Hide and Seek (Side story)

HIDE AND SEEK

Well my lovelies,

Most of you know this, but for who come across this independently, I tell you that this is the first side story for my Bratva fic "Savin' Me". You should read this after reading the chapter 7 of the main story.

Also, I need to warn you that in contrast to the chapter 7, which I'm sure leave all good feels, this story definitely will not. This is pure and absolute, heartbreaking angst.

I should say sorry, but.... I'm not! So here you go.

Oops! Happy reading seems not appropriate for the occasion. Oh well!

-----------------------------

HIDE AND SEEK

He pulled tighter the scarf around his neck as the biting cold wind hit his face. The winter that year was being merciless. But Oliver was used to the cold by now. Living with very little for over four years had toughened him up. He was well aware of how lucky he had been, despite of the tragedy in his past. He would be dead by then, if it wasn't because a man had taken him in and taught him all he needed to survive on his own.

The first time he woke up after being shot and left for dead in an alley, he found himself surrounded by strangers. He couldn't understand what they were saying. All he knew was that they weren't talking in Russian, and much less in English. By their features, Oliver assumed they were Chinese. Naive as he was, Oliver thought they wanted to help him. But it didn't take him too long to realize that it wasn't the case.

Having only nine years old, Oliver couldn't even imagine that he had fallen into the hands of human traffickers. In the best case, he was going to be sold only God knows what heinous purpose. But most likely, he was going to be killed for his organs. In the meantime, they kept him like an animal. Starving and locked up most of the time. They beat him every time he did something they didn't like, even if it that was only to look any of them directly in the eyes. They only let him out of the tiny room where they kept him to force him to clean their messes. Sometimes was only the area where his captors hang out, but others Oliver had to clean a room that seemed to be an improvised operating room bathed in blood. By instinct, Oliver studied the people who had him for months. He learned their patterns, their strengths, and weaknesses. He was too little to fight them. So, he waited for the perfect opportunity to escape. On the run, he crashed into the man who would be his salvation.

Yao Fei, and his daughter, Shado, took Oliver to safety and took take care of him. They had taken him in and treated him like family. He was wary of them at first, but eventually they became the only two people in his world that Oliver trusted. He had lost his father, mother, and sister, but he found in Yao Fei a paternal figure. Someone he could count on.

"Stop being lazy," Shado chided in Mandarin as she paused at the door of a small and discreet store. He had fallen behind, distracted by his reverie. "Hurry up. Let's buy the herbs and go home. My father is waiting."

"I'm coming," he replied her in Russian. Both of them were fluent in either language. However, Oliver always talked in Russian when were other people around. He had his share of contempt and scorn for being a foreigner, so he tried to blend in as much as possible. He knew he was a wanted man by the Bratva. He had heard the stories for years. He knew all about the extensive search for Robert Queen's son. No doubt, they wanted him to finish the job of killing him, as they did with his parents. He wasn't making them easy to find him. Not after all those years effectively avoiding their radar.

He ventured to the belly of the Bratva territory only when it was absolutely necessary. Like that morning. The apothecary where he and Shado were at was in downtown Moscow. An irony that wasn't lost to him. A Chinese herbalist located in middle of the Russians territory instead of being in the Triad domain.