Hey everyone! Been almost a year since I first posted, The Price We Pay, and wow life can change and shift rapidly. If you haven't read my first story completely, please go read it, otherwise this story isn't going to make any sense. It pretty much picks up right where the last one ended. And with this being my second attempt at a rather lengthy and in depth take on some of my most beloved characters from GTA IV- not sure it's any surprise, but there are some vague spoilers for the events and end to GTA IV.
Like the last story, this is most definitely rated MA. Like the video game there is intense violence, blood and gore, nudity, mature humor, strong language, strong sexual content, and the use of drugs and alcohol. This is for mature audiences and you've been warned. Disclaimer- I don't own GTA IV or any of the characters associated with it. Enjoy!
I also am not a licensed therapist, so any advice or words used during the story are not to be taken as serious medical help of any kind. This is a made up story set in a fictional world.
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"Let's revisit your nightmares. Have they lessened or changed in any way since our last session?"
Kate fidgeted on the small loveseat couch trying to find something to stare at as to not look into the therapist's eyes. It was the one question she was wanting to avoid during the session. Things had been getting easier, but there had been a shift, one that was troubling. Kate picked at the fuzz of her turtleneck hem and let out the millionth quiet sigh of the morning. She could do this. She knew the only way to process everything and move on was to face it head on. 'Now or never…'
"The normal ones- the more violent ones geared toward me? They have almost completely stopped." Kate chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to piece her thoughts together, "But it's the new ones that have me worried." She dared a glance at the woman who had been helping her stay sane since she was eight years old.
"Well. I think it's progress that the nightmares that kept you sleep deprived are mostly stopped?" Sharon tilted her head slightly and studied the body language of her favorite client closely.
"Yes. I am glad to be able to sleep and not relive those men touching me in my old bedroom or what took place in the bedroom on the yacht. I will say it's been a huge weight lifted, but these new ones? I don't understand where they are coming from. I thought we had worked it all out." Kate reached out to the glass of water that rested on the narrow coffee table in front of her, taking a long swig of the cool water.
"Trauma is different for everyone. We all have different triggers and ways we cope. It's how we approach it and heal from it that counts. Sometimes when we feel like we are in a great place mentally, something small or subconsciously will resurface something that wasn't fully ready to be let go. In your case, with how intense those few days in October were, there is a lot to unpack and process. You've done great with physical touch, correct?" Sharon smiled softly and crossed her leg over the other, getting ready to start planning out where to take the conversation next.
"Yes. I only flinch when someone I don't know attempts to touch me first. A brush to the arm, accidental touching of hands. But for the most part it doesn't bother me anymore. My friend Mal, she is very handsy lately. I blame the pregnancy. She's very, clingy is the wrong word, but she loves holding people's hands and giving hugs. I don't mind in the least. I think Roman does." Kate let out a soft giggle. Roman had been rather put out with all the attention Mallorie had been paying everyone.
"And intimacy?"
Kate felt the rush of blood to her cheeks and coughed slightly to cool off. She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears and took in a deep breath, "Definitely no problems there." 'Oh my God… It's like telling my Ma I've done the deed…' The mortification slowly crept up her spine and she hunched in on herself.
"Now your reaction tells me differently. Either everything is fine, or it's the verbalization of it that bothers you. This is a safe space, no judgement or punishment, just two people talking things out." Sharon did her best to not let her laughter out with her words. It was rather amusing seeing Kate shift around uncomfortably on the couch over such an easy topic. She had listened to the horrors that she had been put through and could almost applaud how Kate got through it all without completely breaking down. But one mention of sex and it was like seeing a teenager squirm in the principal's office.
"It's still new to me to talk about it out loud. I went from Liberty City's number one virgin to basically…" Her voice died in her throat and her cheeks flushed a darker shade, she waved her hand out and let it drop heavily into her lap. There was no correct term or phrase to explain what she and Niko have. She forced her eyes to stay open, because she knew as soon as they would close, she would be greeted by a devious smirk and heated eyes. The familiar pull wanted to surface, and she took in a long drawn out breath to quiet the yearning.
"It's understandable. But honestly. If you ever feel the need to ask questions or express your thoughts on the matter you can. It must have been such a one-eighty for you. Going from not wanting intercourse with anyone to all of a sudden jumping into his arms." This time Sharon did smile. A genuine, caring, and slightly knowing smile. It had been months of "Niko this" and "Niko that" until Derrick's death, and then it was like their sessions from her childhood all over again.
"I had my questions about why I was so for it right after- Well. You know. But is that a bad thing? I think I've always wanted to try with him. Even before things were defined between us. He's just such a mystery. Handsome. Gentle. Just things I never saw in a potential partner before. Not that I was looking." Kate felt the tension leave her body and she pulled her legs up on the couch to sit cross legged. "I have it bad for him." Her heart fluttered with the loving thoughts that drifted gently across her mind.
"To answer your question, it was either a way to cope or not cope with what had almost happened. I believe it was your way with coping with what happened. Thankfully, you found that comfort in him and not someone you would regret later on once it hit you. But, and I say this with all the care and caution I have, how much do you really know about him? You've talked extensively of what he has done for you; protection, an open ear, a shoulder to lean on, no judgment. But what of his life? Is it what you think is healthy for you to be a part of?" She had been wanting to broach the subject with Kate for months leading up to her brother's untimely death.
Kate at first had dragged his character through the mud-
"He's just like my brothers. I swear! Just some hooligan."
"He is a maniac. Can't even have the same car when he shows up to the house."
"He's probably off somewhere with my brothers robbing people or stealing some drugs from some other mob. I don't care…"
"You know I do worry about him sometimes. He comes around a lot and you know what he did?! He asked me to hang out. ME!"
"Maybe I judged too harshly? He does a great job of listening and doesn't judge me back. Even when I berate him to the ends of the earth for his choices."
