Chapter Twenty Two: Long Lost Family

Lori opened the front door and saw Rita on the couch with her notebook, Lincoln reading a comic and Leni polishing her nails.

"Hi." said Lori and ran up the stairs.

"Hi..." said the three in the living room.

Lori closed her bedroom door and took her K31 out from under her bed. She made sure the bolt was open and safe, and put the rifle in her gym bag. Then she took out the white boxes labeled "Gewehrpatrone 11" and began to pack the boxes into the bag. Lori stopped abruptly when she heard an irregular knocking on her door. She opened the door and Lily crawled inside.

"Oh. Hi Lily."

Lori picked Lily up and closed the door. "How are you my little mouse?" Lily kissed Lori on the neck.

"Thank you. At least you look at me the same way as always." Lily smiled.

"I hope we are still that close when you are a grown up woman."

Lily hugged Lori's neck.

"I guess that means yes."

Lori went to her bed and put Lily on her bed. Lori continued packing the gun ammo into the gym bag. Lily looked at the little boxes and gave Lori a confused look. Lori noticed this.

"The boxes?" Lily nodded.

"Do they look weird?"

Lily nodded again. Lori scratched her head. She couldn't tell Lily that this was ammunition for a rifle. She had to distract her.

"Yes the boxes look weird. Even the language. "Gewehrpatrone" What does it mean, right?"

Lori packed the last box and packed some more of her clothes. Lori closed the bag and picked Lily up.

"Bye Lily."

Lori said and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Then Lori took Lily to Lily's room, put her in her crib there, and left the house. Lori unlocked her car and drove to Natasha's home. Once she was waiting just before a traffic light.

"I hope she is okay. At least feeling better." Lori said to herself.

Lori drove on and a few minutes later pulled up in the driveway of the Stevensons' home. Lori got out and walked to the front door with her gym bag. She knocked and Mike opened a few seconds later.

"Do you have all you need?" Mike asked.

"Yes." Lori answered.

"Perfect."

Mike let Lori in the house and closed and locked the door.

"Why do you lock the door?"

"That could help defend us here."

"Against who?"

"I don't know but I want to be sure nothing happens."

"We have guns."

"If someone shoots at you, the gun won't safe you."

"You're right."

Lori walked into Natasha's room with Mike. Natasha sat on her bed and read her mother's diary.

"Hi tasha. Do you have success?" Lori asked.

"Kinda. I was able to read five pages. Did I ever tell you how hard the Russian language is?"

"I just look at the alphabet and see that it's hard."

"I'm proud of you Natasha that you taught yourself Russian." Mike said.

"Thanks Dad."

"Okay. I go. I have to prepare dinner."

Mike left Natasha's room. Lori sat down next to Natasha and watched her.

"Impressive how you understand this." Lori said.

"It's not easy." Natasha said.

"What makes it hard?"

"Do you see this letter here?"

Natasha pointed on a letter that looked like a P.

"Yes. That's a P." Lori said.

"Nope. That's the letter R. You read P, but it's an R. And you see that C? That's a S."

"Wait? Are you kidding me?" Lori asked dumbfounded.

"No. See this letter?" Natasha pointed to the letter И.

"That's not an N?" Lori asked.

"No. That's a i."

"And what is this?"

Lori pointed on the letter Ф.

"That's a F."

"You give me a headache."

Natasha stood up took a paper note from her desk and wrote something on it. She sat down again and gave the note to Lori And Lori read Лори

"And what does this mean?" Lori asked.

"That means Lori."

"Oh thank you."

Lori and Natasha hugged side by side.

"Hey, can we read this dairy together?" Lori asked.

"Do you understand it?"

"No. But you can translate it for me."

"Okay. Sure."

Mike prepared the food. Chicken soup. Mike took a spoon and tasted the soup. It was good considering it was from a budget store and was stored in a can. At this moment Lori and Natasha came in the kitchen.

"How is the cooking going?" Natasha asked.

"Good. I hope you like chicken soup."

"Oh I like chicken soup." Lori said.

"Wonderful. Then sit down at the table." Lori and Natasha sat down.

Mike placed bowls and spoons on the table and then the three of them began to eat. Lori liked the soup.

