The Imperial Revenge

Chapter 15

September 1928

It wasn't easy finding out where Ivan Skorokhadov lived. I stopped at an office and had to get the information from those who worked there. Skorokhadov had been officer at the Ipatiev House under Commissioner Aydeev's law. Now, Maria and Skorokhadov had been rumored to be found in the "compromising position" but it's uncertain. I don't believe the rumor but I suppose anything's possible. And hopefully, he'd give me the answers I needed.

I went to his home that afternoon by myself. Rodion and Haedeon waited at a local pub for me to get back. I knocked on the door of Skorokhadov's log cabin. He threw the door open. It was definitely him. Blonde-hair and blue-eyes with an alcohol smell.
"What do you want? Wait, you're wearing a gray-suit and hat...God, I'm not paying more money than I have to. My farm is mine-"
"Citizen Skorokhadov, my name is Erik Dior. I'm from France and doing an article about the Romanov family. I'm sure you're aware of our 1919 article of the execution."
He sighed. "I just knew one of you journalists were going to come here one day. I wish I could help but I can't let word of me betraying my country get out to everyone. I will be tortured and killed. May you please understand that?"
"Of course! I shall change your name for the article. I just have a few questions and I will leave."
"Well then I suppose you should come in."

It was dirty inside the house. A fire was going and he seemed to be cooking over it. But the tea was excellent and I could stop pouring it into my cup. I sat on his sofa and Skorokhadov sat in the chair next to mine. He started smoking a cigarette.
"Do you want one?" He asked me and showed the open box of cigarettes. I nodded and took from him. He handed me the lighter and I lit it for myself.
"Alright. When was the last time you saw the Imperial family?"
"June 26, 1918."
"How old were you?"
"I was 23-years-old."
"Who were the prisoners?"
"The Tsar and Tsarina. Olga Nikolaevna, Tatiana Nikolaevna, Maria Nikolaevna, Anastasia Nikolaevna, Alexei Nikolaevich, Eugene Botkin, Anna Demidova, Ivan Kharitonov, Ivan Sednev, Leonid Sednev, and Alexei Trupp."
"Right. What exactly did you do on that day?"
"I made a birthday cake for Maria Nikolaevna. Oh Erik, if only you had met her. Maria was the most beautiful girl in the whole world. But anyway, I presented her with a cake."

Skorokhadov went on and on about that day and what happened. All him and Maria had done was hug and the guards mistook that as an inappropriate gesture. Aydeev had a particular liking to Skorokhadov so let him off with a "sick card". Which was relieving. Skorokhadov was now pacing around the room.
"Are you in contact with any of the guards?" I asked him.
"I'm actually in contact with nearly all of Yakov Yurovsky's men. They came to visit once and cheered me on about having sex with Maria Nikolaevna. I tried to convince them that I didn't but they liked believing it better."
I exhaled. It has been a decade since my family and servants were killed. Skorokhadov would know if Yurovsky even felt some pity. "Does Yurovsky regret what he did at all? Does he regret killing them?"
Skorokhadov scoffed. "His only regret is not killing every last Romanov. Yurovsky doesn't care that he killed the children and in fact, he brags about it in his letters to me. How could someone be so cruel just for their politics?"
"Let me ask you something. Do you know where Yurovsky, Ermakov, Nikulin, Medvednev, and Kabanov are? They played the biggest parts in the execution, didn't they?"
"Yes, they did. Yurovksy works at a science museum in Moscow. I have respect for him but he doesn't know a thing about science. Ermakov is an inspector at a prison here in Yekaterinburg. Though, you can always find him at one of the 'Red Moon' pub. Nikulin is the head of an insurance company in Moscow. Medvednev works for the NKVD in Moscow. The Soviet Union may be Communist but they are apart of high-society. Oh, and there's one guard named Kabanov who killed the Imperial dogs."
"Thank you so much, Citizen Skorokhadov. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"
He deeply exhaled and shook his head. "The boy...Alexei. I feel the most pity for him. If he was still alive, I'd hug him. So young and he had big dreams in spite of how sick he was. But who knows? Maybe one day I can finally apologize."

I met up with Rodion and Hadeon on the pub nearby. I had well worked-out a plan. But we were going to have to be split up for awhile.
"What do you mean we're not all going to Moscow?" Hadeon shrieked.
"Only for small while. Rodion, you're going to go stalk Peter Ermakov. He works as a detective and inspector at a nearby prison. Hadeon, you're traveling to the Crimea and you're going to find Alexei Kabanov and make his life miserable. You see, he killed my bloody dog and now you're going to kill his. And if he doesn't have a dog, kill his cat." I smiled widely. Hadeon crossed himself. For the first time, Rodion seemed genuinely worried about me. Perhaps this was the first time he realized how crazy I was.
"Alexei, what will you do?" Rodion asked me.
"I'll go to Moscow and set up our reputation for us." I took a sip of the whiskey I ordered. "Do not worry, brothers. I'm going to make blood and money rain."