"Gerry is back in prison… Derrick is gone… Not that I'm completely surprised. I was expecting it at some point, I guess. But Niko called me to check in. I didn't have the courage to ask him to the funeral. I probably should have, right? He seems to genuinely care about my family…"
It was such a back and forth trying to understand what Kate saw in this mysterious man that she only knew as Niko. Then when Kate had let it slip that they were dating and had in fact done the deed? It was the biggest shock of her career. Hearing numerous different clients talk about murder and addiction was nothing compared to the bombshell of her little Katie growing up and jumping into such an adult and serious relationship. Even finding out that Lenny didn't want to keep dating Natalya toward the end of his life was crazy... And that ranked right up at the top of shocking confessions she had heard in her life.
"I know enough. We don't really dive into his past. I think it's too painful for him." Kate started to throw her walls up with the question. Something felt off about their conversation suddenly. It was as if Sharon was digging at things instead of wanting to help. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Yes, you've told me he was in a war from a young age and that he has a great many physical and emotional scars from it. I can tell this subject is making you uncomfortable. Let's get back to the new nightmares. What has changed about them to make you worry?" A small crease formed along her forehead. She would have to circle back around later in order to get Kate talking about their relationship, and what she deemed to be the underlying cause of her nightmares.
"They aren't centered on me, it's more like what I did, then what happened to me. I only keep reliving one moment over and over. When we made it off the yacht, Natalya caught up to us. She was irate, wild, and just downright terrifying. She fought with the man who was helping me escape. I couldn't understand what was being yelled back and forth. He told me to run. I did. But then I also didn't. And I'm struggling with the events that unfolded and why. It's always the why." Her chest started to squeeze, and she forced herself to take a deep breath. Everything tumbled around inside, and she fell right back into the memory of that horrible night.
"This will not be a smooth landing. Once we get to shore, you need to find a security guard. There should be plenty patrolling around the base of the statue. You stay with them till Niko comes for you." Darko jammed the controls to the ship's wheel, locking it's trajectory toward Happiness Island. His dark eyes glanced to her before shooting another man who had tried to barge into the control room.
Kate tried to not visibly jump at the noise, but she had just witnessed so much death in a record amount of time. Every hall, room, staircase- someone was killed right before her. Either a bullet to the head or chest, a thrown knife into a vulnerable place, or a broken neck. He had kept up such a light banter between killings that it was giving her emotional whiplash. But he never once let someone get close to her, and for that she was begrudgingly thankful. But his plan? She was completely against it.
"What about you?" She trembled out. She wasn't sure she could stand or run after they crashed the ship. What if she got injured? What if they got killed in some kind of explosion? 'Is he even rational or sane?!'
"I will need to keep Natalya from escaping. Do not need a repeat performance from her." He reloaded his gun without even looking and tucked it into his holster. He swiftly walked over to the large window by a control desk and looked up at the nearest helicopter. "Looks like Niko is close by." He pointed out the window and jerked his head to the side to get her to come look.
Kate rushed over, clutching the jacket to her body, trying to ignore the heavy weight of the gun in the breast pocket. She almost couldn't believe her eyes. There he was. Sitting on the edge of a helicopter. If she squinted hard enough, she could see his calculating eyes as he scanned the ship. 'Oh Niko! I'm right here. But I am so scared…'
"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! Darko where the fuck are you?!" Natalya's high pitch screaming bounced down the halls toward them. Darko immediately grabbed Kate's hand and forced her under the captain's desk. It was closed in on three sides and would keep her hidden. He pointed a finger at her in warning to stay put and she could only numbly nod back in response, clamping her hands over her mouth.
"We got bigger problems. Some of your men decided to betray us! They've been actively trying to sabotage the ship. The controls are broken and inoperable." He called out in a rough accent that sent shivers down Kate's spine. She watched as his feet left her view and she prayed over and over that they would make it off the ship.
"I gathered that! Where is the bitch?" Footsteps that clicked from the heels of a pair of boots entered the room and Kate clamped her eyes shut. 'Oh my God. She's in the room. What are you doing?! Just kill her already and let's get off the ship!' A lone tear forced its way free from between her eyelashes.
"I tied her up in the engine room. With the constant damage from the attacking helicopters, it is bound to blow any minute." The metal on the desk of controls creaked above her and she glanced around trying to figure out why. She could only guess that the man was leaning on it. She hastily wiped the tear from her face and blinked her eyes rapidly to stop the tears from coming. She did not need to accidentally hiccup from crying and blow her hiding space.
"Good. Even if it's not how I wanted her to die. It'll do. Should take them months to find her charred remains at the bottom of the ocean. Looks like we are about out of options though." A pair of feminine black boots entered into her line of sight and Kate froze. If her heart was pounding any faster, it was bound to give her position away. 'Don't see me. Don't see me. Don't see me!' She shrank in on herself as much as possible and held her breath.
"Well would you looky here! If it isn't our man of the hour!" Natalya let out a dry laugh and leaned into the large window to get a better look, "Well if Kate's going to be blown to bits, might as well complete the mission! Watch as I tear him down once and for all!" She spun on her heels and left Kate's line of sight. The breath rushed out between her lips shakily, causing black spots to dance before her eyes.
Darko dropped down in front of her and tugged on her forearm. She stumbled over herself as she scrambled from under the metal desk. He shook his head negatively and placed a finger over his lips to signal to stay quiet. Not that she was planning on making any more noise than was humanly possible.
"We leave now. I've set the boat to slow to a stop, so it'll not be as harsh of a crash. You ready to swim?" He set his face into a serious expression and kept a firm grip on her arm. His eyes darted back and forth between hers as if he were trying to read her thoughts.
"I. Let's just get out of here please." Kate's feet felt numb beneath her as they walked quickly but silently out of the control room and down a different hall toward the outer deck. A loud bang reverberated around them and Darko pulled her into his chest and crouched down out of instinct.
