The subject of the story, Ilonya Gorky, was interviewed in 1950 where she was employed as a hostess and pianist in a Hong Kong international cafe. At the time she was 25 years old, a descendant of White Russian parents who had fled the Soviet Union at the end of the revolution in Russia.

For Ilonya her story began in 1917, eight years before she was born. Her father had been in the service of the Grand Duke Alexis. When the Bolsheviks wrestled control of the government from the moderate Kerensky, they began a series of blood pogroms. Most of the people did not realize the cruelty disclosed by the Bolsheviks. There's was not a simple case of standing their victims against the wall and shooting them down.

The Reds had other ways to kill. There was the knout. Fifty strokes of the whip would flay the flesh off a woman's back, leaving her a pulsating glob of gore. They found uses for ground glass on and inside a woman's body that would not be imaginable by civilized people.

Those who disagreed with the new regime, who were fortunate enough to survive the first onslaught of their terror, and wealthy enough to buy their way out, fled over the Russian borders to safety. The lucky ones headed west. The lived dissolute lives as White Russian Noblemen. They pitied themselves for having to take on what they considered servile duties as waiters, doormen, and chambermaids.

Ilonya's family escaped to the east settling in Manchuria. After Russia's October Socialist Revolution in November 1917, more than 100,000 defeated Russian White Guards and refugees retreated to Harbin They set up their new expatriate home in Harbin, 200 kilometers inland from the Chinese/Korean/Russian Pacific coast and 3500 kilometers north of Hong Kong

Soon after arriving Ilonya's family situation once again began to deteriorate. The Republic of China discontinued diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1920, so many Russians found themselves stateless. When the Chinese warlord Zhang Xueliang seized the Chinese Eastern Railway in Manchuria during 1929 a Soviet military force injected itself into the region to violently put an end to the takeover and force the Nationalist Chinese to accept restoration of joint Soviet-Chinese administration of the railway. This intrusion by the Soviets led to an increase in Chinese attacks upon White Russians in Harbin.

Less than two years later Japan invaded Manchuria in September 1931. After the Japanese captured Qiqihar a Japanese Brigade moved toward Harbin, closing in from the west and south. Bombing and strafing by Japanese aircraft forced the Chinese army to retreat fromHarbin. Within a few hours the Japanese occupation of Harbin was complete.

With the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo, volunteer armies continued to fight the Japanese. Harbin became a major operations base for the infamous medical experimenters of Unit 731, which killed people of all ages and ethnicities. All these units were known collectively as the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army. The main facility of the Unit 731 was built in 1935 at Pingfang District, approximately 24 kilometers south of Harbin. Between 3,000 and 12,000 citizens including men, women, and children were provided by the Kempeitai. Almost all of these captives died during the human experimentation conducted by Unit 731 at the camp based in Pingfang. More than 30 percent of the victims were Russian civilians.

The most hideous of these experiments included human targets used to test grenades positioned at various distances and in different positions. Flame throwers were tested on captive Russian young women. The helpless girls were tied to stakes and used as targets to test germ-releasing bombs, chemical weapons, and explosive bombs as well as targets for training Japanese soldiers wound inflicting techniques used during bayonet charges.

In 1917 the newly arrived immigrants found life for the Russian families was harsh at first, but the colony of White Russians was so thankful to be away from the dreaded Red assassins that they did not complain. At least here, they would be able to raise their families in relative safety - or so they thought.

They failed to recognize the abiding cruelty of the Oriental temperament. When Ilonya was less than five years old she watched in horror as a group of Chinese bandits beheaded her father in the streets of Harbin and then took turns raping her beautiful mother to death. The little girl with her younger sister in tow walked hand in hand away from the gruesome scene.

Her writhing mother lay nude in the street, her blood splattered legs spread wide, one arm thrown over her face as if to shield her from the sight of her Chinese leering attackers. It had taken her mother far too long to die. Her screams and cries faded to pitiful moans and whimpers before she fell silent. Ilonya's father's head was kicked back and forth by the bandits like a grotesque soccer ball. The two small children were left to wander off on their own holding no value to the bandits.

Chang Kai Shek had been a power in China since driving the communists into Mongolia in 1928. He consolidated his power by waging war against the Manchurian bandits with brutal efficiency. During the early years of her life Ilonya attended public executions where the offender was bound hand and foot in the street. A government soldier stood over the captive with a huge sword. There would come a sudden whoosh of air and the spurting of blood from severed arteries. Then the head of the victim would be nailed to a pole for all to see until the face turned black.

