You will show respect. I am not only your father, I am also your employer.” Maggie saw Max spit onto the oriental carpet. He smiled an icy smile at his father.

“I was finished showing you respect the moment Maggie told me my mother was alive!” Lev turned his cold stare on Maggie and she knew that from that moment she was a marked woman. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew that Lev had a special kind of hell in mind for her.

“How kind of you to ruin everything for me. You have successfully taken not only my property, but my son as well.”

“I would do it all over again if given the chance. NO ONE,” Maggie emphasized, “deserves to be treated as you have treated Margueritte! You are a monster, to not only your son but to the woman you love!” She was surprised by the sharp laughter that burst forth from Lev.

“I never loved Margueritte.” Lev said nonchalantly, “A means to an end, nothing more. I treated her well until the stupid cow betrayed me.”

There’s ‘stupid cow’ again!, thought Maggie. Do they teach them that insult in gangster school? Lev’s face took on a tinge of crimson, the only indication that this altercation was taxing his patience.

He smiled and brushed a speck of lint from his sleeve, pulled slightly at his meticulous French cuff, smoothed the front of his jacket and said, “I took Margueritte as a trophy, from a rival. I will not be denied or bested.”

“You are a sick man, to not only use this woman, but to steal her away from someone who could give her everything you wouldn’t!” Maggie said.

Lev laughed, “I am an uncomplicated person, Ms. Preston. Simple to get along with and appease. If one does things the way I want and sees them as I see them, we will get along. If not…”. He let the question hang in the air like a smoke ring. He quickly crossed the four steps to get directly in her face, which frightened her for a second, and caused Max to flinch, torn between protecting his frail mother and the woman he loved. Lev’s unctuous smile, inches from her face, she could only stand and receive whatever was coming. He simply spoke through perfectly white teeth, “I get what I want, young lady…” he let the sentence drop and Maggie was not under any delusions about the sentiment of the statement. Lev was an extremely dangerous person. With your average gangster or mob-type, enemies disappeared. Police and intel agencies were still a greater enemy to be feared by most criminals. When Lev Avatov marked you, you didn’t disappear. You could be cut down in broad daylight. Lev and his people did not fear anyone, including the authorities. They were as close to untouchable as existed, and there were frequent reminders the world over for any who might have forgotten. The implication was clear, Maggie had made Lev angry. She was actually quite surprised that they all hadn’t already died in a hail of bullets.

He must need us for… something. Max pushed in front of Maggie who had inched her way around him to confront his father. He wanted to make sure that the focus was on him and not Maggie.

“What were you going to do with her? When would you have let her out?” Max asked him, bringing the attention back to the conversation at hand.

“I would not have released her.” Lev said with a shrug, “The bitch would have died there and we would have had her disposed of. Like one of my horses.” His nonchalance about the subject of death made Maggie squirm. No sane person could speak of death and not show some kind of respect, or fear, at its utterance. Before anything further could be said, one of Lev’s henchmen came in and whispered something into his ear. Whatever the goon had said had made the blood drain from Lev’s face. He stood quickly and said to Boris, “I must leave. The Chairman is here. Take Margueritte back to her cell and lock those two in the dungeon until I am able to deal with them.” Without another word, he walked out of the room. Boris turned on Max with an evil grin, spreading his arms wide, and laughing to the sky at his good fortune.

“How the mighty have fallen! The golden child has finally fallen out of favor over a couple of stupid sluts!” Maggie could tell that Max wanted to punch Boris by the clenching of his jaw. He had walked over to the settee in the corner and was careful in laying Margueritte down onto its velvety surface. Maggie walked over to stand by the settee and watch over the unconscious woman. Max looked briefly at Maggie before turning to face Boris.

“This has been a long time coming, Maxim- you know it as well as I. We were never brothers as we once swore to each other. We are rivals. One that is close to power, one that is close to Lev.” Boris said as he and Max circled each other. Maggie thought it rather strange that Lev had not called anyone else to help Boris with Max, but then again, she thought, maybe this was another of Lev’s sick and twisted games.

“I am uncertain what I did to make you hate me so, Boris. At this point, I no longer care. I will tell you that with Lev there is no acceptance, no love, and certainly no power. The only thing that Lev will give you is orders! I tried for years to be let into his confidence, and I am his son! What would you offer to him other than your loyalty? He had mine and it did no good!” Max was yelling, and Maggie could tell that part of his tirade was that of the hurt little boy who could not gain his father’s affection. The other part was worry over how he was going to get Maggie and his mother out of the house. Maggie had noticed that Margueritte was moving around a bit like she was trying to wake from a deep sleep. Maggie knelt down and, while Max was busy yelling at Boris, she worked on rousing her enough that the older woman slowly opened her eyes. Maggie grabbed her hand and with a quick check on what was happening in the room, focused her attention on Max’s mom.

“Margueritte, we are here to rescue you, but Lev found out and has sent Boris to stop us from leaving. Is there another way out of the house other than the front door?” Margueritte’s eyes wandered for a moment and then focused on Maggie’s voice.

“Way... out?” she asked in a small voice. Maggie could tell that she was still having trouble processing information but pressed on with her questions. “Margueritte, Margueritte listen…” she snapped her fingers at Margueritte to gain her attention once again. “Max is in trouble and we need another way out of Lev’s mansion. Is there another way to escape the house?” Maggie asked her.

Margueritte placed a small hand to her head as if steadying it and said, “There is a back way; under the house through the tunnels,” Margueritte said. “Lev showed it to me when I was pregnant with Maxim. I was only told so I could guard his progeny,” she spat.

The short burst of energy seemed to be leaving Margueritte so Maggie pushed on, “Where do we find the entrance?” Maggie asked her. Margueritte seemed to have fallen back asleep so Maggie slapped her lightly on the cheeks.