"Let me ask quickly, how did you get so good at cooking?" Lori asked.

"I didn't cook really today. That's canned food." Mike said.

"Oh."

"But still good." Natasha said.

"Thank you."

"I think that I sleep here tonight." Lori said before eating another spoon of soup.

"Because we make a sleepover?" Natasha asked.

"No. I mean yes. But so my family isn't in danger if someone targets us."

"That's true."

"You made a good decision. Family is important." Mike said.

As evening fell, Lori and Natasha went to Natasha's room. Lori lay down on the small sofa in Natasha's room. Natasha lay down in her own bed.

"Good night Tasha."

"Good night. Maybe I sleep or I read on." Natasha said.

"Try to sleep. Is much better."

"Maybe."

"Never mind. Good night."

"Good night Lori."

Lori covered herself with a blanket and slept relatively peacefully. Until she was awakened by a loud scream. Lori jumped up, startled.

"What happened?" Lori saw how Natasha held angry her assault rifle and heard how the bolt closed.

"I will fucking kill her!" Natasha yelled.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I kill Cynthia Taylor!"

"Why?"

"She killed my mother!"

"What!?" Lori asked shocked.

"In her dairy stands, "Cynthia wants me. But if she gets me, I die." She f* killed my mother!"

"I do whatever you need help with."

"Help me kill Cynthia!"

"Uh... you mean?"

"Kill her!"

"What?"

Lori felt her heart pounding, and not in a good way.

"I should help you to kill Cynthia?" Lori asked shocked.

"Yes. "Do you?"

"Yes." Lori said quiet.

Lori slowly picked up her Karabiner 31 with full quick-loading clips. She followed Natasha into the living room. Mike was drunk asleep on the sofa next to a bottle of whiskey.

"Why is he drunk?" Lori asked.

"He found a bottle of whiskey and started drinking." Natasha said.

The two went outside. Lori went to her car and looked back. Natasha came out of the garage with two cans of gas.

"What… Why gasoline?" Lori asked.

"To burn their bodies so nobody finds them."

"How do we carry this?"

"Your car! Duh!" Lori facepalmed herself.

"Sorry I don't go outside every day to kill somebody."

"Now you do. So get in your car and drive us to the next public phone cell." Natasha said.

"Why a public phone cell?"

"So we can trap Cynthia."

Natasha placed everything in Lori's car. The two got on and drove to Royal Woods Central Station. The main station was brightly lit. But nobody was there.

"That's creepy." Natasha said.

"Yes. Normally there would be people everywhere." Lori said.

Natasha looked around. She spotted the public phone cell, which was directly under a railway clock which showed 2:14 a.m.

"Go to the phone cell and dial the number of Cynthia Taylor." Natasha said.

"And what should I say?" Lori asked.

"Tell her that something is wrong with the fuel elements and that she needs to come to the Nuclear power plant Royal Woods."

Natasha gave Lori a piece of paper with a phone number on it. Lori went to the phone booth and dialed the number. Cynthia Taylor woke up in the middle of the night. She drowsily went to the phone and answered the call.

"Hello?" Cynthia said tired.

"This is Linda Silverlake from the Royal Woods nuclear power plant. I found something strange in the fuel elements."

Cynthia got goose bumps.

"What exactly?"

"I don't know. But I want to meet you under four eyes."

Did this woman find out what was going on with the fuel elements?

"Uh… yes. That's possible."

"Perfect. We meet on the parking lot of the The RW NPP as soon as possible."

"Okay. Thanks Ms. Silverlake."

"Bye."

The call ended.

Lori turned and looked at Natasha.

"Tasha."

"Yes?"

"I'm ready."

"Okay. Do you know where we can catch her?"

"The Royal Woods highway exit is closed at night due to road works. If Cynthia drives off now we'll be able to intercept her on the country road that runs through the woods."

"Good plan."

Both went to Lori's car and drove towards the forest.

"Will our plan work?" Lori asked.

"Weird that you ask." Natasha said.

"Why?"

"Because it sounds like you want to kill Cynthia."

Lori thought about what Natasha said. Did it sound like she wanted to kill Cynthia? The feelings Lori had deep inside of her were blocked by the shock she had, from Natasha saying that she wanted to kill somebody. But now Lori felt something. Bigger. Anger for Cynthia, because she was the reason her best friend didn't have a mother anymore. "Yes!" Lori yelled.

