Yuri could hear the bewildered and hostile exclamations of the men outside the van. Jessica beside him looked concerned and he patted her back. "Nervous?"

"There's someone in there I hope doesn't die," she replied plainly. He cocked a brow at her and she shrugged. "Kiev."

He cast his eyes to the back doors and adjusted his weapon in his lap. "If Ivanovich is meant to survive this, he will." Makarov's security guard ordered the other soldiers to ready their weapons, and he looked at Price. "You sure this armor will protect us?" he asked, pulling on the neck of his juggernaut armor.

"It'll buy us time," said Price, meeting eyes with Soap for a moment. "Nikolai, are you patched into their system?"

Nikolai responded over the com. "Working on it. My Arabic's a little rusty."

Bullets bit the side of the ven and Jessica jumped up. "I don't think they're happy we're here..."

"I've tapped into their security feed. Makarov's in the atrium on the top floor," said Nikolai.

Price stood up, pulling his helmet down. "This is it. Makarov doesn't leave here alive." He kicked the door open and the four of them opened fire on the guards around the van, leveling all of them.

They slowly approached the door, and Jessica felt terribly uneasy, not just because of Kiev, but the over encumbering armor covering her body. She felt caged inside of it, but she fought to keep her head on straight.

"We've got their attention; second wave of responders will be coming any moment," said Price. No sooner had a spoken than a small convoy of enemy-laden cars can screeching around the corner. "Right on time; shoot the cars!"

Soap didn't wait for the rest of them and shot out the tires on all of the cars, overturning two of them. One car's door opened and a couple of men fell out of it, attempting to shoot at them with pistols, but he quickly turned them to red mist.

Price grinned devilishly. "That was quick; repressing some rage, are you, Soap?"

"I just wanna be done with this shit..." replied the Lieutenant.

Nikolai was both impressed and dismayed when he spoke over the com. "Makarov's got a small army in there..."

"It won't help him. Take control of the lifts so he can't escape," said the Captain.

"On it."

They made it inside the hotel and it was total chaos. There were RPGs up on the balcony over the lobby, soldiers running down the escalators and out of other rooms, and when Jessica nearly fired on one man approaching her, she stopped, realizing he was unarmed. "Watch your fire, we've got civies in here!" she called over the com.

Yuri nodded. "I see them. Keep your eyes high, we need to take out those RPGs first!"

Price and Soap slotted them, and Price tapped into the com as they moved forward. "Nikolai, where's Makarov?"

"Still in the atrium," said Nikolai. "But he's on the move."

"Don't lose him, we're on the way!" Price motioned them up the stairs. "Up the escalator, go! Nikolai, we need control of those lifts!"

Nikolai nodded to himself. "I've almost got it!"

Jessica took cover behind an archway at the top of the escalator and peeked out. She caught one running tango in a hail of crossfire, then fired around the corner at another man. A bullet glanced off her armor and she felt a swelling of glee in her chest that she wasn't getting hurt for a change.

"Okay, I've got control of the elevators. Sending them down to your floor," said Nikolai.

As she pressed forward, glancing around the edge wall, a man lunged out at Jessica. He drew a Desert Eagle and she bristled in sudden alarm.

"Jess, watch out!" cried Price, reaching out to pull her away. He only got to her side after she pinned the tango against the wall and blew his head apart with his own weapon. John let out a tense breath and grasped her arm. "Don't you ever check your corners?"

"I was checking my corners," she growled. "He just happened to catch me as I looked around." She grumbled to herself, tugging on her helmet. "This damn armor... I can't shift in this stuff!"

"Don't take it off, Lone," wanted Soap. "You'll be nothin' but Russkie fodder out there."

She gritted her teeth, working the muscles in her jaws. "Fine..."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. "The lift's up ahead! Let's go!" said Price. They looked around the outside world through the glass walls as Nikolai contacted them again.

"Makarov's moved to the restaurant, same floor! He's got a large security detail with him."

Price set his brows. "What kind of opposition is waiting for us?" he asked.

Nikolai looked closer at the video feed of Makarov aggressively pointing around and giving his men orders. "Forty-plus foot mobiles! SMGs and assault rifles."

Yuri nodded as he listened, then looked up when he heard humming outside. "Ah, shit," he grumbled.

"Enemy choppers closing on your position," said Nikolai.

Price watched them fly by. "One is heading for the roof, probably going for Makarov." His eyes widened when another Little Bird came up from below them and leveled with the lift, firing into the glass. "Shoot it down!" he barked.

Soap and Yuri fired at it, growing more frantic as the aircraft didn't seem fazed. "Fucker won't go down!" cried Soap.

Yuri gritted his teeth and fired directly at the pilot, and with a perfectly aimed shot, the helicopter spiraled out of control. "Got it!" he said.

"Good shot, Yuri," said Price, relieved.

Jessica's eyes rounded. "Look out! It's coming at us!" she exclaimed, grasping John's arm as it collided with them.

In a blast of flames, they were all engulfed, and Soap wailed. Jessica desperately threw her armor off and started peeling Price's armor off as well. Yuri helped Soap and soon they were safe from the flames. "Our armor's shredded!" said Yuri nervously. "Nikolai, we need another lift!"