"Fucking bitch must be trying to snipe down the helicopter. Hurry. I can maybe reach her in time before she ends up killing Niko and everyone on board." Darko pulled them upright and sped up his pace as he tugged her down the maze of halls, glancing down side corridors for other enemies.
"Is she a good shooter?" Kate forced herself to move quicker and willed her legs and feet to cooperate. She knew she was probably succumbing to shock and would probably pass out the second they stopped moving. Nothing in her life could have prepared herself for the extensive physical exertion she was experiencing.
"Back in Bucharest she is known as the goddess of thunder. Only the people she does not kill hear the gunshot, like some kind of warning. Those she targets simply move on to the next life without ever seeing it coming." Darko shoved open the outer door and checked for people before pulling her out into the cold, freezing ocean air.
"Great. So she's basically the harbinger of death. Such a lovely woman to work for!" Kate rolled her eyes and fought against the shivering that took over her body. She was barely clothed enough to be outside, let alone out on the water, about to be submerged into the frigid waves. Her feet were bare, her legs exposed, and the only real comfort she had was the heavy leather jacket that hung from her frame.
"Yeah well. You don't exactly have the greatest crowd of people around you either. Niko is no saint."
The shockwave struck first before a blast of heat chased it. Kate and Darko were thrown off their feet and toward the outer railing of the deck. The darkness consumed her as the railing came rushing at her.
The next thing Kate knew she was sprawled out on a slightly damp surface with a rhythmic pressure being applied to her chest. When soft lips brushed against hers and air was forced into her lungs she slammed back into consciousness. Everything felt like it had been punched- the soreness and throbbing was such a contrast to the bitter cold that sank into her skin. She snapped her eyes open and attempted to shove whoever was on her off. The world spun before her eyes and she felt the violent pitch of her stomach as what little breakfast she had eaten at Bernie's tried to force its way back up.
"There you go. Take in air. I do not want to cause more harm, but we are not safe here." Darko helped roll her to her side so she could throw up if she needed to. He started to rub her legs, bringing a warmth back to them. "You are freezing. You will go into full shock if we do not get you some place warmer."
"What?" Kate shut her eyes to try and regain some kind of control of what was going on with her body. 'Come on just breath and calm down. You can do this!'
"The ship exploded. We are lucky to be alive. I carried you off the wreckage and had to start giving you aid as soon as I got out of the direct line of sight. But I do not know if Natalya is alive. That is why I think we should keep moving. I can't tell which helicopter Niko is on, or if it was shot down." Darko glanced over his shoulder toward the burning ship and docks that they had crashed in to. He frowned noticing how the fire was starting to spread to the trees and shrubs.
"I can't even handle this right now. This is just ridiculous." Kate took in a few steadying breaths as his words locked into place in her troubled mind, "But yeah. We aren't exactly on the lucky list right now. So much for my Irish heritage." She scoffed and slowly got on all fours. Things were still not really clicking into place from what had just transpired, and she desperately tried to piece it all together- if only to keep what little sanity she had left intact. 'Wait. He gave me aid… like CPR?!'
She startled when he let out a genuine laugh, squeezing her calf as he tried to calm down. She turned to look over her shoulder to see him grabbing his side as a new wave of chuckles rolled off the tongue. He looked so at ease in this moment, even with a burning ship and scorching fire in the background. For a split second she wondered if this is what Niko went through while in the war. If he was just constantly surrounded in utter madness and he took the rare opportunities to just let it go?
He huffed slightly and shook his head, letting his eyes meet hers, "You! I can definitely see why Niko wants you. Beautiful, feisty, and hilarious. I'll give him credit. Never would have found that in Mila. Poor girl never stood a chance." He snorted and waved his hand to let her know he would help her get up off the ground.
"Thank you? I don't understand." 'Mila? What is he going on about?' She took the outstretched hand and let him gently lift her off the ground. Her feet shook terribly, and her vision swam before her. She grabbed his shoulders to steady herself and felt his hands land on her waist. She dropped her forehead to his chest and sucked in air greedily. 'Don't pass out now!'
"You good? I am not in the best shape either, but I can try to carry you if need be." He firmed his hands when she shivered against the wave of pain that radiated all over her body.
"I can manage for now. Just how well did you know Niko? You said you are from his past. You share the same tattoo. You even laughed uncontrollably when I told you who Bernie is." Kate leaned upright and gave her best hardened stare she could conjure. His hands left her sides the second she started talking. If his behavior was anything to go off of, she knew he was hiding something. Something that would not be good for her to know. She narrowed her eyes- partially to focus her vision, but also to let him know he wasn't off the hook just yet. Her fingers lightly dug into the firm fabric of the bullet proof vest.
"It is not important." He shook her off and slightly limped around her, heading off toward the statue he could see in the distance.
"Yes, it is!" Kate struggled to keep up with his pace. Even in his injured looking state, he was quicker than her. She forced her body to keep moving as she looked up and saw the smiling face of Lady Happiness illuminated in bright light. Hope warred inside her. They were so close to being safe. 'Just be there waiting for me Niko!'
"It is in the past. Where it belongs." His voice had dropped, and his accent thickened. Something Niko did when he really didn't want to speak on things. Her interest was now unashamedly piqued.
With the boost of energy from the thought of finally getting to be in Niko's arms again coursing through her, she half jogged, half hobbled past him and planted herself in his path. She closed her hand into a fist and placed it to his chest, forcing him to stop moving, or mow her over, it would be up to him. His hands closed around her fist gently and she could see the doubt, anger, and something else flick through his dark eyes. 'Is that fear?'
"It is important to me." She knew how to push Niko's buttons, so maybe he had the same sticking points? 'Afterall, he did somewhat compliment me and said I was pretty.' Her eyebrow lifted in a silent dare to not answer her.
