“We’ve had that conversation as well, Yury,” replied Missy. “I like to make things a win-win. While you might hate me for blackmailing you, you nonetheless end up benefitting in many ways because of me. Right? Isn’t that why you want me here on this business trip of yours?”
Yury nodded and with a sigh, he said, “All true. I see you’ve finished now so we can go. Do you need to return to our room for anything?”
“No, I’m all set,” said Missy as she pushed back from the table and stood. “Take me to your conference. I’ll try to influence everyone who visits the booths for your businesses so you can make more billions.”
They headed out of the dining room and when Yury told his men to bring the car around, they pulled out their cell phones and began talking. Soon two more security guards approached to escort them outside while the previous two men faded away. Their three cars were waiting for them and Yury helped Missy climb into the center vehicle. Soon, all three cars were moving away from the hotel and began their journey over to the China International Exhibition Center where the conference was being held.
As usual, there were two guards in the car ahead and two in the car behind. Missy’s situational awareness found nothing to be concerned about.
-----
Stepan was in the front passenger seat as their rental car followed along behind the three cars which Yury and his people were in. The ride would normally only take about twenty minutes. He was waiting until his target reached a small bridge where he figured the explosions would have the least effect on the surroundings.
“Are you really gonna blow up all three cars?” asked the driver. “You know you only need to detonate the one we’ve marked as C, right? That’s the one for the car which Yury and the girl are in.”
“I know that but I’ve decided destroying all three vehicles will reduce the chances for anyone to survive,” explained Stepan.“I don’t want any of his bodyguards playing hero and rushing up to pull anyone from a burning car. Blowing them all up will avoid anything like that.”
“Okay, boss, understood,” agreed the driver. He glanced into the rear-view mirror and noted the man sitting in their back seat seemed okay with this decision as well. Yeah, keeping things simple was best. Blow them all up!
A minute later, it was time. Stepan pushed the three buttons labeled A, B and C. He figured that would be the best sequence. Since A was the car in front, he saw a huge explosion happen under that car. It was quickly followed by explosions under the rear car and then the middle car. All three vehicles stopped immediately and soon there were flames bursting forth, engulfing everything.
Naturally the traffic all around came to a rapid halt, but as they watched, it was obvious there would not be anyone rushing up to save anyone. No, the flames soon became too intense making that impossible.
-----
Missy would later credit the fact that the car in front of them exploded first for being what saved her life. When the car behind them exploded less than a second later, she was already drawing in lots of energy. Just like that time when she’d been inside a tunnel in Mount Derak, she had enough time to react before the explosion under her car detonated. She quickly pushed an energy shield around herself but unfortunately she wasn’t able to spread that around anyone else. When the explosion occurred, there was debris and shrapnel from the floor below them spraying up everywhere.
Yury and their driver were both killed instantly. Missy’s force shield helped protect her but her body experienced a great many cuts and bruises all over. She knew she needed to quickly exit the vehicle before getting trapped by the fire which followed the explosion and she instantly made the door near her burst open. She then flung herself out of the car and into the middle of the road where she collapsed.
When the flames burst out from under the car, Missy then crawled even further along the pavement using her elbows, dragging the rest of her battered body away from the erupting fire which was quickly consuming the three cars and their dead occupants.
A man driving one of the cars traveling in the opposite direction noticed Missy struggling to distance herself from the conflagration. Like all the other vehicles, he had immediately stopped when the explosions happened. He jumped out of his car and rushed to her side. Quickly he grabbed both of her arms and began dragging her further away.
A woman in another stopped car managed to pull out her cell phone and she began taking a video of the man’s heroic actions. This video would appear on all the news channels later that night. The identity of the girl with the red hair and the jeweled tiara would not be revealed until the following day but that tiara of hers, which was clearly visible, somehow made the incredible story that much more dramatic.
Missy realized her best action after being dragged to safety was to let everyone believe her escape had been a miracle and allow herself to be treated as a normal survivor. She closed her eyes and soon thereafter she was unconscious. Her clothing was ripped and torn in several places and she was bleeding fromdozens of superficial cuts all over. Yeah, she looked a mess but she knew she was okay. She separated her spirit form from her body and began searching the area for anyone who might appear to be involved.
She suspected those detonations had been done remotely rather than by any timer and figured whoever was responsible for them might still be in the area watching everything.
Although the explosions had indeed caused everyone within sight to stop and look, Missy was able to sense whether they were doing so from shock and normal curiosity or instead because of something else. She searched for any onlookers who might seem pleased and satisfied with what had just happened.
She eventually noticed Stepan and his two men and after staying inside their vehicle and listening to their conversation, she determined it was them. They were Russians and they had done this. She knew she would be able to find them again back in Russia when the time was right. She then returned to reenter her body.
Hours later, she woke herself up in a Beijing hospital emergency room. She could hear several people speaking in Chinese. She slowly roused herself and tried to sit up. Then in a weak voice she asked, “Does anyone here speak Russian?”
Chapter Eleven
Saturday, June 11, 2022
A Chinese nurse was the first to notice when Missy regained consciousness and began to speak. She understood Missy’s request for someone who spoke Russian although she didn’t speak that language herself. She quickly summoned a doctor who she knew did speak Russian and she told him their patient from the explosion was awake and trying to talk.
This doctor approached and could see that Missy was struggling to sit up. When he gently pushed her back down, saying in Chinese that she should try not to move, he heard her mumble something in a foreign language. It was obvious she wasn’t Asian.
Missy looked up at this doctor and again tried to ask, “Does anyone speak Russian?”
Now the doctor smiled at her and in Russian he replied, “Ahh, you must be Russian! Yes, I can understand you. Please try not to move while we examine you to see what injuries you might have.”
Missy relaxed a bit and said in a stronger voice, “Doctor, I don’t think I’ve been badly hurt … I know there was an explosion and I think I was thrown from a car … I can remember trying to crawl away …”
