Episode14: Escape

The sound of the car was getting closer and closer. Reznov bolted into the trees, then heard Elina's voice cut through the air. 

"Reznov!... He can't go on anymore!" 

He spotted Mike, barely able to move from the pain of his wound, his face twisted in agony. Reznov rushed over, hoisted Mike onto his shoulder, pulled a small pistol from his pocket, and handed it to him. 

"Here. Don't just sit there." 

For Mike, this was the perfect moment. A few hours ago, he wouldn't have hesitated to shoot Reznov dead. But now… now he cared more about getting answers than settling scores. So, for the time being, he let it slide. 

Just then, a car burst through the trees. Kras, Red, and Vera jumped out and started scanning the area. Reznov and the others ducked behind the trees. Elina crept up to Reznov quietly. 

"Sooner or later, they'll find us. You guys go." 

Reznov nodded and took off deeper into the forest. Mike glanced at him. 

"What about her?" 

"She's tough enough to handle herself." 

They darted through the trees, moving fast, when a gunshot rang out behind them. It sounded like they'd found Elina. Reznov slowed down after putting some distance between them, like he was searching for something. He moved so smoothly you'd never guess he was carrying Mike on his shoulders—no heavy breathing, no sign of exhaustion. Mike couldn't believe the stamina of this guy, who had to be around forty-five. 

The forest went quiet. Leaves crunched under Reznov's boots, and even the gunfire had stopped. Mike glanced back toward where Elina had been, worry creeping in. 

"You sure she can handle them?" 

"If she couldn't, she wouldn't still be alive." 

Reznov set Mike down behind a rock and added, "And trust me, no one cares more about their people than I do." 

"Then why's your group in such a mess if you're so worried?" 

Reznov let out an angry huff. 

"What about you, Mike? How many did you lose at the hotel and the facility? Besides you and Carlina, anyone else make it out alive?" 

Mike opened his mouth to argue—"I… I…"—but stopped. Reznov was right. His screw-ups during the mission had gotten a lot of people killed—more than Reznov had lost. If Reznov hadn't shown up, he and Carlina might've died back at that hotel too. 

"I've always been selfish," Mike admitted. "Always thought I could do things better than everyone else, but all I did was make everything worse." 

Reznov locked eyes with him. His gaze was cold, powerful. 

"See? If you look at yourself from the outside, you've messed up just as much as I have." 

He leaned in close to Mike's face. 

"So don't ever judge me for what I've done." 

Then he turned away, pulled a sniper rifle hidden under some leaves, and propped it on the rock. Mike tensed. 

"You're not gonna kill them, are you?" 

Reznov ignored him, lining up his shot toward an empty clearing. 

"Just sit there and watch." 

Footsteps pounded closer. Mike peeked over the rock. Elina was sprinting across the forest, right in Reznov's line of fire, with Kras and Vera hot on her heels, shooting at her. Reznov muttered under his breath, 

"Good job, Elina." 

Mike figured it out—Reznov had planned to lure Kras and the others here to pick them off. Before Reznov could pull the trigger, Mike slammed his fist into the rifle barrel. The shot went wild, grazing past Kras's face and catching his attention. 

"They're over there!" 

Reznov grabbed Mike by the collar and shook him hard. 

"What the hell are you doing?" 

Mike grabbed Reznov's collar right back, staring him down. 

"I won't let you hurt them." 

Reznov let go, his face burning with fury, but he kept himself in check. 

A voice crackled over the radio. 

"Reznov, why didn't you shoot?" 

"Keep going, Elina. I've got a little problem here." 

---

Elina aimed her gun at Kras and pulled the trigger—nothing. She yanked out her sidearm and checked the clip. One bullet left. She wasn't giving up yet. 

Kras and Vera were now heading toward Reznov and Mike. Elina started to follow when a fist smashed into her face, knocking her to the ground. She'd completely forgotten about Red. 

He loomed over her, planting his foot on her back. 

"Got you now, little lady." 

Elina screamed and thrashed, but Red pressed down harder. Then, out of nowhere, a knife sank into his leg. He yelped and staggered back. Elina rolled over, took aim with her last bullet, and fired. 

The shot echoed through the trees. Red dropped like a dead log, blood pooling from his head onto the dry leaves. Elina scrambled up, panting, and scanned the area. No one else around. She bolted north—Reznov's backup plan if things went south. 

---

Another gunshot rang out from the other side of the forest. Reznov stood, hefted Mike onto his back again, and ran. This time, Kras and Vera were right behind them, bullets whizzing past and splintering the trees. Reznov zigzagged through the woods, trying to shake them, but it wasn't working. 

He glanced around. Kras and Vera were closing in from behind, and ahead was a cliff. They'd catch up in seconds. 

"No more running. We fight." 

Mike handed back the pistol Reznov had given him. 

"I'm not shooting them." 

Reznov smirked. 

"Then get lost." 

Mike stared at the drop ahead. It looked deep, bottomless. 

"Where—" 

Before he could finish, he felt himself flying. Cool wind hit his back, tossing his hair as he saw Reznov above him. Yep—Reznov had kicked him right into the abyss.