Robert Thomas - The Bear - Red Star Rising

“Go go go,” she urged.

Danil scurried onto the floor and slammed himself into the wall. Anya followed close behind. Ahead was a closed door and an open door frame to their left. Anya pumped several bursts into the open doorway and charged inside. She was greeted by a spray of gunfire that flew out the opening, peppering the wall where Danil stood. His eyes went wide as he felt a round tear into his thigh. He dove to the floor, crossing the threshold of the opening. His leg burned like fire as it scraped across the floor. Someone on the other side of the dark room stood, extended his arms and pulled the trigger, losing everything in the clip. It was all he had left. Danil raised his rifle and cut him down in a burst.

“Anya.”

“Here.” She stood, then lowered herself to a crouch. “Check him out and see if it’s our guy. I’m going down the hall to the door.” She was out into the hall before Danil could object, or even cry in pain. Seconds later, a burst of gunfire echoed back down the hall. He felt his breath leave him again.

Several minutes passed before he felt the urge to move. His leg was throbbing. He reached down and pulled back a handful of blood, then wiped his palm across his pant leg. Danil left his rifle on the floor and crawled over to the body that was sprawled across the desk his target had been hiding behind. Danil pulled himself up to look. It was Boris. ‘Where was Anya?’ he thought. She’s been gone too long.

“So, things have not gone exactly as I planned.”

Danil turned at the unexpected voice to see a figure silhouetted by the dim light of the hallway. He took a step in, leveling a pistol in Danil’s direction.

“It’s him. We got him.”

“And that is too bad, my friend.”

“Donald, what?” Danil was confused. He turned and leaned against the wooden desk as the blood from his leg smeared across the floor. “He’s dead.”

“Well, that is one consolation,” Donald said as he walked into the room. “I’d hoped my friends would have done a better job of killing you all off. Since there’s no one in the club downstairs, I assume you are the last one left.” Donald took a step closer and picked up the assault rifle. “Now I won’t need to work around him.”

“I don’t understand.” Danil’s head was beginning to spin. “We got the caller. We got Boris.” He leaned forward resting his head in his hands. He was dizzy. Nothing was making sense.

“You got Boris,” Donald said as he smiled. “You didn’t get the caller. He was nothing but a pawn. And a rather stupid one at that.” Donald took another step forward. “Didn’t you think finding him was rather easy?”

“But the number. They saw you call it. He answered it.”

“They saw me dial a number from nothing more than a digital display. I called a number I knew would be answered.”

“But the device…”

“This?” Donald shrugged as he pulled the small black box from his pocket. “This is nothing more than a digital box I can key any number into.” The CIA agent tossed it on the floor. “It’s worthless, a child’s toy. You’ve been had.”

“What about the calls? Why are you doing this?”

“Don’t you get it? I made the calls,” Donald laughed. “I grew tired of the honorable undercover war. Everyone here was making a profit but me. I wanted , I needed some of the cash that was rolling into the country.” He took another step forward and leveled the gun at Danil’s face. “I earned it. All the years I hid in this retched place and what do I have to show for it? Not a damn thing.”

“Who is it that I just killed then?”

“Oh, he’s someone important. He’s the son of a real Russian mafia head. Unfortunately, this mafia head has no idea what’s been going on. I’ve set the wheels in motion. I’ve invested heavily in the Russian military contractors. This war will start, and I’ll get my money, and all I have to do is let the war machine do its thing.”

Danil began to shake. He was tired; exhausted. He could feel the cold beginning to settle in. This wasn’t what he thought it would be. He pulled his hand over his thigh and felt the hole in his leg. It burned, like the air that surged in and out of his lungs. He felt helpless; sick to his stomach.

“So my friend. Your time has come. I’m certain the others, whoever is left, will be hunted down once Boris’ father becomes aware of what’s happened. And that won’t take very long. I’ll make sure of that.” Donald’s grin widened as he stared at Danil. “Goodbye, my friend”

Three shots rang out above the club, an empty, rundown shell caught in the grasp of a cold Russian night.

“Fucking bastard,” Anya yelled as Donald’s lifeless body collapsed to the floor.

Anya ducked into the room at the sound of footsteps frantically climbing the stairs. She took cover behind a desk and trained her weapon on the door.

“Anya!”

“Here, Sasha!” She rose from her position letting her weapon fall as Sasha led the others inside.

“We’re all fine. Did we get him?”

“We’re clear here.” Anya looked down to Danil who lay still against the desk, then up to Boris’ lifeless body. “Oh damn,” she said under her breath as she quickly knelt down to Danil. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I got him,” Danil said weakly. “I got him.”

“And who got you?” Anya pulled apart the hole in his trouser to see the damage. It wasn’t pretty. “Someone give me a belt.” Anya worked feverishly on Danil to lessen the flow of blood, pulling the belt around his thigh. She could only hope the bullet hadn’t hit a major vessel.

“What the hell happened here?” Sasha turned the other body on the floor over and was shocked. “Donald?”

“It’s a rather long story,” Anya replied. “Danil? How do you feel?”

“I’m okay. At least my head isn’t spinning any longer.”

“Can you get to your feet?”

“With a little help, I think.”

Ivan bent down and hauled Danil to his feet practically by himself. Danil leaned against the desk and ran his blood-soaked hands across his face and through his hair.

“Oh, that’s a much better look,” Polina remarked.

“Anya. What the hell is going on?”

“We don’t have time to stand here and recount the whole story Sasha. We need to get to the car. I’ll tell you then.”

“Time to make our exit, folks. Ivan, get Danil down the steps. Polina, you’re our driver now.” Sasha waved his hand toward the door. “Anya, take the point. Let’s make sure there isn’t anyone hiding down there.”

Anya nodded and raised the PP-2000 to shoulder level. It was time to clear the road. She moved out the door to the stair and listened for… anything. Quiet. Ivan wrapped Danil’s arm around his neck, holding him up as Anya took her initial steps down the stairs. She froze at the first creak of the floor tread. Another step down as her team made the top of the stairs. She landed with a hop and trained her rifle around the club. It was empty. She waved them down emphatically.

“Hurry!”

Anya was at the door seconds later with Polina at her side. The doors were solid wood, nothing to see through. They looked at each other and Anya nodded, then leaned her shoulder into the door. The sliver of light from Moscow’s night slipped in. The street seemed quiet, the dirty snow a blanket to the world. She could see the car sitting in the shadows and it felt a thousand miles away. She waved them forward, Danil hopping on his good leg between Ivan and Sasha. Anya held the door as Polina slipped out into the street.

“Should we bring the car up?”

“Let’s just get to it. We can’t afford to stay here any longer. I don’t know if anyone heard the shooting, but I’m sure whoever got away is bringing someone back.”