Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Kudos and BBC. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
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“All things truly wicked start from an innocence.”
Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
The metal handcuff cut deep into the skin of her wrist and Alexa screamed as Mikhael pulled her behind him as they ran out of the cabin. The corridor was narrow, accommodating only Mikhael’s bulky form but as they moved as quickly as they could along the corridor, Mikhael suddenly cursed. He pulled Alexa in front of him, and she found herself staring at Lucas, who stood by the door that led outside to the stairs.
“Get out of the way, North,” Mikhael shouted, pointing his gun towards Lucas.
“Let her go, Mikhael,” Lucas said, his gun trained at the burly man’s head. His eyes flickered towards Alexa, seeing the bruise across her jaw and the cuts that still bled along her wrist. “She needs medical attention. You’ve tortured her long enough.”
“We all won’t be needing any attention if you don’t get out of the way, North,” Mikhael said. “We’ll be dead. There’s a bomb on the ship and we’re running out of time.”
“You lie,” Lucas said, taking another step forward but Mikhael remained where he stood. Alexa could feel Mikhael’s heart beating fast behind her, knowing that if Lucas refused to budge, they would all be dead in a matter of minutes.
“He’s telling the truth, Lucas,” Alexa said, wincing as Mikhael tightened his hold around her neck. “Please, we need to get out of here now.”
Lucas stared at her, seeing the panicked look in her eyes and he stepped backwards, onto the balcony, as Mikhael made his way forward. Alexa could smell the fear in the air now, knowing that time was running out fast.
Lucas descended down the steps but waited for them, his gun still trained on Mikhael as they ran down the steps. Just then, the cargo ship rocked and shuddered, the sound of tearing metal and the smell of sulfur filling the air. Alexa and Mikhael were thrown violently forward, and as debris rained on them, Mikhael dragged Alexa behind a row of cargo containers and covered her body with his.
For a few moments, Alexa could hear nothing even as Mikhael was yelling in her ear. The blast had been so loud that she felt she were in some sort of vacuum and all she could hear were muffled voices talking to her. She stared at him, realizing that he was speaking in Russian to her.
“They bugged the cabin, Alexa. You were right to say you didn’t know anything,” Mikhael was saying. “But the time for pretending is over. They want that disk back.”
She stared at him, realizing that behind him, the bridge where they had just been was on fire, smoke bellowing from the windows, flames licking the upper floor.
Mikhael began unlocking the cuff that bound her to him. “Bring the disk to someone you trust completely, someone at MI5, but not Lucas North. Remember he is a traitor. ”
Suddenly in the midst of the smoke, someone began shooting at them. Though they had sought cover behind a row of containers that faced the dock, they found themselves in the firing line of someone else from the dock in front of them. The first hail of bullets missed Alexa and Mikhael by mere inches, piercing the metal cargo container next to them. Mikhael pulled her away, towards the way they had come initially, where the heat from the flames was intense. But they had no choice.
As Mikhael pulled her on the opposite side of the containers, he gasped, grasping his side as another round of bullets pierced the floor around them. He stumbled, falling to the ground, just as Alexa made it behind the other side of the container tier.
She turned, seeing Mikhael laying on the ground a few feet away from her as the shooter, wherever he was, began firing a few more rounds at them, this time hitting Mikhael again. Alexa stared at Mikhael, seeing the pain contort his face. I can’t leave him out there to die, she thought just as another round of bullets rained on them. Suddenly, she ran out to get him just as Lucas, a few feet away, shouted her name.
Lucas began shooting towards the direction of the dock, buying Alexa time as she tried to pull Mikhael to safety but it was useless. The man was just too heavy for her, and as Lucas fired a few more rounds, he ran towards her and helped pull Mikhael behind the containers.
“What were you thinking?” He shouted at her but Alexa wasn’t listening. Mikhael had been shot once in the torso, and another bullet had pierced his thigh. Mikhael had been one of her torturers in Russia, but he’d also been one of her protectors, no matter how twisted the thought was.
Even after she had returned to England, safe from the monsters who had made her life a living hell for six months, she had refused any therapy to help her get through her nightmares of Mikhael and the men he served, the ones who proved to be more dangerous than Mikhael could ever be. And when it had truly mattered, he had also saved her life. And she knew then, that his cruelty, his torture, had all been part of his own act to survive.
Don’t move.
This time, she said it to him as she pushed Mikhael’s hand against his side to stem the bleeding. Beside her Lucas dialed for help, hearing Malcolm’s voice demanding to know if he was alright as his call for 999 was intercepted. All around them, chaos reigned and men were running about the ship, trying to save people who had been on the bridge when the bomb exploded.
“Remember what I said, matryoshka,” Mikhael rasped as he pushed Alexa’s hand aside when she was trying to check on the wound on his thigh. “The time for pretense is over. They are coming for you.”
“Mikhael -” Alexa began but Mikhael suddenly grabbed Alexa by the neck, pulling her down so her face was just inches from his.
“Because they wished to see too far before them. Backward they look, and backward make their way,” he whispered. He let her go and Alexa stared at him, her gaze wide. “Yes, Alexa, you know what I mean. It’s time. Do you have it?”
Alexa nodded.
“What is he saying, Alexa?” Lucas demanded.
Alexa turned her gaze towards Lucas. Her eyes blazed. “You work for Arkady, Lucas. Why the hell am I telling you anything?”
