Reconditioned...

28 - Bez Imeni & Mogila

They were trying to be as furtive as they could manage, but the intruders were no match for Viktor; it was as if he had sunken into the darkness and become one with it. Kris couldn't hear whether he was breathing or not and that made her strain her eyes to see if he was still there. Pressing her back to the other side of the door, she took slow even breaths as her mind zeroed out to hone into her sense of hearing. She could feel the zing of adrenaline rising up inside her but it was calm. Maybe it was that way because she knew that staying alert and leveled head was what her and Viktor's survival hinged on. There was also the thought that she was going to have to kill tonight.

Did it scare her? No.
Was she ok with it? Yes; anything to protect them both.

The last she had been this close to whatever this feeling of unnatural serenity was, was when she had a gun pressed to the back of Vincent's head in her bedroom. Damn, that day seemed so far gone, but it was one to always remember. Not once had she been unsure about her actions; she had been prepared to kill him...maybe both of them.

But that was just the test that answered the question; would she really pull the trigger and end a life? Back then, it had been the theory; now was the practice. To live and to love the man who was equally ready to stack bodies with her tonight, she would...

The bedroom door swung inward very cautiously and she leveled her gun downward as she slowly crouched. She had no idea where Viktor's location was so that meant she couldn't shoot yet. If he had wanted her to shoot, he would've shown her where he was, so this was going to be a silent but stealthy take down. The barrel of a gun came into view and she narrowed her eyes at the shadowy figure that followed. It was still too soon to pounce; who knew how many of them were in the house?

The figure kept the gun trained at the bed and hardly made any sound as he approached it. At this point, Kris knew he was aware that the crumbled sheets had been recently occupied. That was enough of a tip for the intruder to conclude that his would be victims were aware of their presence.
Kris inclined her head against the wall and peeped through the opening where it was hinged to see if another would follow. She had a clear enough view of the staircase to see another ascending and veering off down in the opposite direction. He was carrying a rifle and it was aimed in the direction of Viktor's room. There were more of them in the house as she could make out the shifting shadows below and the light rustling.

Shifting her eyes back to the intruder, who clearly was dumb enough not to check behind the door, she saw that he had knelt to lift the skirts of the bed and peep beneath it. A click and the beam of light sliced through the darkness as he searched beneath the bed. His assault rifle had been swung to his back and the other hand that wasn't holding the flashlight was now armed with a handgun.

It was amazing; she had been observing silently all along yet she'd still missed the moment Viktor had materialized right behind the man. Her eyes widen as she watched him appear beside the trespasser and without sound or hesitation he made his move. Kris tapped the bedroom door with her finger tips and closed it slightly to muffle any sounds, but there was nothing to hear, except a swift breaking of bones.

The sound made her heart leap and watching it happen made Kris aware just how close she herself had come to meeting her end the night she'd snuck into his room.

Approaching him quietly, she came closer as Viktor laid the lifeless body on the carpet and begun to disarm it. The angle of the man's neck confirmed his death and Kris registered that she felt no remorse; he would've done worse to them. Kneeling next to Viktor, she took the other hand gun and checked it for bullets as he slipped the rifle over his bare shoulders.
Cautiously, and following his lead, she helped him shove the body beneath the bed and cover it once more.