Chapter Twenty-Five
Darkness to Light
“The mystery when darkness turns to light
The great release when wrong will turn to right
I want to see when darkness turns to light
When the waking winds will reach my mind
And blow the night away…”
– Rage (Darkness Turns to Light)
The world was dark and blurry, when I began to wake up from being drugged. I could hear the deep humming from the engine as we accelerated and then slowed down, then it repeated. Muffled voices began to register in my buzzing and pounding head, and as I tried to open my eyes again the colors of dark grey and black just filled my blurred and spinning vision.
“She’s waking up.” I heard one of the men in the car say in Russian as we continued to drive.
“Ah Duchess, I would ask if you slept well, but from your screams and painful whimpers, I would say you didn’t.” I heard Victor’s voice fill the darkness trailed by several laughs.
“Whhhattt, dodododo mmmm.” I tried to ask the question that was in my head, but my numb heavy tongue wouldn’t let me. What did they want? I thought again in my head more clearly as I tried again to ask the question, but failed due to whatever they gave me.
“Why don’t you just do yourself a favor, and not try to talk just yet.” Victor said before whispering something to another man. I had to get out of this, but how? Was Mr. Poloski or anyone else looking for me? Where were they taking me? I began to ask myself as my eyes started to become clearer. My head was still pounding as if I had the worst hangover imaginable, or as if I had been to the loudest rock concert ever. My ears were ringing so loud, and with all the movements that the car was making I was able to feel that I was sitting in between two other men. What did they give me I wondered for a brief moment, as I felt myself slowly moving my head off of the guy to my left’s shoulder and began to take in my surroundings.
We were in a dark SUV of some kind, with dark interior, windows, and to make matters worse it was still night outside. How long had we’ve been driving? How long have I been out of it? I continued to think of questions as my heart began to race. I began to look around the vehicle and every time my eyes locked with another one of Victor’s men, they would either look at me with a blank hard face, or just completely ignore me. I didn’t realize until I went to reach for the door that my hand were tied together and connected with the man to my right’s wrist with a plastic tie, where there was no way I could even pull off a James Bond move to try to escape. God please get me out of this! I begged as I looked up to the guy who I was linked to who only briefly looked down at me then back out the dark tinted window.
“Ppplease.” I said with a slurred stutter, my eyes now filling up with fearful tears.
“Aww look she’s scared. Don’t worry Duchess we’re almost there.” Victor said with a mocking grin, before ordering the driver to go faster.
I didn’t know how much longer it was until I began to see street lights, or where exactly we were, but before I knew it I was being pushed out of the car, and carried into some dark, old building that sent a wave of shiver down my spine. It was only then that I could see Ros’ story begin to play out as my own, because I too was in some sort of an abandon warehouse or mill. Yet, this time it didn’t look quite as abandon as the place Ros had described, because as my eyes began to take in the furniture I quickly realize that Victor’s men most come to this place a lot, or someone else lived here. There were normal furniture like any other living room, or lounge, and televisions all over the place that were either showing the news, watching another television show, or a few of the men were watching a movie in Russian. My eyes flashed to the televisions with the news flashing my picture across the screen. Dozens of reporters were announcing my kidnapping during my coming out masquerade ball. It was when I saw my mother’s face on television that my heart sunk; people were already invading her privacy about the news of my capture. My ears began to strain to hear what she had to say in response so some reporter’s question.
“We can only hope that whoever took Lisa, will do the right thing and let her go unharm, she’s just a teenager for goodness sake, and she didn’t ask to be part of all of this. Just please, find my little girl whoever is out there looking for her.” I heard her say with tears streaming down her eyes as she was beginning to be comforted by several of the women from our church including Mandy’s mom. I couldn’t help but look at my mom’s scared face as the weight of the news continued to sink in, and only wonder what was going on in her mind, and even more importantly did Nunna know?
“Turn that off.” I heard Victor’s voice command as the televisions all began to be powered off.
