The Shepherd's Crook Pt. 01

"They wanted us to go with them, and I said no. That's when they threatened us with their guns. So we... disabled the threat," Ben said calmly. Trish was smiling at him proudly.

"Did you know the men?"

Ben's eyebrows rose. "No! We've never seen them before. That one said they worked for Mr. Milonas. Earlier, I ignored a dinner invite from a Darius Milonas."

Several of the officers looked at Ben nervously, and the two unconscious men were quickly cuffed.

"You will come with us to the station. The captain will want to speak with you."

Ben looked at Trish wearily. "Yeah, I thought this might happen. Fine. Let's go."

Trish preceded Ben as they followed the officer outside and got into the back of the police cruiser. She took Ben's hand. "You know how to show a lady a good time."

He looked to her and saw the playful smile. That brought a smile of his own. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Mmmm... hey, you ever do it in the back of a police car?" she chuckled.

"Behave!" he growled quietly but fought to hide his grin.

-=-

When Ben woke the following morning in the plush hotel bed, he felt jet-lagged and more than a little grumpy. He hadn't slept too well the night before after the police finally released them.

They'd been held for questioning for hours. The police pressed Ben to divulge his connection to Darius Milonas who, it turned out, was suspected of being involved in criminal activities including smuggling, drug trafficking, extortion, and murder. Not a nice man.

Ben maintained that he didn't know Milonas and when the police began cycling back through their questions a third time Ben finally lost his patience. He insisted they either charge him or release him. He collected Trish, and they went directly back to the hotel to get some sleep. For once, Trish behaved which proved how tired she was as well.

He reached out to her, but her side of the bed was empty. He sat up and listened for the sound of the shower but heard nothing but the soft murmur of the air conditioning. Yawning, he climbed off the bed to stand and stretch his back muscles as the mattress was just a little too plush for his tastes.

Glancing at the clock next to the bed, he saw it was still reasonably early. He might be able to get in some time in the hotel gym before breakfast. That would get work the kinks out of his muscles.

He walked into the gorgeous ensuite bathroom but the lights were off, and Trish wasn't there. Moving out into the living room, he spotted a note perched on the back of the sofa facing the bedroom door.

"Ben, gone for a run. Back soon. Trish."

He frowned in annoyance. With no idea of when she left, he had no idea when she'd be back. His back tweaked once more so he walked back into the bedroom and put on his workout clothes.

He updated the note to let Trish know where he was and left the room.

The hotel gym wasn't empty, but the few guests inside kept to themselves and that suited Ben perfectly. He found a free machine and went through his routine. He didn't push himself too hard as he was still feeling the drag of the time difference. By the end, his muscles were warm and moving smoothly. Trish hadn't joined him in the gym, so he wiped down his machine and went back to his room.

When Ben entered, he saw his note was still resting on the sofa facing the front door. That brought another frown and just a hint of worry. He picked up his cell and dialed her number but heard it ringing in the bedroom. She hadn't taken it with her.

Maybe she got lost running in the core of a strange city? That seemed unlikely.

More trouble from the goons from last night? That was a possibility, but Trish was no easy target, and she'd keep to the main roads.

He couldn't shake the sense of unease, but standing in the middle of the living room all sweaty from the gym wasn't helpful. Ben walked into the master bathroom and took a shower, shaved and got dressed.

Trish still hadn't returned, and he was beginning to worry seriously.

His cell began to buzz which meant a call from a number not on his approved caller list. He picked it up and answered.

"Hello?"

"Am I speaking with Benjamin Shepherd?" The voice had a distinct accent.

"Ben," he replied. He was picking up a strange vibe from the voice.

"What?"

"Ben, not Benjamin. Who is this?" he asked.

"This is Darius Milonas. We need to speak, Benjamin."

Ben scowled as he heard the smirk in the man's tone. "I thought I was pretty clear when I ignored your dinner summons. My response to your sending armed goons to threaten me should have completely clarified my desire to be left alone," he growled.

"Yes, your unpleasant American manners have left me with no choice but to ensure your willingness to join me for what should be a brief conversation," Darius sighed.

