The Imperial Revenge

Chapter 14

September 1928

"Nine-hundred-ninety-nine...one-thousand. One-thousand bloody rubles!" I shrieked. I stuffed the money back into the jar and then pulled out a leather bag from under my bed. I stuffed all of my clothes in it. This was the day we were leaving. I'm going to go get my revenge and Moscow was the way to go.
I heard pouring on the steps to the basement. "Alexei, I have eighty more rubles. How much is in the jar?" Rodion ran down the stairs.
"One-thousand rubles. Add your money in the jar and we'll leave this place. It's you and me."
"We're rich! Let's go before Ilya tries to stop us." Rodion and I both laughed.

We stood out in the front yard. Ilya stood with Rodion and I. He pat our shoulders and we talked for a little while.
"So where are you headed?" Ilya crossed his arms.
"Moscow. We're going to create some chaos there." I smirked.
Ilya chuckled. "I'm sure. Send a telegram every now and then, ok?" I nodded at him and then pulled him in for a hug. He held me firmly. Affection wasn't exactly Ilya's strong suit so the fact he was hugging me back was almost strange.
"Ilya, I may send a telegram or a letter and ask for a favor in the future. Will you help me if I do?" I whispered in his ear.
"Of course, what else is family for?" He replied. I pulled away from him. And with that, Rodion and I set on our journey to get revenge and get even richer.

The moment we left the dirt road, we heard someone calling our name. Rodion and I turned around to see Hadeon running toward us. Hadeon was a sixteen-year-old boy who joined our group two-years-earlier. An antisocial and shy lad. He hadn't ever spoken a word to me nor Rodion before.
"Hi Hadeon, what is the matter?" I asked him. He panted and gave a shrug.
"May I join you and Rodion?"
Rodion scoffed. "This is a man's business. You're just a kid."
"I'm great with numbers! I can read, write, and so math! I also know how to carve wood and clean wounds! I'll be perfect!"
I sighed and put a hand on Hadeon's shoulder. "Listen...it's best you stay here. You have the other men to look out for you. I don't want to be responsible for you, alright?"
"What if I gave you my money? I have ten rubles."
I felt pity for Hadeon. He had quite an interesting backstory. Hadeon was Ilya's cousin whose parents died from Typhoid Fever. Hadeon came to live with Ilya when he was fourteen. He walked all the way from Perm to Tomsk just to be with us. How could I be cruel to this young boy? As much as I wanted it to just be Rodion and I: there was simply going to have to be one more.
"Alright...fine. But do not make me regret this."

The three of us came to the train station in Tomsk. There had been quite a long line. And that's when it hit me. I couldn't go to Moscow without getting proper information first.
"Yes sir, how can help you today?" The man said.
I handed him some money. "Three tickets to Yekaterinburg please."
Rodion tapped my shoulder. "Alexei, I thought we were going to Moscow."
"We are going to Moscow. But I have to make a pit stop first before going. Don't worry, we'll be in and out. I just have to go see an old friend first."