"Marcus." Alex murmured quietly, the man was taut like a bow string beside him, with good cause. The air of the dacha was alive with barely restrained violence. Every instinct was telling him to leave but he couldn't. He was here on behalf of Dr. Three and he would have to trust that the threat of the man's wrath would be enough to spare him from whatever seemed to be coming. From the sheer number of guards they were passing positioned down the hallway he got the feeling it wouldn't. He continued trailing their guide, doing his best to ignore the guards falling in behind him.

"Sir?"

"Go and call Yassen." He didn't have time for titles. He didn't have time for much of anything given his case of the room.

"Sir…"

"Marcus. Now." He breathed from the corner of his mouth, the man hesitated for a second and then he stepped away, shooting Adams and Shale a look. He obviously disagreed with Alex being down a man when everyone was looking at him like prey but Alex doubted that even all of Sagitta could do anything with the level of security they were facing let alone the three members he had been allowed. Petrov was sending a message and that message was that there would be no escape. He just hoped that Marcus could raise the alarm in time.

It was not an ideal situation but it hadn't been from the start. The order had come from Dr. Three and had been simple enough - renegotiate an arms contract with a faction of the Bratva they had distanced themselves after Kurst's death. A side contract from the SVR to insert a few strategic spies was the real impetus behind the deal. Alex was nervous, everything about it screamed danger. But he couldn't question Dr. Three and Yassen had been unreachable as his own operation concluded in Ecuador. He had no choice but to say yes and he was rapidly regretting that decision. He should have called Yassen, at least given him a heads up of what he was walking into, where he was walking into. He just hoped he lived to regret it.

They were led into the formal sitting room and Alex had to swallow down the panic at the sight - the room was empty save for a table and a chair where Petrov, his contact was sitting smugly, surrounded by at least 20 guards. That wasn't a guarantee that there weren't more on hand or that he wasn't in the sights of at least one scope from outside the large bay window. It wasn't an entirely foreign set up for him. The men he regularly interacted with on his operations thrived in projecting power. Alex had largely grown numb to it. With the might of SCORPIA behind him and the implicit protection of Yassen Gregorovich he had little need to play these petty games. He got the feeling that implicit protection would need to be explicit given the way Petrov was looking at him.

He didn't turn when the doors slammed shut behind him. He didn't miss the sound of an electric lock engaging, or the way the guns that had been passively held were suddenly pointed directly at him. He did halt his advance toward the chair that Petrov was sitting in.

"Rider"

"Petrov" he didn't bother with niceties. Clearly they would do him no good here.

"I'm surprised Gregorovich sent you out to play back home without him, you should know better than to be out of the sight of your master."

Alex ignored the jab, it wasn't the first time someone had insinuated something along those lines. Hopefully it also wouldn't be the last, given that would probably mean his death. If Alex wanted to survive he would have to make it clear what the consequences of that would be. He and Sagitta may be no threat right now, not up against the force they were currently facing, but that did not mean he was defenseless "Being out of Mr. Gregorocvich's sight would be a neat trick. There is little I do that he is not aware of….and prepared for." He had no real standing to back up that threat other than Dr. Three having sent him here.

"I could kill you before he even stepped through the doors."

"If you kill me I doubt you will have any doors to worry about when he is done with you."

"Hiding behind his skirt?" the man sneered

"They're facts. Do with them what you will." He shrugged.

"I would have thought after Warren you would have more bite to you." Petrov observed

"I would have thought after Warren that you would think twice before provoking SCORPIA." He returned evenly.

"That's not how I see it, SCORPIA provoked us first when they sent you here to plant spies in my ranks." It was only 3 years in the field that kept him from flinching at the words. He shouldn't be surprised that Petrov knew, not with the corruption in the government and certainly not with the sheer number of guards they were facing.

There was a knock on the doors that thankfully saved him from a response. Seconds later Marcus was shoved in. Alex caught his eye and he nodded slightly. Yassen knew and he could breathe a little easier. He would probably make Alex wish that Petrov had killed him when...if he survived whatever the man had planned.

Petrov seemed to take them in. "Secure them." He ordered. Everyone tensed. He could almost hear what was going through their heads with the guards so close they might stand a fighting chance. Might. It wasn't worth the risk he signaled them to stand down and while there was a certain reluctance to their movements they put their hands up. They were quickly searched and stripped of their clothes save for their shorts and what few weapons that had managed to sneak past the initial security. Petrov was obviously displeased at that but he didn't do anything to acknowledge it in front of them. Alex was sure there would be some additional deaths tonight once Petrov got done with him.

