Tw: Violence
This chapter will be a little dark & twisted 🤪
Alek
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My heart was hammering in my chest the instant I saw the distressed look on Julian's face.
Without giving it a second thought, I got up and followed the guys inside the house.
"What's going on? Is something wrong?" I questioned.
"I just got a call. It's not good, man."
"Just tell me what the fuck is going on, Julian." I spat out angrily, clenching my fists until my nails pierced through the skin of my palms.
"He's not dead." Julian said worriedly, pacing the floor of his office. "I just spoke with the FBI and you're not going to believe this."
"Spit it out already, for fuck sakes!" I slammed my fist against the table, bringing Julian to a halt.
"Sorry." Julian sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"The body that was found wasn't Viktor's. It. . . It wasn't even a man's body, it was a woman's."
"But the news said—"
"I know. It was all a hoax. Viktor must have paid off the news station to report a false story. The FBI is still looking into it. I can't even get Marco, the guy who was supposed to kill Viktor on the phone. It went to voicemail before, but now it says the numbers not in service."
"Do they know who the woman was?" Anthony cut in; my worries only worsening.
What if it was Anya? I haven't talked to her in a while now. If it was her, I could never forgive myself. I can't think of anyone else it could be.
"This is where it gets even more fucked up. The woman's name was Jamie Campbell. Now, after the FBI did some research, they found some information on Noah. I'm sure you know he was adopted?"
"Of course I do." Noah never talked about it much though, he said his upbringing wasn't bad in any way, but his adoptive parents moved away and left him here once he was of age. Apparently they call once a month to chat, but Noah always felt like they did just to make sure he was still breathing, not because they wanted to.
"What does this have to do with anything?" I asked.
"Noah's last name isn't technically Jensen, it's Campbell. The body that was found was Noah's biological mother."
"What? But. . . Why would. . . This doesn't make any sense. What would his biological mother have to do with any of this?" If Noah didn't even know his real parents, how would Viktor find them?
"Hey guys, everything alright?" Liam walked through the door, giving us all a concerned look.
"Yeah. Don't worry about it, Liam. You don't need to be dragged into this." Anthony spoke to Liam, his tone harsh.
"You don't have to be a part of this either, man. I didn't ask you to be here." I glared at Anthony. He can be a real fucking dick sometimes.
"I don't really have much of a choice when my husband's safety is once again on the line here. We've gone through enough shit, I don't need to be dealing with this." Anthony's frustration continued to escalate. He swallowed back half a glass of bourbon and slammed it down on the coffee table.
There I go again, always putting people in danger when it's something completely out of my control.
"Don't you fucking think I feel guilty enough? Do you think I asked for my life to be this way?"
"Guys, stop." Julian started, but I was nowhere near finished.
"I don't think you understand the amount of times I wish I could have offed myself being trapped in Russia. If I knew you guys were going to be safe from Viktor after I was dead, I would have done it a long time ago. I don't want to sit here and watch you or your partners hurting. I'm sorry this is happening, and I'm sorry you got brought into this." I sighed. "Did you ask for your ex to come back and try to murder you? Probably not. Did you ask for him to come and steal your company? I'm going to say your answer for that one is also a no."
Julian nodded and shipped on his drink before glancing over at Anthony. "He has a point, Anthony. I know you're not close with Alek like I am, but I was there to help you when Ricky came back. I'm not trying to guilt you, but we all had someone to help us during the shit times in our life, why should we let him and Noah suffer when there are things we can do to help? It's not Alek's fault his brother is off his rocker."
"And what about Mctavish? You might n—not have known what was going on at the time, but you were there for me after all that shit too. I—I don't think Alek deserves to be alone, or to have everyone's backs t—turned on him. This clearly isn't his fault, Anthony. I know you're worried, but stop blaming him." Damn, even Liam, a guy I don't even know, is standing up for me. He obviously knows what's been going on, so I can only assume Anthony has talked about it with him.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Is it an apology that you want? If so, then sorry. Is that better?" Anthony huffed in annoyance.
"Just show some fucking compassion. This isn't just about Alek, it's about Noah too. I know you care about Noah and you should care the same for the guy he's in love with." Julian said.
"Look, Anthony. . . if you really hate me this much, then as soon as this shit is done we can make sure you never have to see me again. I know you don't give a fuck about me, so do this for everyone else you care about. If running was an option to keep you all safe, I'd be long gone. He'll eventually find me, then he'll come after everyone else. This isn't going to end until he's gone."
"Fine. So what now then? We have no idea where he is, the hitman is missing and Noah's real mother is dead. Let's also not forget about the other guys Marco mentioned when we met with him. Who else is after you, and what do they want?"
"I guess it's only fair if you all know the whole story." I took a seat on a chair opposite to Anthony.
Julian filled my glass with some more bourbon and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He's the only one who knows the truth.
"It all started with Yegor Kozlov. Viktor had me join him for a meeting one day. The guy wanted to buy three hundred million dollars worth of weapons from Viktor. It was a lot of money, and even though it was an idiotic thing to do, I used that as my way to escape. After we finished the meeting and got everything arranged, I noticed one of Viktor's guys dropped their cell phone on the seat."
