Chapter 95
Sins
Spinning the silver ring around her finger again and again, Dominika sat at the table with knitted eyebrows. She hadn't been able to get much sleep and it was early in the morning at seven o'clock. She had changed but wasn't in the mood to dress up like usual. Instead she opted for a simple black tank-top and jeans. Dominika had also tied her hair back into a ponytail, revealing her sharp cheekbones.
Ever since the construction site, Dominika's mind had been on Lukas. It wasn't fair! Just after he had spilled his heart out to her, Death had killed him! It was just so horrible and Dominika could hardly handle it. Before Detrikov had gotten her up and out of the site, she had taken Lukas' ring. The ring which was the cause of all his pain. Mary's ring.
I want to give it back to her. I want to find her.
Dominika squeezed her fist tight, eyebrows growing tighter.
But I also want this to end. The others… they have more to live for. Dorothy, Nick, even Detrikov… they have things to live for. But what do I have? There has to be two sacrifices… If one is Joshua, then why not me? What do I have to live for?
Dominika closed her eyes. That's the question, really. What do I have to live for? Quite a lot, really… I have parents out there. Dominika suddenly stood up and walked over to the phone, dialling in the number and holding it to her ear. Please answer… please answer...
There was a quick sound of static for a weary, tired voice answered. "Hello, Roman Matveev speaking."
"Dad? It's me… Dominika."
"Dom?" The surprise was evident on the man's voice even over the phone. "I haven't heard from you in a long while. Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine dad… just… I don't know…"
"You can talk to me Dom. I'll always have time for you, no matter what happened before."
Dominika sighed. "Thanks dad. I'm… in a situation."
"What kind? Boy troubles?"
"…No, no, nothing like that. I'm…" Dominika chewed on the inside of her cheek before starting again. "Look, dad, what would you do… if you were given the chance to do good for a lot of people?"
"That depends how many people and who they were. What's this about Dom?"
"I… I know I've never really been the good girl dad… always the tomboy. But…" Dominika trailed off, unsure of how to explain herself.
"Something's obviously on your mind. Why don't you start slow, from the beginning?"
"From the beginning… It's a long story dad…"
"I'll listen for you Dom. I got time. Your mother won't be waking up for a couple of hours."
"…Okay. I guess the start would be meeting this man called Lukas-"
"So it is boy troubles?"
"Dad, please… please listen… He… He was killed… Along with a number of good people… They were essentially… murdered. There's a group of us… and I am in that group. But we've been told that… that if somebody sacrifices themselves… then they can save the others… possibly even more."
"What have you gotten yourself into Dom? Is this some kind… of gang you've got involved in? If they are killing people and you're under threat-"
"No, no Dad it's… it's complicated…" Dominika bit her lip. "…it's not a gang… not any kind of physical…" Dominika cut herself off, surprised to find her cheeks were wet. Taking a deep breath, Dominika started talking. "Look, dad, I don't expect you to understand but I just need to get this out. There's this presence… referred to as Death. There's this list and Death uses this list to take us out, one by one. I'm new to it all, really, but… I'm scared dad. I'm scared because I know that if we don't do something, all of us – and more later on perhaps – are going to die… but-but tomorrow there is a chance to stop Death because… because there are two sacrifices. Joshua, one of the group, is guaranteed to have to die but… but the rest have to decide between themselves. Whoever does will save the group… save more than the group. I… I can't decide whether I want to or not because… I don't really have a life, dad… I have a crappy job and I can't even keep up my relationship with my parents and… I just..." Dominika voice cracked. "Am I a coward dad? I feel like I only want to sacrifice myself so that I can be with him again… so that I can just… give it all up… all my failures…" Dominika voice broke even more, tears running down her cheeks. "…I need help dad… I need help…"
There was a long pause before Dominika's father answer. "I will not pretend to understand what you are talking about Dominika. But know that you are not any kind of coward, nor are you a failure. Just because we had our arguments doesn't mean your mother and I don't love you. I cannot provide much help if I don't understand the situation, but I trust you to do the right thing Dom. You've always been independent… and that independence has made your mother and me proud of you. Do not do something you will regret though, Dominika. If this is serious trouble… if you cannot involve the authorities for whatever reason… then do what you believe is the right thing to do."
