Chapter 19 - The Cabin

Present day - March

Dimitri POV

I glanced at my watch. It was almost five in the morning, and we were still driving. Even though she hadn't confirmed her name yet, her reaction to when Spiridon called her Rosie made me certain enough that this indeed was Rose. She had passed out a while ago, unable to fight her fatigue. I had checked her pulse just in case, pleased to note that it was strong and steady. We needed to clean up all her wounds and assess her injuries. My throat tightened when the image of Moore between Rose's legs flashed through my mind and I already knew that I would have nightmares of that vision.

I was tired, the long adrenaline-filled day finally wearing me down, the turmoil of feelings adding to my exhaustion. Spiridon and I had agreed that we would find somewhere to stay tonight. We didn't want to check into a motel in the middle of the night as it would attract too much attention if we carried an injured girl to the room. Our tent was a viable option, but somewhere with running water would be ideal.

"This looks promising," Spiridon said under his breath as he slowed down and turned left onto a gravel road. The road didn't look abandoned, but it was clear that it wasn't used often. We were several hours away from the Institution, but luckily we had knowledge of this area from another surveillance mission a year ago. Back then we had noted several small cabins in the area that seemed to be rarely used. One of those cabins would hopefully provide us some cover for the rest of the night.

Tomorrow we needed to continue to put distance between us and the Institution, as well as swap the car. It made me uncomfortable knowing it wouldn't be our first car theft, and I just hoped that the owners had insurance.

The headlights lit up the cabin. Spiridon and I quietly got out of the car, trying not to wake Rose up. He locked the car doors just in case someone was here. I knew it was also to prevent her from getting out, and it was hard to ignore the pang of guilt. I had to remind myself that this was for her best, even if she didn't understand it yet.

We swept the area with our stakes drawn out before breaking into the cabin. Or rather, I found the key under an empty flower pot next to the entrance. I was glad that we didn't have to break anything, hoping that our stay here would remain somewhat unnoticed. Spiridon stayed outside, protecting Rose just in case as I searched the cabin. It was empty, and the air was stagnant. I didn't think anyone had been here for a while.

"All clear," I said as I got back out to the porch. Spiridon nodded towards the backseat as he walked towards the trunk. The car lights flashed when he unlocked the doors, and when I approached the car again I noticed that Rose was awake. I opened her door, and without a word she got out and looked around. My heart swelled when I noticed the scared expression as she took in her surroundings, and I wanted to reassure her.

"We're going to stay the night here. There's one bedroom that you will of course have to yourself." It didn't seem to ease her, but I couldn't really blame her. I wouldn't want to be here either if I was her. "After we assess and treat your wounds we'll give you some space," I promised.

I let her climb the three steps up to the porch first, ready to catch her if she would trip. She seemed exhausted and was swaying a bit on each heavy step she took and the oversized pants didn't help. I was worried that she was more injured than I'd initially thought, and wanted to check on her as soon as possible.

Once inside, I turned on a couple of lamps, happy that there was electricity. She stood in the middle of the main room while I checked the run-down, rustic bathroom. Surprisingly enough there was running water, but the water was ice cold and slightly brown. It had to come from a water well that was on this property, and I wasn't sure if the water was drinkable. I washed the blood from her assaulter from my hands, scrubbing them with soap. When I was finished I heard Spiridon enter the cabin with some of our bags in his hands.

"Don't drink the water, I'm not sure if it's safe. We can shower or at least clean up a bit but the water is cold." Spiridon just nodded, the girl didn't acknowledge me at all. She was staring at her feet and it looked like she was fighting her tears.

Shit. How could I make this right?

"We need to check your injuries. Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?" I asked gently. Rose looked up at me and shook her head before answering. "I'm not hurt, I don't need you to check anything" she whispered.

I wanted to cave, to let her be and give her space but I'd seen some of her cuts and knew that we needed to clean them up. I was also worried about a concussion and how hard Moore had kicked her in the stomach. Not to mention what else he'd done in the basement.

For once in his lifetime, Spiridon was actually not being himself. He read the room, feeling the sensitivity of the situation, and walked outside again, leaving us alone.

I tried to convey as much sincereness with my eyes when I asked her to remove my duster. I didn't think it worked, but with shaking hands she took it off and handed it to me.

I walked over to my bag and placed the duster on the floor next to it. I pulled out a fresh set of underwear, a black t-shirt and some socks from my bag. I also grabbed the first aid kit, and signaled for her to follow me into the bathroom. I noticed that blood stained the floor as she reluctantly followed me and I made a mental note to carefully check her feet.

