Sooooo…

I tried my hand at some things this go round. Ha! I'll add the people's tag once this chapter has been out for a bit.

I don't like spoiling my story too quick.

-If you love Bernie/ Florian? Like as much as I do, I apologize for the utter angst. Fair warning.

aaaaaa

Niko did not enjoy the unpleasant feeling that sank in his gut as they passed under the main gate of the docks down in East Hook. It was eerily empty and deserted like it had been the night he gunned down the entire crew of the Platypus. Aleksei slowed the car down and parked next to a row of cargo containers. Niko could spot the secluded alcove he had left the Comet running as he dashed off for the ramp of the ship.

"There is Sergei." Georgi spotted one of Kenny's enforcers sitting on the edge of a large docking station, "Why is he sitting on the ledge like that?"

"This is the part I do not like. The meet is in the submarine." Aleksei turned the engine off and checked his surroundings before getting out of the car. It would have them cornered and with no real way out if it was some kind of trap. Silently he moved to the trunk of the car and popped the lid.

"Won't be able to keep radio communication going." Georgi sighed and followed his equal out into the unbearable frozen air. It was always colder down by the water, and he bundled his heavy winter coat closer to his body. His mind was starting to slip into strategist mode, and he was studying the various rows of containers and places a car might have to drive through. With a shake of his head, he moved to the trunk to get his own supplies out.

"No." Aleksei lifted his sniper out of the trunk and looped the strap over his shoulder, accepting the earwig from Georgi, "What channel?"

"I always like four. Less static." Georgi inserted the small electronic device into his ear and held one out to his boss, "Aleksei will call out anything that looks fishy from his vantage point."

Niko took the oddly shaped earwig and looked it over. It was fascinating to see how Kenny's men just went into action and had a plan for just about every scenario. He watched as Georgi accepted the held out assault rifle, pulled the firing mechanism back, glancing down the barrel for anything that could jam it, then released it. With trained hands he shoved the loaded magazine, seated a round, flipped the safety off and nodded to Aleksei.

"Channel four clear." Aleksei tapped his ear and took off for the tall harbor crane. He would set up shop and keep his eyes open for any signs of trouble. It would be their only early warning system and he loathed how everything felt so very off.

"Alright boss. Here goes nothing." Georgi lifted the rifle into a ready position and motioned for Niko to follow him over to Sergei. His eyes wanted to linger on his boss, and he had to chew the inside of his mouth to keep the stupid smile off his face.

"So does everyone just know what to do all the time?" Niko inserted the communication device into his ear like he had seen the other two men do. It was all so reminiscent of a military recognizance mission. He caught the small twitch of his second's lips and he let out a huff of air. He figured Georgi would at some point poke fun at him or give a 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink' in his direction over how they had left the hospital.

"When Kenny has to have meetings with other table members, we usually follow protocol that has been taught to us. Aleksei is always finding a sniper's nest as he is the best marksman in our crew. Anton is Kenny's left guard, and I am the right. We enter rooms first and clear the space before letting Kenny enter. With this being out in the open I don't feel completely comfortable with the security of it all." He swept his rifle from side to side and kept his eyes trained on their surroundings. The huff had a tiny curl of his lips forming before he thought he spotted movement in the distance.

"The best? You flatter me." Aleksei snorted over the line.

"It is somewhat true. I just hate how heavy long rifles are. I do better with mid to close range weapons." Georgi lowered his rifle when he realized it had been a local security guard making the rounds, and they reached Sergei, "So. Where is he?"

"Should be here any minute. Pavel said he would use the GPS signal from my phone and meet me. Whatever that means." Sergei looked up to his boss and Georgi, "Channel four?" He took a guess at the radio frequency Georgi used to like all the time. With the nod of his head, he clicked over on his own earpiece to the right channel.

"Is Pavel involved with any one organization? Does his loyalty fall to anyone?" Niko shoved his hands into his pockets and watched the cold, murky ocean as it lapped against the concrete dock. He had never been in a submarine before- plenty of boats and ships- but nothing that went underwater… on purpose.

"From my understanding he is a lone wolf. Does jobs just to fund his life and isn't in the market for something more established. We think he is close with the Madrazo Cartel out west. Kenny does not like them so don't be surprised if Pavel is reluctant to help us." Aleksei's voice crackled over their radios.

A hissing sound lifted from the water and Sergei stood up as a large black submarine rose from the sloshing surface of the ocean. It blended in so well with the water and darkness of the night. Water rolled down the slick metal sides as more hissing and dings sounded from the modern marvel.

"You did say he lived on a sub… But I honestly thought that was a joke." Niko muttered as the top hatch lifted up revealing a ladder that descended into the belly of the ship.

"No, that's Pavel for you. I'll go first." Sergei hopped down to the flatter section near the hatch, glancing down inside to see if he could see his friend anywhere, "Pavel? Permission to board?"

