A/N: I know...I'm sorry, not quite back to the future yet. I promise we will get back there in the next chapter.

Also, I guess I should tell you now...we are down to only 5 more chapters left that I have in mind. I hope you have been enjoying the story so far.

Rose

Chapter 15

One Month Earlier (Week 3, Day 4)…

"Hello, Rose!"

I turned around. Ryan Tarus was standing straight in front of me. What was left of him, anyway.

His skin was pale, eyes red, his fangs visible. He had become a Strigoi. If I had to guess, a terminator Strigoi like the one that Dimitri and I faced in the woods a few weeks back.

"I heard you were looking for me. You have a habit of ending up in places that you don't belong," he commented, a self-righteous grin on his lips.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you. Since your Strigoi and all."

His fangs became more prominent at the mention of his undead status. I wasn't going to lie that an uneasy feeling was growing in the pit of my stomach. He stood there so calm, his hands in his pockets, as if he knew something I didn't.

I hated it.

"If you were hoping to find, Dimitri…your too late."

I gritted my teeth, my hand tightening around the stake in my palm. "What the hell does that mean? If you even touched a hair on this head—"

"You'll do what, exactly?" he asked smugly. "Look around you Rose. You're in my domain. Your surrounded. You wouldn't even stand a chance against us." He looked down at my stake like it was insignificant. "You would be disarmed before you could throw your first punch."

I scowled. "You know don't me very well."

He smiled arrogantly. "Oh, I think I do."

"What could you possibly say that you would think would make me want to listen to anything you have to say?"

His expression turned to one as if he already knew he held all the cards. "We have Dimitri Belikov. He will stay…alive, for now. Whether that will change, will depend upon your cooperation."

I moved forward, my eyes turning murderous. "You lie."

"Oh, I'm not." He licked his lips. "But let's say I was…do you really want to risk his life over your arrogance?"

I scoffed. "My arrogance? That's rich."

I wanted to punch the fanged terminator right in the face. He was right though. I didn't know what happened to Dimitri. He wasn't here…and if there was a chance that he was still alive and I could save him…I would do it without a single hesitation.

It would be about strategy at this point. I was outnumbered. Even with my combat skills, facing advanced Strigoi's like Ryan, I wasn't oblivious to the fact I would most likely not make it out alive.

My best strategy, was to play along. Go where they wanted me to go, but finding a way to get out as soon as possible once Dimitri and I were together again.

I sighed. "What do I need to do?"

"Come with me," he answered simply.

"And then you let Dimitri go?"

There was a sparkle in his eye that told me the next words out of his mouth were most likely going to end up being a lie. He would have no intentions of letting Dimitri go, just as I knew the moment I went with him, it would probably seal my fate.

"Yes."

Liar.

I was so certain that my gut was right. That this had always been about Dimitri. If he was alive, it was because they needed something, since he wouldn't be able to be turned Strigoi again.

I had to figure whatever it is they wanted; they weren't getting from him willingly. That was most likely were I fit in. Make some sort of incentive for him to give them what they wanted. No matter how this turned out, I would never let them use me to hurt Dimitri.

I slowly tucked the stake behind me. "Alright."

His face lit up, knowing that I would agree. "After you…" he said, his hand showing to the SUV behind him.

I started walking towards him, his hand coming up to stop me just as I was about to pass him. "The stake please, if you will."

I narrowed my eyes at him, as I brought my hand forward, laying the sliver stake in his palm. His jaw clenched, no doubt forgetting that even as one of the terminator undead, sliver still bothered him. He wound his arm back and tossed the stake out into the water off the dock.

What he didn't know was that at least I still had my backup stake tucked in the boot of my shoe.

The back door of the SUV opened, two more Strigoi sat in the back, both of their lips curling upwards, their fangs on display as they stared back at me.

"Aren't you afraid they won't be able to control themselves?" I asked, hesitating before I got in.

He smirked. "They already fed."

I tried not to shiver at the knowledge that someone else had recently died to sustain these bloodsuckers. Stealing my shoulders, I climbed in the back of the SUV, as Ryan climbed into the passenger seat.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"Jack alerted us to your escape," he answered.

