“It was, she’s busy and preoccupied with this meeting. She told me she’s busier than she ever thought possible as President. The vice-presidency is a boat ride by comparison, which I’m sure is no surprise to anyone. She wants to talk on the plane ride home.”
“We’re now crossing the Crimean Bridge that opened in 2016. It is a connection between The Crimea and her motherland, Russia,” a tour guide said as he stood narrating the ride.
“Nothing like a pro-Russian guide to set the mood,” Tatiana said.
“In time a rail bridge will parallel the auto bridge and serve as another triumph in Russian engineering.”
“Is the ministry of propaganda open again?” Dave asked and there was laughter. The tour guide turned and gave a dirty look.
“I think you made an enemy,” Andy quipped. The bridge is without a doubt an engineering masterpiece as it stretches nineteen miles so now people don’t have to take a ferry anymore.
“We are now entering Russia,” the tour guide said and Boronovitch raised his fist in the air. Sergei shook his head no and Boronovitch nodded understanding.
“Ma’am, do you feel alright, you look kind of pale?” Bonnie Fletcher asked as Ellen sat with her head back and eyes closed.
“Just tired, Bonnie. I hate staying at hotels even good ones.” Bonnie grinned and adjusted the pillow behind Ellen’s head. The driver was checking everyone in his rear-view mirror then he talked to someone on the phone. He had an ear piece so no one noticed except Trent and Vladimir. It was part of their training to be observant and suspicious of everything and everybody. The driver was talking softly and Vladimir could not understand what he was saying. The bus was going about forty miles an hour followed by the two cars with the U.S. and Russian security agents inside. The driver said something quietly as the bus slowed down.
“What’s happening?” Trent asked as he looked at Vladimir who was also concerned.
“Why are we slowing down?” Ellen asked. Sergei was concerned and peered ahead trying to see in front of the bus. Then there was a screech and a large truck pulled in front of the bus. The driver slammed on the brakes. Trent, Johnny Rodriguez and Val Wheaton got up along with Vladimir and Gregori Retzlaf. The driver opened the front door and in a flash three armed men got on board carrying automatic weapons. They shouted in Russian and Vladimir and Gregori lowered their weapons and slid them along the floor. Vladimir turned to Trent and nodded for him and his two men to do the same thing. They did as it seemed these men meant business. Simultaneously to the boarding of the bus two black jeeps rammed the security agents’ cars behind the bus and four men jumped out with machine guns and riddled the cars with bullets. There was no return fire from the cars and when the armed men opened the doors they looked inside and gave thumbs up to each other; all the Russian and American agents were dead. The Russian car had three plants from Kulagin and their job was to take out the other agents but the orders from Kulagin were to kill them as well. Typical Stalinist tactic. Send someone on a mission and when they complete it, kill them.
“What’s happening?” Belinda asked.
“I think were being kidnapped,” Justin said.
“They can’t do that,” Belinda said.
“Lind, be quiet, they can do whatever they want as long as they’re holding those guns,” Jozette said. Tatiana leaned over, grabbed Belinda’s wrist and made a shushing sound. There was complete silence for a few moments then another man got on board. He had one of those scary appearances and he looked over everyone until he caught a glimpse of Presidents Deniken and Lexington in the back. He whispered something to one of the men with an automatic weapon then he nodded and started for the back. Trent and Vladimir were standing and they didn’t move. Their job was to protect their Presidents and getting between them and danger was the central part of their job. The guy pointed the gun at Trent and said something to Vladimir.
“We better sit down, Yankee, or he’ll kill us and everyone else.” Trent sighed as they both sat. The man with the gun went to the back and looked down at Ellen and Sergei. He said something to Sergei.
“What?” Ellen asked.
“We’re being kidnapped,” Sergei said, shaking his head as if he knew why and wasn’t surprised.
“Why?”
“We’re about to find out but he’ll kill everyone if you and I don’t cooperate fully. He is Andrei Kulagin” Ellen sat back and breathed out slowly. The man returned to the front of the bus.
“Amos didn’t say this was part of being vice-president when he asked me to run with him,” she said to herself.
“Listen to me,” a voice commanded and they all came to attention. He was physically imposing at six four and had forearms that resembled a body builder. “My name is Andrei Kulagin and you’ve been chosen to be part of the revolution. We are in control of both the presidents of Russia and the United States. The whole world will soon know and they will know our terms. If we are not satisfied then everyone on this bus will die along with millions. If I do not get what I want then I will start the conflagration that will destroy the planet.” Stunned wasn’t accurate enough to describe the mood on the bus. Trent and Vladimir exchanged looks. If there was to be any heroism it would be up to them. Assessing the situation suggested that there was next to nothing they could do but that didn’t stop them from thinking about possibilities.
“What do you want?” Dave asked. Tatiana cringed at her husband asking questions and hoped it wouldn’t be perceived by this man as a challenge.
“A change in Russia… a return to the days of Comrade Stalin.
“Why are we being taken prisoner?” Dave asked. Tatiana nudged Dave to stop talking.
“Because you’re here.” He turned and said something to one of the gunmen then left and got into a car in front of the bus. The cell phones were collected and a search was conducted of everyone’s person. A pocket knife was recovered and the search was over. The man who collected the phones went to the front and when the bus driver opened the door, he threw the bag of phones out on the curb.
“I’m a little scared, Warren,” Ariel said.
“Probably not as much as me.”
“Are they taking you because you’re a famous physicist?”
“Who said I was famous?”
“I did.”
“A one-person fan club… I guess I can handle that.”
“Promise me you won’t leave me at any time.”
“We’ll all need to stick together to get through this one.”
“Promise me, Warren.” He looked at her and grinned.
“I, Warren Andrew Peabody do solemnly swear…”
“Warren!” She whispered testily.
“I promise, Ariel, okay.”
“That’s better.” She hugged his arm and he pulled her close to him but he was no hero who was going to protect his woman. If anything, it was probably the other way around he thought as his knees began shaking.
“I don’t like this, Jo,” Andy said.
“I hate it.”
“Just another time for us to be in the soup,” Andy said and Jozette nodded as the bus pulled away led by the car containing Kulagin and a half-dozen others with guns. The two gunmen were up front standing, looking over the crowd. Trent and Vladimir were sizing up the situation looking for an opening… a plan. They weren’t talking, they knew that’d be squelched immediately but they were making eye contact and talking with their eyes and expressions. The one gunman had his weapon pointed to the floor. The other was pointing his straight ahead but Trent and Vladimir knew that the two would be hesitant to open fire in the bus for fear of killing one or both of the presidents. That was the prize cargo and they knew Kulagin would not be happy if anything happened to his hostages. There would be a bullet in the head for both guards if anything happened to Presidents Deniken or Lexington.