Blood Vengeance

Chapter Two ~ The Past

My mother pressed a bag into my arms with tears in her beautiful eyes and began shouting at me in my native tongue.

"Katya, take this and your sister. Go now! You must go! Run! As fast as you can! Do not stop until you are far enough to not be seen. Everything you need is in this bag. You must take your sister and go. There are instructions in the bag to tell you what you need to do. Do you understand me? Katya! Do you understand me?"

I began to cry and shake my head. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave her. I didn't want to leave my mother. "No, Mama! I don't want to leave you and Papa. Please!" I pleaded.

"You must Katya! Please! You and Natasha are no longer safe here. Your sister needs you to save her. Papa and I will meet you in America as soon as we can." She cried as she helped me to my feet.

She wrapped me in her arms tightly and whispered her love into my ringing ears. She kissed my forehead then picked my sister up placing her in my arms also kissing her forehead. "Go my children. God will surround you in love and light. He will keep you safe until I can be with you again. I love you." She cried as she turned and ran towards the exact same thing that had caused her fear.

I held my sister tightly to me, strapped the bag to my back and ran with them towards the lake in the distance in the opposite direction of my mother. The moment I reached the dock where Papa's small motor boat was waiting at the end, I dropped to my knees pulling my sister from my body, placing her on her feet. Although she was my little sister, she was not small. She was tall and shapely for her twelve years. Natasha was the spitting image of our mother. She stopped strangers in their tracks from her beauty alone. She took on the air of innocence, even at the beginning stages of puberty.

I was the total opposite. I was the dark to her light, with long raven hair and olive skin. The only thing we shared was the color of our eyes. I looked like our father and our brothers Dmitry and Christopher. I was strong like them too. Natasha was delicate and young for her age. It was me that she now had to depend on.

I looked down upon her wiping her tear soaked golden hair from her eyes. "You must walk Natasha. I can't carry you. We won't get very far if I have to carry you. Do you understand?" I cried.

Natasha simply nodded. I took her hand and shoved the bag up further on my shoulder. I turned to take a quick look behind us before running again. That is when I heard the shots that caused the ringing in my ears earlier. I saw our beautiful mother fall to her knees and raise her arms in surrender. Four men in what looked like military uniforms surrounded her with guns drawn. I gasped and silently cried before taking my sisters hand in mine to run from the danger and the only home we ever knew. With one last look behind me I needed one last glimpse, I said one last prayer before I said a silent goodbye to our mother. It would be the last time I would see our mother alive.