Warning: Rated T for strong language.

A/N: This chapter will be split in between both points of view. You will know when it changes. :)

Chapter 24

Mark

Mark wanted nothing more than to know who had killed his mother. It was all he had ever wanted. It was why he had decided to join the agency to begin with. He couldn't remember a time he didn't wake up, be at the job, and lay down at night and not think about every detail of his mother's case and who the killer could be. His bastard father refused to give up any information not wanting to be next, so it made it that much more difficult.

Finding his mother's killer had been everything to him.

Until Lexie.

Now, she was everything to him. She was his future. If he was lucky to get the hell out of here still alive and get her to safety. He was an agent. He was the good guy. He wouldn't be able to look himself in the mirror if he let a traitor like Bruce walk away. No matter what carrot he dangled in front of his face. He was sure Lexie wouldn't be able to either.

Bruce grew more agitated figuring what his answer was going to be. "Before you give me your answer," Bruce spoke up again, making one last effort, "you should know…Yuri Anatoly hands weren't clean. I know how much you liked him."

His head jerked to the side, his eyes squinting. "You lie," he spat.

Mark knew right away by Bruce's expression and smug smirk, that he wasn't lying. Yuri might have been a criminal and still Mark's enemy that he would have had to bring to justice had he lived, but of all the criminals he had worked with in the last nine years, he had been the most fair and non-violent. In Yuri's younger days, that might have been the opposite, but as he got older and closer to retirement, he looked back to wonder if peace and synergy could have saved many lives. It was why Yuri had been so fond of Mark and happy to support him coming up as the crime lord.

"Why do you think instead of treating you like just the other crime lords he treated you more like a son? Connect the dots, Special Agent, Mark Sloan," he said sarcastically.

Mark didn't want to believe it, but the more Bruce's words percolated in his mind, the more it was making sense. It wasn't uncommon that to kiss the boss's ass for favors or stay in their good grace, but what Bruce was alluding as it related to Yuri being fond of him was holding truth.

Even with this information, his moral compass and his need to only make sure that Lexie was alive and safe overrode everything. He just hoped wherever his mother was…that she would approve of his decision.

"I'm not interested in making any deals," Mark announced.

Bruce's hand grasped the small USB in his hand, his eyes narrowing in his direction. "Then I guess I will just have to kill you and escape anyway. Pity, really?"

Bruce leveled his gun at Mark's chest, his eyes starting to twinkle. His feet started moving forward. Bruce better make sure it was a kill shot, because he was going to use all of his strength and keep pushing until his very last breath to take him down before he would.

He just wished he had more time with Lexie. After a lifetime of pain and loneliness—his day focused on nothing but revenge—he had finally found something—no someone—worth making a life around. He could see himself settling down with her, asking her to marry him, have kids, and being happy together forever.

Maybe in another life. Another time. He would love her until his dying breath and even then, some. His heart would forever belong to her. It was why, if he was going to die now, he would be at peace with it, because it would be in service of making sure she would live and have a chance at a happy life. He would make sure of it.

He heard the shot first. He expected the pain in his chest and the blood to start pooling. He figured his breathing would become haggard, calculating how long it would take before his strength would leave him. He just hope he had long enough to take Bruce out.

None of that happened. He stopped, when Bruce's eyes went wide. Bruce's lips parted, an awful gurgling sound coming from his mouth as blood trickled down his lips. The stunned expression slowly left his face as the life left his eyes. He clearly was shocked he had been beaten and his life was ending. Bruce looked down to his chest, Mark's eyes following seeing the bullet hole there. His hand went limp to his side, dropping his gun, falling to his knees before his head made an awful thud as it fell back to the floor.

Mark looked up to see Sergei Anatoly standing there with the gun in his hand. "The fucker thinks he could take my men and tell me what to do. I listen to no man," he spat, looking down at Bruce's lifeless form.

Sergei threw the gun to the side, rolling his sleeves of his dress shirt up to his forearms, before looking back to Mark.

"I was right to kill you. I always knew there was something off about you. You're a pig," he said harshly, using the derogatory term for him being a cop.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sergei? You couldn't even beat me when my hands were tied behind my back, and I was lifted up to you on a silver platter," he replied.

Sergei glared. "I've had nothing else to think about these last few weeks while I sat in prison. I am going to make this slow and painful."

