Love Thy Neighbour

Luka looked up at me with surprise as my expression had changed, my body had tensed and I had stopped the sensuous stroking of her upper thighs.

Gone was Mr. Nice Guy... I had moved into threat analysis mode.

I looked quickly at her and put my finger to my lips as I cocked my head for further sounds. Her expression changed to uncertainty and then to fear as she began to register that I was concerned about something.

She knew enough to know that if I was concerned then she should be bloody worried. Her voice was a whisper.

"What's happening... what's going on?"

"Shh... there's somebody on the landing."

I looked around the room. There was little enough protection if someone came through the door with a gun and I had no weapons as I was just lying low for a few days and had not expected visitors... friendly or unfriendly. I pointed to the bathroom and whispered.

"Go and hide in there and put some clothes on in case we need to bail in a hurry."

Her eyes were big with fear and I squeezed her hand in reassurance as she started to slide off the bed with as much stealth as she could manage. I grabbed my own clothes and pulled them on and moved to the corner of the room behind the door. I looked over at Luka to see her frightened face peering through the door to the bathroom.

I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile and blew her a kiss and indicated that she should shut the door. She gave a sad smile in return and I heard the door shut as I turned back to listen to what was going on outside.

I could discern that there were two people and they were on the far side of the landing by the base of the stairs up to Luka's flat. The next sound was a relief as the first stair creaked as they started their ascent.

They were not coming in here... well, not immediately.

Despite my concerns about using the spy-hole I took a quick peek and could make out the back of one large man starting up the stairs with a careful step trying to avoid loud sounds.

They were moving carefully.

They were obviously after either Luka or whoever lived in the other flat and didn't want to pre-warn anyone. I didn't even know if the other flat was occupied as I had not seen or heard anyone apart from Luka.

I moved to the other side of the door and slowly opened it a crack to try to hear more.

The shuffling on the stairs was replaced by a noise from the upper landing as they transitioned towards the target door. There was a pause as they considered their options and then I heard one of them take a step followed by a crash and splintering of wood... from Luka's door.

An illusion of security!

The next sounds were of two people moving quickly... followed by more splintering wood... the bathroom door presumably. I could envisage what followed

... check under the bed

... full realisation the place was empty

... check for any clues

... exit flat

... a non-verbal discussion as to whether to hit the other flat in case they had got the wrong door

... no time... someone might call the Old Bill

... time to evacuate

... back down the stairs quicker than they went up

I closed the door as I didn't want them to think they may have been seen but cracked it again as soon as I heard them on the next set of stairs down and got a glimpse of the backs of two large men who would look the part as bouncers outside any pub or club on a Friday or Saturday night.

Zoltan's men?

Who else would be looking for Luka?

I heard the front door slam and closed the door to the flat.

Time to bail.

I softly called Luka out and she ran to me with scared eyes and I enveloped her tiny frame in my arms. Her breath was catching in her throat and she was close to tears. She whispered into my chest.

"They were in my flat. They were after me. What do I do? They will keep looking for me."

I kissed the top of her head.

"No worries sweetheart. I'm here to look after you. I'll get you somewhere safe... until we can take care of the underlying problem."

She heard my voice harden with the last statement and pulled back to look at my face with searching eyes.

"What... what will you do?"

I didn't have an answer I could give just like that so I bent forward to kiss her forehead.

"Let me worry about that but I promise you one thing... you will not have live in hiding for the rest of your life, terrified of the next knock on the door. Now gather up your things and anything of mine you can find and chuck them in my back pack. I'll get us some transport and then sort out a safe house."

Luka did not seem convinced so I pulled her back in for another hug and another kiss... this time on the tip of her nose... and grinned at her with as much 'this will be all right' I could muster. She perked up...a little.

I put my smart-phone back together and used the Uber app to get a pick-up from the grocery store. I pulled out one of the pre-paid phones stored in my pack and dialled a number from memory.

The phone on the other end rang somewhere in Pembrokeshire and was picked up after 4 rings. The voice was suspicious as most people are of 'unknown' numbers on caller ID.

"Hello"

"Tess, it's me Greg. Have you got room for another yoga devotee?"

Her laughter was rich and warm and her voice was liquid Wales.

"Well that won't be you then given your inability to sit still long enough to get into the right kind of mental state. Who is it this time... another stray lamb you found along the way?"

I looked over a Luka and smiled.

"Yes... you will like her... she reminds me of someone but I'll let you work that out for yourself."

I could hear her give a little gasp.

"Her? Should I read something into the way your voice changed when you said that?"

