2
James only had to wait the 20 minutes before Diane came in with a large glass of clear liquid. James knew exactly what that was. It was a fast-acting sedative. It tasted awful, but was still better than being beaten unconscious. That had only happened once. It took almost two days for James to wake up. Diane had been annoyed with having to check on her until she had woken up. Hence the new liquid sedative. She would have to drink it all and then curl up in "the box" to be transported to the new compound. As soon as Diane had her secured James let the darkness consume her.
James groggily woke to the sounds of yelling and a jet engine. She heard orders being barked about securing cargo. She was jostled around painfully, but knew to keep quiet or face dire consequences. The smell of jet fuel and engine oil faded to be replaced by a weird kind of floral perfume. She heard a feminine voice greeting her father, probably a flight attendant, and offers of storing his trunk below. He shot them all down and insisted he keep it with him. No one was stupid enough to ask twice. Her father was a scary man.
She felt her box being settled and listened for the sounds of take off. Once they were in the air James heard her father talking with a familiar masculine voice. She had figured out this man was her fathers second in command early on.
"Where are we touching down?" John asked.
"We'll be flying into Veliky Ustyug Airport. It's a smaller regional airport and should only be about two hours drive from the new compound." Chris, his second, answered.
"Did we solidify the new Russian contacts we needed?"
"We've got everything in place John. Don't worry about that end. What are you going to do about Diane? She is getting out of control. She's a liability we can't afford anymore."
James could hear the utter contempt this man had for her stepmother. Guess Its not just me then. James thought.
"I know Chris, I've got something in play now. That's why I told her that we needed to travel separately. She won't make it to the airport tomorrow." John let out a heavy sigh. "She crossed the line when she killed the daughter of the local prosecutor. I still don't even know how they crossed paths. Anyways, it's taken care of and we have more important things to worry about."
James quietly listened to their plans as she laid in her box at their feet. Her father still hadn't worked out that over the years of travelling like this, James had worked up a resistance to the drugs he gave her and they wore off more quickly every time she was sedated. Because of his ignorance James was able to learn more and more about his business and future plans.
Russia this time eh? James mused. At least she knew the language.
For the past two or three years James had learned a lot about herself. She had managed to sneak an old laptop into her room from Diane's trash one night. James had gotten really creative in hiding it and was quite proud that her parents hadn't caught her with it yet. It was her one tie to the outside world. It took her a couple of weeks but she had slowly worked out the piece of tech and how best to use it. She accessed different reference libraries and had started to retain all the info at a surprising rate. She wasn't sure but she didnt think it was normal to be able to recall all the information she was studying the way she did. She could close her eyes and bring up exact images of what she had seen on the screen. She never seemed to forget anything she was exposed to. Unfortunately that also included all of her punishments, in excruciating detail.
She wanted to understand herself a little better and started to develop a little of what could be considered an obsession with how the human brain worked. She decided to do some research and discovered that she had a condition referred to as eidetic memory or commonly called a photographic memory. As soon as she learned everything she could about the condition, she started to use any technique she could find to train herself on how to retain more information at a quicker pace and with more comprehension. She really didn't consider herself anything special, but she always felt a little bit better about herself with each new skill she learned.
Because she spent countless hours by herself, she was usually able to practice any physical skill she was interested in. She felt she had an affinity for certain combat disciplines, such as Krav Maga. It focused on full body attacks and how even someone tiny, like her, could hold her own against bigger opponents. She practiced as often as she could. In her tiny rooms or outside when she was able to get out.
She taught herself different languages. The first one she had tried to master was Russian. For some reason it felt like home whenever she talked to herself in their mother tongue.
James spent the first two weeks in her new home (aka hidden cellar) listening and learning the new patrol schedule of the guards. She hadn't heard from or seen Diane since they had left Poland. She knew that John had followed through with his plan to rid them of her.
James wasn't sure if she should be bothered or not. All she could think was that her punishments would be less frequent. Did that make her a bad person?
It was pure luck that she came across the small window in the south west corner of the cellar.
One night, after one of her father's random punishments, she was looking for some kind of cloth or material to staunch the bleeding from the many shallow welts across her thighs. Her father had decided to strap her down to a pallet she had been using as her bed, and slash repeatedly at her legs with a long thin bamboo reed. His new favourite toy.
She had spied a dark cloth sticking out from in between two cinder blocks high up in the corner. She pulled down on the material as hard as she could and toppled the blocks in the process of prying it loose. She had also exposed a small dirty window. She was so excited she almost forgot about her new wounds. Almost.