He didn't fight as his hands and arms were roughly zip tied and cuffed securely behind him. There would be no getting out even if he was somehow given the opportunity. Alex was truly at Petrov's mercy and there would be no one to come for him like on Santa Catarina, his only hope was Yassen and he wasn't sure how long he would have to wait for him. He would play along then.

"You know, Rider, you did us a favor getting rid of Kurst. " That was not what he had expected. He had thought this was some kind of revenge. "That's the only reason you're alive right now." That and the threat of Three and Yassen's wrath but he would keep that to himself "SCORPIA really dug into our profits.."

"Why didn't you just tell us to fuck off then?" It wasn't the brightest idea to ask given his current position, from Marcus tensing beside him, he agreed but he actually did want an answer to that.

"It wouldn't quite send the right message." He was an idiot, Alex concluded. Cartel leaders and mob bosses all seemed to suffer from the same deranged need to be the alpha male rather than making sound business decisions. Petrov was no different, prideful and convinced of the superior might of his organization like so many men Alex had encountered in his position. It was hard to ignore the fact that he had done the same. Rather than turn back when he knew something was wrong had staked his life, and the lives of Sagitta, in the protection offered by his position in SCORPIA, it was proving to be a mistake that might cost him his life and would, at the very least, cost SCORPIA a king's ransom to get him back. he shoved the thought aside, he needed to focus on surviving.

"Zeljan Kurst made us look like SCORPIAs bitch, I intend to make it very clear that the roles have been reversed. I think we should start with that now." He smirked and opened the drawer to his desk and withdrew two leather strips, one short with a small box and the other rolled up but noticeably longer. Alex faltered as he recognized it. A collar and lead. Oh fuck no. "Can't let a pet be out without his collar."

"Fuck you" Alex spat. It wasn't eloquent but he was past that point at the panic running through him. Being captured was one thing but this...this was entirely different. He lashed out in a kick at one of the guards holding him, toppling him to the ground but before he could do anything else there was a gun digging uncomfortably into the base of his spine. They probably wouldn't shoot to kill but there were a lot of other places that would be effective deterrents. The Bratva preferred knee capping according to the file. Alex didn't want to find out,

Petrov stepped closer now that he was subdued and backhanded him roughly. Alex's head snapped to the side and he gathered the blood in his mouth and spat it onto the man's pristine white dress shirt.

"Gag him." He ordered to the guards "That's gonna cost your master extra, Rider." He snarled over Alex's struggle with the guards.

"You'relucky that Gregorovich would not take kindly to you being injured. Your companions are not as fortunate." Alex's mouth dried out, Sagitta. His eyes darted back, meeting Adams' confused gaze. None of them spoke Russian, they didn't know what was going on, he realized and that made it so much worse.

He turned back to Petrov, doing his best to keep his expression neutral. But the man wasn't watching him, he was surveying the group and pointed to Shale. Alex felt his breath catch in his throat. No.

The guards didn't have to be told. He was moved in next to Petrov and his knees were kicked out from under him. His face was one of calm resignation. Alex wanted to react, do something but it would only make things worse. If it appeared that it didn't affect him Petrov may lose interest in them and take it out on Alex. Alex could take it, his life was guaranteed but Sagitta...his eyes trailed to Shale. The man caught his gaze from the corner of his eye and nodded slightly. He knew the man probably meant it to be comforting but it was like a blow to the gut.

"I want you to watch very closely, Alex. This is what happens when you disobey. I won't harm you but your friends will suffer."

Suffer. Not die. He tried to take comfort in that as Petrov pulled out his pistol. The Bratva was known for knee capping. It would end his career if it would be survival and when...if Yassen got them out Alex would do everything in his power to make sure he would recover. But Petrov wasn't pointing the pistol at Shale's knee, he was pointing at...he looked away just in time but his mind filled in the blanks when he looked back, the spray of gore from Shale's head did the rest.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. Not now. He had to make it through this. He met Petrov's gaze as evenly as he could, doing his best to ignore Shale's crumpled body beside him. "Will there be any more problems, Rider?"

He shook his head reluctantly

"Good boy" the man praised Alex hated him for it. It must have showed because Petrov smirked "Hold him still." He ordered two of the guards.

