Hey guys, I hope you're doing well! Again, the medical parts have been italicized so you can skip them if you'd prefer. Read on to find out what sticky situation Alexei gets himself into…
Gonna reply to reviews on the previous chapter, thanks so much for the love and to everyone who reviewed!
Guest: That seems to be common among my readers, that the last couple chapters have been making them anxious :P I had been hoping to create anxiety and tension in the storyline with Jamie being hospitalized.
alilcutea: Thank you, I'm glad you've been enjoying the story so far and think the writing is good! I try my best to ensure it's well-written and add in Alexei's thoughts and details, while trying to make sure it's more show and less tell.
Tessa Jane: Yeah, Jamie is more or less going to be okay but stay tuned to see when Alexei will find Grace…
Disclaimer: I do not own the Embassy Row series and all the characters (except for Tanner and Jordan and Alexei's Moscow friends, who are my own creations). They belong to Ally Carter. I am merely using her characters and plotline to create this fanfiction. I have no intention of profiting off the Embassy Row series in any way. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes and would not exist without Ally Carter's wonderful works.
The events that happen in this fanfiction are not meant to be representative of real life. Any similarities to any real-life events or fictional works is purely coincidental and not intentional (with the exception of the original Embassy Row books by Ally Carter since this fanfiction is literally Take the Key and Lock Her Up but from Alexei's, not Grace's, perspective). The character's actions may not always reflect my own opinions or views. Based on what happens in this chapter (spoiler alert), I do not condone gang activity.
Additionally, the medical recommendations made in this chapter are based off my own medical knowledge and clinical experiences and may differ from clinical practice guidelines in other parts of the world. They are evidence-based to my knowledge but may not reflect the latest updates to evidence-based medical practices. Please consult your local medical association for the most up-to-date, evidence-based medical practices in your jurisdiction.
Content warning: mild to moderate
This fanfiction is rated T, for suggestive themes, language, and violence. This chapter contains mild physical violence, mentions of gang activity, and mild language. Please read at your own discretion.
Chapter Five: El Camino
We spent a long night in the hospital. Dominic and I slept fitfully in the chairs, both of us attempting to keep watch over Jamie but neither of us really succeeding. It was mid-morning when Maria woke us up. She was with another woman, who I recognized as the doctor talking with Dominic last night. The doctor turned towards me with a smile.
"I don't think we've met; my name is Dr. Gonzalez. I'm an ICU specialist and I was looking after James last night," the doctor said, before quickly examining Jamie. There was a moan as Dr. Gonzalez felt Jamie's abdomen. Had he regained consciousness? Sure enough, Jamie's eyes flicked open, in response to the pain.
"Good morning." Dr. Gonzalez smiled at Jamie. "How are you feeling?" Jamie's only response was a grunt.
Dr. Gonzalez chuckled before turning to Dominic and I. "It's a good sign if he's awake and vocalizing. How was he throughout the night?" Dominic and I just looked at each other, neither of us sure how to respond, for embarrassment of being asleep all night when we should have been keeping watch.
"Fine, I suppose," Dominic finally said. "Nothing of note seemed to happen."
"That's good. In case you were interested, the imaging reports have come back." Dominic nodded, prompting her to continue.
"Both the chest x-ray and the CT scan show bilateral, diffuse, patchy, reticulonodular infiltrates, making me suspicious for an atypical bacterial pneumonia, which is common in someone of James' age."
"Was that what caused him to go into shock?" Dominic asked, not missing a beat as he kept up with all the medical talk.
"Most likely. The working diagnosis is septic shock due to an underlying pneumonia. Overnight, his blood pressure stabilized with fluid resuscitation and pressors. He's been doing a lot better, with excellent sats of 98% on 2 L of oxygen."
Dominic nodded, taking it all in. "He did have the tamponade almost seven weeks ago."
"I see. That would point to a more obstructive cause of shock. The radiologists didn't see any signs of that on the x-ray or the CT. Was he otherwise healthy before that?" Dominic nodded.
