The snow beneath their boots was thick enough to muffle their footsteps but not thick enough to leave a trail for anyone determined to follow. Natalia's teeth chattered against the cold, her lungs burning with effort as Dimitri's hand clutched hers, steadying her against the icy wind. They had fled Moscow hours ago, leaving behind fire, smoke, and the remnants of the safehouse that had once promised sanctuary.
Her mind raced faster than her legs. Yelena ,is she gone? Alive?. Somewhere between vengeance and salvation, the sister she had mourned for years had returned only to disappear again, leaving secrets dangling like bombs over their heads. And now this tracker, blinking insistently from the drive tucked tightly against her chest, made every step forward feel like walking into a death trap .
Dimitri glanced over his shoulder, eyes narrowing. "bend down slowly," he hissed. "They're scanning the tree line. We have to be very careful, we're not out of this yet."
Natalia nodded, even as her body screamed for respite. Her legs had turned to jelly, her arms numb from holding the laptop and the drives. Yet the drive , their lifeline, how close they are to the truth ,pulsed against her side, and she refused to drop it. "We can't lose it," she whispered, more to herself than to him.
"You won't," Dimitri said, his voice firm but rough with exhaustion. "I won't let them take it."
The words struck a chord she hadn't expected. Amid the adrenaline and the icy wind, there was a warmth, a tether, stronger than fear ,the knowledge that he had chosen her, again, even after everything.
And yet she hated herself for needing that warmth.
They slipped into the shadowed edge of the forest, branches clawing at their coats. Every snap of ice beneath their feet felt amplified, every distant hum of engines a death trap. Natalia's mind wandered to the files on the drives, to the secrets that had been hidden for decades, genetic experiments, Bratva assassins, those hidden underneath all over, that spanned continents.
And then there was the one line she couldn't erase from her memory: SUBJECT 07: N. IVAN.
Her chest tightened. Everything she thought she had been , her choices, her independence , her happiness and emotions, suddenly felt filtered through the eyes of her father's experiments. She shivered, not entirely from the cold but from the shock of the information she had learnt about .
Dimitri's hand brushed hers again. This time she didn't pull away from him . Instead, she let it linger, a grounding presence against the chaos. He squeezed, not with possessiveness, but with an almost desperate promise of him saying; "I'm here, we will survive."
The sound of engines drew closer, the faint crunch of tires against snow betraying pursuers closing in. Natalia's head snapped up. She caught sight of dark figures moving at the edge of the tree line, their guns raised, their eyes glowing through the night scopes.
"They've split themselves into two groups," Dimitri muttered. "One following us through the forest, the other will circle ahead and cut us off."
Natalia swallowed hard, the weight of the drives pressing against her chest suddenly heavier than any weapon. "We can't outrun them both," she said.
"Yes, we can," Dmitri said, his jaw tight. "We need to split. I'll take the rear, cover you. Go east, Prague. That's your safest option."
Her heart stumbled. "You're staying here?"
"I'll catch up," he said. "But you're faster. Smarter. You need to make it to the decoder. You need to know the truth behind all of this ."
She shook her head. "I don't want to leave you behind."
He took a step closer, their foreheads closely touching. His hand cradled her jaw gently. "Then I'll carry you if I have to."
Her breath hitched. Every word, every touch, every cold brush of his coat against hers was electric, drawing her in despite the danger, despite the betrayal of her own past. She wanted him. More than she wanted air in her lungs or warmth in her freezing fingers. And she hated herself for it.
"We don't have time for this," she said, though her lips trembled.
"Then let's make it count," he whispered, before pressing a fleeting kiss to her temple , intimate, protective, coated with everything they left unspoken.
They ran again, running between frost-covered pines and fallen logs. Natalia's legs burned, her lungs ached, but adrenaline carried her farther than she thought possible. Behind her, the sound of gunfire cracked against trees. Dimitri covered her relentlessly, precise shots echoing through the night, his presence a shield she could almost believe would hold forever.