"I was. He. It. I-"
The loud clap of artificial sounding thunder boomed around them as Darko stumbled harshly into her body. They collapsed down into the ground, Kate trying to figure out what was happening and why she found herself underneath his heavy form.
"You fucking TRAITOR!"
Kate knew that high pitched screeching better than anything at this point. Darko leaned up off of her slightly and looked over his shoulder, his face drawn down slightly in a pained expression. Kate shifted under him to follow his line of sight to see an enraged Natalya holding a rather impressive looking gun aimed in their direction. Something warm and wet started to spread along her bare leg and she squirmed around beneath him trying to figure out what it was.
"Look who's calling the kettle black! How quickly did you screw over Kenny?" Darko groaned slightly as he shoved up off of Kate. He limped around to stand protectively in front of her, effectively blocking her view of Natalya. Her eyes landed on a decent smear of blood on her leg, and she shot her eyes to the slightly shaking form of the man who had been protecting her from the start of her capture. There was a large tear in the side of his cargo pants that rested over his calf. Blood was slowly saturating the cloth.
"You are hurt!" Kate whispered out, fear and dread sliding over her body like a wet blanket. He had been invincible in her eyes and now that his mortality was on full view, it scared her to the ends of the world. The sting of reality was a hard pill to swallow, and she clamored to her feet to place a hand between his shoulder blades. She cowered into his back trying to stay out of sight.
"Ha! Don't make me laugh. That idiot doesn't know the first thing about power and fear! People cower before me. I have real power!" Natalya chucked the sniper rifle to the side and started to approach them.
"Whatever you do, do not stop running. Get to the statue. Get to safety." Darko muttered the words out softly, not taking his eyes off of the female that spoke in a language she couldn't understand.
"What about you?! You are bleeding." Kate scratched at the thick material of the bulletproof vest he wore. Her mind was racing, the fear was screaming at her to just take off. To go find Niko and send in the army after the woman who had put her through so much turmoil. But the tiny voice in the back of her head whispered about the man's safety and that she didn't want him to die trying to save her. 'Too much death already… When will it all stop?'
"I said run!" Darko spun on his heel and grabbed her arm shoving her back toward a line of trees. She took the command for what it was and tried to quiet the storm raging insider her soul. Nothing was going to slow her descent into terror. She was running for her life, in the middle of the night, on the Island of Happiness, with a complete, or somewhat complete, stranger trying to guide her. It was just like some kind of nightmarish rollercoaster that she couldn't seem to get off of.
"That's right! You coward! Run from me. See how far you get before I catch up to you!" The taunting echoed around them as they gave a poor attempt at escaping. Darko was faltering the longer they trudged on. Even her lungs were constricting against the cold air and physical exertion she had already been through in the past twenty four hours. The bright hope that had kept her spirits going was fading with every step they took.
"I'm going to force you to watch as I tear her limb from limb!" The voice was closer, and she dared a peak over her shoulder to see that the distance was diminishing rapidly between them all.
"Not if I kill you first!" Darko yelled out, shoving Kate roughly ahead of him into a small clearing. Lightening flashed across the sky and illuminated their surroundings before plunging them back into the darkness. The fires had started to spread out uncontrollably and the flames licked along one of the edges of the space. Kate stumbled over her own feet, falling face first into the grass before scrambling to her feet to keep moving.
Her lungs burned, her body felt like it was being pulled apart, but the extended arm of the statue was like a beacon in the night. She charged into the clearing and only slowed when she realized the constant contact with her protector was missing. She skidded slightly along the damp grass as she turned to see where he was at. Her eyes widened at the sight the two people made. Expertly placed punches, blocks, kicks, strikes- they were at each other's throats! If it had been any other situation she would have been impressed with the level of skill on display, but she felt her heart skip a beat when the man stumbled back with a blow to the chest.
"I see what this is now. What better way to get back at Niko then by stealing his girl! That it?!" Natalya lashed out with her boot, striking the freely bleeding gunshot wound.
"Fuck off! I'm only here to fuck you over. The great and powerful, stripped of her title, because some idiot shot down some kid on the subway. Too bad that IDIOT is alive and well and is going to be the end of you." Darko hobbled back from Natalya, trying to give himself space to regain his footing.
"Well. That idiot IS suffering. Will continue to suffer since his cousin is dead!" There was an audible hatred that floated on the wind with her words. The two slightly circled each other, looking for an opening, or way to hit the other without getting a reciprocating strike.
Darko let out a cold chuckle, sending goosebumps over Kate's body, "Nah. I helped Niko escape with Roman. I am the one who KILLED Tobias!"
"You BASTARD!" She charged him, tackling him to the ground. She was wild in her attempts to punch Darko's face. This was the sight of someone truly mad and would stop at nothing to kill her target. They reverted back to yelling in a foreign language and Kate visibly flinched with every hit that landed on Darko's face. He was cackling through it all, spewing words she couldn't understand. For a split second she wasn't watching Natalya and Darko, she was seeing her two brothers go to town on each other.
Blood splattering over the walls of their kitchen and living room. Gerry taunting Francis as he ruthlessly pummeled him into an unrecognizable mess. The tears came of their own accord and she forced the memory from her mind. Through her blurry vision she spotted a fallen tree branch about the size of a baseball bat close to her feet. She would no longer just stand by while the ones she cared for got beat up. She would take charge. And for once, she would be the protector. A jumbled mass of hysteria, anger, pain, loss, and misery forced her to pick up the thick branch. She marched on silent feet toward the two fighting people.
And before the rational side of her brain could kick back in, she reared back and swung the branch into Natalya's head. The crack of the branch snapping in half as it connected to the blonde hair shattered her from her trance. She stared in horror as the female was thrown to the side and off of Darko who rolled over to his feet and struggled to get upright. She dropped down to his side and weakly tried to help him stand up. Everything shook and her hands were absolutely useless to her. She had just possibly killed someone. 'With a tree branch…'
Where was the joy at possibly being rid of the one who wanted her dead? Where was the elation of being free? Where was ANY emotion for that matter? Shouldn't something come to the surface to nudge her back into lucid thinking? It was as if she was seeing, but not believing. It was like she was present, but also not there. As if she was simply a spectator watching a horrible movie called life.
