1997 Phoenix, Arizona
"One second to live. One minute to breathe. How are you going to escape THIS life darling?"
Leena took in a deep breath. She looked down at this note as she stood over her mother's dead body. Blood everywhere all over Leena's hands, clothes and her face while Karen had been torn to shreds in her own home.
Bianca stood in the doorway with a stone cold look, Leena didn't take any notice. Out of the wardrobe came Tiegan, Titch, Lily and Kylie Lee's younger siblings.
"Leena" Tiegan spoke up "What is going to happen now?" Her innocent voice echoed through Bianca's ears causing her to walk silently away from the barbaric scene.
"I don't know Tig" Lee muttered under her soft breath "All I know is that we need to phone Uncle Markham and sort this mess out"
"Who's Markham?" Tig asked
Before Leena could answer her uncle weighed in as he walked through the doorway.
"Leena I can answer this question" he winked at Tiegan "You must be my lovely little niece my sister Karen talked about a lot. Hello I'm sure you don't know me for protective elder sisters reasons, mine and yours included in that; I'm your mother's brother Agent Markham" He walked over to Lee and tapped her shoulder gently
"Agent…? Are you from SILVIE?" Tig asked politely
"No. Fortunately I'm from the FBI in Miami I work in the undercover unit. Currently though I'm bending the rules by looking for your elder brother who I believe to be a criminal but I'll allow it. I can't promise he won't go to prison though."
Leena turned finally coming out of shock. "Markham, when do we move into your house because we need a place to stay and a guardian when we come out of the camps for the holidays?"
"Your things have been packed don't worry Leenetta, I'm here for you now and I won't let my sister down" Markham smiled toward his niece
"Ok thanks. I know it can't be easy seeing Karen like that so come on let's all get out of here" Lee walked out without saying another word or speaking about the agents she killed trying to save her mother; those agents that were still lying dead on the bedroom floor.
"Leena don't you want to clean up your mess first before going anywhere?"
"Nope, I think I want a sandwich or a chicken leg I think I saw one in the fridge yesterday. Oh I could really go for vodka as well"
"Vodka, Leena you're too young to be drinking" Markham then added "I have to be the responsible guardian but since you can kick me to death like you did to these eleven agents from the most dangerous organisation ever. I will again bend the rules and allow it just this once"
"I'm sure you will allow it and no I won't do that ever again I promise it's just when I see my mother being killed it is really hard not to get adrenaline and kill people who are still in my house" Leena walked out the door ready to go to Miami and settle in with her uncle "I did it for my sisters" she whispered as she continued to walk
The sisters all cuddled up to each other in the back seats of the van. Leena sat in the passenger seat with Markham driving. Leena remembered her dad's car.
"Markham we have to get dads car to Miami too" she looked at him and through her eyes he saw nothing but sadness and desperation
"Why do you need a car you can't drive?"
"My father's car is important to me I will not leave without it or let anyone sell it, please you have to take it with us. Get one of your agents to drive it down"
"Ok just for you but promise me no more violent outbreaks unless you need to and keep the car nice and clean I don't like rust on them"
"Thank you Uncle Markham I won't let you or my sisters down"
She smiled for the first time since her father's death. This made Markham proud but he knew that Leena wasn't his daughter therefore felt badly for all the pain his niece has gone through.
1997 Romania camp
15 year old Leena and her 13 year old sister Tiegan were walking to their mother's will reading
Tiegan has rare diamond blue and grey eyes that sparkled in the sunlight, her chestnut hair glowed brightly highlighting her wonderful bone structure. Whilst Leena's darker hair shone like a raven in the sunset, her beautiful complexion cannot be ignored. The Carter women have that bodacious look that everyone desired. Leena had everyone in the palm of her hand, even the women fell at her feet begging her for mercy. But there was only one woman she truly admired and that was her younger sister Tiegan.
"Tiggy you know what's happening today right?"
Leena cared for her sisters more than anything both Leena and Bianca, as twins, decided to take charge of two sisters each. Leena took care of Titch (9 years old) and Tiegan who both turned out to be in the Romanian camp. Bianca was in charge of Kylie and Lily the 5 year old twins who went to the German camp with B.
Tiegan could barely understand why her parents were killed. The heart break she put up with was not spending her 7th birthday with her dad who was shot just before he wished her 'Happy birthday'. Truth is she cherishes her birthday cards from him because she never wants him to be gone from her heart.
"Lee, I know we are seeing who gets what from our mother. I just wish love was the option when she was alive."
"She gave us love just her own way of it. She was grieving for dad" She looked at her little sister with sadness in her eyes. Leena couldn't bear the thought of her little Tiggy being upset "Tig everything will be ok. I'm here with you every step of the way" she took her little sister's hand and wrapped both their little fingers together "I promise Tiggy as long as I'm around you will never be in danger, you will never be hurt. I love you Tiggy" Leena kissed her forehead and held her close and whispered gently "You'll never be alone and whenever I'm not around I know for certain you'll be strong, you know why?"