One thing about Strigoi's, most of them liked to talk. Especially if they felt they were higher up and had more responsibilities or power. Ryan seemed to fit that bill. All smug and seeming to have some sort of leadership responsibilities. The two Strigoi in the back with me definitely took their orders from him.

"I knew I should have hit him harder," I muttered.

A sickening look crossed his face. "Don't worry, Rose. Our Jack has been dealt with."

My eyes snapped up. "You turned him?"

He laughed as if I told the most comical joke in the last century. "He didn't make the cut."

I felt a pang in my chest. Even though he had kidnapped me, imprisoned me, and sold me out, Jack was sadly just another misguided human. A human that was impressionable enough to believe that being turned a Strigoi was the ultimate prize.

"How did you make the cut? Willingly or were you forced?"

I could see that Ryan had a flare for theatrics. If I asked the right questions, he was very much interested in wanting to share everything he knew.

"You Dhampir and Moroi spend all your life being sold a lie. That Strigoi are scary, evil, and an abomination to this world."

"You are!" I exclaimed.

"And, yet, here you sit. By human and Alchemist accounts, you shouldn't exist either," he pointed out.

"You forget the major difference. We don't kill or harm innocent people for fun," I argued.

Ryan shrugged as if that point was insignificant. "You also want everyone to believe that we are uncontrollable. All we can focus our mind on is blood." He wiggled his hands in my face as if he was pretending to be Casper the friendly ghost. It caused the two Strigoi next to me to laugh out loud. "Do we look like blood lusting uncontrollable creatures to you?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You can't fool me. You might be tame enough for now, but your Strigoi nature always surfaces."

He laughed a humorless laugh. "That's the problem with you guardians. You live your life in fear. You make everyone else live their life in fear. All controlled behind your fancy walls, by a spinless and feckless queen."

"That bitch will get what's coming to her." The Strigoi to the left of me spat in agreement.

My left elbow shot out, cracking him straight in the mouth. "What was that?"

The Strigoi's hand reached out, an angry hiss leaving his mouth as he bared his fangs in my direction.

"Stuart!" Ryan snapped. "Master will not be pleased if she is harmed."

The Strigoi pulled back, his eyes still on me, as he forced himself back to his seat.

"I see you do a good job keeping your pets on a leash."

That earned me another hiss from the same Strigoi I just cracked in the mouth.

Ryan continued as if the entire last minute didn't even occur. "It's time that the Strigoi have their day in the sun—yes, pun intended," he grinned. "The days of us being confined to caves and living a life on the run will be no more. It will be your turn."

I shook my head in disbelief. "So, what? You kill all the Moroi and Dhampir's?"

"Unlike you, we believe in second chances. We believe in everyone having the ability for Svoboda."

Svoboda.

The same word we had seen referenced in all the documents. The meaning of Freedom or so it was supposed to reference.

Now it was my turn to laugh. "You will never be allowed to exist. No one will believe in your delusions."

He shrugged as if that meant nothing to him. "Then they will die."

"I won't let you get away with this."

He grinned. "Then you will die too." He turned in his seat until he was facing the road. "Enjoy the rest of the ride, Rose. The fun will begin soon enough."

Dimitri

Something was off.

I could feel that with the way they had been watching me for days. It had made things difficult in being able to step away and investigate anything further when my every move was being watched.

It had crossed my mind that somehow, they had figured out that software had been added to their computers. That they had been breached and knew we had everything on them.

Another part of me was starting to wonder if Rose's feelings about the whole thing from the beginning had been right. They were careful in their wording. Everything they said and did border falling in line with the job and undercover identity, but there were times I was finding it as if there was more too it.

This wasn't just some dossier they pulled on me with some fake references about how I was the best. Marcus knew something. He was a part of whatever this was, I just needed to figure out how high up he reached. How much he actually knew.

As we left the office and downstairs, I could feel Rose's eyes on me. I could see there was a shadow of concern behind her big brown beautiful eyes as she gave me the signal to meet up like we normally did whenever we felt there was news to share.

I couldn't warn her. Not without putting her life in jeopardy, or letting on that we did have some connection together. Marcus wanted to leave now for whatever it was this shipment was for, which left me no other opportunity then what I had now.