"Young, healthy patients usually recover quite quickly, although the prior tamponade and trauma history will likely complicate James' recovery. Nonetheless, we'll take it one day as a time as we wait for the culture results to come back. We started broad-spectrum empiric IV antibiotics last night, Piperacillin-Tazobactam and Vancomycin, which we'll continue with today. Once the cultures come back, we can tailor our antibiotic treatment. We'll continue with the fluid boluses and pressors as needed and monitor for any signs of deterioration. If everything goes well today, we can see about starting him on a clear fluids diet this evening."
"That sounds like a good plan," Dominic said.
"Any other questions or concerns?" Dr. Gonzalez looked between Dominic and I. We looked at each other, both shaking our heads.
"I'm post call today but I'll be back tomorrow. I have a couple colleagues that I trust who are on call tonight and I'll make sure they see to James' care and are aware of the situation." Dr. Gonzalez then turned to Maria. "You can go home, Maria. You've been here all night and have been instrumental in the early stages of James' stabilization." Maria nodded, before gesturing for Dominic and I to follow her out.
"She has accommodations for us," Dominic said, in a low voice. I nodded in understanding. Dominic gave Maria a ride back to her place. She directed us to a small house in one of the suburbs bordering the edge of downtown. Despite having spent all night working in the hospital, she welcomed us in and gave us a house tour before cooking us a delicious meal, the best thing I had eaten since leaving Adria. We chatted in English as we ate, where Maria talked about her work in the hospital and Dominic and I talked about our lives in Adria. If she seemed surprised that I was the Russian fugitive, she didn't show it.
After our meal, Dominic and Maria went to the sitting room to discuss business. I wasn't particularly interested in sitting in on their conversation and they seemed more than happy to leave me to my own devices. Besides, Dominic had mentioned that his contact in Mexico owed him a favour. Based on that, I didn't even want to know what sort of history Dominic and Maria had.
I unpacked my few belongings into the guest bedroom and bathroom I'd be sharing with Dominic. Despite everything that had happened in the last day and the fitful sleep I had gotten last night, I felt too mentally revved up to take a nap. I decided to go for a walk, knowing the exercise would do me some good.
I scrawled a quick note, leaving it on the kitchen table, before heading out, taking the road back to downtown. The crowded streets and lax traffic rules reminded me of Moscow. There were people everywhere. The buildings were packed together, using every possible inch of space. The street market stalls were crammed with goods for sale. Although there was a bit of a sketchy vibe, it was no different than Moscow, which was just as sketchy in its own way. I could see myself enjoying life here in Mexico City.
I found a decent-looking currency mart, where I exchanged some of my American dollars for pesos. Then, I headed to the street markets. I had seen some stalls selling fresh fruit and decided it'd be a nice thank-you gift for Maria, for everything she had done for Jamie and for welcoming us into her home. As I passed by one well-stocked stall, the vendor, a boy who looked to be my age or slightly younger, with an elaborate design shaved into his hair, waved me down. He struck up an easy conversation in surprisingly good English, asking where I was from and telling me about the local fruits that were in season. Under his suggestions, I purchased some pomegranate and tuna fruit.
Feeling satisfied with myself, I turned around to head back to Maria's place. The elderly lady at the neighbouring stall looked at me intently, before shaking her head. I didn't understand what she meant and continued on my way. Until I found myself face to face with a group of men, all large and bulky with shaved heads and black tattoos adorning every inch of their arms.
"Excuse me," I said, in English, doing my best to squeeze by the men. One of them moved to block my path. I turned the other way, only to have my path blocked again. As the leader stepped forward, my stomach turned, alarm bells going off in my head.
"Hey, kid, we heard you're new in town," the leader said, in English.
"Um, I'm just visiting some friends," I said, not wanting to implicate Dominic or Maria.
The leader's eyes flicked to the bag I was holding in my hand. "What you got there?"