I thought about her and Moore in the basement. "Do you want to shower? I'll step outside and you can lock the door behind you," I asked in a low voice, wanting to offer her the opportunity to get rid of him. Not that a shower would make everything right again, but maybe it would offer her some comfort to be able to wash herself. She shook her head, and I didn't push.

The toilet was some sort of off-the-grid version instead of a regular one, and I closed the lid on it. After I found fresh towels under the sink I placed one on the cold seat, and motioned for her to sit on it.

I wet one of the towels in the sink, and crouched down in front of her, slowly and controlled in order not to scare her. "I'm going to start with your feet first," I said, and gently lifted one of her feet, cleaning it up with the wet towel. When my fingers touched her skin she flinched as if I had shocked her. She was shaking and breathing heavily, obviously terrified of me. I avoided looking at anything other than her feet and solely focused on my task, carefully cleaning up the cuts and disinfecting them. I wrapped a bandage on her left foot that had a deeper cut, but the right one looked a bit better.

I stood up in a controlled manner and looked at her. She looked so small and fragile as she sat there. She looked up at me with her big, brown eyes. Shit, it was Rose. It really was her. I tried to suffocate the hope swelling in my chest, now was not the time to be sentimental.

"I'm going to step outside for a bit. I want you to change into these," I said and handed her the clothes. "You can take a towel and clean yourself up a bit if you want" I offered, and stepped out of the bathroom.

As I stood outside the door I could hear her silent sobs. Each sob ripped a hole in my heart, and I kept thinking about how I had fucked up again. I kept thinking about Moore in the basement, about what she must've had to endure. I hated myself for letting him lay a finger on her. I didn't know how many other times there were, but I kept thinking that I could've saved her from him tonight if I had been better. But I wasn't, and the realization was devastating. We had so many opportunities to stop it from happening, we let- no, I let him rape her. I could've stopped him, but I didn't.

After a while she opened the door slightly, pulling me out of my self-hate.

I stepped into the bathroom again and started assessing her legs. She was now only wearing my boxers and my t-shirt, and her knees looked pretty bad. She must've hit them on several occasions tonight, and the right one was swelling up quite a bit. I was slightly relieved to notice that I still couldn't find any traces of bruising on her inner thighs. Surely she would have bruises if Moore had raped her? Unless she was unconscious for that. I was filled with dread as I continued to treat her wounds.

I wanted desperately to ask her if she remembered the time I found her in Baia, but I refrained. Right now, with all that had happened to her, I felt like I needed to wait. I couldn't push her right now, I had to allow her some time.

Rose POV

He was endlessly gentle when he cleaned all my wounds. Eventually I started to relax a bit, my shaking subsided after a while. I could feel his warm, calloused fingers grazing my skin, careful not to inflict more pain than necessary. For the first time in my life, I felt safe when someone touched me. And it scared me.

His hands finally stilled, and he looked up at me apologetically. "Does your stomach hurt?" he asked, and I was immediately filled with suspicion. What did he know about my sickness? I didn't answer him and glared at him instead. He sighed and said "I know you got a nasty kick in your stomach and I'd feel a lot better if I could take a look at it." I shook my head, I wasn't going to allow that if he gave me a choice. He'd given me a t-shirt, and that was not coming off, not even an inch. He stayed silent and observed me for a while, his gentle eyes struggling with a decision. He nodded, more to himself than me, and handed me a pair of socks.

With a deep sigh he got up and put some distance between us. "Do you need anything for the pain?" he asked, and when I shook my head he turned around and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, but didn't push. I didn't want to risk him drugging me.

"Are you hungry?" he said as he walked out of the bathroom.

Always. I put on the enormous socks and followed him out. I felt a little better in the t-shirt he'd given me, it was like a tent on me and covering me up a lot better than the nightgown. He handed me a sandwich and a bottle of water. "Eat and drink this, I'll prepare the bed for you." I felt a prickle of fear when he said bed, but he had promised me that I could have the bedroom to myself. Hopefully he was a man of his words.

By the time I had finished the sandwich he stepped out of the bedroom, and asked me if I wanted him to stay. Strangely, a tiny part of me wanted just that, but I quickly shook off that absurd thought and listened to the smarter, more rational part of me who wanted to be alone. Spending a night this close to a guardian wasn't safe. I just shook my head, and he quietly wished me good night. I watched as he put on his long jacket, the duster as he had said, and stepped out on the porch, running his hand through his hair. He looked so distressed, and a part of me wanted to comfort him. What a weird feeling to have. My mind quickly pushed those thoughts aside and reminded me of what Moore had tried to do to me, and what he had done to Moore.