"Copy, on its way," replied Nikolai.

Jessica looked Price up and down, touching his shoulders and chest which were still smoking. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine, darling, I'm fine..." he said.

The lift shuttered under them and started to fall. Jess shifted and looked around all of them. "This thing isn't going to hold us..."

The next lift halted beside them and Yuri grasped her scruff. "Jump!" He threw her and leaped after her, Soap and Price shortly on their heels. They landed, but Soap began to slip, his hands clutching at the smooth floor and shrieking for help. Before Gal could grab him, he fell.

"SOAP! NO!" wailed Price.

"Soap!" Yuri looked over the edge, and covered his face, turning away with a sigh. "Oh my God..."

"One o' ya lend me a hand!" growled Soap, hanging onto the outer wall of the shaft. "Fuckers..."

Galaxy looked at Yuri, gesturing to the strap on the back of her ballistic vest, and leaned over the side, grasping his arm between her jaws. He winced, feeling her teeth in his arm, but didn't complain as she pulled him up. "Fuck sake, mate!" she barked. "Why do you always try to die?!"

"I dunno, maybe I'm the main character," he scoffed sarcastically. "Why do you always successfully die?" He rubbed his arm and grimaced. "You'd better have some bandages for this..."

Price sighed. "Doors are opening, get ready."

"Makarov's chopper just touched down!" warned Nikolai. "He's heading there now!"

"He's not getting away!" growled Galaxy, darting out of the elevator and snatching the first guard, shaking him back and forth until his head came off.

Yuri bolted after her, firing over her back as a clatter of bullets broke the marble archway over his head. Price came up behind him and pushed him forward and behind a sofa. "Yuri, watch yourself, your armor's gone!" he said.

Soap looked around, firing at anyone who approached. "Restaurant's that way! Go! I'll cover you," he instructed.

Galaxy took cover behind the bar and her eyes widened when she saw the unmistakable shape of Makarov. "I see him! He's leaving the restaurant, headed toward the balcony!"

Price ran beside her, shooting at him. "Don't let him get away!"

Yuri laid back on his heels. "Watch that helicopter! Rockets!" he cried.

His warning didn't come soon enough as the floor was blown to bits, and it canted sideways. Price felt himself sliding and frantically tried to pry his feet against the floor. Unable to stop, he looked for anywhere to grab onto, finding a piece of steel bar sticking out over the ledge. He dropped his weapon and grasped it, and the floor came out from under his feet. His stomach rolled seeing the long, long drop to the ground below. With a strain, he pulled himself back up onto the floor. "Jess?! Yuri!" he called.

Galaxy was standing, leaning up against Yuri's shoulders, and Yuri made a sickening wail. Another piece of steel bar was stuck through his stomach. The great wolf looked him over and then back up at Price. "John..." she whimpered. "He's hurt bad."

Price turned almost gray with sadness as he reached out. "Yuri..."

"No," groaned Yuri painfully. "You two leave me! Ahhhh! Don't let Makarov get away!"

She looked up at John and shook her head. "You go, I can't leave him here."

Price furrowed his brow and stood up shakily, his eyes catching sight of Makarov running for the Little Bird that had just shot them down. His feet pounded against the floor and he felt a spike of adrenaline as the aircraft pulled away. "No, you don't!" He leaped up, grabbing onto the landing skid. He fought his way up to the cock pit and punched the pilot, disorienting him enough to grasp him by the shirt and toss him out. The copilot unsheathed a knife to stab him but was disarmed by the advancing Captain, and he, too, was thrown out of the craft.

Jessica helped Yuri off the steel bar. "I still don't think that's a good idea, Yuri," she groaned.

Soap skidded to a halt beside them. "What's goin' on here?"

"Yuri's hurt." She helped him sit upright and he pushed her off him, standing up.

"I wouldn't do that, mate," said Soap. "You'll bleed out like that."

"I'm already a deadman, Soap." Yuri looked over his shoulder with a tired smile. "It'll be alright; I was made for this..." He took one more step and collapsed.

Soap gathered him up in his arms. "I've got him. You go help Price!" he ordered.

Jess nodded solemnly and headed for the roof, looking up at the spiraling helicopter. She saw Makarov dive for the control yoke at the same time Price did, trying to keep it in the air. When they didn't seem to be slowing down, she dove for safety, the helicopter exploding behind her. She looked over her shoulder and felt her heart in her throat. Price was lying face down on the glass roof.

He wasn't moving.

"Shit... Shit, shit, shit!" She almost called out for him when he stirred, weakly supporting himself on trembling arms.

John's vision was blurry, but when it focused, he looked straight down the many floors of the hotel to the bottom floor. Droplets of his own blood landed on the glass, and several small, white cracks ran like spiderwebs through his reflection. Damn, the roof was breaking. He rolled over with a wince and saw Makarov stumble out of the wreckage, and between both of them, a Desert Eagle.