I closed my eyes and let the memories pull me in.
"Dinner will be brought to your room at six." Viktor walked towards his office while the two dickheads escorted me to my room.
They pushed me through the door, causing me to stumble forwards. My arms were the only thing that stopped my face from taking the impact. It hurt, but it wasn't anything compared to the other things they've done to me.
I swore at them, but they just slammed the door and left as usual.
I got up and limped to the bathroom. My knee hurt like a bitch, but all I could think about was getting on the phone with someone who could help me.
Viktor always made it seem like cameras were in the bedroom, but I've never found anything. I turned on the tap anyways, so at least my voice would be drowned out.
I didn't know why, but the first number I could think of was Julian's. I don't know how I even knew his phone number, I just thank god for my capability of remembering little things.
I placed the phone to my ear, and it rang four agonizing times before the line picked up.
"Hello?"
"Julian? Julian, is that you?" I whispered fast, pressing my ear to the bathroom door.
"That depends. Who's asking?"
"It's Alek. I. . . I need help."
"What? I can't hear you. Just wait, I need to get somewhere quiet."
I heard shuffling on the end of the line, the music fading until it was silent.
"Alright, now who is this?"
I breathed out unsteadily, speaking quietly into the phone.
"Julian, it's Alek. I don't even know how to explain this but I was kidnapped and taken to Russia. My brother, he won't let me leave. I need help. . . I need to get back home."
"Wait, what? Kidnapped? How are you calling me right now? Are you okay?"
"Yes, kidnapped. No, I'm not okay and I stole a phone. I can't waste the battery, so I need to be quick. I have a chance to get out of here in three months. Can you help me?"
"Of course. What do you need me to do?"
"I uh, I haven't gotten to that part yet." I sighed.
"Can you not call the police to help?"
"The police are the ones who helped get me here. Can't trust them."
"Alright. I might have an idea, but I will have to make a couple calls. I can text you, or you can call me back in a few hours."
"I'll call you. I have to turn the phone off after this. Thank you, Julian. You are saving my life." I ended the call and held the power button until the screen went black.
I hid the phone underneath the bathroom counter and laid back on the bed.
"So over the next three months, Julian helped me get a plan together. I don't know how he knew this guy, but he got a pilot who was willing to fly me back to the states, the only thing was that he needed money in cash before we left. I wasn't going to take anything from the sale, I just wanted to escape. . . I had no choice but to take it."
"You stole three hundred million dollars?!" Anthony's eyes went so wide, I was surprised they didn't pop out of his head.
"Not all of it. . . About half." I looked down regretfully. "I know, I know. It was stupid, but it was my only way to get home."
It was finally the day to make the trade off. The meeting was set to take place at the shipping port. I spent the day by Viktor's side, ensuring everything was ready to go. The guns were already in a shipping container waiting for us, and all that was left for us to do was drive there.
I was escorted to my room so I could change, and while I was in there, I took the time to call Julian and make sure everything was good to go.
He gave me coordinates to where the plane would be waiting for me, so I just needed to find a way to get the money and steal one of the vehicles.
In case I lost the phone, I memorized the coordinates, but also wrote them on my arm just to be safe. I cut a small hole on the inside of my suit jacket and slid the phone inside.
Before letting them know I was ready, I checked to make sure the phone wasn't visible then I knocked on the bedroom door, letting them know I was ready to leave.
The drive there we were all silent, besides Viktor who was continuously checking with his guys that everything was arranged, and that we wouldn't run into any problems.
Viktor had more guys with us than usual, plus I don't even know how many guys Yegor is going to have.
It only just started hitting me that I might not make it out of this. How the fuck am I going to steal the money, steal the car and escape everyone that is going to be chasing me down.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants and kept my head down the entire drive.
I felt like I was going to be sick once I heard Viktor say we were there.
It's now or never.
"Alright. Keep your guards up and don't for a second get distracted. I don't want to see any one of you fucking this up for me." Viktor stepped out of the vehicle, and the rest of us were right behind him.
The sky had darkened and the only light around us was from the tall light posts placed around sporadically.
I looked from left to right, counting everyone's heads. There were twenty of us, plus another three that were already here guarding the shipment.
"They are here." Viktor announced, walking through the pathway towards the shipping containers.
The group of us followed, and I did my best to memorize the path we took. It was an literal maze, but we didn't go too far in. I knew I would be able to find my way out.
I stood silently beside Viktor with my hands in my pockets, watching as Yegor and his men approached from the opposite end.
On either side of Yegor, four men each held a duffel bag.
"Yegor, good to see you." Viktor stepped forwards, holding his hand out.
Yegor walked forwards to meet him, shaking his hand firmly. "I am going to assume you were able to get all of the product ready for me?"
"Of course. Just like I said I would. I told you, I do not go back on my word. I hope this shows you we can continue to do our business together in the future."
"Well, if the product is up to my standards then yes, it would be a pleasure to continue our business. I think you and I have a very bright future ahead of us." Yegor grinned and it made me feel sick.
I still can't bare to think of what he's planning on doing with those guns.