Minutes passed , or hours. Time stood still, suspended in cold, fear, and the heat of proximity to the man she both trusted and feared.
Finally, they emerged onto a frozen riverbank, the moon casting silver reflections across the ice. Dimitri paused, scanning the horizon. "We need to over," he said.
Natalia shivered violently. "It's not thick enough. We'll break through."
"We have no choice," he said. "It's faster than the road, and they're coming."
Hand in hand, they stepped onto the ice. It groaned beneath their weight, cracking in thin lines. Natalia's heart pounded as she glanced down at the black water beneath. She felt the chill seep into her bones.
Halfway across, a crack exploded across the ice. Natalia stumbled, slipping. Dimitri caught her, holding her close as they teetered over the thin ice. Her face was inches from his. "Dimitri!" she hissed.
He pressed himself against her to stabilize them, their breaths mingling, fog curling between their faces. "I've got you," he murmured.
For a long moment, the world contracted. The danger,the secrets,the past, the betrayal, the blood , all dissolved into the heat radiating from his chest, the steady rhythm of his pulse against hers. And yet, even in that instant, they were on the brink of disaster.
Another crack split the ice beneath them.
Dimitri's eyes went hard. "Run," he said, and with a sudden push, propelled them forward toward solid ground. The ice splintered behind them with a sound like thunder. Natalia barely made it, sliding onto the bank as Dimitri landed beside her, coughing but alive.
Her hands found his face. "You could have died!"
"I could have let you die," he said, his eyes dark, almost dangerous. "But I won't. Not if I can help it."
Natalia's knees buckled, and he caught her in his arms. The warmth of him, the strength, the familiarity , it was intoxicating. She leaned into him, letting herself feel it for the first time in months, and his arms tightened, not controlling but protective. Almost promising but she knew this feeling wouldn't last long.
The moment lingered, a fragile bubble in the frozen wilderness. Until the hum returned.
Natalia's eyes widened. "The tracker, it's here."
Dimitri grabbed the drive from her coat, scanning the area. "They've tracked the signal. We've been moving for hours, and now they've got a lead on where we are. They're close, too close."
The wind whipped across the river, carrying with it the faint sound of engines, approaching too quickly.
Natalia pulled herself from his arms, blinking snow from her eyes. "We need another plan."
Dimitri's gaze softened as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I'll keep you alive," he said, his voice low, almost reverent. "No matter what happens, I promise."
Her heart ached with a mixture of longing and fear. "You always say that. And yet… it's never enough."
"Then we make it enough," he said, reaching for her hand again.
Before she could respond, a flare of light illuminated the tree line. Shadows moved faster than they could react.
Natalia froze, eyes wide. "Oh God…"
Dimitri's hand tightened around hers. "We run," he said.
They sprinted into the forest, branches clawing at their faces, snow blinding them. Behind them, the engines roared, and the first bullets whistled past.
They ran as fast as their legs could take them, dodging bullets. Natalia hoped they could make it out alive, she knew the chances were little to none, but she still hoped .
Somewhere in the trees, a figure stepped into the moonlight , tall, familiar. Her blood ran cold.
"Yelena," Natalia whispered, hope and dread twisting together.
But when the figure moved, it wasn't Yelena.
It was someone worse, a man she had never seen before, armored, and carrying a weapon that looked like death itself.
Dimitri stopped abruptly, pulling Natalia behind a tree. "We're not getting out of here without a fight," he muttered, eyes dark. "And this time… I can't promise we both survive."
Natalia's breath caught. "Then let's make them regret finding us."
They stepped forward together, hearts pounding, bodies pressed close, weapons ready. The snow was stained with shadows and firelight, the river behind them frozen, and somewhere in the distance, Moscow smoldered , a warning that the war was far from over.
And in the darkness, the tracker blinked faster than before.
Someone knew exactly where they were.