Good Afternoon loves, hope everyone is doing well today and anticipating finding out what is going on with our Russian God. So I shall not hold you any further. As always R&R, let me hear your thoughts. Much love.

Chapter Twenty

DPOV

Hey Mase.

I sat on the bench Rose had just vacated, looking at the new piece on his grave. It only took me a minute to realize where she must have run too. I should have known today would be hard for her, but she seemed to be okay for the most part. I, myself, was trying not to think too much about it. Each day was still a painful reminder that he wasn't here anymore, but we still have to wake up every morning and keep going. That's how he would want us to be, but it's hard. I would give just about anything to see him one more time.

It's not the same without you.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, hands folded in front, my head hung low, shoulders slumped forward. I was defeated. I have been doing so well with moving on. I was smiling again, I was happy and loving my life. The life I still have because of Mason. I wanted to carry on and live to the fullest, he didn't die for me to throw it away. I was more involved with the community, my family, and friends, but there was still a missing piece. They say time heals all wounds, I don't believe it. I believe that over time, you simply learn to live with that scar, but it is always there.

My hand moved to my upper left arm, where the bullet had hit me. I could feel the rough skin from where it was stitched and had healed. It's still there, it's never going away, neither will the memory of how I got it. Like a bad movie, the events of that night rolled through my mind, many emotions accompanying it. Happiness, from the laughs we shared before all hell, broke loose; fear during the actual shooting, thinking I will never see my wife and kids again; sorrow as I watched my best friend, my partner bleed out and there was nothing I could do to save him, but overall, anger; anger at the man that caused all of this to happen. He is still hurting my family and friends and I will not stand for it any longer. I promised Rose I wouldn't kill him unless it came down to a final choice between him and I. However, I was starting to question my strength to keep that promise.

What am I going to do, Mase?

That was the seventy-five million dollar question. What am I going to do when the time comes? If I am face to face with him, will I be able to restrain myself from taking his life then and there? Or will I be able to be the bigger man and arrest him? The officer in me says "of course you will, you are to protect and serve no matter who the person is," but the son in me say, "fuck his world up." Then, of course, the "father" and "husband" voices have their own opinion, but I would never treat my wife and children the way he did. He cared more about making his next dollar for himself than about providing and loving his family.

I need your help. Give me something to tell me your still here.

No sooner than the words left my mouth, the wind picked up, I chuckled lightly. I know it is more of a coincidence than anything, but it was perfect timing. A set of headlights flashed into the cemetery, drawing my attention from the cold ground in front of me. I almost wondered what anyone would be doing here this late on a holiday, but stopped myself realizing that I was indeed here this late on a holiday. I watched the car for a moment, it didn't come in or move at all actually, but rather just sat with its lights pointed at me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, my instincts telling me it was time to go.

I love you, Mase. Keep an eye on us. I will see you soon.

Climbing in my truck, I watched the car in the rearview. It still hadn't moved, even when I began to drive toward the back gate. Not many people knew about the rear entrance, but I have been here more times than I would have liked. There was a small creek that ran through the south end of the property along the fence line. If you didn't know it was there, you would almost drive right into it, so it was rarely used. I jumped out to open the gate, drove through, turning to avoid plunging into the water and went to close it. The lock slid into place with a loud bang, too loud.

I felt a warmth spread from my mid-back through my chest. It wasn't unwelcome considering it was almost below freezing out now, but surely it was out of place. The sudden urge to cough hit me like a brick wall. As it rose in my throat, I felt pain. Lots of pain. A burning, tingling, and overall excruciating sensation filled my body. Pushing my hand to my chest, begging the air to fill my lungs, it was wet, sticky. Blood.

I didn't mean that soon, Mason!

I fell to my knees, no longer holding the strength to stand. The metallic taste danced on my lips as I coughed more and more, the red liquid falling onto the dirt. I attempted to reach my phone, only to find it was not in my duster pocket, I left it in the truck. Collapsing onto my side, I could still see the car at the front of the cemetery. Someone had to have heard the gunshot, someone will come looking, right?

Rolling onto my back, the black sky the only thing in my vision. Stars danced around and the light of the street lamps dimmed and brightened. I was fading, fast. This isn't how I saw my day ending, my life. There was only one thought as I closed my eyes and let the blackness take over.

I love you, Roza. I'm sorry.

RPOV

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND HIM!"

"Rose, you have to slow your breathing," Eddie placed his hand on my arm but I moved as soon as his skin made contact. "Rose, come on, you need to sit down."

"No, I need to find Dimitri, you need to find him, someone needs to fucking find him!"

I was scared, absolutely and utterly terrified at the thought of him missing. If he hadn't been out looking for me, he would be here right now. We would be in bed together, fast asleep, dreaming of freaking unicorns or some shit. I heard movement from upstairs, I could only pray it wasn't one of the kids waking to my yelling. Thankfully, it was only Liv, poking her head over the railing to see what was going on.

