Chapter fithteen: United
Natasha ran. She ran through the dark forest. She had no destination. She just wanted to get away from Lori. Down the valley, through the forest. at some point she no longer knew where she was. Natasha stopped. Then she screamed. And then she cried. It was one thing when she was insulted about her weight. But nobody said anything wrong about Kira Stevenson. If someone dragged Natasha's mother into the dirt, then every line was broken. She leaned against a tree and cried for a long time. At some point she heard voices. She looked around. Four figures walked towards them. And Natasha saw that the figures were holding assault rifles. Natasha immediately felt cold everywhere, and a tingling in her body. She ran as fast as she could. And it was very quick. Shots rang out, and Natasha saw tracer ammo fly overhead. A shot hit a rock and ricocheted in the direction of Natasha. She heard the whistle of the projectile and saw it pass a meter from her. She kept running. As fast as she could. She didn't know how long and how far she ran, but when she came to a standstill, the sun glimmered on the horizon. And there was nothing to be seen of the people. She looked around. Somehow she had to come back. She went in one direction. When she felt safe, she heard footsteps again. She looked around and saw a rock. She didn't have to think, she immediately hid behind the rock. Natasha touched her pants. The Glock 17 was there. She pulled back the pistol slide and released it. She clutched the pistol with both hands and waited. Then the footsteps could be heard again. Natasha took a deep breath. Then, when the barrel of an assault rifle appeared at her side, she hit it with both arms. The assault rifle hit the ground. Natasha came out from behind the rock and looked into the eyes of a man with short brown hair. She immediately hit his face with her elbow and he fell to the ground. Natasha pointed the gun at him with her right arm. He raised his hand between his face and Natasha's gun. When she pulled the trigger, there was a bang. His head was slammed to the ground and blood gushed from a hole in his skull. Natasha felt her heart pound. She looked at the corpse. She felt panic, fear, and could hardly believe what she had just done. She continued to look at the body. Until she heard footsteps and voices. She kept running. And kilometers away, she heard screams. Screams that the whole valley heard. Natasha kept running. When she could no longer run, she walked. She went into a side valley that was even more densely wooded. There she looked for shelter. She found a cave in the rocks. But even then she wasn't sure. When the sun was about to set again, goods could be heard again. Natasha went further into the cave. But when she saw the shadows behind her and reached the end of the cave, she was trapped. shots were fired. Natasha hid behind a rock in the cave. She laps back. But her magazine was empty too quickly. She crouched behind the rock. Then she was grabbed and dragged out of the cave by two men. One was bald. The other one looked exactly like the one she had shot. Twins. The twin released Natasha and began beating her. He punched Natasha in the stomach and didn't stop. When he stopped, he aimed his assault rifle at her. Natasha was mentally finished with her life. But the other one with the bald head went between Natasha and the twin. And started to speak something.
"Глупая идея! Глупая идея!"
(Stupid idea! Stupid idea!)
Then the twin answered.
He yelled at his colleague.
"Заткнись! Она убила моего брата! Она сейчас умирает!"
(Shut up! She killed my brother! She's dying now!)
The bald one moved his hand down.
"Я знаю! Но только ее ему мало! Мы убьем всех, кого она любит! Каждый!"
(I know! But she's not enough for Him! We'll kill everyone she loves! Everyone!)
The twin pointed his assault rifle down. He kicked Natasha in the stomach. The two dragged her into a clearing. A black van was parked in the clearing. And a campfire was burning. The third got out of the back of the van.
"Завтра похороним Нику у реки."
(We're burying Nika by the river tomorrow.) The one with the bald head answered.
"А потом мы устроим резню ее лучшей подруге и ее отцу до неузнаваемости."
(And then we'll massacre her best friend, and her father beyond recognition.)
The twin answered.
"Справедливость для Ники!"
(Justice for Nika!)
The bald one pushed Natasha to the ground and the twin aimed his assault rifle at Natasha. The sun went down. Only the men's eyes were on Natasha, looking at her with disgust. And then, shots. Everyone ducked. The rate of fire was slow. The bald one and the other ran into the woods with their assault rifles. The twin still aimed his assault rifle at Natasha. And then Lori ran out of the woods with her carbine 31, pointing it at the twin.
"Lori?" asked Natasha, startled.
"Don't move!"
The twin continued to point the assault rifle at Natasha.
"She's coming with me, and if you make a bottle of movement, I'll shoot."
The twin looked at Lori seriously, and kept his gun pointed at Natasha. Then the man from the Van came to the twin, and aimed his assault rifle at Lori, and stopped next to the twin.
"We're going now." Lori said.
"Это было легко."
(That was easy)
"Точно. Прошел прямо у нас под носом."
(Exactly. Passed right under our noses)
"Было бы здорово, если бы другие работы были такими же простыми."
(It would be great if other jobs were as simple.)
The bald man came up behind Lori, and hit the back of Lori's head with his assault rifle's baton. She was immediately unconscious. Natasha screamed. The bald man took the 31 carbine from her and threw Lori to Natasha. Natasha began to hold Lori gently, crying as she did so. Two hours later, Lori regained consciousness. She looked around confused.