I walked into the small bedroom and closed the door behind me. I looked around the room, besides the bed there was a dresser, an old wooden chair and two bedside tables. I placed the chair in front of the door thinking it would make enough noise for me to wake up if they would come in during the night. My body demanded sleep so I got under the covers and it felt good to lay down and not be running, standing, or even sitting. The sheets smelled a bit like mold, but I also noticed another smell that was soothing and comforting.

I wasn't sure if the sheets were just cold or slightly damp, but that didn't stop me from falling asleep faster than I had ever before.

The sun woke me up. I groaned and turned around in the bed, hoping I could fall back asleep. I stretched out my sore limbs and jumped up in surprise. The bed was significantly larger than my own at the Institution. And then the memories of what had happened last night washed over me, and my heart started racing. There was no way I could fall asleep again, and to my dismay I noted that my body felt like I'd been run over by a truck.

I had to get away from these men before they would hurt me.

I didn't know for how long I had slept, but despite the pain in my body I still felt like an entirely new person. Most importantly, I felt like I had regained some of my strength. The sun was up, which meant that the monsters lurking in the darkness wouldn't be an issue. If I could only sneak away far enough for me to get cover from the thick forest, I doubted that they would be able to find me. This was my window, and I could escape through the actual window. I noticed that the chair was still in front of the bedroom door, and I couldn't hear anyone in the next room.

I quietly got up and walked over to the small window, inspecting it. I held my breath as I turned the handle and was just about to open it when the chair alerted me of someone entering. I spun around, my heart pounding.

It was douchebag, watching me from the door opening. "Letting in some fresh air?" he asked with a grin. I nodded, well aware that he knew exactly what I had planned and that it didn't involve airing the room. He didn't comment on the chair but smiled mischievously at me. He threw a hoodie on the bed and walked away without another word.

I pulled on the hoodie and noticed that it smelled the same as the t-shirt. I inhaled deeply and relished the smell of sandalwood and something else, something I couldn't put my finger on. The smell of him, I realized and quickly stopped what I was doing. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

I walked out with unsteady steps and noticed I was feeling quite warm. But the hoodie offered me another layer of clothing, and I wasn't going to take it off.

I stilled as I saw the tall, dark guardian in the kitchenette. He was taller than I remembered.

"Okay kids, I'm off now. Try to behave," douchebag said casually as he closed the front door behind him. I frowned, not sure if leaving us here alone was a good or a bad thing. Where was he going?

"He's going to get you some clothes and swap the car. We're leaving this place in a few hours."

Belikov still had his back towards me, busy with something on the kitchen counter. My curiosity got the best of me and I asked "Where are we going?" Even in my own ears my voice sounded meek. I didn't get a reply.

I stood there awkwardly until he turned around, and motioned for me to sit down at the round dining table. I hesitated for a moment before I walked over to the table and sat down. He joined me and set down two bowls of soup. Goulash soup. I stared at my food, stomach churning from nervousness. "I know it's not the best breakfast food, but it's afternoon after all. And the owner of this place had almost ten cans of this stuff so I figured he wouldn't miss a couple" he said as he handed me a spoon and a bottle of water. I took them without looking up from my food.

We ate in silence. I had to eat slowly, my stomach protesting for each spoonful I took. But I knew that I had to keep my strength up, and I couldn't miss any meals. I stared down mostly at my food, or at the table. Or even at the yellowish curtains. I tried to focus my eyes on everywhere but him, and of course I failed miserably. Each time I glanced at him, he met my eyes as if he knew I was going to look at him at that exact moment. He didn't look angry, but he had a determination in his gaze that made me unsure of myself. When I had finished my bowl he asked me if I wanted more, and I shook my head. My stomach was already giving me a hard time.

"Rose."

I tensed up. He said it out of nowhere, and it took everything in me not to look at him in surprise. I kept my eyes steady, examining the surface of the dining table. I could hear him take a deep breath.

"My name is Dimitri," he said carefully, and I could feel his eyes on me, a stare so intense it almost felt like he was caressing me. The cracks in the paint were suddenly the most interesting thing in the room, as I desperately tried not to reveal anything that would only harm me. Painful memories tugged at my mind, but with years of practice I pushed them aside. I recognized that name. Of course I recognized that name.

He took another deep breath. "Ten years ago I found you in the woods, and took you back to my home. Do you remember me?"