"Come comrade! It has been too long!" A heavily accented voice echoed up to them before singing started up, causing the three men to look at one another. Sergei shrugged not knowing what else to do and flung his leg over the side of the hatch and taking hold of the ladder.

"Stick close boss. Just because he is Russian doesn't always mean he is going to be a friendly." Georgi jumped down and swung the rifle around to his back. Sergei gave him a thumbs up from the bottom of the ladder. It was now or never he assumed.

"I am not unaware of how unfriendly people are. Been getting shot at for most of my life." Niko sighed heavily and looked up to where he knew Aleksei would be. It was nice to have people watch his back for a change. His thoughts drifted to Kate and his family back at the hospital and whispered a silent prayer they would be protected while he conducted business.

"I was not trying to insult you, boss." Georgi lowered into the hatch, testing his foot against the first rung of the metal ladder.

"I didn't think you were. Hurry up please. It's stupidly cold out here." Niko lifted the collar of his jacket to try and shelter his neck from the icy wind that tunneled through the narrow gaps of the stacked cargo containers. He watched as Georgi descended down below and out of his line of sight. His uneasiness returned as he climbed into the hatch and slide down the ladder quickly.

"Yo, heave, ho!" Deep, slightly gravely singing in Russian greeted him as his feet hit the harsh metal deck. It brought back memories of living on a ship for seven months with his friend Hossan. The ache that settled in his arches that first month had been hard to work through.

Georgi flanked his side and met his questioning stare. He was just as confused as he was as to why someone was singing an old Russian folk song. Footsteps clanked against the steel, bringing the singing voice closer to them. Georgi pulled his rifle around his body and shifted to be in front of Niko.

"Ah welcome aboard my beautiful ship!" Pavel ducked through one of the port style doors, waving them to come further into the submarine, "Come! I will show you around. Just don't touch anything." His eyes shifted between the three strange looking men that had boarded his home.

Sergei ducked through the entryway glancing around at all the various switched, gauges, and monitors. The walls were covered in them. Georgi followed behind him and had the same level of wonder come over him as he took in the main deck. Niko watched Kenny's men do an entire sweep of the room checking for other people.

"There is no one but me onboard, if that is what you are wondering." Pavel leaned back into a large table in the middle of the room. The numerous tattoos on his arms spoke of his time in the Navy and his rank. There was an aloof and almost nonchalant way he looked them over, but Niko could recognize the way he assessed them.

There was always a fear, or trepidation, of the unknown. He could understand the covert need to study your would be attackers or friendlies.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet." Niko spoke up as he approached the man who was friends with Sergei. They had their own silent staring contest before Pavel let out a weird click of his tongue and rolled his eyes.

"When Kenny calls, you answer." He shrugged his shoulder and looked over to where Georgi was staring at the large switchboard, "Don't touch those. I don't think Liberty City would be too happy to be blown up again."

"I know I don't want to go through another explosion." Niko snorted and figured he would have to lead the conversation and slip back into the role Kenny had perfected- one he wasn't sure he knew how to fill, "Sergei tells me that you might know someone with a certain set of skills."

"I know of many people, Pakhan, yes?" Pavel turned and touched the corner of the table he was leaning into, the surface flickering to life. His eyes kept up a steady circuit of the room and the people who had, in a rather nonquestion format, asked to meet with him.

"He is Kenny's replacement for the time being." Georgi spoke up and walked over to see that the table wasn't actually a table, but a very large touch screen monitor.

"Ah and you must be his captain!" Pavel pressed on a couple of icons, bringing up the sonar radar for the sub, checking their surroundings for approaching ships. They were docked in a rather busy harbor, and he was not about to have to find another sub any time soon. It was too expensive and took too long to find a seller.

"Something like that…" Georgi was fascinated by what he was seeing, and his rifle lowered into a more relaxed position. His expectations were shifting rapidly at what he assumed this meeting would go. He was envisioning soviet-era, old school, run down metal tubes- with zero space to move around in. But this room was massive.

"I need someone to help us hack into a phone. It is rather time sensitive and will confirm a few things for us." Niko approached the large computer monitor and hoped this man would be able to get them the contact info. If the phone had ever been at the apartment tower in Beachgate then it would confirm that the woman assassin was not lying.

"Hmm. There is a woman I know. A friend of mine. Paige Harris. She is very skillful; the best! And works with some other guy- I think his name is Lester. I can call her and see if she is available." Pavel bobbed his head a couple of times as he scrolled through the contact list on the screen. His fingers nimbly double clicked on an image of a pissed off looking woman and the icon of a phone ringing replaced it.

A secondary screen lit up on the wall of monitors across from them opening a webcam view of a bedroom, light snoring could be heard drifting over the speakers.

"Ohhhhh, my dear Paiggggeeee!" Pavel sung out very loudly and caused the woman to shriek and sit up in bed, tugging the covers over her body.