"Where are we?"
Natasha wanted to answer, but Lori remembered.
"Oh."
Lori sat down next to Natasha. She listened to it in Russian, but didn't understand anything. Lori got angry.
"Why are you doing this? What have we done to you?"
The man who was by the van stepped towards the two. And started speaking English. And with the most extreme Russian accent there was.
"We have orders."
The one with the bald head spoke to him.
"Какого хрена? Не разговаривай с ними."
(What the fuck? Don't talk to them.)
The man gestured downward.
"You were normal targets. But your little friend put up too much of a fight. Now it's personal."
Lori looked at him.
"What does personal mean? Who are you?"
"We're professional hunters. A wolf pack. And I'll show you what makes the personal!"
He grabbed Lori roughly by the arm and dragged her to the van. Natasha wanted to get up, but the twin made a motion with the assault rifle that meant "sit". The man opened the van and Lori saw a rug lying on the floor with something underneath.
"That made it personal!"
He pulled the covers back slightly, exposing the other twin's body. Before she could even see the bullet hole, she closed her eyes so as not to see it.
"What? What?"
"She murdered Nika. We will not rest until justice is done for Nika."
He put the blanket back over the body and threw Lori back at Natasha. Lori was shocked.
"You shot someone?"
Natasha narrowed her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks. The killers started speaking Russian again. Eventually both were thrown into the van and driven to an abandoned barn. Then both were thrown out of the van and pushed towards the barn. The two stared in fear. In the barn, Natasha made one last attempt to fight back. And Lori was surprised. Natasha was fluent in Russian.
"Возьми меня, а не Лори! Пусть Лори живет! Она не убивала твоего брата! Она невиновна!"
(Take me, not Lori! Let Lori live! She didn't kill your brother! She's innocent!)
"Хорошая попытка. Но нам также заплатили за твоего маленького друга. Иди на стену!"
(Nice try. But we also got paid for your little friend. Come on, against the wall!)
The two were put against the wall. The killers aimed their guns at Lori. Lori took Natasha's hand and held it tight. But then the mountain began to rumble. It was like waking up. The killers looked around. Stones crashed through a rotten wooden wall. The killers watched it. Natasha jumped onto the bald head and the twin, throwing them both to the ground. Lori reacted immediately as Natasha jumped on top of them both. She grabbed a shovel from the wall and hit the other killer with it. He was immediately on the ground. Natasha got up in a flash, grabbed one of the assault rifles, and ran away with Lori through a door. Through a small hallway, through another door, they entered an abandoned living room. Lori closed the door and threw a shelf in front of it. The two saw a window frame without a window. Natasha tried to jump through it and got stuck.
"Fuck!" Lori cursed in panic.
She looked at the door that was being tried to open. Lori tried to get Natasha through with her shoulder.
"Suck in your gut!" Lori yelled.
Natasha did so, and Lori kicked her butt so hard she fell out. Lori jumped through the window frame and ran off with Natasha. And ten yards in front of them was Jack with his gang members. Kenny was holding a MG 42. Lori and Natasha ran to the two.
"The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!" screamed Lori in panic.
"What kind of shit have you guys gotten yourself into again?" said Jack.
The two killers came out from behind the barn and stopped when they saw the gang. And at that moment Kenny fired his MG 42 at the killers. Lori closed her eyes and turned away. Kenny swung the MG 42 like a scythe and the killers were literally cut in half. Then Kenny stopped shooting. Lori was in shock. And Natasha was no different.
"I don't want to see that. I don't want to see that." said Lori.
"Take them behind the barn." said Jack.
A gang member took Lori's arm and blindly led her behind the barn.
"What happened here?"
Natasha took a deep breath. She had to find the words first.
"We were chased through the forest. They wanted to shoot us. Then the landslide happened. One is still in the barn. And one... one... In the van."
"My idiots there started the landslide. One in the barn and one in the van you say? Kenny! Get in the barn! And you two check out the van!"
Jack and Kenny went into the barn. Two other gang members got into the van. And a minute later Natasha heard a shot in the barn. Natasha ran in and saw Jack putting his Glock 17 inside his coat. And on the floor lay the last killer. Now he too was dead. Kenny searched his pocket. And found a drawing depicting Lori and Natasha. It was the drawing that "the messenger" that Lori and Natasha had met in the woods of Royal Woods had with him.
"I know this drawing."
"I know this too. We gave it to this weird guy who got shot in the woods. These killers must have it from him, and they got ordered to chace you." said Jack.
"What? You did What?"
"Calm down Bismarck."
"Don't call me Bismarck."
A gang member entered the barn.
"We found a body in the van."
"One of you?" Jack asked Natasha.
"I think its one of these russians. It looks like They treatend the Body respectfully." the gang member Said.
"So one of them? Did you did this?"
Natasha nodded.
"Good work. I take a look at this."
Jack went outside with Kenny and the gang member. Natasha also left the barn and went to Lori in the back. Lori stood next to a gang member, holding her Karabiner 31.