Darko cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him. He had such a worried expression and she struggled to focus on what he was saying and doing. But her inner musings were not done with her. Is this the sickness that laid beneath the surface of her entire family? The ease at which they all slipped into violent tendencies? She had already attempted to choke the life from the man before her, and now she had brutally struck another person with a weapon.
"Once a McReary, always a McReary…" Her Pa's despondent voice echoed in her mind and it was like having shock paddles crashed against her chest.
She sucked in a full breath and had the surrounding world knocked back into focus and it hurt!
"I told you to run! What are you thinking?!" Darko practically yelled at her while searching her eyes and gave her a slight shake. It was as if he was getting desperate for her to respond to him.
"She's just the dumb princess of the Irish Mob." Natalya kicked Darko's shoulder forcing him away from Kate, and pointed her gun at him, "Get up bitch or I'll shoot him where he lays."
Kate locked her eyes on Darko who was struggling to get back to his feet. His eyes met hers and she watched as a grim determination settled over his features. She nodded once and held her hands up as she struggled to her own feet. If this was how it was going to end, then at least she had tried. Right? It was a hollowing sensation, and it tossed her upset stomach around further.
Natalya roughly grabbed Kate and wrapped her less dominate arm around her neck, pressing the end of the pistol to the head wound that hadn't begun to heal. She hissed at the pain that the pressure caused. "That's right. Comply or die princess." She struggled to keep her footing as she was dragged several feet away from Darko, who was only getting to his feet.
"Come at me bitch. You ain't nothing but some leftovers. Not fit to sit upon the throne." Darko swiped some blood from his mouth and swayed on his feet. He scowled in their direction and Kate felt the need to try and get free from Natalya's clutches. Her thrashing around only caused her captor to thump the grip of the pistol over the bite mark, taking the wind and fight right out of her. Fresh, raw pain shot through her body and dimmed her vision briefly.
"The throne is MINE!" Natalya screeched back, taking aim at Darko who started to approach them on shaky feet. Kate trained her eyes on the man across from her. 'He has to have a plan. He has to be stalling or trying to make a bunch of noise so the others will hear and come help…'
"And killing Niko is the answer then? Let her go and let's finish this like we would in the old country." He waved his hand in Kate's direction and tried to reason with Natalya. But Kate knew she wasn't going to just let her go. Not after everything they had all gone through.
"She is my bargaining chip. I saw all the ships and helos. Ain't no way I'm going to walk away from this freely." She started to move them toward the edge of the clearing, Darko was mirroring their movements, always keeping them in his sights. He was starting to breath heavy, and Kate knew he must still be losing too much blood.
"You can leave now and get away before anyone discovers us. There is plenty of boats down by the docks. Take the loss for what it is and let Kate go." Darko spoke between labored breaths and took control of the situation. He was now forcing Natalya to circle around in the clearing, leaving her no choice but to move to keep him within her sights. With every step, Kate would drag her weight. Hoping to throw her off balance.
She couldn't bring herself to look anywhere but his face. So when he quickly darted his eyes away from them for a split second, then landed directly back on her, she knew something was up. Even in the short amount of time she had been around him, she understood that he never made any wasted movements. Everything he did had a purpose to it. So why was he looking off at something behind them? Was someone there? Was help about to arrive? Her thoughts took off and shifted her focus off of the tight hold Natalya had on her neck to search the dark tress around them.
Her eyes darted back to Darko as he started to move closer to them. 'Whatever is the plan, it's happening. It's happening!" Kate swallowed thickly and dug deep for the strength to run if she got the opportunity. She would run and not stop till she either collapsed or ran into someone who could help her. She had learned her lesson and it was hopefully not going to be too costly.
"No. She is coming with me. Why would you betray me like this?! I gave you everything!" Natalya backed up away from Darko as he tried to hedge closer. Kate renewed her efforts to get out of the tight hold around her neck. If he were going to attack or something, she would do her part to break free. 'Please don't shoot him… Please don't shoot him!'
"You know. I guess I just go around betraying everyone." Darko darted his hand out to the side in some kind of weird gesture. It must have been just as confusing to Natalya as it was her because the grip around her neck started to loosen.
Some kind of force slammed into Natalya and was jerked away from her. Kate stumbled the opposite direction and lost her footing. The ground met her harshly and she gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. A high pitched scream rent the night air and sent a renewed panic through her body forcing her to scramble around on the ground to figure out what had caused such a noise. Her eyes landed on a new person struggling with Natalya on the ground.
Recognition hit her full force and she cried out his name. Niko had come to their rescue! He grunted when Natalya slammed her elbow into his side. Kate's eyes watered as she realized he was in pain and her hands grabbed the jacket around her for comfort. The strike must have been excruciating as he released her quickly. As Natalya went to stand up over Niko, Darko tackled her to the side going for the pistol that was still firmly in her grip.
She couldn't take her eyes off the love of her life. He was slow to roll over and sit up. Alarm bells were going off in her head at how he clutched at his side and strained to keep his facial features controlled. She studied the space where he had grabbed and saw a rather prominent wet splotch along the hem of his pants. 'He's bleeding!' New tears threatened to pour from her eyes before Darko rolled into her line of sight and limply stood near Niko… holding the pistol.
She could have shouted for joy seeing the weapon in the hand of Darko. But that was short lived as he dislodged the magazine and slid the slide back to dislodge the remaining bullet. He chucked the empty gun to the side, his face drawn into a murderous scowl, before lowering into some kind of fighting stance. Niko moved toward his side and in that moment, she could see the striking resemblance between them- as well as the stark differences. They looked at each other and silently communicated with one another. Giving a slight nod as if they knew what to do next.