"Just because I gave you the coding to just turn my personal laptop on at any time of day- DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN!" They watched as she snatched a long t-shirt off the top of her bed and work it over her body, "You are so damn lucky I even like you!"

"It's the pay, Kapitan." Pavel shook his head and shrugged when Niko and Georgi both looked to him like he had lost his mind.

"What is it this time? There better be enough zero's behind that one or I am hanging up." Paige snapped the sheets back and marched closer to the screen, plopping down on an office chair- Then the realization that it was not just Pavel on the call had her balking, "How 'bout a 'hey beautiful, I have three other people on the call, might want to get a little more dressed'!

A banging on the wall sounded loudly and she turned over her shoulder toward her bedroom door, "Would you keep it down in there! Some of us are TRYING to do some research in here!" A nasally, bordering on annoying voice yelled out in the background.

"Keep your cane in your pants! I'm working here!" She screamed back. "I swear to God the second I can move out and get my own gig I am." She sighed heavily and scraped her fingers through her tasseled and messy bedhead, "What is it you need Pavel? And whoever you three are."

"My friend here needs you to- how do you say it? Jail break? Yes? A phone." Pavel leaned into the table and gave her his innocent smile hoping to convince her to just get the task done. He had a set time schedule to follow and his payday from the Governor was waiting for him.

At the narrowing of her eyes, Niko decided to step in, "Hello Miss, My name is-"

"Niko Bellic. Serbian Nationalist, now recent citizen of America. Born in the defunct country of Yugoslavia in 1978… With an impressive military record and awards. You have my curiosity peaked Mr. Bellic." Paige's eyes looked to be reading off of a separate screen and she smirked when she turned back to look at them.

"I told you! She is the best!" Pavel sighed and sang her praises.

Georgi shifted uncomfortably with how the woman, who they had never met, knew so much about his boss. He silently was hoping she wouldn't open up his own past as it laid out a few things he did not want Niko to know.

"There was a kill squad sent after my family and friends. We have one of their phones, but it's not like anything we have seen. LCPD can't crack it either." Niko held his hand out to be handed the phone so he could show her the device.

"So, wait- You went to the LCPD for help? And you are now in Pavel's sub asking for help? Just how can you manage that?" Her eyebrow lifted with her question, and she folded her arms over her desk, tilting down to get a better look at the man.

"I am the head of the Petrovic Bratva and happen to be dating the Deputy Commissioner's sister." He felt the corner of his mouth lift at her barking laughter and clapping.

"Alright. This one is on me. This is fucking wild." She turned toward the door and raised her voice, "Hey Les! Get in here! You gotta come see what my late night call is all about!"

"Paige, I swear to God if this is another one of your pranks to get me to see some pixilated porn again, I will throw you out of here." Lester grumbled as he hobbled into her room and over to the screen, squinting behind his glasses at the… "Are they on a submarine?!"

"That's fucking Kenny Petrovic's replacement!" Paige nodded her head to the screen and turned her attention back to her mentor/ roommate for the time being.

"Hmmm… I uh- I heard a rumor or two. Somewhat didn't want it to be confirmed. Well, what can we do you for? It's not every day we get ported into our own network from a submarine, with one of the most powerful people on the planet- Oh, uh, hey Pavel." Lester pulled over another chair and scooted closer to the screen wanting to figure out why his own network defenses hadn't let him know an unknown user was active.

"Halo!" Pavel dipped his head once with the greeting, scotting over to let Niko be front and center on the camera.

"My enemies have some tech we can't break into. This-" Niko lifted the locked, smart phone and held it out for them to see, "This was found on the man who attempted to kill my girlfriend. I need to confirm some things, mainly locations, and the whereabout of his handler, in order to wipe out the entire kill squad sent to Liberty City." He turned the device around a couple of times slowly, seeing them both get closer to the screen.

"Damn fruitphones. Going to be the downfall of society." Lester sighed and scratched the side of his head, "Don't suppose you have a cable for it?"

"Pakhan, here." Sergei pulled a charging cable out of his pocket for it and held it out for him.

"Plug it into the secure port I set up for you Pavel." Paige instructed as she pulled her keyboard up from under the desk. She turned back to her other monitor and typed a couple of things.

Pavel took the phone and turned it over once or twice before finding the right connector end for the cable, "It is uh, thankfully, the USB?" He held up the other end and only received a blank look from Paige and Lester.

"You live on a high tech submarine, and you don't know what a USB is?" Lester rolled his eyes and glared at Paige, "Where do you find these people?"

"Oh please, because your gun slinging 'retired' idiot friends are better." She huffed, making air quotes, and waited for her computer to connect to Pavel's ship. The soft beeping from the control panel Pavel had attached the phone to suddenly chimed and a new screen within the submarine turned on.

"Alright. Pretty standard and some more advanced encryption coding…" Lester leaned over her shoulder to get a better look. New technology always fascinated him… while also terrifying him. Meant things became less and less secure, while also becoming harder and harder to steal.

