THE JAILBIRD - CHAPTER 17&18
Immediately Adeline stepped out of the wing, she regretted not putting on a hoodie immediately.
Before leaving America, she heard Russia is colder, but she just wasn’t expecting it to be this much.
She had to wrap her arms around herself, sniffling coldly as she walked.
The compound is not bustling yet since it’s too early, and she didn’t meet anyone on the way which she’s grateful for, but then there’s something else…
She could smell something which she’s not sure of.
She sniffed the air, squinting her eyes when her nose caught the smell again.
What could that be?
Then… Her stomach feels weird, too.
Is it because of the alcohol she took last night?
She stopped suspiciously and sniffed the air again, then she noticed the weirdness between her legs.
Why is it somehow sticky? Is her thighs sweating?
She raised her lids in wonder, smelling the air again…
This time, she recognized it.
It’s the smell of blood, but not just any blood…
Menstrual blood!
Her eyes widened madly, and she quickly turned her neck, looking at her trousers.
She’s stained!
“$h|t” she muttered, looking around to make sure no one is in sight.
After getting sure, she started walking backwards, hoping with everything in her that no one comes out before she’d get back to the house.
Also, her roommates should still be asleep cos this means her bed is stained too.
“Michael?” Jinx suddenly appeared, and her eyes widened again as she stopped, quickly facing her so she won’t see the blood.
“Hey… Jinx” she said, trying hard to not sound awkward.
Jinx is wearing biker shorts and a cropped singlet, then her hair is in a bun, meaning she’s on her way to the training ground for her morning workout.
“Why are you walking backwards?” She asked.
“Was trying it out… Yunno yunno” Adeline smiled, wishing she could just go and leave her alone already.
“Cool, I don’t wanna be late to my workouts, I’ll see you later” Jinx finally said, sparing her a sweet smile before leaving.
Adeline turned around immediately, running the remaining distance like the wind back into her residence.
She rushed into the room, and luckily for her, the guys are still asleep.
She dragged her bedspread away from the bed and thanks to the thickness, the bed itself didn’t get stained.
She got a change of clothes, covered her backside with the spread before rushing into the bathroom, shutting the door behind herself.
She threw the bedspread into the bathtub, then she pulled off her trousers and threw that in too.
Since the blood is not dried yet, it washed off immediately, and she sighed shakily, pacing around the bathroom .
Why the fûck will her period come when she took injections to block it before coming here?
The injection should have blocked it for three months at least , but it definitely didn’t work.
It was part of Kimberly’s plan, and she only followed her instructions, but now she’s in trouble cos her period cramps is mad.
The fact that she drank last night will only worsen it.
Seems today is her deathday.
She has to find a way out of this, else she’ll be ki||ed, and her master will be the orchestrator.
She took off her boxers and shirt too, throwing them in the tub before unwrapping her chest bandage.
She got under the shower for a quick bath and brushed her teeth at the same time.
She was done within five minutes, and she had to use the bathroom tissue as pad, folding it repeatedly till it’s thick enough to hold her blood.
She gets heavy flow actually.
She dressed up and took the wet clothes out of the tub before draining it, then she opened the bathroom backdoor and which led to a balcony where she spread the clothes.
She returned to the room afterwards, and she met her roommates awake already.
“Michael? Why the early bath? Are you going somewhere? You don’t have training session with your master?” Loud asked from his bed.
Nikolai gave her a questioning look without speaking.
“Was feeling gummy cos I drank too much last night, had to wash it off” she said, and then Jinx rushed in.
“Michael! Death has been waiting at the training ground for twenty minutes. You’re dead, I think” she said, and Adeline gasped.
“Darn it!”
She rushed out of the room, forgetting she has to meet with The Pakhan and his wife too.
Jinx ran after her, but once they stepped out of the house, she got an idea, so she stopped.
“Why are you stopping? I told you he’s waiting and he h@??s waiting” Jinx said breathlessly.
“I know this is not the time to ask this but I’m just curious. Do females in here block their menstruations?” She asked.
