Chapter 12: Unexpected Allies
I took another breath, but my trigger finger refused to obey, frozen in place. The warmth of Sam's body under mine as I beat him in our sparring match in the bunker hit me like a hammer blow. His smirk and witty banter smashed at my defences.
Damn it. No. Focus. This had to happen.
It should be simple. Squeeze the trigger, like I'd done so many other times without hesitation. Why was it so hard now? Just another kill.
I breathed out when I could no longer hold it. My scope wavered, like a boat on rolling waves. Sam shot at something below him, unaware he was is my sights. I refocused, set my jaw, brushed my finger over the trigger again. Come on!
Pavel's voice blasted through the radio, making my heart jolt. "Natasha, where the fuck are you? We need cover!"
I locked my eyes on Sam as he spun around to face me. I let the scope fall away as his eyes narrowed on me. Pavel yelled through the radio again, but I didn't hear what he said.
Sam watched me for what seemed like an eternity, eyes flicking between me and my Kalash. Did he know I was there to kill him? It was the logical answer. He knew we wanted to kill Tom and Tom was his way home. That made us enemies, but he returned to save my life and assist me in fighting Tom's men in the swamp. It was all kinds of fucked up, and it messed with my head. I had no idea what to do, but my body acted on its own. My arms dropped suddenly like lead, and I couldn't hold their weight.
Sam held my gaze a moment longer, and I had a feeling he understood the choice I had made. His brow furrowed briefly before flicking past me, and I sensed Grigor looming behind me. Slowly, I turned my head and, as expected, the large man speared me with a hostile glare. Behind him, Ivan slumped over with a river of blood spreading over his chest.
"Well, we all know what happens next." Grigor snarled a moment before raising his Kalash and firing a quick burst at Sam.
My heart stuttered as I whirled around just as Sam dropped into the gap between the containers.
Shit. I scrambled to follow him.
"You won't get away with it this time!" Grigor bellowed after me as I slipped down between the containers.
Probably not.
I sprinted through the containers in the direction Sam had gone, spotting him disappearing around a corner. Grigor thudded down behind me as I pushed on. Of course, he would follow, making this harder than it should be. I had to lose him somehow. I darted around the corner, but Sam was nowhere to be found. Where did he go? Losing Grigor would be difficult, and seconds later, he pursued me with a murderous rage. He raised his Kalash, ready to shoot me.
Fuck. He was going to shoot me! I knew he was angry with me, but damn, I didn't expect he'd go straight to kill mode.
His bullets hit the metal walls of the containers as I quickly darted into a side passage. After a moment, I realised it took me back towards Tom's machine gun, but Grigor was on my heels. Maybe I could lose him there, but I had lost track of Sam entirely. I would have to deal with my tail before I could find him again.
Fine. If he wanted to fight, I'd give him a fight. I glanced over my shoulder to see how close he was and ran headlong into Dima, who was coming the other direction. My eyes widened. I thought he was dead.
Momentarily forgetting why I was running, I stopped in front of him as he gave me a perplexed expression. "Where the hell have you been?"
"I got jumped by their guys and smashed my radio." He answered with a frustrated growl.
Grigor flew around the corner. Oh right, running. I pushed past Dima before he could ask.
"Dima! Stop her!" Grigor shouted as he ran.
"Stay out of this, Dima!" I called over my shoulder without looking back. I could only imagine what the poor guy must be thinking.
More bullets. One skimmed my heel and a hot, burning pain leaped across my foot, making me stumble and grunt. No, I had to keep going, even as I felt hot, sticky blood oozing from the fresh wound. The gun was just ahead, but two large shrimp ambled another corner ahead and I screamed to a halt.
Oh, shit!
They shrieked as they saw me, lashing their claws. I hit them with a quick burst, but it only seemed to irritate them. One lunged at me and I ducked its swipe, shooting again at its underbelly. It screamed, blood spattering the ground. The second one advanced towards me, and I retaliated by smashing its ugly face with my Kalash as I ran out of ammo.
And because two shrimp and a pissed off gunman on my heels weren't enough, a fugly grabbed my arm as I wrestled with the shrimp, with two more behind it. Where the fuck had they come from? I smashed the fugly in the face, sending it flying back into the others, all three of them sprawling in a writhing heap.
It was then that Grigor and Dima caught up to me. They paused to watch me struggling with the crowd of mutants.
"What is going on? Why are we chasing her?" Dima asked Grigor, out of breath, as I switched to my revolver and continued shooting.
Grigor didn't get the chance to respond as the narrow gap we were in suddenly erupted in a flash of grey smoke. Gasping for breath, my eyes burned, unable to see. Somehow, I narrowly avoided a claw to the face. The shrimp closest to me exploded, showering me with its bloody fragments.
"Up here. This place is crawling with mutants." Said a familiar American voice above me.
Not questioning his presence, I climbed onto the shrimp carcass and used it as a launching pad to reach for Sam's hand. Grigor rushed forward and bullets slammed into the spot I had just been. One ricocheted into my calf. I yelped and fell to my knees as Sam pulled me over the edge.
Grigor's voice crackled through the radio. "That American is still alive, and Natasha is helping him."
