The JailBird

★

FILI DISTRICT, MOSCOW IN RUSSIA--7PM*

"I shouldn't be here."

That was the only thought bouncing back and forth in Adeline's mind as she came out of the bus, stepping on snow right in front of the ruthless Orlov clan.

It's a silent January night, but the silence is damn foreboding in this part of the city, and snowflakes are making a whimsical show as they poured from the dark sky.

She adjusted the duffel bag sling on her shoulder, swallowing hard as she checked herself out.

She's wearing black jean pants and a button-down shirt, and there's no bulge of breasts on her chest. Her hair is short and trimmed, and she's wearing male boots too.

Anyone will think she's a boy right now, and that's her main goal.

She's gonna live as a boy in here, in this devilish clan.

Her name is Adeline Wilson, but the moment she steps into the gate, she'll be Micheal Alonso.

She took another look at the gate and gulped again.

The gate is imposing, 12-foot high, crafted from clad iron and adorned with the clan's insignia.

The statue of a large viper snake swallowing a rat stood in front of the gate, looking sinister.

She's not sure of what to expect inside, but the fact that it's already giving her chills without entering is scary.

Any normal human being will go back, but she's far from normal.

She has witnessed so much goriness and horror in her life that she's ready for whatever is coming.

She took six firm steps to the smaller gate, and she brought out her phone which has the QR code she received yesterday.

She scanned it on the gate screen, and the small gate opened almost immediately.

She stepped in, meeting herself in the middle of several guys who're obviously here to become a part of the clan like her.

They're all huge and tattooed, but some have small builds like her too.

That didn't change the fact that she looks the most fragile of all of them, and she hates it.

Some of the guys gave her strange looks, and she knew what they're thinking immediately.

Probably wondering what a feminine boy is doing in a mafia compound.

'Well... well... I'm a girl'

She didn't say that out loud though.

She continued looking around since none of the guys are ready to start a conversation with her.

"Form a straight line!" An order came from a wired loud megaphone.

Though no one saw who made the order, they all complied and started struggling to get in line.

During the rush, one of the guys pushed Adeline, and she wasn't warned before she fell on the ground.

She spranged up and pulled the guy back, her eyes flashing anger.

"You pushed me, dumbass!" She glared, and the rude-looking guy scoffed, brushing her off.

"So what? Little man" he said.

The rest of the guys began laughing in mockery.

Adeline's short temper took over immediately, and she sent her right fist to his face, punching him hard.

Her knuckle ring left a cut on the bastard's face, and the laughter from others stopped as his eyes widened.

He obviously wasn't expecting it.

"You little...

He was about to come closer when another order came from the megaphone.

"Move!"

The others started moving, maintaining the straight line.

"I hope we both get accepted, I'll kill you" the guy told Adeline with a malicious snarl before going to join the line.

"Sick fucker" Adeline replied with a piercing glare from her blue eyes as she joined the line too.

She's the last in line, so she just moved with their flow as the line moved.

The clan is vast, and the compound is like a heated volcano.

Orange-coloured lights cast a mystical glow on the walls, weaving the shadows of the thugs and mobsters across the property.

There are hefty guards patrolling the perimeter too, their figures threatening.

Adeline could already see mobsters strolling everywhere, all looking wild and different from the guys she encountered in the outside world.

Almost every guy is huge with bulging muscles and tattoos... Even the girls are tattooed and tall.

Yeah...there are girls in the clan too, but they stopped initiating girls two years ago for unknown reasons, and that's why she had to disguise as a boy.

There are several buildings, suites, annexes and residential wings in the compound, spreading to the end where there's a forest.

The other newbies who're in line with her are busy chatting about what life in here would look like, and some are already eyeing the girls.

Adeline just clamped her mouth shut, expecting when they'll get to their destination as she walked the snowy ground.

The weather is so cold, and she's starting to freeze, so she hugged herself, sniffling.

A Chevrolet suddenly drove past their line like thunderclap, leaving scorching tyre tracks on the snow.

The car screeched to an halt in a park not far from them, and the backdoor opened.

A guy stepped out of it.

No... a robot will fit him better cos he looks inhumane and so fuçking statuesque. His face is a mask of stone, eyes empty of emotions.

Adeline felt his halo even from her spot.

Ranging from his arctic eyes, dark sprawled hair, buff tattooed body which is definitely friendly with the gym, straight legs, stiff shoulders, unfeeling essence.

