Chapter 21
Nora
I couldn’t sleep after a boring day. It was super weird having my dad here when I thought he was dead forever.
After Mom had told me about him yesterday, she kept saying we’d talk more today, but it never happened.
All the grownups were too busy to pay me any attention, and even Scout got bored with me.
I had so many questions about my dad, but I was too afraid to ask him.
Like, why did he have to pretend to be dead?
Was he really like a secret agent? Would he take us to Russia someday?
I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the window.
The moon was really bright, making the snow look like it was glowing.
From my window, I could see the barn where Jake kept his horses.
That’s when I remembered - there were kittens in the barn too!
A few weeks ago, he’d promised I could see them when things settled down.
But I was tired of waiting for grown-ups to decide when it would happen.
Mom was sleeping in Jake’s room, and I could hear someone snoring downstairs - probably Rory or Uncle Declan. No one would notice if I just went to see the kittens for a few minutes. I could be super quiet.
Once downstairs, I tiptoed through the kitchen to the mudroom, put my coat on over my pajamas, and slipped my boots on.
There was a stone under my big toe that I didn’t bother to shake out because I didn’t want to get caught, so I just left it there.
I unlocked the back door and slipped outside.
The cold hit me right away, making me wish I’d grabbed my hat and gloves too, but I wasn’t going back inside now.
The snow crunched under my boots as I made my way to the barn. It was farther than it looked from the window, and I hugged myself to stay warm. The barn door was heavy, but I managed to push it open just enough to squeeze inside.
It was warm in the barn, and it smelled like hay and horses. A light was on at the far end, making everything glow orange, and soft nickering from the horses could be heard.
“Hello?” I whispered, not wanting to scare the animals. “Kitties?”
I tiptoed down the center aisle, peering into each stall. Two horses looked back at me with big, gentle eyes. One was black with a white star on its forehead, and the other was a pretty reddish-brown color.
“Hi, Hourglass,” I said to the black horse. “Do you remember me?” The horse snorted softly, like it was answering me.
But then a soft sound caught my attention - the tiniest meow I’d ever heard. I followed it to a stall filled with fresh straw, and there they were! Three kittens tumbling over each other, with their mama cat watching nearby.
“Aww,” I whispered, kneeling at the edge of the stall. “You’re so cute!”
The mama cat seemed okay with me being there, so I reached out slowly to let her sniff my hand. When she rubbed against me, I figured it was safe to pet the kittens, too.
They were so soft! There were two orange ones, and one that was mostly white with a black spot, shaped like a heart on its side, and a black tail with a white tip. That one came right up to me, climbing into my lap.
“I think you’re my favorite,” I told it, scratching behind its tiny ears. The kitten started purring so loud it seemed impossible for something so small.
“I’m going to call you Mabel,” I decided. “And when you’re old enough, you’re coming home with me.” Mom had said maybe to a kitten if Scout liked them, and this was definitely the one I wanted.
I was so busy playing with Mabel that I didn’t hear the barn door open again. It wasn’t until a shadow fell across the straw that I realized someone was standing there.
I looked up, expecting to see Jake or maybe my dad, but it was a man I’d never seen before. He was tall, with gray hair, and wore a long, dark coat dusted with snow.
“Hello, Nora,” he said in a voice with an accent like my dad’s. “What a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I clutched Mabel closer to my chest. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”
The man smiled, but not a whole-face smile; his eyes were dark and cold, like frozen mud puddles. “I’m your grandfather, Nora. Your father’s father.”
My heart started beating really fast. I remembered Mom and Jake whispering about my grandfather being dangerous, that he was the reason we were hiding.
“My mom doesn’t know I’m out here,” I said, trying to sound brave. “She’ll be looking for me.”
“I doubt that,” he said, stepping closer. “Everyone is sleeping soundly. Blocking the furnace pipe will do that. That’s your first lesson.”
I stood up, carefully returning Mabel to her family. I needed to run, to scream, to do something, but the man was blocking the only way out.
“Your mother has been very naughty, hiding you from me all these years,” he continued. “But now we’ll make things right. We’re going home, Nora.”
“This is my home,” I said, backing up until I hit the wall of the stall. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
He moved faster than I expected, grabbing my arm in a grip that hurt. “You are my blood, child. The only heir to the Petrova legacy. You belong with family.”
I tried to pull away, but he was too strong. “Let me go! Mom! Jake! Help!”
“No one can hear you,” he said calmly, pulling me toward the barn door.
I kicked and struggled as he dragged me outside. A black car was waiting, its engine running. Another man stood beside it, holding the back door open.
“I don’t want to go!” I screamed, digging my heels into the snow.
My grandfather lifted me easily, as if I weighed nothing. “You’ll learn to appreciate your heritage, Nora. Russia is your true home.”
He plopped me down onto the backseat of the car and climbed in after me. The door slammed shut, and the car started moving immediately.
“Please,” I begged, tears streaming down my face now. “Please take me back. My mom will be so worried.”
“Your mother took you from your rightful family,” he said coldly. “She will not find you this time.”