My breathing was still heavy and labored. I could feel the panic attack starting and there was nothing I could do to stop it, not unless Dimitri walked through the door. I fell to my knees where I stood in the middle of the entryway. Darkness swarming in the corner of my eyes.

"Rose, you need to breathe sweetheart, you have to remember to breathe, the baby needs you to stay calm," Olivia encouraged me.

My baby. I was almost sixteen weeks, so too much stress could send me into early labor, way too early. I had to calm down, but I couldn't. It was like I was reliving the last attack, after Misha's first dream of Dimitri and Mason in the shootout. The scenes replaying before my eyes, the casket, the hundreds, thousands of officers in the room, the folded flag in my hand, the call on the radio. All of it rushed back over me in enormous waves.

I could hear Olivia telling Eddie something, but I couldn't understand the words. Nothing mattered anymore, not until I had Dimitri back. Eddie threw one arm under my legs, the other behind my back and took me outside to the patrol unit parked out front.

"Sasha and Misha," I managed to whisper.

"Olivia is calling you Dad, I am taking you to the hospital, everything is going to be okay, Rosie."

Eddie never called me Rosie, only Mason. Everyone knew I would kick their asses if they called me that, but I always let Mase. He had been calling me Rosie since we were five, I wasn't going to make him stop. Though I did give him a glare every time it crossed his lips. Before the blackness took over, I saw his face. He was looking out for me like he always has.

"No it won't, Mason, you have to help him," I cried and let myself go.

EPOV

"I just wish you were home, are you going to be able to make it for New Years?"

"I am trying, flights are getting canceled days out because of some freak storm," Jill whined.

She was supposed to be here two days ago but got stuck in London for an emergency landing. The weather out that way was apparently the worst they had seen in many years. We have never missed a Christmas, it was the one time of year we made sure we were together. I can not lie and say that living in two different countries is easy, I hate it, but she loves what she does, who am I to take that away from her.

"I understand," a heavy sigh filling the air, "Just be careful and keep me updated."

"As always, so what did you do today?"

"Nothing, I thought about going over to Abe's for dinner, Rose had invited me, but I wasn't feeling very sociable today."

"How are the nightmares, any better?" her voice filled with concern.

"Eh, some nights are better than others," before I could say any more on the matter, a beep sounded in my ear, "Hey, let me call you back, babe, Emil is ringing."

"Okay, I love you."

"Love you, too."

I clicked over to answer Emil's call, "Castile."

"Hey, have you spoken to Belikov today?"

"No, Rose called about an hour or so ago asking the same thing, is everything alright?"

"We just found his truck," was his only response.

"Just his truck? Where is he?"

"I don't know, you may want to come to take a look at this. Cemetery, south entrance," his voice was weary, I didn't like the sound of it.

"I'm on my way, fifteen tops."

I dressed in full uniform, not knowing exactly what I was getting into when I arrived on scene. Checking into service with dispatch, I started my way to the call. I tried to read it on my MDT (Mobile Dispatch Terminal), but there was a bucketload of comments that I couldn't make heads or tails of. From what I could grasp, his truck was halfway off the embankment and into the river. He was nowhere near it, no signs that he was even in it when it crashed. So where the hell was he? There were several other comments that, with not knowing all the details, were not making any sense to me. I would just have to get the full story when I get there.

As promised, I pulled around the south side fifteen minutes after hanging up the phone. There were about four other units on scene, Emil being the only one I could see from my position. I parked toward the southwest corner, parking the truck and turning my spotlight near Dimitri's Ram.

"Matthews, explain what's going on, I couldn't read the whole call."

"In a nutshell, we received several calls about a shot being fired in the area. We searched all the streets and came up empty. I was driving back this way and noticed a light over here that shouldn't be there, locating the source," he pointed toward the truck, "I recognized it as Belikov's. His phone is inside and there is no indication that he was in the vehicle when it crashed. No blood, the seatbelt was fully retracted, and the door was snapped forward like it was open when it hit."

"And there is no sign of him anywhere?"

"No, but we did find a large puddle of blood near the rear gate. I can't say for certain it's his until the test comes back, but…" he didn't finish. I knew what he wanted to say.

"Did you search the water? The surrounding area? Follow the blood trail?"

"The trail stops about ten feet away to the east," he pointed in that direction, "there is a set of tire tracks that don't belong to the truck headed the same way."

"Maybe someone found him and took him to the hospital, have we contacted the local E.R.'s?"

"Dispatch is working on that now, but so far nothing."

"He couldn't have just vanished," my tone sarcastic.

"I know this, Eddie, I don't think he made the choice to leave."

"You think he was taken?" I should have thought that sooner, with Randall still out there, it was a good bet he has something to do with this.

He nodded, "And with the amount of blood on the ground, he doesn't have long."

The weight of his words crushed me, I can't lose another officer, another friend. Neil was hard to deal with, being the first. Mason was excruciating, seeing how we had been friends for almost thirty years. Now, Dimitri, I can't let him fall victim to Randall too. Not only because he is my Officer, my friend, but he has too much to live for.