"Okay…" Dominika sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Thanks dad… I guess I should go…"
"Okay darling, but please, you'll always be my little princess. If you ever want to come back… if you ever want to fix things you know where we are. No matter what happens, Dom, we love you."
"I know dad… I… I love you too… give mother that love too… I… depending on what happens this may… if I don't call you again this may be the last time I talk to you… I love you… I do…" With that, Dominika hung up and put her head sideways on the table, staring at the silver ring.
What do I do Lukas? Could I possibly be the sacrifice everyone needs? Am I brave enough… should I be brave enough or should I let somebody else do it? Lukas… help me… please…
The hand swept everything off the table. Pencils, pens, papers and more were thrown off, clattering against the floor and the wall. Detrikov leant back in his chair, panting with his eyes shut. As soon as he opened his eyes, Detrikov stood up from the chair and slammed his hand on the table. "GO AWAY! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
Detrikov spun around and slammed the palm of his hand into the wall. His stub was on fire and his mind was even worse… Detrikov dared to turn around but still he stood. "GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE! GO AWAY!" Detrikov roared, throwing a drawer from a nearby filing cabinet at the figure. It went straight through, bouncing off the wall behind. "…Go away… Go away…" Detrikov moaned, staring at the tall figure of Gregory Fisk. "I DIDN'T KILL YOU! I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL YOU!" Detrikov placed his hand on the table and pushed it up onto its side, before dropping down and leaning against it so he couldn't see Fisk. Putting his hand on his forehead, Detrikov could feel it burning. "IT WAS GERALD! HE MADE ME! I DIDN'T WANT TO!" Detrikov shook his head wildly. "I didn't want too… It wasn't me… It wasn't me! Please…" Detrikov slowly turned his head but instead of Fisk now Elena stood there. He let out a moan and backed up into the wall.
"You allowed me to die."
"I didn't! I couldn't do a thing! You were on the list, I wasn't, I couldn't save you… I couldn't..."
"You were meant to protect me."
"HOW WAS I MEANT TO PROTECT YOU!?" Detrikov roared, his face red. "WHEN YOU WERE ON THE LIST! We can't beat the list… we can't beat it… no one can beat it…"
"But what about my theory?"
Detrikov looked at Elena and saw Fisk had come back. "What about your theory? It's just a theory… it's just… but you don't know how to defeat him so how good is your theory!?"
"Do you not believe in me Vladimir?"
"YOU DIED! HOW CAN I… How can I believe a dead man… but it wasn't me! I didn't!"
"You failed me Vladimir. You were my best friend. I trusted you. You betrayed my trust. You killed me."
"I DIDN'T! I FUCKING DIDN'T!"
"You killed Elena."
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! SHE WAS ON THE GODDAMN LIST! I DIDN'T DO A FUCKING THING TO YOUR WIFE!"
"So did I kill her?"
A new voice. Detrikov turned around to see the thin, short man with the wire-framed glasses. Myers smirked. Detrikov's face twisted in anger. "I'LL KILL YOU! AGAIN! I BRING YOU BACK JUST SO I CAN FUCKING RIP YOUR HEART OUT!" Detrikov stumbled forward and swung, his fist going through the air and through Myers. "YOU RUINED ME! YOU RUINED MY FUCKING LIFE!"
"No, you ruined your life. I merely helped you. It was your idea, my friend."
"Don't lie! Don't you… Don't you lie to me…"
"I am not lying."
"OF COURSE YOU ARE! Always… You always lie… always…" Detrikov suddenly screamed in pain as a sharp spike coursed through his mind. He stumbled back, hitting the wall with his back. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Detrikov slid down the wall, sobbing, clutching his pained head. After a few minutes, he looked up to see the room was empty. He looked around the wrecked room before ducking his head between his knees. "…Fisk… I don't know what to do… I… what do I do?"
