If you are squeamish, can't handle death or the insanity violence that comes with the GTA franchise- do not read this chapter when in a bad head space. Also there is some pretty heavy triggers and flags that are going to deal with Kate and Niko in this chapter- Namely focusing on Kate's condition.
aaaaaa
"Aleksei, pull the car over." Niko's fury laden voice echoed in the interior of the four-door sedan.
"Pakhan I am taking you to some place safe-"
"No. I said pull the car over. Or I will just jump out the door." Niko undid his seatbelt and grabbed the doorhandle. He recognized the street they were on, and he could navigate his way to the compound from their location. Kate was in danger, and he was bound and determined to fight his way to her and figure out what had happened to her… 'Just hang on and be okay Kate. Please don't let the worst happen…'
Aleksei slammed on the brakes and pulled up along the curb near the turn to reach the compound, "Niko, just wait!"
"Niko what is going on?!" Karen hastily threw her belt off and clamored out of the car when Niko took off for the trunk. She had picked up on maybe half a dozen words spoken between Georgi, Aleksei, and Niko. Clearly something was going on that had them greatly upset and on edge. They had nearly flown out of the apartment complex when Georgi had said something with Kate's name.
Niko popped open the trunk and heaved a bullet proof vest up from the confines, "Karen you are to stay with me. Georgi, Aleksei you two will find a back way into the complex and protect Kate and Kenny at all costs." He left no room for argument, and he undid the velcro sides of the vest before dropping it over Karen's head. She met his gaze but for a moment, and within that split second, he told her all she needed to know.
"I got this." Karen brushed his hand away and readjusted the vest on her body. They were about to head into a shoot out of some kind. He had the same glint in his eyes from the gun battle in the church cemetery, and she swallowed thickly with the memories.
"Pakhan, I would advise that one of us stay with you. You are our leader…" Georgi trailed off when Niko slid on a bullet proof vest, Kenny's crest stitched into an applique patch that was velcroid on over the heart, the large bold white letters of Pakhan stretched across his shoulder blades. 'He is wearing what would have been Lenny's…'
"As your leader, I have given my orders, now gear up and do as you've been told." Niko glared over his shoulder to his second not liking the push back he was receiving. Every second mattered and they were wasting too much time.
"Yes Pakhan." He caught the weighted material when it was tossed to him from his boss. His stomach pitched at the uneasiness of the situation. He felt like they were rushing in and not enacting the best strategy to get within the compound, defend it, and not get killed themselves. Plus there was the unknown in regards of the female that stood at his boss' side. He watched as Niko reached into the trunk and pulled out another insignia badge for their Bratva and placed it over the female's heart.
"For the next hour or so you will be under my protection and follow my orders. I do not know who is attacking my home, but I will not take any unnecessary risks." Niko pulled out a spare rifle and held it out for Karen to take, "Unless you would rather take the vest off and disappear back to the IAA. The choice is yours."
"And let you have all the fun? Screw that." Karen smirked as she took the rifle from him and went about checking it. Her eyes wanted to drop down to the patch he had placed on her vest, but there would be time later to see what he had given her. Carefully she slung the rifle's strap over her head and got it in a ready position.
"A woman after my own heart!" Aleksei snorted as he approached the trunk to get his gear. If Niko trusted her to be at his side, then he would trust her to keep his boss safe.
"Watch each other's backs. I don't have a good feeling about all this. The timing is too perfect." Niko flicked the safety off on his trusted rifle and backed away from the car and toward the edge of the street.
"The compound has never been head-on attacked before. Whoever is calling the shots and planning out these attacks is rather bold." Georgi waved Aleksei toward the narrow and darkened alley. They would use the shadows and cover from the surrounding buildings to sneak back into the complex undetected.
"Georgi wait," Niko took the couple of steps forward and clasped Georgi's shoulder, "Be careful. Be ruthless. Protect my family. You are my family, and I will be…" He wasn't sure how to finish his thought. Losing any one of them in the line of fire would be a stab at his own heart. As much as he fought within himself to not think of Kenny's Bratva as his own- he had gone and fallen into the title and grew more and more comfortable in his role.
"As you have asked it, so it shall be done. I will get eyes on Kate. You have my word." Georgi nodded sharply once before turning on his heel and chasing after his equal. He would try and force the lump back down his throat that formed with the emotion he had seen in Niko's eyes. 'Pakhan is scared…'
"Karen… You ready?" Niko edged to the street corner and scanned the nearby cars for movement. His hands were trembling, and he sucked in a slow breath. 'I can do this. Hang on Kate. I'm on the way.'
"As ready as I'll ever be. On your six." She placed her hand on his left shoulder and gave it a tap to let him know to move out. The rifle lifted as they rounded the corner in a slightly crouched position. Distant gunfire popped as people unloaded entire magazines, never letting up till the gun ran out and they would need to reload.
"How will I know who to shoot?" Karen whispered as they lowered down behind a car that was haphazardly parked sideways on the street. She peaked around the hood of the car watching as random people jumped up and rapidly fired their weapons at the destroyed windows of what looked like a rundown warehouse. It was an odd scene as LCPD, or NOOSE should already be trying to contain the violence.
"If they are shooting at the building they are bad. That patch on your vest will keep my men from shooting you on accident." Niko firmed his fingers and willed the shaking to stop. It was just another shootout. Find the targets, take them out, don't get killed. He could do this- needed to do this. 'Snap out of it and focus!'
