“What are you doing to him? What has he done?” she asked, tears beginning to escape from her blue eyes.
“He owes me money, a lot of money, and he can't pay. So, here's what we're going to do. You are going to come with me until he can pay.”
“No way. You're not taking me hostage,” Lucy shouted as she got up from the sofa and made for the sideboard, where she knew Lenny kept a handgun. Again the large man picked her up and threw her onto the sofa.
Grigori laughed. “I admire your fight, but it's useless,” he said. He took the gun from Lenny's mouth and wiped it on Lenny's shirt. “She's coming with us, Lenny, and there's not a thing you can do about it.”
“You fucking asshole, I'll see you burn in hell. When I find you, I'll rip your eyes out and piss on—” Lenny didn't get to finish the rest of his tirade; Grigori pistol-whipped him into unconsciousness. Lucy screamed again and tried to get up, but the big man had learned his lesson and was holding her. “I didn't realize what a beautiful daughter he had. How old are you, Lucy?” Grigori asked. He looked horrified when Lucy's spit landed on his well-pressed trousers. “Take the bitch and put her in the trunk. I've had enough of her.”
Lucy was thrown from side to side as the car dodged through the residential area her father lived in. She was relieved when they seemed to reach a long, straight piece of the freeway and it was a smoother ride. The tape over her mouth ripped at her skin whenever she moved her mouth, so she tried to stay as expressionless as possible. She had no idea who these men were or where she was being taken. All she knew was that her beloved father was lying unconscious in their home and she was in very grave danger.
“Take her downstairs,” she heard Grigori say as she was hauled from the trunk. Her legs scraped along the ground as she was dragged along. The man held her in one arm, opened a door, and carried her down a set of stone steps into a basement.
“Should I tie her up, boss?” he shouted upstairs.
“Tie her to the roof support,” Grigori shouted back.
The basement had four posts that supported the upper floor. Lucy found herself tied to one of them a few minutes later.
“You're so pretty,” the man said as he put the finishing touches to the knot that held her in place. “How an ugly fucker like Lenny could produce a daughter like you, I have no idea. Your mother must have been Cleopatra,” he joked. Her mouth still covered by tape, Lucy wasn't able to reply.
*****
Lucy lost track of time. She knew it had been around half past four in the afternoon when they kidnapped her, but there were no windows in the basement, and she had no way of seeing if it was dark or light. After a time, she decided to close her eyes and try to sleep, but her mind was so active that she didn't manage to drop off. All she could think about was how her father was and what these despicable men were going to do to her. She could take a beating, but she was desperately worried by the big man's comments about how pretty she looked. Was he going to help himself to her?
When the light came on she blinked uncontrollably. She heard someone coming down the stairs and held her breath, wondering what was about to happen to her.
“Here,” Grigori said as he handed her a cup of water. He tore the tape from her mouth and noticed it had caused a rash on her top lip and chin. Lucy guzzled the water, spilling some of it on her blouse.
“What time is it?” she asked. For some reason time seemed important.
“Half past ten. Do you want some food?”
“How long do you propose to keep me here?” she asked.
“For as long as it takes your father to come up with the money he owes me.”
“And how much is that?”
“Five hundred grand.” Grigori sat down on an old sofa in the corner of the room and looked at her. He too wondered how Lenny had managed to produce such a pretty daughter. He knew her mother couldn’t have been Irish, because Lucy had tanned skin and dark hair, and the Irish, he always joked, were ginger and pasty.
“But he won't be able to find that kind of money,” she said.
“How many houses does he own?”
“Five.”
“They are enormous places, each worth at least a million. All he has to do is sell one and pay me.”
“But it's not a good time to sell real estate; it could take forever,” Lucy said.
“Then you can look forward to growing old down here.”
She fixed her eyes on him in a death stare. “You're heartless. I bet your mother didn't bring you up to treat women like you are treating me.”
“What mother? I was given away when I was a baby. My mother didn't give a shit about me.”
“Untie me, please. This rope is cutting me. I won't do anything stupid,” she pleaded.
He got up, walked to her, and took out a knife. In one swift movement he cut through the rope and pulled it from her. Lucy rubbed her wrists, which were red and developing the same rash she had on her face. “Are you really going to keep me all that time?”
“Yes. You'll stay here until he pays.”