Chapter 33
"Okay, the day that started all this was at first sight a normal day like the rest of them, or as normal as a day in my life could be. This day in question was a few weeks after your father was pot in NSC custody and what I know now was around the time you got away from the Covenant. I was at home, if you could call a safe house that. Katya turned up at my door that day needing to talk to me."
"Weren't you intrigued that Katya turned up like that?"
"Not really, we working together at that time. I thought she had some news about you so I invited her in. We went in to the kitchen where she made coffee for the both of us, at one point I must of turned away, and she must of taken the opportunity to slip a sedative into mine. A drank it not know that she had done it , we talked about stupid things for awhile and the next thing I remember, is waking up in a prison cell."
"In Kashmir?"
"Yes, Kashmir. But at that time, I didn't know where I was, all I knew then that it was a cell somewhere. For the first week I was in solitary, a guard came once day with a tray of something which could be just considered food. On my 8th day they, that's where it all changed. Instead of the guard with my meal at midday it was Cuvee. It was then, when I realised where I was. You see only that bastard would stick around in a place like that It was then that he told me the Covenant, Katya's betrayal."
"Did you know about Aunt Yelena's involvement then?"
"No, I found out about that when you did."
"What happened after then?"
"Questions, firstly about you, about the prophecy. When they realised that I wasn't going to talk that's when they started to put a little pressure on me. Nothing serious at first, The occasional punch or kick. But still wouldn't talk about any of it. I knew you were alive out there someone and I didn't want to jeopardise your safety. After a couple months they realised I wasn't going to talk, so they left me alone mostly. Just dragging me out once a week to give me a beating, and at least try to get some information out of me. But also as an example, by that time there was many prisoners there, so doing this to me kept them docile. They behaved, they talked just so they wouldn't get beating themselves."
"Mom, that must have been so bad."
"Not really, the worst that could happen to me was still to come. About 6 months before you came and took me out. That's where they really started to turn the screws. They had found out about the passenger, and the relationship between the chosen one. And with me be you mother, and you being the chosen they though I would be good person to start with to get information. Thankfully at least at that time they didn't know the passenger was my daughter as well. So the weekly beatings turned into daily beatings. One of the days, the guard decide to take it further than usual. He grabbed hold of me an pinned me to the floor and by putting one hand on my throat and squeezing and then, and then.."
There was a minute's pause before Sydney spoke.
"And then what? The tone of the words soft, dreading what may be said.
"And then he tried to rape me" Irina bolted out, the only way she knew she could get the words out.
"He didn't manage to do it did he?" Sydney said scared even though it had happened many years ago
"No Sweetheart. Thankfully someone came along and stopped him. But not before they had done what I and they thought was impossible, they had broken me. So if I was not as cooperate as they wanted me to be even after electroshock, they threatened to do it to me. Rape me repeatedly. I tried to be strong, but the fear that may actually do it was so strong. So I talked, only small things, mainly about what they knew, or agreed with what they had happened to find out, mainly from that bitch Lauren. But never properly about you, or Jack and never once did I mention your sister at all. Near the end when they were trying to name her, I still kept quiet. Playing that, I knew what the passenger was but didn't know who it was. But in reality I had know for years. Sydney, can you forgive me for actually telling them things."
"Mom, no woman wants to be violated that way. I wouldn't of cared if you had giving them my cell-phone number or e-mail address. As long as you weren't hurt that's the important thing, the rest of it does not matter."
"It should. I'm you mother, I should take care of you, not cause you trouble or have you look after me."
"Is what you just told me the reason why you froze then, because of what that man tried to do?"
"I think so, it can be the only cause. I know physically that she can't hurt me the same way the man could, but mentally I must perceive it the same way as what happened to me before."
"I need to ask this. Does Dad know?"
"Yes, he's known for a long time. It was one of the things we vowed to each other. To tell each other the truth, no matter how painfully it could be."
"But why didn't tell me or Nadia anything?"
"Because both of you have been through so much, that I didn't want to burden you with anything else. And Sydney I know you, you would end up blaming all of that on yourself. Even it wasn't your fault"
"Mom, this is got to be it. There's still so many secrets in this family. We've got to make a pact to share things like what you and Dad have done. We have to share everything."
"Share Everything, Sydney?" Irina said one eyebrow raised comically
"Well almost everything" Sydney said with. "There is something's that a girl has to keep from her mother."