The situation did not get any better when in 1937, when Ilonya was only twelve years old, the Japanese Imperial Marines moved upon the civilians of Harbin. The girl witnessed Japanese retribution when a young White Russian woman named Natasha Skolnik was accused of having given medical aid to a Chinese officer. The officer had led a counter attack on the village and had been wounded in the process.

Everyone in town was assembled in the main square where Natasha was paraded before the witnesses. Her arms were bound behind her and a rope halter thrown over her neck. The Japanese officer in charge made her kneel in the sun for hours on pointed blocks of wood. Natasha writhed and groaned in pain. She pleaded for mercy while her eyes interweaved streaks of tears across her cheeks. When one of the townspeople, a scholarly looking Chinese man tried to place a bowl of water where Natasha could drink, the Japanese surrounded him and beat him to death with their rifle butts.

They then turned their rage on Natasha. "So the woman spy is thirsty!" the officer in charge shouted. Giving his soldiers orders in Japanese he watched as Natasha was knocked to the ground and spread-eagled to pegs. A funnel was shoved into her mouth and greasy looking water from a five gallon petrol can was poured down her throat. Quickly Natasha's belly swelled until she looked as if she was pregnant. Then the Japanese began jumping up and down on her stomach. The tortures kept her alive for days, just barely, as if to demonstrate just how much punishment she could absorb and still remain sensitive to pain.

Somehow Ilonya and her sister continued to survive the horrors of Japanese occupation. They learned how to not offend the oppressors always hoping for some final salvation from the hell that had become their lives. As the second world war raged on, the attitude of the Japanese gradually changed towards the Russian community. By late 1944 the Japanese became quite proper when dealing with Europeans in Harbin. Even the food rations were increased and they were no longer subjected to the terror of earlier days. The Japanese did continue to treat the Chinese citizens with cruelty and savagery until one day late in the summer of 1945 a Japanese column in full field pack marched out of Harbin.

There was a remarkable celebration in the city with the Japanese surrender. At last Ilonya and her sister were safe and free. Late that year Beautiful Ilonya, aged 20, married 24 year old shop keeper Joseph Brodsky, a young man she had known as a friend even before she leftRussia. They had endured numerous similar anguishing moments during their young lives and found happiness and love in each others arms.

Ilonya's 17 year old sister Tanya was blossoming into beautiful womanhood. Her long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes caught the attention of many of Harbin's young men. The two girls were very close and spent many evenings discussing their plans. Tanya wanted to leave Harbin and explore the world but Ilonya's witnessing of nothing but brutality, during her most formative years, made the thought of moving terrifying to her. She convince her sister to stay in Harbin where she thought they would be safe.

That changed when a unit of the Chinese Peoples Third Army under command of Major Chi Wung marched into Harbin. When his soldiers hung banners and portraits of Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong the Russian expatriates were not overly concerned. They were to find that there was reason to be apprehensive.

The Communist major had loathsome feelings toward the Russian community from the very start. He had been sent to Russia to study the techniques of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del) M.V.D. While in Moscow he became aware of the Russian Revolution in 1917. The accounts of the Bolsheviks' activates triggered a latent sadism within the major.

He saw himself as one of the leaders of the revolution who could bring retribution to the Czarist wastrels who fled from Russia and Communism. Now that he was in charge in Harbin he planned to make the European settlement suffer for the fact that their parents and grandparents had been successful in fleeing their motherland.

Major Chi was particularly violent towards the men within the city. He would spit on them if they did not move quickly enough out of his way. His hand would gesticulate wildly in readily understood obscenities against anyone who crossed his path.

Ilonya, her husband and pretty Tanya saw indications of his sadistic nature in his actions with his troops. He would set up a series of straw dummies in the walled pagoda he occupied. It stimulated his perversity to think that his men carried out their bayonet training in the gardens where Chinese peasants had once offered their evening prayers. Chi shouted that the Chinese could now only pray to Mao. Hour after hour, Chi's men would race at the straw dummies and plunge their bayonets through the shredded straw. The Major of the Peoples Third Army stood stiff and intent watching the demonstration. He never seemed to tire of it.

