Beautiful Betrayal (The Ravenhead Corporation Book Two

by Crimson Syn

  “Victoria,” I whispered hoarsely. No sound, not even a squeak. “Victoria!” I yelled as I ran through the cabin, slamming doors open. The feeling of urgency swept over me and as I ran out of the top balcony I spotted it. A sleek black explorer driving north of the cabin. I turned, running down the stairs with the devil on my heels as I dialed out to Drake.

  “Did you make it? How you holdin’ up?”

  “They took her!”

  There was silence on the other end and I stared at my phone for a second. “Drake? Drake are you there?”

  “Where are you?” His voice was eerily calm and it stopped me in my tracks.

  “I’m heading out now.”

  “Don’t. There’s movement to the left of the cabin, if you run out now you’ll run right smack into it. Stay put until I tell you to move.”

  “I’m going out the back.” If Drake had eyes on me that meant Lucian’s cabin was completely protected and there were probably cameras in the surrounding area.

  “Max, wait! Wait!”

  As I made my way through the dark cabin a crash sounded through the front entrance window. Two men came in holding Kalashnikovs, the Russian automatic rifle, and they were ready to tear into anything that moved. I swiftly stepped back into the shadows, using them for protection. I quickly and silently made my way towards the back door, slipping out quietly and making my way around the right side of the house.

  “You still there mate?”

  “Fuck, Cunningham! When I tell you to stay put…”

  “I stay put, I’m dead. Now tell me if I can make it to the car.”

  “Stay close to the side of the house until I tell you to move.”

  “They’re in the back of the house, mate. You better make it fast.”

  “Now! Go, now!”

  I ran as fast as I could toward the car, slamming the door shut and quickly turning on the ignition. Just as I backed up, the men came out shouting in Russian, guns pointed right at me. I swerved hard to the right sending dirt up all around them, my tires treading as they shot off. I ducked as bullets ricocheted off my bumper and I sped down the same path the Explorer had gone down.

  “Drake, I need you to pull up the cameras pointing North. A car was headed that way, I’m pretty sure that Victoria was taken in that car. Where the fuck does this path lead?”

  I swerved the car through the winding road, I only had the moonlight to lead my path and every now and then the trees would cast a shadow throwing me into complete darkness.

  “Bloody hell, Archer, where the fuck does this lead?”

  “It leads to Ravenhead’s old grounds,” Drake’s voice was hushed. “Max, there’s an airfield located there. Right in the middle of the woods.”

  “Fuck me!” I growled as I stepped down on the gas. The car swerved dangerously but I kept driving it forward.

  “In about two miles you’ll see a clearing, head to your right you’ll see the facility almost immediately. If you keep driving down that road you’ll come across the airfield and the old hangar. It’s been abandoned for years.”

  Sure enough, a few moments later I came out into a clearing. I followed the road to the right and slowed down, I needed to make sure I stayed as invisible as possible. I was also pretty sure that those two men back at the house had already called the threat in and were most likely gaining reinforcements. They didn’t care about me, they only wanted Victoria. But what they didn’t know is that I had the information they were looking for.

  “What’s your plan, Cunningham?”

  “I’m thinking.”

  “Those men back there are probably hunting you right now, I suggest you think fast.”

  “You’re not helping.”

  “I have no eyes. Can’t help without eyes. Tell me what you see.”

  "There are lights on in the airfield."

  “That I can control.” He went silent again for a few minutes and suddenly the lights went out on the airfield.

  “Fuck. You’re a genius.”

  “You need to hide the car.”

  “Yeah, I’m trying to.” I maneuvered the car towards the tree line finding a secure area where I could park it. Taking hold of my Sig, I cocked it and checked the barrel.

  “You carrying?”

  “Fuck!”

  “What is it?”

  “I’ve got four shots left.”

  “Well then use them wisely.”

  I crept out of the car and rolled my eyes. “Lots of help you are, Archer. You think?”

