Guns & Roses

Tatiana

Finishing our food, a maid in her late 50′s came out of nowhere and started cleaning up.

“Let Maria do that Tatiana, she won’t like it if you butted in on her work” Anya said.

Even though I was a professional killer, I wasn’t about to complain and face the grumpy looking woman.

Anya gestured for me to come, and Viktor stood up as well.

“Don’t leave the grounds Anya, I mean it. Dimitri won’t be so keen if he finds out she" gesturing to me “managed to escape. Again” Viktor said and walked away to who knows where.

“So where do we start?” I asked.

“Let’s start from top to bottom, we’ll be more efficient that way” Anya said walking out of the kitchen to the foyer, she walked towards the small hallway besides the grand staircase and low and behold, a freaking elevator! Damn that Viktor! making me walk five flights of stairs when there was a friggin elevator.

When we got in, I noticed that there were 6 numbers on the pad plus two basement grounds. Wow. This place is huge! I thought.

When the familiar Ding of the elevator was heard, we stepped out of it and Anya proceeded with her “tour guiding”.

“So this is the sixth floor, it’s mainly bedrooms. Private quarters on the east wing, while guest bedrooms on the west wing. There aren’t any guests now, so the west wing is deserted. My room, as well as Viktor’s and those in the higher ups of the family hierarchy resides here” Anya explained, as we walked through several doors before stopping on one.

“The opposite one is Viktor’s and this, is my room!” Anya opened the door and happily gestured me to come in.

The sight almost burned my eyes. Pink. Hot, sparkling, what the ever hell shade of pink was plastered in her room, you name it!

“Uh, um, your room looks fab!” I faked enthusiasm. I’ve never seen so much pink in one room! I was waiting for the barbie’s world theme song to pop out any time soon!

“I know what you’re thinking, it seems like Barbie threw up in here” she said laughing. “When you grow up in this kind of life, you’d want to preserve any femininity left, even if it’s just inside these walls” she explained, looking around wistfully.

I only nodded. I did understand what she meant. I’m living a very similar lifestyle to what she grew up in.

“I know what you mean, Anya. Maybe just not the whole pink craze. I own a flower shop, and that’s sort of my sanctuary amidst the war”

Looking around her bedroom, I saw a picture frame on her bed side table. From the looks of it, it’s her and Viktor, and I think Dimitri? And judging at the picture they were no more than 6 or 7 years old. But what caught my attention was the other girl present in the picture.

“Who’s the other girl in the picture?” I asked Anya.

Snapping her attention at the picture, I can’t help but notice the flash of pain in her eyes. “She was my bestfriend” she said sadly.

Before I got the chance to ask more, clapping her hands as if to clap away the sudden sour mood, she walked towards the door gesturing me to come with.

“Come on, we have loads more to go to” Anya said.

Another secret to add to the list.

Following her out the door, she pointed out different doors that belonged to guys named Anton, Boris, Andrei and Alexei, guys who I would meet “very soon” Anya explaining that those were Dimitri’s most trusted men.

“Does Dimitri live here as well?” I asked, trying not to sound too curious.

But Anya doesn’t seem to have picked up and answered without hesitation.

“Technically, Dimitri has his own house just a few miles from this one, but since he’s busy all the time, he practically lives here as well. There’s an adjoining bedroom in his office, but then again, the man never really sleeps, he’s such a workaholic” Anya rambled on.

I only nodded towards her direction, soaking up all the information she’s giving me.

When we got to the fifth floor, Anya explained to me that the entire floor was sort of a dorm room. Most of the single men of the mafia were living here, and those with families of there own live separately on the cabin sites.

“How big is this property??” I asked. This mansion, or more like a freaking castle was big enough as it already is, and now I’m hearing that apart from this, Dimitri has a house of his own, no doubt better than this one. And cabin sites for his men with families.

“I’m not really sure... but I’m guessing close to a hundred hectares”

“That big!?” a hundred hectares? That thought just made me realize a crucial factor in this fucked up situation of mine.

“I’m no longer in New York, am I?” I asked dejectedly. Closing my eyes shut at the incoming headache.

“Of course not silly! We’re in Russia!” Anya was full on laughing at how I only realized that crucial info now.

“Russia. You mean to say I was kidnapped and was fucking brought to RUSSIA?!”

UGH. I knew there was something fishy when I looked through the window earlier. All I could see was a vast of green. Trees and trees for miles. And you don’t see that it New York. That many green only comes on paper with men’s head printed on it.

“You didn’t notice?” Anya asked.

“Well sorry for not noticing immediately, being kidnapped kinda limits my knowledge on the said whereabouts” I said rolling my eyes.

Fucking great. Russia of all places! I’m literally screwed if the agency finds me. my chances of escaping are down the drain. Nada.