Lucas shook his head, surprised to hear the change in her voice, aware that she gazed at him with a hatred he’d never seen before. He wanted to tell her that there were things she didn’t understand but before he could start, Alexa grabbed Mikhael’s gun and pointed it at Lucas.
“Alexa, it’s not what you think,” Lucas began.
Suddenly she turned around and ran out into the open, making her way to the gangplank. Lucas leaped over Mikhael’s but the man grabbed his leg, slamming Lucas to the ground. Lucas kicked Mikhael, forcing the man to let go of his leg as hail of bullets began again.
Alexa ran down the gangplank, past men who were either running down along with her, or making their way up to the cargo ship to help. She barely saw them. She only needed to get away. And as the bullets followed her down the gang plank, she dodged and scampered, using men’s bodies as shields and nothing more. When she finally made it down onto the ground, she heard three rounds go off, though no bullets were directed towards her or hit the dock around her.
Alexa looked towards the direction of the shooter and saw Ros’ tall form standing on top of a tier of cargo containers, her gun aimed at someone at her feet. The man didn’t move.
As Ros looked towards her, their eyes met but Alexa looked away, her eyes scanning the parking lot in front of her. Ros and Lucas were of no concern for her anymore. She had to get away.
Though the fire on the ship seemed to be under control, people were either of two camps on the dock. The first camp belonged to the rescuers, while the second camp were for those who knew that work had to go on. As long as it wasn’t their ship that was on fire, they had work to do, and they went ahead and did it. Alexa found what she wanted towards the farthest end of the parking lot behind a row of warehouses on the far end of the dock.
The man stepping out of a ten-year old pick up truck was tall and large, wearing a gray uniform that said ‘Larry’ with ‘Mechanic’ beneath it on the left front pocket. Alexa approached him, tucking Mikhael’s gun behind her. He turned to look at her, his eyes widening at the sight of her bruised face, bloodied hands and bare feet.
“Will you help me?” She asked, pointing towards Lucas who was running towards her. Her voice was soft, almost child like. “I need to get away from him. I need to get away from here.”
The man’s eyes narrowed and his mouth turned into a thin line. “Did he do that to you?”
Alexa nodded. She was relieved to discover that the man had left the keys to his pick up truck still in the ignition and seeing her in her current state had distracted him. Larry, or whoever the man was wearing a uniform owned by a man named Larry, walked to the back of his truck and retrieved a tire iron.
“Would you want me to take care of him, miss?”
Alexa nodded.
As soon as he stepped within five meters from his truck, Alexa rushed to the cab and shut the door. She turned the ignitiokn and peeled out of the parking lot, seeing Lucas running towards her from the rear view mirror and Larry stopping him with the tire iron.
Alexa exited the dock just as police cars and another ambulance arrived. As she made her way towards the M25, heading back to London, she rummaged through the pile of papers and crumpled fast food wrappers on the passenger seat next to her. When her search yielded nothing but trash, she pulled the glove compartment open and saw what she needed.
Larry still used an old flip phone but to Alexa, it was perfect. It worked, that was all she needed. She punched in a few numbers and waited as someone picked up on the other line. Before Harry could say anything, Alexa spoke.
“Where’s Liam? Is he safe?”
“Alexa,” Harry exclaimed. “Liam’s with me right now. Are you alright?”
“You haven’t heard from Lucas then?” She asked. If Harry hadn’t heard from Lucas before her call, then he didn’t know what had just happened at the ship. He still did not know what Alexa had just done. He’s probably busy with Larry, Alexa thought.
“Isn’t Lucas with you?” Harry asked. In the background, Alexa could hear Malcolm’s voice. They were probably starting a trace on her, she thought.
“Lucas works for Arkady, Harry,” Alexa said. “I can’t trust him and neither should you.”
“Alexa,” Harry began. “It’s not what you think.”
“Then tell me what to think, Harry,” Alexa snapped. “You always tell me what to do, don’t you? I just saw the photographs of him and Arkady together. He’s a double agent.”
“Alexa, it’s not true. Lucas helped bring Arkady down yesterday. What you saw, whatever it was - it’s not what you think.” Harry sighed, and as Alexa waited, she could feel that Harry was trying to figure out how to say something. “Alexa, Arkady is dead.”
Alexa hung up the phone, tossing it back into the glove compartment. She gripped the steering wheel with both hands as she drove, her thoughts on what she needed to do now. She needed to go somewhere safe, where she could collect her thoughts. She was exhausted and hungry. She hadn’t had a bite to eat since that morning, not even a sip of coffee or water.
Alexa tried to focus on the road ahead of her, the late afternoon traffic building as red tail lights filled her vision. She knew she’d be stuck on the M25 if she didn’t get out of it now, giving Lucas enough time to catch up with her, if he ever got out of his situation with Larry.
She got off the M25 and began taking the side streets. Liam was safe, she thought, a wave of relief washing over her. But for now, she needed time alone. The words Mikhael spoke to her returned, echoing inside her head and she realized that she’d almost forgotten them. She’d almost fooled herself into thinking that she would never hear them again.
Because they wished to see too far before them,
Backward they look, and backward make their way.
Alexa knew what he meant. She’d always known. And as she concentrated on the road before her, the streets moving past her in a blur, Alexa knew what she had to do.
Her time being asleep was over.
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