Chapter 1

My breaths came out as grey puffs of smoke as I ran. I risked a glance to see my pursuers still chasing me, their black jackets seemingly helping them shoot like rockets through the whiteness of the storm. Urging my feet to move faster, I pumped my legs harder towards the corner that I had originally spotted before. Nearing the corner, I glanced at my seemingly tireless pursuers before I turned the corner. The cold air becoming slightly warmer, now that the wind was cut off. Running towards the wall, I reached for the ladder when something caught my hood and I found myself glaring at a tall dark figure before me. Its broad shoulders and narrow chest made me quickly guess that it was male. His hood was pulled over his head so that I couldn't see his features but his presence already seemed to have an edge that made me shiver despite the lack of coldness.

I launched an elbow at him but he easily blocked it. At that moment, I caught a glimpse of his eyes. The hood was pulled low enough to produce a shadow that made his eyes seem darker but there was no doubt in my mind that they were green. The darkest green I had ever seen in my life.

One side of his mouth lifted, in a smirk and I glared at him. He was not to be trusted. His eyes looked away and I followed his gaze to see that my pursuers had caught up to me. He still had my hood in his other hand and I doubted that trying to pull it out of his grasp or take my jacket off would be the best idea so I waited to see what was going to happen next. Before making my next move.

The pursuers kept their distance and trained their eyes on him, assessing him. Trying to find some sort of weakness. There were five of them. I did not doubt in my mind that my pursuers did not expect him but that did not mean that he was on my side.

I turned to look at him, my gaze traveling down his shoulder to his hand which lay near something covered by his jacket. At that moment, I quickly recognized that he wasn't with my pursuers and that whatever was being covered by his jacket was probably a gun. A plan was quickly forming in my mind. With him distracted, I could escape but I was skeptical about how far he would go to make sure that I did not escape. To put my mind to ease, the figure pulled his gun out, pulled me up, turned me around, and placed it against my head. I felt him draw near me, "Stay still, if you don't I'll shoot you and take the priceless object you hold in your left hand." He placed his other hand over my collar bone until his hand was completely around my neck and on my shoulder and begin backing up, pulling me with him. I heard his back hit the metal ladder behind me and smiled as my plan slowly came together.

The calmness he spoke with, plus the arrogance he held, made me positive he was a professional. I should know, my whole entire life has been revolved around stealing and selling objects for twice their worth. "Why are you really here?" I asked, looking at him out of the corner of my eye. I could feel his warmth through his jacket and his breath heated my cheeks. If he was not a possible enemy, I would say it was...comfortable.

He ignored my question. "I'll tell you this once and only once. I just hope your thick heads can process this for your sake. Now you guys are going to let us get away and then when you guys are far enough away, I'll throw you the girl. But I get to keep the object. Deal?"

"I can give you the object, just let me go."

He pressed the gun harder against my head giving me his answer.

The pursuers stepped closer, testing him.

Stepping down hard, I heard him curse. His grip on me loosened giving me just enough room to grab his arm, side-step, duck underneath it then shoved him forward. Not staying to see what happened, I launched myself behind him and onto the ladder. Hurriedly, climbing the ladder, I heard something ping against the ladder near my head and risked a glance to look at him. In one hand, he held his gun. He shot but this time, one of the pursuers fell while he dodged the knife that the other one held.

Not wasting any time, I climbed the remaining steps and pulled myself onto a roof. I quickly pulled the hood over my head as snow blew into my face. Looking around, I spotted another roof the same height as this one and ran towards it. Ignoring my beating heart, I refused to let myself think about the gap between the roofs before I jumped. My left foot touched the other roof, I turned and rolled onto my side so as to not put all the weight on the foot before rolling back onto my feet and running again. I had jumped onto a third roof when out of the corner of my eye, I watched something hit a spot, a foot away from me and spark. Not wanting to know who was shooting at me, I ran even faster.

The only problem was I was running out of roofs. All surrounding roofs were taller than this one and the direction I was heading showed that this roof was going to end soon. I neared the end of the roof, took a deep breath, closed my eyes then jumped. Reaching my hands out, I grabbed onto something hard. My body slammed into it, knocking the breath out of me. Letting go, I dropped onto my legs and stumbled forward. Opening my eyes, I pushed myself forward ignoring the pain, and begin running again. I was in a clearing with trees. I was in the outskirts of Tsentralny (center) of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was the afternoon someone should see me. I could easily get lost in the crowds and lose my pursuer or pursuers. I just needed to find the main street. I had just turned the corner when something slammed into me. Tucking my head in, I spread my hands out to either side and slapped the ground, taking the pressure off of my back and spreading it to my hands. It was a little trick I learned when I was training how to fight. My chest still hurt as the fall took the breath out of me but I forced myself to get up anyway and turned to look at what had slammed into me.

A bald man smiled at me.

I glared as I recognized who he was.

"Snezana, what a surprise."

I turned my head and looked at the young blond-haired man who walked out into the clearing. I was not used to being called that name. My last name was Snow but here in Russia, I was constantly called "Snezana" by people who did not know me. The word meant "snow woman" and is pronounced Snee-za-na. His dark eyes shined happily as he walked towards me. I pushed myself to my feet and quickly tried to plan an exit but every exit was covered with his men.