“Of course. No one wants to mix menstrual cramps with the rough life in here, that’d be death sentence. Everyone blocks it monthly, including me. The injections are available at the clinic” Jinx replied, and Adeline smiled before she knew it.
“Jinx, I’ll meet you at the training ground in ten minutes” she said.
“Where are you going? Are you serious right now?” Jinx held her back.
“I need to pee, just go without me” Adeline replied and went back inside.
Jinx stood confused for a minute before leaving, then Adeline peeped out.
Immediately she saw she’s gone, she dashed out, making her way to the clinic.
She had to to a three minutes run before she got there, and luckily, she met nurses on duty already.
“How can we help?” The one at the front desk asked.
“I need my BP checked” Adeline lied.
“Follow” the nurse replied, leading the way into an office.
Adeline followed her, and immediately they entered the office…
“Can I use the restroom first?” She asked.
“Down the hall, to the left” the nurse replied blankly, and Adeline smiled before leaving.
She got down the hall, and instead of taking left, she went to the right.
She must find the storeroom and get the injection before anything.
Each room has labels in front of it, so she began scanning for the storeroom label which she found shortly.
She was about to open the door when she remembered there’d actually be cameras.
The camera will definitely face the door, so if she enters like this, it’d capture her face.
She went behind the room and opened the sliding window, jumping in easily.
She landed in the room filled with different machines and boxes, and she searched for the nose mask boxes with her eyes,.
They’re right beside her luckily.
One of it is open already, so she took a mask and stood on the tower of boxes beside the wall.
She wore the mask on the camera, blocking it completely.
She jumped down from the boxes and then moved around the room freely, searching for the injections box.
It wasn’t hard to find since it’s frequently used.
She opened the first one she saw and took a pack.
She loaded the injection and shoved the syringe into her arm, releasing it into her system straight.
She groaned, feeling the tumble in her stomach immediately.
It hurts… She has been told that taking this injection when you’re already on your period will hurt.
She had to hold on to the boxes as the pain multiplied, and she bit her lip repeatedly to hold back her whimpers.
Within two minutes, the pain stopped, and she sighed out sweatily.
She picked three extra injections and pocketed them in her hoodie, then she removed the mask from the camera and left through the window again.
Immediately she returned to the hallway, she ran into Malik… He’s just coming out of a restroom.
She just walked past him like she didn’t see him, but he talked…
“How does it feel to be Death’s favorite boy?” He said.
Adeline stopped and looked back at him with a scowl.
“How else? I feel mad good” she shrugged, and he snickered.
“What about you? How do you feel being Death’s torture bag?” Adeline asked, and he immediately came closer with a glare…
“Look. I can beat you to a pulp right now and you’ll enter a ward in this clinic again, but that won’t be beneficial for you, right? I mean… Your stabbed stomach probably still hurts, so go down, don’t show your face in front of me” she rolled eyes and left the hall.
Malik scoffed…
“Let’s see about that”
*
Adeline didn’t bother going back to the nurse’s office.
She left the clinic, going back to her room to hide the stolen injections somewhere in the bathroom.
She lowered her boy shorts and removed the already soaked tissue then flushed it, feeling free as she left the bathroom.
Luckily, Loud and Nikolai aren’t in anymore.
They probably went for their morning workout too.
She left for the house of Orlovs immediately.
It was already 7:30 when she arrived, and the guards by the door opened the door for her even before she could talk.
She was led to a large office, and she went in only to meet Klara alone on seat, doing some paperwork.
She’s wearing a black turtleneck dress which spread down her legs with pleats at the neck, and as usual, her hair is in a perm.
She removed her glasses and looked up immediately Adeline came in.
Adeline bowed her head, not daring to say a word.
“You’re an hour and thirty minutes late.” Klara said.
“Pardon me, ma’am. I was sorting out things and…
“And those things are more important than my summon? Are you out of your mind?” Klara cut her off, and her throat itched…
“I’m…I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again”
“How sure are you that it won’t? Last time when you were summoned with the other three newbies , you came late, too.” Klara retorted.