"Niko. We have walked away, or I guess maybe that's the wrong way to say it, we have survived and lived through far worse. I got your back." Karen shifted back into cover and wished she hadn't seen Niko's hesitancy. She always looked to him for strength and here he was fighting internally to appear calm and collected. Then again she would be a complete wreck if someone she loved was in the building that was being attacked.
"Stick close and keep your firing on my left. I will take out those closest to the front gate. I can at least recognize most of Kenny's men." Niko let out a huff of air and slowly stood up from their cover, targeting his first kill, "No turning back now."
"Wouldn't miss this for the world." Karen spotted someone drop down to take cover by a nearby car and she fixed her sights on them.
"Go!" Niko pulled the trigger and let the muscle memory take over. He weaved between vehicles and over dead bodies as he killed his way toward the main entrance to the compound. He could feel and hear every breath and step Karen made next to him, and it forced more memories from his time in the war to the surface. Bernie was his spotter. Bernie knew his steps and signals. So how was it so easy for his ex to fall in with him and be a near carbon copy of his fellow soldiers?
"Eleven O'clock!" Karen hissed as she swiveled to shield Niko and take the bullet, but not before firing off her own shot. The bullet slammed dead center of her vest and forced her to stumble into Niko, knocking them both to the sidewalk.
"Are you hit?!" Niko rolled and quickly pulled her behind another parked car to not get hit again. His hands trailed over her arms and legs looking for a bullet hole or a freely bleeding wound. The loud sound of a sniper going off caused him to jerk his eyes up to the top of the building. Anton waved two fingers at him before taking another shot at someone across the street. 'We will have cover for the time being!'
"Fuck that shit never gets easier to take!" She dropped her head back into the side of the car and squeezed her eyes closed. The firm stroking of Niko's hands sent a vicious shiver down her spine and she tried to get him to stop. It was doing weird things to her heart and level of focus. Waves of pain radiated through her body from where the bullet had impacted her vest, "Smart thinking on the vests Niko."
"Don't fight me. Let me look." Niko scooted closer to her and ignored her way of trying to make light of the situation. He swore under his breath seeing the smaller caliber round crumpled and embedded over her chest. Running footsteps approached them and he pulled his pistol aiming for a headshot once the idiot got within his crosshairs.
"Pakhan!" A young-looking man, with a similar vest on sporting the Petrovic crest, slid into their hiding place, "Are you injured? Do you require medical assistance?!"
"I am good. My friend took one to the chest, but I don't think it broke through the vest. How many are we looking at?" Niko patted Karen's cheek letting her know she was okay and to take a minute to breath and work through the pain he knew she would be in. He watched as the, what he would call boy, place a hand up to his ear and had a concentrating glare come over his features.
"Anton says we will have a window to get inside the main gate. There is only a couple of stragglers and he said he would take care of them. But there are reports of gunfire within the compound. I am here to serve Pakhan, what are your orders?" He readied his own rifle and checked around the side of the car to see if he could spot any enemies.
"Help me get my friend inside and help me kill whoever has dared to attack us." Niko turned back toward Karen when she coughed, "You good to stand?"
"Yeah… Yeah. I'm good. Let's go!" She held her hand out to him so he could give her a boost to shift to her feet. The pain was manageable, and she would feel better inside a building than out in the open, slowly becoming cold due to the wind. Her fingers wrapped around his forearm and let him practically haul her up off the ground and into his chest.
"Can you fire your weapon?" Niko steadied her noticing how limp her arms were. 'Maybe she is actually hit…'
"Can I fire my weapon?!" Karen sarcastically whispered and rolled her eyes, "Yes Niko. I am capable of protecting myself and you." To demonstrate her point she dislodged her magazine, counted how many rounds she had left, and reloaded her weapon, "Now I do believe our mission is to get inside and protect Kate?"
"They have managed to get to the second floor and are heading toward the medical wing Pakhan. We must go now to support our fellow men." The young male looked up to where he assumed Anton rested and tapped the top of his head, giving the signal they were about to move out.
"Tell Anton that once the street is clean to head to the medical wing. Let's move." Niko lifted up just enough to see through the windows of the vehicle in time to see Anton get a clean headshot on an enemy. The young man patted his arm and rolled out of cover in the direction of the blasted in front gates. He reached back and tugged on Karen's arm before taking off for cover once more. Together the three made the corner and the Russian kicked open the front double doors, rifle doing a sweep to check for shooters.
Niko heard one last, loud thunderous clap of the rifle as the doors were closed behind them.
"Which way? I can barely hear the gunshots." Karen locked the doors and slid the heavy wooden brace bar through the iron slats. It was embarrassing how much effort it took and she tried to hide her panting. It wasn't her fault she was dealing with being shot and running on all cylinders. 'Not to mention I go completely brain dead when Niko looks at me for more than a second. UGH!' She shook out her arms and rolled her shoulders.
"I will lead Pakhan." He watched as the strange woman joined his boss at his side, "Is she to be given the same title?" He gestured to the vest she had on with the end of his rifle.
Niko and Karen both turned to look at the vest she was wearing. She brushed her fingers over the fine stitching and looked up for clarification. Just what were the boxy words under the crest?