My glance was quick in her direction, the curt nod to let her know. She picked it up right away, her brows furrowed as she glanced to Marcus in front of me who had already turned towards the exit, and the additional security detail behind me. I tried to tell her with my eyes. I knew she would figure it out. She was smart. She was capable. She was strong. She was beautiful.

It took everything in me to tear my eyes away and walk out the door of the club. I had tried in an attempt to suggest I could meet them there, but that had been another red flag to go up when they had insisted, we take one car. Together.

Two of our security detail climbed into the front and the passenger seat, while Marcus slid in the back, followed by me, and another of our security detail from the club.

"Where are we headed?" I asked, once the car was in motion.

"You'll see soon enough," Marcus replied evasively.

The feeling was all wrong. The two security details in the front kept glancing in the review mirror at me every few seconds, their looks all but confirming my suspicion. I went from being their leader in command to Marcus, to now being the one under the gun.

Maybe this was a test. Three security detail against me, wasn't much of a test. Not these guys anyway. For weeks, I had an opportunity to survey their techniques and abilities, so I knew their strengths and their weak spots. Out of the three, Jeffrey, in the passenger seat had the most potential, but one I could still easily subdue.

It was Marcus that was the unknown variable.

The phone rang in his lap. He didn't even bother to look at the screen as he brought it to his ear. He had been waiting for the call by the looks of it.

"That's great news," he said. His eyes looked up and flickered in my direction. I couldn't hear the conversation on the other end, other than that I could discern it was another male voice. "We'll see you soon."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Another red flag. I had the distinct feeling that whatever that call was about, definitely had to do with me.

I flexed my legs in the back seat of the SUV, my hands gliding down my thighs until they rested on my kneecaps. I was very aware that wherever they planned on taking me, may have something to do with these shipments and what was turning these Strigoi into advance beings. I was also aware that where they were taking me was designed that I wouldn't be coming back.

Rose.

As much as I wanted and needed to know what was going on, I wouldn't be able to do much if I was dead.

Lucky for me, my stake at my waist was on the side opposite of the security detail that had climbed in after me. I brought my hand up, faking a cough, as I brought it down to my waist. Well aware, the security detail driving was watching my moves in the review mirror.

"You know, Marcus there is just one thing I've been curious about?"

He looked over in my direction, his brow arching. "Yeah, what's that?"

"You and your men still can't seem to remember one of the most basic rules."

His forehead scrunched upwards, as if he couldn't understand the reason for my statement. A second later, the confusion relaxed in his features, before he gave a slight chuckle. "What rule would that be?"

It was my turn to smirk. "Always check your prisoner for weapons."

I struck a blow to the head of the security detail next to me, his body slumping forward. The vehicle swerved as the driver tried to turn around and attempt to stop me.

"Drive! Drive you moron!" Marcus shouted.

For as small of a back of an SUV for someone of my height and stature, I was quick in advancing on Marcus. Unlike the rest of the security, he knew how to deflect both defensive and offensive techniques. With me on the offense, his only chance was to block and try and deflect.

The vehicle screeched to a halt when the two up front realized that their boss wasn't getting the upper hand. I abandoned Marcus, throwing open the door, just as the driver attempted to advance on me with a gun, knocking him out cold in the head.

I ducked as the security detail in the passenger side opened fire, causing me to shift around the vehicle as he came around. I slid under the car, laying flat on my stomach as I watched him walk around slowly, thinking he was about to get the upper hand.

AS soon as he made it towards the middle of the vehicle, my leg swept out, a sickening crunch sound to his ankle as he dropped to the ground clutching it.

I rolled away from the SUV, just as another SUV who I had clocked trailing behind us—doing a poor job at hiding the fact—had pulled up. Four additional security detail poured out of the car.

"Let's go!" Marcus hollered, running back to the SUV behind us.

"Sir, we don't have the package!"

"Let's go!" he ordered again in a voice that said he was not to be questioned.

The security detail paused, looking as if he wanted to disobey, before he turned, running back to the other SUV, climbed in with Marcus, and peeled out as they continued down the road.

