by Sara Schoen
“No one here has ever seen your skills. Just use that to your advantage. They’ll be looking for you, and that may give us the break we need to get Natasha out. Focus on just staying out of sight. The more time they spend focusing on where you could be, the better. You stay hidden, then make noise somewhere else, and get yourself out. We can work with it from there. We have plenty of time, just use it wisely.”
“That won’t be a problem,” I said, confidence supporting my words. “I’ll make sure they never realize what hit them.”
“Especially if they’re focused on your decoys,” Demon stated with a smirk. “Just don’t get shot this time. Save me the trouble of having to take you to a hospital again.”
“Right,” I groaned, letting the venom lace my words. I knew the quip had been meant to loosen the tight noose around my neck, but it failed. I knew what was on the line, and no matter how much Demon joked around with me I knew it was more than just my life on the line. I had to remain focused, even if it meant putting slight pressure on me. “You just can’t let that one slide, can you?”
“No, I can’t.” His words were curt, turning serious as he looked at me again. “Just be prepared if this doesn’t go well, and remember our agreement. No matter what happens, we stick to that.”
I saw him tense, and knew what he was referring to. Last night we discussed what I should do if something went wrong. I knew Demon didn’t like it, but it had to happen. I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy in-and-out mission. Something in me knew just what I was up against and that I would need more time than I had.
“If I fall behind, then follow protocol and leave me behind.” My voice was steady, even though the thought alone scared me. “Don’t put them on a plane and come back for me, Demon. You have to go with them. Katya won’t listen to anyone but you, and I’ve already told her to follow what I say. That means responsibility falls on you if I can’t make it out.”
“I’m not leaving you behind,” Demon had urged. “I didn’t leave you behind at Sandtown and I went to retrieve you when you went after Ash Crest. I saved you then, and I would do it again. I won’t leave you for dead. I’m not Renegade.”
The words had cut me deep, and I knew he did it on purpose. “I’m not saying you are, but Renegade was right to leave me. I’m just asking you to do the same and save them. I’ll get out just like I did in Mexico. Just promise me you’ll follow protocol.” It physically hurt me to ask him to leave me behind, but I knew he wouldn’t unless I said it was okay. I needed to know we hadn’t wasted our time only for them all to race back to save me. I needed to know he would be safe, and I’d handle myself from there.
“You don’t have a choice, Demon. You have to leave me. Come back for me later, but make sure they’re safe and out of here before you do. I don’t want us all caught—then all of this was for nothing.”
“Fine,” he had finally, but reluctantly agreed. “But only if you do the same if roles end up reversed.”
I tensed. I knew that I wouldn’t leave him behind. It wasn’t in me to leave a teammate behind, but if I had to agree to make sure he took care of Katya and Natasha, I would. He had no chance of being caught, it fell on me. So I agreed.
“If you fall behind, I’ll save the girls and come back once they’re safe.”
He nodded, accepting my answer before offering me a smile. “Now, let’s get this done so we can all go home and take a well-deserved rest. Then maybe you and Renegade can work out whatever is eating you two alive, and I know it’s not that he left you in Mexico if you’re saying he did the right thing now.”
“I’m not saying that,” I started. I didn’t want to admit to Demon that I had lied to him, and said what I needed to so he would agree to do what was needed for the mission, but maybe he was right. I knew my anger stemmed from something other than Renegade’s choice to leave me. I knew it came from my holding in the secret that connected us. I was lashing out with the anger I knew he’d force upon me if he learned the truth. I just didn’t think I could tell him, fearing his anger and resentment, not that I’d tell Demon that. “I’m saying he did was ordered of him. Not that he did the right thing to leave a teammate behind. That’s why I’m discussing it with you now in case the problem arises. I don’t want you to question it.”
“I won’t,” he promised as Seeker cried out that it was time for us to go. It was going to take time to get to the compound so we better move to give us the most time possible. Not that we needed it, but it was better safe than sorry.
Chapter 21
Demon and I arrived at the warehouse a little behind schedule, currently crouched in the thickest part of the surrounding foliage to remain hidden. We wanted to arrive before whoever Volodya had sent after us came back, but failed. We wanted to be on the safe side until we had Natasha in hand, which meant Seeker had dropped Demon and I off about a mile from the compound. The snowfall had accumulated since I had last ventured here, making it difficult to move. It would only cause more problems when I attempted to make it into the compound as well, slowing my movements and leaving tracks wherever I went.
“You’ll just have to deal with it, there’s nothing we can do about the weather,” Demon said as he placed a hand on my shoulder for comfort. “We’ll keep low until we see trouble starting or see you coming back out. Remember, we won’t be far, so if you need help be sure to signal us. I can come right away.”
“And leave Seeker with Katya again?” I asked, remembering the grimace that had passed between Katya and Seeker when Demon announced he was coming with me. He wanted to be sure that I got in without an issue, and then would rejoin them, but keep a close eye out for any sign of trouble. He’d be back if I needed him. I just hoped he remembered our deal. “They both looked so pleased to realize they had to play nice for a while.”
“I can’t help that they don’t get along. He’s blunt, and I don’t think she’s had someone treat her like that in her life. It must come as a shock.”
“I’m glad he did, though,” I replied, shaking my head at Katya’s unacceptable suggestion. “I can’t believe she tried to come along with us in the first place. I don’t care what she put in that note to her sister; I wasn’t taking her with me. I have enough to worry about without her trying to tag along. Seeker better keep a close eye on her.”