My eyes flared. The remaining members of my clan would now come for us. I gritted my teeth against the intense pain of the bullet embedded in my leg as blood seeped from the wound. I breathed through the pain, forcing myself to stand with Sam's help. He flashed me an unreadable expression.
"We need to get off these containers." I said through clenched teeth.
"The mutants."
"I would take all the mutants over Viktor and his Draganov, and he's not the only sniper."
As if in response to my words, Andrei stepped to the edge of a nearby container and lined up a shot.
"Sam!" I cannoned into him just as Andrei fired.
We sprawled across the container towards the edge and Sam grabbed me before I could fall over. I quickly steadied myself, shooting Andrei from my semi-prone position, hitting his shoulder. He grunted and lurched back while we hurried to the opposite end and dropped into the open area below. The control tower loomed ahead.
My leg collapsed under me as I landed and I cried out in pain. Sam pulled me to my feet and urged me towards the control tower before blasting a fugly with his shotgun, turning its head into a red mist.
Andrei appeared at the top of the containers and Sam threw another smoke grenade. "Go now!"
I didn't need telling. Burning pain shot up my leg as I sprinted across the open compound, adrenaline keeping me upright, Sam on my heels. I expected to be shot, but the smoke hid our escape. Before the tower, my eyes caught shrimp moving towards me, but I raced up the metal stairs, ignoring them. Chest heaving, I halted at the door.
"Come and get it, you fucker!" That voice. Unbridled fury rose, and I moved to the door just as bullets ripped through the thin metal, forcing me back against the wall. As they stopped, I moved forward again, only to be held back by Sam's powerful arm. I speared him with a glare.
"Don't be stupid." He said, pushing me back and taking my place by the door.
"But he's in there." I growled, fighting his grip on my shoulder.
"Yeah, and he'll rip you apart before you get anywhere. Let him run out of rounds."
As he spoke, another torrent blasted the door. My desire to get in there was strong, but Sam's words were like water over a fire, tempering the heat.
He met my glare over his shoulder, his eyes steady. "We'll get him." He squeezed my shoulder gently before letting go. My breath caught, and my skin tingled where he touched me, very aware of how close he was. I heaved a sigh. Fine.
We waited several seconds after the barrage stopped and Sam nodded to me. I rushed forward, but he barred me again. "Wait." He shoved the door open while holding me back, his gun preceding him into the room.
"Fine, I surrender!" Klim yelled. "So, you cornered me, you fucker. Like a beast in a cage."
I fought Sam's hold and pushed past him, glaring at the asshole who had caused us so much trouble. Although slumped against the console like a sack of shit, he didn't look so dangerous. "You are a fucking beast!" I yelled, my rage returning.
We both pointed our weapons at him until he dropped his Kalash at his feet. Sam moved across the room and grabbed it. "But you must be judged like a criminal. Where I come from, the mutineers hang."
Rage burned hot in my stomach, overpowering everything, but I couldn't move, my feet like lead weights. The ugly piece of shit narrowed his dark eyes on me, but still I couldn't move away from the door. I should do everything he did to Senya. I should hurt him in any way I could, but a memory hit me like a sledgehammer holding me in place. Sam was speaking into his radio, and someone had answered him, Tom maybe, but the memory consumed me, blocking everything else out.
Viktor, Grigor, Simon and I were searching the ruins surrounding the port a few days after Senya and Mikhail had stopped reporting in. I had been a ball of rage and fear the entire time, and Viktor had almost stopped me from going with them. But I had fought him until he agreed.
The ruins near the outpost where Senya and Mikhail monitored the port were as familiar as our own land. However, I was unprepared for what awaited us there. Amidst the rubble of two buildings, five wooden structures, each taller than two men, held gruesome packages. Five bodies, tied by the feet, grotesquely mutilated, and trussed up like carcasses at a slaughterhouse. We cautiously ventured closer.
Four of them we didn't know, bandits from other clans. The fifth one, we did. We knew him very well. For me, intimately. I had stared at Senya's mutilated body, the last image I would have of him, for what seemed like hours, until weakness buckled my knees and I screamed in rage, my world crumbling around me. Viktor dragged me away, and I fought him, demanding him to let me go, while Grigor and Simon cut Senya down. They burned his body, while Viktor dragged me screaming, back to the swamp.
A large piece of me had died that day. He had been everything. More than a mentor; a friend, a lover. He disciplined me when I needed it, made me better, stronger, tougher, more prepared for this hellhole of a world. He made me who I was.
Three years after his death, and it hadn't gotten any easier. The intense emotions of anger, fear, and desperation overwhelmed me, and I struggled to maintain my composure. This was not the time. He'd taught me better than this. I had to keep it together, or we were dead. We still had to deal with Klim.
He was moving for Sam while he opened the gates for the Mayflower. A loud buzzing filled the air as the Mayflower edged away from its berth.
Klim had retrieved an axe from the wall and was moving up behind Sam.
Fuck. I should have been paying attention.
"Sam, behind you!" As I aimed at Klim, my trembling hand caused the bullet to veer off course, striking him in the shoulder instead of the intended head shot.
