Tycho

by Stevens, Madison

  Men shouted behind Tycho, but it seemed to be coming from a different hall. He leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths.

  So close. He just needed to keep pushing. He only had a little longer, and he would be free. It was only a little longer until he could see Mia again.

  A familiar smell floated past him. A low, deep growl reverberated in his chest.

  Matt.

  Tycho made a sharp turn down another shorter hall in the direction of the scent. He’d convinced himself that this was just about escape, but smelling the bastard so close changed everything. Besides, that fucker Matt knew what was going on around there, and the hybrid wanted answers. There was no way he could pass up an opportunity shoved right in front of him.

  Tycho rushed to the door with the strongest scent and threw it open with a growl. Empty. The damned bastard wasn’t there.

  The hybrid slammed the door closed behind him and assessed the wound on his side. It hurt like hell, but the bullet had just grazed it. There was still more bleeding than he would like.

  A black hoodie hung from the hat rack. He slipped it on. It was a bit snug but would help soak up the blood.

  When he turned, Tycho was surprised to find a window. The darkness outside was no match for keen sight. He looked out and wasn’t at all surprised to find himself in a worn-down industrial area with a lot of abandoned warehouses and factories. Glancing down, he could see it was quite a drop. He could make it without the drugs, but it was a risk with them in his system.

  He turned back around but stopped when a few papers on the desk caught his eye. Drawn for a need for some sort of answer, he picked them up and skimmed the first few pages, some sort of summary report.

  Tycho didn’t understand all the technical details, but he understood enough. Another growl erupted.

  They weren’t just kidnapping Vestals. They were using the Vestals who had been captured to make super-hybrids. A sort of forced breeding program. Matt had figured out a way to make an army of men who even the Luna Lodge hybrids wouldn’t be able to handle.

  There was a crash of a door in the hall, and Tycho knew it wouldn’t be long before they got to him. He pulled out the gun he’d tucked away and counted the rounds left. Not nearly enough from the sound of the men in the hall. Fighting his way out wasn’t going to work, especially with him trapped in the small office.

  Tycho looked over to the window again. He didn’t have a lot of good choices, so it was time to go for the least bad choice.

  He pushed up the window and glanced back to the ground. The ground wavered a little, and he and knew the drugs were too strong. He had to find another way. Dying as he bled out on the ground wouldn’t accomplish anything, and it wouldn’t help Mia.

  A pipe lined the side of the building. It was small but likely strong enough to hold his weight, or so he hoped. Tycho climbed onto the ledge and jumped for the pipe. His fingers barely caught, but the hard, sharp metal tore through the skin there.

  Tycho grunted through the pain and started to climb. It wasn’t long before he reached the top and was making his way over the side, his heart pounding.

  He rolled out of the way just as the guards burst through the door. He listened to them through the open window.

  “Shit. You think the fucker jumped? It’s too dark, and I can’t see shit.”

  “You saw what he did to Sasha. Snapped his fucking neck!”

  They were afraid of him. That was good. It was something he could work with.

  “You calling Dmitry?”

  The other man grunted. “Don’t have much a fucking choice. You go over to the other site. That’s where he’ll go. I’ll call the boss and let him know.”

  The other man sighed. “What the hell am I supposed to take to get there? We’re supposed to be lying low.”

  Some keys jangled. “Take the truck. That’s low-key enough. It’s bad enough we let him escape. We let that prick get the girl, we’re all fucked, and we’ll be wishing the hybrid snapped our necks by the time Dmitry’s done with us.”

  Tycho’s ears perked up. Mia. They had to be talking about Mia. He moved around the roof as quietly as he could. A truck was parked on the opposite side. He was sure it had to be that one.

  There was another pipe. It was a risk, but he had to get there before they left. It was the best chance at him finding Mia without turning the whole city upside down. Not that he wouldn’t do that if needed.

  The climb was easier this time and went much faster. When he was close enough, he jumped to the ground, surveying the area. No guards swarmed the area, no spotlights. It seemed they made the assumption he was long gone. Thank God Dmitry liked to keep his men stupid so there wasn’t any insubordination in the ranks.

  Tycho jogged over to the truck and quietly jumped into the back where he covered himself with a black tarp lying there.

  He waited for the men to come. The soft crunch of feet on gravel drew closer to the truck. Tycho held his breath, ready to attack if they discovered him. The creak of the old truck door came next as the two men climbed in, and he was able to let out the breath he was holding.

  When the engine started, he closed his eyes. He was free and on his way to Mia. It was the one purpose he held onto as the adrenaline wore off and drugs finally took over, and he drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Five

  The car carrying Mia jostled and jumped along the bumpy road. A blindfold remained firmly in place over her eyes. She could still feel the sting from crying so much recently. It seemed like that was all she did these days. But then, she had so much to be sad over.

  The car jerked to a stop, and her heart sank as she was helped out of the car. There was nothing to look forward to at her new location. She pulled off the blindfold to the darkness outside only pushed back by the one small outside light on the building. Back to her gilded prison cell.

