Kirby Carter

You know you look like hell by the time you make it upstairs to the wearhouse lab.. Your eyes are puffy from crying in the car and your heart is heavy from the unfinished argument that lingers between you and Hunter.. Who now sits off to the side of the room, observing quietly, brooding..

Konstantin has about a hundred questions for you about wiring device charges and you are halfway through explaining the tricky process.. "Alright.. Because it's a closed circuit, you have to take care not to allow these two lines to cross, see?.."

You point to where he has made his error as he leans over your shoulder to get a good look, his spicy cologne tickling your nose.. "If there had been tannerite in these triggers you would have lost a hand.. Or an arm.. Did you get zapped?.."

He nods and his cheeks flush a little in embarrassment as he grins.. "Yez..Vrery Much.."

You chuckle.. Carefully undoing his faulty work and replacing the wires in the correct position.. "Hurts like a bitch, right?.."

He laughs, rolling a heavy shoulder with a little too much bravado.. "Eh.. Iz not so bad.."

You roll your eyes at him and he grins cheekily... "Liar.."

Your teasing tone draws another rumbling chuckle from the Russian..

Konstantin Ivanov has changed your views on gangsters forever.. Working beside him has opened your eyes to the stange lines Hunter walks between his different worlds.. And the Russian is a gentle giant..

Sweet and respectful..

You know he carries with him a darkness too.. But so does the viking.. So does Patrick.. So do you.. Maybe everybody does..

You had judged Hunter so harshly for retaining his Bratva ties.. But you have come to see how you might have been wrong to do that..

A sharp cell ringer chimes and you look up from your demonstration to see Hunter lifting his phone to his ear.. "Yut?"

He answers sharply.. "Where?"

His brow furrows angrily as he rises to his feet and begins pacing across the floor like a agitated panther.. "How long ago?"

You watch as his muscular frame goes tense .. Something is wrong.. You can feel it.. Putting down the wire cutters you rush over to stand in front of him.. Peering up at him with concerned, questioning eyes.. He stares into your soul, listening intently to the voice on the other end of the line..

"Find Greyson. I'll be right there.." He hangs up, shoving the phone in his pocket, looking over your shoulder.. "Konstantin, brat!"

Your knees wobble as you whip around to see Konstantin look up from the workbench.. "Da, comrade?.."

You place your hands on the vikings chest, trying to get him to stop ignoring you.. "Hey, who was that?.."

Hunter doesn't look at you.. "I need you to take KC home, now.."

Konstantin nods, raising to his feet..

"Viking?! Whats going on?.." You warble..

Hunter takes both of your hands in his, tracing small circles on your palms.. "Knox lost eyes on your sister after she got back to campus, and Greyson didn't make check in.. Neither of them has been seen for hours.."

Terror seizes your heart..

Oh god.. Oh no.. This is it.. The worst.. The thing you had most been afraid of happening..

Why is Darby doing this?!.. You've almost finished building his insane devices.. What could he gain from this?..

"No, that can't be--"

"Its gunna be alright baby, Im gunna sort it out.. But right now, I need you to go with Ivanov.. I promise you'll be safe with him.."

You don't want him to leave.. "No, Axe wait!.."

You cling to his shirt, feeling like you might never see youe sister, Ace, or maybe even Hunter ever again.. The fear is crippling.. Consuming.. A paralysing terror that coils around your waist and constricts your breath.. "I can't lose you too.. Promise me.. Promise you'll come back.."

He leans down, pressing a warm, heavy kiss on your lips.. It only lasts a few seconds..

But its like sunshine.. Starlight.. Moonbeams..

The sweetness of his kiss hanging on your lips..

"I promise, baby.." With those confident words, he spins around and strides out the door..

"Oh.. Uh.." Your world tilts.. The floor drops out from beneath your feet and you crumple, sinking to the floor.. Its as though all the oxygen has been vacuumed from the room..

You try to breathe, but you can't take anything in.. Shallow huffs soon turn your vision white and spotty as your chest begins to burn painfully..

"Kriby! You are having panik-attak, here.. Lizten.." Konstantin lifts you up, cradling your shivering form in his burly arms.. You can hear the melodic thud of his heartbeat as your cheek presses to his chest, keeping you close as he carries you downstairs, his deep Russian accent continues to rumble, reverberating in your ears to bounce around your aching skull.. "You are safe, in the prezent.."

You nod, trying to take in the meaning of his words.. but they do nothing to calm you..

"No, you zay it, little one.." He coos gently..

You repeat his words through shaking breaths.. "I.. am.. safe, and present.."

He nods, keeping his voice low abd his tone soothing.. "Good.. You are calm.."

You suck in a little more air, now outside, as you focus on the three word mantras.. You can feel your rapid, irregular heartbeat beginning to slow in your throat.. "I.. am.. calm.."

He reaches what must be his car, a surprisingly understated black sedan.. He places you on your feet and steadys you, taking you by both shoulders, looking you right in the eye.. "You are ztrong.."

You nod again, finally taking a deep, restorative breath.. "I.. am strong.."