“Put her there.” He ordered the guy who still held me as he placed me on a hard wooden dining room chair.
“Aw I’m afraid your pretty dress is going to be a little dirty from all this excitement.” He said with a proud grin as I began to look at my already stained and tattered dress.
“What do you want?” I asked softly, my voice a little bit stronger than before in the car. Yet, no one answered me.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT? LET ME GO NOW!” I now commanded, and still everyone just ignored me, except for a dark low laughter that came from a hallway behind me.
“You think, you can command us, you’re no more than just a child. Ha I think that is quite funny if you ask me and a little bit annoying.” I heard a deep voice come along with more laughter from the darkness while the rest of the men in the room stood from their chairs and bowed their heads in respect.
I turned my head towards the voice, my eyes tracing over his facial features. He looked oddly familiar; even though I was positive we had never met before. He wore a dark business suit, as if he was just coming from the office in New York, and was even checking a message from his cell phone as if this was just a normal every day business meeting that he was walking in to. As he walked into the lighted room, and I almost let out a gasp as I quickly realized the man who stood in front of me was the mirror image of the boy that I had a few short days ago began to give my heart to. Was I supposed to know that he was Marc’s father? I wondered over and over in my mind as he whispered something to Victor and then to a few others.
“So, this is the Romanov heir I’ve been hearing so much about. I must say, the cameras make you look a lot prettier on television.” He said with a smirk. He’s just trying to get inside your head, don’t pay any attention to him. I heard my conscious telling my mind, yet it almost sounded like Nunna’s voice.
“Who, who are you?” I asked with a shaky voice, I regretted asking those words the moment they slipped from my lips.
SLAP!
“You will learn to only speak when given permission to do so, brat!” Marc’s father said with a scowl on his face as he drew back his hand from the hard slap from my face. The slap instantly brought tears to my eyes, but surprisingly I did not let them fall. Please God get me out of this! I begged God silently in my mind as I slowly brought my eyes to Marc’s father.
“Now that we have an understanding, to answer your question, my name is Lenin, Ilya Ulyanovich Lenin to be precise.” He said as his words pierced my very heart and soul. His name was that of the very man who ordered to have my family overthrown and murdered.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, my tongue not being stopped quick enough.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
I felt the stinging pain of his rough hands lap against my frightened face as I grunted with pain. Tears formed again, ready to fall. Do not cry in front of him, the enemy, I commanded myself as I closed my eyes shut, not letting them be released.
“We can keep doing this all night if we have to Annalisa Peterson.” He said as he whipped some blood off the back of his hand. I could feel the blood sliding down the corner of my mouth where his hard ring had broken through the skin.
“You may think I’m the bad man in the picture; however you should know I’m just a business man. You see I don’t take delight in kidnapping and holding sweet young girls like you, however if I am paid to do a job, well my dear, I always deliver, always.” Ilya said as he adjusted his dark suit cuff links. Wait he wasn’t the one who wanted me kidnapped? He’s not responsible for all of this? So, Ros was right, Ilya was not commanding the Bolshevik Army? Who was? I started realizing in my mind.
“Speaking of the devil himself…” Ilya said as he answered his buzzing cell phone, looking over to Victor and a few of his other men and giving them a brief nod before answering back shortly, “Yes, perfect. The package is well, only a little cracked.” He responded as he looked at me and touched my still bleeding lip with his thumb. I jerked away from his repulsing touch.
“I understand completely.” He said as he closed the phone and smirked wickedly at me.
“Victor, get the men ready, he’s here.” Ilya said with a business face, as if getting prepared to showcase his most prized merchandise. All of his men walked quickly into their positions around the room, most by me and Ilya, while the rest stood at windows and the entry ways.
Knock Knock Knock
I heard the sound of knuckles banging against the wooden door.