  She blinked in surprise when a truck pulled up right behind them in the back alley. The man driving her car pulled Mia back behind him, his gun at the ready, a frown on his face.

  “Don’t move,” he hissed.

  The driver of the truck climbed out. “Jesus, Pasha. Put your fucking gun away. It’s just me. I’ve already had a shitty enough night, and I called ahead.”

  “I just got here, and no one called me.” Pasha relaxed his stance, and he put the gun back in his holster. “What the hell are you two doing here? Aren’t you watching…”

  The driver held up a hand and shook his head. He nodded toward Mia. Pasha turned back to look at her.

  “Put the girl in her room, and I’ll explain,” the driver said.

  Curious. Very curious. Mia wondered just what was going on. Maybe the feds had finally caught Dmitry, and she would soon be rid of his disgusting attention. It was doubtful, though. If that were the case, all his little pawns would be running around with their heads cut off. They lacked the ability to think for themselves.

  Mia followed Pasha up the stairs of the converted house. Maybe at some point it had been an inn or even a small hotel. Currently, it was just as well suited as a hideout as any other location.

  At least her room was comfortable enough. It had a sitting area, tiny kitchen, and bed. Her bathroom had been recently renovated, so she at least had that. Not that she was sure that having small luxuries made up for the rest of her situation.

  They climbed three flights of stairs. By the time they reached the top, Pasha was puffing from exhaustion. A small smile flittered across Mia’s face. That’s what they got for putting her up in the tower to make sure she didn’t escape.

  Pasha shoved her roughly into the room. “You stay here and keep quiet.”

  He slammed the door. The distinct click of the lock followed.

  Another clue that fueled her curiosity. Normally the lock wasn’t needed. There had always been at least one man waiting outside of her room.

  Mia made her way over to the window and watched as the men argued outside and then made their way in. She could hear them shouti
ng downstairs. Something had happened. She could only hope something bad had happened.

  Whatever was bad for them was good for her. She let a faint hope of escape rise and then sighed. She wasn’t strong enough to break down a locked door, but maybe she’d have an opportunity the next day to slip out.

  Mia stepped over to her small refrigerator. It was the great debate: to eat something and keep up her strength or give up for the night and just sleep. Neither seemed to come easy to her these days.

  A cool breeze passed through the room, and just as she turned, a large hand came over her mouth. Panic blasted through her, and her heart kicked up. Dmitry knew. He must have, and he was there to punish her.

  “You’ve lost weight,” said a soft voice. “You aren’t eating enough.”

  Her heart beat even faster, but this time not from fear, but from hope.

  Mia couldn’t dare believe her ears. Maybe she had lost her mind finally. There had always been a risk that she would be pushed so hard she might crack. Maybe this was that moment.

  “I’m going to take my hand off, but don’t scream if you want to have a chance to escape.”

  The large hand came off, and she turned in his arms.

  Her eyes widened, and new tears threatened, not of sadness, but of joy. There he was, right in front of her. Tycho.

  Mia reached up and ran a hand timidly along his cheek. It was warm to the touch. Tears finally ran down her cheeks as she brought her other hand up to cup his face.

  “He said you were dead,” she whispered. “He said the Luna men had left you.”

  Tycho gently shook his head. “Not dead. I couldn’t die and leave you this way.”

  Unable to take any more, Mia pressed her face against his firm chest and wept softly.

  How Tycho had missed her. The way she felt in his arms. The smell of her. Even her soft voice.

  Tycho wrapped his arms around her small body. She’d lost weight since he’d seen her last. Maybe he had been imprisoned for more than just the three days he’d estimated. Judging by how much she’d lost, he must have been there a week.

  He only hugged her tighter. All this time he’d been working to get back to her, and here she’d been, all alone against Dmitry.

  “I’m here,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

  After a few more moments, her tears dried, and she leaned her head back.

  Mia looked up at him. “I was wondering what was going on, but it’s you they’re looking for.”

  Tycho nodded. He could hear them now downstairs talking about what they were going to do. From what he could tell, it seemed like Dmitry was losing his grip on power. A couple of the men were thinking of just taking off for a bit until things calmed down.

  As the hybrid had climbed up, he’d heard Pasha talk about how Dmitry was losing touch with reality. Something he and that bastard Matt were cooking up wasn’t really sitting well with the men. Tycho wondered if he was talking about the super-hybrid project.

  “You can’t be here,” Mia said, quickly looking at the door. “They can’t find you here. There’s no telling what he’ll do.”

  Tycho shook his head. “We’re fine for now.” He nodded over to the bed. “I need to know what’s been happening.”

  Mia followed him over to the bed and sat down. Tycho stood in front of her.

  “How long have I been gone?” he asked.

  “Nearly two weeks.”

  Tycho blinked. Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. He had expected a week maybe, but two? What ever Matt had cooked up, it was enough to throw the hybrid’s sense of time completely out of whack.

  He quickly regained his composure as she continued talking.

  Mia sighed. “That night, Dmitry came to the house. Said you had died, and we needed to leave. He packed a bag for me, and I was blindfolded until we ended up here.”

  Tycho quietly paced the floor. “And Dmitry?”