"Yes!"

Lori felt all the anger in her, and it was burning.

"Yes I want to kill Cynthia! I want! She is the reason your mother isn't alive anymore! Die Cynthia!"

Natasha smiled a little.

"Thanks Lori." Natasha said.

Lori stopped on the country road in the middle of the forest. Lori and Natasha got out. Lori left her car's headlights on. She sat on the hood with Natasha. The two saw nothing but the street lit up by the car headlights. Otherwise it was dark. Natasha took out her phone and showed Lori a photo.

"Look. That's her holding me. Day of my birth." Natasha said.

Lori took a close look at the picture. It showed Natasha's mother in a hospital bed, holding Natasha. When she was a baby.

"I'm so sorry. I feel so sorry because you never saw her."

The two hugged. Then they heard a car coming. The headlights of Lori's car revealed the driver. It was an old man who looked very tired. He was so tired that he didn't even notice Lori and Natasha as he drove by. The two waited two hours. Then another car came. Cynthia was in the car with three men. Lori and Natasha took out their guns and got ready.

"It's here!" Lori yelled.

"Let her brake!"

"She has three men with her!"

"She doesn't brake!"

At this moment Natasha pushed the trigger of her assault rifle and twenty rounds flew to the car. Both heart how glas cracked, and Cynthia's car shot off the road and hit a tree.

"Holy shit!" Lori said shocked.

"Did they survive?" Natasha asked shocked. They heard nothing. But after twenty seconds they heard the doors open.

"Behind the car Lori!"

Lori and Natasha jumped behind the car.

"Give up!" Yelled a man.

"Fuck me you motherfucking bitch!" Natasha yelled. Natasha started to load her magazine. Lori took the safety of and hold her gun, ready for a fight.

"Do we now what I think we do?" Lori whispered scared.

"Yes. Are you ready?" Natasha whispered.

Lori looked at her Karabiner 31, and then nodded.

"Let's go."

Natasha switched the lever of her assault rifle to position 3. They looked at each other and nodded. Both stood up and began shooting at the men from behind the car. Natasha shoots three bullets at the time. Then gunfire came from the men. Lori pointed her K31 to the point where she saw the muzzle fire. She opened the bolt, the cartridge flew out, and Lori closed the bolt again.

"Down!" Natasha yelled.

Lori and Natasha backed down on the ground a several shots could be heard. Lori went to the back of her car, shot to the position were the men were, opened and closed the bolt and shot again. Natasha shot, and then the sound of something heavy falling on the ground could be heard.

"Did you hit one?" Lori whispered.

"I guess." Natasha whispered.

A gunshot broke the silence of the night again, and they heard glass shattering. Lori had out of nowhere an idea.

"Make a photo from the guy from behind my car. With flash." Lori whispered.

Lori pointed her gun in the sky and shot. She opened the bolt and closed it again. Then she went to the back of her car again. Natasha held her phone up and made the photo. And the flash made the guy visible for Lori. Gunshots sounded again. She pointed her gun to the point where the muzzle fire was. Natasha made another photo, and in the moment Lori saw the men, she pointed the barrel at him and pressed the trigger. It banged and Lori heard the body falling down. Natasha made again a photo. That wasn't what Lori told her. But she saw in this brief moment nobody except the two dead bodies. What is Safe?

"Tasha! Flashlight!" Lori said.

Natasha turned the flashlight on her smartphone on. Lori saw the crashed car. Nobody was there.

"Where is Cynthia!?" Natasha asked.

Lori didn't really hear Natasha's question. She pointed the flashlight of her phone to her car, and saw that it had several bullet holes, and two windows were shattered. "Lori!" Natasha yelled. Lori turned to Natasha.

"What!?"

"Where is Cynthia!?"

"In the car!?"

Natasha and Lori stepped to the driver side of Cynthia's car. Natasha opened the driver's door. Cynthia crouched at the foot of the car. She had a laceration on her forehead. Natasha grabbed Cynthia and forcibly threw her out of the car. Natasha's wallet fell out of her pocket. Lori picked up the wallet. Natasha looked at Cynthia.

