Thomas Amo: An Apple for Zoë: Book One ~ The Forsaken

"She's news to me. Collins never mentioned her."

James turned back to Stasya and looked her over slightly. He furrowed his brow and then spoke.

"You said you are Commander Gusarov?"

She nodded in silence. "Commander for what? The FBI?" inquired James.

"I am former KGB, Inspector. I was recruited by your government after the fall of the Soviet Union when I was 17."

Her statement confused both James and Shelton. James was certain he had not heard her correctly. "I'm sorry? You have been a member of the KGB since you were 17?"

"No, I said I was recruited by your government when I was 17. I became KGB when I was 14."

"Why so young?" he asked.

"Do you know who Andrei Chikatilo was Inspector James?"

"No, I don't."

"He was The Butcher of Rostov. He murdered, raped, and cannibalized over 53 lives. Most of them children."

James cringed at her words.

"Could we please sit down? What I have to tell you will take some time."

"I don't wish to sound indelicate, but I don't have a lot of time. Do you see the two sisters chained to the table inside those interview rooms?"

"Yes, the Baranova Sisters, I know who they are. They are in fact why I am here."

"Because you are a Russian translator?"

"No, because I have a connection with them. The three of us are mentally linked you might say."

James sighed heavily, "Don't tell me you're some kind of psychic, because I don't believe in that shit. I admit there is a lot of weird crap going on in this investigation, but if the FBI is sending me psychic translators I'll pass, I already have someone who can translate for me. Someone I trust a lot more than you, Commander," said James as he started to walk away from her. Stasya called after him.

"Tarista Baranova has the number 23 branded on the inside of her left breast. You saw it when she was raping you in a vision you had of her and her sister Devonia, while you were in hell."

James stopped cold. Shelton stared in shock.

"Tommy, what the fuck is she talking about?" asked Shelton.

James gave Shelton a look that everything was okay. He turned and looked into Stasya's eyes.

"Okay. I'm listening."

Stasya motioned to a nearby conference table. James and Shelton accepted her gesture and made their way to the table, sitting down across from her. Stasya placed the file on the table and gently folded her hands together.

"Inspector James, I apologize for taking such extreme measures to get your attention, but I wanted you to know I spoke the truth and for you to understand the severity of the subjects I am going to discuss with you."

James nodded in agreement.

"Good. Now I know you are curious as to how I knew about what happened to you, but now is not the time for that. You need to understand who I am and why we are meeting," she said.

Again James nodded that he understood and gestured for her to continue.

"In the autumn of 1986, I was 13 years old. I was very much like most girls of that age. I was quite curious about the world around me. I liked pop-music, dance and of course I had a keen interest in boys. Very often I would ride the trains when I was bored. I did not know fear until October 23, 1986, that was the day I was raped by the devil himself."

James and Shelton both shifted uncomfortably in their chairs as they intently listened to Stasya tell her story.

"I rode the train all day blindly. Not caring where it went. At 3 p.m. that day I noticed the train had stopped at Rostov. This was a pleasant surprise to me as my mother's sister lived in the village. I thought, wouldn't it be a nice surprise if I stopped to say hello. I left the train and entered the woods where I could gather some wild flowers for her.

"As I walked through the woods, I came upon a man who was sitting alone on a fallen dead tree. He seemed to be someone who came to enjoy the quiet of the forest. I tried to walk softly so that I would not disturb his meditation, but he looked at me and said 'hello.' I remember I smiled and continued to walk. He asked me where I was going? I told him to the village to surprise my aunt with wild flowers. He told me he was also going to the village and asked if he could join me on my walk. I, of course, did not see this as a problem. I thought it might be safer for me if I didn't walk alone through the woods."

Shelton covered her mouth with a trembling hand. It was all too obvious to her where the story was leading. Stasya continued, "I was very naive then as I still possessed my innocence. The man remarked that if I was looking for wild flowers he knew a perfect place and that it was only a small distance away. I remember I asked him how far. He pointed across the woods and I could see the flowers were indeed very close. Without hesitation I began to walk towards them. The woods were difficult from the path and I nearly fell, but the man he caught me and chided me to be careful. He offered me his hand and I accepted as we made our way over the rough terrain. Then the woods began to clear and we came to a beautiful open meadow.

"It was true it was a most perfect place to gather flowers. Everywhere I looked there seemed to be so many of them. The man smiled as he urged me to go and take as many as I liked. As I wandered deep into the meadow I imagined myself in an ocean of sweet scents and brilliant colors.

"With each step I took the sea of petals brushed against my ankles. I laughed from the tickling they gave me as they waved in the fall breeze. I clutched a variety of different shapes and sizes until I felt I had collected the perfect amount for my aunt. It seemed a shame to pick them, but I knew she would love them.

"The man waited patiently for me to finish and return to the woods. As we began to walk back into the woods he once again offered me his hand, happily I took it. I was so pleased with flowers that I couldn't stop gazing at them. I never saw the hammer before he embedded it into my skull.

"When I awoke, I remember thinking why did I go to sleep in the forest? I was lying on my back and looking up into the sky. The sky was not as bright as I remembered it. It was then that began to notice feeling a very strange warm sensation between my legs. I tried to move my head, but it felt too heavy to move. I looked down and could see my shirt had been ripped open and I saw red as if someone had spilled paint on me. It wasn't until I kept seeing my bare foot raise up and down in a rapid motion did I realize the man was taking away my innocence. My arms were flat on the ground above my head. I did not know what to do. I tried to speak, but could not. Suddenly he began moving faster until his grunts became moans. During this time he never looked at me and did not know I was watching him. His body tensed and his head jerked up and his eyes locked with mine. His face was the same color as the smearing on my torn blouse. When I saw his face I discovered it was not paint. He bared his teeth and they dripped with my blood. I heard him cry out and then I felt his release inside of me.

"He slowly lowered his body on mine and began to laugh until his laughter became uncontrollable weeping. The last thing I felt and saw was the claw of the hammer being jerked from my head."

Tears streamed down Shelton's face. The story had been overwhelming for her. James was certain it had forced his captain to remember her own nightmare in the schoolyard.

"Why didn't he kill you?" asked James.

"I believe he thought I was already dead. When he struck me with the hammer it placed me into a type of coma. I could not respond, but I was aware of everything he was doing to me."

"Then what happened?"

"The next morning a member of the militia was on patrol. He left the path to relieve himself when he saw my body. He called to his comrade that he had found something in the woods. His comrade joined him and they very quickly discovered that I was not dead. They carried me into the village and contacted their commanding officials. They were able to tell by the savagery that had been done to my body and skull, that I had been a victim of the Rostov Ripper."