“Ah, right on time. I trust the drive wasn’t too long.” Ilya said as he stepped in front of me and greeted the men who entered through the door. There were only five men who entered a lot less than IIya’s men who stood around the room. Yet, there was one who stood off to the side with a pair of deep blue eyes that didn’t stray from mine, that man held the attention of every man in the room.
“As promised, retrieved and delivered.” Ilya said with a smile, as if he had made the most amazing deal on of house.
“Yes, very good. You and your men may go.” The man said with a hard face as he didn’t take his eyes off of mine.
“And the end of your bargain?” IIya said as he stepped a little bit closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You will get it.” The man said, while I heard every man in the room reach for some sort of weapon. I could feel the tension rising.
“You see, like before, I always collect upon delivery.” Ilya said as he whipped out a knife from out of nowhere and started cleaning it with his handkerchief.
“I wouldn’t question my business methods Lenin or threaten me. You know it always ends in my favor, so why even try. You will get your payment by the end of the day. You have my word on that.”
“Fine. But if you double cross me…” Ilya started to say before a knife was thrown and stabbed him in his thigh. His crimson blood instantly started flowing around his foot, as he cried out in pain and took the sharp object out his leg and dropped it to the floor. Now all weapons were drawn out, pointed at the opposite person, while all I could do was watch with wide, frighten eyes from the chair I was still tied to. Please don’t let me die, I begged in my mind as I watched at Ilya and the other men exchange several other words towards each other.
“So, do we have an understanding now?”
“Yes, sir.” Ilya said with a white moist face from the pain and blood loss.
“Let’s go.” Ilya motion for his men to leave, and as two of them came to help him walk to the car, Ilya took one glance back at me, his eyes held his apology, yet I knew pride and fear would keep him from him actually voicing it. Like father like son I suppose, I told myself as I thought back to Marc. Marc where are you? I called out to him with my mind, although I knew he wouldn’t hear me, things like that only happened in movies.
Just a few moments later after I heard the last car drive off outside, my eyes slid back to the five men in the room, who were now looking a little more at ease. Who were they that made a group twice their size leave in fear? I wondered. I bit my lip hard to refrain from speaking, I knew better from Ilya’s abusive hand to not ask any more questions, yet it only caused me to let out a soft hiss from the pain and blood began to slide down from my lip.
“Johnson, tend to her lip, I will not have blood stains in the new car.” I heard the voice say and was instantly obeyed. Before I knew it, the man that was standing over by the window came to my side while another found some sort of material to clean my bleeding lip. Both of them remained silent, no one spoke a word, not to me, not to each other, no one. The man called Johnson pressed stinging ointment over my lip, before standing up and nodding towards his leader.
“Ah good, put her in the car. The sun is almost up, and I want to be out of here, before it is.”
Not but a few seconds later, strong hands held my arms as they lead me outside and into a very expensive bullet proof black limousine. I wasn’t even going to try to fight against them, I knew I was no match against five well built and obviously trained in combat men. The first man got into the driver’s seat with a black gun resting on his lap, while the another man pushed me to the center, followed by Johnson who closed the door behind himself as he sat to the seat to me left. I looked all around and wondered where their leader was planning on sitting until I quickly saw the back door open and he slid to the seat directly in front of me.
“Drive Comrade.” He spoke, as he shut the door and turned his attention back on me. I watched his eyes study me, taking in my every move, facial expression, and then my bloodied and tattered dress. Yet, instead of making me feel frighten, somehow a bolt of courage and pride kicked in and coursed through my entire body, and I stared back at him with defiant eyes.
“Who are you, and what do you want?” I said with an authoritative tone. I had no idea where it came from, but what I did know is that this man did not hit me when I asked him the questions; he merely just smirked at me before looking out the window.
“Will you not answer my question? You have me kidnapped, beaten, and kidnapped again, you expect me not to ask you questions? At least tell me something or are you a coward?” I finally said as I looked at him with spiteful eyes, my tongue hot with hate, and I glared at him. He was going to answer my questions one way or another. The darkness of the night was beginning to fade, and a new day was approaching, and today, I was not going to be that helpless Grand Duchess, I was going to use my whit, my mind, and I was going to get out of this mess or die trying.
