𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐞 || A Mafia Love Story

xxxiv

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Marlee felt like she was free-falling, the plane plunging towards the earth with a speed that made her stomach twist. The engines roared in her ears as the aircraft descended, the sensation of weightlessness gnawing at her insides. She shivered uncontrollably, each exhale a cloud of frosted breath that barely dissipated before freezing air tore it apart. Ice crystals clung to her eyelashes, the weight of them making her eyelids heavy. A deep, gnawing fear crept up her spine—was she slipping into hypothermia? Every nerve in her body screamed as the frigid air gnawed at her, her lips trembling, skin turning pale and waxy.

The metal beneath her body felt as though it had been carved from solid ice. Every patch of bare skin burned as it made contact, leaving a sharp sting that lingered long after she tried to adjust. With her arms restrained, she had no hope of shifting her weight to find relief. She was trapped in her seat, the cold wrapping around her like an unrelenting predator, tightening its hold with every passing second. The chains binding her wrists made it impossible to pull herself into any semblance of warmth.

As the plane drew closer to the earth, the descent grew more turbulent. The pit in her stomach grew deeper, her heart hammering against her ribs. Her body coiled tight with dread, anticipating the jarring impact. She bit her lip, bracing for the worst.

With a sharp lurch, the wheels slammed into the runway. For a moment, Marlee thought they would careen out of control, but the plane fought against the momentum, shuddering violently as it finally steadied itself. Her teeth clattered together as the plane rattled down the tarmac, and her eyes shut tight, trying to block out the dizziness swirling inside her head.

But the nightmare wasn't over. The plane began to slow, crawling toward a remote corner of the airstrip.

The plane came to a halt, and dread gripped Marlee like a vice. The stillness after the turbulent descent was suffocating, and her fear multiplied tenfold. Why was she here? She had no answers—only the bone-deep chill that gnawed at her body and mind.

The door creaked open, and she flinched as Soren's stony face appeared, his eyes colder than the storm raging outside. He walked past her without a word, pulling open a side door of the plane. The wind tore through the cabin with a fury, bringing with it a flurry of snow and ice that stung her skin like needles. Marlee shivered uncontrollably, the cold air now biting into her bones, making the agony of it unbearable.

She watched as Soren disappeared into the white abyss, his figure swallowed by the swirling storm. The metallic clank of his footsteps vanished into the howling wind, leaving Marlee alone in the suffocating silence, save for the storm's incessant roar.

Her heart pounded as she waited, fear clutching at her throat. The minutes dragged on like an eternity until Soren emerged again, his silhouette blurred by the thick snow clinging to him. He was now bundled in a heavy coat, the hood pulled low over his head. Snowflakes clung to his shoulders and beard, and Marlee found herself aching for that warmth. The cold had become an enemy, an unseen force leeching her strength with each passing second.

Relief flooded her as Soren approached with a thick coat in hand. She could barely think straight, her mind sluggish from the freezing air. When he unlocked her shackles and tossed the coat at her, she swallowed nervously, her fingers fumbling with the zipper. She wrapped the coat around her trembling body, the thick fabric providing a barrier against the cold, though it did little to thaw the ice lodged deep in her core.

Without warning, Soren grabbed her wrist, his grip iron-like as he dragged her toward the open door. Marlee stumbled forward, the wind lashing at her face as the blizzard roared louder outside. Snow whipped around them in a blur of white, making it almost impossible to see. Soren pulled the hood over her head, her vision narrowing to a tunnel as she struggled to follow him through the knee-deep snow. Each step felt like a battle, the snow sinking beneath her sneakers, soaking through to her skin and numbing her feet until they were nearly useless.

By the time they reached the car, Marlee could barely feel her legs. Soren shoved her into the backseat with a harsh push, and she collapsed against the soft leather interior. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief as the warmth inside the vehicle wrapped around her like a lifeline, slowly reviving her frozen limbs. Her fingers tingled painfully as blood began to circulate again, and she let out a shaky breath, grateful for the brief respite.

