Cossack Part 3

"Irina, what are you doing?" Katya asked, just as a cool, wet rag was thrust over her nose and mouth.  The colonel screamed angrily but Irina was strong, and she had the colonel's left arm pinned.  Worse, the familiar smell of ether filled Katya's nostrils and she almost instantly began to feel light-headed.  Irina pressed her advantage and dragged her superior down onto the divan and pinned her against the back of it, swinging her leg over Katya's as she did so, guaranteeing that her erstwhile friend and colleague would be completely unable to escape her fate.  Katya bucked and squealed and growled angry protests into the cloth covering her face, but they were muffled to the point of being unintelligible, and they grew weaker and fewer and farther between as the moments passed.

"If you're going to cashier me for something, Ekatarina, it should be for this," Irina said as the anasthetic began to take effect and Katya's struggles began to slacken.  "I am so sorry, colonel, but I have no choice.  You know I would die for you, and for the Guards, but this is different.  Rasputina is holding my sister hostage, and she will murder her unless I do this.  She's an innocent.  I would die rather than betray you but I can't let her die," Irina said, beginning to sob.

Ekatarina's eyes rolled back into her head and she went slack.  Irina quickly shoved a wad of cotton into her victim's mouth and then wrapped a
scarf around her head to keep the gag in place.  She then took a length of rope from her belt and tied the colonel's wrists in front of her.  Katya's eyes opened slowly and she struggled to focus, the glassy green orbs staring uncomprehendingly at her former aide.  "I know it doesn't mean much but I refused to murder you.  I told Rasputina I would only do this if she let you live, regardless of what happened to my sister.  And she has agreed.  You'll be placed in a monastery in Lvov and kept there.  She swore you would not be harmed.  Perhaps someday you can escape and right this wrong...." Irina continued as four nuns in their heavy black robes came into the room.  They quickly lifted the insensate Katya to her feet and tossed a robe over her, then a cowl.  Two of them held her between them and they walked her out of the room, more carrying her than assisting her.  The other two walked ahead of them and behind them, respectively, to shield the kidnapped colonel from sight as much as possible.  In another minute they'd be in the courtyard and be bundling Katya into a waiting carriage.

Not a minute after the nuns left with their prize, Rasputina burst into the colonel's quarters, revolver in hand, at the head of a phalanx of guardswomen.

"It's too late, she's already gone!" Irina shouted dramatically, perfectly delivering her one rehearsed line.  Then, to her surprise, Rasputina shot her.  The captain fell to the floor clutching her breast, blood darkening the black brocade of her tunic. Rasputina quickly rushed to her and knelt over her.  "Where is the colonel, Irina Chernova?  Where is Ekaterina Denisova?"

Irina tried to speak.  She tried to scream to her soldiers, to tell them this was all Rasputina's doing, but nothing but raspy gasps escaped her lips.  The evil nun placed an ear to the captain's mouth then dramatically lifted up and yelled, "Search for her!" to the startled soldiers.  They quickly left the room, and Rasputina again knelt over Irina and clamped a hand over her mouth.  "You did well, young captain.  Unfortunately, your sister is already dead.  I said you would be reunited, and you will be....in death.  And as I am a woman of God and true to my word, I will not kill Ekatarina Denisova.  She's been sold to a Turkish pasha and will pass the rest of her brief existence as a pleasure slave.  If it's any consolation to you, Captain Chernova, you can be assured that you did a great service to your country today.  Anna Romanova is weak.  She's not fit to be the Empress of our mighty nation.  But thanks to you, captain, we can change that now.  You've made Russia stronger today, Irina," the nun smiled. 

Irina tried to reach for her pistol, but everything was going dark.  This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.  She was supposed to be reunited with her sister, and they would be allowed to secretly go into exile together.  Then she would find a way to save Ekaterina.  She couldn't let it end like this!  Her fingers fumbled with the clasp on her holster.  Rasputina's hand clamped harder over her mouth, a thumb and finger pressing on Irina's nose and closing off her airways.  Everything was starting to spin, getting blacker and blacker.  Success!  She managed to get her holster open, to get her hand on her revolver.  She tried to draw it but it was so heavy.  "Please forgive me, Ekatarina...." she thought, then her body went still and her ice blue eyes stared emptily at the ceiling, wide open but seeing nothing.

"Guards!" Rasputina yelled.  "Two of you get this traitor out of here!" she yelled as a pair of guardswomen rushed into the room.  "Dispose of the body in an unmarked grave."

The End
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This is a totally collaborative effort between myself and Etherea S, we had a lot of fun doing it and we hope you enjoy it.  Part 2 is at her DA site while part 3 is also posted her on my site.  

Art:           SL Snapshots with  PS Postwork
Story:      
Model:     

See Part 1 Here:   See Part 2 Here: