Alex’s POV –
I barge through the door of my apartment, adrenaline soaring through every part of my body. The sun is beginning to set and I glance around for any sign of Caleb. I notice dirty dishes in the sink and a box of painkillers on the kitchen side.
“Caleb? Where are you?” I call out, shrugging off my jacket and dropping it on one of the beanbags. I hear a shuffle in the next room and he appears in the doorway. He’s freshly showered, his hair damp yet the rings under his eyes shows clearly how rough he’s feeling.
“Hey man,” he mutters, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. He takes slow steps forward before noticing my eager stance.
“What’s going on?”
“I have an address.” I say quickly, the urgency clear in my voice. Caleb’s shoulders perk up and his eyes widen in surprise. “You do?”
I nod my head whilst walking towards the box of weapons stashed inside the spare room. A million and one thoughts rush around my brain as I try and come up with the best plan I can.
“Petrov found out some information. I can’t believe it Caleb, we’re actually going to find her.” I explain, pulling the box out. I kneel onto the floor, flipping open the lid. Numerous firearms and knives are laid out neatly. The sight of them causes my fingers to twitch and I know I’m ready for a fight.
“Woah, woah, woah. Did you just say Dimitri Petrov gave you an address?” Caleb questions from behind me. I hear him walk towards me, the sound of his footsteps echoing on the laminate floor.
“Yep. We need to get ready and leave tonight. It takes just over an hour to get there.” I respond, taking hold of my favour-ite gun and checking it’s loaded and ready to go. I feel Caleb place a hand on my shoulder —
“Alex, stop.”
“I’ll call a few of our guys and get them to — ” I say quickly but Caleb cuts me off again, grabbing me by the shoulders and whirling me around.
“Alex! Stop!” He says firmly, his eyes searching mine. When I notice the expression on his face, I still and wait for him to continue.
“Do you seriously believe Dimitri Petrov found the address within a few hours? We’ve been searching for days and we found nothing! This is your enemy Alex, he isn’t on our side.” Caleb says, shaking his head in disbelief. I frown at him —
“No, you’re wrong. I offered him a hundred cash if he could get me an address.”
Caleb exhales deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
“Alex, Dimitri Petrov would risk more than a hundred grand to kill you off the radar. This is a set up, you’d be crazy to go to that address!” He yells, shaking me slightly. I swat his hands off me, refusing to believe his words.
“No! This is the only lead I have on Ariana, the only one! I need to find her Caleb and time is running out.” I protest. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know Caleb is right. Dimitri Petrov would do anything to set me up and this may or may not be exactly that. The only reason I won’t see sense is because I’m desperate.
“You’re no good to her dead.” Caleb spits at me, his face a look of thunder and frustration.
“She’ll be dead if I don’t find her! This is the only lead I have and if it’s a set up, so be it. I’m doing this thing with or with-out you Caleb.” I argue back, pulling out several guns and stashing them inside a backpack. I place my favourite inside the waistband of my jeans, making sure the safety is turned on.
“You’re being stupid, take a second to stand back and assess what’s going on here!” Caleb yells, his eyebrows creased to-gether. I stop pacing and whirl around to glare at him, my chest rising and falling with adrenaline. Moments of silence pass as the two of us have a stare off, eyes locked on one another.
“I’m desperate and this is the only lead I have.” I repeat, my voice dropping dramatically. What I’m about to do is life risk-ing but I can’t wait around any longer. I’m beginning to lose my sanity thinking of Ariana locked up, afraid or even worse, beaten. It’s my fault she’s in this situation and I have to do everything I can to find her and bring her home. Caleb doesn’t respond but inhales sharply, battling with himself.
“I need my girl back man,” I mumble under my breath, my eyes drifting to the floor.
“This is potentially us digging our graves, you know that right?” Caleb questions, his voice softening considerably. I nod my head —
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Caleb barely takes a second to reply, his loyalty and friendship towards me stronger than ever.
“Lets go then.”
*****
I’ve been driving for around forty minutes and my fingers begin to twitch against the steering wheel the closer I get. The roads I’ve turned down are completely deserted, no sign of life around us for miles. The area begins to grow into wood-land, high trees lining the narrow roads. Beside me, Caleb is eerily quiet. He hadn’t spoken a single word the entire ride and every now and then, he glances down at his phone before typing.
“Everything okay?” I question, glancing at him from the corner of my eyes. I turn my car head beams on high as the sun begins to draw into the clouds, disappearing entirely. Darkness quickly surrounds us and I curse myself for not waiting until sunrise. Potentially doing a rescue is always easier in daytime however the advantage of darkness is also surprise. If we take them by surprise at night, they won’t see it coming. People automatically drop their guard down when the sun dis-appears, tiredness and fatigue catching up with them from the day.
“Yeah.” Caleb answers bluntly. I turn to look at him, one eyebrow raised however I decide not to press him any further on his hostile attitude.
“So what’s the plan?” Caleb questions, holding onto the support handle as the car bounces across large rocks on the road. I struggle to steer properly from the uneven surface and swear under my breath.
“We scope the place out, try to figure out how many people we’re up against. Once we know that, we find the best en-trance and exits. Whoever you come in contact with, shoot them. I don’t want any of these bastards alive after this.” I say darkly, my voice dropping to monotone. I can feel myself beginning to detach from my mind, something I usually do when I know I’m about to kill.
It makes it easier to cope with.
“What if it’s a trap?” Caleb says, his right leg bouncing up and down with nerves.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, we don’t leave this car unless we know it’s safe. Okay?” I respond, holding up my arm. Caleb breathes out before nodding and I feel his hand slap against mine. He holds onto it for a second before dropping it.
“I appreciate you being here, you didn’t have to do this.” I murmur, my stomach twisting with nerves and nausea.
“Brothers don’t leave one another to potentially die and besides, I need to blow off some steam.” Caleb responds instantly. I don’t reply to that but the corners of my lips pull upwards and settles into a smile.
Whatever happens, I’m glad it’s with Caleb by my side. . . I wouldn’t have it any other way.