A Life Less Ordinary Book Three

By Scarlett Cross

The story of Ivan and his brothers continues to deepen and they flee the ever threatening shadow of the Janus program. Following a massive, crippling attack on all humankind, they find a new member to their family who none of them are sure they can trust. With good reason.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scarlett Cross
• Release date: Feb 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310411786

Scarlett Cross

Scarlett is a 39 year old, married, mother of two. During the day, she lives a quiet life, plotting the excitement in the next chapter of her series of books. At night, her imagination takes over and she weaves her tales while listening to a combination of gritty hard rock music and several eerie soundtracks from various movies and television shows.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Two months later…

Ivan froze, as he stepped into the red-light district, rubbing his eyes in disbelief as his eyes followed a bone-skinny white-haired prostitute who was just climbing out of a beat up old pick-up truck. She handed something, presumably money, to what had to be her pimp, straightened her too-short skirt and resumed walking up and down a section of the walk. Ivan knew her face as soon as he saw it, despite the bruises and over-applied cheap make-up.

Anya…what in hell are you doing here… He mumbled to himself, then motioned her pimp over to him by waving a thick wad of money. "And where in hell is Aleksei?’

What up, my man? You one big mother… He hesitated, at the look on Ivan’s face, then continued, Which one of my bitches you be interested in partyin’ wif? he asked, then turned, his gaze following Ivan’s expertly and landing on Anya. Blondie there, the one with the platinum, man she a fine piece of ass, feisty too, not like the others…they get kinda worn out over time, you know what I’m sayin? How about I set you up with her…man I wish I could watch you tear up that ass…she stopped givin’ it up to me an’ I found out no matter how much I beat her an’ denied her the smack…she jus’ flat won’ party wif me. Since beat up bitches don’ draw good bizness, well…anyway, lemme call her over here an’ introduce ya. ‘

No, direct her to this motel. I will want her for rest of night, maybe longer. I have money to afford her, you can count on it. Ivan said once again waving the stack of one-hundred dollar bills in front of the other man’s face. I pay when you bring her to play. But you must not tell her anything about me…let it be our little…surprise. Ivan mustered the nastiest smile he could manage, it was Anya he was buying, after all. He stowed the wad of bills in his pocket and then strolled away confidently. He’d seen the dollar signs in the pimp’s eyes and knew she’d be coming to his hotel room very soon, whether she liked it or not.

Sure enough, one hour later, someone knocked lightly on Ivan’s door and he opened it, grimacing at the brand new shiner and still-bleeding busted lip she was sporting as she pouted down at the floor. When she looked up, her purple eyes widened in fear and, before she could speak and blow everything, her pimp was standing right behind her, no doubt to collect payment and make sure she behaved, Ivan slammed her against the wall and kissed her. Keeping his mouth over hers, he passed the stack of bills to the pimp and then slammed the door with his foot before releasing his lip-lock and covering her hand with his mouth.

Shhh, do not be ruining it…let him go. Ivan said, noticing she was carrying an unusually large overnight bag that she held gingerly away from their bodies as if protecting it. I have arranged for you to stay all night with me…

I have nothing to say to you. Anya said, then moved for the door but as she did she hit the bag against the wall and, to Ivan’s shock, it began to cry pitifully. Oh for fuck’s sake. She reached into the bag and pulled out an overly small and clearly under nourished baby which she promptly hooked to a breast.

Anya…where did you get baby? Ivan asked, and she tskd at him in an annoyed manner.

Sit down, I will give you education on what my fuck up of life has been like since we were all scattered to wind in Australia. She said as Ivan watched the infant with grave concern. If she was on heroin and she was nursing the child then it was, by default, an addict as well.

Chapter 2

I am assuming that, since he is not with you, you have fallen out with Dmitri? I thought as much because I have seen him. What? Oh, da, he lives. Or at least, he was living when last I saw him though, well, let me start from beginning. Back when you blasted apart house and tried to kill all of us, your so-called failsafe which obviously did not work. We knew we were in wind as soon as I pulled Alex out of pit that had been safe room. Of course I did not listen to Dmitri’s orders. He is Dmitri for fuck’s sake.