"So what? You two just kiss and make up?" Natalya spit some blood from her lips and lowered into her own fighting stance, "I was trained by the KGB. This won't be easy." Her eyes gleamed in the dancing flames that started to take over the trees on the edge of the clearing.
"What good is a fight if it is easy?" Niko spoke before pulling another blade from his waistband, "You want left, or right?" He spoke to Darko in a familiar sounding language, and Kate realized that it was his native Serbian. 'Maybe they really do know one another? Fought in the war together?'
"Left. Definitely left." Darko took off toward Natalya and appeared to be favoring a new wound to his leg. He yanked his own knife from the holster on his chest and flipped it once in his hand to get the perfect grip. Natalya met his strike with a block of her own.
Niko followed after him and kept his strikes to Natalya's right side, working in tandem with the other man to land slashes, punches, and kicks to their enemy. Kate wasn't sure how they could lose. They worked so perfectly alongside one another. One would go for a higher strike while the other went toward the legs, forcing Natalya to keep deflecting and blocking rapidly. She briefly wondered if the man who was working with Niko could possibly be another relative.
Niko took hold of Natalya's right wrist and twisted her arm back and to the side to try and pin it behind her- a move Kate remembered from when she had tried to hit him in the hallway of Bernie's apartment complex. But he was using much more force than what he had used on her. Her eyes widened as Natalya leaned forward and flipped, kicking her leg into his face and chest, forcing him to release her and stumble back clutching his nose.
Darko took the opportunity to drag his knife down Natalya's open side. The sight of blood forced Kate to look away slightly. Even if she held no love for the woman, she could hear the intake of air in response to the new wound. She willed herself to look back up- she needed to know they would be detaining her soon. Her own body felt like it was slowly being drained of energy and the longer she sat huddled on the cold ground, the less likely she would be able to leave on her own fruition. She could barely feel her toes.
She watched as Niko tried to get her into some kind of hold, giving Darko some time to recover from the ground. Tears threaten to spill from her eyes as she saw him try and stab his knife into her chest. 'He's going to kill her!'
But as he went for the kill, Natalya stomped on his foot and jammed her elbow back into his stomach area where Kate knew he was bleeding. The scream died in her throat as Niko stumbled away from her, grabbing his side, looking as if he wanted to pass out. 'What happened? Why are you bleeding?! Please! Please be okay!' Panic saturated every other emotion that tried to surface in her heart and soul. Her knight in shining armor was gradually losing the battle to stay on his feet.
"The great Niko, reduced to getting beat by lil' 'ol me." Kate could hear the sickening, mocking tone and shot a hate filled stare toward the woman who just wouldn't die!
The screech of pain that burst from her lips was satisfying, as Darko's knife sank down into the upper thigh. Kate searched the clearing for where the other man was and spotted him as he nearly fell over getting back on his feet from his hands and knees. Kate's body tremored against the noise the blade made as Natalya pulled it free from her leg. It was like when someone drags their nails over a chalkboard. It set her spine rigid and her skin to crawl unpleasantly.
"If this is how you two want to fight then fine." Natalya jerked the straps free from her bullet proof vest and let it fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
'Why give up the only form of protection?' Kate was glued to the spot, clutching the leather of the jacket as tightly as she could, as Natalya kicked the bullet proof vest to the side and got ready to charge at Darko a short distance away.
'Come on! This is your chance guys! Wait. Where is Niko?' Kate tore her eyes away from the woman she hated to locate the man she loved with all her heart. Their eyes met and she felt his pain in that moment. He was breathing heavily, blood was saturating his pants, and he was sweating profusely. He looked exhausted and drained to his last ounce of strength. Something had to have happened to him before he made the clearing.
'He is giving his all just to save me… He is going to die just so I can live. No Niko! Don't leave me! Stay with me. Stay. It's going to be okay.' Her eyes watered and she fought to keep them from falling- to be brave for him in this moment. She wanted to shout out to him. She wanted to beg him to just end the fight and leave with her. To take her someplace else where they could be together peacefully. To be happy with one another with no enemies out to get them. But would that ever be possible? Could they have a happily ever after?
'I love you. Please…' The overwhelming emotions won out, and a lone tear slipped down over the open cut on her cheek, and she tried to not wince at the pain it caused.
She watched as Niko's face drew down in an absolute rage and he charged after Natalya, flipping his knife in his hand, and jabbed it in Natalya's back. The world had come to a stop as her body flinched at the sound it made. Another tear dropped free as she realized that it was over. There would be no surviving a wound like that! Her lips trembled as soul crushing relief tried to course through her system. It was over. It was done. They could all get some much needed medical help. 'Oh Niko… Come here. Please…'
But as the seconds stretched on into eternity, something started to feel off. Relief gave way to terror as Natalya spit more blood out from her mouth and turned around to face Niko. Her Niko. Who was too close to the deranged woman. Her lungs constricted to the point of suffocation as the woman jerked Niko's pistol free from his shoulder holster and stepped back.
The sound would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Her body lurched back slightly as two shots slammed into Niko's chest at point blank range.
'NO!' "NIKO! NO!" She screamed out in utter despair as he fell back to the ground and went still. The tears came unrelenting and obscured her vision of the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. 'Get up! Get UP! PLEASE!' Her soul was crumbling before her eyes. Everything that had built her up- the tender kisses, the soft caresses, his loving gaze- everything rushed past her vision in such a rapid succession it caused her head to pound.
Her throat tightened as the onslaught of pain wrenched itself free. There would never be another morning of being greeted by the small side smirk that made her knees weak. Her lips quivered as the first sob forced itself free. The air was so bitterly cold as it forced its way into her lungs. "Oh Niko…" She whispered it so quietly that she wasn't even sure if she had said it aloud.