"Hanz, show them the product." The guy nodded at Viktor and pulled open the heavy door to a red, rusting container.
Inside of it were wooden crates stacked over top of one another, filling nearly the entire container from top to bottom.
"Aleksander, you and Gavriil can count the money. Ensure it is all there before we give the product."
It took every ounce of resistance in my body to not smile. I was hoping Viktor would have me do this.
And even more perfect because Gavriil was one of the drivers, so I know he must have the keys on him.
We were handed the duffel bags to count while the others began inspecting a few of the crates.
Off to the side was a foldable table with two money counters on each end. Something Viktor does for every sale, just do be sure he isn't getting screwed over in any way.
A good ten minutes had gone by before Gavriil removed his jacket.
"Zharko." Gavriil grumbled, tossing it down between us. "nado mochit'sya."
Pretty sure he said be needed to piss.
Everything was going so perfect, I just couldn't shake the feeling that something really bad was about to happen.
While Gavriil walked behind one of the containers, I quickly knelt down and searched the jacket pockets. My hand hit something hard and much to my surprise, it was the fob to one of the SUV's.
That felt too easy.
I glanced around worriedly, shoving the fob in my pocket, then pretended to tie my shoe.
No one seemed to notice and Gavriil was sidetracked talking with another, so without ahesitation, I shoved the last of the money into the duffel bag, put the two of them over my shoulder and backed away out of sight.
As soon as I was around the corner, I ran.
It was all fine until I heard the unmistakeable sound of Viktor's voice.
"Where the fuck did he go?!"
I winced at how enraged he sounded, but I had no time to spare.
As I was getting closer to the vehicles, I pulled out the fob and began pressing the unlock button.
A pair of headlights shined brightly in front of me, and this time, nothing could stop me from smiling.
Just as I was pulling the handle of the door, I heard footsteps, then a brute force slamming me to the ground.
"Do you really think I'm going to let you get away from me?!" Viktor shouted; his fist coming into contact with my face.
The familiar metallic taste filled my mouth, and all I did was grin.
"I already have."
Mustering all of my strength, I shoved Viktor off of me until our positions changed.
I choked him with both hands until his adrenaline kicked in and he shoved me off of him.
He punched me twice, and I blocked the third with my arm.
Viktor then stood up and went to kick me, but my reflexes were faster.
As his leg was coming at me, I tackled him like a defense football player until he was back on the ground. Viktor's head landed hard against the cement and I punched him until I couldn't see if it was my blood or his on my knuckles. He tried fighting back, but I couldn't let him win. Not anymore.
"I will never let you hurt me again, you sick fuck!" I yelled, giving him one final punch to knock him out and a kick to the stomach as I stood up.
Knowing it was going to be that easy, I should have done this a long time ago.
I didn't even know I had that kind of strength.
I could hear yelling in the distance and the guys approaching me fast.
Viktor was lying on the ground unconscious, his face unrecognizable with all the blood and swelling.
Part of me was tempted to run him over and end it right then and there, but I couldn't do it. I started the vehicle and sped through the lot.
I thought I was safe, but when a bullet went flying through the back window, nearly missing my head, I almost swerved off the road.
I could see the headlights tailing closer behind me, but I stepped even harder on the gas until the lights were nowhere to be seen. I drove for half an hour until I knew I was safe, then pulled over on a side road and shut the headlights off. I quickly entered the coordinates into the NAV system, speeding off into the night.
"I made it to the plane, gave the guy the cash and he flew me here. It took a while to get back on track, but Julian helped me get my house and everything else sorted. I spent about a month trying to get myself together, then I ran into Noah at his work. I went to get flowers for Anya, my mother, and there he was." I sighed.
"I was trying to figure out a way to find him, but I didn't know where to look. . . If I could change how I got back here, I would, but I can't. Now I'm in this mess and I don't know how to fix it."
I went to grab my drink and just as I was taking a sip, someone downstairs screamed.
I dropped my glass, letting it shatter to the ground.
I followed the frantic sounds of the boys panicking; my feet coming to a halt at the entrance of the kitchen.
All I could see was a tipped over box and what looked to be blood spilt all over the floor.
"Noah, go in the living room right now." Fox was standing in front of Noah, blocking his sight.
"B—But what is it? Why is there blood? Who's blood is that?!" He panicked, pushing past Fox. "Is that hair?!" Noah gasped and dropped to the ground.
He looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
I ran over to my boy and once I saw what he was looking at, I was absolutely horrified.
On the floor laid the dismembered head of a man and a woman.
Noah backed away with wide, fearful eyes.
"No, no, no. They can't be. . . I—It's not real! It's not real!" He cried, rubbing his eyes aggressively.
I joined Noah on the ground and pulled his head to my chest.
"I'm here baby, Daddy's here." I spoke soothingly, stroking his hair with a trembling hand.
"Why would someone do this?! This is sick!" Chris exclaimed angrily, pacing the kitchen floor.
"D—Does anyone know who this is?" Fox asked hesitantly, looking down at them with tears in his eyes.
"T—They're my parents." Noah sobbed harder into my chest, clutching my shirt like a vice.