"Where is it, Snezana?"

"Why do you think that I still have it, Luka?" I asked, testing. I knew that as soon as I gave it to him, he would have no need of me and would dispose of me.

"Do not test me."

Weighing my options, I reached into my jacket pocket and felt the artifact that everyone was so adamant about having. A Russian imperial silver and multi-colored enamel hinged egg with gold and a swan design. The object was easily the most expensive thing I ever hold and probably the last thing I will ever hold.

I looked at him, his eyes were watching my hand. He looked at me and gestured with his hand to give. I sighed, hopefully, this would save my life and not end it. Taking it out, I held it out in front of me.

He walked closer and took it. Examining it, he turned his back on me and walked back the way he came. He then handed it to an older man who I had not noticed before. The man examined the artifact, turned it in his hands, and stared at it for a moment before he nodded his head. Luka looked at all his men before his eyes landed on the bald man.

Something passed between them before the bald man looked at me and smiled. Luka turned his back and left me.

"Nothing against you just need to tie loose ends." The bald man raised his gun, cocked the hammer back then shot.

---

I woke up to a ceiling. Panicking, I hurriedly, tried to push myself up but whatever was underneath me was too soft for me to use as a springboard to propel me up in a sitting position. "Where am I?" I almost screamed when pain shot through my stomach. Clutching it, I bent down just as the door was thrown open and I glared at the Russian nurse who approached me. I wasn't supposed to be in a hospital, if they found out who I was, I would be locked away for the rest of my life or worse they'd ask me if they could make a deal with me, 'They' being the cops.

"A man brought you in, he told us what had happened. The wound in your stomach has been cleaned and closed. We saw that you had no other injuries. Depending on your cooperation you may be out in a week. But one question I have for you is who would you like me to inform of your hospitalization? If I understand correctly your parents and sister are deceased and you have no other living family that is listed. Any friends that you would like to inform?"

I shook my head and she looked at me sadly before she looked back down at the clip board in hand. "Just to make sure your name is Velveteen Snow?" She looked up at me and I nodded, slowly. Something didn't seem right. That was my real name but how did she get it? As far as anyone knew Velveteen Snow had died with her family.

"Well then Ms. Snow, you will be here for a week. I understand that your bill has already been paid so enjoy your rest." She said smiling and turned to leave but I stopped her.

"Wait. Who paid the bill?"

The nurse looked at me strangely before she answered, "the man who saved you of course."

"Can you describe him to me?"

"Short brown hair, tall, green eyes. He was wearing a black hoodie. Very edgy but handsome man indeed." Her face lit up like she had just remembered something. "Oh, and the man left you this. He sends his regards. Any other questions?" She said, in a strong Russian accent, while setting a gift basket on the chair near my bed.

The man who had grabbed me by the hood came to my mind. It couldn't be him. He seemed more interested in getting the egg then me. I blushed when she described him to be handsome. Shaking his picture out of my mind, I found myself becoming curious and frankly annoyed that I did not know why he saved my life. "What is his name?"

She looked at me surprised and I replied with a small, "I had only just met him." Covering up the fact that it was weird that a stranger would save me and on top of that pay for my hospital bills.

"He is one of the most distinguished men in all of Russia. His name being-"

"Ms. Wilson, we need your help. One of patients is trying to get out of his restraints."

"I will be right there." She yelled before she turned to me, "I promise I'll tell you later but I have a feeling that you'll find out yourself." She told me before she disappeared behind the now closed door.

And sooner than I expected, I found her to be correct as I stared at the basket wondering what was in it. I had never been given a gift basket before that had not had instructions on where to find the next priceless object to steal. Temptation to open it was so strong that I finally dragged myself to the side of the bed, grabbed it and set it on my lap.

At closer look, it looked like a regular gift basket with flowers and candy dressing the outskirts of the basket but at closer inspection, one would find that in the middle was a letter and a small black round machine that was called a bug. Why would someone bug me? I turned my attention to the card, hoping that it held the answer. Pulling the card up and out of the middle of the gift basket, I stared at it wondering if I had somehow opened it, it might trigger a possible explosion. Gathering my courage, I opened it, relieved that nothing had happened, it was just a regular letter. Sighing I begin to read the letter;

Dear Ms. Snow,

I hope that you recover quickly. I see that the egg has been given away but that doesn't mean that you are not of use to me. I hope that I paying for your hospital bills will be enough to convince you that I am not with him. You and I have a common enemy and I feel that you and I may have an alliance that can benefit us both, greatly.

Sincerely, Mr. Solokov

'Solokov' that name seemed familiar. Where did I hear it from? An alliance? Why would he want me to be an ally? ? I shook my head, trying to forget the name that was evading my memory. I returned my train of thought to trying to think up a plan to escape. Painfully, I pulled myself into a sitting position to look out my window. I was three floors up, they would be no way to get out of here without killing myself or getting hurt. If only I had never decided to steal for Gold.

"Ms. Snow, do you need anything before we shut the lights off?" A different nurse stuck her head into the room.

The beginning of a plan begun to form in my head.