The shuffling of feet caught her attention, and she snapped her head up from watching her unmoving soulmate. The barrel of the gun was pointed her direction. But for once, it didn't scare her like it used to. 'What does it matter anyway?' She set her eyes in a hard glare. If this was the end, then she would go out with all the hate in the universe directed at the female that had destroyed everything in her life.
"Niko took everything from me. Now I will take everything from him."
The words hardly registered to her before something smashed into her chest and caused unsurmountable pain to explode in every direction in her body. The force dropped her back to the ground and when her head hit the damp grass, she realized that she had been shot. There was no end in sight to how bad everything felt. The world was darkening rapidly and the last thing that traveled through her chaotic mind was wanting to see Niko one last time.
'It's okay. I'm sorry Niko. Come find me on the other side…' Through the darkening tunnel she saw his eyes open and staring in horror her direction before it all just disappeared.
"He dies every single night. Sometimes both of them do. And on rare occasions, so do I." Kate sniffled and gladly accepted the box of tissues that was placed before her.
"I'm so sorry you went through all of that. I. The medical examiner sent me the hospital report." Sharon forced the lump down in her throat. She had dived headfirst into the list of injuries and procedures done to save her client's life. It broke just about every oath of her profession, but she had to know. She had seen the news that day. Was glued to her phone and tv all day and night wanting to hear if Kate was okay. She had made every call she could to department heads at the hospital and then drove over to the police station in Westminster knowing she would get answers there.
"Then you know how close- Just how crazy this all seems. I shouldn't even be here. Had it been any other type of bullet, or had Natalya been a better shot in that instance- and gone for the sure kill. My brothers would have been planning my funeral." Kate used a tissue to dry her tears. It had been four months. And while she had moved past some of the abuse she had endured, the sight of Niko getting 'killed' haunted her the most.
Her rational side knew he wasn't dead. She fell asleep every night resting her cheek over his heart. But the past couple of weeks had been rough on her. The constant loop of watching him get shot- of watching Darko get beat up, and then the nauseating feeling of reacting in violence herself had pushed her to call for an emergency session. Sharon had cleared the entire morning for her, and she knew it was going to be a difficult time. Reopening old wounds was never fun.
The pained looked Niko gave her when she asked to go to therapy was another weight she needed to figure out.
"Speaking of. I am sorry for the loss of your mother. She was such a lovely lady. She used to bring me a basket of cookies for Valentine's Day every year." Sharon let a small smile form with the memories of the older woman shoving a full basket of treats into her receptionist arms every year as a thank you for helping her daughter. She glanced up to see Kate shake her head with her own small smile mirroring hers. "I will miss her."
"I miss her every day. We didn't get to give her the most extravagant funeral. With the church being blown up and gone and all. But she is resting next to Pa. And you know how that makes me feel. But it was Ma's final wish. And I forced Packie and Frankie to abide by it." Kate huffed slightly knowing how Gerry had flat out refused to let their Ma lay next to that monster. But after a full day of back and forth and finding her will and testament, they had all conceded.
"Was Niko present for any of the arrangements?" Sharon watched Kate shake her head sadly.
"No. He was still in the hospital unconscious. Frankie was the one to demand that the funeral be held off till the day after Niko woke up. At the time we weren't sure when that would be. Plus, there was still a lot of people who needed to be arrested and caught that were in Natalya's chain of command. Packie didn't think it was safe for any of us to be out in the open for too long. Especially 'with our best protection laying knocked out in a hospital bed.' Packie's words, not mine." Kate pulled on the sleeves of her turtleneck. It was still really hard to talk about those lonely three weeks spent at the hospital.
"Understandable. From what the news was going on about, there had been a full blown mafia hit placed on your family. But I know that's just the story they were going with. Gerry being executed in prison was the catalyst apparently." Sharon pursed her lips together. Kate tended to avoid any and all conversation surrounding Gerry and she had her suspicions. Derrick's death had been a constant conversation starter for them. So why wasn't Gerry one?
"Yeah, you take out the leader of the Irish mob and what do you get? All-out war, right?" Kate rolled her eyes and slouched back into the cushions of the couch. There was so much wrong with the picture that was being painted in the media about her family and what took place. It was exhausting at times to keep playing the brokenhearted sister to her brothers that continuously found themselves six feet under.
"You know differently?"
Kate scrunched up her face and glanced to Sharon trying to find a way out of the topic of Gerry still being alive and that everything really boiled down to Kenny's son being murdered by her boyfriend. Another sore subject that needed to be explored. "Let's just say the Russian mob and my family didn't exactly send each other Christmas cards." It was a safe open ended answer. 'Decipher that how you will…'
"Kenny comes to see me you know." Sharon tapped her fingers on her knee. She always knew when Kate was lying, not telling the full truth, or was outright avoiding something. There was so much built up tension and what appeared to be anger laying under the surface with Kate this morning. It was completely different from every other session they had. And it was beyond concerning to her. 'What is really going on beneath the surface with you Katie?'
"Then you know. And I'd like to leave it at that." Kate set her jaw tightly and glared to her therapist. She had been given strict orders by her brother and the IAA to not give up the real details of what took place and how it all unfolded. So long as she didn't let it slip that Niko was partially responsible for the attack on the church, it didn't matter what else she divulged to people. 'Or so says Mr. No Name in the IAA…'
"Very well. Let's get back on the topic of the new nightmares. Do they always play out the same way? Like reliving it step for step. Or do things get altered?" Sharon could almost see the bricks that were being built up between them. Kate was shutting herself back behind her walls and she needed to stop that from happening. But the glare that had been sent her way gave her pause. It was completely out of character for her. Her eyes widened slightly as she had a rather daunting thought.
