BLOODHOUNDS #4: THE DARK KNIGHT

Chapter 35 - BATTLEFIELD

Everly Jordan

Asher looked so calm despite Mason being kidnapped by the Novikovs. He tracked Mason's location, and I'd anxiously paced around the room. I asked so many questions, and Leroy gestured for me to stop asking.

He just got into the headquarters thirty minutes ago, and I'm pretty sure he hates me after I locked him in Mason's apartment.

The man who alerted that Mason was kidnapped was Liam Hastington. I forgot he's the man who took Sofiya the other day. I was so busy looking for Mason, and I already pictured the worst scenario since he was nowhere to be found.

"So... this is your brilliant plan?" Liam turned to Asher. Both me and Leroy turned to him as well.

"Shut the fuck up, Hastington."

"This is a setup?" I asked after asking him tons of questions to him about how are we going to get Mason back. I waited for Asher to answer, but his attention was on the screen before him.

There's a red dot with five blue dots and seventeen green dots. For sure, Mason is the red dot, and they're heading to Vermont.

"Asher!" He snapped his head to me.

"Are you aware of how dangerous this situation is?! You already lost Ana, and you want to lose Mason, too?!" Asher gestured for the guard to take me outside. Leroy tried to talk it out, but Asher insisted.

For an hour, they stayed inside.

Then the whole building alarm went off, and the door busted open. Leroy grabbed my wrist and led me downstairs.

"What? What happened?" I asked. "Did Mason get hurt?" He shook his head, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"We're going to get Mr.Calland. You're coming with us." He said, and that was enough for me. He gave me a bulletproof vest and pants.

"Can you use a gun?"

"Yes." I nodded, and he gave me two small guns. After that, he gave me an earpiece and two trackers, which he taped to the back of my head and on my ankle.

"It's going to be dangerous," Leroy said as he grabbed a gun. I looked down at the two guns in my hands and nodded.

"I know." Leroy led me to the helicopter, and Asher talked to one of his men. Once he was done, he turned to me.

"If something happens to Mason, I will kill you," I said, and Leroy grabbed my arm, pulling me into the helicopter. I put the seatbelt on, and the helicopter flew. Asher got into the second helicopter and joined us in the air.

"Can you at least explain the situation?"

"Mr. Serano assigned Patrick to be his spy. So, a week ago, Patrick went to them pretending he wanted to side with them. Giving some fake secrets that they already planted beforehand." Oh boy.

"Mr.Calland told Mr.Serano that he doesn't want to use you as bait. He doesn't want to risk your life, so he put himself on the line." My eyes filled with tears, "It's risky for them to do this, and the fact that they already kidnapped the twins gave them an advantage."

"So the Novikovs knew that we were going after them? Where are the twins?"

"Patrick brought them back to them along with Mr.Calland."

"Did they do anything to him? Is he alive?" I cried.

"He's alive. Earlier, we already had our men waiting on the other side. The plan went smoothly, and we already have all the Novikovs in one place. It's just time for us to kill them all." I let out a long sigh of relief.

"Everly," Asher called me.

"What?" I snapped at him.

"I have a plan."

"What plan?"

"I want you to trade yourself with Mason." Leroy shook his head after hearing the plan. He mouthed no.

"I'm listening." I ignored Leroy's sign not to agree.

"Once we land, I want you to walk over to Patrick. You know Patrick, right?"

"Okay."

"Mr.Serano." Leroy interrupted.

"I want you to trust me, Everly. All I want you to do here is to trust me." His voice cracked, and I could tell he was risking it all.

"Okay, I trust you."

"Good."

"We'll land in ten minutes." The pilot announced, and Leroy shook his head.

Mason was risking his life for me already, and ever since we met, he has done a lot for me. This is the least I can do, and I trust Asher. I know he won't risk his friend after losing someone important to him.

"We're going to land." The pilot announced, and my heart was beating fast. I could see there were a lot of men in black combat suits. As soon as it landed, Leroy stopped me. He shook his head, and I knew he was doing this because Mason didn't want me to put myself in danger, too.

But I will. I don't want him hurt because of me, and I trust Asher.

I pushed Leroy's hand away, and my eyes shifted to the people with black suits a few miles away. My eyes were locked on Mason, who was severely beaten. There's blood on his face and neck.

My heart was aching hard, and he looked surprised to see me. His eyes were swollen, and I didn't think he could see me. I turned to find Asher, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"I got you. Go." I heard Asher say.

"Everly Novikov." My head snapped to an old man in his seventies. He walked past Mason with a crutch, and he looked like the devil's son. A smirk plastered his evil face, and I walked towards him.

"Grandfather," I called, and Mason tried to move, but the man behind him was holding him tightly.

"What a beauty. You look like your grandmother." He said, and he turned his head. My grandmother approached me, looking ten years younger than him. She looked like an evil witch: grey hair and a pointy nose. I certainly don't look like her.

"Grandmother." Unlike my grandfather, she looked like she wanted to kill me.

"Everly!" Mason called me, but I ignored him. My eyes were locked on my grandparents.

"Let him go and take me." My grandmother's eyes shone as if I just said something that made her proud.

"Let him go," I repeated, and my grandfather turned to one of his men. They grabbed me, and I turned to see if they let Mason go, but I didn't.

"Everly!" Mason called.

"Babushka!" Our heads turned to the side to see a boy in his teens. He looked like he was in pain, and my grandmother ran towards him. Before she can reach him, he falls to the floor with his back on fire.

He said something to her in Russian and then he screamed in agony.

"Count to ten. Grab Mason out of there, Everly."