CHAPTER 6 The Monster of Warsaw

Jarlath "Jarosława" Sobieska

The iron door didn’t just open. It made a loud creaking sound as it opened, like the door of a tomb being opened for someone who wasn’t welcome. Cold, stale air rushed into the cell. It carried the strong smell of wet concrete, gun oil, and that sharp strong smelling perfume I had remembered since the moment he pulled me into the dark streets of the Old Town. I didn’t look up. I kept my head down and stared at the rough gray floor between my worn boots. I heard the slow sound of rubber shoes hitting the stone floor. One Two steps. Each step was slow and heavy. It was the walk of a man who acted like he owned everything around him the ground, the walls, and even the air. My wrists hurt badly. The cheap plastic ties had already cut into my skin. Warm blood slowly ran toward my fingers and began to dry because the room was cold and damp. But the pain in my wrists was nothing compared to the fear growing inside me. My heart felt like it was beating out of control. You are dirtying the floor , Pan Kaczmarek,” I said. My voice was sharp and defensive. I finally lifted my head and looked at him through the weak yellow light from the bulb above us. “But I guess keeping things clean isn’t important to men who turn underground rooms into places for questioning people.” Magnus stopped a few steps away from me. The light above him made his face look even harder. His short beard made his jaw look rough, and his hazel eyes gave away nothing. He didn’t smile. He didn’t shout. He simply stood there, looking down at me. His presence felt so heavy that it was almost like someone was squeezing my throat. “You have quite a mouth, pani accountant,” Magnus said quietly. His deep voice was rough but calm. “Most people who are brought down here lose their courage within the first hour. They cry. They beg. They ask for water. But you... you keep talking.” “Crying won’t fix a financial record,” I answered. I gritted my teeth as a sudden shiver ran through my body. I didn’t want him to see that I was shaking. I refused to let him know how scared I really was. “And there’s no point begging a monster who takes people from the streets of Warsaw. You want codes You want bank numbers Check the government computers. I don’t keep them in my head.” “Codes Magnus gave a short laugh without any happiness in it. He moved closer, slowly, until his heavy boot touched the metal leg of my chair. “You still think this is about computer passwords, Jarosława. That is your biggest mistake. You see everything as numbers. You think about money going in and out, as if people’s lives can be solved like a math problem.” He reached toward me. He moved so slowly that I had enough time to move away, scream, or fight back. But I couldn’t. My body froze because fear suddenly rushed through me. His large, rough hands moved toward my face. His fingers touched my jaw, and his thumb moved along my cheek before resting gently under my chin. His skin felt warm against my cold face. “What are you doing?” I whispered. My words caught in my throat as I struggled to breathe normally. “I’m looking at the person who destroyed my family,” he whispered. His face moved closer to mine. The smell of his cologne filled my nose, covering the smell of the damp room. His hazel eyes carefully studied my face. He watched every small movement I made and every shaky breath I took. “Paweł is in a high-security prison tonight because of these eyes. Because of the work you did. For six months, you destroyed the business and plans my family spent ten years building.” “He’s a criminal,” I whispered. My voice shook, but I refused to look away from him. “He used fake companies to hide money that came from people being killed. The numbers proved it, Magnus. No,” he said quietly. “The numbers didn’t lie. But you forgot one important thing.” “What thing. I asked Magnus leaned closer. His lips were only a short distance from my ear. I could feel his warm breath against my skin. “Me,” he whispered. The single word filled me with fear. “You calculated the danger from the government lawyers. You calculated the danger from the police, the banks, and the hidden money. But you never thought about what I would do when I found the person who destroyed my family.” He moved back slightly and looked into my eyes. What I saw there scared me. It wasn’t just anger. There was something much darker. He looked completely obsessed with me, and that frightened me more than a gun ever could. “I didn’t bring you here to break your fingers, Jarosława,” Magnus said. His voice was quiet and calm. “Pain goes away. Broken bones heal. Bruises disappear. I’m going to do something much worse.” I swallowed. My throat was dry, and my chest felt tight. “What are you talking about .“I’m going to destroy your confidence,” he whispered. His fingers stayed on my jaw for a moment before he slowly pulled his hand away. “Everything you believe in. Everything you use to feel safe. The rules and plans you have built your life around. I’m going to destroy all of it until you look into the darkness and understand that you belong there too.” He looked at me. “I’m not just the man holding you prisoner, pani accountant. Starting tonight, I’m going to destroy your peace of mind.” He stood straight. His large shoulders blocked the weak light from the bulb as he turned toward the door. Every part of me wanted him to leave. But another part of me was afraid of being alone. “Magnus,” I called before I could stop myself. His name came out of my mouth before I could think. He stopped with his hand on the iron door. He didn’t turn around. “You can take away my freedom,” I whispered. My voice shook, but I continued. “You can lock me in this room until I starve. But you will never break my mind.” Magnus slowly looked back over his shoulder. A dark smile appeared on his face. “We’ll see about that, Jarosława,” he said quietly. He opened the heavy door and stepped into the hallway. But before the door could close, I heard the sound of boots running toward us. “Magnus!” Cyprian’s voice echoed through the hallway. Magnus stopped. His body suddenly became stiff. Cyprian reached him and whispered something in his ear. I couldn’t hear the words. But whatever Cyprian said made the color disappear from Magnus’s face. He slowly turned toward me. His eyes were wide with fear. For a few seconds, he said nothing. Then he looked at Cyprian. “Are you sure ” he asked. Cyprian nodded. Magnus looked back at me. This time, there was no anger in his eyes. Only fear. Then he whispered four words that made my blood run cold. “They found the body.” My heart stopped.