"No. She is not my girlfriend or wife. Nor is she my equal. She is an agent within the IAA and is here to help me. What is your name and rank?" Niko frowned at seeing the title under the insignia. He hadn't even read the words when he was putting it on her. He just wanted to ensure everyone had a layer of protection. He waved her hand away from it and shook his head when she went to ask. It was already awkward having someone within the Bratva asking if they were a thing.
"Lucas. Forgive me Pakhan for the forwardness. It will never happen again. I am just a low-ranking runner and haven't ever seen that vest before." Lucas bowed his head and dropped to a knee for the offense he had given to his highest-ranking boss. Tears wanted to burn behind his closed eyelids, but he would refuse to show weakness to Pakhan.
"It's fine. Now do you think you can safely get me and my friend to the medical wing? The gunfire is lessening, and I fear for our Bratva." Niko ignored the harshness he heard in his voice. He wasn't mad at the kid, but they were wasting too much precious time. Kate was somewhere within these walls and probably completely defenseless. Not to mention Kenny was being kept alive by a bunch of machines-
"Follow me." Lucas rose from his position on the floor and hurried his steps down the main foyer and to a different staircase than the one that led to the apartments. He could hear his boss and the female trailing behind him, their rifles pointed down empty corridors as they made a direct path to the louder shouting and occasional gunshot.
"Slowly. They have been using our floorplans against us…" Lucas slowed his steps as they neared the more common rooms and kitchen. His eyes lifted to one of the rounded mirrors in order to check down the hall that connected the kitchen, dining room, and community room.
"HEY! What are you-!"
"Get back here!"
Shouting in another language reached their ears before extremely close and loud shots splintered some of the wood paneling and sheetrock of the hall they were camped out in.
"MOVE!" Niko urged Lucas on and pulled on Karen's arm. The bullet holes had been a little too close for comfort.
Lucas rounded the corner into the main hall and started working his way to the open double doors of their living room- the sound of a heavy scuffle growing louder as they went; Chairs being knocked over, tables being flipped or shoved into other objects and walls... His boss was hot on his heels, and he did his best to shove down the anxiety and fear that being in his presence brought. He was his boss' line of defense. A position he never thought would one day be placed upon him.
"You're going to pay for that! People will come for you!" A heavily Albanian accented voice shouted out and caused the three of them to stop dead in their tracks.
"Actions have consequences! Die you piece of shit!" Vasil's voice sounded wounded and low, as if he was barely able to stand and fire a weapon. The loud boom of a shotgun and a person stumbled backward out of the room and into the adjacent wall. Vasil hobbled out after them and aimed the shotgun directly into the slouched over body's face, "Now who needs two weeks…"
The second shotgun blast caused Niko to flinch.
Karen turned away and gagged, it was not something she was prepared to witness.
Vasil tripped over his own feet and barely caught himself as he fell into the wall next to the dead person. Blood ran like a river down his arm from a knife that was embedded to the hilt in his upper arm. His breathing was extremely labored, and he turned toward them when he thought he heard footsteps, his grip failing on the combat shotgun. He sank to his knees when his legs gave out.
Niko rushed forward to help. Bruises, red marks, cuts, one of Vasil's eyes was rapidly swelling shut, "What… How?" He lowered down next to him and began to inspect the stab wound. Injuries that would have weakened him rapidly in a fight littered Vasil.
"There-There lies th-the corpse of," Vasil sucked in air and swayed as the adrenaline finally wore off,
"Alexi Mikhailov."
Very weakly he lifted his hand and pointed to the body on the ground next to him.
Niko froze and leaned around his man to get his first true glimpse of the person he wanted dead more than anything else in the universe. The face was completely shredded and gone, but the right style of jacket was rapidly soaking up blood and brain matter. Faded tattoos covered the fingers he could see from their awkward resting place outside of the jacket sleeves.
Karen moved into his line of sight and squatted down to get a better look, "Not much to go on for identification…"
"Sorry about the rage ki-kill." Vasil began to struggle to get air into his lungs, "He freed the chick and B-Boris."
"Save your strength. Lucas can you run ahead and find someone who can help Vasil? Maybe get a stretcher so we can transport Vasil easier?" Niko winced when he ripped some of the torn apart sleeve off to help put pressure on a wound. Everywhere he looked there was another injury, another open wound, just how badly was he beaten before getting a lucky shot off at an armed Alexi?! His eyes darted to the assault rifle close to Alexi's hand and saw the magazine missing.
"Yes Pakhan…" Lucas ran back down the hall and around the corner in the direction of their medical rooms.
"Niko… if this is…?" Karen tilted her head to the side as if it would help her visualize Alexi's face over the carnage. She had seen a couple of images on the computer during her briefing on the plane, but otherwise had nothing else to go off of to identify him. It would be damn near impossible to report back to her boss that Alexi was dead from taking a picture of what was in front of her.
"Wha… What do you me-mean if?!" Vasil did his best to glare at the female at Niko's side. He had taken on the assignment given by his Pakhan and killed the wanted man. He had been beaten severely and was currently ready to pass out from blood loss after fighting tooth and nail to stay alive. For her to insult him in such a way sent a surge of energy through him and he attempted to stand up to defend his honor.
"Easy. She did not mean it in disrespect." Niko gently directed Vasil back down into a seated position, "Alexi is wanted by other federal agencies and countries. She is IAA and is only thinking about protocols and what the next steps will be to let other groups know he is gone. People are going to demand proof." He darted a warning glare at Karen to watch what she said.
