Rogue Ghostbird

Chapter 7 - Raven

Melody

My nine brothers and I were playing with our various instruments and doing our homework when we got the red-line. Mom had set up a plan to follow in this situation. I remember her exact words like it was yesterday:

"If I ever red-line you, it means that Volto has found me. You will NOT under any circumstances attempt a rescue on your own. I need you to go tell Aleksandr, Alec and Agatha. Get Alec to get you a flight to the US. Call Raven to have him meet you somewhere of your choosing. Contact your fathers to inform them of the situation. In that order! Only with Raven and potentially your fathers can you even consider attempting to resuce me," explained mommy.

I love my mom and she did her best to raise the ten of us despite the odds. I knew that our lives weren't normal. I could shoot better than some snipers, but I accepted it. The one rule us children lived by was :

If someone hurts mommy, we hurt them.

It was a bit bloodthirsty, but we haven't had the easiest lives. Mom was always there for us. Now, we will obey her rules even if she can no longer enforce them. We will get her back. 

I ordered my brothers, "Oliver, come with me talk to Aleksandr, Alec and Agatha. Get a jet ready for three hours from now! Seb and Neal, go get mom's weapons. Noah, pack all the weapons necessary. We need to be armed to the teeth. The rest of you, pack our other stuff up, only the bare minimum. Remember the rules!"

Mom had rules to survive. They were slightly strange to tell your six year old kids, but we remembered. We were never to trust the Academy despite their friendly appearances and to slap Dr. Roberts for Mommy when we meet him. Well, the last part is what Leif added and we all agree.

Oliver and I walk in silence towards Aleksandr's office. He is most likely there with Alec and Agatha. It is common sense since one is his wife and the other his second-in-command. 

I go into his office without knocking, "Hello, we need to talk."

Luckily, no one but Alec and Agatha were with him. I could speak Russian, but I was trying to improve Aleksandr's English. 

Alec spoke up first, "What do you need?"

Oliver told him, "Mom has red-lined us. We need a jet as soon as possible to Charleston, South Carolina."

Agatha questioned us, "Why don't you stay here while we search for your mother?"

I shake my head, "Auntie Agatha, we can't. You won't find Volto, he is too good at what he does."

Agatha scoffed, "You are only ten year old children."

Oliver intervened, "Even so, Uncle Alec promised mom to get us to the US. Once we are there, mom gave us a plan."

I ran up to hug my auntie and uncles, "Don't worry he will come back and visit."

Agatha hugged me back, "Fine. Alec, go prepare the jet. You will accompany them, but come right back!"

Alec left and we soon followed. Back at our room, Sebastian, Neal and Noah were handing out weapons. I strapped nine knives along my legs with a gun strapped there too. I had another gun hidden under my shirt. I had two more knives in my sleeves and two more guns in my coat. Each of us were armed more than the average mafia person. We even still had left over weapons. Mom always had enough weapons to take over a state if we wanted to. 

Once we were all packed, everyone headed to the private airfield for take-off. All of this was done in the most absolute silence, even Leif couldn't find it in him to break it. And that is saying a lot. Leif is literally a ball of sunshine in a human being. I am curious to see what Luke is like. 

Mom says that all of our fathers are exactly the same of my brothers in appearance and to a certain extent, personality. That is except me, I am momma's daughter. She doesn't know who my father is. I only look like her which doesn't bother me at all.

Alec was already on the plane, so all ten of us shuffled on in silence. You cannot expect 10 ten years old kids to be all jolly when their mom gets kidnapped by our worst enemy besides the Academy. 

The flight would take three hours because we were in a high-class jet who is made to be fast. I was going to contact Raven about an hour before landing. Turns out Alec left the plane before we left the air field. It was an emergency call for the mafia which needed his urgent attention.

About an hour in the flight, Leif broke the silence, "Who wants chocolate?"

I have no idea how he sneaked the chocolate past Noah. Noah like his father North according to mom hated sugary sweets and threw them away when Leif bought some. 

Speak of the devil, Noah yelled, "No sweets!" before jumping on Leif. They wrestled for a bit, but Noah won and smashed the chocolate.

Leif mournfully said, "No one even tried to help save those poor, innocent chocolates."

That set us all laughing and the mood became happier. Conversation resumed, so silence no longer reigned in the plane. 

An hour before we were about to land, I shushed everyone and called Raven. 

He picked up on the third ring, "Strawberry."

It was an Academy thing. You had to answer with a word which had nothing to do with the previous one. It was their code of sorts. 

Instead I said, "Sang." I have only talked to Raven once about a year ago when Mom introduced us. 

"What's wrong, Sang?" Raven asked.

I replied, "This is Melody, Sang's daughter."

"What happened to Sang?" questioned Raven.

"She has been kidnapped by Volto."

"What!" exploded Raven, "How could this happen?"

I explained the situation, "Mom red-lined us which is the message that Volto got her. All ten of us are on our way to meet you in South Carolina."

Raven was silent a moment, "How are you coming?" 

"Uncle Aleksandr and Auntie Agatha lent us a jet," I told him.

Raven delicately said, "Does it happen to be a jet over US soil showing Russian flags?"

I nod in thought, "Yes. Why?"

Raven cursed, "The Academy has taken interest why a Russian jet is coming here. I am assigned to the case. I know a man named Aleksandr and has a wife named Agatha, but I hope that it is not them."

Joyfully, I reassured him, "Aleksandr and Agatha are very nice with mommy and us. Even if they lead the Russian mafia."

Raven chocked, "Sorry."

Another man who I think is Corey took the phone, "Sorry about that. Raven is indisposed at the moment. I heard everything. So Sang managed to stay off the grid by being friends with the Russian mafia. Smart."

I nod my head even if they cannot see me, "Yes, we were safe there, but no longer. I need you to meet us at the Academy hospital in an hour and a half."

"Sure," Corey answered.

Without further ado, I hung up and proceeded to fall asleep for the last hour of our journey

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Word Count : 1203