  “Hey, I do what I can. Just stay on the line alright. I’m heading that way.”

  “What?” I paused, crouching down in front of the car. “Where are you?”

  “About twenty minutes east of you. I was at Ravenhead.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t ask you to do that, mate. Your wife is going to bloody kill me.”

  “If the Russians don’t do it first.” Drake’s dark humor only served to grate on my nerves.

  “I’m twenty minutes out, they can’t go very far.”

  "How wrong you are, Archer. How very wrong," I spotted the old hangar looming ahead. Dim lights were still on inside but that wasn't what had stopped me in my tracks. It was the sound of a very familiar motor starting.

  “Ten minutes away, Cunningham.”

  “They have a fucking fighter!”

  “What?!”

  I started running using the shadows to make my way along of the large metal building. I made my way towards the front, but just as I was about to turn the corner, two shadows walked past. I immediately dropped to the ground and waited.

  In my headpiece, I had Drake shouting at me to talk to him. I clenched my jaw and slowly crawled towards the front of the hangar. Four men with automatic rifles stood in front of a large US fighter jet. One of our very own in the hands of the Russians.

  "Fuck," I spat out, leaping up and making my way along the front of the building. The moon cast light onto the airfield, but it protected me from their eyes. The shadows were deep and dark and that's where I lay.

  “What’s going on Max!”

  “They’ve got an old F15. Looks like they’re loading it up with crates.”

  “Fuck, I’m calling Adam in.”

  “How far are you?”

  “Not even five minutes.”

  “Use the shadows, we’ve got four Bratva out in front of the hangar. Not sure how many inside.”

  “Wait for me, Cunningham.”

  A scream rang out and it made my blood run cold. I started running towards the entrance as fast as possible.

  “Cunningham! Cunningham talk to me!”

  I ripped off the headpiece and focused on making my way to her. My Victoria. I couldn’t stop now. I came for her and I wasn’t leaving without her, even if it meant I’d die trying.

  I slowly entered the hangar through a side door, grateful that it was open. Creeping in, I kept my back to the wall in case of any surprises. Crates were stacked along the back and in front of me, there loomed at least four brand new fighter jets. I tightened my grip on my Sig, the weapon was familiar, and it brought with it a sense of calm.

  I crouched down low and made my way around the hangar. It looked like it was being used for storage, storage that could easily be stolen. In the far corner, I heard a whimper followed by a groan. I made my way quickly toward the sound and in seconds I had her right in my sights. She was looking in my direction as she struggled in the chair that she was tied to. They had gagged her and had tied her wrists and ankles to the chair. She struggled back and forth and the legs teetered dangerously.

  There was another man seated in front of her. He had been beaten to a bloody pulp, dark red blood flooded the cement underneath him. The blood was seeping from his right hand where he was already missing a finger. He was slouched down in the chair completely out of it.

  I looked back at Victoria who had tears streaming down her face, a bruise forming on her right cheek. Motherfuckers had hurt her. I went to step out so that she
could see me when a man literally came out of nowhere and stood right in front of me. His back was to me, his large form in a ready stance. He was all in black, a Kalashnikov automatic rifle strewn across his wide shoulders.

  I hunkered down and unsnapped the blade I kept in my boot. As quiet as I could be I reached up covering his mouth and I made a precise incision on the side of his throat. He struggled against me for a few seconds and then slumped dead. I dragged him behind the crates and lifted the rifle placing it over my own shoulders.

  In the midst of all this I heard the metal door swing open and then I heard Drake’s voice come back on the headset.

  “Fucking talk to me, Cunningham! Where are you?” He whispered harshly.

  “I’m inside the hangar,” I whispered as I watched a large man enter the space. He had dark raven hair just like Victoria’s, his eyes were also dark and filled with malice.

  He came around her and gripped her chin and I felt my entire body tense. “It kills me how much you look just like your mother.” Victoria whimpered and tried to shake his hand off. “I had to kill her too, you know. Such a pretty thing she was.”