We crossed big expanse of nothingness, just as you warned us never to do unless in dire need. Since being blown up by my own family constitutes dire need in my book that is exactly where we went. We made it to harbor city in four days, dehydrated and exhausted, but alive. Half-alive in Alex’s case. He cried more than any human being should in four days and more even after that. Last I saw of him, nyet, let me tell story in order, will be easier to understand that way.

There was only one ship in port and it was not passenger ship, but rather India-bound freighter that was due to sail same day we arrived. I, well, did what I had to do to convince captain to take us on. Alex was not happy with me for doing it, but it worked. Unfortunately, once I had done one favor for captain, he was not content and insisted I visit his stateroom every night of our long voyage. Da, we fucked. Every night, several times usually. He was quite naughty, to be honest, though I really believe he fell in love with me. All things in due course.

On final night, after I had used shower to wash him off of me, I was walking back to cabin I shared with Alex in steerage when someone snatched me into darkened room just two doors from safety. It was Dmitri, and he was gone mad with heat. He beat me, I believe he meant to either train me into dog, or kill me. I am not sure which. But Alex, if you can even comprehend it, Alex saved my life, he attacked Dmitri and won!

He came through door bellowing like angry bull and did move so like Yuri it amazed me, he jumped on Dmitri, caught him off guard and made him fall backwards into old wooden armoire against far wall. Then he stuck knife through Dmitri’s head and into wood of cabinet so hard that it pinned Dmitri there. Alex did not even realize who he was attacking until after, I think if he had neither of us would have stood chance. We fled, then, I was completely naked, so I dressed quickly and hauled ass before he could loosen himself. He was still struggling to reach me when I ran, I spit on him and promised him next time I see him he is dead man. I meant it then, and I still mean it today.

From there our travels were rather uneventful. First, we went to China, because we knew Dmitri could not reach us there. He would not even try. Then, when we were convinced we had lost him, we continued on here, to America. I think Alex’s every move was intentional by that point. I think he had let hope of seeing Yuri alive again in. That pull he says we are programmed to feel towards certain others had taken root in him, and it had begun to consume anything of the good doctor that remained. I wonder sometimes if there was much good there to begin with, after all he has been through in his life.

Just after baby was born, Alex delivered her in spare bedroom in abandoned flat we were squatting in, I woke up to man on top of me, well, using me. I started to struggle and called out for Alex, but my assailant, pimp you bought me from, said he was gone. What do I mean by ‘gone’? I asked. Well, we were broke and Alex had found out Yuri was in Los Angeles, all that way across country. He needed money to make trip, so he sold me to pimp. Now I am working off Alex’s debt.

Chapter 3

Jesus Anya…I am so sorry… Ivan said, then accepted the baby when Anya offered her to him. She was lethargic in his arms, almost dead-limp, so much so that he surreptitiously checked her pulse. You…know you should not be breast feeding if you are on drugs…

Fuck off, Ivan. Is miracle pimp even let me keep her…he wanted to chuck her in bin. Anya snapped, adjusting her tank top and then beginning to unpack the tools of her trade.

You…I did not hire you for that…you are…well, I think of you as my sister. Ivan said, aghast, then shouldered the baby and burped it gently. She hiccuped softly then sighed contentedly as he held her gently against his muscled chest. Let…let me send her back to Rosa…and let me buy off your debt to pimp. You are better than this life, Anya.

No, Ivan. I am not. She said, even as she continued with her preparations, even undressing herself so that he recognized several tattoos marking her as gang-owned flesh. He had to fight down the rage that was welling in him, lest he hurt the sickly baby in his arms by accident. If there is one thing Alex’s betrayal taught me: I am whore. I was bred, born, genetically engineered to be whore. I will live as one, I will die as one. If you wish to send baby to Rosa, fine. But I will not be going with her. My place is here, on these streets.

He stared at her naked flesh and realized he was looking at nothing more than a skeleton, her body was covered in bruises and track marks, when she turned he could see marks from someone flogging her until she bled. Some were merely deep scars, others were still fresh and appeared badly infected. I will kill whoever has done this to you.