“Margueritte, wake up and tell me how to get to the tunnels!” Maggie was a little louder than she had wanted to be and stole a glance at Max and Boris, who had stopped pacing and stood facing each other, both ready for the confrontation they knew was destined to take place.

Maggie shook her once again and her eyes fluttered open briefly as she said, “Through the wine cellar in the service kitchen.” She seemed to fade out, as if that sentence took the last mite of energy she had in her. She lost consciousness, but immediately jolted with a wild look in her eyes, staring at Maggie. “The tunnels! Sn--- p—pl-…” Maggie didn’t catch the last thing she said. She was out again, but Maggie knew where they needed to go. Not a moment too soon, for Boris let out a great bellow and rushed Max. Max was ready for him, and, being the more nimble of the two, was able to sidestep, pivot, and grab Boris by the legs. The look of surprise on the man’s face was priceless, and Maggie would have loved to savor it, but it disappeared from her view, along with him. Max had flung Boris backwards over his shoulder and onto the great desk in the center of the library, the crack resounding off the walls. Boris hauled himself up and the two started to circle each other again. To Maggie, the two resembled how two great bears would fight for territory in the woods, pawing and swiping at each other. Maggie had watched enough to know that they were evenly matched and decided that a little help was in order. She reached over and grabbed the fireplace poker from where it sat in the elegant, brass set against the wall and, brandishing it like a sword, moved forward and swung it against the back of Boris’s great head with a sickening thump. Boris stopped circling and instead fell, spasming and seizing in a great heap at Max’s feet.

Max looked at Maggie in shock as she shrugged and said, “So that’s that, then. I know where we have to go, Max. Grab your mom and follow me.” Max, mouth still agape at her audacity, bent over and carefully lifted Margueritte into his arms. He turned back to Maggie as if awaiting an order. “Got her? Let’s go!” He needed no further prompting as she turned and headed out the door. Max followed Maggie as she made her way back towards the kitchens. Petrov had shown the wine cellar to Maggie on her earlier tour as it was one of Lev’s favorite places, and yet another thing that he could not resist bragging about. He had not taken her all the way to the back of the cellar, but Maggie had seen enough to know that Lev’s cellar was worth a mint and that there was a secondary door that had no explanation. This had to be the way out that Margueritte had mentioned. Maggie led Max through the kitchen to the door in the cellar.

“The wine cellar?” Max asked perplexed.

“Yes, your mother woke long enough to tell me that there is a secondary exit through the wine cellar,” Maggie told him. “She also said to be aware of something, but it was so garbled I couldn’t make it out. I can’t imagine that it would be any worse than what we were facing in there!” Max leaned over and kissed her gently on the head.

“We will find the way out, myschka. Incidentally, you are quite the… something. I hope you continue to amaze me.” He flashed her a dazzling grin that made her brain go soupy and turned her legs to jello. With that proclamation Max strode past with Margueritte into the darkened cellar. The only lighting was in eight foot intervals along the walls. The cellar extended back about to what Maggie figured was the size of a football field. The cellar was massive as well as being grandiose and gaudy. About halfway through there was a door, for which there was no evident lock. It looked to be older but well maintained. Maggie figured this had to be the way out so she pulled the door open with little resistance. The smell that hit her as she pulled open the door was one that she had only experienced at the reptile exhibit in the local zoo. It was a musky, earthy smell slightly reminiscent of rotting cucumber that did not help her anxiety level. Screwing up her courage, she stepped through the door into the inky darkness. She felt around the wall, which was damp and sort of slimy, just inside the door and found a switch. The switch was rather heavy duty and let out a cacophonous CLACK. The corridor was around twenty feet long and narrow. It was all natural stone that was cut from a solid piece of rock. Maggie wondered how long Lev must have had someone work to build this tunnel under his compound, and who he had do it in the first place. From what she knew of gangsters and their ilk, the builders and laborers were most likely still here, inside the walls. The thought made her shudder… or is it the cold? It’s really chilly in here! Not enough that she could see her breath, but being underground in the Russian fall brought with it a noticeable drop in the ambient temperature. The hallway ended with another door. This one had a deadbolt attached to it and Maggie knew that the door would be locked before she ever tried to open it.

Frustrated, Max growled in the background and said, “Now what do we do. I do not have a key to this door. I did not even know this door existed!” Maggie held up a hand to forestall any further lamentations from her companion. She reached behind her head and removed the lovely amber comb and placed it in her pocket. “You have got to be kidding me…”, Max offered wryly. “This is literally a trope from every old movie. I hope you do not expect me to be able to pick a lock!” As her tresses started to unravel, she produced two bobby pins, causing the riot of red curls to fall in waves to her shoulders. She bent the pin so that she could stick it into the lock, after fiddling with it for a moment they heard a click as the lock disengaged. Maggie smiled at Max who said, “You and I need to have a little chat later, do we not?”

Maggie’s smile faltered briefly before she sighed and said, “I suppose we do.” Maggie pushed the inner door open and allowed Max to enter, carrying Margueritte. Closing the door behind her after following him inside, she searched the walls for a light switch and, upon finding one, switched on the yellowing incandescent lights, again with a very audible CLACK. The lights in this room were so old that the light itself did not reach all the way to the corners, and Maggie thought she saw something move in her periphery. A soft rustling was heard throughout the room and then went silent. Maggie’s frantic peering gaze swept around the room as she waited for her eyes to adjust. She was finally able to take in their surroundings, and that left her utterly speechless. She covered her mouth to keep from crying out at the horror that was in the room around her. We have stumbled upon an honest-to-God mad scientist’s lab, she thought.