Guess what they find?

You know what? I love you guys. Seriously, the thought I can just message you guys and be like 'Hey, what do you think?' and get an honest response back, you guys are amazing. I doubt that's the way most other authors work, but I do enjoy making sure my readers are happy, and thinking you guys aren't creeped out when I ask you questions makes me all tingly inside. You guys rock.

I'd already had this written out, but I guess it was good timing. This is the last cliffhanger for a while. Hope you enjoy!

Anywho, on with the show!

Disclaimer- I like taking vital regions! Teeheehee!

Chapter 37

It was hours later that Ivan awoke. He came down the stairs and looked around, the woman who had handed him the food earlier frowned before shaking her head, letting him know there was no new news. He looked at the clock, seeing he'd been asleep for nearly ten hours. It was almost forty eight hours since Mattie had disappeared.

"What?" The doorman frowned and looked up. "Comrade Braginski, there's an envelope for you at the front door." The man stated. "Should I get it for you?" He asked, but Ivan was already running past. He opened the envelope to see a folded piece of paper and opened it, only finding the number 4 in type on the inside.

"Who gave this to you?"

"A delivery boy. He came on a bike." She frowned. "I asked him to stay until the letter was retrieved, but he insisted he had another delivery to make." She stated and Ivan stared at her.

"Thank you." He bowed curtly before running back up to see if they could trace the delivery boy, or at least find the company.

It wasn't long til it was found and Ivan went to the main office, walking in with a few officers at his sides. "I have a question about a letter I received earlier." Ivan stated and the man frowned, but nodded.

"Comrade Braginski! Yes, that note was an odd thing. We were told to retrieve it from the museum. They had hidden it right inside the door by taping it to the back of the introductory statues on the front of the building. There was an outer envelope that only said to deliver it to the Kremlin and had fifty dollars, enough for two deliveries in the outer envelope with the letter for you inside."

Thousands of people went through the museum every day. This had been well planned out. Ivan frowned as he realized he knew Mattie was in a life threatening situation, but couldn't find out how to reach him. "How were you told to retrieve it? Was there a phone call? Maybe a note handed in here?"

"It was a phone call. I received it here first thing after opening up." The man answered, watching with curiosity about what he'd been caught in the middle of.

"Thank you." Ivan nodded before calling back to the Kremlin. "I need the phone calls from 5-6 this morning to the office number tracked." Ivan stated and the man on the other end barked out a 'Yes Sir!' before Ivan closed his phone and was on his way back. He stopped on the way to get something to eat and sighed, realizing if he was sick when Mattie got back, he'd be angry that he hadn't taken care of himself.

When Ivan made it back, the vehicles that had left the warehouse the day before had finally been tracked, having had three cars, each with rotating plates, that each went a different direction.

"One headed to the hospital. Three people when in, two returned."

"Is there any knowledge of who got out?"

"Does he look familiar?" The view was from the back, so they couldn't see the face, but it was two men holding a third. He had short black hair and blood coming from the side of his head. Ivan noticed he was in a suit and figured maybe he'd been injured from the kidnapping.

"Show me the next one." Ivan stated and they tracked the car to a long empty roadway well outside of town. There were no more cameras on that roadway, so there was no saying where the car ended up. "See if that one has GPS." He asked the woman in the next screen and she nodded before getting right to work.

"Show me-"

"Already on it, sir." The man half grinned. "Here." He hit play as the last car pulled up before a huge house. A man in a suit came out of the car with a suitcase and the man frowned.

"Dammit! I must have lost them in traffic."

"No, Alexander is in the case." Ivan stared, seeing the man growl at the case as the cover moved. "Send officers to that building now. Have everyone in the house brought in." He frowned.

"You're not going this time?"

"No. I'm heading to the hospital." Ivan frowned as he stood and walked from the building, the officers again waiting for him.

"Sir!" The men stood at attention and Ivan stared, a bit surprised over the change in greeting. He noticed a few proud smiles and shrugged it off, knowing he must have done something to impress them.

Ivan walked through the front door of the hospital and the nurse groaned. "Not again! Comrade Braginski, you'll scare the patients again!" She groaned and Ivan turned to her with a frown.