"It's not always step for step. Sometimes it is a never ending loop. I close my eyes after being shot and drop right back into waking up on the island. With the other nightmares I used to be able to wake myself up before it got bad. Or I could shift my thoughts and dreams to something else entirely. I can't seem to get these ones to stop. Niko for the most part wakes me up before I get to the clearing. But some nights it just starts where I turn back." Kate sighed heavily and tried to refocus on getting to the real meaning of why her mind was torturing her.
"Okay that could be a number of things triggering it. The never ending loop of it could be your subconscious trying to tell you that something changed for you. Something that could be life altering. That until you figure out what is underlying the trauma you will have to keep replaying it to figure it out. Perhaps some kind of epiphany occurred to you during all of it that you haven't rediscovered yet. We are not built to be the most observant people consciously in the moment. Small details and realizations tend to come later when we reflect." Sharon tilted her head and dug deep to some of the books she had been reading the past few weeks trying to get answers for Kate. This level of trauma was new to them both. But she was determined to process it all with her.
"I am definitely not as aware of what's happening around me. Niko and the man who helped me escape, and hell even Bernie have this otherworldly way of seeing a situation and just knowing how to protect themselves and others." Kate pinched the bridge of her nose, "But what epiphany could I have possibly had in the middle of all that madness?!"
"Well, if it's not your subconscious trying to make you see something you missed, it could be that you have grown so attached to the two men in the clearing with you. And that their deaths would be significant in your life. We both know Niko is alive and well. So maybe the death of the other man is what's bothering you more?" Sharon offered. There was something significant that she was missing from their conversation. She was sure of it. There was something else that was digging away at her client.
"I barely know-knew him. And while he was a lifeline throughout it all. I couldn't possibly be attached to him. Niko explained to me who that was. And he is NOT someone I should ever get close to or associate with. He betrayed Niko's unit. He's the main reason Niko has his own trauma to work through." Kate frowned at the suggestion. While yes, Niko supposedly dying was absolutely gut wrenching, Darko was not someone she ever wanted to see again. She shoved every image of him to the recesses of her mind and blankly looked back to Sharon for more explanations or reasons. 'Usually this doesn't take her very long to get me to see what's wrong. Why is this so much more complicated?'
'Maybe it's because Darko isn't dead… There was no body. No one knows where he is…'
"Wait. You said you sometimes start the dream from when you turned back to see where this man was when you realized he wasn't running with you anymore." Sharon lifted her hand and glanced off toward the window to help her formulate her thoughts. "Maybe there is something there." She said softly trying to remember everything Kate had relayed to her.
"I felt something…" Kate groaned and leaned forward to bury her face into her hands. The vile, gross, and twisting feelings resurfaced repulsively.
"Don't stop. Felt something toward the man who was getting beaten? Or was it something pulling things from your past. You have been witnessing so many bloody fights between your brothers in the past and even recently on the yacht." Sharon watched as Kate scrubbed over her face roughly with her hands. 'Here it is… Oh you poor thing…'
"I heard my Pa's voice. I. I-! That was so violent. What I did." Kate trembled from head to toe and had to suck in air as the images all bled together. Slapping Francis several times. The half assed attempt to hit Niko for his video comment. Her trying to choke out Darko. Striking Natalya over the head with the tree branch. "I can't be like my brothers. Or Pa! I'm not. I can't!" The sob bubbled in her chest and it sat revoltingly in her throat. She had slowly been increasing the level of violence she reacted with…
"Like your family… Or like the man who had been protecting you? Or, and what's even more possible- Violent like Niko?"
Kate snapped upright as the words sliced through her muddled emotions, "That's unfair and a low blow."
"And yet you jump to his defense so swiftly. Why is that? Everything you have described to me over the past nine to eleven months has been how you know he is a killer. A trained, skilled militant from a foreign nation. How easily he dispatched the people at Derrick's funeral. How he is so unbothered by carrying a weapon on him at all times." Sharon set her eyes toward Kate.
"No. NO. That's not-"
"Niko, the man who without a care to everyone else around him, even at the expense of his own cousin's livelihood, had committed crime after crime, allocating quite the ledger." Sharon pressed Kate. It was unprofessional and she knew it, but she needed her to see that all of it came back to one single event. That the reason she was starting to lash out in violence and shift her perspective was because she had gone and fallen in love with the one thing she used to despise. 'You've fallen so far for the one person you know wasn't good for you…'
"That's a rather large assumption!" Kate raised her voice slightly, anger and disbelief raging around in her heart. "How dare you-"
"Who, had he not killed the son of Kenny, would have spared you all this anguish and pain."
The silence was deafening in the small office space.
"St-stop it." Kate stared wide eyed at Sharon who had spent the better part of twenty years keeping her put together.
"That's not true." Her words were barely above a whisper. The tears slid silently down her unmarred cheeks. 'No! That's not true! I know it!'
"Think Katie! Ever since he came into your life, you've been slowly letting go of everything you used to keep close. You never wanted to live the life of crime like your brothers. You never wanted to associate with their friends due to the repercussions that came with it. And look what happened because you caved and decided to take his call."
Kate shoved off the couch and marched toward the closed door. She didn't have to sit there and take it. Her hand gripped the door handle and she coldly looked over her shoulder to the one woman she had once held respect and love for, "He is not who I first pegged him to be. I think we are through here." She jerked the door open and was halfway out the threshold when the words of her now ex-therapist rang out inside her mind like a church bell.
"People don't change. You know this. It's not the person who changes, it's the circumstances that change." Sharon sent her own glare toward Kate's retreating back. She knew the real problem and would make sure to let Kate know it.
"You're wrong. He's changed." Kate huffed out slightly, angrily swiping at a tear that worked its way down her reddened cheeks. She started to pull the door closed behind her, wishing the pit in her stomach would leave her be. That the tightness that gripped her heart would loosen. That the intrusive thoughts and negative commentary would just disappear already.
She could hear Sharon suck in a steady breath before the words she didn't want to face came floating toward her through the closing door.
"You told me he was going to give up the life of crime. If that is the case where is he right now?"