Soon Chi's interest turned to the small shop owned by Joseph Brodsky. The Red officer patronized the shop frequently. The shadow of Major Chi began to hang over Joseph like a cloud. One day Joseph got into a heated argument with Chi. Joseph was angry and would not back down to the brutal Communist. The major watched him through narrowed eyes. His expression was inscrutable. Then suddenly his face broke into an evil smile. Glancing at Ilonya who stood behind the counter Chi murmured, "Comrade Brodsky you have a most attractive wife". With that he turned on his heal and walked out of the shop. Two days later several soldiers came and took Joseph away to Chi's pagoda.

For days Ilonya could barely contain herself. Her husbands disappearance was another terrifying experience to her. Tanya understood her older sister's fearfulness and stayed with her constantly to comfort her. The two women talked about the danger of searching for Joseph, waiting for days until they could no longer stand the anxiety. The women decided to visit Major Chi's pagoda the next day. It was a decision they would regret for the rest of their lives.

Ilonya and her sister were kept waiting in the pagoda's anteroom for several hours before two uniformed soldiers ushered them into Major Chi's private quarters. The major sat behind his desk. His skin stretched as tight as parchment across his skull. He smiled when he saw the two blonde beauties. Both of the women could see that the smile hid evil incarnate.

Chi did not bother with pleasantries. "You have come seeking Comrade Brodsky?" he demanded. "My husband has disappeared," explained Ilonya. "Perhaps he has found another woman?" "I resent your attitude toward my sister, major," young Tanya retorted. "Ah, so little one." snarled Major Chi. Looking back directly at Ilonya he inquired, "What would you do for your lost husband, madam comrade?"

Tanya shot a glance of warning at her older sister. Although she was several years younger she had a wisdom far beyond her years. She could see that the major was setting a trap for her older sister. Not seeing it coming Ilonya answered his question honestly, "I would give up my very life for him." Just barely suppressing his evil grin the major reacted, "And your bourgeois honor?" Shocked by his words Ilonya did not answer.

"Your young sister will wait here, Madame Comrade. You will accompany me. We will see just how deep your love is for your husband." "Take me to him!" demanded Ilonya. "that is out of the question. But you will accompany me. It took two guards to hold Tanya in check while her sister was dragged away by her long blonde hair.

Ilonya was wrestled into Chi's bedchamber by several soldiers. They showed her no courtesy or mercy as she was manhandled onto the large bed. The overwhelmed woman fought her assailants with all her strength to no avail. Her short skirt was ripped apart to her hip while her blouse was being torn away from her upper body. She screamed out in anguish as her breasts were exposed the their evil gaze.

Thrown onto her back on the bed her hands and feet were effectively disabled at each bedpost. Chi now loomed in close to the writhing blonde. He was slowly disrobing while he watched his men strip and disable his prize. Once the girl was secured, Chi motioned to the men to leave him alone with the girl.

Ilonya fought to break her bonds as Chi climbed atop her supine body. His hands played upon her soft body, fondling and probing her breasts, slender waist and between her thrashing thighs. Tangling his fist in her sheer panties he ripped them off her undulating hips exposing her pale furred labia. Ilonya screamed and cried out begging the major to stop.

Chi's sadistic demeanor responding by slapping and backhanding the blonde woman again and again. Her head snapped back and forth as the blows landed with devastating results. The fury and ferocity of his punches shocked and quieted Ilonya as her head began to spin. Centering his banana shaped penis between her thighs the major poked the thick shaft at the split crevice between her legs.

Leaning forward the major's face pressed into the girl's tousled blonde hair. His nostrils filled with her sweet scent. His hips reared back and then with a savage thrust bore down into her tight dry gentiles. Ilonya's shriek echoed about the room as he plunged and retreated with increasing violence burrowing and wedging into her tender womb.

Using his oriental mind control training Chi was able to hold off his climax for an enormous amount of time. Sawing continuously into the battered and wounded girl Chi fought off his own satisfaction while simultaneously torturing the beautiful girl beneath him. His hands mauled and scratched at her faultless breasts while he bit and chewed at her face and neck with is yellow crooked teeth. Be the time he had exhausted himself on the girl she bled from a number of wounds across her soft body and face. His punishing battering of her cervix ripped apart the tender membranes leaving a splatter of blood and gore behind to stain her slender thighs.

The girl remained conscious throughout her ordeal. When Chi was finished with her he tossed what remained of her clothing at her and strode from the room. Ilonya heard the click of the door locking behind him. At that moment she realized that she was to become his slave.