"Is this Russian… or?" She took the camera in her hand and held it up to show them the boxy lettering on her screen.

"It is asking for a password, and it gives the hint as boss' name." Georgi read over the text, watching as the camera moved back to its original position.

"Not that it wouldn't be hard… But you have a name?" Paige started to type away on her keyboard, running her normal password tumblers to see if she could just crack it.

"Alexi Mikhailov." Niko took a shot in the dark. The female had been his property.

"Yeah…" Paige glanced at the screen and adjusted herself in the seat.

"Look. This isn't going to like- come back and haunt us, is it?" Lester pressed his glasses up his nose not liking seeing the new head of the Albanian gang flashing as the password.

"I just need to know if the phone has been to an apartment building down in Beachgate off of Shinnecock Avenue. Maybe even an apartment unit. The kill squad's handler is rumored to be there, and I'd like to have a little more information before just going in guns blazing and risking more innocent lives. I have one of them held hostage and this would prove her honestly to me." Niko crossed his arms and felt his temper start to rise at the way they were backing away from being helpful.

"I can download GPS data, text messages, emails, that kind of stuff easily. But some of these saved documents and image files are large. Like what shouldn't be capable to be stored on a phone. I'll give you the access code and passwords, but I'm not opening those here." Paige offered what she thought was fair and safe for her. This was a favor, and not a paid job.

"Are they like video files?" Georgi joined his boss' side, letting his rifle hang down his front to give him something to rest his hands on.

"Video files in the five to six GB range. So high quality and long. It also looks like there are computer files for a spreadsheet or two. I can send this information to you off the phone in a zip file. As well as the passwords and encryption keys. My guess is the phone will self-wipe once I break the connection." She hummed to herself and started downloading the information over to an isolated server.

"Thank you. I will not forget this." Niko nodded his head and felt his shoulder's relax some. They were going to be one step closer to finishing the current threat.

"Uh sure- hey Paige? Can you give me a minute here?" Lester watched as the file finished and she sent it off in an email to Pavel. She had turned to him to retort, but with the way he hardened his eyes, she relented and left her room. Not like she couldn't just pull the call log dialog later, but sometimes the illusion of privacy was nice.

"I just… I reached out to Kenny a week ago about this guy who had been asking around about his organization and the Irish mob. It was odd and even Paige felt it didn't belong out here in LS. Did you guys ever find a Robert Welsh?" Lester lowered his voice and leaned on the handle of his cane.

"I killed him." Niko could see how Georgi and Sergei stiffened around him.

"So, you really are the new leader?" Lester chewed his bottom lip and glanced to the bedroom door, before typing something on Paige's laptop, "Then I need to inform you that Alexi Mikhailov's flight landed yesterday in Liberty City at 0600. You have a serious problem my friend."

aaaaaa

Kate felt the urge to go to the bathroom and rolled her eyes. She had yet to fall asleep. Every footfall outside her door had her sitting upright. The doctor had said that there needed to be at least twenty four hours between blood draws, otherwise the tests were going to keep coming back inconclusive and look the same.

But with how much fluids were being pumped into her, the pressing matter of getting to a bathroom was increasing. The call button light was still illuminated and if a nurse didn't walk through the door in the next five seconds, she was going to unhook the line in the same manner she had watched Ashley do it in and make her way out into the hall.

"This is ridiculous…" Kate whispered and lifted up on her knees to pull a cap off the sticker page. Carefully she pulled the connecting line around her arm and unscrewed the cable, capping the port and the existing line. A chill descended over her with the stoppage of medicine, and she shook against the unpleasant feeling.

Her eyes scanned the room looking for a pair of hospital socks, as the thought of walking out in the hall barefoot did not sound appealing. Kate swung her legs over the edge of the bed and tiptoed over to the wall of cabinets and started opening each one in search of anything to better dress in. The gown was getting rather uncomfortable.

A pair of teal blue socks, with rubber crisscrossing lines caught her attention and she dispatched them to the bed immediately. On another shelf she flipped through several sizes of hospital rated tops and bottoms men typically wore when their wives were having a c section. She could roll her eyes at how the small was more like a large on her, but it would do for just a quick trip to the bathroom and back.

Although the thought that one day Niko might have to wear said outfit when it came time to give birth had the edges of her lips lifting in a tender smile.

Quickly, as to not have someone accidentally walk in on her, she removed her gown and slipped into the thin and scratchy material of her newfound shirt and pants. She sighed in relief at getting to wear something on her feet, they had been freezing ever since she came down off her orgasmic high. The blush was still dusted across her cheeks from how intimate and amorous Niko had been with her.

Her phone caught her attention from the corner of her eye, and she just now realized someone had left it for her. It had been puzzling waking up, undressed and in a hospital gown, with absolutely none of her personal belongings around. Her fingers clicked through the messages and call log- no missed calls or new texts had come in. Shrugging, she dropped it into the large pocket over her breast, wanting to laugh at how much it pulled the fabric down over her shoulder and chest.