Tiegan's little head nodded "Because we're Carters. I love you too Leena, I'm glad that you're my big sister. But I will protect you as well even if you don't think you need it; everyone needs protecting"
As they shared this sisterly hug Bianca emerged from a room on the right of the courtyard where they were standing. She leant against the door frame and grinned at the connection between her sisters.
"Are you two coming in or what?" She shouted softly with a smile
"Yes we're coming in now B" Leena smiled back at her twin "Come on Tiggy. It's show time baby"
The clock was ticking. Twenty minutes were up. It wasn't long now till they knew who got everything. Dry eyes all around as Karen's eulogy was read out to the remaining bunch of the family. A part of the group was Karen's younger brother Markham.
Markham turned to Leena and gave her a small box "Your mother told me to give it to you when she died. Morbid I know but it's what she wanted you to have; being the eldest of the six"
"Thanks uncle." She said with a sense of pride "What's in it?" she went to open the lid "It needs a key, where's the key have you got it?"
"No she didn't mention a key. Hold on maybe it was in the bag of things she gave me when you were born, you know just in case, hold on wait here…"
Markham went to this bag. He picks up a file and stares at the floor ominously.
"Markham what is it?" Leena shouted over knowing her uncle was distressed by the file.
"Well, there wasn't a key but I think I know why" he looked down at his niece and handed her the file
"Why?" she asked looking extremely puzzled
"Lee … the file explains everything you can only open it though when you're ready"
"Ok, I'm ready" she tore at the file before Markham could finish his sentence
"NO! You are certainly not ready, when you really want to find the answer then you are ready" he sighed "When you don't know where to turn the file will be the answer! Until that day you have the little letter from your mum and dad in the envelope with the box." He calmly spoke with a manner only Leena knew how to interpret
"What about the key? Where is it?" she looked desperately for the answer 'yes' from him
"I'm sorry but I don't know where the key is, she never gave me one" Markham kissed her forehead "Goodbye sweetie"
Lee stood back and watched him walk away and drive off into the mere distance. She looked at her box and note then she looked toward the sky.
She whispered "What am I supposed to do now?"
1998 Romania
"Ok here's the plan" Lee looked confidently over to George and nodded
He began speaking "Alright, so Kat I need you on Leena's left, Melissa are you and Melanie in position?"
Melissa looked down from her sniper box and nodded "Yes king" she then looked over to Melanie who was in an opposite doorway with her computer "Mel you ready over their Hobbit"
"Yeah darling, mama's ready to hack some ass" she smiled
George continued "Ok as long as we're ready, Leena take out anyone that stands with a gun in your way, Kat do the same protect the queen, Bianca I need you to come in when you can unexpectedly and quickly count to 10 when I say then pounce like a puma"
"Ok smart ass let's do this" Bianca came in on the intercom
"Good luck guy's, don't let the queen down" Kat tapped Leena's shoulder
"I'm not a queen Kat, I'm an angel" Leena smirked towards her "Now let's fuck these Italians shit right up bitches"
Two hours of mission fighting was over. One by one the Romanian agents returned back to camp.
"Those Italians better think again before coming round here and messing with us, am I right?!" Leena hugged George "I need to talk to you"
"Ok hot stuff" He picked her up letting her straddle his waist
"Have you been working out?" she asked sarcastically, already knowing he has
"You've seen me working out? Oh then you know this isn't photo shopped" they both laughed before kissing
George and Leena's soft touch of lips finished and he licked his bottom lip causing Lee to go mental
"You do that every time…" she grunts and kissing him harder grabbing his hair and pulling him even closer to her body "I want you right here, right now"
"Have me then" he grinned like a dork and threw her on the bed.
She rose up to him ready to tear his shirt off and whispered "I love you George Tee"
"I love you so much Leena Carter"
"I love you more…"
They both laughed as they fell back onto the bed.
TWO HOURS LATER
In the common room the girls and boys were gathered each of them waiting for their turn to get branded. Leena sat there in silence looking down at her wrists that had already been burned.
"Leena what's actually going to happen in there?" Mellissa looked at her waiting for a response
"How the hell should I know? I mean who do you think I am the psychic who knows everything?" Leena quickly stood up and went to leave the room before being stopped by a tall woman
"And where do you think you are going? Oh right let me guess you need the loo or you're impatient to wait in line."
"No madam I don't know why I'm here" she paused looking at her friends "I have a matter and I wish to speak with someone in charge. I don't suppose you can help me, can you?"
"Young lady I am the founder of SILVIE, for I am Silvia herself! Now come with me child, tell me your name"
"My name is Leena Carter"
Silvia paused and stared at the teenager "Y-your Leena Carter daughter of Karen and Kevin?" she said trying to make sense of it
"Yes Madam Silvia" Leena politely responded
"Interesting" Silvia smirked "come with me"
They both walked down the corridor. Leena looked back to her friends who had been taken into the branding room.