Page 54 of Tracking Shadows
My heart stops.
Ivan raises his gun, like he’s being controlled by strings. My breath catches in my throat, and I freeze, staring down the barrel of the gun as it points directly at me.
“Ivan!” I scream, my voice shaking. “No!”
Before I can move, Alexei lunges toward me. His hand grips my arm as he pulls me to the ground. The gun goes off with a deafening crack, and I feel the rush of air as the bullet grazes Alexei’s arm, barely missing him. He grunts in pain, clutching his arm, but he’s still moving, his gun already drawn and pointed at Ivan.
“No!” I scream again, scrambling to my feet. “Don’t shoot him! Please, Alexei, don’t shoot my brother!”
Alexei’s jaw tightens, his eyes burning with fury as he glares at Ivan, his gun still trained on him. “Irina, he just tried to kill you. I can’t let him—”
“He doesn’t know what he’s doing!” I shout, stepping in front of Alexei, my heart pounding in my chest. “Please, just . . . just let me try.”
For a moment, Alexei hesitates, his gaze flicking between me and Ivan. Then, slowly, he lowers his gun, though I can see the tension still thrumming through his body.
“You have one chance, Irina,” he says. “One chance to get through to him.”
My hands tremble as I reach for the necklace around my neck, the small silver pendant that Ivan gave me for my birthday. I unclasp it and hold it out in front of me as I take a slow, steady step toward him.
“Ivan,” I say softly, my voice shaking. “Do you remember this? You gave it to me when I was ten. You said it would protectme. You promised me that no matter what happened, we’d always be together.”
He doesn’t react, but I keep going, my heart breaking with every word.
“We used to sit by the lake, remember? You taught me how to skip stones. You said we were the two best stone skippers in the world.” I laugh, but it’s a hollow sound, filled with desperation. “You told me that as long as I had this necklace, I’d never be alone.”
I take another step closer, my eyes locked on his. “Ivan, I kept it. I kept it all these years because I knew . . . I knew you were still out there. I never gave up on you.”
His eyes flicker again, and this time, it’s more than a flicker. It’s a shift, subtle but real. His gaze moves slowly, and for the first time, he looks at me—reallylooks at me.
“Irina . . .” he whispers hoarsely, like it’s been ripped from the depths of his soul. “You’re . . . alive?”
My breath catches in my throat, and tears well up in my eyes. “Yes,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I’m alive. And I’m here, Ivan.”
For a moment, everything seems to stop. The gun in Ivan’s hand lowers slightly.
But before I can take another step, Sergei’s voice cuts through the silence like a blade.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Sergei snarls, “Striker, shoot her! Shoot her now!”
Ivan’s body jerks, like he’s fighting against invisible chains, his face contorted with pain and confusion. His hand tightens on the gun again, and for a heart-stopping moment, I think he’s going to pull the trigger.
“No!” I shout, stepping closer. “Ivan, don’t listen to him! Please, it’s me. It’s Irina.”
His eyes flick back to mine, and I see the conflict warring inside him. He’s fighting it. He’s trying to break free. But it’s like Sergei’s control over him is too strong, too deeply ingrained.
And then, suddenly, Ivan lifts the gun, not towards me, but towards himself. He presses the barrel to his temple, his hand shaking as his eyes fill with tears.
“I can’t . . .. I can’t . . .” he whispers, “I’m sorry, Irina. I’m so sorry.”
“No!” I scream, my heart plummeting into my stomach. “Ivan, no! Please don’t!”
My legs feel like they’re moving through quicksand as I take another step closer, hands reaching out, trembling with the need to stop him. Everything inside me is screaming to reach him before it’s too late. His hand shakes violently, the barrel of the gun pressing against his temple.
His eyes, glassy and lost, meet mine for a fleeting moment, filled with so much pain and regret that it makes my heart splinter.
“Ivan, please!” I choke out, “Please don’t do this. You don’t have to do this! It’s not your fault! None of this is your fault!”
His chest rises and falls in jagged breaths, and I see the wetness glistening in his eyes. His lips tremble, trying to form words, but all that escapes is a broken, choked sob.