Page 79

CHAPTER 78

ALEXEI

Song, Gasoline, I Prevail

Using the trick that the Butcher taught me, I wedge the lock with a pebble, then crawl into my cot to wait.

I hate it. I’d rather be doing something, anything, than nothing.

But after counting my breaths, and losing track, I know that the time has come.

Silently, I push my barred cell open and pull it shut behind me. Keeping mostly against the rail, I’m out of direct line of sight for most of the prisoners in their beds.

When I step around the corner, I hear a sound behind me.

And run right into a wide chest.

Holy shit.

“Careful,” whispers Ben, grabbing me by the shoulders to keep me from falling backwards.

I catch a glance at Sven standing behind him.

Good.

“Let’s go.” I cut in front of them and lead them further into the west end.

Hopefully, the fun starts very soon.

We find a dark corner to huddle in and wait again.

Every second that goes by is another chance to be caught. I think I’d rather die fighting at this point than be trapped for another minute.

A low rumble is the first clue that something is happening.

Another, this one is louder.

Sirens begin to scream through the stone halls and I can hear the guards scrambling and calling to each other.

Whatever is going to happen, better happen fast. Too many uniforms running around for comfort.

A man in full riot gear steps past, then stops and backs up.

Fuck.

He raises his visor, revealing a black balaclava.

“Alexei? Thought you’d be alone.” Mikhail’s voice comes through the heavy helmet.

“You made it! Yes! Let’s go! They’re coming with me.” I grab Sven’s elbow and tug him to follow.

Mikhail looks at one towering brother, then the other.

With a deep breath, he nods, and motions us to follow him.

Creeping along the concrete walls, the alarms reverberate from every direction and make my ears hurt.

Mikhail gestures towards a single steel door and leads us through. Keeping our heads down, I can still see the orange plumes of fire from the far end of the prison building.

“They blew it up!” Ben exclaims as we run.

Dodging spotlights, Mikhail veers around a section of wall to reveal a cut fence folded open, barely big enough for him to fit through.

I slide to the other side easily enough, but I can hear low curses from the brothers as they force their way between the jagged edges of wire.

“Hurry!” Mikhail yells as he jumps into the open door of a waiting plane. The propeller starts to move and we all climb in through the side.

“We’re running heavy, hold on tight!” he yells at us from the front.

“Here.” I start handing out parachutes. I feel safer with one on, better than a seatbelt.

The heavy engine of the Kodiak rumbles into high gear when he begins the fast taxi down the short clearing. It whines as he pushes the throttle to the limit.

I think I can almost touch the trees as the aircraft lugs into the dark sky.

A plink is the first sound.

Then another.

“They’re shooting at us!” Mikhail twists the yoke making us all roll to the side with the steep turn.

More bullets pierce through the thin metal.

Sven lets out a grunt and grabs his calf. “I’m fine,” he says, sticking his finger through the new hole in his prison pants.

Another shot, and there’s a popping sound coming from the engine.

“Alexei!” Mikhail shouts. “We’re going down! Jump!”

I turn to the brothers. “Have you parachuted?”

They both nod, cinching their straps.

“Go!” Mikhail cries out, almost as if he’s in pain.

“Now or never!” Diving out through the side door, I can see the twinkling lights below us.

We have enough distance to pick a decent landing spot.

Past the rushing wind, I point to a clearing below.

Ben and Sven fall just a few yards away. They must have bailed at the same time as me.

But where’s Mikhail?

I can’t see his chute. Was he wearing one? I don’t remember seeing him with it.

The white underbelly of the plane is highlighted against the stars as fire streaks from the engine.

Fuck.

Where is he?

I’m frantic after I pull my cord, twisting in the ropes to try and look around me.

Is he still in the plane?

“Mikhail!” I scream as loud as I can, but my words are ripped away by the speed of my fall.

I’m just about to cry out again, when I see the flaming aircraft plummet from the sky and crash into a fiery ball in the distance.

No!

He had to have made it, didn’t he?

My heart lodges in my throat. I can’t see another parachute.

Surely he had one?

Oh my god.

Mikhail?

“Did he go down with the plane?” Ben asks before he even stands.

I don’t want to, but I nod.

“Shit.” Sven whistles low. “Did he get hit by one of those bullets?

I remember the painful sound in his last word.

Damn.

”Maybe. We have to get out of here. I know who to call.” I just need to find a phone. Enzo will get us.