"Can we talk alone?" asked Natasha.
The gang member walked away. The two stood side by side.
"Im sorry. About how i acted. I was... I think im Just Not capable to have Friends." said Natasha quietly.
Lori still looked in the same direction.
"It got out of Control. I also have to Apologize because of how i acted. Its l this Nuclear Research in your basement. This criminal stuff in which we are. I think it was for both of us too much."
Lori took a deep breath.
"And I think you are capable of having Friends."
It was quiet again.
"I actually missed you."
"I missed you too."
Both were silent again.
"We can't be enemies." Said Lori.
"Yeah."
The two hugged.
"I never want to fight with you again." said Lori.
"Neither do I."
The two broke the hug and looked at the mountain. Jack came to the two. He gave Lori an envelope. In that envelope was twenty-five thousand dollars.
"We found this in the van. There was thirty thousand dollars inside. Five thousand are mine. Your heads were paid for fifteen thousand dollars each."
Lori looked at the money.
"What about our families?"
"Yes. They could be in exactly the same danger." Said Natasha.
"I don't think so. I think you were spotted by accident. But for five thousand dollars, I can make a call and have invisible guards protect your homes."
"If there is no danger, I do not want to take any action."
After these words, the two made their way back to the camp house. On the way through the valley, they didn't speak at first. But then Lori started talking.
"I learned a lot about you today." said Lori.
"What do you mean?"
"You never told me you could speak Russian."
"I didn't tell anyone. I mean, Russians don't have a good reputation."
"What does that mean? Are you Russian?"
"I'm one-eighth Russian. I never told anyone because Russians are America's enemies, and they're the bad guys. And I get bullied because of my weight. I don't want to be bullied because of my mother's inheritance. "
"I understand."
Both were silent again. And after one minute, Lori spoke again.
"But you are the kindest and best russian i know."
It was quiet again. When the side valley ended, they were in a large valley, looking towards the valley where the house was. That's the direction the two went. They walked until dawn. But then it became difficult to walk through the forest. At the foot of the mountain, the two saw a cave. Both went in a few meters. Lori began gathering branches and wood, and was soon building a campfire in the cave entrance. She was proud of herself. She went through her gym ashes and pulled out the last can of ravioli. She opened the can with the Swiss Army knife. Lori wasn't a genius at physics, but she knew that when the can is heated and the inside starts to boil, the can will quickly become a land mine. She put the can on the campfire and let the ravioli simmer. She sat down next to Natasha and looked at the fire.
"These were the craziest 48 hours of my life." said Lori.
"I think I can't forget these days."
"What will you remember most?"
Natasha tightly closed her eyes. And her facial expression changed to a sad one.
"The man I shot."
It obviously hurt Natasha a lot. Lori hugged her gently.
"They wanted to kill you. They wanted to kill us. I don't know what to say, but don't worry."
Natasha hugged Lori back. Lori held her gently.
"Natasha?"
"Yes?"
"What means 'you are my best friend' in Russian?"
Natasha just thought for half a second.
"Ты моя лучшая подруга."
Lori tried to repeat it.
"Ty moya luchshaya podruga."
Natasha laughed when Lori said that. Lori started laughing too.
"That was totally wrong." said Natasha laughing.
"I know. I wanted to make you laugh."
Natasha spoke in Russian again.
"Ты тоже мой лучший друг. Первый и лучший."
"What does that mean? The first part sounds familiar."
"That meant you're my best friend too. First and best."
The two hugged for another minute. But then they both felt hungry. Lori took the can out of the fire with a branch and waited until it had cooled down a bit. Then she pulled out the Swiss Army knife, flipped out the knife, and handed it to Natasha with the box.
"Here. Eat."
Natasha speared the ravioli with the army knife and ate. When half the ravioli were gone, Natasha gave them to Lori with the army knife. Lori finished eating. Both got tired. Lori's gym bag made a reasonably good pillow. The two lay down next to each other and listened to the sound of the forest. Owls howled, crickets chirped, and wolves howled through the valley. Natasha got a little scared.
"I'm a little scared Lori."
"They are more afraid of us than we are of them."
Both snuggled up to each other. They felt the warmth of the fire. It was surprisingly pleasant. So pleasant that they fell asleep. Towards morning they both woke up. Since the wind still had a great effect at the entrance to the cave, after waking up, Lori and Natasha noticed that their hair was tousled. And both looked tired.
"Good morning Tasha."
"Good morning Lori."
"I had a bad dream. Wolves chased me and attacked me."
"Why are you telling me that?"
"Because those Russians were like wolves."
"I had bad dreams too. About Jack and Hitler's buzzsaw."
"What? What the hell is that supposed to be?"
"That's the term for the machine gun that Jack's gang member had. Hitler's buzzsaw, or bone saw, Hitler's scythe, and Hitler's violin. All names for this machine gun. The MG 42. Even my great-grandfather told me about this thing."
"You gotta get that stuff out of your head. Get ready. We gotta move on."
Natasha got up and drank from a bottle Lori had in her gym bag. A few minutes after they woke up, they were already walking further up the valley.
End of Chapter