  She shook her head. “He’s holed up somewhere else. I think it must be close though. The wedding is just a week away now.”

  He could hear the hitch in her voice and crouched on the floor.

  “Hey,” he said. “I’m here now, and over my dead body are you marrying that son of a bitch.”

  Mia shook her head. “Don’t say that. Not over your dead body. I’ve already been through that. I can’t do it again.”

  Tycho leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers. Her sweet lips molded to his, and she moaned softly. For so long he’d waited for her. She was his. He knew it with every fiber of his being, and he would do whatever he had to, to keep her safe.

  He pulled back and glanced at the window. He could hear a car screeching to a halt outside.

  “He’s here,” Tycho said. “We should end this.” As he stood, he swayed hard. “Fuck.” He grunted.

  The damned drugs were still pounding hard inside of him. He was in no shape to take on Dmitry and his men. As it stood, he was already wounded. There was no way he could win.

  “They drugged me,” he explained. “Need more time to recover.”

  “Bathroom,” Mia whispered. “Quickly. I’ll get rid of him.”

  Tycho nodded and leaned down for another kiss. “Be careful.”

  With that he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door enough that he couldn’t be seen but could still watch through the crack.

  Chapter Six

  Mia could almost not believe it. Tycho wasn’t dead.

  The thought kept racing through her mind. So many nights she’d cried herself to sleep, and there he was again. It was like a miracle. She was so happy she could sing.

  The sound of the door downstairs slamming shut brought her back to the dark immediate reality. None of it would mean anything if Dmitry caught Tycho there in her room. She had to appease the paranoid man while also giving him no reason to be suspicious. It was time to play to his weaknesses.

  Mia tossed off the pants she was wearing and the t-shirt as well. Then she slipped on the black satin nightgown at the end of the bed. It took a little work to unhook her bra under the shirt, but Mia was keenly aware of two eyes that watched every movement she made. She quickly climbed into bed and grabbed the book on the night table. She took several deep breaths to steady her heart.

  A loud knock sounded from the door. Her heart hammered in her chest, making a mockery of her attempts to calm herself. She glanced over to the bathroom door. She could do this. She had to do this, not just for her sister and herself, but for Tycho.

  Mia had to sell this. No matter what.

  The door burst open, and Dmitry stepped in, a deep frown on his face. His hair was wild, and his expression matched.

  Mia suppressed a shudder. She’d never seen him like that, even when he was angry.

  “What’s going on?” she offered quietly, and pulled up the covers a little.

  Dmitry glanced over to where she lay in the bed. He narrowed his eyes, and then his expression softened, as if he was satisfied by what he saw.

  After muttering something in Russian, he switched to English. “It is time.”

  Dmitry continued to scan the room, his hands twitching, likely looking for any signs that Tycho was there. If he tried the bathroom, it was all over. Even if Tycho killed Dmitry, there was still all his men to deal with, and after the way he’d swayed earlier, it was obvious that whatever drugs they’d given him were still a threat.

  “Time?” Mia echoed. “Time for what?”

  Dmitry marched over to where she lay and grabbed her wrist. “We marry tonight.” He gave a small tug.

  Mia frowned and stepped out of bed. His eyes were instantly drawn to her bare legs like she’d hoped and then up to the silhouette of her breasts through the thin material.

  “We can’t get married tonight,” she said softly with a small laugh. “We don’t even have my gown.”

  Dmitry frowned. “Gown doesn’t matter.”

  Mia frowned once again and tried to pull off the best pout she possibly could. She needed to push back
just enough without enraging him. “But you said I would get a real wedding. A proper wedding. Don’t you still want that for me? This is supposed to be something special, not some eloping to Vegas ceremony.”

  Dmitry was torn. She could see it in his face. He’d fully expected to come here and just whisk her off for some last-minute wedding before Tycho had the chance to rescue her. She almost wanted to laugh at how he’d already lost.

  The ability to give an extravagant wedding was also part of his whole arrogant persona. Not being able to give her that would make him look weak as far as he was concerned.

  He stared at her as if trying to decide if he really wanted to have the argument.

  “When do you get dress?”

  Mia shrugged. “In about a week. You told me that was when the wedding would be.”

  He shook his head. “No good. You get dress tomorrow. We marry tomorrow evening, and everything changes.”

  Even though she knew Tycho was right there, it was hard not to let those words set into her soul a bit and turn her stomach.

  “Of course,” she said with as big a smile as she could.

  All the anger seemed to filter away from Dmitry’s face. He was so certain he’d already won.

  “Enjoy your last night alone. Tomorrow and forever, you’ll be mine.”

  Dmitry trailed a finger down her cheek before placing his hand behind her neck and pulling her in for a kiss and stepping away.

  “Sleep well.” Dmitry shut the door loudly behind him. The lock clicked clearly on the other side. She waited there, listening to the sound of footsteps as Dmitry retreated downstairs. A moment later, she heard his car start up and drive off.

  Mia turned and was surprised to find Tycho standing there just outside the bathroom, his eyes glowing bright amber and a deep scowl on his face.

  “I think they all went downstairs,” she said softly.