Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
MIKHAIL
Keeping all of the instruments off as I try to land my plane on an unfamiliar access road in the middle of the night isn’t something I’d rank high on my odds to survive.
But, for Alexei, I’ll take my chances.
“Two minutes.” I pull off the headset after making my announcement to Drago.
I hope he heard me.
My wheels are almost touching down when a massive explosion goes off on the far side of the prison complex.
Orange and white flames rocket into the air before the concussive blast almost knocks me off course.
Fighting the cross force, I barely manage to control the Piper to a rolling stop.
Jumping out, I find the gap in the fence that Drago told me would be there.
At least he seems to be keeping up his end of the bargain. We’ve been over the plans a dozen times, yet there was still lingering doubt that he’d actually follow through.
The guard outfit I’m wearing doesn’t allow for free movement, tightening uncomfortably across my chest and arms as I duck into the unlocked door at the end of the concrete building.
It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light after the bright blaze of fire that lit my way here.
Relax. I’m supposed to know what I’m doing so they think I’m one of them.
Taking a deep breath, I press on, taking the right that leads me to where Alexei is supposed to be hiding.
The ground shakes with another explosion, rocking me against the wall. Screams and sirens blare through the air as a wave of dust ripples through every space.
Coughing, I step around the corner to find three men, two are huge, huddled in a defensive position.
Peering through the visor on my helmet, I manage to spy Alexei between them. Flipping up the front, I take another hard look to make sure.
Who the hell are those guys?
“Alexei? It’s me, Mikhail.” When I reach for him, the two men try to step in front.
“Mikhail!” Alexei rushes towards me, wrapping me in a fast embrace.
“You’re supposed to be alone.” I try to keep my voice down.
He shakes his head. “They’re coming with me. I’m not leaving without them.”
Fuck.
“Fine, let’s get the hell out.” Turning, I retrace my steps, leading them towards the hole in the fence.
The bigger men grunt, struggling to get through.
Yea, it was tight as shit for me too. The heavy uniform helps to not get scratched up.
When I climb into the cockpit, I let off one quick light to signal to Drago, while Alexei gets his friends loaded.
“Who are you?” I yell back.
At this point, I don’t really care, but I have to keep up charades.
“This is Ben, and his brother Sven.” Alexei points to each. “They saved my life in there.”
All their extra weight is going to make this a rough take off.
“Hold on!” I call, jamming down the throttle.
The small plane barely crests the trees when I hear the first ping of a bullet.
Right on time.
Then they start getting more rapid.
“Fuck! They’re shooting at us!” Alexei shrieks.
Another shot hits something in the engine, sparking a sputtering fire that lights up the cabin.
But one comes up through the floor, hitting me in the side.
With a groan, I try to stem the blood through the thick jacket hiding my parachute.
I can hear Alexei talking to his buddies in a hurried tone.
They better know how to jump.
The propeller sputters with another hit.
It’s time.
“Alexei? You gotta get out!” I need him out of here. I wish I could say goodbye. Knowing he’ll be going home helps. Lara needs him.
Enzo is ready to pick him up.
He’ll have to make sure they’re safe.
Within seconds, they’re all gone.
More bullets rip through the thin metal skin, one catching me in the shoulder.
Fucking hell, Drago, stop!
Fighting the yoke, I try to keep the altitude high enough that I’ll have time to deploy.
Just a few more seconds.
Heat from the fire pours through the broken glass making my eyes cloud.
I can’t hold it any longer.
Pushing out of the seat, I jump to the back, and let myself fall out the door. The rushing wind deafens me as I leap into the pitch black night.
One.
Two.
Pull!
My parachute is as dark as the sky in hopes that no one will see me.
Especially Alexei.
He needs to think I crashed.
It will be him telling everyone, I know it.
The silk has barely widened to full when I’m plummeting into the icy water of the lake. It’s like hitting a wall of concrete with my legs.
Then the shock of the cold soaks into me.
It’s only a split second before the thin emergency life preserver inflates, bobbing me to the surface.
Which direction is the land? I know this lake is big enough, I could swim for hours before finding the shore. I chose it for the size, but that long in the frigid water will kill me before I can get out.
A giant boom breaks through the dark, then a plume of fire from my crashing plane brightens the night.
There it is.
I think I can make it.
The cold works its way into my bones, but I force myself to keep going.
One more kick, one more stroke, then my toe drags across the rough bottom.
I can barely feel my feet they’re so numb with the cold.
Each step is grueling until I can drag myself out of the heat-sucking lake.
Now to figure out where the hell I am. But first, I have to warm up before the heavy frost of the night turns my soaked clothes into icicles.
I don’t even have my phone. I made sure to leave it with Enzo so I couldn’t be tracked, nor could it be compromised for all of the information on it.
The small survival kit I had in my pocket seems inadequate in my frozen fingers.
Fuck. I should have strapped on some extra clothes, too.
At a certain point though, I can only carry a certain amount, knowing I still had to fight my way to Alexei.
I hope he’s okay.
Won’t matter if I don’t get this damn fire going.
A few dry sticks, and the packet of tinder, and soon a tiny flame lights the dense forest around me.
Finally.
Shivering, it takes all of my patience to keep adding the kindling until it’s grown enough to move to the larger sticks.
Bigger and bigger, I let the blaze go until my jacket is steaming and I’m starting to get some feeling back into my limbs.
That was close.
I hate to do it, but I strip down, hanging my wet layers as close as I dare to the heat. I need to dry them out.
Wincing, I peel off my base thermal top. At least the negative temperatures are good for something. It helped to stem the flow of blood.
I’m picking the dried bits of tissue from around the worst wound when I hear a droning sound.
As it gets louder, I look around frantically, but can’t find the source of the noise.
“Mikhail.” A tiny voice comes from the sky above me. “I have Drago heading to these coordinates.” The drone drops to my field of vision, and Enzo’s tone clears. “Are you hurt?”
“Not bad. I’ll live,” I grunt.
“I’m going to guide them in. Glad you survived the crash. The plane didn’t.” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before elevating into the darkness.
That’s too bad, I liked that one.
If I can get Anastasia back, I’ll buy a new one.
It isn’t long before a heavier motor works through the trees.
A blacked out SUV appears, and a giant man with dark paint on his face climbs out.
“Mikhail? Drago.” He beats his chest before coming up, holding out his hand. “Let me help you into the truck.”
I’m still not sure if I should completely trust him, but he did get me Alexei.
If the worst that happens is he’s turning me over to my father, I’ve prepared for that.
I won’t be taken alive.