“I promise. Forgive me this once and I’ll adjust” Adeline replied, still not looking up.
Klara skeptically stood from her desk, her gown swirling around her as she walked out, heading to her.
Adeline tried as much as possible to stay collected till she stopped in front of her.
“Micheal Alonso…your parents died after birthing you. You grew up in an orphanage, ran away when you were 16 and joined the slums where you began thuggery.” She said, and Adeline’s palms became sweaty.
That’s the backstory of the real Micheal Alonso whom she paid hugely to borrow his identity.
“Yes” she said.
“Why did you suddenly come here? For the free food?” Klara continued.
“Yes. I was in lots of debts, and when I heard about recruitment here, I had to come. It’s better in here than getting chased around by loaners in Colorado” Adeline replied lied.
“You’re not the only one from Colorado in America. Kimberly is from there too. Did you know that?” Klara asked.
Ok this is getting sensitive.
Adeline looked up this time, their eyes meeting.
“No. I don’t know who Kimberly is” she lied boldly again, and Klara held eyes with her for a minute before smiling slightly.
“$h00ting Stravinsky was a bold move, and I must admit that I took interest in you since the day you held eyes with me. You’re the first human to actually try that and still stay alive. I h@?? eye contacts just like Madden” she said.
Adeline gulped secretly again.
“Glad someone like you is beside him, and I don’t care how you’d make it possible, but if the need comes, you must guard him with your life, Micheal” Klara continued.
“Eh?” Adeline looked up
“You came here for the food, didn’t you? Then pay with your life. Your life belongs to this clan, this family. His girls are already doing a great job with him, but he h@??s protection, which is why he only uses them for missions. Madden is the most targeted person in this compound, and I’m asking you to protect him with your life, Michael. If he gets hurt in the future, I’ll ki|| you” Klara deadpanned.
“But… He’s too strong to get hurt. He doesn’t need me” Adeline replied, and Klara immediately grabbed her by the hair, swinging her neck around and making her face the ceiling.
“Arhhh!!” Adeline groaned as her neck almost snapped.
“Answer right” Klara muttered, her voice colder than ice this time.
“Y..yes!!! Yes my life belongs to Death… I’ll protect him with my life” she quickly said, and Klara roughly released her.
She staggered, and Klara started walking back to her desk, her heels kissing the ground.
“Leave” she said without looking back.
Adeline rushed out of the office, running out of the house eventually.
Things are ugly today, and why is she feeling like this is just the start?
Her life belongs to Madden?
She came here to get stronger and ki|| Corey, not to waste her life for any fuçking body!
She was fuming with no venting option till she got to the training ground where she met lots of mobsters working out already.
“Michael!” Loud rushed to her with Nikolai.
“What’s up?” She managed to smile.
“Death has been waiting all along. He waited two hours, for you” Loud said, and Adeline gasped.
Can someone just shove her into a cashew tree or something right now?
Two hours?
“Where’s he?” She asked slowly.
“At the middle” Nikolai replied, and she started walking slowly there, being cautious of her steps throughout.
She could already see him sitting alone on the sofa, his pissed off eyes on everyone.
She felt his anger despite the space between them, but she boldly quickened her steps anyways.
Getting to him, she was short of words to say, and he wasn’t even looking up.
“Master, I…
“Kneel” he interrupted, still not looking up.
“What!”
“On your d@mn knees” he muttered, finally looking up.
His eyes nearly swallowed her, and she quickly shifted back.
She made to kneel…
“Not there, over there” he said, and she turned to see a pile of granite stone that’d definitely hurt her knees if she kneels on it.
Nevertheless, she went there and dropped on her knees on the prickling stones.
Her knees got bruised immediately, and she bit the side of her mouth to stop herself from wincing.
The attention of the others on the ground turned to her, and they all stopped their workouts to focus on her.
Poe smiled from the front of the punching bag, same with Malik.
