The Fight

Katherine was heavily pregnant. Waddled when she walked. Nadia felt bad for waking her.

Nadia took the tea cups from Katherine. Milky goodness.

Katherine wore a baby blue silk sleeping gown. Made for pregnancy. Scratched her side. Sat in an ornate floral cushioned chair. Nadia handed her tea.

“I've been drinking Yorkshire Tea… Steven’s influence… Decaf of course,” she rubbed her belly. Big. Full of life.

“She has been kicking a lot these past weeks…” Katherine said, “ She can’t wait to come out into this cold cruel world… But she is safer here for now…”

“You know it’s a girl?” Nadia said.

Katherine shook her head, “We hope.”

The looming threat hung above them.

“My friend Hugo was beaten by the Volkov’s – someone called the Iron Warthog…” Nadia said.

Katherine raised an eyebrow, “Warthog? My informers have told me about someone like that. Wears the mask of a warthog. A new member of the Volkov…”

“I want my friends to be safe… Xiao Mei… Hugo… You… I want you to be safe…” Nadia tensed.

Katherine knew **** well. Alice. Her parents. Family. Friends. All murdered in cold blood by the Volkov. She was numb to it.

But Nadia’s wound was fresh. She had seen Alice die. Held her in the last breath. Loved her.

Katherine admired Nadia. She loved fiercely. She was loyal. Xiao Mei, Hugo, and the others would be lucky to have her. But no one loved Nadia like that – not since Alice.

“It would be easy to say ‘leave them all’,” Katherine said, “They are after you, not your friends…”

“But the Volkov are not like that. They will hunt down any associate just to break you… No stone left unturned…”

“What do we do?” Nadia said sharply.

Katherine sighed, “We can’t run anymore… We have to fight… And we have to win.”