Sam wheeled around, using his Kalash as a club, smashing Klim over the head. They wrestled with their weapons locked together, fighting for dominance in a test of strength. Klim was larger than Sam, but Sam was strong and pushed him back. I raised my revolver again, ready for the head shot I had missed before, but Klim kicked out at me while grappling with Sam. I stumbled back, hitting the wall behind me and sending my shot wide. It bounced off the console and smashed the window.
Sam quickly hammered the axe away as Klim stumbled, distracted. I shook off the pain and leveled my gun at Klim. He spun at me, slashing the axe towards the revolver. The axe handle struck my arm, and I cried out, dropping the gun. He raised the axe again, and I ducked its blow, narrowly avoiding its blade. It scratched a furrow into the wall where my head had been, sparks flying. I pulled my knife as Sam came at him from behind, striking hard. Klim turned his attention on him. He raised the axe above his head, but Sam deflected the powerful blow with his Kalash with a loud crack. They pushed against each other again, and I rushed forward with my knife, stabbing Klim through the ribs. He roared and spun on me, smashing the axe handle into my head. I crumpled in a heap on the floor, vision darkening.
When I come back to myself, head spinning and stomach churning, Sam lunged towards Klim. He slammed the burly man against the console, but Klim grabbed him in a grapple hold. The sharp edge of a knife blade glinted in Klim's hand and he drove it deep into Sam's abdomen. I screamed as Sam staggered back, clenching the wound with one hand. Klim turned to face me then, his next target, but Sam punched him in the face. Rage and adrenaline filled me, driving me on despite the splitting ache in my head. I inhaled a shaking breath, retrieving my knife from the floor. I will kill that bastard for everything he has done and savour every moment. For Senya, for Mikhail, for Oleg. And for all the others he'd ever hurt. For trying to kill me and Sam. No fucking more.
Breathing past a wave of nausea, I stumbled towards the fighting men with my knife raised, ready to end this. I clenched it in my fist and drew it back to strike, but froze when the Mayflower loomed beyond the window.
"Hold on, Sam, I'm going to ram it!" Tom yelled through Sam's radio a moment before the submarine collided with the tower. A great tremor ran through the floor around me as the tower exploded in a mess of shattered glass and twisted metal. I slammed against the wall and crumpled to the floor. Disbelief engulfed me as the submarine disengaged with a deafening squeal of metal.
The collision had thrown the men apart. Sam collapsed over the ruined console amidst shattered glass. Klim doggedly climbed to his feet and lurched toward Sam before I could react. Sam rolled onto his back and with great effort, stabbed a shard of glass the size of his fist into Klim's neck. Blood spattered the floor and Klim let out a gurgling rasp as Sam shoved him towards the shattered window. In one last desperate attempt to kill Sam, Klim grabbed him.
"No!" I screamed, hurling myself across the twisted tower, scrambling to stop Sam from falling with him. I threw myself through the window, gripping Sam's vest and I hauled him back with all the energy I had left as Klim fell into the inky water below.
We sprawled on to floor, Sam leaning on me, clamping a hand over the knife wound that was bleeding heavily. I couldn't fight it any longer. Seeing his pain, his blood. His vulnerability.
Without thought, I pulled off my jacket and body armour, tugging my shirt over my head. He frowned at me, confused and surprised, as I used my knife to cut two long strips off the bottom of my shirt. "Hold that." I said, pressing the shirt to his stomach, then tying the strips together to hold the makeshift bandage in place.
He looked up at me, and I caught his eyes tracking quickly over my bare stomach before finding my face. I smirked as I shrugged back into my armour and jacket. My skin prickled with the armour's icy touch, but I would tolerate it if it meant saving Sam's life.
When I turned to him again, his gaze had a sharp edge to it. He pulled out the detonator for the bomb on the fuel rods. "Ed told me you were in on this. I almost lost my shit, but he told me not to be angry at you, that you wanted the same thing." He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth in pain. "I would say that I couldn't believe you would keep that from me, but actually I can. You lie a lot."
"So I've been told." I said with a grimace.
"I was considering going." Sam continued. "Ignoring what Tom was planning on doing so I could get home, but Ed gave me a choice. He wanted me to blow it up so Tom couldn't be a menace anywhere else." He sighed and groaned in pain, hunching over.
"And what are you going to do?" I asked, even as I dreaded the answer. Would he leave me here? "Could I maybe go with you to America?"
He shook his head. "We both know Tom won't let you on that sub."
I nodded. Of course I knew that. I just didn't want him to leave me here.
He took a few shallow breaths. Damn, he didn't look good. He met my eyes with an expression full of pain and what? Resignation?
"You're going to leave?" I gave him a pleading look, doubting that Yuri would let me go back with them. I really would be alone.
"No. You would die if I did," He said, mirroring my thoughts.
My eyes widened in surprise. "You would give up your only way home for me? Why?"
"You exiled yourself for me when you know I can still die." He held the detonator out to me. "This is for you. It means more to you than it does to me. You should do it."
I stared at him, still unable to speak. Any defences I had against my feelings for him collapsed, and I couldn't fight it. I closed my hand around his and he sucked in a breath. "Sam, we'll figure out a different way for you to get home."
He looked skeptical, but nodded. "Then I guess we'll have to learn how to trust each other."