'If he really is dead… There can be peace…'
Realization dawned on him, and he sank back heavily on his calves. The threat was over. There should be no one else after him or his family.
Kate would finally be safe, protected- could live a life with him and no longer hide in fear. They could be…
'Free…'
"Pakhan!" Aleksei ran down the hall, "Are you hurt? Is everyone okay?!" Lucas hadn't given much, and it was difficult to understand what he was asking for as the poor kid rambled on, getting red in the face with how flustered he was. They had nearly collided with him in the hall on their way to the medical wing. Georgi looked torn on where to go, but Aleksei had reminded him of what Niko had asked of them. Once he understood what Lucas was asked to do he sent him with Georgi to get a stretcher.
"Vasil needs medical attention and rest. He has earned it." Niko shifted to give Aleksei room to help pick up their injured comrade. Together they lifted the panting Vasil, careful of where they placed their hands on his body.
"Who is the dead one?" Aleksei crumpled his nose at the grisly sight… Until he spotted the higher-ranking patch on the Albanian riding jacket, "No…"
"Vasil shot Alexi in the face." Niko took a step forward and paused when Vasil hissed in pain.
"Pakhan. Leave me here and sen-send someone with a stretcher. Go be wit-with your family…" Vasil whispered and hung his head between his boss and captain. He was tired and the light was fading in and out. He just wanted to close his eyes and succumb to the numbing pain.
"I will not leave you behind." Niko locked eyes with Aleksei and communicated that they needed to hurry before he bled out in the hallway on the way to get help. Which was not an option in his book. He owed this man everything and he would do anything within his power to help him.
"Thank you Pakhan." Vasil let his eyes slide closed and let go of his weight, passing out knowing he would be taken care of and would wake up some time later patched up and ready to go.
"Come on Karen. Might need you to hold the doors open as we go. And we can not let it slip that Alexi is dead. I will need to contact a couple of people first before the news spreads." Niko jerked his head to the side when he looked down to where Karen was still studying the corpse.
"Yeah…" She frowned as her thoughts wanted to run away from her. Everything felt wrong. Like some kind of anticlimactic end to a movie or show. She would wait around and see for herself that Kate was alive and well before heading back to headquarters to report in. FIB, Interpol, and even IAA would salivate knowing someone on their wanted list was finally dead.
"Is… Is it safe?" A small, tiny, and scared voice floated to everyone from the broken double doors to the living room. Terrified chocolate brown eyes watered as he looked between everyone in the hall- Till he recognized Aleksei.
"Lova! What are you doing out here?! Where is your mother?" Aleksei shifted Vasil over to Niko when the small child rushed forward to him and into his arms, "Are you hurt?"
Lova buried himself in his father's friend's arms, "Kay-sei! I wanted to check on KayKay, my new friend. She is sick!" His little hands balled into the thick material of Aleksei's jacket, holding on for dear life.
"KayKay? Who is that? Look at me Lova." Aleksei gently pulled Anton's son off of him and forced him to lock eyes. He could feel and see the shaking and figured the poor kid had seen what had happened to Alexi.
"She has red hair like my firetruck. She got sick. Fell to the floor and had red stuff on her face. She is nice and papa had to help her, and I wanted to stay. Because I like her." The four-year-old fought hard to not let the tears fall but he was beyond scared and worried about his friend. A grunt to his side had him looking up to another man who was holding one of his dad's friends.
"He might be talking about Kate." Aleksei started to talk and glanced up at his boss before Lova jumped slightly and patted his shoulders.
"That's her name!" Lova attempted to smile but grew worried when the unknown person frowned.
"You wish to see your new friend? Follow us and take this other nice lady's hand please. Karen can you hold Lova's hand as we head to the medical wing?" Niko felt his insides knot up with the description Lova had given of Kate. He was imagining her collapsing, blood spilling all over the place, her heart stopping… The light leaving her eyes- 'STOP! Just… I need to see her.'
"Uhh… Sure?" Karen did her best to interpret what was being said, but their Russian was extremely fast, and it was like picking pieces to a puzzle out of thin air. Then Niko switched to English and asked her to hold this kid's hand? Shoot outs, being a spy, hand to hand combat she could handle. But kids? Small humans? Trepidation washed over her and she hesitantly looked down into his hopeful eyes as the child approached her. 'Eh. He's a cute kid. Plus it's not like I'm being asked to take care of him…'
"Then we move out. What was the report from Anton? Did Georgi make it to Kate and Kenny?" Niko accepted Aleksei's help and together they half carried, half dragged their passed out comrade down the hall and toward medical help. He looked over his shoulder when Lova took Karen's hand and watched as she turned his face away from the dead body. He said a silent prayer that the kid didn't witness the fatal shot.
"Anton was ahead of us when we ran into Lucas. I sent Georgi to guard your family, and asked Lucas to get whatever it was you told him to get. I have not heard the casualty count. Or had a chance to assess the damage to the compound. Normally Vasil and Boris run the cameras and automatic locks to the main entrances. I'm sure it was a complete ambush." Aleksei huffed at their current situation. Clearly everyone had been taken by surprise while Pakhan, Georgi, and himself were down in Hove.
"If you don't mind me interjecting?" Karen spoke up from her position behind them. Something kept nagging her and if she didn't voice her concerns, it was going to eat her alive.
"Go ahead." Niko waved at Lucas to hurry it up when they turned down another hall and spotted him pushing a hospital bed in their direction.