“I’m sorry Tatiana, but we really need you. Think of it as any other assignment” she said, trying to lift up my mood.

“Apart from the fact that this is a never ending assignment, seeing as I won’t ever be leaving this place, specifically the mafia”

“The sooner you accept it, the sooner it’ll become more easy on you” Anya said, patting my back.

We continued on with our tour, the fourth floor was where the training rooms was held. Every room consisted of a different exercise room, one for each weapon’s training. Archery, combat, knives, guns, indoor rock climbing, and even a boxing ring.

There was this huge room that stood out from the rest, it was sort of arena-type setting. Where most of the serious fights were held. Anya told me that this place was no joke, when you’re in a fight, it was a fight to the finish line.

The third floor was filled with different kinds of weaponries. I wanted to stay longer but Anya didn’t. I guess I’ll just have to come back on my own, smiling to myself on the little adventure I’ll be having very soon.

The second floor was the recreational room and the canteen. Yes, a canteen. I’m starting to wonder if the term “mansion” was still appropriate to call this building. It’s like a mixture of boarding school for baddies and a hotel. At one side, serious trainings, and the next, luxury like no other. It’s quite confusing.

Then the first floor, Anya lead me through the foyer and into the living room. And when I say living room, it’s more like, you could host a ballroom party with the sheer size of the living room. Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit, but there was a grand piano matched with a harp. And it’s not baby cupid-size, it’s the big one.

Oh, and let’s not forget the giant sized fireplace that looked like it could cook me whole.

Disturbing my thoughts, Anya sat down in the middle of the big white sofa, sighing.

“Big isn’t it?” she asked looking at the fireplace.

“I think ‘big’ is an understatement” laughing at my statement

“OH! I almost forgot. There are new clothes waiting for you in your room. And also other necessities. I’m sure you’d want to freshen up?” Anya offered.

Given the situation, my hygiene was the last thing on my mind. But being reminded off that, I grimaced at myself feeling the need to go on a long nice hot bath.

“That would be nice, thank you” I smiled.

“You know where to go right?” Anya asked.

“Yeah, I think so” trying to remember my room.

“Don’t worry! If you can’t find it, just go down the kitchen and I’ll be there helping out for dinner” Anya said walking away towards the kitchen.

I headed towards the elevator and punched the number five on the pad.

It only took a few seconds for me to reach my floor and a whole lot of time to find my room. The doors of this floor were thankfully coded, and if I remember correctly, mine is T19. And I’m putting all my hope on my photographic memory.

As I saw the letter T on a hallway I stumbled upon, I noticed the doors were nearing mine.

T15...T16...T17...

I was so busy reading the numbers on the doors that I crashed on hard wall. A warm, hard beating wall. Wait, what? Since when do walls start beating?

Two large arms were steadying me, and I looked up to see the last person I was expecting to face.

“A-Anton? What are you doing here?!” I asked, anger starting to bubble up inside me.

Anton Vasiliev. He was a part of my team back in the agency. And he was my closest friend. Well the only friend I considered until that fateful day.

I shoved him away, trying to distance myself as far as I could. I saw a brief disappointment flash through his eyes due to my actions but he quickly masked it with indifference.

“What are you doing here, Ti?" he asked. Ti was the nickname he gave me, he complained that my name was too long, therefore branding me with that name.

“Did you join the mafia Ti???” Anton asked, worry lacing his tone.

“Stop calling me that! And what makes you think you have the right to worry about me after that day" I spat out angrily.

“No Ti! Let me explain! That’s not wha-”

I shoved him away, passing through so I could get away from him. But before I could take another step, he grabbed on my arm and looked straight to my eyes.

“Please, Ti” Anton pleaded.

“Go the fuck away” I forcefully shoved his hands off my arm and made my way through my door slamming it in the process.

I leaned by my back on the door and slid down the floor, letting the tears fall from my eyes without a care. A painful sob came out and I pulled my knees closer to my chest and closed my eyes.

Part of moving on was letting go of people, forgetting them. And forgotten people should remain in the past.

I was no longer in the mood to eat dinner. I made my way towards the bathroom for a quick shower. Opening the door, a nice bathroom greeted my view, white marbled tiles, a glass shower, and foot-claw styled bathtub. If I wasn’t this moody, I would’ve squealed at the luxurious bathroom, but that nutjob just had to damper my already shitty situation.

As I stood under the shower, I felt nothing. I wish the water could wash away all my frustrations, but of course I knew life doesn’t work that way. Stepping out of the bathroom, I dried my hair and walked towards the other door which I assumed was the closet. Little did I know, it was a mini walk in closet. Is this how the treat their kidnapped victims? It somehow lightened my mood. If it were any other day, I might have scanned every clothing, but since today is not my day, I just threw on underwear and the closest sweatshirt I could see. I felt so emotionally drained that I just opted to sleep all my frustrations away.