"Some food I just bought," I replied, trying hard not to let my voice quiver. Who were these people? And what could they possibly want from me?
The leader stepped closer, looking right at me, before stopping a metre in front of me.
"You're the Russian fugitive, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question. How was I supposed to get myself out of this? Speak the truth and spend the rest of my life in a Mexican incarceration facility? Or attempt to lie my way through this then hide my face for the rest of eternity? My name and face still made the occasional headline. There was no way it hadn't made it to Mexico. Besides, I stuck out like a sore thumb here. Before I could say anything, the men surrounded me.
"I, I think you've got the wrong person," I stammered, slowly stepping backwards until my foot hit the stall.
The leader just laughed. "The kid in the video is way fierier than you."
"You must be mistaken," I said, trying my best to sound innocent. "I've done nothing wrong and mean no harm."
"We'll see about that." The leader muttered something in Spanish. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind. I lost my footing for a second, dropping the bag of fruit, before regaining my balance. I reached behind me, grabbing my assailant's arms and yanking them around, flipping them onto the ground. When they landed with a thud in front of me, I recognized the boy from the fruit stall. The design shaved into his hair matched the tattoos on the men's arms. I looked from the boy to the leader, slowly realizing the connection between them.
The leader gave an approving nod, a knowing smile lighting up his face. "That's more like it. I knew you'd come around with a bit of provoking. Now, listen, kid, we got a deal for you." I looked at the leader, intrigued. What could he possibly want to do with me?
"You stay here in Mexico, we provide for you. We give you housing, food, money. Stay with us long enough and you can become one of us," the leader brokered.
"What's in it for me?"
"A life better than you can possibly imagine. Face it, kid, you screwed yourself over with that video. No good country or institution is going to take you in. But this is Mexico. You can build a new life and a new name for yourself here. You work with us, we help you out."
"What's in it for you?" I looked right into the leader's eyes. His face darkened as anger flashed through his eyes.
"Look, that's none of your business."
"If you so desperately want me to join your … group, then surely, you must have some sort of ulterior motive. You must not be doing this solely out of the goodness of your own heart." Pushing a group like this wasn't the best idea but this had been sketchy from the start. I needed to know what I was getting myself into.
The leader's face scrunched up. "Listen, kid, if you walk away from us, that's your business. But we're not offering this to you lightly. If we come across you again, we're not letting you get away so easily. Besides, I got a message for you from our superiors." This guy wasn't even at the top of the food chain? It made me wonder just what kind of organization I was dealing with.
The leader stepped closer, until we were mere centimetres apart. He reeked of marijuana and alcohol but there was an almost frenzied look in his eyes. It took everything in me not to recoil in disgust as he leaned closer still, whispering something to me. "You can run but you can't hide."
The hairs on the back of my neck instantly stood up, sending shivers down my spine. It wasn't the phrase itself that scared me but the language that had been used.
Because the leader had whispered that phrase to me in Russian.
Was it possible that someone from my past, who knew me in Russia, could be tracking me down with the help of this Mexican gang or whatever? What could they possibly be getting out of it? There was only one person who really stood out to me, who could be trying to track me down, although I couldn't understand why exactly they would. It was a sickening thought, knowing they still wanted me after all this time.
The leader sneered, knowing he had gotten through to me, as he switched back to English. "You understand now? You join us and we do good things for you or you walk away from us and turn this into a bigger mess. What's it going to be?"
I shook my head, looking him right in the eye. "Nyet." With that, all hell broke loose. Three of the underlings lunged for me. Before I could fight back, I was grabbed from behind. I tried to fight but a surprisingly strong grip pulled me behind the neighbouring stall. I recognized the elderly woman who had been keeping a close eye on me the whole time I conversed with the fruit vendor. I tried to pull away but she shook her head, keeping a firm hold on me and the bag of fruit I had dropped as she expertly navigated her way through the back alleys of the open street market. I had no choice but to follow. With the shouts behind me, I knew we were being pursued.