Then start by killing my twin, because he was one who sold me back into this life. Anya said, then started to redress. I had to…my pimp will know if I did not do what I was paid to do if I come out wearing same clothes I walked in here wearing. She reached for the baby but Ivan turned away from her.

Where is Alex now? Did he make it to L.A.? Ivan asked, but she only shrugged. He doubted she would know before he asked, it wasn’t like Alex would have called her to tell her thanks for selling her ass to finance his trip. Good. Now, if you will kindly be still for just one moment…I think I see a spider on your back. Instinctively, being bound by terror of spiders that had been discovered in Australia, she froze. It was all the time he needed.

When he departed, she was sleeping soundly, bound to the bed so that, should she wake, which wasn’t likely, there would be no leaving. No returning to that lifestyle. He put in a quick call to Oleg, told him the situation, then put the baby in the care of the flight crew of a hastily chartered medi-flight jet and sent her straight home to her new father. It was another of those times he was thankful for the substantial bankroll his father had left them upon his death. Never once did it occur to him to wonder where the money was coming from, how even after Sergei’s death so many years ago there seemed to be a never ending flow of cash. Perhaps he should have thought on it more, but he hadn’t the time, with his focus on other things more prevalent in his mind.

After watching the plane take off, bound for Moscow, he smiled nastily and turned towards the city. Now, it was time to hunt down Anya’s pimp and his gang and show them what the Russian Mafia was all about.

Chapter 4

Yuri cowered in the corner of the cell in which he’d been kept isolated since his capture two months prior. His mind was easily confused, his intellect seeming less than that of a two to three year old child, at best. No longer did he use the facilities and, as such, had to be sedated and bathed twice a month, just to knock down the stench of him.

His bare scalp bore testament to this, as he’d been so infested with lice when finally the judge presiding over his case had ordered the jail to do something about his general well-being, they’d had to shave his matted hair off right down to the skin. Deep down, he tried to remember what he had done, why he was here and so deeply hated by everyone. He struggled to recall, but the thoughts in his twisted, damaged mind, kept chasing away like butterflies in a stiff spring breeze.

* * *

How many days had passed, since he’d spilled the first blood? It had not mattered to him, as he lay beside the most recent of his kills, a young woman barely into her twenties. Sleep took him, as he licked at his left hand, which inexplicably pained him these days. It was some old injury, something horrible that had happened, but he couldn’t remember when or what. His free hand twined in the dead woman’s brilliant faux-red hair, it might have seemed an absent gesture, considering, but he found that it calmed him. It filled something deep in him, made him feel safe and warm. Soon enough, though, he drifted off to sleep, his tormented mind, at least for the time being, falling blissfully silent.

The following day, he woke in the middle of the afternoon, confused and groggy, struggling to understand why Aleksei’s skin was so cold and why Ivan was pounding on the door to their room. He rolled and found himself face-to-face with the clouded eyes of a female corpse and cried out in terror, not understanding how he’d come to be in bed beside a dead body. Trembling so that he couldn’t even speak, he tumbled out of the blood-soaked bed onto the floor.

He scooted across the cheap laminate floor, leaving a trail of the partially dried and sticky blood as he went. So confused was he that he failed to notice even that he was naked in the freezing cold of the apartment. The pounding resumed and then there was a colossal explosion as a heavy booted foot kicked the door in and cops swarmed the room.

Yuri cowered, not understanding why they were pointing guns at him, his voice seemed to still have taken sudden leave of him, so all he could do was shield himself and mouth soundlessly at them in terror. They manhandled him, pinning him to the ground, a few punches and kicks finding the more sensitive parts of his anatomy, and then cuffing him uncomfortably tight. Someone pulled some of the young woman’s pajama pants on him, he didn’t even notice or protest that they were white with brilliant pink flowers, and then he was dragged out into the street and shoved into a waiting police car.