Ben froze. Trish wasn't back. "What-"

"Your lady friend would very much like you to join her. I will send two of my men to bring you to her. We will have our conversation. Have I made myself clear, Benjamin?" There was steel in Darius' tone now.

His gut twisted at the thought of Trish in the hands of this thug sent a shot of fear for her through him. Then his rage threatened to erupt. He took a deep breath to fight that down as well. Threatening Darius while he had Trish was not a smart move.

"When-"

There was a knock at the door of his room. "Go with them now and follow their instructions. Don't waste any more of my time, Benjamin," Darius sighed and the line went dead.

Ben hung up and went to the door. He opened it to see two grim looking men in dark suits. One of them was the third goon from the bar last night. He scowled at them.

"Leave the cell here," Goon number three insisted as he saw Ben holding his phone.

Ben left it on the table by the front door and stepped out into the hall.

"Follow," the talkative goon said. Ben was grateful they weren't pointing guns at him at least.

They took the elevator all the way to the underground parking lot where a driver in a silver Mercedes SUV with heavily tinted windows waited for them. Ben was directed to get into the back seat. Goon number three got in the opposite side next to him, and his silent partner climbed in the passenger side up front. They left the lot and joined the early morning commuting traffic.

Ben ignored the other passengers as he looked out the window at the scenery passing by. His mind was trying to connect the dots to determine what Milonas might want from him. His jaw muscles twitched as he thought of Rainor Hahn's trashed apartment. Was there a connection? Detective Freder seemed to believe Rainor dealt in stolen art. That suggested Rainor might be a criminal, but certainly not in the same league as Milonas, if he went by what the police had told him. The ransacking of the condo made no sense to him. There were too many unanswered questions. He'd have to wait.

His mind took him back to Trish. If Milonas' hurt her, Ben was going to kill him.

They left the core and passed through some residential areas to reach the outer edge of the city. They drove into an industrial park with lots of new buildings under construction. The SUV passed through a fence guarded by another dark-suited man then approached the front of a tall office tower which was in its early stages of building; ten stories of concrete floors and an external elevator bolted to the face of the tower. Glancing at the nearby towers which were further along in their build, this tower was likely going to be clad in glass and steel as well. For now, though, it was just a stack of ugly grey floors with safety fencing to keep the workers from stepping out into space.

The driver remained with the SUV and Ben's two escorts led him into the elevator and rode it up to the top floor. Ben stepped off to face two more men, each carrying a nasty little machine gun. He wondered at the elevated level of security Milonas seemed to have surrounding him. Ben had no exposure to the criminal world, so he had to accept this was one of the costs. He scowled as he scanned his eyes over the men and saw them clutching their weapons a little tighter.

Goon number three approached him cautiously. "I must check for weapons."

Ben had seen enough television to know the pose and stretched his arms out to the side. The man quickly patted him down then stepped back. He nodded and gestured for Ben to continue down the hall to the right, now surrounded by the four men.

After a short distance, they pushed through a curtain of translucent plastic. Beyond this Ben saw a portable table set up with some chairs. His eyes immediately locked on Trish first. She had a dark bruise on her left cheekbone, and he saw the tension in her eyes.

"Ben! I'm ok. Calm. It's ok."

He blinked at her as he heard the growl coming from his lips die down. He was also several feet closer to the table. The men circling him were all pointing their weapons at him while glancing nervously at the man seated a short distance ahead.

"You're ok?" Ben asked roughly.

"I'm ok. Nothing I can't handle," Trish said as she held his eyes.

Ben took a few deep, slow breaths then looked across the table.

The man watching him stood slowly with a smile on his face. He looked to Trish. "You spoke the truth. He isn't intimidated by my men. Foolish."

Ben recognized the voice from the call. This was Darius Milonas. The man was maybe 5' 7" but had broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a narrow waist. His hair was dark, tight curls with patches of grey at his temples. His trimmed black beard carried on the grey patch theme on either side of his strong chin. Pale grey eyes assessed Ben as they took the measure of each other. There didn't appear to be any soft edges to Darius.

"So this is the Bronze Man. Benjamin Shepherd," the crime boss said with a little condescension in his tone.

"Ben."

Darius' gaze cooled a little, and the smirk slid away.