Jinx looks pained like she’s the one kneeling on stones.
As for Loud and Nikolai, they’re staring with pity.
Sin and Trixie are just coming, and the moment they saw the scene, they stopped.
“What’s going on?” Trixie muttered.
“Clear enough. Madd is mad at him” Sin replied.
Kimberly couldn’t look away from Adeline too.
Madden stood, and all their chattering went down as he zeroed his eyes on Adeline.
“Crawl to me” he growled, and gasps erupted again.
Crawl to him on thorny stones?
Before she’d even spend two minutes crawling, the stones will destroy her knees.
“That’s too cruel” Trixie made to go to him, but Sin pulled her back.
“Don’t try it. He’ll get angrier if you interrupt” he said, his eyes catching the locket necklace on her neck.
“You’re still wearing that @$$h0le around on your locket?” He said.
“He’s not an @$$h0le” Trixie fired back, and Sin scoffed, returning his attention to Adeline.
“I… I can’t crawl” Adeline stuttered, not even wanting to start.
“Good. Get out of the clan then” Madden replied, and she quickly spranged up.
“What if I do the one hundred press ups? Will you pardon me?” She asked.
Madden lowered himself back to his seat, his eyes still on her.
He didn’t reply, but that only means yes, so she walked away from the stones and went down in position.
She started the press-ups like a play, and the others couldn’t even cheer cos it’s Madden anyways.
He might just ki|| them.
Adeline was shaking as she went low and high, breathing harshly and sweating.
The cold flew out of her system in no time, and she started regretting wearing a hoodie.
When she got to seventy, she felt like crying cos that’s her breaking point, but she’s determined to exceed the breaking point this time.
She continued, groaning and grunting till she arrived at ninety.
Madden’s expression didn’t change throughout. It’s like she’s not even doing anything.
His eyes aren’t blinking, and he didn’t even shake. He’s like a statue as he watched her.
As for Kimberly, she’s about to burst with hope.
Adeline got to ninety nine, and her arms nearly slipped like the other time, but she held up with her bones.
Everyone literally held their breaths, and she looked up, holding eyes with Madden before doing the hundredth.
The silence deepened, thickening up as she stood to her feet.
The smiles on Poe and Malik’s faces disappeared, and Madden stood too.
Not even a word came out of his mouth as he walked down the place, leaving without looking back.
Immediately he left, the mobsters started screaming, doing the cheers they couldn’t do when he was here.
Adeline just stood unmoved, sweat journeying down her face in rivulets.
That instant, the list of the people going for the upcoming mission was revealed in the group, and everyone began checking.
Her name is on it… Jinx and Poe too, then Loud and Nikolai.
They’re the only ones she knows on the list.
She continued standing there, her eyes meeting with Kimberly’s.
She needs to find a way to tell her the injection she took in America didn’t work, then inform her about her meeting with Klara, but she has to be careful.
Kimberly secretly wished her good luck before leaving, and Adeline left the ground too.
Jinx was among the last to leave.
Immediately she took a step out, Poe blocked her.
“Are you enjoying ghosting me?” She questioned, her face boning up.
“What do you mean? Aren’t you the one doing the ghosting? You even refused to come sleep in the room last night” Jinx replied.
“I just h@?? the sight of you with Micheal, that’s all” Poe replied.
“And why would you suddenly h@?? Micheal?” Jinx replied.
Poe couldn’t reply, so Jinx scoffed…
“Makes no sense”
She walked away, and Poe sighed, returning to the punching bag.
_________
TWO WEEKS LATER, A GREEN FOREST IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT*
Adeline tried to stabilize her breaths as she lay low in the grass with thirty other mobsters, staring at the numerous cabins in front of them with her sniper active in her hand.
Today is finally the big mission, and they had set out early, which is why they’re already here by this time.
The cabins in front of them are like twenty, and the motherfûckers they’re here to ki|| are surely inside.
They even had the guts to build cabins on the clan’s land?
What could be more daring? Obviously, they’re thirsting for death, and they’re here to give them that.
