4. The Terminator's Arrival

"Even if we're oceans apart, pages apart and worlds apart, I will still love you, because that all i know how to do.

Alexei Voronin.

The sterile scent of antiseptic and the distant hum of machines greeted me as I stepped into the private hospital room. My boots echoed against the cold tile floor, each step a reminder of the duty I had just accepted. The job wasn't new; I'd protected countless people before, but this one was different. Vasilisa Smirnov—Lisa—was more than just a client. She was the daughter of Vasilev Smirnov, a man whose name commanded respect and fear in equal measure. And now, after years of laying low, her stalker had returned, bringing with him the shadows of a nightmare that nearly ended her life five years ago.

I wasn't given much of a choice in taking this job, not that I would have turned it down. Protecting Lisa was a priority, even if she didn't realize the danger she was in. Vasilev had made it clear: Lisa was his everything. And that meant she was now my responsibility. That was if I wanted what the Great Smirnov had offered, and believe me, I would do anything for what he had offered.

The door to her room creaked as I pushed it open, revealing a space bathed in soft, artificial light. Lisa lay on the bed, her once-vibrant face pale, marred by the bandages wrapped around her head and the IV dripping fluids into her veins. She looked fragile, a stark contrast to the fiery young woman I'd heard about. The sight of her stirred something unexpected in me, a protective instinct that I hadn't felt in a long time.

But that was irrelevant. Emotions didn't belong in my line of work.

I took a moment to assess the room—one entry point, a single window reinforced with security glass, and the heart monitor that beeped steadily beside her bed. The hospital had done its best to secure her, but it wasn't enough. It never was. If the stalker had gotten this close, there was no telling what he might try next. I'd have to be vigilant every second of every day.

My presence wasn't exactly subtle. At six-foot-four, with a build that rivaled most professional fighters, I knew I stood out. And that was the point. Blending in wasn't my style; intimidation was. If anyone thought they could get past me, they were sorely mistaken.

The door behind me creaked open again, and I turned to see a nurse, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of me. I couldn't blame her—people had a tendency to react that way.

"Is she awake?" I asked, my voice gruff from the hours spent in tense silence.

The nurse shook her head. "Not yet, but it shouldn't be long. The doctors said she's stable and should regain consciousness soon."

I nodded, dismissing her with a glance. She scurried out, leaving me alone once more with Lisa. My mind wandered to the first time the stalker attacked her, on her eighteenth birthday. I had gone through her file and it had been a carefully orchestrated nightmare—Lisa kidnapped, drugged, and nearly killed before a special ops team intervened. The fact that the stalker had resurfaced now, after five years, meant one thing: he wasn't done with her.

I stood by the wall with my eyes closed, trying to make sense of what I had read. But the heart monitor was too noisy and the sound of footsteps approaching the room dragged my attention.

My hand immediately found the gun tucked into the waist of my cargo pants as I moved closer to the door, ready to shoot the intruder down.

The door swings open and a familiar voice announces his name , halting my motions to a fluid stop.

Only Vasilev Smirnov knew me well enough to have known that i was ready to pull the trigger. There was a reason why he was called the Great Smirnov. Even now that his once broad and widened shoulders drooped with exhaustion, his regal stance withered slightly and his hair peppered with flakes of white, his fiery and commanding eyes still remained , only faltering when he looked at his motionless daughter. He acknowledged me with a nod of his head and i did the same, leaving room for him to pass through, before shutting the door behind him.

He strode forward before settling down on the bed beside her. He seemed hesitant to touch her as he extended and retracted his hands a few times. i turned around, not wanting to intrude in his personal moment. I stood for quite a long time, my mind venturing back to my previous thoughts.

A groan from the bed snapped me back to the present as i turned around, Lisa's fingers twitched, her eyelids fluttering open. Vasilev immediately retracted his hand that was tightly gripping hers, A certain emotion crossed his eyes as he stood up, resorting to standing at the foot of her bed like a robot. Our stance was identical. A soldiers lifetime trade mark.

She blinked against the harsh light, disoriented, before her gaze bounced between her father and then me. For a moment, there was silence, her eyes narrowing as she took in my presence.

"Who the hell is he?" she asked her father, her voice raspy from disuse.

I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall as he replied. "Alexei Voronin. Your new bodyguard."

Her eyes, despite the pain, sparked with irritation. "I don't need a bodyguard."

"That's not up for discussion," He replied flatly. "I hired him to protect you, and that's what he is going to do."

She pushed herself up on the bed, wincing as the movement tugged at her injuries. "I told you. I didn't want this. I'm not some helpless—"

"Look," I interrupted, stepping closer to the bed, "your opinions on the matter don't change the fact that you're in danger. I'm here to keep you safe, whether you like it or not."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her jaw clenched in defiance. "You think you can just walk in here and take over my life?"

"If that's what it takes to keep you alive, then yes," I shot back. "Your father doesn't want any more close calls, and i'm here to prevent that."

The tension in the room was palpable, her fiery spirit clashing with my immovable resolve. I could see the frustration in her eyes, the anger simmering just below the surface. She wasn't used to being told what to do, especially not by someone like me.

But this wasn't about what she wanted. It was about what she needed. And right now, she needed protection, whether she admitted it or not.

"Well, i'm speaking to my father, your opinion is irrelevant" She yelled back, her heart monitor beeping incessantly.

"Lisa, listen to me" Vasilev pleaded, moving closer to her. "I have no choice".

"You do father, You don't have to do this" She yelled, propping herself up. "You could have stayed, You can protect me yourself"her voice dwindled softly at the end as she searched her fathers face with hope.

His eyes fall as he stares at anywhere but her face.

She nods in defeat, the final blow escaping from her lips. "Do you think mom will forgive you for abandoning me". Her eyes shone with an anger that egded deeper into the line of fear.

At the mention of his late wife, the Great Smirnov was anything but great, It was a devastating blow and even Lisa knew it as a flash of regret passed through her eyes. He seemed to be faraway, his eyes vacant and his mind empty.

I was a witness to the great peaks of their love, Everyone at the barracks knew how much Vasilev Smirnov loved his wife.

"Run away, father"She sighed, falling back unto the bed."Like always".

He sighed deeply, before leaving. A simple eye contact between us conveying his message for me.

"Protect her with your life"

As she closed her eyes, exhaustion overtaking her, I settled into the chair by her bed. This was my new post, and I wasn't leaving her side. The Terminator, they called me. And for the first time, I was glad for the name. Because whoever was after Lisa, they'd have to go through me first.