I turned back to the unconscious security detail around me, rummaging through their pockets, grabbing phones and anything I could find to possibly aid in locations they may have visited or called to or from in the last few weeks.

I climbed into the driver seat, turning the car and headed back towards the nightclub. Rose and I were compromised at this point. I needed to get her out of there, and get us back to safety so we could regroup and determine our next plan of action.

I called her burner phone first, but it went right to voicemail. I hung up and called again, but went to voicemail again. I left Rose the one-word message that had become our own warning code when things had become too dangerous and we needed to flee. Buria.

I pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor as I dialed the next number.

"Dimitri?"

"Were compromised," I said quickly, once Mikhail picked up.

"Are you safe?"

"For now," I replied. "I'm on my way back. Marcus attempted to kidnap me, but I managed to break away."

"And Rose?"

I swallowed. "Unconfirmed. I left her at the nightclub, but that was twenty minutes ago. I tried calling her burner phone, but she isn't picking up."

"Dimitri, you can't go back."

I forced the car to go faster. "I'm not leaving her there. For all I know, Marcus could have already called and she is already in danger."

Mikhail sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Call Hans. Alert him. We're going to need all available resources on deck. Whatever is going down, is going down and soon."

"I'll make the call," he said, his words a promise.

"Thank you. Also, write down these numbers," I said, shifting my hand so I could bring each of the phones I confiscated off the security details and maintain my hand on the wheel.

"Got them," Mikhail confirmed.

"They could lead us to wherever the base of the operation is."

"I'm on it. I'll call if I have any news."

I hung up the phone, throwing my burner back in my pocket. I was only a few minutes from the club. I just had to hope that Rose had heeded my warning and had already left, or I wasn't too late.

I drove the SUV to the back of the club, jumping out as I threw open the door and stormed back inside. The security detail at the employee entrance looked surprised to see me, before he snapped back into the present and went to attack me. I easily blocked and knocked him out cold.

I moved my way to the dance floor, just as Faye appeared in front of me.

"Hey, big guy," she cooed seductively.

I was well aware that Faye found me attractive. Rose had confirmed it after her night with drinks with the girls. She had warned me that Faye was interested in asking me out, a little more than peeved when both Becca and Jack had been encouraging her to do the same.

At the time it was cute seeing Rose a little flustered at the idea that another woman was interested in paying attention to me. Rose didn't really like to share—not that I did either—but it was usually more one-sided in that far more males were bold in wanting to ask out Rose.

"Have you seen Rose?" I asked briskly.

She looked taken back, whether it was because I wasn't using the ridiculous code names at the club, or because of the urgency in my voice, it seemed to render her immobile.

"Faye! Rose!"

She shook her head. "Sorry. Last time I had seen her was when she was talking to Jack at the bar." Her brows furrowed. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her or him since then."

I pushed past her, my eyes traveling the bar, only to find Jack's other counter half manning the bar, seeming stretched a little thin trying to keep up with the demanding crowd.

I passed the full length of the bar, making my way towards the employee only area where I knew Jack had extra space for inventory and supplies, wondering if maybe they were in there. If not, I would have a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time before backup and reinforcements would surely arrive.

I noticed the first drops of blood on the floor just at the end of the bar. Then the dents in the wood near the lock—or what was left of it. I shoved open the door to the storage closet—noticing the hinges broken—and the strong smell of a chemical that I guessed was ammonia.

Jack was on the floor laying on his back. I bent down to check for a pulse, but I already knew one wasn't there. Tilting his neck to the side, I saw the two puncture marks there. His skin was already taking on a blueish grey color. He had to have been dead for close to an hour.

The same amount of time if not more after I had left the club.

Rose was gone.

I rushed back out through the door and out of the nightclub, grabbing my burner phone from my pocket to try Rose again, when a ringing of another phone went off. One of the phones I had taken from the security guard that had been in my other pocket.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Dimitri."

I didn't recognize the voice on the other end. I did recognize the pitch. The cold calculating tone in which he said my name.

"Who is this?"

"I hope you would be happy to hear from me, after all, you've gone through such lengths to try and find me. The school was a nice touch."

"Ryan," I guessed.