"Finally I got you! You played someone good when you came when my father was irradiated! But now I know what a fucking piece of shit you are!"

Natasha kicked Cynthia in the hip. She had a pained look on her face.

"Look in my eyes!"

Cynthia looked into Natasha's eyes. Lori found something suspicious. As if she knew Cynthia from somewhere else.

"Look in the gun barrel when I end your pathetic life!" Natasha said.

Natasha put the lever of her assault rifle on position 1. Then Lori realized where she knew Cynthia from.

"Wait Natasha! That's a mistake!" Lori said.

"Why? She is worthless!"

Lori took out the photo from Natasha's wallet.

"Cynthia is worthless. But that's not Cynthia!" "What kind of bullshit are you talking?"

"Look at the photo of your mother and then look at Cynthia!"

Natasha looked at the photo, and then at Cynthia. She got pale. Natasha looked again at the photo, and then again at Cynthia.

"No."

Natasha looked again at the photo. And again at Cynthia. Cynthia looked like Natasha's mother. Because Cynthia was Natasha's mother.

"No!" Natasha let her assault rifle falling down.

"No!" Natasha yelled.

Natasha screamed, and turned away. Only her shape was visible in the darkness.

"How?" Natasha asked sobbing.

"How did you become this, Cynthia?" It was quiet. Then Cynthia spoke.

"I found the exact same what you found. Sixteen years ago, when I started working again, I measured that the fuel elements of Three mile island were made to produce illegal the bombs. Well, at some point, they knew, that I knew that. Do they kidnapped me. And gave me a choice. Work for them and let you and your father alive, or they kill me, you and him. What way I have decided to go is obvious. I can't have let you killed."

"How can I believe that? You don't even have a proof!"

"I have one. Can I take my phone?" Cynthia asked and looked at Lori.

"Don't make a wrong move or I blow this phone away!" Lori said and moved her Karabiner 31 a bit.

Cynthia slowly took out her phone, typed on it and gave it to Natasha.

"Who is this on the photo?"

Natasha saw a photo on Cynthia's phone, wich showed a fifteen year old girl that looked like Natasha. Blonde wavy hair that reached her upper shoulder. And was wearing a blue T-Shirt and a blue skirt with black slippers. But her face. Almost identical to Natasha. But she was skinny. And had no emotion on her face.

"That's definitely not me. But she looks like me."

"Because that's your younger sister. Marie."

"I… my sister… how… Marie…"

"Try to not overthink." Cynthia said.

"I want to see her." Natasha said.

"You wanna drive to Marie? Look around you! Look at this mess!" Cynthia said and pointed to her crached car and the dead bodies.

"We need to clean that up. And that's gonna be a problem. Because now im the enemy of my boss. And I can't call someone to clean that up."

"Enemy?" Lori asked.

"Do you think I fight against my own daughter and you, Lara?"

"My name is Lori!"

"Whatever."

"You stay with me?" Natasha asked quietly.

"Yes. But how do we get this mess away?"

"Does fire work?" Lori asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"We have gasoline."

Cynthia stood up.

"Yeah. That might work. We put the bodies in my car, put gasoline over everything and burn it down."

"Should I get the gasoline?" Natasha asked.

"Yes. Lara, help me carry the bodies in the car." Cynthia said.

"My name is Lori."

"Whatever, just help me." Natasha went to Loris car.

"Take one and let him sit on the backseat. With the safety belt." Cynthia said.

"Why the safety belt?" Lori asked.

"So it looks like they crashed." Cynthia said, and took the body from the one Lori hit.

Lori took the other body and carried it to the backseat of Cynthia's car. She put him on the back seat, and closed the safety belt. Cynthia and Lori looked at Natasha which came to them with the gasoline.

"And now?" Natasha asked.

"Give them a gasoline bath." Cynthia said.

Cynthia took a gasoline container and spoiled all in the inside of the car. Natasha did the same. Cynthia closed the doors, and looked at Lori.

"Take the guns from those idiots and from you and put it in your car Lara."

"It's Lori!"

"Whatever. Natasha, sit in her car, and Lara, I mean Lori, start the motor."