She had finally managed to get high enough to look out. She had stood her pallet on its end and carefully climbed up to stand on it. Her breath hitched at the endless wilderness she could see out the small window. It took her a couple of days working at it, but she managed to get it open and slipped out in the early morning light. She was beyond giddy. She raced out into the endless green and marvelled at the height and width of the trees that surrounded her.
After about an hour of just exploring, James decided to climb a tree to rest for a bit. She wanted to get a higher ground view of her new sanctuary. She was lost in the beauty of her surroundings when she heard heavy footsteps and multiple voices shouting in Russian. They sounded angry. James started getting nervous, she knew she was well hidden, but the thought of getting caught outside of the cellar terrified her.
She looked down just as a young boy tore through the bush below her. He looked to be around her age, just much more filled in and quite a bit taller. Not that it took much, she knew she was considered quite small for her age. She also knew that was due to malnourishment. She held her breath as she tried to figure out what was going on.
Three large boys, (almost men actually), burst through behind him. All panting heavily and glaring at the younger boy.
(All Russian Dialogue will be in italics)
"You think you can get away with ratting us out to your father?" The first one said angrily in Russian.
"I told him nothing. You three got caught because you're stupid and slow!" The younger boy said. James was impressed by his confidence. She would have been cowering and stuttering in front of the three much larger boys.
"Shut the fuck up Eugene! No one else knew about our plans. Just because your father is our boss doesn't mean you get a free pass!"
The younger boy, Eugene they had called him, scoffed with disbelief.
"We'll just have to teach you your place." The third boy stated ominously. All three boys pulled out knives. James sucked in a breath and was outraged at the situation unfolding in front of her. Over the last year or so, she had ran into a few similar scenarios. You'd be surprised what happens in the woods when no one is around to see it. She always felt the same outrage at the injustice of it all. She could handle her punishments but would never stand by and just let it happen to someone else. She refused to be anything like the monsters who had raised her.
James slowly crept around to the side of the tree closest to the bullies. She positioned herself on an outlying branch above them. She grabbed a hold of a large branch she had been using as a makeshift balancing pole and said a small prayer to the Celtic warrior goddess Andraste. She had always been James favourite from all the research she had done about the numerous gods and pantheons throughout history. She was said to curry victory in battle and was the goddess of Ravens, her favourite animal.
She jumped down behind them, silently landing on the balls of her feet, absorbing all sound. Eugenes's eyebrows raised so high and fast that James had thought it looked like they had just blinked out of existence behind his shaggy black bangs. It would have been funny, but James had to put all of her concentration into the three boys who had just spun around suddenly. Not because she had given herself away or made a sound to alert them, but because Eugene had given her away with his dramatic response to her appearance. Dammit, she thought, couldn't he control his stupid face!
To be honest he didn't have a stupid face. Now that she could see it up close, she realised how cute this boy really was. Intense blue eyes, high cheekbones that hinted at a chiselled profile hidden under a thin layer of baby fat the boy was still carrying around.
As the three boys blinked in shock at the tiny brunette that seemed to fall out of the sky. Her eyes were such a light clear blue, they could be mistaken for silver or light grey. They were quite unnerving when they were trained on you with that slight hint of malice and mischieviousness shining through. They all seemed to snap out of it at once and started yelling variations of "who the fuck are you?" and "what the fuck?!"
James smirked and said "Hello boys." In her slightly accented Russian. She then struck without hesitation. She knew she only had one chance of walking away from this. Strike first, strike hard and don't stop until they are down for the count.
She twirled her balancing pole, now being used as a make shift bo staff, striking out and aiming for any and all vulnerable spots left open to her. She had studied human anatomy and combat practices extensively. Dreaming about breaking out when she was older and able to. She knew she could be lethal if it called for it.
She took out the three thugs in quick order and in Eugene's eyes, gracefully. He couldn't get over the shock of this prekrasnyy prizrak (beautiful wraith)'s appearance and her skills. He just stood there slack jawed staring at her. She turned and locked eyes with him. Her eyes almost knocked him over with their intensity. They were incredible, pure and haunted at the same time. He looked closer and could see the same shadows that he saw looking back at him every time he looked in the mirror. His heart broke a little at the thought that his malenkiy voin (little warrior) was being hurt the same way he was.
"Who the hell are you?" was the first thing out of his mouth. He flinched at the accusation and demand in his tone. But he had never seen her before. He knew he would not have forgotten this little beauty. He may only be thirteen, but he was well on his way to becoming a professional Russian. Like all the men in his family, he never forgot a face, especially a beautiful one.