"Niko said I just had to stay in the hospital… You aren't breaking any rules." Her hand shook around the doorknob. The last time she had left the safety of the place Niko left her in, she had nearly been shot, and then killed. The hesitation was real, and she felt herself just wanting to climb back in bed and will her body to just not need to go.

Her forehead dropped to the door, and she groaned at how her thoughts were all over the place.

With a boost of courage- and an urgency to get to the bathroom, she twisted the handle and peaked out into the hall. Surely Kenny's men would be standing outside the door and could escort her. But the frown creased her forehead as she saw no one within range of her room.

"Odd… Maybe they are in the restroom too?"

Feeling like a young teenager sneaking out of her room for one more drink from the kitchen, she shifted out of the door and let it softly close behind her, forcing the handle down to not make any noise as it returned to the closed position. Her eyes scanned the overhead signs for directions to the restroom and saw they were down by the nurse's station. Where surely there would be people milling around and at least someone would see her heading to the toilet.

Stiffening her spine she took the first few steps down the hall, longing to at least poke in and see Mal and Roman. She figured a quick peek wouldn't hurt and she ducked her head into the room, immediately hearing the loud snores of Roman from the couch. The click of a safety being removed from a gun had her snapping her eyes to the man who sat in the corner recliner.

Kate awkwardly waved to him and watched as he nodded his head and lowered his weapon, "Is there something you need Kate?" He whispered the words, not wanting to disturb the two people he had been instructed to watch over.

"No… I am just on my way to the restroom and wanted to check in, is all." She answered him in a matching tone and made to close the door.

"It is to the right of the nurse's station. First door is men's, second is women's." He nodded once more and got back into his ready position to protect Niko's family.

"Thanks." She smiled to him and pulled the door closed in the same manner she had done her's.

They were both sleeping and protected, and it lifted her heart knowing the lengths Niko was going to, to make sure nothing else would happen. Her feet padded along the chilly, tiled floor in a quicker pace. Their guard had given her direct directions and she was wanting to get there and then back into her own bed.

Footsteps echoed up ahead, and it sounded like a heavy shoe- like a boot or something. Why the hospital was so quiet she could hear foot falls bothered her. She slowed her own steps and stuck close to the wall. A wave of panic wanted to rake over her as she realized she had zero protection. No knife. No gun. No bodyguard- 'Where is he?!'

A black and white sleeve came into her line of sight, before the giant white, leather Albanian bird rounded the corner. She jerked the closest door open and dashed inside, breathing hitching with a renewed panic. They had on light color jeans, black motorcycle riding boots, and the same style jacket she had worn to get out of Holland in.

The loud slam of the door closing behind her had her running to the far side of the room by the patient's bed to get out of sight of the open blinds on the small windows to the room, ducking down to be below the mattress of the bed. Her hands shook violently as she yanked her phone out of the pocket and fumbled down her list of contacts to get to Niko.

Straight to voicemail.

She tried again.

Voicemail.

The footsteps held a weird cadence and she realized there was someone else in the hall and heading down to her location.

Her desperation had her dialing his number over and over, starting to dread the automated machine response when she was connected to the voicemail box.

'Think Kate! Look around you! There has to be something!' Terror laced blood churned through her as she lifted up enough to see if she had entered an occupied room. And not for the first time that night, shock slammed through her. Bernie rested on the bed, slow deep breaths lifting and lowering his ribcage. Various IV lines disappeared into the sheets, and she felt her heart turn over seeing how many bandages marred his chest, neck, and exposed shoulder's.

"Oh Bernie…" She breathed out- then a thought snapped across her mind, and she crawled over to the cabinets to see if his phone was laying around. She may not have Georgi's number, but Bernie would! The black, plastic edge of his phone caught her eye, and she nabbed it in a mad attempt to get back to his bedside and out of sight.

The shaking of her hands made it near impossible to scroll through his contacts, but eventually she landed on Georgi's and dialed the number.

Voicemail.

The jiggling of the doorhandle had her nearly crawling under the bed… 'But what about Bernie?!'

aaaaaa

"We have to go." Niko nearly shoved at Georgi to get back to the ladder. This was not the news he needed right now.

"I'll keep in touch. Never know when you might need a friend out in Los Santos." Lester terminated the call, the screen going blank.

"Don't forget this." Pavel ejected the phone and a blank USB drive he always kept handy for when Paige would send him mission and job schematics, "Pavel will always be at your service, Pakhan!"

"Thank you. Please let them know I am thankful for their assistance." Niko grabbed the items and shoved them into the inside pocket of his jacket. Renewed fear wanted to work its way through his body. Alexi was already in Liberty. Alexi- the man who now ran the Albanian mob. Alexi, who's brother he had killed that went after Kate…

"Sergei, go! As soon as you are topside contact Aleksei." Georgi hurried after Kenny's enforcer and glanced up the ladder to make sure it was clear for him to climb.