I pressed my face against the window, watching Jake’s ranch disappear, then our home, into the darkness. I should have never left the house. Now I was being taken away, and no one would ever know.
The car turned onto the main road, moving fast through the empty night. I tried to memorize every turn, every landmark, but it was too dark to see much.
“Where are we going?” I asked, wiping my tears with my sleeve.
“To a private airfield,” he answered. “From there, to Moscow. You’ll have the finest education, the best of everything. You’ll learn what it means to be a Petrova.”
“I don’t want to be a Petrova,” I said. “I want to go home.”
He just smiled that cold smile again. “Home is where family is, child. And I am your family.”
I curled into the corner of the seat, making myself as small as possible. Mom had always told me that if I was ever in danger, I should stay calm and look for ways to escape. But the car doors were locked, and the driver and another man sat in the front, blocking any way out.
My only hope was that someone would wake up and find me missing before the plane took off. Mom would look for me. Jake would look for me. My dad even. He wasn’t like this scary man, who was his father, who would find me too.
They had to.
As the car sped through the night, I closed my eyes and whispered a silent promise to myself. No matter where this man took me, no matter how far away, I would find a way back home. To Mom. To everyone who really loved me. I just didn’t know how.
The car drove for what felt like hours. I glanced at the clock displayed on the screen between the two men sitting in the front and sat there counting on my fingers as to how long ago we had left Jake’s ranch.
It had only been forty minutes since we left.
The driver turned off the main road onto a narrow, bumpy track through a forest. My grandfather barely looked at me, busy typing on his phone the entire time.
Finally, we broke through the trees into a clearing where a small airplane waited, its engines already running. Several men with guns stood around it.
“We’re behind schedule,” my grandfather said as the car stopped. “Get her on board immediately.”
The door opened, and cold air rushed in. The same man who had held the car door grabbed my arm and pulled me out. I tried to resist, but my legs were numb from sitting so long.
“Please,” I said, looking around desperately for anyone who might help. “I want to call my mom. Just one call.”
No one answered me. I was half-dragged, half-carried to the airplane steps.
“Up,” ordered the man holding me.
I climbed slowly, hoping to delay as long as possible. The inside of the plane was fancy, with leather seats and polished wood tables. It didn’t look like the regular airplanes I’d seen in movies.
“Sit,” the man commanded, pointing to a seat by the window. “Buckle in.”
I did as I was told. There had to be a way to let someone know where I was. If I could get to a phone, or leave some kind of message...
My grandfather boarded, and the door closed with a heavy thump, making my stomach sink. This was really happening. They were really taking me away.
“It’s a long flight to Moscow,” my grandfather said, settling into a seat across from me. “Almost twelve hours. You should try to sleep.”
“I’m not tired,” I lied, even though I was exhausted.
He shrugged. “As you wish.” He turned to one of his men. “Bring the child some food and water.”
I looked out the window, hoping to see lights from Uncle Declan’s truck or my mom’s SUV, but all I saw was darkness.
I turned to look at my grandfather and asked, “When are we leaving?”
“When the pilot is ready to.”
I let out a shaky breath and sat there, tears slipping down my cheeks.
The pilot came over the speaker and said something in Russian just as the plane jerked.
It picked up speed, racing down the short runway.
I pressed my face to the window, watching Canada disappear beneath me as we lifted into the air.
Somewhere down there was my mom, probably still sleeping, not knowing I was gone.
A flight attendant brought me a sandwich and a bottle of water. I wasn’t hungry, but I took a few bites anyway. Mom always said it was important to keep your strength up in tough situations.
“You have your father’s eyes,” my grandfather said suddenly, studying me over the rim of his glass. “But the shape of your face, that’s your mother’s.”
I didn’t answer, just stared back at him.
“You’re a stubborn one,” he continued, almost approvingly. “Good. The Petrova blood runs strong in you. You’ll need that strength in Moscow.”
“My dad will come for me,” I said, finding my voice again. “He’ll find me.”
My grandfather laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Your father? The son who betrayed me? Who faked his own death to escape his responsibilities?” He leaned forward. “Let me tell you something about your father, child. He is a coward. Always has been.”
“That’s not true,” I said, though I barely knew my dad at all. “And even if he doesn’t come, my mom will. And Jake. They’ll find me.”
“Jake?” My grandfather raised an eyebrow. “The rancher? What is he to you?”
I lifted my chin. “He’s my friend. And he’s really good at finding things.”
That seemed funny to him. “A rancher from Alberta against the Russian mafia?” He laughed again, longer this time.
“Your faith is touching but misplaced. By some miracle, if any of them awaken and they discover you’re gone, we’ll be in Russian airspace.
And once we’re there, not even Interpol can touch us. ”
His phone rang, and he answered it on the first ring, speaking Russian. He talked for no more than a few seconds, then looked at me. “You’re in luck. We will be staying in Canada for a bit longer, thanks to an approaching blizzard.”
I closed my eyes and rested my head against the window. At least now my family would have a chance at finding me… if they only knew where to look.