He's as cold as winter, and there's a small scar on his chin, but that only added to his handsomeness.

He's devilishly attractive, not that she cares.

There's a cross necklace dangling from his neck, his face is eerily calm.

He looks almost...dead.

Two girls came down from the car too, and is it possible to like girls like yourself at first sight? Cos Adeline liked them immediately.

They're wearing the same thing completely.

Leather trousers, leather crop tops showing off their bellybuttons, leather hats, and black shoes.

They look like twin warriors, but it's obvious they're not twins, maybe besties.

Their faces and hands are stained with blood, and Adeline knew immediately that they're just coming from a mission.

They bowed to the guy before leaving, and when the guy made to leave too, his eyes met Adeline's.

Any normal person would look away from those eyes, but once again, Adeline is far from normal.

She kept up with the stare, and she clearly saw a smirk lift the corner of his lips, but before she could figure out what it means, his hand flew forward, and he threw a blade towards her.

Her eyes widened, and he moved backwards quickly, but not quick enough cos the blade gave her a slight cut on the right cheek before flying to the wall, getting stuck there.

She gasped, touching her cheek as a small blood trickled out, staining her fingers.

She looked back at his direction, but he was already gone.

She wiped the blood with her shirt and gritted her teeth.

Is it possible to hate someone to death at first sight? It's happening to her right now.

Who does he think he is?

"Stop!" The voice came from the megaphone again, and they all came to a stop in front of a small building.

"I think we have to wait for more instructions here" one of the guys said, and the line scattered as some sat on the ground to rest.

The guy from before came back immediately...the one punched by Adeline.

He grabbed her by the collar, making her duffel bag slip from her shoulder to the pavement with a thud.

"You're dead! Bastard!" He seethed venomously.

"Same to you!" Adeline grabbed his collar too.

The others gathered around, ready to watch the impending fight.

*

HOUSE OF ORLOVS*

It's the biggest building in the clan, and every damn rule comes from here.

Every meeting about the Bratva or the family happens here too, and right now, one of those meetings is starting in three minutes.

Inside the house, Klara and Erik are already seated, waiting for the children's arrival. It's a family meeting this time.

Klara wore a lace-trimmed dress which echoed Russian heritage, and her hands are gloved to the elbows.

Her short hair is permed, and her stoic face commands attention.

Erik is beside her, his tailored tux matching his fit body. He looks older but still fit.

His face is a map of hardening experience, his jaw set in line.

They're both in their fifties.

Three minutes later, Maya came in, the first child.

She's always the first to arrive.

There's a knife with her which she's checking out with a sadistic smile__She has a frenzied obsession with knives actually.

She settled in front of the parents, no words spoken as she rested back.

Almost immediately, Igor came in... The second child.

"Why the fûck is Madden not here yet? He came back from the mission already" He said with a glare as he settled beside Maya.

"Are you disappointed that he's not here to pick a fight with?" Maya replied without looking at him.

"Shut up, Maya" Igor replied, and Maya's knife found it's way to the middle of his legs.

"The fûck!" He grabbed her hand, but Maya kept it there tightly, pressing the knife down.

"Know your damn place, else... I'll cut it and make it into skewers" she smiled threateningly at him.

The parents just looked on, not adding a word.

Trixie came in next, the last child.

She's wearing a bikini, wet from the pool water, and she's holding a arrow and a bow.

"Was practicing at the pool when I remembered the meeting. No one should talk about my appearance" she said, taking her seat too.

"Pretty sure someone with a worse appearance is on his way" Igor replied gruffly, and as if to confirm his words, Sin came in... The fourth child.

He's totally naked!

NAKED!

His huge standing dîck danced wildly in front of him as he strode with a grin, his right arm covered completely with dark tattoos.

"Was on top of a bîtch when I remembered the meeting. It was too late to wear anything" he chuckled, sitting beside Trixie.

No one replied.

It's not his first time walking around naked as if he's crazy in the head.

They waited five more minutes, but Madden never came.

"As usual, he'll keep us waiting for one hour? Madd is mad" Sin said, and Igor spranged up, bolting out of the house.

*

CLAN FOREST*

In the forest at the end of the clan compound, there's a low mountain, and on the mountain, there's a black manor.

The manor is Madden's home, he loves his privacy that way.

Igor climbed up the mountain in a fit of rage, anger radiating off him till he got to the manor.