I chuckled.

"I know you are really a Welsh witch but even your skills can't make something out of the way I said one word."

There was a slight pause and her voice was emotional when she replied.

"It has been five years Greg... time to move on... I'm making progress... you should too."

I had no answer to that. I never did.

Tess continued... back to business.

"Where do you want to meet?"

"Head west...about 6 hours... I'll update you when I know I'm clean."

Another pause. Her voice was more cautious.

"Sounds serious... do I need help?"

"It wouldn't hurt. Anyway we need to move."

I disconnected the call and pulled the phone apart. I would dispose of the components separately later.

I turned to look at Luka who was standing with my backpack at her feet dressed in designer jeans and a skimpy spaghetti strap top, both of which looked too big for her undernourished body but the ensemble still managed to bring a lurch of arousal to my groin and it was the first time I had seen her properly dressed!

She certainly put the 'chic' into 'heroin chic'.

She caught me checking her out and gave a small smile and did a pirouette looking at me all the way round.

"See something you like?"

"Come on you minx. Now is not the time to look adorably cute. I need you to blend into the background... be invisible... as in 'not noticeable'... there's a hoodie in my pack... it will drown you but put it on and keep the hood up."

She smiled her 'I-like-what-you-just-said-but-I-need more-reassurance' smile. (Jesus... I had even started to classify her smiles... I was doomed.)

"I like that you think I'm 'adorably cute' but what is a 'minx'?"

I smiled my 'I-think-you-are-adorably-cute-but-there-is-a-limit-to-my-patience' smile. (Ok, no more smile classifications from now on).

"A minx is someone who is so cheeky that they really deserve a slap but gets away with it because they are adorably cute. Now come on we need to be out of here."

I got her to wait at the top of the stairs until I had checked that the two bouncer-types were not waiting outside and tried to spot if there were any other watchers before calling her down.

The 100 metres to the grocery store was covered at a slow pace with frequent stops as Luka was still quite weak despite my supporting arm around her waist. The stops also gave me an opportunity to check for anyone following us and were disguised as two lovers who couldn't keep their lips off each other.

The Uber arrived at the corner at the same time as we did and we both got in the back and the car took off to the pre-booked destination, Victoria Station. I would have preferred to stay away from all the CCTV in Central London locations but we were in a hurry and I hoped that my beard and unkempt hair would make identification difficult.

We then took a circuitous route to Paddington Station designed to show and shake off any pursuit but if there was one they were good because I'd convinced myself we were clean by the time we bordered the train to Heathrow.

A bus, taxi and Uber later found us in Reading and I sent a text to Tess giving the meet point in the centre of Pangbourne and we took another Uber to get there. We had about an hour to kill and as Luka was exhausted we found a bench near the Swan Pub by the Thames and she snuggled against my side and dozed.

Her gentle snores were cute.

Was there anything about her that wasn't?

I must have dozed as well because the sound of the horn of Tess's battered Range Rover roused me and my movement caused Luka to stir. I waved at Tess who was in the passenger seat and I could see her younger brother Mitch at the wheel. I picked Luka up and carried her over to the car and I could see Tess looking puzzled as she got out and opened the rear door.

"Is she all right?"

"The after effects of an extreme form of detox."

"She's a... a junky?"

I was immediately defensive and my voice was curt.

"Well let's just say she made some life decisions that she now regrets and is being very courageous in trying to put her life back together."

Tess could tell I was pissed off with her. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry Greg... that came out wrong. Let's get her into the car and away from here.

I lifted Luka in behind Tess' seat, buckled her in.

Mitch also got out and came round to take the backpack and put it in the boot. His eyes were everywhere checking each vehicle as it passed. We shook hands and gave each other a blokey-hug and I could feel a bulky object in the left side of his jacket. He was armed.

I went round to get in the other side as Tess and Mitch got back in. Tess turned round and smiled more warmly.

"It's good to see you Greg even though you could do with a shave and a haircut! Does your stray lamb have a name... or is it best if we don't know?"

"Her name is Luka Kolar, aka Luka Love, aka Analise Love."

Mitch lifted his head at this and I saw his smirk in the rear-view mirror. Somebody's viewing habits were obvious.

"She's 22 years old from The Czech Republic or Slovakia and needs to hide from a very unpleasant Russian called Zoltan. AFA are currently getting me some details on his whereabouts."

Tess looked confused.

"I thought you were going after the Albanian?"

I nodded.

"Yes, I was and will do it but I'm doing this as a freebie."

