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Description

    Malina bowed to the cheering crowd with a grand, yet humble, flourish before rushing off stage to meet Aleksandra.

    “She’s done,” Aleksandra announced into her headpiece. “Prepare the limo.”

    Then Malina was on her, “It was perfect!” the 18-year-old girl beamed. She slipped her arms around Aleksandra, ignoring her bodyguard’s grunted protest. “Every note was pitch perfect Aleksandra. The endless hours of lessons was all worth it for those few flawless minutes!”

    Aleksandra shifted her ward’s arm away from the pistol holstered at her side. “Yes,” Aleksandra agreed. “You sounded like a professional performer.”

    “Did papka enjoy the performance?” Malina asked. “All I can offer one of such wealth is my time. Aleksandra, please tell me did papka like my song?”

    The embarrassment of her employer’s negligence forced Aleksandra’s eyes away from Malina’s angelic face. The man showered his daughter with money, but starved Malina of affection. “He hasn’t seen it yet,” Aleksandra replied. “I will include the recording in his morning packet.”

    Unshed tears smothered the sunshine in Malina’s eyes. “He didn’t come?” she whispered.

    The incredulity lacing Malina’s words surprised Aleksandra. Eventually, Malina would stop believing in her father. Aleksandra hoped the girl could retain her inner beauty while carrying the bitter burden that she was the only person in her world who loved anything but herself.

    “He had a meeting come up at the last minute. He…he had a new ballroom gown sent to your room as an apology,” Aleksandra offered

    Malina’s gaze wandered down to her gaudy dress of golden sequins. “I have too many pretty dresses,” she said. “Have the new one sold and the proceeds given to orphans.” Malina swiped away the wetness on her cheeks and snapped her gaze, now cold and hard, to Aleksandra. “Let’s go,” she said.

    The limo ride home was uncharacteristically silent. Aleksandra found herself wishing Yuri were with them. The burly bodyguard always made Malina merry. Flashing red and blue lights drew Aleksandra from her thoughts.

    “Yuri,” she radioed. “Why didn’t you tell me the police were here? What’s going on?” Haunting silence answered her question.

    The touch of Malina’s hand warmed Aleksandra’s naked shoulder. “What’s wrong?” Malina whimpered.

    “Stay here,” Aleksandra ordered. Stepping under the police tape, she rushed to a cluster of cruisers. “What is this?” Aleksandra demanded of the nearest uni.

    “Who are you?” the officer asked.

    “My name is Aleksandra Pariotnikova,” she answered, flashing her badge. “I’m part of the security team here.”

    “Well, you need to start looking for new work. Because there’s nothing left to protect.”

    Aleksandra’s emaciated soul shivered and she bolted to the mansion ignoring the waning noise of the officer’s protests. The Petrovic family must have finally decided to end the stalemate with her employer. Another officer stepped between her and the front door, but Aleksandra stopped his words short with a gut punch before shoving him aside.

    The surreal horror of the blood-soaked walls and floor overshadowed the shock of policemen littering the home of one of Novosibirsk’s most prominent crime families. Aleksandra rushed upstairs to the master suite. The spilled bowels of the servants and security guards lining the hallway made the marble floor too slippery for her to run.

    Malina’s parents’ grotesque grimaces greeted her from the frame of their decapitated heads impaled on the spiked corners of their luxurious bed canopy. Aleksandra forced rising bile back down her throat and dashed toward Veronika’s room. Any harm inflicted on the girl would devastate Malina. A nasty case of strep throat was the only reason Veronika had even missed her adored older sister’s performance.

    Yuri’s lifeless eyes welcomed Aleksandra at Veronika’s door. The bedroom’s pink walls, a tribute to the childlike innocence Veronika extended years past other girls her age, were not spared the macabre horror of blood smeared over the rest of the mansion. Aleksandra’s stomach churned with nauseating despair.

    She found little comfort in the fact that Veronika’s body was nowhere to be found. Human trafficking was a staple of her the Petrovic family and pretty twelve-year-old girls fetched premium rates. The daughter of a former rival would be incredibly lucrative. Veronika’s fate was worse than that of her parents.

    Aleksandra cursed the humanity Malina’s kindness had awakened in her while she formulated a foolish plan to rescue Veronika. Five years ago Aleksandra would have donated Malina to the Petrovic sex slave pool as a dowry for employment, but she had let herself love Malina. She wondered if comrade Yuri regretted falling into the same trap. Aleksandra wanted to scorn Malina for laying a death sentence on her, but she couldn’t. Why did the wretched girl have to be so kind? So innocent.

    Aleksandra closed her eyes and began building and prioritizing a mental list of critical action items. Malina’s safety would be the first. Allies would quickly become foes now that the power pendulum had swayed. Still, there were a few loyalists who could provide a temporary safe haven and, more importantly, guns. There was little hope she could find any friends to fire those guns, but she-

    “Aleksandra,” a weak voice trembled. “Where’s Veronika?”

