Trigger

STORMY “In conclusion,” Stormy said, “I beg that the Ukraine delegation that grants the permit for the opening of the mine consider the environmental impact and social repercussions. Not only is diamond mining contaminating the air and ground and making the employees ill, but it is sickening the town’s children, negatively impacting their lives yet to live. “The Russian government may not care about the lives of Ukrainians, but I know you care about all lives, as does the United States. Senator Miller is dedicated to helping however she can to give freedom and self-rule for all Ukrainians. Together, we can make this an even better country to live in.” Stormy smiled as camera flashes popped in her vision, and the audience of a few dozen applauded. Those concerned about the proposed diamond mine on the border between Russia and Ukraine had gathered to hear her speak. This was a great opportunity to push the newer generations toward a greener earth. The more educated others became about the horrible consequences of harming Mother Earth, the better off the future would be. She stepped down from the podium as the master of ceremonies took the microphone back. “Vonderful speech, Miss Miller,” her guide Yakiv said as he guided her to the side of the stage. “Vould you like to go back to the hotel or perhaps see some of the sites before dinner?” Even though she was tired and suffering from jetlag, she wanted to see the beautiful country in the short time she was here. She’d heard late fall was the perfect time of year with the temperatures warm during the days but crisp at night. Farther north across the border in Russia, snow had already fallen in several areas. Her mom would frown if she knew Stormy had squandered an opportunity to be in the public eye campaigning for whatever cause was the flavor of the month. Unlike her politician mother, Stormy truly believed in this cause. There was a right way and wrong way to do things, and she completely believed in fighting the right way for the right reasons. “You, know,” she said, “I’d love to walk around the city before dinner. Would you show me around?” “Absolutely,” Yakiv said with a glimmer in his eye. She felt his attraction to her, but she wasn’t interested in a nightly fling. s*x with men her age was usually messy and not worth the effort. She’d found that males still in their twenties had no idea how to bring about anything but their own pleasure. She could usually do better on her own than with a male who only wanted a grab-n-go. Her Ukrainian escort took her back to the hotel so she could change into comfortable clothes then meet him downstairs. She pulled out jeans, a sweatshirt, and warm boots to blend in with everyone else in the city. Not that she worried about standing out. For the most part, she was a nobody, unlike her mother’s well-known face. Through the years of living with a vocal, political mother, Stormy had shied away from the spotlight. Only in her recent years after college had she found her direction and passion in life. Her desire to “save the planet” came from her father. In her younger years, before her mother got her law degree, the three of them spent time together camping, hiking, and fishing. Mom refused to clean the fish they caught, but she cooked them after dad handed her the filets. Those were the days when Stormy was the happiest. Then life happened, and family became more of a fairy tale than reality. But now, she was her own person making her own way. A family of her own hadn’t really crossed her mind much. The first reason was that she’d never met anyone who made her want to consider having a future with them. She wasn’t worried about that. Besides, she had more important things to accomplish before starting a family. Stepping out of the hotel elevator, she looked around for Yakiv, not seeing him. Maybe he was out front waiting by the door. She crossed through the lobby toward the glass doors. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a dark body come toward her. She paid him little notice until she felt a hand on her arm when she reached the door. Her body was guided through the door quicker than she felt comfortable with. “Hey,” she said, trying to jerk away from the strange man. His grip squeezed as he pulled her down the sidewalk away from the hotel. “What are you doing? Where is Yakiv?” She looked over her shoulder, searching for her guy. Again, she didn’t see him anywhere. “Don’t vorry about him. I’m taking his place.” She jerked away from him. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” She was no i***t when it came to her personal security. Her mother had insisted she trained in self-protection before she started traveling to promote her views. When the man lunged for her, she shot her arm out, delivering a perfectly placed throat punch. He fell, and she ran up the sidewalk toward the hotel. Before she got more than a few steps, a van swerved off the street, hopping the curb to the sidewalk and nearly hitting her. The vehicle’s side door opened, and two men jumped out, grabbed her, and tossed her in the van. When the door slammed closed, she knew she was in trouble. She prayed she’d live to see the dawn.