Tess smiled triumphantly.

"Well that says something about how you feel about her. You said she would remind me of someone."

I pulled the hood away from Luka's face showing the sleeping elfin faced Czech girl.

Tess stared at her for a long time and I could see tears starting to well up in her eyes before she slowly nodded."

"Yes... not a twin but a definite resemblance. Is that why you... why you are... interested in her case? Because she looks like my Lizzie? Because you can save her when you couldn't save Lizzie and Megan or... Ben?"

"I don't think I thought like that. I like her for who she is and by her strength to come back from what she has gone through. Yes, I want to help her, to save her as you put it but not as proxy for your husband, daughter and granddaughter... my wife and child. She deserves it because she's already fighting back... not that we shouldn't help the ones who can't fight back."

We were staring at each other in silence, both close to tears as our thoughts of our loved ones crashed around us. Eventually I composed myself enough to continue.

"Everyone I've helped until now were proxies and maybe the fact that I think this one deserves it in her own right is a good sign. Not necessarily to do with how I feel about her but because I can do it from a positive perspective rather than guilt."

Tess reached back to take my hand.

"Greg you have no reason to feel guilt... it was not your fault and... and you almost died trying to save them. You were a good husband and father... you are a good man..."

"No... he is a wonderful man and I owe him my life... twice..."

We both turned at the sound of Luka's scratchy voice and the way the car twitched I think Mitch did too.

Luka smiled weakly up at me.

"Dr. Greg, can I have a drink please?"

I heard Tess snort with laughter.

"Dr. Greg! What porkies have you been telling her?"

Luka grinned at her.

"It's ok... I called him Dr. Greg because he has a good bedside manner when he was looking after me... he's called Uncle Greg when he kisses..."

I blushed and interrupted her before she could continue further.

"Don't talk too much sweetheart... I'll get you the water."

I looked quickly at Tess and saw her eyes twinkling in amusement as she mouthed "Kisses?... Sweetheart?" with a raised eyebrow.

She turned back and smiled at Luka.

"So Uncle Greg has been looking after you in err... several ways, has he? He's like that is Uncle Greg. I'm Tess by the way... I am... was Uncle Greg's mother-in-law. We're taking you to my farm in Wales where you will be safe for a while. How are you feeling? We have some pain killers if you need."

Luka grinned and looked at me and then back to Tess.

"No thank you. I've got past the really painful cramps. I'm just weak from lack of food although Uncle... err... Greg has been feeding me but he has not given me much as he is very mean with his portions."

At this point she paused and smiled knowingly and mischievously.

"He is mean because I know he has a much larger portion to give."

I heard Mitch snort and Tess giggled.

Double entendres from a non-native English speaker? Whatever next?

Ever felt like you are the butt of the joke but have no idea how you ended up there?

Tess reached round the back of the seat to take Luka's hand.

"Oh Luka... sweetheart... you and I are going to get on famously. I am sure that you can sort out Greg's portion control when you are better."

They both giggled.

Great! The mother-daughter axis which defeats most husbands was back in action and they weren't even related and I wasn't married!

Tess looked back at me and the grin was joyous and happy... for me.

I shrugged and took the water bottle from the front console and held it for Luka who drank greedily before she lay down with her head in my lap. I stroked her head and when I looked up I saw Tess looking back at us with a look that can only be described as 'I-am-so-pleased-to-finally-see-you-like-this'.

I shrugged again but this time in acquiescence.

I was so busted.

We stopped at one of the service stations to get sandwiches and I realised that I had eaten very little in the 2 days since I first met Luka. She slept for a couple of hours by which time we had crossed the Severn and were deep into Wales and I spent most of the time stroking her head and brushing her hair from her face. Every time I looked up I would see Tess smiling her 'pleased parent' smile and I would grin back at her.

I started to explain the circumstances of how I had come across Luka and her courageous attempt to go cold turkey and what I knew of her time in porn and the mysterious Zoltan who had control over her but I didn't know how or why.

I told them about the two guys turning up at Luka's flat who could only be from Zoltan which had prompted me to get her away from there.

Mitch, always the cautious one, made the observation that Zoltan was bound to be Russian Mafia if he was involved in porn especially the bad sort and did we want to go up against them again. All three of us pondered this for a while and I looked up and met Tess' eyes.

"Actually Mitch I don't have a choice. I promised her that I would sort it and sort it I will. Maybe this time we leave no trace of AFA. It has to look like an internal power struggle. When she's properly awake and up to a debrief we need to find out more about our friend Zoltan."