"I've been looking forward to this for some time," he said so casually, as if we had been friends for years and were just catching up.

"Where's Rose?" I demanded, getting down to whatever it was for why he was calling.

"She's here."

"I want to talk to her," I commanded.

"Tsk, tsk, Guardian Belikov. You aren't really in the position to make demands."

I gripped the phone tighter. "I know why you are calling. You want me. So, if you want me to come to you willingly, I want to talk to Rose."

He laughed, his voice turning menacing. "You will come because I have Rose. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her pretty little head, now, would you?"

"Dimitri do—"

I could hear Rose grunt, followed by the sound of what I knew to be a slap on the cheek.

I growled. "You touch her again, and I swear your death will be painful," I said, in a voice I hadn't heard from myself since the days I had been Strigoi.

"Then you will come?" he asked.

"You know I will. Where?"

"I'll send the coordinates to the phone your talking to me on." He paused. "See you soon, Dimitri."

The line went dead.

I plugged the coordinates into the GPS of the SUV. He was taking me to Rocky Mountain National Park. He wanted me in his domain. With too many vantage points to try and account for.

I dialed Mikhail as soon as I was on the road to give him an update and that I needed all available resources in this location now. I would beat him and the additional guardians there, but my hope was they would make it in time.

I pulled into the park, which was now closed. There was one additional SUV in the parking lot, other than mine, the only light coming from a few lampposts in the surrounding parking lot.

I walked around the SUV, checking and looking in for any clues, before I moved on. The phone I had taken off of one of Marcus's security detail buzzed in my hand.

"Come meet us on the mountain."

I looked up, my eyes scanning around the tree line. Either they knew I was here by tracking me through the phone, or Ryan's backup—which I figured were the new breed of Strigoi—were watching from a distance. I looked all around, but I could not see or sense any other danger lurking beyond.

I moved in the direction of where I knew the highest point of the mountain was. I had to give it to Ryan. From an advantage point, it was a smart play. Take us all the way up to the highest peak, and back us into a corner that he knew would be too dangerous to engage in hand-to-hand combat without fear of someone falling or going over the mountain.

As I broke through the trees, my jaw clenched, my hands fisting at my side. Ryan was standing at the edge of the mountain, with his arm around her neck, a knife pointing into her major artery.

I could see the frustration and anger burning in her eyes. She was mad that I had showed up to try and rescue her. She didn't want me to come knowing that we both know that by me coming here, was solely because whatever was going on, I was going to be thrusted into the middle of it.

Rose had to know by now, that I would never allow her life to be in jeopardy. My life meant nothing if she wasn't in it. I would never be allowed to live with myself if harm ever came to her because there was someone out there that wanted to get to me.

"Let her go!"

Her eyes were pleading with me to walk away. She knew something. In the few hours that Ryan may have been holding her hostage, he must've had said something to her to have her actually looking afraid that I was here to trade spots. It only confirmed for me—and that Rose's intuition had been right all along—that I had been the initial target.

My steps halted, as Ryan dug the knife to her throat even more. His other hand clawed into her waist, as a reminder he was calling the shots, and that if I got any closer, if I didn't comply with his demands, Rose would pay the price for it.

I glanced at Rose briefly, my eyes telling her that I loved her. That she would be ok, and that I would never let anything happen to her. More importantly, I was asking her to let me handle this, because I knew my Roza. She would never let anything happen to me as I would never let anything happen to her. I could see her wheels spinning in her head at how she was going to get us both out of this position. I wasn't the one with a knife at my throat.

I would never let anything happen to you; I told her with my eyes as hers implored into mine, asking her to just wait. Wait for my cue.

"Dimitri, it's a trap. Ry—" her words were cut off, with the knife digging in her throat further.

Ryan whispered something in her ear. I figured it was another threat to end her life. He meant it to be intimidating and scare her, but he didn't really know my Roza. The only thing he did was further piss her off.

Still, I didn't want to do anything that could send him over the edge—no pun intended. As a new Strigoi and as a new species—or as Rose called them—terminator Strigoi—he was still young and undisciplined. He might be under orders to keep her alive to get to me, but if his bloodlust took over, or if his anger reached a point where he could no longer remember his orders, Rose could pay the price.