"We have to get out of here first, and it won't be easy." I let go of his hand, taking the detonator and hobbled over to the window. The Mayflower drifted away from its berth and I waited for it to clear the buildings.
"Now, do it now! I have him locked in the bridge." Ed's voice yelled from Sam's vest.
It was time. I had wanted to see the glint of fear in Tom's eyes when I killed him, but this will have to do.
Sam struggled to stand behind me. I snaked an arm around his waist to steady him and he leaned on my shoulder. My whole body heated at the touch as I pushed the button.
A heartbeat later, an explosion taller than the tower quaked the floor under our feet, and ripped the Mayflower's hull apart in an earsplitting boom. I squinted as the angry orange fireball lit up the entire port and sent large pieces of flaming metal into the sky. Below, men still fighting in the compound scrambled for cover. I watched for several moments in silence, ears still ringing from the boom.
Letting out a slow breath, I turned to Sam, his gaze still fixed on the flames and black smoke that rose from the destroyed submarine, jaw set grimly. He was now trapped here, and we'd just killed everyone inside, including Ed. I didn't care about Tom and his followers, but I had liked Ed, and I'd killed him. He knew what he was walking into, but that didn't soften the guilt that flooded through me.
I sighed, and Sam met my eyes. He had a lost, hopeless expression that kind of mirrored what I felt. I didn't know what would happen next. The people I once considered friends were now shooting at me, filled with a desire to end my life. This wasn't what I had imagined, and it certainly didn't feel like a victory. It felt wrong.
I got something I wanted though, and he was watching me with a too pale face, reminding me we had more pressing matters. We had to get out of here, and I urgently needed to tend his wound before it killed him.
"Sam, we have to go." I said, laying a hand on his arm.
He nodded, and we started for the door. I froze as I swung it open. Yuri and Grigor stood at the bottom of the stairs, glaring at me. Behind them were several surviving members of the clan. Viktor and Andrei had their rifles trained on us from the catwalk above them.
"Sam, stay there." I warned.
He stopped without question, watching me with an unsure expression.
"Don't be stupid, Natasha." Yuri said sternly. "You can redeem yourself still. Bring him outside now."
My heart raced as I turned to stare at Sam. He met my eyes, struggling to stay standing. He sighed and shut his eyes before taking a step forward.
I put my hands on his chest, stopping him. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Let me end this. Go home."
Did I still have a home? Would they let me back? I didn't want that without Sam, anyway. "No. I will not hand you over for them to kill you."
"Look at me, I'm done anyway."
I glanced down at my blood-stained shirt tied around his abdomen. "Don't say stupid things. You're not going to die."
He shook his head, clamping a hand over the wound again, and my heart hurt for him.
Yuri bellowed from outside. "Natasha. I'm losing my patience. Either bring him out here now or be branded as a traitor and an enemy."
Sam gave me a pleading look, but I held him there.
"What happens to you if I die?" He asked, laying a hand over my arm.
My heart stuttered. The thought of his death was unbearable, and his concern for me ignited a firestorm in my stomach. "You won't. I'll take care of you." I promised.
He took in a shuddering breath, leaning on my arm for support. We were wasting time standing here, and he was slowly bleeding out.
"You have five seconds, then we are coming in there ourselves and you will die too." Yuri's words drove a knife through my heart. My own damned brother.
Fine. If he wanted it that way, he would have to earn it.
"Come on, Sam, we don't have time. I'm done arguing." I said doggedly.
He grunted. "Fine, but what do you suggest we do?"
What could we do? I glanced around quickly, my gaze settling on the shattered window. We could jump. It was probably our only option.
"Time's up!" Yuri yelled.
Shit.
I shoved the door closed and bolted it before dragging Sam towards the window. He staggered after me. Yuri hammered on the door as I peered down to the catwalk maybe fifteen feet below. It was a long jump, and it would hurt a lot, but we didn't have a choice if we wanted to live.
"Give me a grenade!" Yuri commanded in a furious voice.
We were out of options.
"Go," I urged, aiming my revolver at the door.
Sam climbed over, and after a brief hesitation, he dropped over the side. The metal door to the tower exploded off its hinges, and I rushed to follow him. I turned to meet Yuri's glare, raised my middle finger, then jumped. My hand caught a convenient flood light halfway down and I jolted to a stop. Feet dangling above the catwalk, I glanced down to find Sam pulling himself to a stiff sitting position. He glanced up at me and I let out a breath. He was alright, for now.
My turn.
With some effort, I let go, stomach lurching. My legs crumpled as I hit the catwalk, forcing a cry of pain from my lips as the bullet wound in my calf protested the fall. It momentarily overcame me and I couldn't move. Helpless, I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to subside.
"Find them!" My radio barked. "They went out the window."
Damn. We didn't have time. I growled, clenching my teeth through the pain in my legs, forcing myself to stand and hobble to Sam. I took him by the shoulder and let him lean on me, glancing down quickly to see if my makeshift bandage was holding. It would hold, but we had to find a better way.
I had no idea what to do. A deep wound like that would need stitches to stop it from bleeding, but I had nothing for that in my pack. Voices drew my attention. That was a problem for later. Right now, we had to escape my clan.
"Up there." Sam pointed to a concrete pillar on the other side of the tower.