He had no working knowledge of the American legal system, in fact he barely appeared to be able to write his own name. So, he was thrown into the county jail and forgotten while the cops built a case that would ultimately lead to his death. Whenever he made a court appearance it was always a circus, and he often had to be sedated because twice he’d had such severe panic-attacks he’d actually lost consciousness. Occasionally he would ask to see someone called Alex. Other times, he would beg to see Ivan, but no one by either of these names ever came forward and, after two months, he remembered they were dead anyway. That was the night he first attempted suicide. It would not be the last time.

Chapter 5

Dmitri sighed contentedly, stroking Jana’s hair as she snored softly, her head resting on his chest, the rest of her body curled as close as it could get to him. Absently, he flicked through the television stations, his mind not really focused on any particular thing until he passed one of the news channels and something caught his attention. A familiar figure, someone long lost to him, he flipped the channel back, almost certain he’d been mistaken. But when he found the channel, the shout of dismay that escaped him woke Jana with a startled snort. He jammed up the volume button and sat up abruptly, further upsetting her with the sudden movement. Dmitri…what is it? Who is that?

My…that is…that is Yuri… he said, then shushed her and listened intently, just as she did, staring aghast at the screen with her big, light brown eyes. Gods…they will execute him…Jana…I have go to…to…where is he? Come on useless twat, he cursed at the news anchor. Los Angeles. How in fuck did he get there, I wonder?

Let’s go. If we’ve seen him there can be little doubt the Russian government has missed him, especially with these charges. Jana handed Dmitri her tablet, and he skimmed the list, his face paling in shock.

Cannibalism? Male and female rape victims…my God…we will not even be able to get close to him… Dmitri sighed, this time more heavily, his contented, peaceful state of mind forgotten as he stood to fasten his pants and look around for his belt, which like both of their clothing had been hastily tossed somewhere in their hurry to get into bed together. Finally dressed, he gave Jana a grim smile. I need to find Ivan.

I don’t think that’s such a good idea…the last time he saw you…you tried to kill him. Jana said, hesitating as she watched him pull on his heavy, long coat. He insisted on that coat, it held everything and even more considering all of the pockets he’d sewn into it himself. Dmitri…listen to me! You’re not making sense, you can’t just go back, not after…

"That is why you will be going with me, to provide proof to him that my brain, my processor was damaged by blast. He replied, calmly, then made a shooing gesture at her. Hurry up, we must go. If Ivan has seen this, and I am willing to bet he has, we need to catch up to him, to find out his plans, before is too late, da?"

I…I don’t know… Jana said and he repeated himself, stubbornly, moving about gathering her clothes for her and tossing them onto the bed.

I have to find him, he will know what to do. He insisted, and she sighed, clearly not wanting to acquiesce but knowing it would do her no good to argue.

Chapter 6

The funny thing about Ivan’s beliefs were how he classified human lives. Innocent people, bystanders, even police, these, in his mind, were the people he had promised Rosa he would not harm. But gangs, criminals, even prostitutes did not fall into his category of those who were even remotely human. So, as he lounged against a wall in the red-light district, watching for Anya’s pimp to appear, he knew exactly what he planned to do, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

After dropping the baby safely off with the crew of the chartered plane, Ivan had summoned the rat-faced punk. He had shown him only a fraction of his fury when claiming the bitch had done a runner on him. Truth be told, the ire he had shown had been less than a fraction of what he felt, and he knew very well that he had no compunction whatsoever about killing the slime.

Hey, hey you is one sexy mo-fo, you know what I’m sayin? One of the street girls, also bearing the same gang-flesh tattoos as Anya, approached him. Ivan shooed her away imperiously. When she did not go, he pulled down the neck of his t-shirt, displaying a newly acquired tattoo, Rosa would kill him, when she saw it, he knew, but he could get it removed later; for now it was absolutely necessary. The tattoo was a symbol recognized internationally and it screamed Russian Mafia Enforcer. Head enforcer, if truth be told, and he’d been on his way to becoming syndicate leader, once Oleg decided to give up the game. Da-fuck is you thinkin’ you is, flashin that trash in our part of da hood?