James wasn't really surprised by his reaction, most boys did not want to admit being saved by a girl. Especially one as tiny as her.
"You're welcome." James replied rolling her eyes and turned to leave.
"No!" he yelled, taking a step forward and reaching out. Not wanting her to disappear. He didn't know why, but the idea of never seeing this girl again scared him more than those three boys and their knives.
James took a quick step back and brought the staff back up into a defensive stance. She really had hoped she had helped a good guy, but maybe she was wrong.
"Sorry." Eugene held up both hands in a placating gesture and hoped she wouldn't run. "I don't mean any harm, just please, don't leave. What is your name? Are you from here? I've never seen you before. Where did you learn to do that? Are you a wraith?"
He fired off the question so quickly, James head spun. She went over the questions slower in her brain and got caught on one of them.
Wait. What?
"A wraith?"James was so confused.
"Yes, a wraith, you are beautiful and innocent. But haunting at the same time."
"Thanks?" It came across as a question because she wasn't sure if it was an insult or a compliment. Either way she blushed from embarrassment.
"You're incredible." He said and stared at her in awe.
"uh.." What was she suppose to say or do? She had never even talked to anyone aside from John and Diane. Let alone a cute boy her own age.
He smiled at her and held out his hand "my name is Yvengy Ravenstahl."
She quirked her head to the side and said "I thought they said your name was Eugene." Gesturing to the three boys laying at their feet. She was confused again.
He dropped his hand and lost his smile. His shoulders hunched a bit and he looked totally dejected. James felt horrible. Before she could fix it, he said "They call me that to make fun of me. They say it sounds like a weak foreigner's name."
James heart broke just a little bit more. She knew how much a Russians man pride was tied to his strength and his ability to defend his loved ones.
"Well that's just stupid!"James fired back, surprising Yvengy. He thought for sure she would agree with them. After all, she did have to save him.
"First off, they were so scared of you they had to gang up on you three to one, with weapons! And I am a weak foreigner and I kicked their butts! Just look at them, they are still out." Sure enough they were still prone in their original fallen positions. "And anyway, you didn't really need me to step in. you were ready to take them on all by yourself. You were just nice enough to let me get in my daily workout." She said it so matter of factly that he almost believed her. But James honestly did believe he could hold his own, she just couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt.
He smiled warmly at her and asked again "What is your name moy malenkiy voin?"
James blushed again at being called his little warrior. She held her hand out.
"James." She said softly, he took her hand gently and they both inhaled sharply at the electric tingling that shot through them. Yvengy frowned as he looked down at her. He couldn't have heard her right.
"Did you say James? But that is a boy's name."
James thought he looked adorable when he was confused. She smiled again "Ya, it is, but apparently it meant a lot to my mom to name me that before she died."
He looked at his malenkiy voin and could see the hidden pain behind those words.
"Well I am just going to call you moya malenkaya boginya voin or moy malenkiy voin. (my little warrior goddess or my little warrior.)" He stated matter of factly. "James is not a proper name for a beautiful girl such as you."
James giggled and blushed "Well, I am going call you..voronoy! (raven)" she ducked her head and peaked up at him through her lashes. "they're my favourite animal. They are super smart and really loyal. I think they are beautiful too. Like you." James was sure she was fire engine red by the time she was finished talking.
He puffed up like a peacock and blushed at the same time. "How do you say voronoy in your language?" He asked James.
"Well, I speak English at home with my father so Raven is how I would say it in my language. Just like your name." She smiled up at him.
"Raven, I like it, this will be my new name. I will be proud to be called this." He was proud, very proud that this little beauty thought so highly of him. "When we get older I will get you fruit cup. You will be my wife." He seemed totally serious. James was at a loss for words.
"But, But.. you just met me! How can you be sure after knowing me for 10 minutes?? We're too young. There is no way you are going to want me around for that long once you get to know me." James was rambling, she knew that, but she couldn't stop herself. She was in shock, how could he declare something so important so quickly and easily. She knew that when she finally got married, she would love that person more than anything. She prayed every night that she would meet someone, one day, that would take her away from all her pain and protect her and love her just for her.
Raven just smirked at her and James couldnt help but think that he was going to be seriously dangerous to the female population when he got older.
"Too late moya malenkaya boginya voin . You are all mine now."
"Well......shit." This was the first time she had cursed, but she felt totally justified.