He was about to break the door down with his gun when he remembered it's not penetrable, so he switched to kicking.

He kicked it hard, and the walls shook with the violence.

"Madden!!!" He yelled, but only the echo of his own voice came back, so he kicked again, more aggressive this time.

He continued the kicks till he got tired of it, so he went back down the mountain.

He came back minutes later with a keg of gasoline and matches.

He wet the door and windows with the gasoline and was about to light the matches on it...

"That'll be fun to watch" Madden's chilly voice finally spoke, and he turned swiftly to see him standing beside a huge stone, not far from the manor.

He has been watching him since the beginning, enjoying Igor's madness.

Igor dropped the unlighted matches and walked fast to him.

He threw him a punch, and Madden could have clearly avoided it, but he choose not to.

He smiled devilishly immediately the punch met his face, but then he returned it sharply.

The force of his punch sent Igor to the ground with a bruise, and he smirked.

It's a known fact to every living and nonliving thing in the clan that Madden is stronger than any fuçking body, but Igor is not ready for that conversation.

The fact that he's older than Madden makes him always want to boss, but Madden is not to be bossed.

Before Igor could stand, Madden was already going down the mountain.

Igor stood, grinding his teeth as his anger got refined.

He wants to kill Madden right now.

He always wants to.

*

BACK IN THE SMALL BUILDING*

"Malik!"

"Michael!"

"Malik!"

"Michael!"

The other newbies are currently chanting relentlessly as Adeline and the guy rolled each other on the ground, taking turns to give blows to each other.

Turns out his name is Malik, and he has lots of fans in the new gang

He's obviously having the upper hand, and his punches are heavier, but Adeline is not one to give up.

She kept up the fight, her face bloody already, till the two girls from earlier showed up.

The twin warriors.

"The last to get up gets punished" one of them said as they entered the circle.

Adeline quickly spranged up, and Malik stood last, both breathing ruggedly and bleeding.

"Impressive...I love tough mobsters" the second girl smiled, taking a good look at the two of them as the rest stepped back.

"I'm Jinx" the first one said.

"And I'm Poe" the second one said, both looking blunt.

"You're Micheal Alonso" Jinx said, facing Adeline.

"Yes" Adeline replied, and Jinx smiled shortly, taking another look at her before joining Poe.

"The trial is tomorrow morning. The clan will decide the ones who'll be staying among y'all after taking the physical tests. Till tomorrow, you'll be given rooms to stay" Poe said.

Ten minutes later, they were already getting shuffled into different rooms around the residential wings.

Adeline got a big room down the third wing, and immediately she dropped her duffel bag on the bed, she saw two other beds.

Meaning she has roommates??

She momentarily froze

Her roommates will be guys, how's she gonna continue keeping her real gender from them?

She hasn't really thought about this.

But then... they'll only become her real roommates if she passes the physical trials tomorrow, right?

But one thing is for sure, she has to pass... He needs to join this clan.

She needs to train and get stronger.

She needs to.

She gathered a thick hoodie from her duffel, plus a black jean, then she entered the clean bathroom.

She made sure to lock the door before undressing.

She took off her shirt and jeans, pulling down her male boxers, then she unwrapped the bandage on her chest, freeing her boóbs.

Her boóbs aren't big__she has the smallest size, so that's a bonus.

She turned on the warm button in the shower before getting under it, letting the warm water wash away her cold, and at the same time, her mind went to how she got here.

FLASHBACK TO TWO DAYS AGO, COLORADO IN USA__ADX PRISON*

Only the sound of Adeline's harsh breaths could be heard in the small solitary cell as she did press-ups, counting and sweating like a pig.

Her limbs are already shaking, but she didn't give up nor hesitate as she did another one.

"Sixty-two!" She grunted, saliva falling from her weak mouth.

Her gorgeous golden hair is all tangled, but she managed to pull it to a low messy ponytail, and lots of strands is stuck on her nape.

Her sweat is dropping below her face, and it's forming a puddle already as she tried to do another press.

"Sixty-thr...

She couldn't finish when a cop showed up at the door.

"Inmate number 30?" He said, his eyes devoid.

Adeline fell on her face before rising to her feet, breathing hard.

Ten minutes later, she already changed from the inmate uniform, back to the clothes she wore here when she was arrested five years ago.

That's right...she has spent five years here for a crime she didn't commit. She was 20 when she got jailed, and now she's 25.