Someone shot a few rounds at us from the other end of the catwalk. I didn't see who it was, as I refused to look. Just give Sam cover while he climbs. Nothing else mattered. The guy ducked back behind the wall when I fired back. Sam's boot slipped, and I hurried over to boost him up while keeping an eye on the wall. Sam nodded to me in thanks as he gave me his hand. Bullets peppered the concrete at my feet, and I jumped, sprawling on the ground.
As I crawled to my feet, I scanned the area. A line of warehouses hugged a twenty-foot wall we had no chance and scaling, and the compound opened up to our left. Going that way would surely lead to us getting caught. Our only option was to try the warehouses.
Gunfire nearby made me pause and flatten myself against the wall, but it wasn't for us. Yuri's guys must have found some of Klim's remaining men. Their skirmish could provide a useful distraction for our escape.
"You ready?" I asked Sam, taking in his pale face and grimace of pain. My brow furrowed with concern.
"Not sure I have a choice." He pulled his hand away from his stomach and it came away bloody. That shirt wouldn't hold out much longer. We needed to find somewhere to stop soon so I could fix it.
The warehouses were our best bet. I pulled Sam to his feet and headed to the door of the closest one. More gunfire boomed behind us. Whoever it was, was doing us a favour right now, and I wouldn't question it.
Darkness engulfed us as I shut the door behind us. My weak light barely illuminated the few feet around us, but Sam turned his on, putting mine to shame. Shelves and wooden crates, as well as machine parts and metal salvage, surrounded us. As I glanced around, a distant door opened and shut, with a metallic squeal.
Sam and I exchanged glances and killed our lights, hunkering down beside some crates.
A few moments passed in silence. The only sound was of our ragged breathing until boots scuffled on the concrete floor a few metres away from us and a light clicked on. I sighed. Give us a damned break! We couldn't risk being found. We would have to face whoever it was, quietly.
I was expecting one of my clan, but the voice that whispered through the darkness was unfamiliar. "Hoo, damn. That was close. They are going to be a problem."
"What about that sewer outlet behind these warehouses? Do you know where it goes?" A second unfamiliar voice asked.
There was a sewer nearby? Could we sneak past these guys and find it? Or I could take them out silently. I was definitely in the mood to kill someone. "Stay, here. I'm going to sneak around to get behind them." I leaned in close to Sam, whispering as quietly as I could.
"Make it quick, and don't get caught. I'm not sure how much help I'll be."
I wouldn't get caught.
Boots scraped the floor a few metres ahead of me and I slipped around another stack of crates, tracking their torch light along the wall, estimating their positions. One of them spoke again. "What do you think they wanted in the tower?"
"Who knows? Klim maybe."
"That bastard." He cleared his throat. I wrinkled my nose at the sound of a glob of saliva hitting the floor. "I wasn't expecting that at all, and definitely not an attack from up the ass! Now the sub is a flaming wreck and everyone is dead! What the fuck do we do now?"
I stalked closer, stopping at the edge of a shelf full of dusty scrap metal, peering around at them. They were standing facing each other in the middle of the warehouse, wearing leather jackets, both with shaved heads, both armed. They appeared to be Tom's men. I set my jaw. More enemies. They must have wanted to stay here, inadvertently saving their lives. For now. I had no intention of letting them continue, though.
The broad-shouldered thug with a crooked nose and a scar across his cheek was facing me. He would see me if I came at them from this angle, but maybe I could distract him so I could take out his buddy first. The shelves were full of things I could throw to get his attention, so I selected a head sized scrap of metal ready to throw.
Yuri's voice boomed outside. "Check the warehouse." He was too fucking close
.
The thugs quickly spun and rushed to the warehouse's far wall, hiding behind crates as the door opened again, their lights flicking off. Two of my former clan mates, Pavel and Alik, stalked into the warehouse, back lit by light outside. They must have found the power. Yuri followed them and, with a sharp inhale, I retreated to Sam. I wasn't ready to fight them.
Pavel continued towards the back where Tom's thugs had gone, while Alik went to the left. That left Yuri. He swept his light across the shelves and I ducked, hoping he hadn't seen me, but his footsteps grew louder. With each step, he moved with precision, his focused strides betraying his relentless search. His footsteps came to an abrupt halt, just inches away from the edge of the shelf I cowered behind, sending a shiver down my spine. Maybe he had seen me, or at least thought he had seen something.
Fuck.
Holding my breath, I backed up as quickly as I dared and ducked behind another crate just as his light skimmed over the space where I had been. He walked forward, eyes fixed on the crates, and my hand flew to my knife. Could I throw it at my brother?
Something metallic clattered towards the back of the warehouse. He spun and, after a tense moment, hurried off. I breathed out in a long, quivering exhale, my heart pounding in my chest. I let go of my knife, fingers trembling. When I was sure he was gone, I hurried back to Sam. I hoped he was alright.
Sam was sitting in the same position I'd left him, alert and holding his Stallion. I whispered to him so he wouldn't mistake me for an enemy sneaking up on him. He met my gaze, and I made my way towards him, settling down beside him.
"We have to get out of here. There's three of them, including Yuri." I broke off as I locked eyes with the two thugs at the end of the passageway. They must have taken this detour to avoid Pavel and Alik.
