The frozen silence of the taiga shattered as a deafening gunshot cracked through the pine trees, cutting off the young girl's breath. She collapsed into the pristine white powder, a bright crimson stain blooming rapidly across her winter coat and the pristine snow. Before the gunman could even lower his smoking weapon, a towering figure surged forward from the thick brush. Annette moved like a blizzard, her face a mask of absolute fury. The heavy iron blade of her felling axe caught the pale winter sun as it swung downward in a vicious, unstoppable arc. It buried itself deep into the attacker's collarbone with a sickening crunch, killing him instantly before his body slumped into the drift. Yanking the heavy tool free, the tall Russian woman let it rest against her thigh, her hot breath pluming into the freezing air as her sharp eyes scanned the tree line for more threats.

Masha looked up into the canopy of snow-laden pines, her breathing shallow and ragged, but a faint, defiant smile touched her lips. "You... you always make a grand entrance." "Don't talk, save your strength," The elder sister choked out, pressing her thick woolen mittens desperately against the wound to stem the bleeding, while Annette stepped closer, her imposing shadow falling over them like a fortress against the desolate Russian wilderness.