Mark and Sergei squared off against each other. Sergei made his first move, lunging out towards Mark, but he thrust his elbow to the side of Sergei's head hitting him squarely in the forehead between his eyes. Sergei stumbled back, letting out a snarl before coming at Mark again.

While Sergei might be bigger than him all brute force, Mark was trained in almost every type of self-defense and close hand-to-hand combat. While Sergei was approaching with his emotions, Mark was shutting all of that to the back of his mind and focusing on his footing and advancements towards him. Every action on Mark's part was fluid and completed with confidence and ease.

Sergei threw himself at him again. Even with him anticipating his force, Sergei's weight had them both crashing to the floor. They battled each other for dominance, Mark gaining the upper hand, before Sergei managed to land a punch before he found himself again pinned underneath.

Mark blocked his next punch, slamming his fist into Sergei's side, before he headbutted him. Sergei pulled back, and winced, giving Mark the perfect opportunity to throw him off, so he could get back to his feet. Sergei wiped the back of his mouth with a sleeve, a small mark of crimson red showing on his shirt. He snarled, reaching inside his jacket to now pull out a large knife. Apparently, they were no longer going to settle this fight without weapons.

Sergei advanced again, lunging at Mark who stepped back, popping his hips out after Sergei made two different swipes to get at his midsection. Sergei crouched over his arms wide, as he continued to flash the weapon in Mark's direction.

Sergei came at him again, forcing him to take a step back. Mark saw his opportunity, throwing a quick jab at his face. Blood was now coming from Sergei's nose, but the edge of Sergei's knife sliced his forearm before he could remove himself from his proximity.

The hatred was shinning in Sergei's eyes as she sprang at him again. At some point one of them would get too tired and make a mistake, and the fact that it had been over ten minutes since he had last saw Lexie was making him nervous. He had to ensure her safety and get her out of there.

Mark grabbed a hold of Sergei's wrist that was holding onto the knife, each of them struggling for who would come out on top. Sergei was throwing all of his weight and force, while Mark's one hand gripped harder on his wrist, the other on his opposite shoulder. Sergei might be strong, but he wasn't thinking or using any of the training like Mark knew he should. He took that to his advantage.

It was risky, but he moved his body closer to Sergei's until his chest was butting up directly to the tip of the knife. He could feel it almost give way into his skin, Sergei thinking he was getting the upper hand. Mark twisted his hips so he could take his left leg and sweep Sergei's right leg forcing him off balance. That gave Mark the upper hand that was still holding his wrist, forcing it up and away from his body and over to Sergei's chest.

Sergei's eyes went wide seeing that this chess fight they were currently in was one that he had just lost. He had been check-mate and there was no way out of this maneuver. Sergei's eyes met Mark's both of them grunting, their strength feigning with exhaustion.

"It doesn't have to end this way," Mark grunted, keeping his hold tight so he couldn't escape. "Yield and you can at least spend your remaining days in prison."

"I will never yield to the likes of you," he spat.

His faced set to determination. His job was to save lives, not take them. He knew that Sergei would never stop. Sergei would never show him any mercy. More importantly, he would spend his life trying to hurt Lexie just to get at him if he somehow escaped.

"So be it," Mark replied.

Mark's wrist pushed harder, seeing the beginning of the tip of the knife going into his chest. He saw the shock and surprise register on Sergei's face, before his eyes hardened. With one final shove, the knife was buried to the hilt in Sergei's chest. Mark let go, as Sergei stumbled back, before falling to his knees as his chin dipped to his chest to see the knife there.

Sergei's hand gripped the hilt, before growling and pulling it free, the knife dripping with his blood along with the wound around his chest. Sergei's hand came to the wound to try and stop the blood, but it was a wound that would lead to his death. As it was, his skin was already looking gray, and taking a clammy look to it.

Mark stood there for a moment, starring down at his opponent. Sergei gave out a long groan, his pants coming out in slow quick breaths since he wasn't able to take in full gulps of air.

"Did your father have my mother executed?"

Sergei's pants grew quicker, Mark knowing he didn't have long left. Sergei met his eyes, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards letting him know that the one final piece of information Bruce had given him had been accurate. Yuri was somehow involved with the death of his mother all those years ago.

