Twenty minutes. Might as well be twenty years.
"Maksim!" Kira's voice pulls me back from the edge. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare leave me now. Not after everything."
"Not... trying to leave." But the darkness is so tempting. So peaceful compared to this agony.
"Then fight!" She's shouting now, her hands never stopping their pressure on my wounds. "You survived six years in hell! You can survive twenty minutes in a car!"
Six years. Yeah, I survived that. Barely. But I was fueled by rage then. Had something to keep me going.
What do I have now?
I force my eyes open and look at her.
Blood on her face. Tears streaming down her cheeks. Hair wild around her shoulders.
Beautiful. She's so beautiful.
"There you are." Her smile is watery. Desperate. Terrified. "Stay with me. Please."
"Okay." The word costs me everything. "Okay."
The car swerves again. Gunfire erupts behind us—the distinct crack of weapons being discharged.
"Shit!" Semyon floors it.
The acceleration presses me deeper into the seat. Into Kira's lap. Her hands slip on my blood-slicked skin, and she has to reposition.
"How much further?" Kira's voice is steady despite the terror I can see in her eyes.
"Fifteen minutes." Semyon takes another turn so sharp we go up on two wheels for a second. "Maybe less if I—"
More gunfire. The rear window explodes.
Anya screams. Kira throws herself over me, shielding my body with hers.
"Get down!" Semyon barks.
The car fishtails. Regains control. Accelerates harder.
I can hear the pursuing vehicles. Multiple engines. They're not giving up.
"Maksim." Kira's lips are against my ear. "I love you. Whatever happens, I love you."
"Love you too." The words come easier this time. "Always did."
Even when I hated her. The love was always there, twisted into something ugly but never truly gone.
"We're going to make it." She's saying it like a prayer. Like if she says it enough, it'll become true. "All of us. We're going to survive this."
I want to believe her. Want to have that faith.
But I can feel my life draining away with each pump of my heart. The darkness at the edges of my vision is spreading, consuming more with each passing second.
"Ten minutes!" Semyon's voice sounds distant now. "Hold on!"
My eyes drift closed despite Kira's pleas to keep them open.
Just for a second. Just need to rest for one second.
