She scrambled over, grabbing the knife and as Cornikup ripped her dress, pulling her up off the ground, she struck the knife at his face. He hollered and grabbed his face. She used both hands, still locked in chains, to swing the knife at him again and again. She cut his stomach through the shirt he wore and then somehow got up on her knees and lunged for him again.
He went down and they scrambled for the knife. She felt the cut to her side as she screamed in anger and pain but kept fighting. They were rolling and she somehow wrapped her chains between her wrists around his neck. She pulled back. His hands gripped the chain to try and stop her from choking him. With the little strength she had left she pulled back. He landed hard on top of her, back to her chest. She wrapped her legs around his midsection, squeezing, clenching her teeth as she pulled the one around his neck tighter. This was it. It was either he died or she died.
She heard the gurgling and him shaking then the crack, just as the doors burst open and her strength left her. She thought she was going to die. That the ones entering were Cornikup’s men but then she heard her name.
“Nalia!” Viktor’s voice filled the dim room and then there was gunfire echoing in the background and her men shoving Cornikup off of her.
“Oh God, she’s alive. She’s alive,” Viktor said into his wrist. Chatham cupped her cheeks and she moaned in pa
in.
“Fuck, she’s bleeding in multiple places,” he said and then more light shown on her.
“She has stab wounds,” Boian said.
They were all dressed in black, looking like military insurgents. She blinked her eyes and shook. Then other men were standing there.
“The place is clear. Our men are on foot outside the perimeter for anyone who could have escaped.”
“Malayna. You have to save Malayna,” she said and grabbed on to Viktor.
“We need to get the hell out of here, now,” another voice she didn’t recognize chimed in.
“Let’s get her up. We can look over her injuries on the plane.”
She grabbed on to Cosivan as she felt her head spinning and weakness beginning to overtake her. There was another man next to him. She clenched her teeth.
“You must find Malayna and save her.”
“Who the hell is she talking about?” the other man asked.
“Cosivan, she’s Nicolai’s daughter,” she told them.
“What? His daughter is here?” another man said.
“Nalia, Nicolai doesn’t have a daughter besides Aspen,” Viktor said to her.
“He does. It has to do with your father and the whole reason behind the revenge and the killings.”
“Malayna is here? You’re certain?” this other man asked. She didn’t know if she should reply.
“Nalia, this is Star, he’s part of a team Nicolai sent in to rescue you with us. Trust him,” Cosivan told her.
“It’s her. I swear it is. Vlladim wants her and took her just as Cornikup came in here trying to take me.”
“We have to find her,” Star said then stepped away and spoke into his mic.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Chatham said, lifting her into his arms.
She held on to him and felt her other men touching her, caressing her. She looked at Boian and Cosivan. “Go with them. Vlladim is evil, and Malayna won’t be able to fight him.”
* * * *
Malayna was trying to slow Vlladim down as she fell several times along the border of the property. She could still hear gunfire and then the sound of yelling.
When she heard her name, she instinctively screamed out. “Help!”
Vlladim struck her and she fell to the ground. When he reached for her she kicked at him and used what strength she had to fight him off.