That was when Mark noticed the flash next to Sergei's side. The gun that Sergei had tossed to the side of Bruce's body when they had started their fight was within his reach. Sergei had used the last of his strength to grab hold of the gun and pointed it at Mark.

He grinned. "I…I'm taking y—ou with me."

He didn't get the chance to pull the trigger. Just as he lifted the gun, Derek and barreled around the corner his weapon steady and ready. He already had it aimed at Sergei pulling the trigger before the Russian could. The life drained out of Sergei as his hand with the gun fell to its side, his body going lifeless.

"You, okay?" Derek asked.

Mark shook his head up and down. "Fine."

He looked down at his arm where Sergei's knife had cut him. He would need stitches, but that was the least of his worries now.

"Lexie?" Mark asked.

"We just got here and checking the parameter. We haven't located her yet," he answered. "We captured Dimitri, but both Addison and Egor are still unaccounted for," he added.

Mark cursed. "I'm going to find her."

Derek nodded. "Go. We got this." He tossed a radio over to his best friend. "Take this, and call if you need back up. I'll be right behind you."

Mark caught the radio in his hand, taking the ear piece clipped to it and jammed it in his ear as he turned on his heel and ran back down the corridor in the other direction. The same corridor he had said good-bye to Lexie too. He just had to hope that she had made it out alive.

Lexie

Lexie ran—more like hobbled—which made things that much slower. The tears that were streaming from her eyes almost made it as if she was seeing everything in double. Running away from Mark knowing that the likelihood he might not make it was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She wanted to throw up. Not because of the pain associated with her injuries, but because of the fact that she might not ever see him again.

The only thing working for her at this point was the fact that her photographic memory had recalled every turn and number of steps it had taken when she brought into the place. Now that she didn't have a burlap sack over her head, she had the opportunity to see the massive estate she had been kept in—Addison's place.

She couldn't help but wonder that if by Mark being with her had been the catalyst to what made Addison Montgomery turn on him. She could tell from the moment she laid eyes on the redhead, that the woman was attracted to Mark. She confirmed when Addison came to gloat at the fact that she was captured and taken by the Russian's that it was justice served because Mark had chosen her when Addison was in love with him.

Now, because Mark had chosen her, she felt that she all buy signed his death warrant, and possibly hers if she didn't get the heck out of here and soon. She had to keep pausing at each entryway to not only listen for footsteps and voices, but also because each step she took was more agonizing pain in her leg. She could already see red seeping through the dark blue of her scrubs she had used to attempt to pressurize the wound.

After what felt like forever, she came to a large great room that had two sets of french doors. She hobbled over to them, sighing in relief when they instantly opened. Instead of ending up back at the front of the home, she had found herself out the back.

She was instantly met with a massive outdoor kitchen that overlooked the pool. She crept around it towards the acres of grass, looking out into the open. Her property was a lakefront property, with a massive yacht down by the dock. If she didn't know any better, she was probably butted up against Lake Washington.

Addison's property was massive and miles and miles long. In her condition, there was no way she could make it through and attempt to get out. Not without getting caught beforehand. She had to hope that Mark and the FBI could get things under control and catch them. The best she could do right now was hide and wait until someone could find her, or she felt safe enough to then try and escape.

She started making her way further from the house and down towards the dock. She wasn't going to get on the massive yacht in case that was a backup plan for escape for Addison, Dimitri, or Egor, but the docks might be able to conceal her if she hid there until the coast was clear.

As she finally made it to the beginnings of the wooden pathway, she stopped as Addison appeared from the other side of the walkway. She had been thinking about using the yacht as her escape before the feds could stop her. Addison looked equally shocked to see her standing there. Addison's eyes looked her up and down, no doubt seeing her blotchy tear streamed face, with a bruise to her jaw and injury to her leg.

"You shouldn't be here," Addison said curtly.

She scoffed. "Because I should be dead, right?"

Addison let out a long sigh. "You don't understand what is happening here…"

"I understand that you betrayed Mark. I know you willingly fed me to the Russian's so I could be their play toy. You're evil," Lexie replied.

"You know nothing, girl," Addison said coolly.

Their momentary fight was put on hold when they both heard a distant sound up by the house. Addison's gaze looked up towards the property. Lexie could see the momentary concern on her face before she turned back towards her.