"Georgi… The hospital. They are all there…" Niko groaned and rubbed a hand over his hair. He knew he could trust Kenny's men to shoot first and ask questions later when it came to the protection of his family- but how many people would attack? Would Alexi dare to step foot in the hospital? His thoughts darkened with each new question.

"Stop it! I will call the team once I get a signal." Georgi grabbed the metal rung of the ladder and moved as fast as his body would let him.

"Pakhan? I had a rather strange and coded call come from the IAA about an hour before Sergei called me. They said if you were ever in need to get out of Liberty undetected, I would be paid handsomely for it. If you need Pavel to get you out. I will. Here." Pavel handed over a torn piece of paper. "My burner. Paige is the only other one who knows it. Keep it that way, eh?" Pavel returned the nod of thanks and watched as Kenny's replacement ascended out of his submarine.

"One day I too will go up the ladder…

But not today!"

The static and crackling of the earpiece burned his ear as he reached the top of the ladder.

"Aleksei- Yes! The hospital check in report!" Georgi took a running jump and climbed up to the pier.

"Negative. New check in is to be in one minute." Aleksei's voice came distorted over the line as Niko hauled himself out of the submarine- the door almost instantly lowering down, the crank wheel spinning rapidly to seal it off.

He winced at the volume of the radio chatter in his ear but forced himself to listen and translate what he could. Niko mimicked Georgi's move and flung himself up to the cold concrete of the East Hook pier. A loud cargo ship's horn blared over the area, and he slapped his ears to protect them from it. He turned in the direction of the incoming ships and snapped his eyes down to the submarine as the giant ship was trying to shore where they had just been.

The ocean bubbled as Pavel's ship descended down into the depths of the ocean just in time for the massive cargo ship to enter in the bay.

The white, faded letters of the ship sank his heart.

PLATYPUS

"Boss! We need to go!" Georgi grabbed his arm and tugged him in the direction of the car they had arrived in.

A vibrate shook his pocket and he removed his phone, and if his heart wasn't already on a downward trek- the twelve missed calls from Kate did.

"Why is Bernie calling me?" Georgi asked as he continued to drag his boss across the docks. It was bizarre because Bernie was passed out from his surgery and there was no way on earth, he could have called him five times.

aaaaaa

"Sir! You can't just walk into random people's rooms!" The voice of Doctor Ashley from the other side of the door brought tears to her eyes.

'Please don't die… Please don't die…'

"I am looking for a specific room. I am dropping off a gift." The English was so incredibly broken, and the accent gave her flash backs of the two men in her bedroom. It sliced along her skin and felt like her old wounds were reopening. Her hands clasped over her mouth to keep the sob locked away as the tears began to fall.

"Then check in with the nurse's station! Honestly! These delivery companies just have no regard for protocol. Come along, I'll show you where to sign in."

Her phone vibrated loudly in the room and caused her to jump, hitting her head on the hospital bed Bernie slept on. She blindly lifted it to her ear, accepting the call- her lifeline.

"Kate? Kate? What's going on?" Niko's strong and bordering on hostile tone forced a tear or two to tumble over her cheeks.

"Niko… The Albanian's are here. I saw a man with a jacket on. I'm- I'm hiding in Bernie's room." Kate whispered as softly as she could, lip trembling over her words.

"Stay there. His pistol should be under his pillow. Лепа (Lepa) please… I'm begging you. Stay hidden. I'm on the way." Niko sounded beyond scared and she nearly choked on a sob.

"He's coming for me, isn't he? The man Georgi mentioned in the apartment." Kate forced herself to poke her head up over the edge of the bed, only to see a couple of men pass by the window with Doctor Ashley, and she plopped down back to the floor.

"I won't let him. Is Bernie awake? Georgi said he called him?" He would get her focused on something else and keep her mind working till he could get to the hospital.

"No- I called him from Bernie's phone when I couldn't get ahold of you." Kate wiped the tears from her face and took in a slow deep breath, needing to clam down in case she needed to defend herself. He had said Bernie's pistol would be in the room. 'Maybe I should grab it?'

aaaaaa

"Good girl. We are on the way." Niko pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he could only image how scared she much be. But she had been resourceful and somehow managed to get someplace that had a gun.

"Mal's room checked in. They said Kate was going to the restroom and stopped in for a second. He is at the window of their room- he confirms two Albanian jackets are in the hall outside her room with the doctor." Georgi held his own phone up to his ear and rattled off the report he was getting from Kenny's men in the hospital.

The sound of a gun's safety clicking off loudly and Kate's startled, nightmare inducing gasp come over his phone before the line went dead.

"Kate?! KATE?" Niko's elevated voice caused Aleksei to floor it and take the turns with a little less care.