"These men came in yesterday. One of them is still in this hospital. Do you know where he is?" He held up the image from the camera and the woman frowned.

"No. I remember seeing him come in, but he didn't say anything. I don't even have a name for him, let alone a room number."

"Please call the director to meet me, then." Ivan stood still and the woman sighed in relief, glad he wasn't doing another door to door search. The man saw him and just froze at the doorway.

"Ah, I had a feeling to expect you. You're here for case '4', right?" He asked and Ivan stilled. He was here. This was the man who sent him the note.

"Indeed." Ivan stared. Was this a trap? He turned to the officers with him and frowned. "You stay here. If I don't return, arrest that man." He said softly and the officers stilled.

"We're here as your security, sir. We can't just leave you."

"You can, and you will." Ivan walked quickly towards the director, who walked forward at a quick pace.

"They came back to take him this morning." The director stated as Ivan was lead down to the basement. "He's not here, but I might know where he's gone to." He said as he opened the basement room and walked in. "They were talking about a lighthouse. There's only a few in the area, so I assume it's near there." Ivan looked at the bed, realizing what the doctor was doing. In case the cameras were running, it made it look like he was complaining at Ivan, though he was telling him about what was actually happening. Ivan's eyes shifted up, looking dangerous enough to frighten the doctor.

"Anything else?" He asked and the doctor shook his head.

"Thank you." Ivan stated before walking back up the stairs alone. He didn't bother stopping at the other officers, walking right out to the car and jumped into the back and whipped out his phone.

"Search any light house around Russia."

"I'll have surveillance on any changes in the last 24 hours programmed by the time you get back, sir." The man responded and Ivan thanked him before disconnecting. Ivan looked at his phone, seeing the two 0 messages from Alexi's move on his phone. He just stared at it for about fifteen minutes on the way back.

The only save they'd had so far within Russia, and Mattie had put himself in danger to take care of it himself.

They saved ten so far, but were still missing two. He'd find them. Ivan glared out the window. He frowned as he passed a familiar face and yelled at the officer to stop. He bounded from the car and ran out, grasping a boy's arm while looking at the man holding him. The boy looked up and Ivan's gaze shifted between the two.

"Sir!" The boy yelped while Ivan grasped the hand of the man trying to run.

"Where is Matvey?" He yelled and the officers were there in a second. The boy didn't release Ivan's hand as the other man was arrested.

"Matvey?! Who is that?"

"The guy you kept calling those vile names." Alexander frowned and Ivan's eyes narrowed.

"What kind of names?" He growled and Alexander grinned.

"Faggot, queer, things like that." Alexander stated and Ivan reached forward, grabbing the man by the front of his shirt.

"I don't know. I'm supposed to be taking the boy to the next trade off point! I don't know where anyone else is!" He swallowed hard, knowing with the look on Ivan's face right then he was lucky to be alive.

"If any harm has come to him, I will tear you apart with my bare hands." Ivan snarled and the man ducked down, covering his head.

"It wasn't my fault!" He yelled and Ivan stilled. "I wasn't even in the room when it happened!" He screeched and Ivan stepped away, feeling his head spin from fear.

"What happened to him?"

"He was hit in the head with a hammer! He was taken to the hospital, but I don't know anything else! I promise!" He screamed and Ivan looked up at the officers.

"Take him away. He is to be held at my demand." Ivan stated and the man swallowed hard, hearing stories about how men disappeared at those words. Everyone knew. When you were held at Ivan's demand, he suddenly forgot about you, where you were, what your name was, what your crime was.

And you were never heard from again.

Ivan's eyes shifted down to Alexander. "Are you alright?" Ivan asked, feeling himself grow dizzier as he looked at the child before him.

"Sir, I'm fine! I'm just worried about my sister."

"She's with your father. She was saved yesterday." Ivan stated and the boy stared for a moment before breaking down in tears and Ivan held him, comforting him for a moment before the dizziness got worse and he passed out.

By the time Ivan awoke, he was in the cell in the office with the gate open. He stood and walked out, seeing Alexander happily playing video games on a console as everyone else monitored light houses. The woman who had given him the food before looked up and frowned.