He squeezes your shoulders.. "You are like tiny little shark, Kirby.. You muzt keep moving forward.. You zee?.."

You nod emphatically, feeling somewhat bolstered by his unusual analogy and odd pep-talk.. "Yeah.. Yes.. I'm a god damned shark!"

You cant believe how well that worked.. What the hell did he just do?.. It was like Jedi mind magic!..

"Feel better?.." He opens the passanger door for you and you climb inside..

"Very much... How did you do that Konstantin?.." You smile at him in amazement before he closes the door and jogs around to get into the drivers seat..

"It iz zimple mindfulnezz, Kirby.. Your fearz, they --ah, unhook? -- no --" He searches for the right word.. Snapping his fingers when it comes to him..
"--Detach! -- Your fearz, they detach you from reality.. You muzt centre yourzelf to overcome thiz.. Prezence of mind iz ezzential.."

You like his thinking.. Its kind of like meditation.. Surprisingly philosophical for a mobster.. "Thiz iz torture zurvival 101.."

Untill he says that.. Its all about context.. This is that darkness you have come to recognise as preservation..

"Sheeesh.. Thats dark, man.." You chuckle..

He shrugs a shoulder, but smiles, just a little.. "Yez, but iz true.."

Without warning, you feel a strange wetness between to puddle between your legs.. Kind of like you had just peed..

But you didnt..

Did you?..

"Oh.." You dip a hand down to your lap, your heart feezing in your chest when you draw it back out... Covered in a thick, viscous scarlet.. "Oh my god.."

Blood.. There is so much blood!..

"Holy fuck!" The Russian is stunned..

The sharpest stabbing pain suddenly takes hold of your lower abdomen.. Pinching your nerves so tight it knocks the wind from your lungs.. You double over, groaning and gritting your teeth.. "Arrggghhhhh... Fuckkkkk... Owwwwwh.."

Konstantin sounds worried, but his demeanour remains steady and calm..

"We go to hozpital, now.."

You reach over, accidently smearing blood on his sleeve.. "No, no.. Take me to.. SPC Medical Centre.. Uptown.."

He frowns.. "That iz too far.."

You squeeze his wrist pleadingly.. "Please.. It has to be there.."

He nods.. "Alright, Little Shark, I take you.."

You squim in the seat and pant.. Another shooting pain, this one spiked and spiraling up your stiff spine... "Arrhhhhowww.. . Konstantin, who has pulled out his phone and been frantically dialing, growls frustratedly.." Axe iz not anzwering.."

You pull your phone from your pocket and thrust is out to him.. "Call Lacey Paxton.."

He finds her number in the contacts and dials her.. "Hello, Lazey? Kriby iz having troublez with baby.. Ah, yez.. Yez, there iz much blood.. Yez... Zhe iz in pain.. Okay.. We are fifteen minutez from EZ-PC.." He hangs up.. "Zhe iz doctor?"

You huff, supressing a nauseous gag reflex brought on by the blinding pain.. "She will be.. What did she say?.." You brace your palms on the dash, rocking back and forth seeking reprieve from the torture..

"Zhe zayz to ztay calm.. And that you are pazt zeven monthz, zo the outlook iz pozitive.. I do not know what thiz meanz.."He might not understand, but Lacey's words, parroted back to you in his thick Russian accent offer just as much comfort as if they had come from the angelic pixi herself..

"Okay.. Thats.. Good.... GODDDD IT HURTTTS.." You wail, clutching your belly..

Konstantin dials Hunter again and again, only to get his voicemail over and over.. "We are nearly there.. Juz breathe KC.."

You do.. In through your nose and out through your mouth, the way Lacey had shown you.. Another sharp jolt, this one so powerful it seizes and cramps your muscles.. "Owwwwwh... Call.. Patrick.. O'connor.."

He nods, pulling into the SPC car park.. He hands you the phone - still dialing out - as he leaps from the car, racing around to lift you out of the seat, carrying you towards the medical centre doors, completely disregarding the crimson blood that soaks his shirt..

With a shaking, blood soaked fingers you hold the receiver to your ear.. Patrick's voice comes through, strained and out of breath.. "Kirby?.. We-- y-- snt-- oo-- ti--.."
The static buzz of a faulty connection muffles his voice..

"Patrick? Where are you?.. Something is wrong.. Ahhhgg.. The baby.. " Panic takes your breath hostage in your chest..

There is a cuss and you realise he can't hear you.. "Fuck.."

Followed by a shout and several loud thunderous pops..

"HEY! GET DOWN!"

BANG - BANG - BANG

What the hell was that?!..

The line goes dead, and your arm goes limp.. Your small black cell clatters to the floor..

"Help! Pregnant lady! Zhe iz badly bleeding.." Konstantine shouts abd everything begins to swirl and spin as your vision swims and the blinding fluorescent lighting of the medical centre greet you, along with several fast talking nurses..

You haze in and out unable to do anything other than fixate on the agony tearing its way from your insides..

And the fear shrieking at deafening volumes in your hazy thoughts of all you are about to lose..