"Boss?" Georgi placed his hand on Niko's shoulder and shook him when he didn't immediately answer.

aaaaaa

Kate rested on her knees, the barrel of the gun she had been going for pressed firmly to her forehead. A couple of silent tears fell from her rounded and shocked eyes. Slowly she lifted her hands up not understanding the absolute murderous glare coming from her friend.

Her phone had clattered to the floor, the back popping off and the battery sliding across the floor out of her line of sight.

The coldness. The sheer bloodlust that reflected in the low lighting of the room nearly had her saying her goodbyes to Niko in her mind.

It was an exact match to the rage, anger, and listless glare Niko had sported at her brother's funeral.

The way Niko pinned the man on top of her- a look so lethal in nature it was normally reserved for psychopaths and mass murderers.

The near lifeless and emotionless glare Darko sported as he repeatedly stabbed the man who had tried to take advantage of her on the yacht.

"Who are you?" The hard edge and scrape of the Serbian that slipped past his lips made her visualize Darko for a split second, not the caring, soft natured Bernie she loved with all her heart. This was a complete stranger in front of her, pressing the end of the squad of fifteen's pistol harder into her forehead.

Bernie was not there. She knew that. The thick texture in her mouth was swallowed down and shoved the bile back down to her stomach.

Here was Florian.

Drew no line, held no remorse, and whose heart had died in a field somewhere in a foreign country she would probably never see –

Florian.

Her hands shook and she forced them to stay open and not close into fists unless he took it as a threat.

But somewhere in his lost look she had seen a flicker of something, and it gave her the smallest sliver of hope.

"Florian?" Kate forced her voice to not quiver with the fear that pounded away inside her soul. If there was one thing, she figured existed in all of them at one point, was spotting weak prey and people they could easily manipulate.

"Where is my unit? I am clearly in a hospital. Mijo? Goran? Dragan, Dmitar?" His eyes bored into her own and he sneered when he tried to move on the bed and his chest began to hurt.

The name's Niko had moaned out on rare nights that he slipped into a nightmare broke her heart. More tears fell from her eyes, and she flicked her finger's up silently asking if she could stand up. Her knees were throbbing under her weight and the last thing she needed to do was put more undue stress on her body.

Florian shifted the pistol from her forehead, smirking at the impression it left behind on her skin, and darted the gun to the side to give her permission to sit on the couch next to him. He watched her movements carefully, lowering his eyes when her hands dropped over her womb and cradled it.

"Florian… I- Darko betrayed everyone." She wished she could speak their language. It would, or could, quite literally save her life right now. Her brain spun and ripped through every memory she had of them speaking to one another- phrases she had heard over and over again trying to surface inside.

"To my dying breath… I- I take arms-" Was as far as she got before he cut her off.

"If you do not speak the language, do not butcher it." His voice grated against her, and she recoiled at the volatile level. Her hands firmed over her abdomen below her navel, "How do you fit into all this?"

"Niko… I am his." She whispered out the words and saw the slight waver of his hand on the pistol. Hope warred within her that he was coming back to himself.

"How would you know him? You are not from the village." Once more he dragged his eyes over her not understanding where he was at or what had happened once the shooting started.

"Freedom… He placed the mark on your arm before you returned it to him. He is worried about you." Kate whispered the words and prayed she had at least partially said it correctly, "But Darko. He sold everyone out. You and Niko are the only survivors."

"How do you know the oath? How do you know these things?!" His voice raised drastically, and she moved without even thinking.

Her hands landed on either side of the pistol and flicked the safety up the second it connected to her hipbone, "Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid. I am scared for the life Niko, and I have created. Волим те (Volim te) Florian. We are all friends. Roman is here."

The pistol slipped from his grip for a second as he shot his eyes up to her's in utter disbelief, "Why would you ever love a monster like me?"

"Because she loves a monster like me… Florian." Niko stood in the doorway and nearly had his heart stop seeing his best friend holding a gun against the life that could be growing inside her.

"Where are the others? Niko… The shooting. I-?" Florian released the pistol and turned as best he could in the bed to look at his friend who looked strangely older, more worn around the edges.

Kate grabbed the pistol and roughly closed her eyes closed as she nearly collapsed down on the couch. That had not been something she had ever thought would've happened. The back of her hands lifted to press against her eyelids and the softest of sobs broke free. She had seen the soul gutting pain flood over Bernie's face, and it broke her heart for him.

"Kate… Come here. I want you to meet someone I loved through out my childhood and still do." Niko kept the tremor out of his voice and jerked his hand toward the doorway when he heard Georgi trying to enter in after him.

"Florian this is the love of my life. I am going to one day marry her. And it is possible she is carrying my child. You have missed a lot since the ambush." Niko pulled her to him the second she was within reach and took hold of Bernie's pistol. He felt her shake horribly against him and he ran his hand over her spine to try and quiet some of her fear.

"Tell her I am sorry. I woke up and she was trying to pull my sidearm from me… WAIT YOU TWO ARE PREGNANT?!" Bernie snapped to the forefront and the anger, rage, and fury bled from his facial expressions instantly. He looked between his friends rapidly before glancing around the room, "Where am I? What happened?!"