I still refused to look up, remembering all the times Moore had taunted me with that nice family. After getting to the institution, I had cried for months, wanting to go back to Alberta or the nice family with the gentle brown eyes and the different R's. I had told Eddie how I missed that nice boy who I had met in the woods, how I wanted to go back to him. How I wanted him to come and find me, to take me back to his home and the rest of his family.

Moore had made fun of me, teasing me, taunting me, bullying me, torturing me. Every time I would mention Dimitri, or anyone else for that matter, Moore would use it against me. I thought about the incident that would have to be the biggest disappointment of my life.

/ "We have that new guardian coming in today, he's being transferred here from another Institution." Moore said to Alto. I was standing close to them, trying to finish my chores and hoping they would just ignore me. A new guardian was exciting news in a place where rarely anything new happened. Except for children arriving and leaving this place.

"I heard he's Russian," Moore continued. "I can't remember his name, though."

"It's Dimitri, right?" Alto replied.

I stilled. Dimitri. Was Dimitri coming here? Could it be the same Dimitri? I hadn't seen him in almost eight years, but I couldn't help the hope that swelled up in my chest. It was so powerful that I felt unsteady on my feet. I took a few steps closer to them, and they noticed me.

"Oh, that's right, Guardian Alto. Let's go and welcome Dimitri, he should be here any minute now." Moore turned to me. "Have you finished your chores?" he asked, and I nodded.

"You better tag along Rose, I suppose Dimitri might have laundry or something else he needs help with. After he arrives you're dismissed for tonight," Alto said and the three of us walked out to the driveway.

I felt like I could burst, and couldn't help the ear-to-ear smile that was spread across my face. Dimitri.

So began the longest twelve minutes of my life. I stood on the driveway, excited to see Dimitri again. I kept thinking about the last time we met, when he took me in under his protection. I hadn't allowed myself to think about him in a long time, not after all the times Moore had used him as a weapon against me, but that was several years ago. A small part of me tried desperately to remind me to be careful, to keep my guard up. That this could be Moore plotting something, or even a different Dimitri. But I didn't listen. It hadn't actually been Moore who had said the name, it was Alto. Alto wouldn't trick me. Alto wasn't cruel, he wasn't like Moore.

My heart was pounding from excitement when I heard the car tires, and then I saw the SUV approaching. I could barely stop myself from jumping up and down.

When the car stopped I stretched my neck in order to see better, but I only caught a glimpse of brown hair. Dimitri. Dimitri. Dimitri. He was here, he came for me. He really came. All reason left me as I was filled with mind numbing hope and joy.

I ran to the car and without thinking I embraced Dimitri. I was shocked that I was so brave, but for so many years I had tried my best to suppress all hope that I would ever get to see him again. I looked up, smiling broadly. And then stilled.

I looked up into a set of gray-blue eyes. The man in front of me was smiling down at me with a perplexed glint on his face. The man in front of me wasn't Dimitri.

I immediately let go of him as if he'd shocked me, and I took a few shaky steps back. It felt as if the whole world came crashing down on me. I stifled a sob as my eyes prickled.

"Dimitri, welcome to the Lakeside Institution," Alto said and offered his hand to the new guardian.

"It's actually Igor, Igor Sidorov, sir," he corrected. I turned around and caught Moore smiling triumphantly at me. He'd tricked me. After all these years, he'd remembered how much I'd cried after Dimitri when I'd arrived here. He waited this long to use it against me.

I couldn't help the tears rolling down my cheeks as I ran back inside." /

The man in front of me cleared his throat. "I know you were only seven, but maybe you remember me? Or perhaps my mama or anyone else?"

Yesterday, douchebag had called me Rosie, and it was only Moore who called me that. I didn't know how, but these two guardians knew Moore somehow. I briefly thought about what Moore had said to me in the basement, the part where he told me that nobody had bid on me in December. What if these assholes were in on that? What if they were taking me somewhere, to someone who had placed a bid on me? What if they had bid on me?

So many questions and fears filled up my mind, and it was hard to swallow.

This Dimitri might have beaten up Moore, maybe even killed him, but that didn't mean he was good or trustworthy. Maybe this was all part of some sick and twisted game. Even if it wouldn't be Moore taunting me this time, this man in front of me was a guardian. And I knew what guardians were like.

"You're mistaken," I replied with a cold voice, and finally met his unwavering gaze. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

He raised one dark eyebrow and pressed his mouth into a thin, disapproving line. It was clear that he didn't believe me.