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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE; THE RUSSIAN
also known as;
( the flayed; part one )

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"LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY'S HOME," HOPPER MUTTERED, FLICKING HIS CIGARETTE OUT THE DRIVER'S WINDOW. Stella turned her head to look outside, seeing the farmland mould into a homely estate. She squinted a little and leaned forward between the two adults, seeing a white weatherboard house with planks of wood covering the windows. Immediately, she grimaced.

"Uh, nice place," she attempted to remain positive, but the only response she received was a scoff from the Chief. She frowned as the truck came to a stop, reaching below the seats for the large flashlights Joyce had stashed the night before. She handed two over to the adults, before awkwardly clambering over the seats and exiting the vehicle after them. She groaned softly and stretched out her back, a number of loud cracks echoing throughout the area, earning a 'shh' from Hopper. "Sorry."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay in the car?" Joyce inquired in a hushed tone as they followed Hopper into the house. Stella felt the hairs on the back of her neck sticking up as the evening breezed brushed against her. She shivered as she held up her flashlight, swallowing deeply.

"You guys got all the fun last time," she forced a grin onto her face despite her being on the verge of shitting herself. Joyce quirked an eyebrow, and Stella nodded a couple of times in assurance. "It's fine, Joyce. What could happen?"

"Did you seriously just ask that?" Hopper muttered under his breath as he reached for the doorknob. He slowly opened the door and crept in, followed by the two women. He held his gun at the ready, his eyes flickering back and forth to keep watch for any movement. Stella was behind him with Joyce behind her, both of them looking in opposite directions for the same reason.

By the time they reached the centre of the first room, Stella's head twitched as she felt a low pulsing sound in her eardrums. Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to figure out what it was. "Do you hear that?"

Hopper nodded once, continuing his path through the house. Within minutes they reached what appeared to be the master bedroom, where a naked mattress sat in the centre. Hopper huffed, noticing that the strange frequency had gotten significantly stronger, though there was nothing in sight. "Where's that coming from?"

Stella glanced down at the floor, feeling a gentle tremble emitting from the hardwood. She looked back at Joyce, who seemed to have the same idea as her. The teen fell to her knees and didn't hesitate in placing her ear to the ground, while Joyce found herself looking at the bed frame, where a bright orange light was pulsating. "It's below us."

"Collins, help me out with the bed," Hopper quickly sprung into action and Stella jumped up in response. They both scrambled to the end of the piece of furniture, lifting it off the ground. It practically flung back, like the beds Stella saw in her college dorm brochure (the mere concept of being hurled back into the wall at night terrified her, to say the least), to reveal a set of concrete stairs that led to a secret room.

Stella anxiously grabbed onto Joyce's arm as they descended into the darkness, sounds of ominous metal clanking setting her on edge. She couldn't help but wonder where Steve was right about now. It would've been nice to have him there with her, or even to convince her that she was being an idiot and should turn and run. But he was probably relaxing in his home, watching Carson and drinking his Dad's beer from the garage refrigerator. For the most part, she was glad. At least he was safe.

"Hey, dipshits!" Hopper snapped, causing Stella to whip her head around to see two men cowering behind one of the great machines. She gripped Joyce a little tighter as they shot up, staring directly towards them. "Hawkins P.D. Hands in the air."

A man with glasses and curly hair stepped forward, his brows furrowed in confusion. The other man, wearing a boiler suit started speaking to him in what Stella could only assume was Russian. Hopper didn't appear to care.

"Don't make me say it again!" he demanded, though the spectacled man began speaking to him in his own dialect. "English! Do you speak English? I can't understand you!"

Stella took a step forward and dramatically raised her hands as if she were the one being threatened. She caught the attention of the man, who paused and made an 'o' shape with his mouth. Before he could do the same, there was a loud thud sounding from above. Joyce jumped in fright. "Hopper!"

Hopper looked up, seeing dust falling from the ceiling. His eyes widened, and his eyes flickered towards Joyce and Stella. "Collins, get the handcuffs from my back pocket and grab the chatterbox. Joyce, stuff a sock or somethin' in the other ones mouth. Then, I want you two to hide."

Stella nodded and took the cuffs that Hopper reached for, before rushing towards the curly-haired dude and grabbing him by the wrist. She tugged him towards the side of the stairs, where they were concealed in the shadows. She attached the cuffs to one of his hands, the other to her own. Once Joyce reached them, she quirked an eyebrow, though she couldn't question it. They crouched down as the footsteps grew louder, holding each other tight.