"No! You go back to bed!" She crossed her arms in a maternal fashion and Ivan stared, a bit taken back. "You fainted because you're not eating or sleeping enough! You go rest for the rest of the night and we'll let you know we still haven't found anything when you wake up!" She watched as Ivan nodded and turned back to the cell.

He laid down with wide eyes, wondering for a moment. Is that what it felt like to have a mother? How embarrassing! At the same time, as conflicting as it was, he couldn't help but be happy that someone had cared enough to scold him like that. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face before he fell back asleep.

When he woke, he felt a warmth against him and looked down, finding Alexander asleep on the bed beside him. He carefully removed himself from behind the boy and stood, quietly walking towards the door. By the time he made it down the stairs a man handed him a bag and a cup. "What's this?"

"Natasha threatened our... manliness if we didn't make sure you ate and slept properly, sir." The man grumbled, more upset about being threatened than handing him the food. Ivan chuckled and nodded, taking the items.

"Thank you. Is she always like that?" He asked and the man turned to him and nodded, a bit of a blush crossing his cheeks.

"That's why we love her, sir. She takes care of us." He shrugged and Ivan nodded, a touch of a smile crossing his lips. "Anyway, we think we've found the light house. It's hours away, and we've already sent the police ahead."

"WHAT?!" Ivan yelled, looking quickly around the room searching til a man waved his arm and Ivan ran over, nearly trampling the man to get to the screen faster. "Where is it?!" He looked as the man smiled.

"It's up by the Norwegian border. The police have taken a helicopter to try and reclaim him faster. For now, just sit and watch."

"How long should it take til they reach there?"

"About another hour." He said and Ivan nodded, just staring at the screen for about fifteen minutes til the man came up behind him and patted his shoulder. "Sir, this will do no one any good. Go sit and eat, alright? If there's any change he'll call you over."

"Fine." Ivan pouted as he sat at a table and nibbled at the food. "How did you find the lighthouse, I do wonder? Did you see Mattie come or go?"

"We've been reviewing the tapes from around there, but can't figure it out, actually. Daren called and asked if we'd retrieved the boy, and when we affirmed it, he stated that Mattie was only a liability at this point. He's hoping that Comrade Williams' safe return will cause you to be more... lenient on him if he's captured as well." He stated and Ivan nodded. He might be willing to let him die quickly, if caught.

"Sir?" The man turned to Ivan with a curious face. "The local police have surrounded the lighthouse."

"Why are they doing that?" The other asked, looking down with a frown. "What's going on?"

The one man ran to the phone to call the police from the area. "We're under surveillance of the lighthouse you currently have surrounded. This is a code 148432. What is the situation?" He asked and nodded with a frown. After a moment he sighed and introduced himself. "I am Alyosha Demidov of Moscow's special company. We have a code 148432 on a lighthouse near the Norwegian border, that is currently being surrounded by your police. What is the situation?" He heard before nodding. "There is a Canadian being held within the lighthouse. Do not attack. Repeat, Do not attack. Special forces are enroute to retrieve. He is not to be harmed, understand?" Alyosha waited for a moment before shaking his head. "Negative. He is not under arrest. He is a hostage." He waited for a moment before standing straight. "Retrieve and keep him safe til our forces arrive. Do not aggravate. He is a nation!" The man nearly snarled into the phone and Ivan watched, his sandwich forgotten in his hand. "Negative! He is a nation, repeat back!" He sighed. "If he is attacked chances are he'll try and escape. Do not confront. Follow and allow passage. Where is he now?" Alyosha wrote down instructions before stilling and running over to a map, flipping pages before following with his finger, Ivan standing over his shoulder. He pointed a ways down and frowned. "Ask him to wait for forces to arrive. Is there any way to patch this call through to the officers?" He asked and waited for a moment, waving a man over, pointing to the location. "Get the SU to this spot now." He stated quietly before smiling. "I need to speak to the one escaping." He stated and Ivan watched with wide eyes. "Have you engaged the Canadian?" He paused. "Shit."

That's it for today!

Hope to see you all back tomorrow!

Later!

Jasmin