"Who all knew you'd be out of the compound? If Alexi was gunning for you, wouldn't it make sense he'd want you here?" She squeezed Lova's hand when he started to swing their arms back and forth, "It could just be sheer dumb luck. Or he knew and was going after Kate first. I am still somewhat out of the loop of everything that is going on." She bit her bottom lip when Niko and Aleksei came to a complete stop and looked toward one another.
"Strange he would create a full-on assault on the complex without his main target here." Aleksei mused as he helped lower Vasil down on the sheet covered gurney.
"His female was being held here. And Vasil said he let her and Boris free. Boris is a small concern now, but I know that the female is probably on the run and doing everything she can to disappear. She gave me the impression that she'd be happy if Alexi is dead." Niko drummed his slightly bloodied fingers on the railing of the hospital bed, "Karen can you stick around and sit in a meeting once we all recover and figure out what just happened?"
"Yes. Might answer some of my questions and help me know what to tell my boss." She slowed her pace behind everyone when Lova pulled on her arm. He looked exhausted and like he was going to pass out on her.
"Lova come here." Aleksei lifted the boy up and let him drop his head to his shoulder, "Push the bed with Niko and Lucas. I can take care of Lova."
"Thanks." She nodded her head and took the out for what it was. Maybe she looked uncomfortable around the kid, and it was only slightly embarrassing they had picked up on it. Silently they rolled Vasil down the various halls, having to avoid a body here and there, discarded weapons, and random damage done to the floors and walls. The hardwoods creaked and groaned and gave the place a spooky feeling.
Murmuring and hushed conversations in Russian greeted their ears as they entered the wider hallway that led to the makeshift hospital. At the sight of Niko people bowed their heads and shifted back toward the walls to give him space. Eyes remained lowered, hats were removed, fists lifted to their hearts with their salute. Silence filled the hall and it weighed heavily on Niko's shoulders.
Why was everyone looking solemn and like they held regret in their souls? Niko shifted his eyes from one side of the hall to the other to try and figure out why all these people were crowded down by the medical staff. No one looked like they were grievously injured, only scuffed up or rattled. It caused his hackles to rise. He spotted Anton sitting on the floor outside the main operation room with a blank look on his face. A streak of blood outlined his jaw and had dried in his stubble.
A couple of men in full scrubs opened the doors and hurriedly walked up to them to take Vasil to the doctor. Niko released the railing he had a death grip on and watched as they wheeled him into the room he had yet to see. Brief, barking commands glided into the hall before the doors shut the sound away.
Georgi shuffled out of the doors a second later, hands covering his face that was tilted toward the ceiling. He scrubbed them heavily over his eyes before dropping his head forward and noticing Niko for the first time.
"Pakhan…" Georgi's voice held a strange quiver to it, and it took the wind right out of Niko.
"Who…? Please- Not. I can't." Niko's vision darkened as his chest squeezed. Every nightmarish scenario of Kate's death blurred through his mind. His hands shook. His feet wanted to fail him. He didn't even register Karen's hand that landed on his arm. Or that Aleksei was trying to keep him upright and hold Lova at the same time.
'No… This is not happening.'
"Niko. Just go slow. Georgi go with him." Anton weakly rose to his feet and approached his boss and took his son from his fellow captain. He couldn't find the strength to meet Niko's eyes. He had been tasked with protecting the compound. Put in charge temporarily. And look what happened…
Karen firmed her hand over his arm before letting go. While nothing had been verbalized, the body languages, the depressing nature of the people around her let her believe someone had died. Someone of importance since they had passed numerous dead bodies on their way through the compound. What she wasn't prepared for was for Niko to hand her his rifle and side arm. Her eyes darted up to meet his stare and nearly recoiled at the sheer anguish she saw there.
"Do not let me near those till Georgi says it's okay." Niko whispered the words and willed his body to move. With the way all of his men refused to look him in the eye… It had to be Kate. His heart and soul were breaking inside of him. With each step forward he could feel a stabbing sensation rock his chest. He knew it wasn't physically possible but the floors felt like murky mud and were dragging him back from the entrance.
Georgi opened the door and bowed his head waiting for Niko to enter before him. Dread, fear, remorse coated his body and he locked his knees to stay upright when Niko's boots enter his line of sight. They had all epically failed.
"Stay by my side. I will not be… strong enough." Niko whispered in Russian to Georgi and clasped his second's shoulder. He would need the support and someone he deemed as friend to stand with him as he looked upon her still face. Georgi's tear filled eyes lifted for a brief moment before dropping down to the floor in confirmation that he would remain at his side.
"The doc will explain what he can…" Georgi took a steadying breath and followed his boss' shadow into the hospital wing of Kenny's compound.
Niko could only manage a few steps before stumbling forward when his eyes landed on her pale complexion. The once rosy hue that dusted her cheeks that morning was missing, but the puffs of air that fogged the breathing mask jolted his dying heart into overdrive. This time his knees did give out and Georgi heaved him upright.
Wires and a multitude of IV lines webbed down below the thick, fluffy, and heavy comforter that was tucked neatly around her body. A vibrant red line caught his attention, and he followed it back to a massive machine that clicked and whirred. Several bags of blood hung from the metal hooks, and it dawned on him that she was either getting a blood transfusion or lost a ton of blood.