"I was a little surprised to discover someone with your reputation had a relationship with Rainor Hahn-"

"I had no relationship with him. I met him once, for only a few minutes on the night he fell off the charter boat into Sydney Harbour and became shark food," Ben interrupted.

Darius gazed thoughtfully at Ben. "Yet you took possession of his condominium."

That answered one question for Ben. "His wife left the estate in my name. I didn't discover this until... later." He wasn't going to share his feelings about Gretchen with this thug.

"His wife? That bastard was married?!?" Darius chuckled in surprise. Ben nodded, holding the man's eyes. "And she just signed over everything to you?"

Ben nodded again. He didn't deserve more of an answer than that.

The crime boss moved slowly around the table until he was behind Trish. Ben bristled but noted the man stopped outside of Trish's strike zone. So he was aware of how she'd bested one of his men.

"Rainor was managing some funds for me. He had a considerable amount of my money switching from account to account. Then he disappeared without delivering the final account numbers and ownership credentials. I believe the ledger of these accounts is now in your possession," Darius said with a little stiffness. Rainor's theft had damaged his pride, and with Rainor's death, Darius lost the opportunity to punish him for the betrayal.

"So it was you and your men who trashed the condo?" Ben asked.

The smirk was back. "I don't personally deal with such trivial tasks. Not when I have people to do them for me. The ledger wasn't there. It must be in the bank safe deposit box you will be visiting today."

Ben blinked at the man in surprise. "May I ask how you're aware of that?"

Darius' smile widened in satisfaction. "No, you may not. What will happen today is that you will go to the bank and bring the ledger to me. My assistant will accompany you to ensure this happens." He looked behind Ben and gestured for someone to approach.

The sound of heels on concrete was too sharp and high pitched to come from the shoes of one of Darius' men.

Ben turned to see a woman striding towards him with a confident smile at the corner of her lips. She was tall, over 6' with the 3" heels on her tall, tan leather boots. She wore her long, red leather jacket open, and the plunging V of her white silk blouse displayed a delightful amount of cleavage courtesy of a black lace push up bra. Her body was svelte and long-limbed, and she moved with an energy that hinted at strength beneath her grace. Her yellow blonde hair fell in soft waves to mid-back. She had high cheekbones, almond-shaped sky blue eyes, a slim nose and a sensual mouth painted with a deep crimson lipstick to match her manicure. Right now that mouth was beginning to display a broad smile of recognition. Her step faltered only momentarily as she moved to stand before Ben. She reached out a hand, and Ben automatically enclosed it in his larger one. He felt her testing his grip, and the unexpected strength in her hand caused his brows to rise slightly as they shook hands.

"Mr. Shepherd! It is an honor to meet you!" Her thick Russian accent flavored her speech, but she could make herself understood. There was a sharp intelligence in those lovely eyes.

"Not under the best of circumstances," he responded with a frown. The blonde turned her eyes to Darius curiously.

Darius wasn't pleased with the charmed tone in the woman's voice. "Benjamin, this is Liliya Sokolov. Liliya, you will accompany Benjamin to the bank to collect my ledger. There and back with no delays." She nodded to her employer as she dipped her eyes downwards submissively.

Darius turned his attention back to Ben. "To ensure you do not attempt anything stupidly heroic, your companion will remain with me until you return. Contact the police, prevent Liliya's retrieval of the ledger, fail to follow any of my instructions, and the bitch dies, slowly. Do you understand me... Benjamin?"

Ben locked eyes with Darius, the scar across his face flaring from his scowl. He gave the man a slow nod. Then he looked to Trish. She looked into his eyes and smiled at him.

"See ya soon, big guy," she said.

A shiver ran down Ben's back when he heard her confidence in him in her voice. A small smile slipped onto his lips, and he gave her a nod.

Turning back to Milonas, the smile fell away. He could almost feel the machismo and arrogance radiating from him. He could see Milonas was physically strong and his eyes gave away his cruel streak. The man was clearly a vicious criminal and matched the description the police gave the previous night. "I'll assist Ms. Sokolov in collecting your ledger for you but, trust me, make any attempt to harm Trish, and you'll regret it."

