Chapter 98 DON'T TOUCH MY FIANCÉE
POV: PATRICK
I left the room, wiping my face, while my legs wobbled slightly. Robert and James supported me, looking at me with concern.
“Did you take your medication today? Eat anything?” John approached, examining me. “You're pale and cold.”
“I'm fine!” I pushed them away, walking out. “Today isn't an easy day, as you might have noticed.”
“We understand, Major, that's why we're here.” John stepped closer again. “But we need our commander to be well to proceed. We won't be able to save your fiancée if you're not well.”
“John is right. I'll go to the kitchen to get a shake for you and fetch your medication.” James started to say when I punched the wall, shouting.
“We don't have time for this! Elisabeth is in danger, and Heloise is extremely unbalanced. She killed her own son, what do you think she'll do to the woman she considers my lover?” I panted, breathless.
“We know that, but if you're not well, how do you intend to save her?” Robert placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly. “If you pass out during the rescue, Elisabeth will be dead. Your mission isn't over yet, so act strategically like you did in the war. We count on your leadership!”
I gazed into Robert's blue eyes, sighing.
“Alright. James, ask Abigail to prepare my protein shake. My medication is in my pocket; I'll take it as soon as I eat.” I looked at everyone. “In the meantime, let's go to Greg's surveillance base to gather information!”
“Yes, sir!” they responded in unison.
We crossed the garden, heading to the base. The security guards looked at me suspiciously, as I never went there.
“Mr. Morgan, how can we assist you?” one of the guards asked.
“I need Greg's computer, which has the tracking chip.” They exchanged glances. “What are you waiting for?”
“Well,” the guard began, pulling his gun on me, when James shot his hand. “Ah, you bastard!”
My soldiers had their guns aimed at the guards.
“We have traitors among us!” I smiled coldly. “Too bad, I don't have time to deal with this right now.”
“Don't worry, Major, Robert and I will handle the dirty work,” John replied grimly. “If you'll permit us.”
“Go ahead!” I stepped aside to let them drag the two guards out. “James?”
“I know, let's start searching,” he replied with a smile. We turned everything over, including the cabinet, but found nothing.
Then I noticed drag marks on the floor. I pulled it and saw a hidden safe with a password. I called Greg, who gave me the information, and was shocked to learn we had two infiltrators among us, apologizing for not noticing earlier.
“Pavel Andreev is very cunning, my friend. Don't worry about it!” I reassured him before hanging up. I took the briefcase from the safe, which contained the laptop, opened the location, and grabbed the cell phone. “She's near the ferry center, at an abandoned docking point.”
“I didn't know Heloise was that clever,” James observed as Robert and John entered with bloodstained hands. “You took your time.”
“We were having a chat with the guards,” Robert retorted.
“What did you find out?” I asked without looking at them, noting the blind spots to sneak into the location, and fortunately, there were many.
“It seems your ex-wife was involved with Pavel,” John said cautiously. “They were hired by Andreev to infiltrate your mansion a year ago, which is why Greg didn't notice. The plan was only activated when he arrived in the city.”
“That bastard, why now?” I clenched my fists. “If that's true, Elisabeth doesn't have much time.”
“We need to consider that he might be expecting us!” James observed, and everyone nodded.
“Either way, the plan is simple: infiltrate the container, eliminate the enemy, and rescue the hostage!” I frowned, looking at the laptop screen.
“What happened?” James approached, looking at the screen. “She's moving quickly.”
“Are they taking her from the location?” Robert raised an eyebrow, moving closer.
“No, look, she's moving randomly.” John, being the most analytical, pointed this out. “Elisabeth went here, and now she's there, she's.”
“Escaping!” I stood up quickly, heading out with them behind me, when the maid arrived with the shake. “Not now!”
“Thank you!” James grabbed it, standing in front of me. “Drink up, it can't be worse than drinking Greg's urine in the desert.”
“Did you have to remind me of that?” I snapped, gulping it down at once, pulling the pills from my pocket, showing them, and taking them. “Satisfied?”
“Now I feel ready to face Pavel!” They laughed, and we got into the car, armed.
“Elisabeth, hold on just a bit longer, I'm coming,” I murmured to myself.
“She'll be fine. From what we know, she's a smart and brave woman,” Robert said, looking in the rearview mirror. “Greg told us he trained her.”
“No matter how much he trained her, Pavel was with the KGB, a trained killer for years... I hope she can stay safe until we get there,” I commented, grabbing my gun and getting ready. “Anyway, Andreev is mine!”
With determination, everyone agreed to proceed. We approached the location with the precision of a special operations team, recalling our invasion tactics from the war. With quick and silent gestures, we neutralized Pavel's guards, dragging their bodies behind the containers to hide them. James indicated a lookout above, and John, as agile as ever, prepared his sniper, eliminating the enemies with ruthless precision.
“Clear!” John whispered, putting away the weapon.
The echo of a gunshot resonated through the dock, and our eyes met in panic as we rushed toward the sound. Robert made urgent gestures for us to duck, and we stealthily advanced to the side window of the warehouse. What I saw inside was an indescribable horror. Elisabeth, visibly injured and in tears, was kneeling, her forehead pressed against the barrel of a gun, her hands desperately clutching Pavel's. And then her words pierced like a bolt, echoing through the room:
“Fulfill your fantasy once and for all, blow my brains out. I surrender!” she sobbed loudly, conveying her pain and fear.
Pavel let out a loud laugh that reverberated throughout the space. With his free hand, he yanked Elisabeth's hair back, looking down at her as if admiring her humiliation before him.
“My dear Light, I imagined you kneeling before me in many ways, but like this?” He rubbed the gun barrel against her forehead, moving it down to her mouth. “It's much better than my mind could ever project.”
“Enough games, Pavel. Let's end this here and now!” Elisabeth shouted, determined, her voice cracking.
“Darling, this only ends when I decide!” he laughed coldly, dragging her.