"Pakhan? Do you know what blood type you are? Wait- you're-!" A tall dark skinned man leaned up from repairing a severed artery from a gunshot wound on Vasil's leg, "Those organs you supplied me saved several lives." The doctor had recognized Niko from the body pick up Elizabeta arranged for him. He gestured to someone in scrubs next to him to take over.
"That's good…" Niko mumbled not bothering to do much more than stare at Kate's too still body. Her chest was barely rising and falling and a quick glance at the surrounding monitors told him her pulse was weak.
"But do you know your blood type? I'm running dangerously low and I have a female specialist on the way. Do you wish to have this conversation here or in private?" The doc walked up to Niko's side and observed the nearly empty bag of type o negative blood. It was his last reserves and he would be calling in favors soon if they couldn't find a donor.
"I… I want to say O Negative, but it's been years since I've had a check up or a need to have my blood tested. Why…?" Niko leaned forward and brushed his fingers over the hard plastic foot rail of her bed. What had happened for her to need so much blood?
"I used most of it trying to save Vanya… He um." The doc hung his head and turned slightly to the side to lay his eyes on the covered body on a metal table.
Niko followed his line of sight and felt his heart drop. One of Kenny's captains had been killed in the line of duty. On his watch…
"Georgi I am sorry for the loss…" Niko whispered not sure what else he could offer to Kenny's men. He had only known some of them for a few days, but Georgi, Anton, Aleksei- they had years of building trust, friendship, comradery… But he could relate to the pain. He lost twelve of his comrades in one go back in the wars. It was never easy in those first few days…
"Once Kate started to bleed out he refused the blood and forced the doctor to give it to her. I held his hand as he slipped into sleep before his heart stopped beating." Sergei, who was perched on a stool next to Vanya's covered body, softly explained to Niko what had happened. Vanya had claimed duty above life and followed his orders to the end. A hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up into his boss' eyes. Pain, understanding, and grief mirrored his own emotions, and he nodded in thanks for the recognition.
"He will be honored with the highest of praise…" Niko gripped Sergei's shoulder tightly trying to give support and gratitude for the sacrifice Vanya had made to save Kate- 'Wait bleed out?!'
"I can test you for blood type. Her condition depends on the blood transfusion, medicine, and what the results will be from… Well." The doc faltered and swallowed hard when Niko's eyes pinned him in place.
"Results?" He lifted his eyebrow and went on taking his jacket off and rolling up his sleeve. If Kate needed his blood he would give every single drop in his body to her.
"Once I got her heart stable and we were in the clear that she wouldn't have another cardiac arrest… She started to bleed. Slowly at first, then it kept coming. I called my friend who is the head of the obstetrics department for high risk pregnancies. If my fears are correct, she miscarried. My friend will do a sonogram when she gets here to confirm. I am deeply sorry." The doc watched the color drain from Niko's face and had to lurch forward to catch him with Georgi's help.
"Easy now. Breathe." The doc used his foot and rolled over a spare stool and carefully lowered Niko to sit upon it.
"How- how sure? Are you?" His hands balled into fists and he rubbed them over the scratchy material of his jeans. He had heard wrong. Had to have. There was absolutely no chance she had miscarried. The implications of that happening opened the door to much darker and worse scenarios. Had the poison done it? Was he too late in getting her the right help? Would she ever be able to…? His stomach churned and he felt the bile rise in the back of his throat.
"I'm a surgeon, and only have a glossed over knowledge. But I have seen my fair share of broken hearts and spirits." The doc reached down and held Niko's wrist checking his pulse and heartrate. Last thing he needed was another patient. The room was filling with major trauma injuries, and it felt like a frantic day in the downtown ER.
Anton cracked the door open, eyes still glued to the floor, and let a petite female into the room. She silently maneuvered around various equipment to greet her colleague, "You sounded frantic on the phone. I got here as soon as I finished my last delivery. How can I be of help?" While she spoke to her coworker, her eyes were trained on the female in the hospital bed hooked up to a blood transfusion pump. Her years of experience told her something had gone wrong.
"Suspected miscarriage. Cardiac arrest. Poisoned and physically attacked previously. I was told her symptoms were cramping, pain, and dizziness before her heart stopped. She was resuscitated via epinephrine, cpr, and shock paddles. That's all I know so far. Someone was making a call to the Holland hospital to get her notes from her stay there. I've done what I can to help… Wish it was more." The doc turned toward Vasil when one of his men shouted out for help, "Excuse me."
"Right. I'm Doctor Sparkman and I work out of the City Hall Hospital. This room is much too crowded, loud, and impersonal. Can you three help me move her some place more private?" The short female took off her winter coat, showing she was still in surgery scrubs, and was ready to help out in whatever way she could.
"We can transport her and the machines to Kenny's private medical suite." Georgi answered. Granted medical suite was selling it. It was more like an enclosed, secure, and sterile room in which Kenny would get high and be left alone. But it had plenty of plugs to keep Kate's equipment running.
"Perfect. I prefer my patients and their partners to have more of a quiet environment when dealing with tough pregnancies. Also I have a portable sonogram machine in my truck outside if one of you would be willing to go get it?" She placed her coat over the edge of Kate's bed and immediately started to prep the lines and wires for transport. Her mind was going into doctor mode, and she started making mental notes of her vitals.
"Anton, Georgi help me move Kate. Aleksei can get the machine with Karen." Niko's voice sounded void of every emotion. There was no feeling. No warmth. So many questions swirled in his head and his heart. The only thing allowing him to stay conscious was the peaceful expression on Kate's face. There were no creases of pain, winces and tightly closed eyes as discomfort lanced through her- No. She was tucked in below a warm comforter and was resting peacefully. That is what he was going to cling to.
