The Untouchable

Chapter 75

"I'll tell Alexander everything. What do you think you're doing - going through a poor woman's bag!" Gyuzel muttered sullenly. "It's not nice. Use your own phone."

Daniel, ashamed, stammered, then kicked the kitchen cupboard once, then again. Choking with rage, he swept everything off the countertop with a long, sharp motion. A tiny copper frying pan rattled on the tiles, broken china clinked, and small objects scattered. Gyuzel gingerly retreated to the far corner of the kitchen, squeezing her way to the exit.

It was foolish to try to get her phone, but he was tired of living in uncertainty. He couldn't contact Sennoy with his own phone due to surveillance, and there was no way to get another one during his walks. The feeling of a ticking bomb beneath him depressed him more each day. Daniel stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to calm down but only winding up faster. The last of his restraint snapped, and he was swept away into a frenzied maelstrom.

"Daniel..." an irritating voice snapped him out of his frenzy.

Daniel turned around and struck. Maxim blocked the punch, found his phone with his left hand, and lurched out of the kitchen. Daniel threw erratic punches, annoyed that he couldn't land a hit - Maxim deftly deflected the blows but didn't hit back. In the living room, Daniel grabbed a chair, swung it up easily, and brought it down on Maxim, who hadn't had time to dodge. Maxim covered himself with his hands but staggered back, his head reeling. Daniel lunged at him, driving his heel into the middle of his thigh and then into his groin. Maxim bent over, howled, glared fiercely, and drove his fist into Daniel's stomach. The pain stabbed brightly, knocked the breath out of him, brought him back to his senses for a moment, but immediately rekindled his rage.

The scene blurred into a fuzzy picture with occasional flashes. Inside, a furious, ancient joy of battle dulled the pain. The enemy danced in front of him, slipping away from his blows, exhausted but still shrieking when his fist hit its target. His ears buzzed, his eyes filled with sweat, and his breath hitched when he was hit back. Something was crashing, falling with a rumble, breaking with a crack; someone screamed shrilly in the background. But it was delightfully good, just divinely good. Suddenly he was grabbed from behind, his arms twisted, he was kicked under his knees, knocked to the floor, and his neck was pinned with an elbow grip. Clothes were torn off his forearm, and a needle stuck in. Blood rushed into his temples, air ran out rapidly, his eyes darkened, and bitterness blurred in his mouth. The bitterness was followed by a drowsy heaviness; muscles stiffened, and a chemical calm spread inside.

Daniel didn't resist as they gently lifted him, dragged him upstairs, carried him over the stairs, and laid him on the bed. He looked around at the panting bodyguards, noted a couple of new faces, and shifted his eyelids tiredly. He was not there.

This time they didn't knock him out with a sedative; they gave him a strong tranquilizer. He felt calm and only slightly sleepy. The bruised spots ached unpleasantly, and Daniel rubbed his stomach languidly, then froze - he didn't want to move. They lifted him up, pulled off his shirt, applied cool ointment to the sore spots, covered him with a blanket, and stomped away. Only one remained, collapsing into a chair and humming quietly.

Alexander burst into the bedroom as the medicine was wearing off. He nodded toward the exit, and Marat, understanding him without words, quickly left. Daniel didn't even move.

"What happened today, Danny?" Alexander asked, running cool fingers over his face and neck, gently feeling his reddened throat.

"The joy of being imprisoned," Daniel wheezed, brushing away the irritating fingers. "Social contact."

"Dmitri Astakhov is coming over," Alexander sat down on the edge of the bed, looking upset. "Please, talk to him, don't be sarcastic."

"Why?" Daniel asked, alarmed. He weakly pushed at Alexander's side; his muscles hadn't fully regained their strength. "Are you going to hand me over to him after all? Answer me, you asshole!"