Looking For A Legend (Book 1)

Looking For A Legend Chapter 49 - Valentina

            Even after seven days, Valentina still hadn’t gotten over the fact she had a living relative on her father’s side.  In retrospect, it seemed silly to think the entire Sima clan would have vanished simply because her father may have died.  They were probably an extensive and sprawling family, spread throughout Russia.  One branch is hardly all there is to a tree.

Of course, Valentina had only even learned of the Sima family’s existence a mere six months ago.  Her entire life up until that point, she had believed that Murroh was her biological father.  Now, Valentina wondered why she has absolutely no memories of her time with Mischa, or living in London as a child.  She was hoping Viktoriya would have some answers for her.

Getting some time with Viktoriya was not easy.  Captain Sima was a seemingly busy woman.  She was constantly in meetings, or on calls, or doing background checks on involved parties.  Or maybe she was just dodging Valentina.  But finally, Valentina convinced Viktoriya to make time for her.  Strangely, Viktoriya insisted on meeting in a private location, and Valentina’s apartment served well enough.

Viktoriya arrived in her military jacket over a grey tee shirt that didn’t quite cover her flat stomach, and a pair of jeans tucked into her military style boots.  She held a black helmet bearing her name painted in gold in Cyrillic on the back.  Valentina felt over dressed in her cocktail dress and heels.  Viktoriya reminded her of the girls that rode the subway back home in New York.  They lived downtown, or in Brooklyn and came uptown to work in the tattoo parlors, record stores and vintage clothes shops.  Leibe always made fun of those girls.

“You have a very nice home, Miss Lytton,” Viktoriya offered.  Her voice was stilted.  Her voice was polite, but somewhat cold.

“Thank you.  It’s mostly Eli’s doing.  He’s out with his brother and the dogs.  We have the place to ourselves.” Valentina smiled.  She was rambling.  “Can I get you some tea, or coffee?”

“No thank you.  What did you want to ask me, Miss Lytton?” Viktoriya cut right to the point.

“Oh, alright.  Well, I was hoping you could tell me about my father.  Did you know him?  Do you know if something happened to me when I was little?  Something that would cause my memory loss?  I don’t have any memories of him.”  Valentina blurted out.

Viktoriya set her helmet down on the table.  Even with the long sleeves of her jacket, her tattoo was extremely noticeable.  What would make someone want to tattoo themselves down to their fingertips?  Viktoriya’s entire look was so severe, from her dark eyeliner to her red painted lips pulled into a frown.  “You called me to ask about Mikhail?”

“Well, we’re cousins.  Family, you know?  I just thought that we should be … Well, a family.” Valentina tried to salvage the conversation.

“Your family is Colonel Lytton.  It is Elijah.  Colonel Lytton knew him better than I did.  I wasn’t born yet when he was kidnapped.  I was three when he was rescued.  I was five when he returned to Russia, and I was ten when he died.  I barely knew him.” Valentina struggled to hear past Viktoriya’s accent to the words she was saying.  They were harsh, but she didn’t mean any harm.

“You… Isn’t there anything you can tell me?” Valentina pleaded.

“I promised I wouldn’t, but you are asking me.” Viktoriya took a seat.  She idly looked around, picking up Eli’s newspaper, and then dropping it again.  “He still reads printed news?  Anyway, your father was an extremely paranoid man.  I don’t think he was before he was kidnapped, but he was paranoid when he returned.  After two years under the care of an Agent Horowitz, the British released Captain Sima to his own care, granting him status of consultant.  At the start of a long series of serial murders against Prizrak, he then cut out on them, and returned to Russia.  It is suggested that he was actually tricked into leaving by Colonel Lytton.”

“So, my dad and my father really were friends?” Valentina didn’t doubt Murroh, but he did have the habit of exaggerating.

“Oh, yes.  Even if Captain Sima had to play several ruses on Colonel Lytton to protect both parties and their respective governments, they were friends.  When they had the freedom to express it, they worked together in nearly all their plans.” Viktoriya explained.

“So when did he come back from London?” Valentina sat down with Viktoriya, eager for the gossip.

“After six months in Russia.  He had joined the Prizrak Rytsarya and founded the famous Spetsgruppa Yaysto.  His history of avoiding death gave him the nickname Koshchei, and with his dark hair and eyes, and a tattoo he got as child gave him the other name, Bear.  He was separated from your mother for that time.  Captain Sima only returned to London because of her.  Your mother was about to give birth.  But really, no one knows why he insisted on returning to London with his heavily pregnant wife, and didn’t let her have birth where she was.” Viktoriya’s eerily light eyes met Valentina’s.  The younger girl was staring.  “And, that’s about all there is.  He continued his investigation about the serial murders, which had mostly calmed while he was away, and got worse again shortly after he returned.  He continued his work, occasionally returning to Russia for parades, commendations or a special operation, and then after five years acting as liaison between the British and Russian governments, he was attacked in a public park with his family.  Thankfully he and his team were paranoid.  The entire Spetsgruppa Yaysto was with him, and responded quickly.  Ivan and Pyotr Pajari, a pair of brothers that served together, were killed in the fight.  Alexi Maksimov was shot and paralyzed from the waist down.  After being stabilized in a London hospital, he was sent home to Russia.  Though he received many medals and commendations for his bravery, he took the guilt of surviving the team very poorly, and killed himself shortly after.  Another pair of brothers served him, Anton and Yuri Utkin.  Anton was shot in the leg while got you and your mother to safety.  He survived and transitioned into the world of academia, not wanting anything to do with the Prizrak Rytsarya, until recently.  And that leaves Yuri and Captain Sima himself.  They both were taken in the attack.  The government presumed them dead after a search for evidence otherwise came up negative.”  Viktoriya hadn’t given her any new information.  In fact, it sounded like she merely gave a slightly more gossipy version of the reports Valentina and Eli had dug up on their own.

“That’s it?  I’ve heard all that before.” Valentina realized too late how ungrateful she sounded.  Viktoriya was her cousin, and they shared family.  When Valentina looked up, afraid to see Viktoriya’s hurt, she was confused.  The icy eyes weren’t welling back tears.  If anything, she looked bored.

“That’s it.  I didn’t know him very well.  He was my cousin, Mischa.  He once gave me a doll.  Everything I know of him as an adult is from military records, and most of his are sealed.  Anything of him as a child died with his parents and my grandparents, and my father won’t talk about him, because he is dead.  It’s bad luck.  I’m sorry, Valentina.  The only person left that knew him intimately was Colonel Lytton.  Or maybe Anton Utkin.  Better luck there.”  Viktoriya shrugged and got to her feet.  The dragon’s teeth curled around her helmet.

“Dr. Utkin?  Of course.  Thank you for your time Viktoriya.” Valentina smiled.  The look was not returned.

“It is Captain Viktoriya Sima.  Good day.” She left with those curt words, seeing herself out.  Valentina wondered if she’d offended Viktoriya in anyway, or if maybe her cousin was just antisocial.  She remembered wondering the same thing about Eli, back when they first met.  Maybe Viktoriya just needed time to warm up to her.

Valentina cleaned up the table.  Things had been displaced by Viktoriya’s helmet.  As she adjusted the centerpiece of flowers, and picked up the newspaper, Valentina found two envelopes, both addressed to Eli from Denvellia.  The return address read “Dr. A Utkin”.  The man that knew her father and maybe her last hope to get know him for herself.  Valentina knew what she would do.