Episode13: The Trio

Mike sat in a corner of the base, watching Elina as she bandaged his leg. 

So, what's your plan now? It's just you and Reznov left," 

"Don't underestimate us. We've still got plenty we can do," Elina replied. 

Mike leaned his head against the wall. The pain he was feeling was etched across his face. 

"You went through all this trouble to catch me. Well, here I am. Tell me—what was all this chaos even for?" 

"No rush. Reznov will explain when the time's right," she said. 

"Where is he now?" 

Elina wrapped the final loop of the bandage around Mike's leg and tied it off. 

"Ow!" 

I'm not as good at this as Natasha. Bear with me," 

Mike wiggled his leg a little to test it. 

"You didn't answer my question." 

"Which one?" 

"Where Reznov is." 

Elina slipped her arm under Mike's and helped him stand. 

"Come see for yourself." 

With Elina's support, Mike stumbled out of the base. The sunlight stung his eyes, and he raised his now-free hand to shield them. 

"It's a beautiful morning—if you ignore what happened a few hours ago," he muttered. 

You're the ones who started it, Mike. You attacked us,"

Mike gave her a sharp, sarcastic look. 

"Oh, and what about that helicopter attack? Or kidnapping me? Those don't count?" 

"You're only seeing what's right in front of you, Mike. You've got no idea what's going on behind the scenes." 

"And I don't care to know," he snapped. 

As they moved through the trees, they spotted Reznov. He was shoveling dirt into a grave—a grave where Dmitry now rested. Elina and Mike kept their distance, letting him finish. Elina nodded toward Reznov, who sat above the grave, mourning in his own way with that familiar heavy, sorrowful gaze. 

"See that, Mike? He might seem cold and brutal, but he's still human. Try to cut him some slack," she said. She took a deep breath and added, "At least hear him out." 

Mike didn't respond. He hadn't wanted anyone to die in this operation—a naive hope, he knew. He wished he could've planned it all from the start, maybe then… just maybe, no one would've been lost. But now Dmitry was dead, and he was Reznov's prisoner. 

Reznov brushed a hand over the fresh dirt, stood up, and slung his shovel over his shoulder. He walked toward Mike with slow, steady steps. 

"Hope you're feeling okay, because we need to move," he said. 

Mike locked eyes with him. Reznov's gaze was mournful yet resolute. 

"Now?" 

"Yeah. Unless you want your friends coming back here. Then we'll lose more than just Dmitry." 

Reznov grabbed his gear and started walking through the tall pine trees. Mike followed, leaning on Elina for support. He still didn't understand why he was trailing Reznov like this—especially with his hands unbound. Was Reznov that confident he could handle him if he tried something? Or had Dmitry's death rattled him more than he let on? 

After hours of trekking through the forest, they reached the edge of a ravine. Mike's leg throbbed so badly he couldn't walk anymore. He turned to Reznov. 

"What's your plan? Let me bleed out or die of pain? Or do you have something else in mind?" 

Reznov scanned the surroundings and the drop below. 

"This spot'll do," he said, setting his gear down. 

Elina helped Mike sit against a rock to rest. He was panting, feeling like he might pass out any second. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his wound had started bleeding again. 

Elina knelt to check it. 

"Looks like it needs a fresh bandage," she said, heading to her bag for supplies. 

Meanwhile, Reznov pulled a pair of binoculars from his pack and handed them to Mike. 

"Look at the base." 

Mike dragged himself over and took the binoculars. Through them, he could see Kras, Red, and Vera combing through the base with precision. But there was no sign of Carlina or Natasha. 

"What's happened to Carlina?" he muttered. 

Reznov's tone turned urgent. 

"We need to move faster from here on out." 

Right then, Mike could've tackled Reznov, drawn Kras and the others to their position. But with his injured leg, he wasn't sure he could hold out until they arrived. Besides, part of him was curious—itching to uncover Reznov's secrets and figure out what all this was really about. For now, he decided to stick with him. 

Elina quickly got to work, undoing and rewrapping Mike's bandages. Her face was almost comical as she fumbled—tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth, a clear sign she was out of her depth. Mike watched her with a mix of pity and amusement, eyeing the messy bandages and her determined expression. 

"You sure you know what you're doing?" 

Elina landed a light smack on his head and glared at him, half-annoyed, half-hurt. 

"Are you saying I'm bad at this?" 

She tossed a handful of bandages and antiseptic into his lap and turned away. 

"Fine, do it yourself then!" 

Mike's jaw dropped as he looked to Reznov for help. Reznov just shrugged. 

"Don't ask me about this one." 

*Even Reznov can't boss her around?* Mike thought. *What have I gotten myself into with that comment?* 

He softened his expression and gave Elina a pleading look. 

"I didn't mean it. Can you let it slide just this once?" 

Elina turned back, still pouting. 

"Only this time," she grumbled, snatching the bandages from him and resuming her clumsy work. 

Mike peered through the binoculars again. The base was empty now—no people, not even the vehicle they'd arrived in. He tossed the binoculars back to Reznov. 

"They're gone." 

Reznov snatched them up and took a quick look. 

"Damn it," he muttered. 

He grabbed his gear, hauled Mike to his feet—but Mike collapsed again. 

"Damn it!" 

Reznov tried once more. 

"We've got to move now! Before—" 

Too late. The roar of an engine growled through the trees, growing louder by the second. Reznov's face tightened as he turned toward the sound. 

"Get your gun ready, Elina."