You will be going away, whore, or I will be stopping you from breathing. Ivan said to her, still leaning coolly against the corner of the brick building. He saw her look past him, her eyes widened, and she moved away without further comment. Turning, he was not surprised to find himself face to face with a drawn weapon, though the moron was holding it sideways, which was never a good idea.

He motioned the punk into an alley, out of direct view of the public, and then spoke in a low voice. Let me be showing you something. He pulled up his shirt, displaying not only his other tattoos, all gang-signs, but the myriad of circular bullet scars that littered his torso.

Fucking Christ…how many times has you been shot? The pimp asked, but he didn’t lower the gun.

As of now? Fifteen. Twice here… Ivan turned and pointed to the scars on the back of his neck, but did not turn away again. Once, he knew had been the pimp’s stupidity; give the man a second chance and, Ivan suspected, he wouldn’t be so slow to shoot first and ask questions later. I walked away from those, so I am not suggesting you even think you will kill me. I have come to buy blonde from you. I like her, want to take her back to Russia.

Shit man, I thought you said she done up and run off on you. Gotta tell you though, I like her, even if she gone frigid to me, she bring in good money from the johns. Good at what she does, you know? Nah, man, she ain’t for sale…for no price. He said, lowering the gun and stashing it as a cop car turned the far corner. He gave a shrill whistle and Ivan counted silently the number of women who responded to his alert. Twelve in all, so this man was either a lucrative businessman or, more likely, he was an understudy to a more powerful player.

You are saying this, I think, because you are not qualified to negotiate? Ivan asked, giving him a knowing look. Take me to someone who can negotiate with me. I have more money than you can begin to comprehend and, as we both know, everyone has price.

Whatever you say, man. It’ll be your funeral. The pimp turned and walked quickly, keeping his head down now because the cop car was slowly crawling down the street towards them. Ivan followed him, not bothering to conceal his own identity, not even turning his head away. At seven feet, eleven inches it wouldn’t matter what he said or did, if they’d been tipped off about him then they’d be on him, regardless.

Chapter 7

When Ivan’s business with the gang was complete, for all the good it had done, because Anya had escaped by the time he returned to the hotel, and was once again in the wind. He headed onward to Los Angeles to look into helping Yuri. On the way, something compelled him to stop over in Chicago and pay a visit to the converted warehouse and see how things were looking.

He was greeted with general warmth, though some of them did question him as to his involvement with Crystal’s death. Ivan played off stunned shock at this revelation well enough that those who questioned him seemed to accept that he was innocent. Though in his heart he felt guilty as if he’d done the deed himself, it had been Ivan who had refused to allow Yuri to bring her along. They asked after Daniel and William, asked him if they’d ever be coming back and he answered them as honestly as possible. After a sit down meal, cooked by several of them, each contributing in his or her own way, he announced that he had to be leaving, as he had to catch a flight back to California. As he was going, he asked about any memorial or burial site for the unfortunate young woman and then listened intently to what they told him.

They told him that, in accordance with her wishes, Crystal had been cremated but they had seen to it, with William’s help, which was the only name they knew Aleksei by, that she had a beautiful memorial fountain. Several of them offered to accompany him, but he refused, telling them he’d be leaving Chicago once the visit was done. There was nothing here for him now, though he would not elaborate on what he meant by this. He stopped by to visit briefly with the elderly man and woman who had worked for his brothers, and made a hefty donation to their homeless shelter and soup kitchen, which was thriving owing largely to the previous donation.

That done, and as much time towards sunset wasted as possible, Ivan made his way to the city cemetery and, using a hand drawn map given to him by one of the occupants of the warehouse, he found the memorial rather easily. He knelt before the stone basin and listened to the water dancing within, staring at how it glittered in the moonlight. He was trying to work out what had to be done next. As he wracked his brain, a peculiar scent caught his attention, something under the freshly lain sod, and he lowered himself closer to the ground, sniffing experimentally here and there until he found the source.

