Chapter 51

Laura

A few hours earlier

A FAINTscuffling sound from the vent above makes my blood run cold. Eli. Where is she going? I tap softly on the metal, praying she’ll hear me, understand my wordless plea.

Stay put, Eli. Don’t make a sound.

Harsh voices filter through the door, mixing Russian and heavily accented English.

“They want us to move the girls,” one guard says. “Something’s happening.”

“What about the American woman?” another asks.

“Leave her for now. Boss has plans for that one.”

My breath catches. Victor. It has to be. He’s coming for us.

Screams and sobs erupt from nearby cells as guards bark orders.

“Shut up, suka!” a guard snarls. “Before I shut you up myself!”

A gunshot rings out, then another, choking off the cries with brutal finality.

“Stupid bitch,” someone mutters. “Should’ve kept quiet.”

I hug my knees to my chest, trembling, waiting for them to come for me. But the footsteps recede, fading into tense silence.

They’re gone. For now.

Wasting no time, I scramble up, prying at the grate with shaking fingers. “Eli?” I call softly, peering into the gloom. “Eli, are you there?”

No answer. My heart seizes, icy tendrils of fear clawing at my throat. I rip the grate free, hoisting myself up into the vent. Empty. She’s gone.

Panic rises, bitter and choking.

Where is she? How could I let this happen?

Tears blur my vision as I lower myself back down, ready to tear this godforsaken place apart brick by brick until I find her.

The door screeches open behind me, hinges shrieking in protest. I spin around, raising my fists, ready to fight tooth and nail. But instead of a guard’s cruel sneer, I’m met with wide, frightened eyes in a small, dirty face.

“Eli?” I gasp, my knees nearly buckling with relief. “H-how…?”

She flies into my arms, burying her face in my neck. “I found a way out,” she whispers, her little body shaking. “I followed the tunnel. It led to the next cell. I thought… I thought I could find you…”

I clutch her close, tears streaming down my face. “You brilliant, brave girl,” I murmur into her hair. “But you scared me half to death.”

Eli pulls back, her chin trembling. “I’m sorry, Tetya Laura. I heard them talking. I thought… I thought they were going to hurt you.”

I smooth her hair back, forcing a shaky smile. “I’m okay, Eli. But we need to find a place to hide. Quickly, before they come back.”

I take Eli’s small hand in mine, my heart pounding as I ease open the cell door. The corridor stretches before us, dimly lit and eerily silent. Blood stains the concrete floor, still wet and glistening. My stomach churns, remembering the gunshots, the screams cut brutally short.

“Stay close, Eli,” I whisper, pulling Eli behind me. “And if anyone comes, you hide, understand?”

She nods, her eyes wide but determined. We creep down the hallway, past other cells. Some doors hang open, the rooms empty. Others are ominously closed. I don’t let myself wonder what horrors might lie behind them.

Distant shouts echo off the walls, a mix of Russian and English. I strain to make out the words.

“Gde oni? Where are they?”

“Blyad! Find them! Boss will have our heads if they escape!”

More gunfire, closer now. I flinch, tightening my grip on Eli’s hand.

“This way, Tetya,” she whispers, tugging me toward a narrow side passage. “I think I saw a door down here.”

I hesitate, glancing back the way we came. The shouts are growing louder, footsteps pounding. “Eli, maybe we should…”

But she’s already pulling me into the darkened corridor, her small body taut with determination. In that moment, I see Ksenia in her, the fierce, unwavering strength of a Morozov.

My God, what will my own child need to endure in this world, in this life? Will they also need to be forged in blood and fear to survive?

I push the thought away, focusing on the present, on getting Eli to safety. The passage opens into a small, cluttered room. Shelves line the walls, laden with a grisly assortment of tools and devices. Eli’s eyes widen at the sight of the cruel metal contraptions, the coils of barbed wire, the stained pliers and clamps.

“Don’t look, Eli,” I urge, steering her away. But she seems unfazed, darting toward a large wooden crate in the corner.

“In here, Tetya!” She scrambles into the box, motioning for me to follow. “Hurry!”

Shouts ring out just outside the door. “Vozmozhno, oni zdes’! Maybe they’re in here!”

Pulse racing, I cram myself into the crate beside Eli, pulling the lid down over us. Darkness engulfs us, musty and close. Eli burrows into my side as heavy footsteps enter the room.

“Gde oni? Chert voz’mi, where did they go?” a voice growls far too close.

I hold my breath, feeling Eli’s hammering heartbeat against my ribs.

Please, I pray silently, please don’t let them find us. Keep her safe. I’ll do anything…

A crash rings out, metal clattering to the floor. I flinch, biting my lip to keep from crying out.

“Zdes’ nikogo net,” another voice mutters. “They’re not here. Keep looking.”

The footsteps retreat, the door slamming. I let out a shuddering breath, hugging Eli close. We sit in tense silence, hardly daring to move.

Long minutes tick by. Then, muffled but unmistakable, I hear a voice I’d know anywhere. A voice that sends hope surging through my veins.