    “Malina,” Aleksandra rasped. “I told you to stay in the limo!”

    “Where’s Veronika?” Malina insisted.

    “You shouldn’t be here.”

    Then Malina’s frame went rigid and her face contorted in anguished rage. “Where’s my sister?” she shouted. She stepped in front of Aleksandra so their faces were nearly touching.

    Dropping her volume, but not her intensity, Malina hissed, “I know where my parents are. I know where Yuri is. I’ve-I’ve seen them.” Malina was sobbing now. “But my precious sister is nowhere to be found. Where is Veronika?”

    “I don’t know,” Aleksandra choked. “I’m sorry.”

    “What do you mean you don’t know?” Malina seethed, her face red with fury. “Aren’t you supposed to protect her? How can you protect her if you can’t even find her?”

    “I failed your family. I failed you,” Aleksandra admitted. Her cold voice matching her frosting blood. Malina would hate her forever.

    “We have to find her!” Malina demanded. “We have to make her safe!”

    Aleksandra remained silent. She would find Veronika, but she doubted she could ever make the girl safe.

    “Do not ignore me Aleksandra!” Malina shrieked. “I have been ignored my whole life. Don’t you dare ignore me!”

    “What do you want me to say?” Aleksandra yelled back. “I already told you I failed. Do you want to punish me?” Aleksandra asked, shoving the pistol to Malina. “Punish me!” she screamed. “Punish me!”

    “Why would I want to kill you Aleksandra?” Malina howled. The anger masking Malina’s anguish slipped away, ripping Aleksandra’s black heart in two. “You’re my only friend,” Malina wept. “You’re the only one left who cares about me. Yuri and Veronika are gone. You’re all I have left.”

    Then Aleksandra’s arms were around Malina, pulling the girl tight to her. Malina’s tears soaked Aleksandra’s chest while Aleksandra rocked Malina, caressing her cheek, rocking her, and whispering promises she didn’t know how she would keep.





     This is the prequel to a previously written story, but in different location and a sprinkle of maturity on the ward. Ultimately, I think I like the immature Mexican ward better. Because immaturity can be funny and Spanish is my second language, while I know nothing about Russian. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. The picture was rendered in Daz Studio 4.9 with the Iray engine

Description

    Malina bowed to the cheering crowd with a grand, yet humble, flourish before rushing off stage to meet Aleksandra.

    “She’s done,” Aleksandra announced into her headpiece. “Prepare the limo.”

    Then Malina was on her, “It was perfect!” the 18-year-old girl beamed. She slipped her arms around Aleksandra, ignoring her bodyguard’s grunted protest. “Every note was pitch perfect Aleksandra. The endless hours of lessons was all worth it for those few flawless minutes!”

    Aleksandra shifted her ward’s arm away from the pistol holstered at her side. “Yes,” Aleksandra agreed. “You sounded like a professional performer.”

    “Did papka enjoy the performance?” Malina asked. “All I can offer one of such wealth is my time. Aleksandra, please tell me did papka like my song?”

    The embarrassment of her employer’s negligence forced Aleksandra’s eyes away from Malina’s angelic face. The man showered his daughter with money, but starved Malina of affection. “He hasn’t seen it yet,” Aleksandra replied. “I will include the recording in his morning packet.”

    Unshed tears smothered the sunshine in Malina’s eyes. “He didn’t come?” she whispered.

    The incredulity lacing Malina’s words surprised Aleksandra. Eventually, Malina would stop believing in her father. Aleksandra hoped the girl could retain her inner beauty while carrying the bitter burden that she was the only person in her world who loved anything but herself.

    “He had a meeting come up at the last minute. He…he had a new ballroom gown sent to your room as an apology,” Aleksandra offered

    Malina’s gaze wandered down to her gaudy dress of golden sequins. “I have too many pretty dresses,” she said. “Have the new one sold and the proceeds given to orphans.” Malina swiped away the wetness on her cheeks and snapped her gaze, now cold and hard, to Aleksandra. “Let’s go,” she said.

    The limo ride home was uncharacteristically silent. Aleksandra found herself wishing Yuri were with them. The burly bodyguard always made Malina merry. Flashing red and blue lights drew Aleksandra from her thoughts.

    “Yuri,” she radioed. “Why didn’t you tell me the police were here? What’s going on?” Haunting silence answered her question.

    The touch of Malina’s hand warmed Aleksandra’s naked shoulder. “What’s wrong?” Malina whimpered.

    “Stay here,” Aleksandra ordered. Stepping under the police tape, she rushed to a cluster of cruisers. “What is this?” Aleksandra demanded of the nearest uni.