Kate pulled away from Niko and dropped down on the bed next to him, taking his face into her hands, "God Bernie! Don't… I am so sorry!" She pressed their foreheads together and slipped her arms around his neck as gently as she could.

"Niko? I am so confused." Bernie sucked in air as his body flared in pain when he went to return her embrace, "My love?"

"Bernie you were lost back in the days after the ambush…" Niko let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in. Everything inside him had stopped when he saw the gun within her grasp and Florian moments away from snuffing out the life of either Kate, or both Kate and their unborn child.

"Oh! My dear! I am so sorry you had to meet- meet that demon." Bernie had a few fragments click back in place and he did his best to stroke over her hair.

"Florian! Bernie… My- my heart. God what you two went through! My soul breaks for both of you." Kate let out a near inaudible sob, "I saw- I saw-! How are you two even standing anymore. That pain…" Kate kissed Bernie's cheek several times before shifting off the bed and pulling Niko down to her to place kiss after kiss to his lips.

"You find a way…" The softer, more reserved voice of Florian answered her. She had touched a place within him that he had buried over a decade ago.

"You keep those you love close and don't let go." Niko recognized the kinder eyes of his friend from the village that used to love to sneak out to the local farms and steal eggs and cabbage.

"You are going to wed this woman? Have a family?" Florian lifted awe filled eyes to him and tilted his head to the side.

"Yes. When the threat against us all is gone, I am going to ask her. And if she is not carrying my child now, we are going to remedy that as soon as she says I do." Niko answered his long lost friend and gripped Kate to his body as she buried her face into his neck.

"I see you have lived out my dream- To one day move away from that place. To find love and have a better life. It looks good on you Niko. I will always remember those nights spent scouting the snow covered hills and forests. How much you gave me hope for a different life. I am happy for you." Florian smiled one of the rare lifts of the corner of his mouth and settled back down on the bed, letting out a shuttering breath. The alarm bells blared to life, the monitors letting out a long, loud, and constant BEEP.

"I need a crash cart!" A doctor yelled out as they shoved open the door, flickering the lights to life.

Someone else grabbed onto Niko and Kate, pulling from the room, as more nurses rushed in.

"Bernie!" Kate screamed out and tried to get out of Niko's arms- Breaking free to only be lifted up off the floor by Georgi, hauling her around into the middle of the hall. Her heart was breaking, and she screamed out his name one more time.

They all missed the man at the end of the hall as he shoved open the push door to the staircase.

"Kate! KATE!" Georgi fought against her thrashing, not wanting to harm her in any sense of the word.

"Kate… Come here." Niko encased her between him and Georgi and gripped her hair at the nape of her neck, "He will be okay. But if you keep trying to hurt yourself, I will be upset. Calm yourself…" He watched as her breathing tried to even out.

"Pakhan?" Aleksei held the door open to the hospital room Kate had been occupying, his eyes trained on something that was on the floor.

"Georgi?" His eyes flicked to his second and saw the nod that he would take care of Kate.

"Oh no! If that- that ASSHOLE did anything that could have harmed me, I have a right to know." Kate twisted her arms in his grasp and managed to break the hold over her body.

Had this been any other situation Georgi would've been impressed- that was the standard hold he went for to subdue people in a fight. Maybe not the most extreme violent one, but one he started with when training someone. His eyes met Niko's and even he recognized the flicker of something unrecognizable.

"Kate!" Aleksei stepped into her path, "You do not…"

"Boss please?" Aleksei shrank a touch and looked around her to get him to do something.

"What is going on out here?" Roman yawned and open the door, hoping to get the commotion to stop. His wife was rather scary when her sleep got interrupted while pregnant.

"Kate just let me see what it is first." Niko sighed and moved down the hall and wished he hadn't. Aleksei reopened the door for him and placed such a hard grip on his arm to keep him from entering the room. Their eyes met before he understood. On the floor rested the dead body of her doctor, suffocation evident, as well as the man who had carried in the large bouquet of flowers. He had a single, small caliber gunshot to the back of his head.

Niko lifted his eyes to the large, ornate card that rested at the top of the enormous arrangement of red, white, blue roses on one side- the colors of the Serbian flag- and green, white, and orange roses on the other- the Irish flag.

In neatly typed Serbian, as well as English, held a phrase that chilled his soul:

"Welcome back to the game. Congrats on your rise in power. I see you have picked the game once more; same rules apply?"

aaaaaa

Also, I think I read this chapter a hundred times and just forced myself to post it. I wasn't sure what else to change or modify. I'm also sleep deprived at this point. It's sick season at the house now.

And I apologize. Don't get on me yet! I can't kill my favorite person. That's a promise.

Time for the hype of act 2 to begin. We all knew The Albanian's and The Bulgarin Crew were gonna show up again.