— You two, grab her, tie her to a chair in the kitchen so she doesn’t make a sound.
Galina Vasilyevna gasped as one of the boys roughly grabbed her arms. From behind Viktor, tapping her cane, appeared the grandmother. Her sharp gaze fixed on Shura.
— Ah, there you are, my little granddaughter! — the old woman rasped, a malicious smile playing on her lips. — You picked a good spot, a rich one. Well done, Shurka! It wasn’t for nothing I sent you to that spot—to lead us to an address like this. Come on, boys, quickly, carry the things out to the car. And you, fidget, come down and show us where the owner hides his money and valuables.
— Get out, — Shura’s voice trembled, but she didn’t move. — Get out of here right now. There’s nothing here for you.
The old woman froze for a moment, her face contorting. Shura realized her grandmother had guessed: they couldn’t expect any help.
— You little wretch, — the old woman spat, — you’ve turned against your family? Vitya, grab her and that other girl. Drag them both here.
The girl turned to run and immediately bumped into little Liza. The girl had apparently followed her out of the room and was now hiding fearfully behind her. Shura reacted instantly. She grabbed the girl’s hand and literally dragged her back into the nursery. The girl slammed the door and turned the latch a moment before Uncle Vitya crashed heavily against it.
— Open up! — he roared from the other side, punching the wood.
Shura pressed her back against the door, feeling it shudder from the blows. She heard the old woman’s dry, muffled voice:
— Leave them, Vitya. Let them sit there locked up, they won’t get far. The windows are high. We’ll find everything ourselves. And if we don’t, the one in the kitchen will help us. We’ll make her talk quickly. We don’t have much time. Let’s go, boys, get to work.
There was a sound of stomping on the stairs as her uncle ran down. Shura slid to the floor, listening as they began to move furniture and drop things below. Liza sat on the bed, her breathing becoming increasingly heavy and wheezy.
— Sasha, they’re going to kill us! — the girl whispered, pressing a small hand to her chest.
Shura ran to her and hugged her, feeling a resolve boil up inside her. She was no longer afraid of her grandmother. She knew that right now, behind this door, not only the fate of this house was being decided, but her own life as well. She no longer felt like that little red dog from the pack. A frightening silence fell over the nursery, broken only by Liza’s heavy breathing. Shura knew this wouldn’t end well; knowing her cunning grandmother, she had to be prepared. So the girl propped the door with a wardrobe and stood there, listening intently.
A racket came from downstairs: the robbers were not being gentle. The echoing steps of the men would approach the stairs, then recede. At one point, the stomping in the hallway fell silent, and Shura heard the old woman’s commanding voice as she came up to the second floor.
— Vitya, enough, drop the rags, — she rasped. — Did you find a safe or anything valuable? This junk is too much trouble for pennies. Change of plans. We’re taking the rich girl with us. Her daddy will pay good money for a doll like that.
Shura felt an icy chill run down her spine.
— Sasha, are they going to take me?
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