    “Who are you?” the officer asked.

    “My name is Aleksandra Pariotnikova,” she answered, flashing her badge. “I’m part of the security team here.”

    “Well, you need to start looking for new work. Because there’s nothing left to protect.”

    Aleksandra’s emaciated soul shivered and she bolted to the mansion ignoring the waning noise of the officer’s protests. The Petrovic family must have finally decided to end the stalemate with her employer. Another officer stepped between her and the front door, but Aleksandra stopped his words short with a gut punch before shoving him aside.

    The surreal horror of the blood-soaked walls and floor overshadowed the shock of policemen littering the home of one of Novosibirsk’s most prominent crime families. Aleksandra rushed upstairs to the master suite. The spilled bowels of the servants and security guards lining the hallway made the marble floor too slippery for her to run.

    Malina’s parents’ grotesque grimaces greeted her from the frame of their decapitated heads impaled on the spiked corners of their luxurious bed canopy. Aleksandra forced rising bile back down her throat and dashed toward Veronika’s room. Any harm inflicted on the girl would devastate Malina. A nasty case of strep throat was the only reason Veronika had even missed her adored older sister’s performance.

    Yuri’s lifeless eyes welcomed Aleksandra at Veronika’s door. The bedroom’s pink walls, a tribute to the childlike innocence Veronika extended years past other girls her age, were not spared the macabre horror of blood smeared over the rest of the mansion. Aleksandra’s stomach churned with nauseating despair.

    She found little comfort in the fact that Veronika’s body was nowhere to be found. Human trafficking was a staple of her the Petrovic family and pretty twelve-year-old girls fetched premium rates. The daughter of a former rival would be incredibly lucrative. Veronika’s fate was worse than that of her parents.

    Aleksandra cursed the humanity Malina’s kindness had awakened in her while she formulated a foolish plan to rescue Veronika. Five years ago Aleksandra would have donated Malina to the Petrovic sex slave pool as a dowry for employment, but she had let herself love Malina. She wondered if comrade Yuri regretted falling into the same trap. Aleksandra wanted to scorn Malina for laying a death sentence on her, but she couldn’t. Why did the wretched girl have to be so kind? So innocent.

    Aleksandra closed her eyes and began building and prioritizing a mental list of critical action items. Malina’s safety would be the first. Allies would quickly become foes now that the power pendulum had swayed. Still, there were a few loyalists who could provide a temporary safe haven and, more importantly, guns. There was little hope she could find any friends to fire those guns, but she-

    “Aleksandra,” a weak voice trembled. “Where’s Veronika?”

    “Malina,” Aleksandra rasped. “I told you to stay in the limo!”

    “Where’s Veronika?” Malina insisted.

    “You shouldn’t be here.”

    Then Malina’s frame went rigid and her face contorted in anguished rage. “Where’s my sister?” she shouted. She stepped in front of Aleksandra so their faces were nearly touching.

    Dropping her volume, but not her intensity, Malina hissed, “I know where my parents are. I know where Yuri is. I’ve-I’ve seen them.” Malina was sobbing now. “But my precious sister is nowhere to be found. Where is Veronika?”

    “I don’t know,” Aleksandra choked. “I’m sorry.”

    “What do you mean you don’t know?” Malina seethed, her face red with fury. “Aren’t you supposed to protect her? How can you protect her if you can’t even find her?”

    “I failed your family. I failed you,” Aleksandra admitted. Her cold voice matching her frosting blood. Malina would hate her forever.

    “We have to find her!” Malina demanded. “We have to make her safe!”

    Aleksandra remained silent. She would find Veronika, but she doubted she could ever make the girl safe.

    “Do not ignore me Aleksandra!” Malina shrieked. “I have been ignored my whole life. Don’t you dare ignore me!”

    “What do you want me to say?” Aleksandra yelled back. “I already told you I failed. Do you want to punish me?” Aleksandra asked, shoving the pistol to Malina. “Punish me!” she screamed. “Punish me!”

    “Why would I want to kill you Aleksandra?” Malina howled. The anger masking Malina’s anguish slipped away, ripping Aleksandra’s black heart in two. “You’re my only friend,” Malina wept. “You’re the only one left who cares about me. Yuri and Veronika are gone. You’re all I have left.”

    Then Aleksandra’s arms were around Malina, pulling the girl tight to her. Malina’s tears soaked Aleksandra’s chest while Aleksandra rocked Malina, caressing her cheek, rocking her, and whispering promises she didn’t know how she would keep.





     This is the prequel to a previously written story, but in different location and a sprinkle of maturity on the ward. Ultimately, I think I like the immature Mexican ward better. Because immaturity can be funny and Spanish is my second language, while I know nothing about Russian. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. The picture was rendered in Daz Studio 4.9 with the Iray engine