Chapter 99 Chapter 99

Chapter 99 Chapter 99
CHAPTER NINETY-NINE

Irina

My heart hammered against my chest so hard I thought it would break out.

I suddenly became hot, unable to move.

My legs were trembling. It made moving difficult.

The sound of footsteps grew closer. 

Relax. Irirna, relax.

I shut my eyes and took in deep breaths. 

My body calmed a little and I used the opportunity to run.

I ran. I ran as fast and as quietly as I could back to my room.

Thank God I was barefooted. My feet made no sound on the cold stones.

I slipped inside and closed the door quietly. My heart hadn't stopped racing.

I stood with my back against the door, listening for any sound.

I heard the sound of a door, opening and closing. 

I froze.

Alexei was outside.

I heard his footsteps in the corridor. It was getting closer.

Please do not come here. Please do not come here.

The footsteps stopped right outside my door.

I held my breath.

Then he moved away, going down the corridor. Back towards that horrible room.

I exhaled slowly.

What had I just seen?

What was this place?

I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

I don't know what this place was. But I knew it was no shelter. This place was dangerous.

My baby stirred in his crib. I went to him quickly. I picked him up and held him close.

"We have to leave," I whispered to him. "We have to get out of here."

But how?

The doors were locked at night. Vera had told me that it was for security.

I was trapped.

Trapped in this place with Andrei and whatever horrible things he was doing in that room.

I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed. Dmitri's world was horrible, but this was worse. 

What were those parts for?

For experiment? For research? Since Andrei was a doctor.

I wouldn't let my son stay in a horrible place like this.

Tears streamed down my face. The fear was overwhelming.

I looked at my baby who was still sleeping peacefully in my arms. And I hated myself.

I don't deserve to be called a mother. I had left selfishly without considering my son’s welfare. I was worse than Alexei. 

Alexei, even as a monster, would consider the better option for his son.

I looked around my small room frantically. The window was too small to climb through. The door was the only exit.

I could wait until morning and pretend everything was normal. Then find a way to escape.

But what if Andrei knew I had seen him?

What if he came for me in the night?

I sat on the bed with my baby in my arms. I would not sleep. I would stay awake and protect my son.

Hours passed. The shelter remained silent.

My mind was racing. What was Andrei doing? Was he a doctor? Or something worse?

Those organs. That blood. Where did they come from?

My jaw dropped as the realization dawned on me.

Those pregnant women.

Oh God.

A terrible thought entered my mind.

Were they...?

No. That could not be possible.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

A shelter where no men were allowed. But somehow half the women were pregnant.

Andrei visits all the time. He touches them. Talks to them and they seem free with him.

This was not a shelter.

This was a baby farm.

And I had just walked right into it with my newborn son.

Tears started falling down my face again.

"What have I done?" I whispered. "What have I done?"

I thought I was escaping danger. But I had just delivered myself and my baby into the hands of a monster.

I held my son tighter. He was still sleeping. Unaware of the danger his mother had brought him into.

"I will protect you," I promised him. "Whatever it takes. I will get us out of here."

But I did not know how.

I was weak. I had just given birth. I had no weapons. No help.

Dimitri's face flashed in my mind again.

He would know what to do. He would save us.

But I had ran from him. I had thrown away his tracking device.

He had no idea where I was.

I was completely alone.

The first light of dawn started creeping through the small window.

Morning was coming.

I would have to face Andrei again and pretend I had not seen anything.

Could I do that?

I had to. For my baby.

I laid him back in the crib. Then I splashed cold water on my face.

In the mirror, I looked terrible. My eyes were red and swollen. My face was pale.

Pull yourself together, I told myself.

A knock came at the door.

My heart jumped.

"Yes?" I called, trying to sound calm.

"Breakfast in ten minutes," Vera's voice said through the door.

"Thank you," I replied.

I changed my clothes with shaking hands. I picked up my baby and wrapped him in a blanket.

Then I took a deep breath and opened the door.

The corridor looked normal in the daylight. Like last night had been a nightmare.

But I knew it was real.

I walked to the dining hall. Other women were there already. Eating and talking quietly.

Do they know what this place was?

Andrei was there too. He was wearing normal clothes now. 

He smiled when he saw me. "Good morning, Irina," he said cheerfully. "How did you sleep?"

I wanted to scream. I wanted to grab my baby and run.

But I smiled instead.

"Very well, thank you," I lied.

"Good," Andrei said. "I am glad you are comfortable here."

He looked at me carefully. His eyes were studying my face.

Did he know? Did he know that I had seen?

"I should be leaving today," Andrei said. "I have to get back to Moscow."

Relief flooded through me.

"Thank you again for everything," I said.

"Of course," Andrei replied. "Vera will take good care of you."

Vera appeared beside him. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"I always do," she said.

They looked at each other. Their eyes were cold.

These were not good people trying to help vulnerable women.

These were predators.

And I was their latest prey.