When the last plug was removed from the wall the female doctor ushered them forward and started to step on the bed's breaks to release them, "Slowly now. I don't want her jostled too much."
Sergei dropped down from his silent vigil and pulled the doors open to allow them to move her bed out into the hall. The crowd of people had grown since Niko had disappeared into the surgery room and they all snapped to the edges of the hall to let them pass. People who had never met Niko directly, but were protected by the Petrovic name bowed their heads to him and murmured words of condolences.
"Niko!" Gordon ran down the hall toward them, completely out of breath, and held an ashen look, "What happened?!"
"Later. Please." Niko patted the leader of the Irish mob's shoulder as they passed him on their way to get Kate settled. He wasn't in the right mind space to talk business or contact whoever about the ambush. His thoughts were wholly on his girlfriend and making sure she was okay… And more importantly on the life that may have created.
"Roy is down in the street with the Yardies checking the bodies. All of them are tagged so far as LC chaptered Albanians-" Gordon started to list off what he knew when Kate's red hair caught his attention.
"Aleksei take Karen with you to get the sonogram machine. Sergei if you can lock down the compound and get Roy and whoever else is affiliated with us out of the streets. Gordon call Francis and Ron. If the news circus isn't already swarming the place, they will be soon, we could use the LCPD to keep them from snooping around. Karen go with Aleksei. He will explain. Now I do not wish to be disturbed. You've been given your orders." Karen joined him at his side and held a open mouth stare down at Kate. Niko grabbed her hand and tried to take comfort in the returned squeeze she gave him.
Karen couldn't believe her eyes. Just what in the world happened within the last couple of days?! Clearly she had much catching up to do.
"Ma'am?" Aleksei held his hand out in Karen's direction, silently asking her to join him and follow Niko's orders. With the way Niko droned on, he did not wish to stick around to see if the cold rage would break free from his boss.
Gordon tripped backwards trying to get out of the way when Niko, Georgi, and Anton started to roll Kate's bed down the hall past him. A determined looking doctor tailed behind pushing the medical equipment that was hooked up to Kate. Without even thinking he started to follow behind wanting to know what had befallen his friend.
"While you may out rank me, Pakhan out ranks you, he gave you orders." Sergei lowly spoke to Gordon as he passed him on his way to the security room. He did not like the lingering, longing stares the leader of the Irish Mob was giving his boss' woman. His friend had given his life to keep her alive and he was working on tearing down his anger and resentment. He liked Kate, enjoyed her company, but felt hollow knowing she now carried some of Vanya's precious blood on her hands.
"Yes. Call Francis and Ron." Gordon snapped out of it and pulled his cell phone out and scrolled down to Kate's brother's name. He was not looking forward to this call.
aaaaaa
"Plug that in there. Yes. And that one there." Doctor Sparkman directed Georgi and Anton on where to plug in the transfusion machine, the IV pumps, and the various other monitors and screens, "It may not be the high end delivery room back at the hospital, but it will do." She dusted her hands down the front of her scrubs and started turning on the computer screen to rerun Kate's vitals.
"Pakhan…. Forgive me. I don't even feel I have the right to ask-" Anton kept his eyes trained on the floor but snapped his jaw shut when Niko's hand landed on his shoulder.
"This is not your fault. The young boy? Lova?" Niko refused to take his eyes off the breathing mask that rested against Kate's pale face. The fog came and went with each breath, and it became his lifeline.
"My son." Anton nodded once sharply and dared to lift his chin to read his boss' expression.
"Go be with him. I believe he witnessed Vasil shoot and kill Alexi Mikhailov. Until I am ready to be away from Kate that knowledge is to stay between you, Aleksei, Karen, and now Georgi." Niko could see the stiffening of Georgi's body at the mention of Alexi being dead, "And Anton?"
"Yes Pakhan?" Anton was floored at first, then Niko's words caught up to him. His son may have witnessed a brutal murder…
"Thank you. You brought back Kate for me. I am in your debt now." This time Niko did break away from staring at the love of his life to show his appreciation for everything Anton did to care for her and help her. Sergei had told Aleksei what had happened before the line was cut off. And in turn Aleksei and Georgi both gave him rather aloof and nondescriptive accounts of what took place at the compound. It didn't take much to put two and two together.
"To give life, blood, body, and service to your will. It is our way and code. It is not hard to serve you and Высочество (Vysochestvo)." Anton thumped his fist over his heart lightly, showing that no matter what, he lived for the Bratva that gave his family a home.
"Don't let Kate ever find out what her title means in English. She hates being called Princess, and I do not think she would appreciate Highness either." Niko let a small smile curl the side of his mouth. She had explained one evening after visiting Derrick's grave with him that she only liked her eldest brother using the term. It had turned into an hour long story of how Derrick came to call her that and he just sat back and enjoyed the light in her eyes that sparkled with the fond memory.
"But go. Be with your family. I will call or have someone reach out when it's time for a table meeting." Niko firmed his grip on Anton's shoulder before releasing him. He wasn't about to deny him time with his family after everything they had been put through.
"Thank you." Anton turned on his heel and hurried his pace toward the stairs that led to his apartment.