I needed to go to Rose, tell her what is going on, but first I would conduct my own search of the area. Maybe I will see something they missed, or maybe I would find him a little further from where they had looked. I walked the perimeter of the cemetery, inside and outside the gates, pausing for only a moment to see Mason. Continuing on, I checked the river bank, shining my flashlight into every inch of water I could reach. Nothing. I followed the tire tracks, losing the trail when they met the pavement. I ran, I walked, I staggered, I found nothing. Concluding there was nothing further for me to do here, I jumped back in my truck and headed down the familiar streets to Rose's front door. I was tired, physically and mentally. Breathing was difficult for more than one reason, mainly because I had been running in circles for over an hour, but the tale I was about to tell was not going to be an easy one. Rose has been through so much in her life, this, this will break her.

I knew she would yell, I knew she would freak out. What I was not prepared for was seeing the blood stain her pants. Olivia kept trying to talk to her, get her to calm down, but when she fell to the ground, despite my effort to catch her, I knew this was not going to end well.

"Olivia, she's bleeding," I pointed to the red spot that was rapidly spreading.

"Get her to St. Josephs, I will have Abe or Olena come to take care of the kids, I will be right behind you."

I was already picking Rose up before she finished her instructions. Loading her into my unit, I turned on the lights and sirens to get her there as quickly as I could. Olivia must have called the hospital because as I pulled into the ER bay, there was a staff of nurses waiting. We got Rose onto the stretcher and they whisked her away. I watched as the door close behind them, heading for the surgery room I would assume. I parked my truck and headed inside to the waiting room, letting every feeling, every fear and worry I had, pour from my body.

My eyes closed, hands covered my face as I leaned forward onto my knees. I prayed like I haven't prayed in years, for Dimitri, for Rose, the baby, them all. I felt a comforting hand being placed on my shoulder, but I didn't look up just yet. I needed this moment for me. The pressure didn't lessen as I finished out my prayer, lifting my head and opening my eyes, I was alone in the waiting room.

DPOV

"You should have just left him, would have been a lot less of a mess," a female voice whispered.

"But where is the fun of just killing him, I want him to feel the way I did," a male answered.

"Still, I don't know if this will be enough to keep him alive," the female again, I thought I recognized the voice, but I couldn't be sure, it was familiar but different.

"Your daughter is a surgeon, you must know how to do something," male responded. That voice I knew.

"Yeah, well as you can see she doesn't trust me as much as she used too."

"I wonder why," Randall laughed.

I heard a door close but didn't trust that I was alone. I kept my eyes closed, trying not to focus on the pain radiating through my chest. Playing back the events of the night, I tried to get a sense of where I was. I remember being at the cemetery. Watching Rose talk to Mason, then she left and I went to him. The car with the lights shining on me. Leaving and going out the back gate. The gunshot. The pain. The darkness. I was in and out of consciousness, but I vaguely recall being in a confined space. I blacked out again when someone was cutting into me. I wanted to move my hand to my chest, feel where the pain was now coming from, but I didn't want to alert anyone that may still be in the room.

I was desperate for an escape from the burning feeling, but it wouldn't stop. It felt as if someone was holding a lit match to my skin, not letting up or moving, just staying in the one-foot area of my chest. I thought of Rose, Sasha, Misha, our new baby. Anything I could to keep my mind from the pain. I don't know how long the silence lasted, but after not hearing any movement or voices for a while, I dared a peek.

The room was dark, only a small window above my head, about ten feet. I laid on a mattress, it smelt like eggs and body odor, not at all pleasant. I could see the outline of the door on one wall, with only a nob, no deadbolt, that was promising. No other windows or doors, the walls were plain and appeared to be made of some type of sheet metal. An outdoor shed or industrial building, I believed. Seeing that I am indeed alone, I attempted to set myself up. The idea proving to be easier said than done. I wasn't restrained, the first mistake, but then again, I doubt they believed I will wake from my current state. After several failed attempts, I managed to get my legs off the side of the bed, standing was another story, but again, I didn't give up. I finally allowed myself to feel my chest. A long cut ran from just right of my heart to the middle of my abdomen. I could feel the raised skin through the gauze that was doing nothing to stop the bleeding. I probably shouldn't be moving, it would only cause me to bleed faster, but I couldn't just sit here and wait to die. If I am going to die today, I will die fighting. I will not take anything from him laying down.

I stood on top the bed, still a few inches short of a clear view out of the window, but stretching a tad and raising onto my toes, I could see land. Lots and lots of land. I was in the middle of nowhere, or at least there was nothing on this side. Retreating from the window, I took one step toward the door, hearing a vicious laugh growing louder. As quickly as I could I lay back down on the bed, appearing as if I never moved. The door swung open and heavy footsteps echoed in the bare room. I kept my breathing even, eyes closed and hands at my side.

"Wake up, Son, it's time to play."

Author's Note:

Holy Hannah!

Are you guys ready for the epic battle of Father and Son? I know I am! Next update will be Sunday evening! Much love to all and have a great rest of your Friday and Saturday!

-Dream