I instinctively raised my revolver. The thug shook his head and pointed to the warehouse's back wall. I lowered the gun, but kept my eyes fixed on them. They crept forward.
"Don't come any closer." I hissed.
Sam squinted at the two men. "Danila?"
What? He knew these guys? I frowned at him as he shifted next to me to sit up.
"Holy shit, Sam." The one closest said, stopping a few metres from us.
"I said don't come any closer." I warned again, switching to a knife, my fingers tight on the hilt.
"Easy, Nat." Sam nudged my arm toward the floor.
Danila eyed me as he edged closer. "Shit, I thought you were dead."
Sam groaned. "I still might be."
Danila winced at the blood before turning to me. "Easy there, lass, we don't want trouble. We're just trying to find a way out of here without dying."
I held my knife out in front of me, glaring at him. I had just been fighting these guys. What was I supposed to do?
"Then maybe we should help each other." Sam said, hand still on my arm. He glanced at me with an expression he probably thought was reassuring, but it did nothing to quell my nervousness.
"Are you serious? We don't know these guys beyond that they were with Tom, and in my eyes, that makes them enemies."
"Look around. The only enemies right now are your clan, and they very much want us dead."
"Your clan?" The second thug questioned, watching me suspiciously.
Yuri's voice boomed from the back wall, making us fall silent. "They're here somewhere. Find them!"
The frantic sound of boots scraping against the rough concrete grew louder. I imagined Pavel and Alik spreading out amongst the shelves, searching each of them carefully. They would eventually find us.
"We don't have time for this right now," Sam pointed out. "If we're going to get out of here, we have to work together." He turned to me pointedly. "Put that away."
Danila nodded and glanced over his shoulder at his companion. "Agreed. Pleasantries later." He closed the rest of the distance between us, his companion keeping his eyes firmly on me. They crouched beside Sam.
"We overheard you talking about a sewer nearby?" Sam asked Danila.
"Yeah, just around the corner of this warehouse, but we're not sure where it goes."
"I'll take my chances if it gets us out of here."
Danila nodded. "How do we get there, though? Your friends won't want to let us leave."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"We will have to distract them, or kill them. They'll see us as soon as we move." The other guy said.
"Go right ahead. I won't stop you if you have a death wish. Maybe you could be the distraction." I said, curling my lip. "Yuri, ah, the tall guy with the buzz cut, is the leader, and he's Spetsnaz. He will fucking kill you."
"Oh, shit." Danila's eyes widened.
Sam sighed, frowning at me. "She's right. We should try to avoid him. We'll take out one of the other guys as a diversion."
I snapped my head around, meeting his gaze with a pleading look. His eyes softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Nat, but we have no choice. One less to hunt us." He turned to Danila. "One of you has to do it. I'm in no shape to fight anyone, and well, she knows these guys. I don't want her to have to do it."
I shifted uncomfortably as my stomach buzzed with those burning butterflies again. However, it didn't make me feel better about killing them. How the hell was I going to get through this?
Danila nodded. "Oh yeah, no problem. I'll do it." He took a deep breath. "You guys head for the door."
"Can't you just distract them?" I said to Danila.
Sam put his hand on my shoulder. "Nat, they want us dead."
"I know, but-"
Danila held up his hand. "I'll see what I can do. Just go."
Sam nodded. "Be careful. These guys know what they're doing."
"So do I. I'll see you outside." He stood and crept low, back up the passageway.
Sam turned to his companion. "I guess you're with us for now."
The guy turned his grey eyes on me, unenthusiastically. "I guess."
Sam gritted his teeth as he pulled himself into a crouch and lead the way down the passageway opposite to Danila. Despite being injured, he was still efficient, and I trailed my eyes over him.
I turned to Tom's former thug. "You first. I don't want you behind me."
"I don't want you behind me, either." He shot back.
Sam hissed over his shoulder at us to shut up and follow. I waved my hand at the guy to go first, anyway. He scowled at me, but went ahead.
Crouched, we waited five metres from the door, staying in cover. When Danila had them distracted, we would have to sprint to reach it. I hoped he didn't have to kill any of them, which was absurd. They weren't giving us the same courtesy, but they had once been my friends. That wouldn't be easy to forget.
Moments passed in tense silence. I fidgeted with my knife. What was taking so long? Someone was searching through the shelves a few rows down from us, and if Danila didn't hurry, they would find us soon. Perhaps I'd have to handle them on my own. It was the last thing I wanted, but we didn't have a choice. Better to find him first. My heart pounded in my chest as I contemplated my next move. They were getting closer. Fuck. I had to do it. Who would it be? Would I have to face my brother?
A scuffle and a distressed grunt towards the back of the warehouse made me pause. Who ever it was nearby, rushed off to follow the commotion. Sam gestured us forward, and relief flooded through me as we sprinted for the door. Gunfire boomed painfully loud around the warehouse. I gritted my teeth and kept running. Sam threw the door open, and we hurried outside, only to find three more guys outside, drawn by the gunfire. I spotted Grigor at the same time he saw me. Sam and our new companion fired at him as they ran, forcing Grigor and the others into cover. I kept my eyes on Sam, refusing to look up at Grigor.