  Victoria’s eyes grew wide as tears ran down her cheeks. She yelled out but the sound was muffled by the gag. Suddenly, the man turned around and faced the other man slumped down in front of her.

  “This piece of shit deserves to die. He stole my Victoria, didn’t you Nick?” He slapped him and the man’s head swung side to side. The man grabbed his hair tightly in his grip and tugged his head back exposing his throat. He brought a blade right up to it, digging it in just enough so that blood seeped out.

  Victoria started screaming and I watched as this man toyed with her. This was Anatoli Petrov. This was the man who had broken my beautiful woman.

  “I can see you, Cunningham. Stay down.”

  My eyes searched the darkness in front of me and sure enough, there was a glint of steel that shimmered in the moonlight streaming in. It disappeared just as quickly notifying me of Drake's location.

  "The FBI is on the way. We just need to stay put. Don't do something stupid."

  “He’s going to kill him.”

  “He’s not your concern.”

  "The fuck he's not. He is Victoria's concern which makes him mine," I muttered under my breath.

  I watched heartbroken as Anatoli fucked with Victoria. Pointing the knife at the man and then back at her, playing at her throat. I could feel my blood heat as I watched her big amber eyes stare up at him in challenge. My tough, beautiful girl.

  I suddenly heard the sounds of a helicopter fluttering nearby and in seconds a man ran in yelling in Russian. Anatoli gripped her hair and seethed at her.

  “This isn’t over yet, Victoria. I will not leave without my payment!”

  He roared and I watched as he turned, abruptly slicing the man's throat open right in front of her eyes. She screamed as terror filled her eyes. Drake cursed on the other end as I stood there, watching how the man's life slowly left him and I hadn't done a fucking thing about it. We were dealing with an emotionless animal.

  Anatoli pointed the knife at her, blood still trickling down from the edge. “You give me what I want or I’ll hunt down that British filth and feed him to my dogs.”

  She visibly shook as he walked out of the hangar and I immediately ran out and over to her. She was slumped down in the chair not looking in my direction. I could hear Drake cursing at me, but he appeared out of the shadows, gun in hand.

  “Fuck, Cunningham!”

  I reached for her and she screamed trying to shake me off. She was in shock, my beautiful girl. "It's me, my love, it's Max," I whispered in her ear.

  She calmed at the sound of my voice her eyes meeting mine, a deep relief set in them. I removed her gag and she sobbed. “He killed him, Max. He killed my Nick.”

  I deep sense of sorrow for what she had lost filled me and I carefully cupped her cheeks. “Just focus on me, baby.” I reached for my blade again and quickly cut the rope at her ankles and then her wrists. As soon as they were undone she wrapped her arms around me.

  “Hurry up man, they’re on their way back!” Drake warned as he remained in his stance facing the doorway.

  I stroked her back and slowly lifted her. She hid her face in my chest and as I turned to Drake, shots rang out all around us.

  “Run!” Drake shouted as he unloaded the gun towards the main entrance. I ran as hard as I could with Victoria in my arms. I felt Drake behind me as we ran out the side of the building towards my car.

  Two helicopters hovered over the grounds and lights consumed the path ahead of us. Shots rang out as I ran, the muscles in my legs being pushed to their limits. Victoria looked up at me.

  “Put me down! I can run, put me down!”

  It took everything in me to let her go, but like I said, she was tough. Grabbing my hand she shot off into the darkness.

  “Straight ahead!” I shouted as I looked back, but Drake was far behind.

  “Drake!”

  “Go!” I shouted back at her.

  “Fuck, no! I’m not leaving without you!”

  The sound of shots rang out again and I turned to Victoria. I took out the keys to the car and pressed them into her hand. “Go! Take the car and head toward Ravenhead!”

  “I’m not going without you.”

  “Get your arse out of here, Victoria. I can’t protect both of you. Go! This is my duty!”