Using his old hunting knife, now kept in a sheath that was buckled around his left leg so that the blade was hidden inside his boot, Ivan cut and carefully peeled back the carpet of green grass, then leaned back in shock. Stretched on a board was a six inch by six inch square of tattooed skin, the very same blue flower that Yuri had gotten tattooed on his left thigh to memorialize Crystal. Ivan let the sod fall back into place and carefully tamped it back down. He was so intent on working out whether or not Yuri had been the one to cut off that hunk of skin he almost didn’t hear the soft footsteps approaching him in the near-darkness. But he did hear, then spun, drawing his .45 and pointing it at the head of the one person he’d never wanted to see again. Ever.

I…I can explain… Dmitri said, but Ivan only snorted, angled the pistol just so and fired, dropping Dmitri where he stood.

Ivan! No! A female voice shrieked and he turned, then lowered the gun immediately when he saw the young woman running towards him.

Jana?! What you are doing here? Ivan asked, confused. Dmitri groaned on the ground, trying to conceal his glowing, self-healing flesh from anyone who might see him. To him Ivan said, Shut up whining, pussy. It will heal.

It still hurts like motherfucker. Dmitri snapped at him, irritably. My fucking brain was rattled by fucking explosion you triggered. I was not thinking straight. Whatever Hans did to me, it blocked…

It blocked the synapses in his brain that caused him to be a nasty piece of work, short version. To be more exact, it reroutes them, it gives him the conscience that his Origin model never possessed. If he was really bad, do you think he would have called me in to repair the damage your brother did to him? Jana finished the sentence and explained for him as he regained his feet, the wounds in both of his knees were healed already and might as well have never happened. Who was this woman? Someone certainly cared a lot about her, to put up such a memorial.

Ivan opened his mouth, clearly bent on explaining but Dmitri cut him off. No one, just friend of Yuri’s when he was in hiding here.

Hiding from you… Jana’s eyes glazed over as realization set in. You didn’t…

He did. Ivan smirked as Dmitri shot him a look of utter loathing. But it was before your papa’s good work on him. I do not believe he will be having same issues again, so long as we do not rattle pea that lives in his skull.

Fuck off, Ivan. Dmitri shot back. Ivan’s smirk blossomed into a roar of laughter and then they quieted and stared at each other. Sirens. I think we should be finding better place to discuss this?

Da, I think you are right. Ivan said and they turned and legged it into the darkness, Dmitri grabbed Jana’s hand and pulled her along with him.

Chapter 8

The cops moved stealthily towards the old cemetery, surrounding it, weapons drawn and moving with extreme caution. From the smell, which was putrid and had been bringing complaints for blocks around, it was clear there was a corpse. But when the lead investigator moved into line of sight with their suspect, even he was unnerved by what he saw. There, under a large oak tree, was a large round table made up as if for a little girl’s tea party. In the middle of the circle of tables was an absolute giant of a man, who was very aware of them though he gave them no attention.

He moved from corpse to corpse, serving each person tea and cookies, conversing with each attendee of his party as if they were alive and speaking to him. When the lead detective called out to him to cease, to drop and put his hands behind his head, only then did Ivan look at the man, then tutted at him softly.

You are late for the party, Mr. Simmons. He said, and as the cop, gun still trained on Ivan, finger on trigger ready to fire, stared in disbelief, Ivan walked right by him, passing within feet. He bent and plucked a particularly nasty corpse from one of the open graves and carried it to the table, chiding the man gently as he went.

I don’t think he even knows we’re here, sir. One of the officers said to the lead and Ivan, whose back was turned, smiled slightly but then let his face slacken once more. Do we shoot him?

What? No, of course not. He’s unarmed and, as far as I can see he hasn’t hurt any of these people. They’ve all been dead for a while. The detective said, then stowed his gun and approached the table, fighting the vomit rising in his throat. How on earth the giant could stand the smell, he hadn’t a clue.

Oh, hello. Ivan suddenly seemed to notice him and he smiled pleasantly. I’m sorry…did I issue you an invitation that I have forgotten? Because you see…I plan everything just so and there aren’t enough seats…

No, no, I just saw your party and it looked so nice I thought I would come closer and inquire as to the occasion? the detective played along, the last