Dropping his smile, Milonas nodded for Liliya to lead Ben away. She nodded and turned, gesturing for Ben to join her. She guided Ben back to the elevator, and he noted they were being followed by three armed escorts. One had remained behind, probably to guard Trish.

Ben picked up a slight stiffness in Liliya's smile now, which just increased his unease at leaving Trish behind. He glanced back at the guards, but they were watching him like hawks.

When she opened the gate, he had no choice but to step into the elevator. The three gunmen followed them on. Soon they were on their way down, and Ben lifted his eyes to look up to the floor rising above him.

He turned his face to Liliya, but she looked away.

A cold lump formed in his stomach but there was nothing he could do. Trish was on her own.

-=-

Once he heard the elevator depart, Darius turned his eyes to the redhead who looked back with a smirk on her lips.

He took off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair neatly.

"Benjamin should not have challenged me as I never back down from a challenge." He unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off to place it over the chair back as well. His thickly muscled chest was now on display, and he smiled as he saw her eyes scan over the thick curls there. He rolled his neck and shoulders to stretch his muscles in preparation.

Trish's smirk grew into a condescending smile. "His warning wasn't to protect me." She turned her head to look at the remaining guard with the automatic weapon watching her so carefully. Looking back to Darius, she snorted quietly. She saw his jaw muscles jumping slightly then he gestured for the guard to leave.

"Sir?" the man nervously asked as he'd been part of the group that collected her.

"Leave!" Darius snapped.

The guard moved to the plastic sheeting and passed through the gap. Trish heard his heels scuff against the cement as he rushed away towards the elevator. Doing a quick survey of the space around them, she nodded to herself. She kicked off her runners and tugged off her socks before standing to face Darius who was slowly prowling towards her. She moved back and turned slightly to put the building's core at her back.

"I hope you don't have a fragile male ego because you're about to get your sorry ass kicked by a woman."

"American women, so fucking arrogant. I will enjoy teaching you some humility," he returned with a grunt as he kicked off his leather shoes and tugged off his socks.

He went into his fighting stance, and Trish tried to identify the style. She bounced on her toes and raised her arms, hands ready to deflect or strike as required.

Milonas made a few feints and Trish stayed just out of range as she watched his eyes. He was fast; maybe even approaching Ben's speed. That wasn't good.

He threw a series of jabs, a few of them glancing off her upper arms, and she realized if he managed to strike her solidly, he might put her down for the count.

A swift sweeping kick skimmed past her cheek as she threw herself back to avoid it. He followed up with a series of lunges she barely managed to escape, but the last one left him open for a cupped palm slap against his left ear. He gasped and staggered from the popped eardrum. She hadn't been able to hit him hard enough to burst it, but it dazed him at the very least.

Seeing a chance, she launched an attack of her own but crashed backward as he lashed out with his heel, catching her solidly in the gut. When she hit the concrete, she rolled and narrowly avoided his follow up stomp. Gasping to get the wind back in her lungs, she spun and jabbed the point of her elbow into the meat of his calf before rolling away. He grunted loudly in pain as the dense muscle knotted immediately. He bounced back from her on his uninjured leg.

"Fucking Bitch!" he barked as he put his foot down carefully. He grimaced as he tried to stretch the muscles out.

"You hit... pretty hard... but... not as hard... as Ben," she wheezed out as she got her breath back.

Darius paused to look at her in disbelief. "He hit you?"

She wickedly grinned as she got her breathing back under control. Her stomach hurt terribly as did her bruised arms, but she wouldn't let it show. "Ben hit the heavy bag I was bracing. Knocked me off my feet and I lost my wind. Not like your little punk taps."

Darius' eyes went cold. "I think you don't understand your situation or your station in life." He took a step closer, and she took a step back. They repeated this pattern slowly, but only he could see she was getting close to the building's core and soon there would be no room to retreat.

"Station in life? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Are you one of those disillusioned shit for brains who whines about the days when men were men and women were subservient?" she spat.

He allowed himself a smile to keep her talking. He'd have her soon as they continued to move back.

"A woman's place is in the kitchen making her man meals, ironing his clothes, keeping the house clean?" She risked a glance to the left, and her target was finally within reach.