Stella's breath hitched in her throat as she saw a great burly figure enter the room, a gun strap over his shoulder. He held the weapon at the ready, and she suddenly felt everything freeze up. He was terrifying. He looked like the Terminator; broad shoulders, a military haircut and scars running up and down his face that shone when the light hit him. She'd been in worse and weirder situations, yet she was absolutely terrified. 

The muffled yelling of the other Russian drew him to the end of the room, away from Joyce, Stella and the scientist. As soon as he had turned his back completely, Stella watched Hopper run up behind him and hold his gun to the man's head. "Drop the gun. Drop it! Do you understand what I'm saying, big guy? Drop the weapon."

"Or what?" the Arnold Schwarzenegger clone muttered in a thick Russian accent, causing chills to creep up Stella's spine. "You going to shoot?"

"Good," Hopper responded sharply. "So you do understand what I'm saying, huh? And yeah, you don't put that thing away, I'm gonna blow some daylight into that thick skull of yours."

"No," hummed the Russian. "You won't do that."

"Why's that?" Hopper's voice raised as he grew more irritated.

"Because you are policeman. Policeman have rules," the man taunted, so in response, Hopper pulled back the hammer of his revolver. The gun clicked, and he rested his finger on the trigger. 

"Oh yeah? Wanna test that theory?" He inquired, adjusting his feet a little. "I'm gonna count to three. One, two, three!"

Hopper fired, but the Russian was ready. He dove out of the way and proceeded to grab Hopper by the neck and pull him to the ground. The bullet ricocheted off of the ceiling and his one of the pipes on the wall and the gun slid over to where Joyce was crouched. Gunfire ensued alongside the grunting of the fighting men, and Stella suppressed the urge to scream, squeezing her eyes shut. 

"Go!" Hopper yelled, his voice becoming louder as he drew closer to them. "C'mon, move! Smirnoff's coming with us!"

Stella yelped as she tripped over her feet, grabbing onto the Russian's hand and pulling him towards the way they came in. She used her free hand to cover her head as gunfire rung through the bunker again, frightened tears streaming down her face. "Holy shit!"

Her sneakers hit the metal stairs, and despite her clumsiness she managed to keep her footing, though she fell to the floor when she made it to the top. Joyce and the Russian yanked her up (the latter not really having a choice, as he was physically connected to her), pulling her away from the opening as bullets flew through the air. Hopper pushed the mattress back over the top of the entrance as well as kicking the chest of drawers on top. 

"Get to the truck!" The Chief ordered, pushing Stella towards the front door. The fresh air hit her in the face like a slap of a frying pan, causing the girl to inhale sharply after being stuck in the humid basement. "Joyce, drive! I've got a shotgun in the back! Stella, get in!"

Stella complied, tugging the Russian towards the trunk of the car and diving in. The man grunted as his shoulder hit the hard material. Stella looked around before grabbing the shotgun Hopper spoke of, tossing it to the passenger seat where the Chief picked it up and leaned out the window with it aimed at the house. "Joyce, go!"

"Shit," the woman cursed, fumbling with the keys. Stella shut the trunk door of the car and leaned against it beside the Russian, her eyes wide and terrified. "I'm trying!"

"Joyce, drive!" Hopper yelled as Joyce pressed her foot on the gas, screaming as she did so. Stella looked out the back window as the front door was kicked open, and she curled up in a ball, awaiting the gunfire. The blasts echoed in her ears as the car drew further form the house, and she could feel her entire body trembling once they made it back onto the main road. She cried out fearfully as the back window smashed behind her, glass embedding into her exposed skin. Hopper was yelling from in front of her as he shot back, though he didn't have the semi-automatic speed like the other man did. 

"Still think it was our government?" the Chief heaved, pulling himself back into the passenger seat and looking over at Joyce once they were in the clear.

"Oh my GOD," Stella screeched when they were in the clear, her face bright red and tears smeared across her cheeks. The Russian's head snapped over to look at her, jumping at the volume of her voice. She couldn't help it, she could hardly hear anything with the ringing in her ears. "I thought I was with you guys to get away from all this bullshit, but nOOOOOOOO. Instead I'm in the middle of a shootout between the Terminator and my friend's adoptive dad?! What the hell is wrong with this damn town?"

Hopper exhaled loudly, closing his eyes. "Kid, you got no idea."

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the reason i didn't update yesterday and the day before is because i was stuck looking like a money-hungry doctor's wet dream as pictured below >

ooOo face reveal how exciting!! literally just for photo evidence that i am in fact dying lol. so uh, sorry for breaking the daily cycle of updates but i cant function atm and my vision? practically non existent. that's the drama queen update for today, have a great night xo