After dozens of twists and turns, we came to a stop in a dark alley behind a Dumpster bin, overflowing with bags of garbage. The elderly woman patted my hand, a meaningful look in her eyes, as if telling me to say here. I nodded, unsure of what else to do.
The woman ventured to the other end of the alley, which opened into a busy street. She stood half-hidden in the shadows, as she attentively watched the street, while talking into a flip phone in Spanish.
I crept forward, as it didn't feel right to leave the woman standing by herself, vulnerable to everything that could possibly get her, or us. Yet, when I approached, she merely pushed me aside, back into the alley. I conceded, forcing myself to stay ducked in the shadows, behind the Dumpster bin. I felt powerless, like my fate was out of my own hands.
After what felt like forever, the woman made her way back to me, taking my hand to lead me towards the street. I followed, not knowing what was in store for me.
Just as we reached the other side of the alley, a familiar car pulled up to the curb. Within seconds, the door opened. The woman shoved me towards it. I stumbled into the car, surprised by her sudden burst of strength. Not a second later, the door slammed shut behind me and the car sped off. I jerked backwards, ramming into the seat. I looked up to see Dominic in the driver's seat, meeting his gaze in the rearview. Despite the dark sunglasses hiding his eyes, he was mad, his jaw set firmly, his mouth in a tight line.
"I –" I started, when I felt Dominic's gaze boring through me.
"We can talk later. We need to get out of here first and you're going to put that on and lay low." It was only then that I noticed the hoodie and sunglasses on the backseat. I quickly pulled them on, being sure to pull the hood down low. Even with the disguise, I kept my head below the window, in case anyone was chasing us outside. I held on for dear life as Dominic navigated the car through the busy streets, relentlessly speeding, braking, and honking every few seconds.
It was only when Dominic put the car into park, killing the engine, that I finally allowed myself to look up. We were at the back of Maria's place.
"Inside, now," Dominic commanded. I scurried into the house without a second thought. Once inside, Dominic locked all the doors and pulled the curtains shut before leading us into the sitting room. We sat down on opposite ends of the couch.
"Talk. What were you doing outside?" Dominic asked, getting straight to the point.
"I – I went out for a walk. I just wanted to get some air. The markets looked like they'd be a nice place to hang out. And I wanted to do something nice for Maria, after everything she's done for us." I meagrely held up the bag of fruit, which had been squashed in the fight. Dominic's face softened, but only for a brief second. His usual stoic, stern look returned as he stared me down.
"Do you realize you're still a wanted international fugitive? Do you not have any concern for your own safety?" It was hard not to balk under Dominic's intense gaze.
"It sorta slipped my mind," I eked out, realizing how pathetic that sounded. Living on the island had made me too relaxed. That place had been deserted. I didn't have to worry about my safety because it had just been the four of us. There, I had finally been able to live a somewhat normal life, not having to watch my back or constantly monitor my surroundings. So when I went out today, I had foolishly let my guard down, only to be cornered by a Mexican gang.
"You need to be more careful from now on. You're staying in this house and not leaving unless it's with me. Understood?" Dominic looked at me sternly. I nodded meekly, too scared to say anything.
"You're lucky things didn't get worse," Dominic said, his voice softer. "Imagine if I had lost you too." I wasn't super close to him or anything, not the way he was with the Blakely siblings. But something in his voice made me realize that maybe, just maybe, a part of him had grown to care for me.
"I thought it wouldn't have mattered. It'd be one less person for you to worry about."
"But what would I tell Grace if I found her? How would I explain to her that we had lost you to a Mexican gang? Do you know what she would do if that were the case?" Dominic's voice cracked, the desperation evident. I didn't have to answer his question because we both knew. Grace would chase down that gang, on her own if it came down to it, and demand that I be freed, even if she died trying. It wasn't pretty to think about; yet, that was the reality with Grace.