One of the men roughly grabbed his hair forcing his head still despite Alex's straining away from Petrov's touch. He pulled the collar tight enough where Alex could hardly breathe. "You're Gregorovich's favored now but how do you think that will go when he sees you like this - owned by someone else. If I'm lucky, he might not even want to strike a deal at all and I can have my own little pet assassin." Alex couldn't stop his glare and the man roughly grabbed his chin "Gregorovich probably enjoys fucking that defiance out of you but that's not my thing. Keep it up and you lose another friend after they're gone...well I have a few boys who wouldn't mind putting you in your place." It took everything in Alex's power to not jerk himself out of the man's grip.

"Take them down to the cells so they can say their last goodbyes. Well, the guards can." He slid a finger under Alex's gag mockingly before turning away.

They were hustled through the halls and down several flights of stairs before they were pushed into a concrete room with a bucket in the corner

He settled heavily against the back wall, ignoring the twinge in his arms at the pressure.

"Boss…" Marcus began and Alex just shook his head. No talking. No weakness. He settled for meditating to pass the time with his eyes open because every time he closed them he saw Shale and the raw, bitter feeling of failure almost choked him.

He and Marcus were dragged back up to the sitting room what Alex estimated to be a few hours later, the lack of windows in the cell made it difficult to tell exactly how long it had been but there was an art to feeling time pass and he had mastered it after hours spent poring over briefings and staking out buildings. He hoped to get the opportunity to again, mind numbing boredom or not.

Shale's body was gone and he knew it was his mind playing tricks on him but he thought he could still see a pink stain on the white marble floor. "Your master's calling, must miss you." Petrov sneered but Alex kept his face impassive. He had lost Shale, he wasn't losing Marcus and right now he didn't care what it would take to make sure that didn't happen.

"Come." The man ordered and the guards released him. Alex took a steadying breath but obeyed. The man stood with lead in hand and Alex settled for staring blankly over the man's shoulder as he clipped it on.

"Is the video conference ready? I want Gregorovich to see what's become of his apprentice."

Fresh horror thrummed through him. No. No Yassen didn't need to see him, not like this. Beaten and bruised he could deal with, Yassen had seen him like that in RTI but not like this.

"Yes, sir. Would you like me to put him through?" One of the men offered once Petrov was comfortably seated again.

The man nodded, leaning back in his chair, hand wrapped securely around the lead. Alex calmed himself by imagining wrapping it around his throat and choking the life out of him. It'd get him shot but that may be a mercy compared to what Yassen would do to Alex.

The screen flickered to life and Alex fought to keep his gaze from trailing to floor, Yassen would need to know that he was okay and relatively unbroken. He settled for staring at a spot on the wall, unable to bring himself to look Yassen in the eye.

"Found your pet, Gregorovich" the leash was jerked and Alex barely restrained himself from glaring hatefully at him. He needed to keep calm, unaffected. Yassen would fix this and then...he didn't even want to consider what would come next. He had been captured and was about to cost SCORPIA millions to recover him. He had never wished so earnestly for death.

"If you are seeking to strike a deal this would not be a good start to the relationship." Yassen said plainly

"Odd, that is how we felt when our former business partners sent their bitch in to court us on behalf of the SVR."

"Interesting that you would be aware of that. Alex would not have talked which means you had this set up with the intent to use this as an opportunity on the misguided notion that SCORPIA will bow to your whims."

"It's bow or you lose your boy toy." Yassen didn't even blink at the misnomer.

"If you wish to negotiate for our operative and his strike team's release I will listen." Listen only. No promises. Objectively Alex knew it was just posturing but there was still a part of him that feared this would be a bridge too far, a failure too large for SCORPIA to recover from and leaving him here would certainly help them save face - the Bratva had tried to negotiate with an expendable asset, attachments were above SCORPIA and they were foolish enough to believe they were not.

"We also want SCORPIA out of Russia."

Yassen seemed to consider that "A bold request" there was a pause and Alex stilled, was his life worth losing such a profitable territory? In Yassen's shoes he would not blame him for refusing "but perhaps an agreement can be reached."

He couldn't stop the grateful look at the screen. Yassen's gaze locked on him and he flushed under the attention, snapping his gaze back to the floor.

"Kneel, Rider, your master and I need to talk." Alex glared hatefully at him. No way in hell.

"Alex." He looked back up to Yassen's image on the screen. He knew the order was a way out for him - he wouldn't be kneeling for Petrov, he would be kneeling on Yassen's order. It took away the sting a little. His pride was still hurt but he would happily kneel for Yassen rather than give Petrov the satisfaction that it was on his order or by force. He obediently sank down. Hating every second as the man possessively curled his hand in Alex's hair. Alex closed his eyes against the wave of humiliation, keeping his gaze locked firmly on the ground as the negotiations continued above him.