Chapter 1860 - Sacrifice

Music recommendation: Chord Overstreet - Hold On (Acoustic)

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Owen rushed down in the tunnel after Stella and Sarah, leaving Aiden and Vasily in the warehouse.

Vasily shot two more times and observed that the Voronins are approaching the warehouse carefully, obviously afraid that this silence is only for shooters to reload their magazines.

"Come on!", Aiden shouted at Vasily, even though he was on the verge of leaving him behind.

"You first!", Vasily shouted back.

Aiden pressed his lips into a line, but he didn't have time to argue.

Aiden moved three steps down and turned to see that Vasily is closing the trap door from the outside.

"What are you doing?", Aiden asked and blocked the door from closing with his arm.

"I can give you another minute or two at most. Don't waste it. Here…", Vasily said and pushed something small into Aiden's hand.

Aiden glanced at the USB stick in his palm and he didn't want to ask what is on it because there was something more urgent and they were running out of time.

"Sarah will not like this. She wants everyone back. You included."

Something unfathomable flashed in Vasily's eyes and he smiled a little. "If both of us go, they might take the explosives away or see the trapdoor exposed and catch up to us. We don't have ammunition to take care of all of them and we will be lucky if we are not annihilated. Sarah can live without me, but not without you. Tell her that… I am sorry."

Aiden's expression showed all the complex emotions that went through him. He was supposed to hate Vasily for everything he did, but now… how can he hate Vasily when he is willingly staying behind in order to save them? Doesn't Vasily know that he will be tortured? He probably knows better than anyone that Voronins will show no mercy.

But Vasily is right. The plan is faulty and with one staying behind, chances of escaping for everyone else are improving significantly.

Aiden gave a small nod. "I will tell her."

Aiden turned toward the tunnel, and the door closed behind him with a bang.

…

In the tunnel, Sarah halted her steps and started panicking when she realized that the distance between her and Aiden on Eve-lens is not reducing. What is going on?

Allen, Julius, Ron, and Zula were at the front with Corey and Merve a few steps behind, shooting at the enemies that were approaching them and clearing the way forward. Others in their group were shooting as well at the incoming enemies who were emerging from side-tunnels and rooms, alarmed by the bodies they discovered previously and all the commotion, but Sarah didn't care.

"Aiden!", Sarah shouted and started walking back to the exit.

Stella and Owen pulled her back, and they were saying something, but she didn't hear them. The thought of losing Aiden was shutting down all her senses, and she didn't pay attention to the numbers reducing on her Eve-lens.

"I'm here... I'm here…", Aiden said and hugged Sarah firmly.

He noticed that she is trembling and clutching his t-shirt and he cupped her face, making her look at him. "I am here, love. We need to go."

Sarah nodded and held Aiden's hand in hers firmly. His presence made her relax a little and return from the endless abyss of despair she was falling into.

She almost lost him before, more than once, and she was not willing to go through that again, because she knew that she wouldn't be able to survive this time. Without Aiden in her life, she would wither away and be no more than a lifeless doll, because he is her everything.

Sarah was too emotional to think about anything other than the fact that Aiden is by her side. Tears blurred her vision while they ran down the tunnel and she squeezed Aiden's hand, not willing to let go.

"Why is Vasily still there?", Sophia's voice sounded in everyone's ears.

Aiden's grip on Sarah's hand intensified and he continued running, not letting her look back.

Shortly after, they felt the tremors of the explosion, but none of them halted their steps.

…

Outside, a minute ago…

Vasily walked out of the warehouse with his hands high above his head, in surrender, and started moving toward Maksim.

His appearance made everyone on the street freeze and wonder what is he up to. Many recognized him and that made this whole scene more unbelievable.

"Vasily? What are you doing!?", JoAnna's voice rang through his ear stud.

"Get back inside with the others! If you are in the blast zone, the explosives will not detonate!", Sophia shouted. They set up Eve that she detonates explosives in the warehouse as soon as all friendly units are outside of the blast zone, and friendly units are identified as Sarah, Aiden, and the group who came to their rescue (Vasily included).

Vasily ignored JoAnna's and Sophia's cries and kept on moving.

Vasily had one more bullet in his pistol, but he knew that there are too many of them, and one kill more or less won't make a difference, unless he makes that one kill count.

Maksim spread his arms to the side, indicating to others to keep their distance.

"Elder Vasily, what an honor…", Maksim said when Vasily was ten steps away, and Maksim was surprised to see that Vasily is still coming toward him.

Maksim took a step back instinctively and gestured to his men to do the same.

Vasily's expression was unreadable and it made Maksim nervous.

Vasily stopped when he was three steps away from Maksim.

"Young master Maksim…", Vasily greeted back.

Maksim nodded in acknowledgment of Vasily's words.

"If you are here, I guess the information is true. She is a Lebedev. And probably someone important if you are willing to do this for her." Maksim looked at his left and right, his sight was filled with men from the Voronin family before he focused back on Vasily. "You are willing to throw your life for her."

Vasily smiled sadly. "People do all kinds of things for family. My life is not thrown when it's exchanged for someone I care about."

During this conversation between Vasily and Maksim, from the other side of the street, fighters of the Voronin family entered the warehouse cautiously and searched for the intruders, but they could not see anyone.

After closing the trapdoor, Vasily pushed boxes on top, to conceal it, and the fighters that entered the warehouse assumed that Sarah, Aiden, and others are hiding behind boxes. Only a selected few are aware that the tunnels have exits at points within the base.

The Voronin fighters who spotted brick-sized explosives in the warehouse didn't pay attention to them because they were focused on searching for people.

Maksim observed Vasily's smile and he opened his mouth to say something, when a deafening explosion sounded in the warehouse, blasting the main floor of the building and everyone in it into pieces. The upper floor of the warehouse collapsed like it's made of cards and debris was flying everywhere.

Maksim ducked for cover, and so did all the people behind them.

When the blasts settled into a sound of a raging fire, Maksim looked up at Vasily who was standing straight, and Maksim saw that Vasily is holding a gun against his own temple.

…

Next to the helicopters…

JoAnna, Sophia, Felix, and Jeff looked at the screens in disbelief.

One of the screens showed a street with Vasily standing in front of Maksim and a throng of people from the Voronin family behind Maksim, all of them facing Vasily.

They saw Vasily's head jerk to the side as the bullet hit his temple, and then he fell on the ground like a ragdoll.

"No…", JoAnna cried in a whisper, unable to find her voice and Jeff caught her before she fell on the ground as her legs gave in.

Felix pulled Sophia into his embrace and covered her eyes with his hand so that she stops staring at the screen. Sophia's body trembled and then she dissolved into sobs.

…

In the tunnel…

"What happened?", Stella asked when she heard JoAnna's cry through her ear stud.

She does not have Eve-lens, and even if she does, there is no time to pay attention to anything other than escaping through the tunnel and getting rid of anyone who tries to stop them.

"It's Vasily…", Edward responded for everyone to hear. "He is gone."

Stifling silence descended on everyone in the tunnel, despite occasional screams and gunshots.

Stella inhaled a shaky breath and stumbled. Owen grabbed her shoulders to help her balance.

Sarah's steps slowed down, and she looked at Aiden.

Aiden knew that Sarah wants an explanation, but there is no time. And even if they have all the time in the world, he has no idea what to say because he does not understand what happened. Why did Vasily stay behind? What was he apologizing for? Is it possible that he is sorry for following Sarah and kidnapping them three years ago? Maybe later, when things settle, they will find their answers.

Aiden tugged Sarah's arm, reminding her to move. "Come on. We are still not safe…"

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