"If we ever found Grace Olivia, would you want to be the reason we lost her again? The reason she ran off again?" Dominic continued. I shook my head. I couldn't do that to Jamie and Dominic. They would do anything to have Grace back. If we ever found her, I wouldn't want to take her away from them.
"I've already lost Caroline. I don't want to lose Grace Olivia again. And I certainly don't want to lose you too." Dominic's eyes were squeezed shut, his hands clasped on top of his knees. My heart broke as a lone tear escaped, rolling its way down his cheek. He didn't bother wiping it away.
"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful from now on." Dominic opened his eyes, watery from the tears threatening to spill over.
"I know you will. I know this has been hard on you too." It seemed like I was forgiven, at least for the time being.
"Will Maria become a target? Because of all this?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't want to be the reason for putting her into danger, for turning her into a permanent target of the gang, all because of something stupid I had done.
Dominic looked straight ahead, his gaze uncertain. It made me realize he wasn't the man with all the answers, like Grace and I had both made him out to be. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized just how human he was. He was more broken and vulnerable than both of us; yet, he put on a brave face and acted strong for us. I couldn't imagine how much he was hurting inside and how much he had gone through. All that made him so much more admirable to me.
"I hope not. She knows how to keep a low profile and this address is unlisted. Regardless, I'll still give her instructions in case she does become a target. But we've got bigger issues to deal with." Like getting Jamie stabilized in hospital and finding Grace. It was hard not to think about it, since it seemed to occupy every waking second of our days and every available inch of brain space.
"Look, I'm sorry if I've been too tough on you," Dominic said, surprising me.
"No, it's fine." It had been a rough few days and we were both on edge.
"God, there's too much going on." Dominic ran his hand through his hair before burying his head in his hands. As he did so, the sun highlighted the jagged scar running down his face, the physical reminder of all the psychological trauma that he had gone through.
"Things are going to work out." I moved to sit next to Dominic, awkwardly placing my hand on his shoulder.
"Why would they, when they've already gone to shit?" Dominic moved away from me, shaking my hand off his shoulder. There was a hopeless look in his eyes, as if he was ready to give up. Perhaps, he already had.
"We still have our deal." Dominic gave me a surprised look.
"To protect the Blakelys together," I elaborated. "That night at the German army base hospital, when Jamie was in surgery. We promised each other we'd work together to keep Jamie and Grace safe. I'm not backing down from that, not now, not when their lives are more at risk than ever. I made a promise to you and I'm going to honour that until the day I die."
Dominic nodded, although he still looked skeptical. "Why does that matter now?"
"Because I can't do it without you. The two of them have been safe thus far because of our combined efforts. If we give up now, we're giving up on both of them. We never said this was going to be easy. But we've made it this far for them. Why give up now? Grace may be gone and Jamie may be in hospital but we'll figure it out. It'll work out; it has to."
"Forgive me for being cynical, but over the years, I've learned things don't always work out, even if you do everything right."
"Well, we can't give up if we haven't done everything that we can for Jamie and Grace, no?" I asked, looking at Dominic. I got him there and he knew it. "But I can't do it without your help. And you know you can't do it alone." Since this whole mess started, way back in Adria, things had gone from bad to worse. Yet here I was, convincing Dominic again that we needed to be in this together. I wasn't sure how much longer this would go on until he totally lost faith and gave up. But for what it was worth, I had to keep trying, for Jamie and Grace.
Dominic looked up, a new brightness shining in his eyes. "I've forgotten what it's like to be young and have hope. But I have to admit, it's refreshing to see. I've become a bit jaded over the years." I let out a sigh of relief. It looked like I had gotten through to him after all.
"I'm willing to give this another fighting chance if you are. Are you in?" I gave Dominic a steely look.
Dominic firmly returned my gaze, nodding. "Yes, I'm in."
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be up between Dec. 11 and Dec. 20.
I went out on a bit of a limb with the gang scene so I hope it wasn't too cringe or anything. The next chapter will start tying things back into the original storyline so stay tuned (literally and figuratively)…