Vladimir leaned against the ruined helicopter, trying to regain his balance. His mouth gaped in a painful gasp; at least three of his ribs were broken, it felt like, and with every step, every breath, he could feel the pain lancing through his body. He tripped, landing in a kneeling position, and coughed. Blood spilled from his mouth to the roof and he grimaced. Yep. He had definitely broken some ribs. One of his lungs wasn't filling properly, and he felt a pang of dread. No. He couldn't die yet. His eyes raised to see the bloodied, battered Captain Price reaching for a Desert Eagle, and hurried to him, stamping down on the man's wrist. Price yowled, and Vladimir picked up the weapon before punching him in the face.

Price fell back, and Jessica seethed. "No..." she growled to herself.

Makarov hit him again, and when Price fell backward he aimed the pistol at him. "Goodbye, Captain Price." For the first time in a long time, he saw the utter terror in John's steely blue eyes, feeling a muted delight, and he squeezed the trigger.

"Vladimir, NO!"

Recognizing the voice, he glanced over his shoulder, jerking the shot over Price's head. Wide-eyed and with a pit of deep-seated fear in his stomach, he saw the open maw of the Blue Wolf, and he shielded his face with his forearm. Galaxy bit into him, swinging her weight out so that she landed on her feet and he landed on his face. Her azure eyes darted around and found a cord lying not far away. She grasped his head between her jaws and dragged him, flailing, over to it, pinning him against the glass and picking it up.

"S-Sasha!" he cried. "Sash- Jessica! Jessica, please! Wait! Wait!" Vladimir felt the cord getting tighter and tighter around his neck, and his heart beat so hard he could see his pulse in his eyes.

She picked him up by the cord around his neck and looked him in the eye. But she couldn't see him; her eyes had rolled back and she thrashed him against the glass.

Crack.

"Jessica... Ah, please! Wai-"

Trash.

Crack.

She picked him up once more and tears had filled his eyes. "Jessica, I'm sorry..."

Price felt a deep pit of dread in his gut looking at her, shaking violently. He looked down, seeing the deep cracks under him and he struggled closer despite his terror. "Jess..!"

Galaxy rose up on her back feet and came down with a final crash, sending her, Makarov, and Price down through the roof. Vladimir screamed in horror, the cord tightening more and more around his throat until he felt his eyes might burst, and suddenly.

SNAP!

Galaxy landed solidly on the balcony, and Price hit the ground beside her. She was reeling, still snarling her savage rage to her enemy. Her face turned to the roof and there, through the white blindness in her eyes, she could make out the dangling body of Vladimir Makarov, his legs making a final attempt to flail before going still, his body shuttering from the last run of adrenaline.

Her eyes unrolled and she heaved, coughing hard as a black ooze leaked from her mouth. She shook her head, and when she had calmed down, she raised her eyes up to look at him again.

It was strange. All the anger, all the hurt, the injustice she had felt was gone in the dilation of his eyes. Before she had expected to feel happiness, relief that he was gone. Yet somehow, looking up at his lifeless form, she felt something entirely different.

Remorse.

She seated herself at the edge of the balcony, her gaze unmoving and she sighed. "What an unfortunate waste of what could have been a good human..." she thought. "I'm sorry it had to end like this, Vladimir."

Price sat up beside her, brushing the shards of glass off him, and listened in silence to the sound of sirens in the distance. He heaved a great sigh, and reached into his jacket, pulling out a cigar and lighting it. As he breathed out a puff of smoke, he reached out to touch her back, and she scooted back to sit beside him, shifting and nestling herself under his arm. John offered it to her and she nonchalantly took a puff.

Her eyes cast all-around her to the various shards, seeing reflections in them. The didn't see the ceiling or herself, but instead the silhouettes of the now-avenged. In one of the largest shards, she saw four very familiar faces: Griggs, Gaz, Ghost, and Roach. They seemed to be smiling, shoving shoulders, and laughing. Gaz looked up, motioning silently to the others at her, and they all saluted before disappearing in a breath of wind. She closed her eyes, feeling a weight come off her chest and she laid back against John, his thumb stroking her arm.

"Price? Gal?"

They looked up to see Soap looking down through the roof. He looked horribly concerned.

"How's Yuri?" called Price.

Soap was silent as his mouth gaped, then her closed it, brows furrowing. "He didn't make it..."

A knot formed in Jessica's throat. Poor Yuri. She held Price's hand gingerly, casting her gaze to the floor. She stood up slowly. "C'mon, I hear sirens; I want to see Yuri before they have to take his body away."

John quietly walked ahead of her, but Jessica lingered for just a moment more, looking back up at Vladimir. The father of her child, the destroyer of the world, her lover, her enemy... The most powerful man on earth, broken and slain. It was tragic, yet poetic. She shook her head and started after Price when a movement in her reflection on the polished marble wall beside her caught her attention.

Sasha was standing there, shifted as a pale wolf with her azure eyes glinting unforgivingly, and in her mouth dangled a black rabbit, its blue and green eyes wide open. With a dip of her head, she turned away and disappeared with an ominous omen.

"Even for the Keeper of Justice, vengeance- an eye for an eye- will make the whole world blind."