Madden is not far from her, laying on the grass too like everyone else.
He’s wearing blacks like them, and his rifle is loaded as he took a thorough look at the cabins with a small microscope.
The cabins are awfully quiet which is too suspicious.
He got an odd feeling about it immediately, but he decided to just rely on tactics.
He has never failed a mission, and this won’t be the first.
“Loud and Nikolai, lead a group of ten to the east, and make no move till you get an order” he ordered.
“Yes master!” Loud replied, standing slightly with Nikolai.
Ten others followed them to the east part of the forest.
“Jinx, Poe. A group of ten to the west” he ordered again
Jinx and Poe did as they were told, leading a group of ten down the spot.
Now there are just seven mobsters left with Madden plus Adeline herself, and she’s the last in line.
She made to come forward to his side…
“Stay where you are, Micheal” Madden’s voice stopped her.
“Why should I stay at the back” she mumbled, and his head snapped towards her, his eyes hitting her like lightening.
“Did I hear you talk back?” He said harshly.
“I didn’t say anything” she muttered, staying on her spot
Since the training ground saga two weeks ago, she has been seeing less of him, and her trainings are only handled by Jinx.
Whenever she came across him by chance and greeted him, he never replied…he walks past like he’s still mad at her or something, and while she doesn’t care, she couldn’t help but miss his trainings.
He might be rough and wicked, but it’s the push she needs, and he’s the only one who can give it.
She calmed in her spot, realizing Madden’s eyes are still on her.
Slowly, he returned his eyes to the cabins, and Adeline did the same.
Just like him, she couldn’t help but feel the eerie air too, like something will go wrong.
Madden suddenly stood, walking with bent knees down the grass, and Adeline immediately stood with the rest, following his moves with their guns intact.
The sound of a loud click made Madden raise his hand, and they all stopped as the air froze.
“$h|t! I think I stepped on a landmine!” one of them said, unable to move.
“Don’t move” Madden sharply replied and started walking back to him, but after two steps forward, the guy shook as a result of fear, and the mine blew up, scattering his body on the snowy ground.
The others quickly rolled back into the grass, and Madden’s expression went acrid.
There’s a snitch!
Someone already told them they’re coming… Obviously, this is a trap!
In the next minute, an explosive landed in front of him, and he jumped forward, hitting the grass as a blast happened, cracking the ground.
“Faces on the grass, everyone! On the grass!” He ordered, and everyone gummed themselves to the greenery.
He tapped on his bud to address the two other teams…
“Trap sighted… Move with caution!”
“Copied!” Loud’s voice came.
“Copied!” Poe’s voice came too.
After the address, Madden started trying to locate a way out of this perimeter, but then he saw Adeline.
She’s still standing!
Her eyes are madly wide as she stared at the body of the guy which was scattered by the landmine.
His right leg is in front of her, and his arm is lying across.
His blood smeared the snow, and the remnants of his body is even nowhere to be found.
She couldn’t help but remember her parents murder, the blood and the scattered body parts… The goriness and the helplessness…
“Micheal, on the grass!” Madden shouted at her, but she’s not even hearing.
She’s far too sucked into the past, and right now she’s seeing herself in their living room in America, standing with her parents dead bodies.
“On the grass, Micheal!!” Madden yelled again, and almost immediately, a gunshot came from the cabin.
The bullet flew past Adeline’s ear, but she’s not even hearing a thing…
“Micheal!!!” Madden yelled louder as the unstopping rain of gunshots kept coming her way.
Madden suddenly stood to his feet too, facing her…
A bullet hit his arm in the process, but he locked the hell up before calling her again…
“Adeline…Get. On. The. Fuçking Grass”
That did the magic.
Adeline snapped out of the memory immediately, her eyes widening at the hearing of her real name.
“Master?” She muttered shockingly as another explosive came her way.
This time, Madden jumped ski||fully to her, grabbing her and going down the grass together with her.
Then… boom!
A bomb exploded.
TBC.