My jaw clenched tight, a feral growl released in my throat at the threat to her life. My hands were balled into fists at my side, moving closer to my stake that would only take me a second once I had the opportunity to strike, and end his life.

"Dimitri, were here," I heard Mikhail say through the com in my ear.

The coms Rose and I wore that I had never taken out from my other ear. Guardian sanctioned coms that Rose and I used throughout the mission at the nightclub, in the event either of us were in trouble and we needed to abort right away.

"From what we can see, he brought three other Strigoi with him. They are a way out, but they don't appear to be advancing unless they have word from him."

I couldn't respond, but I cleared my throat as my way of letting Mikhail know I had gotten the message.

"All I ever heard about was Dimitri Belikov. The big bad Russian that was so powerful, so strong, so smart." Ryan sneered. "Not so strong and powerful now, when I got your girl at my mercy," he taunted me, digging the tip of his knife in deeper to Rose's throat.

I could see Rose's inner mind working again, trying to find a way out of this, seeing that with each word, Ryan was becoming more unhinged, the knife seconds from pricking her skin open. Dhampir blood was preferred to Strigoi. It wasn't as strong as Moroi blood, but the euphoria they received was almost tripled the high then what they would get from a human.

If he drew blood from Rose, I wasn't sure that he would be able to maintain some of the self-control that he seemed to currently possess. Something that did seem to surprise me considering they were so newly created. I had been an anomaly when I had turned. Older Strigoi—including my former master—had been stunned to see that I wasn't wild and unruly after the change. My theory had been because of my strong self-control and discipline that I had before I had been turned. What I could confirm was that some personality traits carried over, just severely buried below the needs of a Strigoi. It was why I hadn't killed Rose on the spot, even when she had been intent on killing me.

"I never met you before today, Ryan. If I had done something to you, why don't you let Rose go. I'm here, now. We can settle this between the two of us," I said more calmly than I felt.

I glanced back at Rose, who had been silent, her eyes taking a far-off look again, that she was thinking about something. As if she already knew my gaze was on her, her eyes flickered back to mine, making my heart beat faster. Just like it always did when she was around. When I thought of her beautiful face. Sonya had teased me a few times that I could be the scariest person she knew, but around Roza, I would melt. She was right.

Some of my hardened determination melted once her eyes gazed upon my face. I told her with my eyes that I knew exactly what she was thinking. She tried to mimic my stoic demeanor she always referenced or teased me about, but she had already showed her cards. I already knew what she was going to do.

I tried to plead with her that we would both be ok. I had met men like Ryan before. Men that thought they had the upper hand and that everything they planned was done with perfect precision. Ryan might have been a Moroi who wanted to become a guardian and fight, but he was only a novice before he had been turned.

I earned the reputation for being the best for a reason.

I took a step forward, knowing my time was limited. "This is between you and me, Ryan. You want me, you got me. Let Rose go," I growled, my eyes never leaving hers. I hoped if she stayed with me, looked into my eyes it would keep her from doing any of her crazy Rose ideas.

Ryan, snorted as he kept the blade steady at her throat. "No. I don't think I will." He turned his head, his lips close to her ear. Rose didn't flinch or give him any indication that she was afraid. "I'm going to take everything you hold dear in your life, Belikov. Everything!"

My eyes remained on Rose's, and for the first time in a long time that I could remember, I actually felt a moment of fear. I wasn't afraid of Ryan's threats, or my ability to take him on physically. No, I was afraid, because of what I could see was written in her expression. What he knew she was going to do.

Don't, I pleaded.

She shot me a rueful smile. My Roza. мое сердце (My heart). Taking orders or sitting back had never really been her thing. Even from the first days when I had found her and brought her back to the academy.

I love you, her gaze said to me. I felt my heart drop in my stomach.

I took my first step forward, watching in horror as she lunged herself and Ryan over the cliff of the mountain and into the watery abyss below.

"Roza!"

"Dimitri, the other three Strigoi are taking off. They seem to be fleeing with…with…" he didn't finish the statement, because he had seen what I had seen.

The possibility that Rose had just flung herself to her death.