"Get out of sight," Addison whispered.

She forced herself not to tremble as she stared at the woman who wanted everything she had. "You expect me to think you actually want to help me?"

One thing that had surprised Lexie was how incredibly strong the thin redhead was. She stepped forward yanking on Lexie's arm, causing her to cry out as she lost her balance, her shoulder bumping into Addison's body. Addison turned her swiftly, so that her back was to Addison's chest.

"I am trying to help you. I always have. Now shut up and don't say a word," Addison hissed into her ear.

Lexie looked up to see that Egor was striding towards them, his face twisted in anger. He had blood on his shirt and coat, his skin cased in sweat. It looked as if he had just played ten levels in a real-life video game. His eyes turned cold when they landed on her, his expression turning as if he found a new purpose.

"They got Dimitri. I can't find Sergei," Egor snapped when he reached them.

"The feds are here. We have no time." Addison divulged.

Egor's eyes looked down at her, licking his lips as he took in her body. He almost looked turned on by the time he got to her leg, the very injury he had caused. "At least I am still walking away with something."

She tried not to squirm out of Addison's hold. She would surely rather die then spend another moment in this man's presence. Her stomach knotted just thinking about all the things in his mind that he would have planned to do for her. He reached out to take hold of her, but Addison's free hand raised up to stop him.

"Forget it. She's mine now." Addison warned.

Egor's eye twitched with disapproval. "She's mine," he growled. "It was part of the deal."

Addison clucked her tongue. "Then you should have taken better care of your pet. You lost her and she is mine now. If you have a problem with that, you can find your own ride out of here."

Egor looked as if he wanted to get into a pissing match over her right here and there, but then decided against it and backed off. "I see no reason we can't share." he offered as some sort of compromise.

That thought alone of her being some sort of servant to Addison and play thing to Egor was much worse than she could ever imagine.

Addison scoffed. "I'm not keeping her. She took the only thing I ever wanted. I plan on eliminating her."

Her words were so cold and cruel sounding, that she figured this was going to be it for her. This is how she would die. She would rather die now then there be any opportunity that Egor could ever get his hands on her again. As it was, Egor looked horrified at the thought. Not horrified that a defenseless and injured woman would be killed, but horrified that he wouldn't get what he wanted out of the deal first.

If these were her final moments, she so badly wished that she could have just seen Mark one more time. Touched him one more time. Kissed him one more time. Told him she loved him…just one more time. Thankfully, she was glad he wasn't here, because if she was going to die…she didn't want to die with him watching. He had lost his mother so tragically, the last thing he needed was to see her die too.

Egor licked his lips again. "Can't you kill her after I have had a couple hours alone with her."

"No," Addison replied harshly.

Egor gave her one last look like it was such a waste. He shrugged his shoulders. "We have company coming. It might be best that we keep her as hostage for opportunity to escape."

Jeez, no.

"Good idea," Addison said. "Let's go."

She waited for Egor to start making his way to the boat, Addison's lips coming to her ear. "Keep quiet and just follow my lead."

It wasn't like she had that much of a choice to begin with, as she turned her back towards the docks and her yacht and started pushing at her back to walk. Egor only stayed a few feet in front of them, his expression grew more agitated as he snuck glances every few seconds at their slow progress. If the stupid bastard hadn't cut her leg to begin with, she could move faster.

Addison stopped them halfway down the dock right where the water was no longer just waist deep. It took Egor a few steps before he realized that she and Addison hadn't followed him.

He half turned back. "What are you doing?" he asked, his tone laced with annoyance.

"I've changed my mind. I am getting rid of loose ends," she announced.

Lexie didn't have to look at Addison or even have to decipher what she was saying. She was going to die. She felt Addison reach into her pocket and pull out a gun of her own. Would she shoot her in the head? The back? A couple of times throughout her life she had thought how her life would end. Being shot by mobsters had never would have crossed her mind.

She felt Addison's lips by her ears. "I'm sorry about this. Just find a way to hang on. Mark's already on his way."

What? Mark?

"Lexie!"

His voice. She heard his voice in the distance behind her. It was the last thing she recalled, before she felt a hard smack to the back of her head, and fell into the cold chilly water.

A/N: Here we are…our final chapter folks.