Soren climbed in beside her, his face a cold mask as he stared straight ahead. Marlee turned toward him, opening her mouth to ask a question—anything to break the silence. "Wha—"

Before she could finish, his hand shot out, his grip cruel as he clamped her face in his grasp. "Do not say a word," he hissed, his voice laced with venom.

Marlee recoiled, her heart twisting as she looked into the eyes of the man she had once trusted. Fear replaced the flicker of hope that had briefly surfaced, and she shrank back into her seat, not daring to make another sound as the car began its long, icy journey across the barren tundra.

They drove through an endless expanse of white, the world outside the car a frozen wasteland. The tundra stretched out for miles, lifeless and desolate, the landscape broken only by jagged outcrops of ice and distant, snow-covered mountains. The wind howled against the windows, a relentless force that seemed determined to seep into the vehicle no matter how warm it became inside.

As they passed through the stark, unforgiving landscape, Norilsk began to loom on the horizon, the industrial sprawl of the Russian town standing in stark contrast to the untouched wilderness surrounding it. A heavy pall of smoke hung over the town, its dark tendrils twisting through the pale sky like some malevolent entity.

Out the car window, Marlee watched as a massive concrete wall loomed closer, its jagged surface and towering height exuding a dark, menacing presence that sent a cold shiver rippling down her spine. The car's heat was stifling, her body sticky with sweat beneath the weight of a winter coat too heavy for the oppressive warmth inside. But her escalating heart rate had nothing to do with the temperature—it was the dread gnawing at her from the inside out.

The vehicle jerked to a stop in the middle of a courtyard. Through the car's fogged windows, Marlee glimpsed tall glass panes framed by a warm, orangish light that bathed the surrounding stone in an eerie glow. Everything seemed foreign and wrong. She blinked at her reflection in the window, disoriented. Why was she here? Confusion churned inside her, twisting into a dense ball of fear.

A sharp tug yanked her from her thoughts as Soren pulled her out of the car. Her feet stumbled on the cobblestone as they approached an imposing set of iron-clad doors. The sensation of stepping across the threshold sent a deep, primal dread snaking up her spine. The large double doors creaked open, and she was forced inside, her feet catching on the polished marble floor. The stark cleanliness of it felt almost disrespectful under her worn shoes, like she was contaminating something sacred, though no one seemed to care. There were people—silent shadows flitting about, heads down, absorbed in their own business. No one spared her even a glance, as if her presence meant nothing in this bizarre place.

Her legs were growing sore with every step, a dull ache setting into her bones from the cold that had sunk deep into her body long ago. Her head throbbed—pounding in time with her pulse—likely brought on by the constant swing from freezing temperatures to stifling heat. The noise of Soren's footsteps echoed off the high ceilings, drowning out the confused and panicked questions racing through her mind. Why was this happening? What was this place? The uncertainty twisted her stomach into knots, her skin crawling with anxiety.

At the top of the grand staircase, they came to a stop in front of a heavy wooden door. Soren knocked twice—sharp and impatient. The response was immediate: a deep voice thick with a familiar accent, its tone both commanding and cold.

Marlee swallowed hard as Soren forcefully shoved her inside, the door slamming shut behind her with a thunderous bang that rattled the walls. The room was swallowed in shadows, the only light coming from a single floor lamp casting a weak, sickly yellow glow across the space. Dark, looming shapes shifted in the corners, barely visible but present, like specters waiting to pounce.

Her breath came in shallow, uneven gasps as she stood frozen in the dimly lit room, her heart thundering in her chest. She didn't want to be here. Every fiber of her being screamed to run, to fight, but her legs felt like lead beneath her. Soren's presence lingered just outside the door, and the looming figure of whoever awaited her inside seemed even worse.

Thank you for reading! <3