She was wondering what's going on as she walked beside the cop till they got to the main office.

"What's going on?" She questioned.

"Your release has been ordered by the federal" the cops told her, and she frowned, looking more confused.

"Why?"

"An evidence showed up that you're not really the murderer of your parents. Adeline Wilson, you're free to go" the detective told her, and tears fell from her red eyes.

Hot, piping one.

She has nothing to say.

What would she probably say?

Five years ago when she was arrested, all evidence pointed at her and there was no escape.

But now after spending five years in here, they suddenly found out she's innocent?

As she walked out of the prison building, she was crying, and as expected, no one is waiting to receive her.

She wiped her tears, and thanks to the money her senior sister sends to her monthly in jail, she was able to ride a taxi home.

The house changed a lot, and time took it's toll on the walls.

Her once happy home.

The paint is faded and scratched. Even the roof is rusty, and the doors.

It's like a ghost house.

As she pushed the door open, she let out her tears again cos the inside is a greater mess.

The roof is leaking already. Rain washed away the flooring and a lot of properties.

She immediately had a vivid remembrance of that fateful day when her parents died in cold blood, and she could see their helpless corpses lying on the ground after they vomited their intestines.

She covered her mouth to muffle her loud cries.

She had to run out of the house so she won't break down, and she was panting tearfully as she rested her palms on her knees.

"Yo! Isn't it the bîtch who killed her parents for money?" A guy passing by mocked, and she stood straight, balling her palms.

"Hey cool down! Don't murder me too! By the way you killed that outfit!" He laughed in pure mockery, going out of sight.

Adeline was about to rush down the dilapidated stairs when she saw a letter hanging by a crack on the wall.

She took it and opened with shaky fingers.

It's from Kimberly, her big sis

~I've been in Russia for three years now, at the brutal Orlov clan to get stronger. If you see this when you get out, then you might wanna come join me. We have to punish the bastard who framed you for our parents murder. The clan stopped taking females though, so you'll have to live as a boy if you're coming. I bought you a new identity as Micheal Alonso, get the details from the cyber man in the third street. He'll get you the invite and the QR code, too. See you soon, Adechka~

A sad smile painted Adeline's lips, but at least... there's hope.

Everyone sees her as a murderer here even after she has been found innocent, but she'd start all-over as a man in Russia, and she'd get stronger.

She'll reunite with her sister, too.

"I'll go. I'll definitely go" she muttered.

PRESENT TIME*★

Adeline opened her eyes under the shower, cutting off the flashback and rubbing her face, but she cringed in pains cos of the bruises caused by Malik's punches.

"That bastard" she muttered, but then it's not only him.

She also has a cut on her cheek caused by the second bastard who threw a blade at her.

She doesn't give a fûck who he is, she's wounding him back the next time they meet.

A knock sounded at the door, and she jumped.

Her roommates?

She cleared her throat before speaking in her fake male voice...

"Who's..there?"

"It's Kimberly" a low voice replied, and her eyes widened.

She quickly wrapped a towel on her body and went to open the door.

Kimberley's blue eyes came to view, and she quickly came in, locking the door before hugging Adeline so tight, stroking her trimmed hair.

"Adechka" Kimberly sobbed emotionally.

"Kimberly" Adeline sobbed too, hugging her back.

They didn't break the hug for more than three minutes, and when they broke it, they smiled. Their smiles radiated from their matching blue eyes.

"Do I look like a boy enough?" Adeline asked.

"Trust me, you do. You're a pretty boy" Kimberly smiled, palming her face.

"Now that you're here, you must pass the physical trials tomorrow" she said.

"I will, but what happens to those who won't pass it?" Adeline asked.

"Their memories of what they saw in this clan will be wiped, and they'd be thrown out, so you have to pass" Kimberly replied, and Adeline nodded.

"We have to behave like strangers publicly, right?"

"Yeah. No one must find out we're siblings. Everyone here knows my only sibling is still in jail and she's a girl. They must not find out it's you, and no one must find out you're a female. They're madly suspicious and watchful here" Kimberly said sternly, her eyes turning frigid.

"What happens if they find out I'm a female? If they find out we deceived them and I'm your sister?" Adeline asked in a low voice.

Kimberly's lips pressed before she spoke up...

"You'll be killed, by me. I'll be ordered to kill you"

Adeline went cold, choking on her own saliva.

TBC.