“You are just like your mother when you get angry.” He finally spoke, with almost a gentle like tone to his voice.
“My mother? How do you know my mother? Leave her out of it. Answer my question, who are you?” I said again, a quick shock of fear for my mother entering my mind. How did he know her? I wondered in my mind.
“And you will learn respect, young Duchess.” Johnson said with a quick tongue.
“I will when he earns my respect, so how about you take me to someone that can actually give me answers instead of this coward cockroach that sits in front of me pretending to be your leader.” I said quickly back, yet as I closed my eyes expecting to feel another slap from a hand like Ilya, instead laughter filled the car.
“Ha ha, see what I mean, you are just like your mother, Lynn. Got her temper alright.” The man said, as he looked at me with laughter in his eyes.
“Fine, if you’re not going to tell me anything, why don’t you just kill me and be done with it.”
“Now why would I want to do that?” What? What he serious? I wondered as I looked at him with confused eyes.
“I mean, you did want to kidnap me just to kill me, the last Romanov, the heir to the throne?”
“Ha, is that what people tell you? You’re the last Romanov? Ha! And to think that prince of yours thought the same thing.” He replied, as I quickly remembered Ros’ nightmare of a story.
“Then please just let me go. I can give you whatever you want, please just let me go.” I said as I began to beg a little.
“Ah now, I thought you were stronger than that, don’t give up just yet, besides you shouldn’t beg, it’s not fitting for a future Tsarina, or so you call yourself.” He said with a wink before looking back out at the window.
Before I knew it we arrived at a place I only knew too well, the Ipatiev house in Ekaterinburg, Russia, the place where my ancestors were all murdered, all but one, my great grandmamma. So they came to imprison me and murder me just like the Romanov’s before me, how fitting, I quickly assumed in my mind, as I was being escorted out of the car and quickly lead into the large estate house.
“Welcome to your new home Annalisa.” The man said as he smiled and waved his arms to show the renovated Ipatiev house in plain English. He spoke English, who is this man? I wondered.
“What are you talking about?” I asked as Johnson finally freed my wrists from the plastic binds. My hands began rubbing my sore red and bloodied wrists, as my eyes began taking in all the exquisite architectural details of the interior of the house.
“Who are you and what do you want? You have kidnapped me, yet you won’t tell me what you want. I can give you all that you want, if only you let me go. Name it, and it’s yours.” I said, quickly realizing how true my statement was.
“Yeah, but you see, I don’t really need anything else. But if it will get you to shut up for a while, and not try to escape, so I can explain then fine.” He started to say as he began to open up the drapes around the large house, allowing the darkness fade into light. My heart slowed to a steady beat, as my ears cling onto his voice to hear the next words come out of his mouth. The words that made everything stop, and turn upside down.
“Most people around call me Your Grace, Comrade, Sir or Dimitri Nicholas Peterson Romanov, Grand Duke of Imperial Russia, but my friends and comrades and your mother just called me Dimitri, however you can call me Dad.” He said, as he looked at me with the deep blue eyes that had been staring at me since the moment he saw me, the eyes that looked familiar…my eyes. My world began to shake and then before I knew it, it was literally starting to turn sideways and I felt my head hit the hard wooden floor surface hard, and a stabbing burning pain within my side as I felt something sharp dig deeper into my skin, and my eyes close.
Light was all around me, the truth was out, my father was alive, somehow after all these years, yet darkness had found its way back. There’s a traitor within the Romanov family, I heard the voice of Marc creep into my mind before unconsciousness swept over, leaving my mind succumbed to the nightmare that had become reality. I was the heir to the Russian throne, I was falling for the enemy's son, my father had been alive all these years and had me kidnapped, and last but not least, time was running out for Nunna.
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