A new terror gripped the defeated girl. Not only did she fear for her husband, but little Tanya was in his grasp as well. When the guard brought her some food later that day, she demanded to know what had happened to Tanya. They left the room without uttering a word,

Chi returned over and over again, He made Ilonya do things that no woman should be forced into. The man was a maniac of the worst kind. When she pleaded with Chi to take her to her husband, he laughed at her. When she asked about her sister his spit on her.

Her living hell continued for days. Then one morning when the guards came, they carried Russian made rifles with them. The glint of their bayonets shone in the light which shone through a slanted narrow window in the room. Silently the soldiers prodded her out of the room.

Ilonya was aware of Oriental execution techniques. She expected to be read a bill of particulars citing her crimes and then she would be handed by the neck and then shot. Her expectations were wrong. Even now with all she had suffered she did not fully grasp the situation she had fallen into.

Prodded along by the bayonet wielding soldiers Ilonya was marched into the pagoda's courtyard. Looking around the yard Ilonya's blood suddenly ran cold. She screamed in horror at the sight she beheld. Little Tanya had been bound to one of the straw dummies used for bayonet practice. The beautiful young girl's legs were spread wide showing the soft flesh of her thighs where her skirt had been ripped away. Her young breasts were virtually uncovered, her blouse dangling in tatters at her narrow waist.

Before she could catch her breath for another scream, the soldiers seized her arms and twisted them behind her. A knee was forced into her back forcing her forward. One of the Red soldiers held a coil of rope in his hands. He watched the slender blonde as if mesmerized. Pinching, probing hands maneuvered the girl so that her back was jammed tight against the remaining straw dummy. The dummy's course burlap and rough straw abraded her soft flesh.

The savagery with which the soldiers applied the binding cords to her trembling limbs tore squeals of pain from her breathless lungs. When the soldiers were finished Ilonya was unable to move more than her head. Major Chi moved in close to Ilonya, his malevolent smile, which never seemed to leave, smeared evilly across his face. Unhurriedly he tested the ropes holding Ilonya to the straw dummy. With relish he tugged at the cords until they all but disappeared into her flesh.

"We have brought you two together, comrade traitors so that we may reach an understanding. Madam Comrade Brodsky, I have found your sister most uncooperative. She in not properly motivated. You follow my orders because you believe that by doing so you will help your husband. Now the young woman called Tanya must be taught that her continuing recalcitrant behavior might work to your disadvantage."

"It is likely that both of you have heard of the death of a thousand cuts. This morning I have arranged a little demonstration. Today you both will receive the first phase of this technique. The practice will bring you much more pain than either of you can now comprehend. That will not soon be the case. Never forget from this moment forward you will each have the fate of your sister squarely in your hands.

Should either of you offend me in the slightest, the other will brought back to this garden courtyard. The bayonets will caress and puncture your soft bodies. Where they slice blood will course. The hours here will pass slowly as will the days and perhaps weeks. I can tell you that each second will be, to you, and unendurable eon.

Both blonde women screamed simultaneously as the soldiers moved in, The glistening tips of their bayonets were held poised against the flatness of each girl's soft smooth belly. Ilonya felt the first cold prick of the razor sharp tip as it forced into her flesh. She tried to steel herself against the pain but the agony soon overcame her effort. Lashed tight to the dummy she was left with no way of escaping the plunging blade. Trickles of blood soon ran down the smoothness of her skin.

Behind her, Ilonya could hear Tanya's outraged scream. She knew that her little sister was suffering every awful sensation she was experiencing. For almost an hour the two beauties were sliced and gouged by the ravaging bayonets. Near the end of their torture the screams that had started high pitched and loud had faded to barely audible moans and gasps.

When Chi was finished with the young women he had Ilonya returned to her locked room. She was left alone their for the next two nights. Weeping softly in her pain and distress she could hear, coming from somewhere in the pagoda, a continuing crescendo of high pitched shrieks. She knew that Chi had turned his attention to the defilement of Tanya.

Ilonya remained locked away. When she dozed her dreams were of Joseph and Tanya. She knew that she was being used as bait to insure that Tanya would do Chi's immoral and perverted bidding. Weeks or months later, in her depressed stupor she could not tell, the pagoda was raided by Nationalist Chinese who helped her escape to safety. She eventually made her way to Hong Kong.

There is no way of finding what happened to either Joseph or Tanya. Chi survived the Nationalist attack and returned later to Harbin when the Communists finally prevailed in 1949. He is certain to have finished what he started. The Harbin women and girls of Russian and European extraction would give Chi's sadism splendid opportunity to find full satisfaction.