Page 56 of Shadows of the Past
In front of the house, two soldiers lie in pools of blood. Each has a hole in his chest, but what surprises me is seeing an X marked by a knife over each of their eyes.
This is a message. Someone wants to make sure Ivan receives the message, and I can't help but wonder if these people are really our enemies or not.
But although there's a saying about the enemy of my enemy, right now with so many other lives and Julia's at stake, I can't just rush in headfirst.
As we step into the house's foyer, the floor is a sea of crimson. Our soldiers crouch behind furniture while black-clad figures rain bullets from the top of the stairs.
They haven't spotted us yet, but we need to get past them to reach the basement. Near the stairs, several of our men lie motionless, their eyes vacant. They probably didn't even have a chance to raise their weapons.
I signal toward the basement, and the moment our soldiers see me, a surge of courage seems to grip them. They open fire.
Julia, Akim, and I sprint toward where innocent souls await either their end or their salvation. Thank heaven, no one takes a bullet on the way.
The stairwell to the basement reeks of fear and urine showing the state these children are kept in. They're only cleaned before meeting their new "masters."
I halt abruptly, feeling Julia and Akim behind me. Six innocent faces stare at me as if I'm their savior, and in that moment, a plan forms in my mind.
"Akim, take all the children and Julia and get them out of here. Call Ilya when you're off the property. He'll get Julia out of the country and knows what to do with the others," I say, my voice detached despite the hurricane in my soul.
It's the perfect moment for her to leave. In all this chaos, no one will notice until it's too late, and I'll have the attack as an excuse.
"What?" The whispered word from the person who makes my defective organ beat turns my gaze to her.
It's the last time I'll see her eyes, but it's a good plan. The best I have available.
"Go to your sisters, Julia! You've waited long enough."
Akim just nods, knowing there's no disputing my plan. I see so many emotions on her face, and for the last time, I hook my pinky finger with hers and murmur, so only she can hear, "I wasn't joking earlier. You deserve someone who'll worship the ground you walk on, and even if I'm not that man, this is me fighting for you. To give you a choice. To give you a chance at that wonderful life I know you should have."
Tears well in her eyes and she shakes her head in denial, but she knows it's the right moment. A sound like a whimper escapes her, piercing my chest.
"Akim, come on!" I bark at him as he unties a little boy from his bindings.
I look at the boy, surely no more than twelve, and taking the grenade from my back, I place it in his hand.
"If something goes wrong, pull this pin and throw it at anyone who gets in your way. Clear?"
His face is caked with dirt and scratches, but when his gaze meets mine, I know this basement has forced him to grow up prematurely, like all the others.
"I promise," he says solemnly.
I approach a girl who seems to be the oldest, probably about thirteen, and give her one of my knives.
Her gaze is so empty I want to shake her just to make sure she's here with us, but when she sees the knife in her hand, a spark, a glimmer, enters her eyes, and she just nods.
I won't be with them physically when they escape, but if anyone gives them trouble, I want them to have a fighting chance.
I can't stay here any longer. I need to get them out of this house.
One day it won't hurt so much. The mantra I've repeated for so many years tastes bitter, but it's my only consolation.
I need to return to the main hall to help the other soldiers defending the property. Not that I care about protecting this cursed house, but Ivan will expect me to be there, like an obedient heir.
I look at Akim and see he has the same look as me. He knows the procedure for these situations and that we have a short window of time in which to act.
The commotion from upstairs grows louder, so I signal him to climb the stairs and point to the right. He understands what I want. He'll take Julia and the children that way, toward the kitchen exit, while I'll head to the hall to keep our "guests" occupied.
When Julia notices they're going in the opposite direction from me, she stops, and I hear her whisper.
