Found Again

Chapter 3

Jul's POV

Taking in a deep breath I slide in through the window. The broken glass scraping my hands lightly, the dirt staining my jeans. My backpack slightly caught on the lip of the window sill. I slide down the wall letting myself down, I can't feel the ground so I drop the few inches I was missing.

I tap the window sill letting know Alexi that the room is clear. Upstairs I can hear the gunshots and bodies dropping the faint thump, with no knowledge of which side is winning I determine that the best thing to do is hurry up and not dwell on who is making it out of here.

The room is empty, nothing but the one window we climbed through. The bare concrete walls. The dirty floor. No signs of life at all.

Thump.

Alexi drops down next to me much easier as he can reach the floor. He nods his head towards the door, I nod back moving towards it. I move and grab the handle he grabs his gun and positions himself to the side of the door. Thump. I nod again and open the door slowly, he moves out quickly surveying the hallway for anyone. With no sounds of distress, I make my way out keeping my hand on my drawn gun.

We move silently opening the other door to find an empty bathroom. Again bare and plain with no signs of life. Thump.

We move out to the last door, I pray that Nickolai is hiding behind the door. The noise upstairs is dwindling. I hope that our side is winning but this close to finding Nickolai my mind fogs with possibilities of what could be behind this door.

Alexi nods towards me as he moves to grab the doorknob. I move myself to the side of the door. When he pushes it open I move slowly with it into the room. In front of me sits a bloody, dirty man sitting in a chair hunched over with his face hiding from me.

"What come back for more." His croaky voice breaks my shock, his throat gives off the impression of it bleeding from the amount of pain.

He moves his head to look up at me. We both freeze staring into each other eyes. He breaks out in a smile while my shook remains.

The wounds I can see are endless. He sits shirtless covered in blood. Not one spot was untouched, his face purple and black. His feet were barefoot and scratched. His hands are bound behind his back painfully arching.

Shaking out of my shock I move towards his back. His back was painfully scarred, his raised skin irritated. I look away and drop my gun beside me. Alexi stands outside of the door watching for anyone. I move and grab the knife from my waist and cut the ropes binding his wrists. The red marks brought my attention adding to the list of his wounds.

He moves his hands quickly to his front to relieve the pressure. I follow his hands and grab his face trying to avoid the unavoidable bruises and cuts along his jaw and cheeks. I look into his eyes and see the bright blue now dull and dark. I lightly kiss his lips as he winces from the cuts on his lips.

"Hi." His voice croaks as he talks to me.

"Hi, now shhh. Your voice hurts my throat. Come on Alexi is waiting for us"

I get into my backpack and grab out the small first aid kit. I grab the gauze and tape, I move towards the more severe wounds that are bleeding. I wrap them as he winces every time I whisper 'sorry'.

After I get the most severe wounds out of the way, I grab out the clean clothes. I help him stand up and he unbuttons his pants. I help him pull up the sweats trying to not focus on the scars revealed and avoiding the fresh cuts on his legs. I finish that and stand fully up to carefully pull the shirt over his head. I help him pull his arms through the holes. I sit him back down as he was starting to sway.

I grab out socks and shoes and pull them on. This whole act reminds me of dressing Collette. I move towards my bag and zip it up pulling it back on over my shoulders. I give Nickolia the gun and move to grab his side. I try to not hit one of his cuts but no matter what he winces.

We move towards the door most of his weight leaning on me but he can walk for the most part. I open the door Alexi moves in front of us giving Nickolai a nod.

"One of the guys came up, it's clear upstairs. But more might be coming so we have to go. I asked them to pull our car closer. " Alexi moves towards the staircase me and Nickolai follow him.

I move my hand to his stomach feeling the lack of the muscle definition he once had. His bones were now quite visible. I help him up the stairs. One step at a time taking a break halfway through.

When we finally make it up the stairs the men have all vacated but made a pathway to the door. The dead bodies litter the ground blood seeping from each one. A few of them I recognize as our but most of them are enemies. I move Nickolai to the door to find Alexi already in the driver's seat with the back seat door open for us. I help him before hopping in next to him.

I move to take off my backpack as Alexi starts to drive away.

"The doctor is waiting for us but we still have to drive." Alexi talks to us. I nod my head as I grab the first aid kit. A few of his cuts have to bleed through and have stained his shirts.

I move his shirt up and cut off the bloodied bandages. I take an alcohol wipe and clean the wound and around it. He hisses in pain as I run the alcohol wipe over the cut. I try to move quickly as I put a gauze sheet on it. Only one is serious so I hold the gauze there changing it out when it gets full. After a few minutes the bleeding tops so I move the gauze away just putting on a bandage.

I look up at his face to find him already looking at me I give him a small smile.

"Alexi how do you test for a concussion." I break my gaze towards the front.

"I don't know why?" He looks back in the rearview mirror.

"I want to know if it's safe for him to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep." Nickolai draws my attention back to him and his voice. I need to find him some water. I move myself to the trunk looking for the bottle of water Alexi had thrown back here a few hours prior.

"Why?" Alexi asks him continuing to drive and look at us. He raises his eyes at me in the trunk of his car.

"Because." Nickolai's tone shirt and clipped.

Finding the water bottle I climb back up to him opening the bottle. I offer it to him as he brings his attention back to me. He takes the bottle and brings it to his lips sipping the water. He downs the bottle in one go. I want to get him more but, I know it's only going to get him sick if he drinks too much at once.

I pull his hand onto my shoulder letting him rest. I know he doesn't want to sleep, so I pull his hand to my lap to distract myself from everything.

When we pull up to the warehouse the doctor meets us outside. He helps me get Nickolai out of the car and offers to call me when he is fixed up but I deny it and follow them to the med room.

Sitting outside of his room I close my eyes and lean my head on the wall behind me. I allow myself to think about how I am going to tell Nickolai he has a daughter. How will he take it? Will he accept her? Will he be okay?

So many questions and possibilities are running through my head so much that is starting to hurt. Breathing in deeply I focus on one thing. Make sure that Nickolai is going to be okay.