"Is Alexi…?" Georgi waited to broach the subject. The doctor seemed preoccupied with checking all the IV lines and readjusting things on the fairly loud humming machine that he figured he might be able to get an answer before the doctor started talking again.
"I believe so. It's gruesome. And I thought I did a bad job at destroying Dimitri's face." Niko shuddered at the memory of putting his own shotgun slug through Rascalov's face. They fell into a heavy silence. While he wanted to feel relief and joy over having his enemy gone… Kate was not awake or stable to share in it. Just seeing her not moving, not even in her sleep, felt scary. How bad off was she?
"Do you wish for me to stay Pakhan? This is a rather intimate and private time for you two. As much as I want to stay and know everything is alright… I feel like you shouldn't be alone. While at the same time knowing this is probably not my place." Georgi turned when the door opened, and Karen and Aleksei rolled in another cart with various wands and handles for the sonogram machine.
"Ah wonderful! Just plug in that large plug over there in that socket with the red faceplate. It'll need more power to run with everything else hooked up in here." Sparkman pointed where to get the machine plugged in at, smiling when Aleksei took it from Karen's hand to reach the higher wall socket.
"Aleksei, Karen? Go protect the corpse. Find a place we can store it for identification purposes later. Maybe see if he has any medical records you can pull through the IAA. I need definitive proof to give to those who need it." Niko sighed heavily knowing he still had a role to fill and a job to keep up with. He was growing tired and stressed by the minute and if the doc wouldn't stop stalling, in his opinion, he'd be able to start processing everything better. Without missing a beat Karen and Aleksei left the room, Karen taking his hand and giving a caring squeeze on her way out the door.
"Niko?" Georgi waited till the door closed and turned to face his boss.
"Just outside the door. I will… I don't know. Don't go far." Niko glanced out the corner of his eye to his second and loathed how his emotions and soul were trying to claw their way out of him and flood the room. He was not one for showing emotions and being open with those around him. He had shown more openings and ways to hurt him in the last twenty four hours than he had in his entire life.
"I am here for you and Kate. I am not religious, but I will pray." Georgi cuffed the back of Niko's neck and firmed his fingers in a show of affection, trust, care- whatever he wanted to label it. His heart would remain in the room with his boss and his boss' future wife.
"From what I gather. We believe she is pregnant, not confirmed, and the bleeding is from a possible miscarriage?" The doctor pulled the sonogram cart around to the side of the bed that wasn't crowded with other medical machines.
"Yes Doctor Sparkman. Her bloodwork at the hospital was inconclusive." Niko forced himself to stay calm and not let his voice come out hoarse or angry. The doctor did not deserve any hostility or undue stress.
"Please. Call me Witney. If I have your consent, can I ask a couple of questions before I get started?" The monitor on the sonogram flickered to life when she pressed a couple of switches.
"Yes." Niko moved forward when she pointed to a metal folding chair in the corner of the room. He was not ready to sit down. Not with how cagey and- and scared he felt.
"Are you to be assumed as the father?"
"Yes." His lip twitched at the implication it was someone else.
"Are you two partners and are actively trying to get pregnant?" She looked up when he hesitated, "I don't need a long-winded answer."
"We've been dating and active. But she was, well is, on birth control." 'Okay maybe the chair isn't such a bad idea…'
"Odd. I don't see… Oh. Implant. I will have to take that out either way." Her eyes scanned through the charts and test results that had been sent to her inbox, "Okay. I am going to attempt to confirm her pregnancy with a simple sonogram first. Hopefully we will be able to see something without having to get invasive. Would you like to join me to see the monitor or just have me tell you what I find?"
"If it's alright I can sit next to you. Can I hold her hand?" Niko went and picked up the folding chair and opened it up next to the doctor's stool. He had no idea what they were going to see or how any of this worked, but one thing he had been longing to do since laying eyes on her, was touch her.
"Of course. Let me just…" Witney shifted some of the covers to expose Kate's midriff and remove the gown that had been placed on her at some point in time. She liked to think she had preformed every type of sonogram in the books, but this one would rank right up there with unusual and completely out of protocol. Satisfied she had enough uncovered to start the process she turned to explain to Niko what was going to happen- only to pause.
The man who sat next to her looked devastatingly gutted. His eyes were partially glassed over and were transfixed on her legs where some of the blood had stained her skin. In the haste to save Kate's life the other doctors and nurses must not have taken the time to clean her fully. It wasn't much, but it was enough to have the gravity of the situation crash down to earth.
"Hey. I am the best there is in this city. If your child can be saved, and she is pregnant, I will make sure everything will be okay. Do you need a moment?" Witney hesitated before placing her hand over where Niko's clutched Kate's in a death grip.
"No. No. Go ahead."
'It's going to be okay… It's going to be okay. We knew there was a possibility she could be, could not be, or she never will. This isn't a surprise. You heard Roy. You know the facts and odds. Breath.'
His breath hitched in his chest as the doctor began to apply the warm gel to Kate's flat stomach.
'I love you Kate.'
aaaaaa
Cliffy! Trust me- this chapter took me forever to get right. I have saved drafts of how bad and evil this could have been. And because my brain and heart can't agree on Kate's pregnancy… I'm going to drag it out till next chapter.
And thank you to everyone who has commented and recently found my first story and sped read it. Every comment had given me a boost of confidence to get this next chapter done. Y'all have literally made my day at times, and it is beyond appreciated and makes me feel wonderful. Thank you!
One Love!