Arduous

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

[Anne, 3:00, Outskirts of Moscow]

"I thought you died in the explosion!" Catherine exclaimed as she came to stand beside me, simply feet away from Adam.

"That was beautiful, by the way." Adam gestured to the smoke and fire in the middle of the city.

"Um," I interrupted before the twins could start gawking over the bomb, "shouldn't you be trying to kill us right now?"

"Kill you?" Adam cocked his head. "But the Russian Mafia is dead. Why would I want to kill you now?"

I looked to Catherine. I didn't believe Adam for one second, and it seemed Catherine didn't either.

"More like why wouldn't you want to kill us." Catherine wondered. I furrowed my eyebrows. I didn't know where she was going with this. "I mean, we killed Lucina. The love of your life is dead, because of us."

I stared, unable to keep my surprise from my face. I looked back and forth between the two siblings. Adam's face blossomed into an angry apple tree.

"Catherine..." I warned.

"You know," Catherine completely ignored me, narrowing her eyes at Adam, "she was a delicious mess, with her black hair and darkened skin aglow with blood."

I couldn't stop the tears that blurred my vision and ran down my cheeks. I lost sight of everything while I wiped the horrid tears away.

When my vision came around, it focused on a hilt coming from the heart of Catherine. I couldn't move. Neither could Catherine, her eyes on the knife that Adam now held.

Catherine's hands gripped at her chest as blood spluttered out. She fell to the ground and curled up on the ground. Her ragged breathes were the last thing I heard before I sprang at Adam.

I kicked up at Adams hand, quick as a leopard, the knife soon on the ground. My hands found their way around his neck, but before I knew it, Adam was crushing against my windpipe from on top of me.

I had never met anyone other than Catherine who could fight like this. The last person to actually make me struggle was Lucina.

"I. Will. Kill. You!" I seethed. I struggled under his weight, but managed to get my elbow to his face. He lifted just a bit off of my windpipe, and I was able to breathe.

I wrapped my legs around his torso and threw my body weight upwards. I managed to switch our positions with Adam underneath me. I punched him once before he managed to pull up a hand to cover his face.

My hands found his neck, my elbows keeping his arms immobile at the shoulders.

I wanted him dead. He hurt my best friend and now I would hurt him.

I could feel his life slipping through my fingertips, and it made me giddy to feel it.

"Let me deal with him. Zonde wants him alive." Joe's scruff voice makes me loosen my grip, but not nearly enough for him to escape.

"Anne!" Joe exclaimed. "Catherine is still alive. Let me deal with Adam and you go comfort Catherine."

A tear slipped down my cheek and fell onto Adams smirking lips. I rolled off of him and Joe was quick to make sure he didn't run.

I watched from my position on the ground as Joe smacked the hilt of his gun against Adams head. He was out like a light.

I scrambled to my feet and sprinted over to Catherine. She was propped up against a tree, barely conscious.

Her head found its way to my lap as I stroked her hair. My other hand found her wound. Her blood was still spluttering out of the wound in her chest.

"Anne," Catherine gasped, "I don't think I'm going to make it."

"You're going to live, Catherine! Joe is calling for help right this second!" I cried out.

Blood gurgled out of Catherines mouth, and I looked away. I just couldn't bare to watch Catherine hurt. I closed my eyes in anguish.

"The Russian-Canadians are on their way." Joe explained. He forced his jacket into my hands. "I'll make sure Adam doesn't escape his cuffs."

I draped the jacket over the gasping Catherine. Her breathing was ragged, but I didn't know how to help her. I had never had to help her before.

"Ca-Catherine!" I cried out. Tears escaped the blue oasis and landed on the eyelids of the beautiful but distressed face of Catherine.

A hand cupped my cheek and I cried even harder. I could barely see Catherine staring up at me. "Oh Catherine!"

"It hurts Anne, it hurts so badly, but it will be okay!" Catherine had tears of her own in her eyes.

"I know! Help is coming. You won't die. You can't die on me!"

"Everything will be okay, Anne. Trust me." Her chestnut eyes bore into mine with an intensity that I had never seen from her before. It scared me.

A screeching came along the highway as another black sedan came to a stop a few feet from us. A man in glasses exited and came towards us.

"Oh good, you didn't die in the explosion." The man said. His voice sounded very familiar and as I looked up at him, I first noticed the tattoos emerging along his neck.

"Mark?" I wondered. "What are you doing here? Wait, no. We need to get Catherine to the Base and get her some help."

Mark nodded and lifted Catherine in his arms as if she were a rag doll.

"Ah!" Catherine cried. "It hurts! Please, it hurts!"

I opened the door and Mark laid the form of Catherine on the seats. I hopped into the front seat, and before long, we were speeding along the highway the opposite way of Moscow.

I watched as another black sedan drove up to Joe and Adam. Adam was shoved into the car and it was soon behind us.

"You're a part of the Canadian Mafia?" I inquired, looking at the boy in glasses.

"Yeah? What about it?" Mark defended.

"It's just... you sold us a bomb."

"Everyone needs a hobby."

"Don't tell me..." My eyes widened as I stared at him.

Mark chuckled. "I only sell to Canadians and allies."

I relaxed in my seat as we drove over two hundred kilometres an hour. He wasn't a reckless driver like Catherine was, even at an impossible speed.

Minutes later, our car came to a screeching halt in front of an abandoned building.

Mark laid his hand upon my own and gave it a squeeze. "She'll live, Anne. Don't worry."

[Anne, 4:51, Russian-Canadian Base]

"It will be okay, Anne." Joe placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Did you see her wound, Joe?" I exclaimed. I sighed as I plopped down on the seat.

Mark entered the waiting room and I hopped off the seat, eager to hear any news of Catherine. "What's happened? Is she alright?"

Mark hung his head and that was all it took for me to break down.

"I... I can't believe it!" I bawled. "She promised me! She told me to trust her! I loved her! I still love her! She's my best friend, and my sister!"

Mark pulled me into a hug. I fell to my knees, Mark following me, keeping me in his embrace.

I cried and cried until my eyes were puffy. Even then I couldn't stop crying. I didn't stop even when the darkness of sleep overtook me.