  “He murdered my Father!”

  “He’ll murder you if you stay. Go!”

  She hesitated, her eyes filled with emotion. She didn’t want to let me go but if she didn’t I was afraid she’d get hurt. “Go!” I screamed and she flinched but turned and ran. As I watched her disappear into the shadows I turned, gun in hand, and made my way toward Drake.

  16

  MAXWELL

  The FBI had arrived and there was a massive shooting going on just a few yards in front of us. The shots resounded in the air and shouts filled the silence.

  “Put your guns down!”

  More shooting came from the entrance as Drake and I hunkered down against the wall. Our military training kicked in and Drake’s hand signals warned me of two men to our right and three straight ahead. I patted his right shoulder telling him I was headed into the hangar. He nodded and signaled for me to keep my eyes open. I made my way back inside, I was searching for one specific man. I wanted to take the goddamn son of a bitch down for hurting what was mine. My blood ran cold once again as I spotted him running towards the back door of the hangar. I shouted at him and he looked back and shot. I ducked and ran harder. Just as he opened the door, I ran right at him, tackling him around the waist and sending us both flying out and landing in the dirt.

  I swung at him but the fucker was strong and he easily shoved me off, scrambling back towards a car that waited for him in the far distance.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” I growled, as I dragged him back taking another swing at him.

  He retaliated throwing a few punches of his own, one landed right on my bruised ribs and sent me to my knees. But adrenaline was pumping through me and there was no way I was letting this motherfucker go.

  “Cunningham!” I heard Drake’s shout as I wrapped myself around Anatoli’s waist sending us both to the ground. I struggled over him, fighting for the upper hand as he fought me hard.

  Flipping us around, he nailed me across the chin nearly dislocating my jaw. I roared, filled with anger and managed to send him flying across from me.

  We both stood up slowly and he staggered before me. “So you’re the man who managed to tangle up my daughter.”

  “And you’re the man who managed to destroy her,” I growled.

  “I’m sure you enjoy fucking my doch’, but after tonight you’ll never see her again. She’s coming with me.

  I spit at him and snarled. “The hell she is!”

  He gave me a slow, cynical smile. “Then maybe you should follow her to hell.”

  “Max!” Her sh
rill scream echoed in the night and I swung around to see her in the arms of a man. He was carrying her towards the black unmarked car.

  “You son of a bitch!” I was caught between catching Anatoli and running towards Victoria.

  Suddenly, Drake appeared on my peripheral, standing by the side of the hangar. Our eyes locked and understanding was clear as he made his way towards Anatoli. As soon as he was a few steps behind him I swung around on one knee. I took out my gun and aimed it at the man who had Victoria. Two shots fired on his kneecaps and the fucker went down. Victoria screamed, but she managed to struggle free of him. The man cried out and as he lifted his gun I took another shot, aimed right at his head.

  I watched him slump forward and as he hit the ground, Victoria slammed right into my waiting arms. I flung her around holding her tight to me.

  “Are you alright?” I whispered.

  She shook in my arms and I tightened my hold on her. As I tried to soother her, an angry wail drew our attention. Anatoli Petrov had been forced down onto his knees by Drake. His hard wail drew Victoria’s eyes and she froze in place. Drake struggled with him as he nodded at me. I lifted my phone and dialed Adam. As soon as his voice filled my earpiece I let him know our status. He was on sight only a few feet away. As I filled him in on the details I felt Victoria slowly let go of my hand.

  “Victoria?” I called out to her, but she continued to walk towards the man who was beaten down yet still struggling against Drake’s hold. The night was eerily quiet and you could clearly make out the crunching of the branches under her sneakers.

  “Victoria, Beautiful?” I reached for her, but she brushed me off gently.

  I let her go knowing that she needed this closure. Whatever it was she was looking for, she needed it so she could move on, and I wasn’t going to hold her back.

  I watched as she stood in front of the man who called himself her Father and he had the gall to look her in the eye.