Lori and Natasha nodded and did what Cynthia told them. Cynthia turned to the car, took a lighter and a cigarette out, started smoking, and threw the cigarette into the car. The car immediately was burning. Cynthia walked to Loris car and sat in.

"Now go!" Cynthia said.

Lori gave gas and drove away.

"Cynthia?"

"Yes Natasha?"

"Can I see my sister please?" Natasha asked.

"Yes. But just because I need to find a safe spot for her." Cynthia said.

Cynthia began giving Lori directions. After almost three hours, Lori, Natasha and Cynthia entered an old concrete block of flats. They drove to the fifth floor and entered an apartment.

"Marie!" Cynthia called.

"Yes mom?" Marie said from somewhere.

"Pack some stuff we need to go somewhere!"

"I can't."

"Why?" "I spoiled cacao on my skirt. And now I only wear my underwear and my T-Shirt."

"You have hundreds of skirts, just put one on!"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because none of these skirts is for Wednesday."

"Jesus Christ Mary."

Cynthia went into the room were Marie's voice came from. five minutes later Cynthia came to Lori and Natasha with Marie. Marie didn't look either of them in the face.

"Who are they? You didn't announce a visit. That disturbs my plans. They should better go."

"Well that's offending." Lori said angry.

"Yeah." Natasha said.

"I'm sorry. Asperger's. Marie you can't talk like this to new friends!" Cynthia said.

"But you didn't announce them.

"Doesn't matter! Now pack some clothes in a bag and come with us!" Cynthia said.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No you don't. So prepare to leave."

Marie went into her room and came out a moment later with a backpack. Then she went into the bathroom.

"Really? You put on make up again?" Cynthia asked.

"I need to be attractive for potential boys." Marie said.

Marie came back with her eyelids painted blue. The four of them got into the elevator and left the hotel. Natasha and Marie sat in Lori's car in the back seat. Marie looked at Natasha.

"Mom. I don't have enough space here." Marie said.

"Get over it Marie!" Cynthia said.

Lori drove off. But the tension between Marie and Natasha didn't decrease.

"Make space!" Marie said to Natasha.

"I can 't because I can't make myself skinny." Natasha said.

"Try it!"

"I have a thyroid disorder. There's nothing I can do about it."

"I don't care! Give me enough space!"

Marie started pushing Natasha away from her.

"Get away from me!"

"Are you crazy Marie?"

Cynthia yelled at Marie and Natasha.

"Stop that or I throw you both out!" Cynthia yelled.

Marie and Natasha crossed their arms and looked away from each other.

"Like toddlers Jesus Christ!" Cynthia said.

Lori felt hungry. When she saw a rest stop sign, she looked at Cynthia, who had the exact same look. Lori pulled into the rest stop, which had a Mcdonalds restaurant on it.

"A McDonald's? Of course. That was for sure your idea!" Marie said to Natasha.

"What did you say?"

Cynthia yelled again at them. Lori pulled into the drive in. She ordered four cheeseburgers and, after paying, drove them into the parking lot. As they got out Lori offered the burger to Marie. She denied it and made a statement about Natasha's weight. For Cynthia, this was a perfect moment to tell Marie the truth.

"Marie. Could you please take a look at Natasha and then at you?" Cynthia asked.

"Why?" Marie asked.

"Just do it." Marie looked at Natasha and then at herself.

"I see. We look similar?"

"Yes. But still some difference. What do you think? Why?"

"I don't know mom."

"We are silblings Marie." Natasha said. Marie froze.

"No." She looked at her mother.

"How is this possible?"

"I am not Cynthia Taylor. My name is Kira Stevenson. And you are Marie Stevenson. Your father didn't die. I was forced to leave."

Marie started crying.

Natasha and Cynthia hugged Marie immediately. Lori started feeling bad. About the terrible things she did. From handling stolen radioactive sources, to literally shooting someone. What Lori thought was odd, is that she didn't feel anything for the guy she killed. Nothing. The only thing that prevented Lori from going totally crazy, was that Natasha, Cynthia and Marie hugged each other. Only Mike was missing to complete it.

"We have to go." Cynthia said.

"I drive again." Lori said sad.

"Let's go home sister." Natasha said happy.

"Not so loud please." Marie said.

"Heh. Sorry Marie."

They sat in Loris car, and drove towards home.

End of chapter