Bullets peppered the wall of the warehouse as we slipped around the corner. Too fucking close. We didn't stop until we were at the back wall and the sewer outlet came into view. Sam gestured us forward, his eyes fixed on the way we had come. Looking for Danila, I guessed, or waiting to be followed.
Danila's companion wasted no time in pulling the cover off the outlet and jumping in. Wrinkling my nose, I groaned. I was done with sewers forever.
Sam yelled at me to go as he hurried away from the corner.
Fucking hell. This had better be the last time I ended up in the sewers.
With a growl, I dropped into the darkness, finding the rusted rungs of an old ladder, and quickly climbed down. Cold water splashed around my feet and up my legs, making the collection of wounds on my calves and foot sting like fire, not helping my mood. I'd be lucky if I didn't get an infection.
Sam stopped on the rusted ladder to pull the cover back over before dropping next to me. I eyed his stomach, where blood was now seeping freely down his front. That shirt was next to useless now. How was he still standing? I hoped he could hold on a while longer.
He leaned against the damp wall, peering at the hatch.
"We have to go." I said to him. "You don't have time."
He shook his head, not looking at me. "We have to wait for Danila. We can't just leave him."
"Why not?"
"Because I will shoot you if you try to leave without him." Tom's thug curled his lip and raised his Bastard gun a little.
I whipped around to face him, leveling my revolver at him. "Go ahead and try. I'm in the mood to shoot someone."
"Stop it!" Sam snapped, scowling over his shoulder. "We're waiting for him, and we don't need anyone shooting anyone else. There's plenty who already want to do that without us adding to it ourselves."
Turning my back on them, I paced down the gloomy tunnel, shivering as the cold water soaked into the canvas of my trousers, biting at my wounds. The cold leather armour against my bare skin wasn't helping, even with my heavy jacket. I pulled my arms in closer in an attempt to conserve my body heat, without success.
"Where are you going?" Tom's thug asked in a tone that was quickly becoming annoying.
I kicked at a chunk of concrete that bounced off the wall and splashed into the wastewater. "Away from you. I don't want to see your ugly face."
"She's fun." The asshole said to Sam. I didn't bother to turn around, continuing to stare into the darkness as the same anxiety I had encountered before in those other tunnels returned. My grip on my gun tightened, and I shuffled my feet. We desperately needed to get out of here.
Sam sighed, and it echoed off the walls. "Yeah, well, she's just been kicked from her clan, and they are now trying to kill her. You'd be pretty pissed off, too."
Pissed off, that was one way to describe it. At least Sam was defending me. That kind of helped.
"Hmm, yeah. What's the deal with that?" Fugly face's voice was really pissing me off.
"None of your damned business." I growled over my shoulder.
"It kind of is if I have to be stuck with you, and it can come back to bite me in the ass like it has already."
"No one said you have to stay. Actually, I kind of wish you'd get lost already."
"Shut up, both of you!" Sam interjected again. "No one likes this. Let's just get out of here alive, yeah?"
I huffed. "I agree." Despite my growing unease, I took a few more steps into the tunnel, gazing at a smear of slime on the ceiling. "I can't fucking wait to get out of here."
Several moments passed. Five minutes? Ten? I didn't know. The darkness closed in around me; the shadows playing with the weak light of my torch. Instantly, I returned to those tunnels, alone and vulnerable, unsure if I'd ever escape the darkness as the monsters closed in. I could almost hear their chatters in the darkness beyond the bend in the tunnel. Were there rats down here too? Spiders? Fuglies? The claw wounds on my legs seemed to react to the memories, burning as if on fire. My fingers flexed on my revolver, as I stared wide eyed into the shadows expecting something to come charging out of them.
Something touched me on the shoulder and I snapped around, ready to shoot.
"Whoa, easy!" Sam held up his hands, taking a step back.
My chest heaved as I slowly lowered my gun. "Don't fucking do that."
"I wasn't expecting you to try to shoot me." He said, breathing out.
"Well, you probably should have. She's unhinged, that one." Fugly face said.
"What the fuck do you know?" I snapped.
Sam narrowed his eyes at him over his shoulder. "Not helping." He turned back to me. "Are you alright?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm a little on edge right now." My eyes returned to the dark tunnel. "Just remembering what happened last time I was down here."
He nodded. "Yeah, of course you are. It's alright though, it won't be like that this time."
Keep it together, Natasha. You're not alone. You have Sam this time. I glanced back to him to find him watching me with concern furrowing his brow. Was it for me, or did he think I was a danger like fugly face over there did?
Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I tried to work some warmth into my toes and to dispel my nervous energy. "How long are we going to wait here?" There had been no sign of Danila and, fortunately, no sign of pursuit.
Sam pressed his hand over his stomach. "I don't know how much longer we can stay here."
"We aren't leaving without Danila!" Fugly face barked.
"Feel free to go up to look for him yourself." I shot back. "I need to get the hell out of here, and Sam is barely standing."
"Well, it might interest you to know that Danila has medical supplies that you probably won't survive without." He eyed the makeshift bandage. "Or you could take your chances with whatever the hell that is."
"Why the fuck didn't you mention this before?" I said, glaring at him.
"I was a little busy trying not to get shot by your friends."