It took ten minutes before Detrikov found the strength to finally stand up. His stub was still burning but otherwise, he wasn't seeing any of the dead that had plagued him all morning. He pulled his desk back up and slowly put everything back atop it. After the room was back the way it was, Detrikov sat down in his chair, spreading his hand out across the table.
"I was never the leader…" Detrikov spoke quietly, his eyes staring at the wall. "I was always the bodyguard… The man who hardly said a word and did things that needed to be done. I've seen people killed. I've killed people. I do the dirty work. But I'm no leader… How could you have left this to me Gregory? This isn't what I'm made for. Already I've screwed up. Cray's dead, the room was blown up… how can I lead these people and make this work? I can't make the sanctuary for outcasts that we always wanted… I just can't… Without you to keep us together, this cannot go on." Detrikov bit his lip and let out a deep sigh.
"I'm stopping this operation, Gregory. I cannot run things. Nobody can follow your example… follow your dream. This was to be the place of sanctuary for those of us who couldn't succeed in the world. We were too violent… too twisted… too screwed up. But without you… it's breaking… I'm breaking." Detrikov stood up and ran his hand through his short, cropped hair. He stepped over to the wall and put his hand on it.
"You and I… Gregory, we've been through so much. We survived the coldest of winters, the most dangerous of men. Psychos… murderers… we've seen all sorts of fucked up shit. But no matter what we did, it made us better. It hardened me. It made you more intelligent and cunning. At first you were my enemy. Then you were my friend. After that, my rival… then my best friend…" Detrikov placed his forehead against the wall, feeling his eyes grow hot once again. "…You were my brother Gregory but I think… to me at least… you were more than that… You were my anchor in this harsh world… Then… this… This list… Elena died… your wife… You stitched your own eyes up. I watched you… always… worried, scared for you… but despite it all… you survived… you kept your eyes stitched but you kept on going. No matter what happened, you were strong. I admired you for that Gregory… I… Perhaps I even… loved you for that…"
Detrikov closed his eyes, his hand running down the wall. "…I want to be with you again… to protect you… fight with you again… And the only way is to… But I do not have the courage nor the strength to do it. Nor could I ask somebody else… Perhaps this is the answer? The sacrifice… But is it selfish of me? Is it selfish that I want to do it for you… not for the people? The survivors? But no matter what decision I make Gregory… I want to be with you again… You'll be disappointed I know, but no matter how many mistakes I made you always forgave me… Can you forgive me killing you? Can you forgive me sacrificing myself? Can you forgive these sins of mine in the last few weeks, Gregory?"
Detrikov clenched his fist, pressing his forehead harder against the wall. "…Can I tell you a secret Gregory… when I had these blackouts… I didn't know what they were or what they indicated but… after seeing… seeing Gerald Myers again… When I saw Joshua beat him with that hammer… It hit me. I saw what I had been doing in those blackouts… I… Gregory, I…" Detrikov turned around and slipped down the wall until his back rested against it in a sitting position. "…I never got rid of him… Even after I cut my own arm off… Myers was still in my mind… and he had made me… make an explosive… and destroy that room… He made me force another vision…" Detrikov put his head in his hand, nails digging into his skin. "…I did this… all of this… I killed them all… not only you… but everyone… He made me plant that explosive… It was no accident and now… now I need to pay for my sins… But what way will that payment come Gregory…? How will I pay those sins… With my life? Something in me… Something in me hopes so, Gregory. I really… truly… hope to meet you again…"
A/N:- Thanks to PrincezzShell101 for the review! So, I know exactly what is happening in the last five chapters, but still I'm finding it hard to write them. Is it because I don't want this story to end? Probably. So, there's the reason for the delay XD
Anywho, we're given more insight in Detrikov and Dominika. Next time we'll focus more on Dorothy and Derrick… hey, I just realized. Most of my survivors begin with D… Detrikov, Dominika, Dorothy, Derrick…
'Till next time!