Sam hissed at us to shut up again, gazing up at the hatch. Fugly face went to argue, but concrete scraped above us. Someone was opening it. Sam and I exchanged glances. It could be Danila finally catching up, but it could also be one of Yuri's men. He nodded to me and we flicked our lights off, slipping around the bend, waiting with bated breath.
The seconds stretched out. I held my revolver in front of me, feeling Sam's shoulder brush against mine, his presence calming me. The scraping grew louder until a shaft of moonlight flooded in. I pressed myself against the wall. Please, don't let it be them. I wasn't sure if I could deal with that, because apparently, my courage had abandoned me.
Darkness engulfed us again as they quickly replaced the cover. Would Yuri's men bother to do that? I shifted with nervous energy, gripping my revolver as someone sloshed in the water towards us. They stopped, and we plunged into a deep, uncomfortable silence. I held my breath. Beside me, Sam was doing the same.
Don't be them.
"Nikita, Sam, are you down here?" They whispered uncertainly through the gloom. So his name was Nikita then. I still preferred fugly face.
Sam exhaled before leaving my side and switching his light back on.
It illuminated Danila's relieved expression. "Shit, I thought you'd gone already."
"We were thinking about it." Sam said. "What took you so long?"
Danila grunted, running a hand over his shaved head. "They fucking almost caught me. I had a shootout with them. I had to lose them in the containers and double back, and I'm pretty sure they saw me come down here, so we shouldn't stick around."
Sam nodded, and we started walking down the tunnel.
"Did you kill any of them?" I asked, dreading the answer.
Danila sighed before replying. "Yes, I'm sorry. I had no choice."
I shut my eyes, guilt burning through me. Who was it?
"What the hell are you sorry for?" Nikita cut in. "They were trying to kill you."
I let the ensuing chatter wash over me as we walked. I didn't care what they were saying. This was so damn fucked up. My friends wanted me dead. I couldn't believe it, yet the proof was right in front of me. Grigor fucking shot me! It was clear, but I couldn't understand it, and now I found myself among Tom's men, of all people. Of all the screwed up things that could happen. Killing Sam would have been easier. It's what I should have done, and I couldn't even do that. Senya had called me useless many times, and I had never believed that more than I did now.
Damn. Now I was thinking of him. I clenched my teeth. I avoided thinking about him, especially after it made me freeze up in the tower. That couldn't happen again. I had to focus on getting out of this shit hole, and after that, surviving.
Danila's voice fortunately cut through my thoughts. "This isn't the place to deal with wounds." He said. They had clearly been having a conversation I hadn't heard in my daze. "Nikita's right. I took a bunch of stuff from the armoury when we decided we wouldn't be going on the sub." He shrugged. "Figured we'd need it more. I've got medical supplies, ah, bandages, moonshine, suturing kit, that sort us stuff. As well as ammunition, grenades, spare guns and some food and water. Not much, though, not enough for all of us, and no antibiotics for infection."
"Who says we're staying together?" Nikita growled.
"No, I think we should." Danila said. "None of us stand a chance alone, not against them." He jabbed his thumb behind him.
Sam nodded. "Yeah. I don't think I'll get far without help, either."
"As soon as we get out of here, we'll stop and patch you up." He glanced at me. "Both of you."
I scowled back. "I'm fine."
Danila watched me skeptically. "Hmm, that blood on your leg says otherwise."
"And then what?" I said. "If Sam gets an infection, he's done for." If I got an infection, I was done for. Did I even care? Maybe not.
"Well, I might have a solution to that." He said thoughtfully.
"You know somewhere to get antibiotics?" Sam asked hopefully.
"Yes, well, I hope so. They definitely have them, and a doctor to go with them."
Sam and I both glanced in his direction. "They?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
"I know a group down on Russky Island, the remaining crew of a warship that got run aground. They had a full store of supplies and a medic and doctor. If we can get there, they might help us."
"They might help us?" I repeated. I understood the scarcity of trust nowadays. People didn't just help anyone that came along. My clan certainly didn't. No, my old clan. I sighed.
"We don't exactly have that many options." Sam said. "This is something."
"I wouldn't get your hopes up, though. I haven't talked to them in about ten years, but as far as I know, they're still there, and they were more compassionate that most. They might help us."
"Alright. Where is this island?" Sam asked.
"To the south. All the lowest areas were flooded, but the mountains make for a decent refuge. I believe they use the old forts there, but they're elusive. They don't want anyone knowing where they are."
"So then, how do we find them?"
"They have an outpost where they keep an eye out for anyone coming to the island from the north. They will see us before we see them."
"Oh, yeah, that sounds like a great plan." I huffed. "Walk towards the watchtower of an unknown clan where they can see us first." The thought of meeting another clan right now did not sit well with me.
"Yes, that would be a problem." Danila said. "But they use flares to signal each other, and they gave me some should I ever need to help."
Sam grunted and drew in a sharp, painful breath. "Look, Nat, I get your hesitation, but we're out of time. We have nothing else to go on."
I glanced down at his bloody hand. He was right. Without help, his survival was uncertain, and then everything would be for nothing. I finally nodded with a resigned sigh. To Russky Island then, and to an unknown clan, that may or may not help us.