I turned my gaze toward him to let him know I meant every word of it. She tried to give me an ultimatum on the way here, she just had to drop one more bomb before I could get out of the car, but I wouldn’t give in as Sharp Shooter had. The sheer attempt she made infuriated me, especially after we discussed that I would get her out on my own. She had been waiting until the last possible moment to drop that little bit of information, hoping I’d have to take her with me. Too bad it backfired on her. She wouldn’t be coming with me.
“You said what?” I had all but screamed when she told me what was in the letter to her sister. “You did not tell her that.” The words had come off as more of a threat, almost daring her to correct me. “How stupid are you?”
Of course at that time Demon had told me to calm down, but that didn’t seem possible. My blood had come to a boil, and the fire coursing through me only heated up as I remembered her words. I told her I’d be coming with you to save her. That’s how she would know to trust you. You have to take me with you or she won’t come willingly. I had seen the same gleam in her eye that I had noticed back at CIRA, the one that said she knew she would get her way. Though she didn’t have a chance when it came to me, especially after she hid it from me for so long.
“Not only will you not be coming with me to get your sister, if I so much as find out that you left this car, I’ll get you both put in separate areas and you’ll never see her again. You just made this so much harder, because I can’t risk taking you into that building. I couldn’t even make it through the first time, and somehow you expect me to add you onto the list of things I need to worry about? Well, I have no qualms telling you that you’re wrong, and you’re stuck i
n this car. Now I have to find some way to get our sister to trust me, while avoiding the guards, your father, the cameras, and navigating an unfamiliar building. Congratulations. You probably just sent your sister and I to our deaths, but don’t worry, I won’t have you join us.”
My words had been ice cold, chilling, even to me, but I meant them. I stood by my choice, and decided that if Natasha didn’t trust me, I’d drag her out with a gag if I had to. Then I’d deal with Katya later, if Seeker didn’t kill her first. He had been just as angered by her actions as I had been. She had put all of our lives on the line with her reckless behavior, and while I saw a little of myself in her, I would never risk more lives than necessary.
“Seeker better keep her in check. I don’t want her coming in here and getting us all killed before I even have a chance to find Natasha, let alone save her.”
“He will,” Demon promised. “And when I get back, I’ll be there to do the same. Don’t worry, she won’t be interrupting, whatever you have planned. She’ll be tied down to the car seat if needed.”
I smiled, holding back a laugh. Maybe then she couldn’t sneak out and mess everything up for me. I knew she would try if she was given half a chance because I would do the same thing in her place. The only difference is that I was trained and could handle whatever I got myself into. She couldn’t. “I’d like to see that, actually.”
Demon was about to speak, the smirk on his face telling me it would have been a joke to ease the mood, but something else caught his attention. “Wait, look,” he instructed, pointing off in the distance.
I squinted, straining to see what he saw. I could make out the outline of a black car, in contrast to the perfectly white snow, coming toward us. Instinctively, I lowered myself a little closer to the ground to stay hidden from view as the car pulled up to the compound. A group of guards approached from the large building, guns at the ready in case someone unwanted decided to make an appearance.
Don’t worry, boys, you’ll see me soon, I thought with a mischievous smile as the car came to a full stop and was instantly surrounded by the guards.
Two men proceeded to get out of the driver and passenger’s sides. I noticed Nikolai’s familiar face as he turned to have a brief discussion with the men surrounding the vehicle. The other man had gone to open the back door to let the other passengers out. It didn’t take long for two large boots to step out of the car and walk around the door. Volodya patted the man on the shoulder and let out a laugh while stroking the beard that took up his face. He was a hefty man, he probably needed it to survive in the cold temperatures around here, and wore a thick coat.
“There,” Demon said, pointing to Volodya. “That’s Natasha.”
I craned my neck to get a better look, but Volodya blocked the smaller person from my view. I could see her boots treading lightly around Volodya until she came into view, eerily looking a lot like Katya. Her brown hair was slightly shorter, but the features of her face, even the high cheek bones, looked the same. She looked like a younger version of Katya. They were unmistakably sisters.
Natasha looked around, taking in the large concrete and metal warehouse before her. I could see the fear etched in her features. She knew that coming here meant nothing good, and depending if Katya put any other extra details, then Natasha may know what would come from her visit today. If her dad had his way, she’d be taken out, but not until she and Katya were both in his possession. He needed one to get the other, and he knew it.
“What do you think is in her backpack?” Demon questioned, noting the black bag on Natasha’s back.
“I hope it’s clothes or something, but since I don’t know for sure what Katya told Natasha in her note, I can’t be sure.” My eyes narrowed in anger. Katya had refused to divulge what else she put in the note when I said I wouldn’t take her with me. I didn’t need to know. I could live without knowing and had a better chance of living if I left her behind. I just didn’t want to give Katya another bargaining chip. “For all I know she could have a weapon in there to blow my head off if I don’t show up with Katya. It is Russia, after all.”
Demon chuckled, finding my stereotyping funny. I knew Katya wouldn’t have appreciated the comment, but Demon had a sense of humor for things like that. My eyes closed as I took his laugh as a breath of relief, letting my body relax slightly. I hadn’t even noticed how tense I was, ready to spring into action if needed until my muscles eased. Giving myself a moment, as Rum had instructed me to do before missions to clear my mind, I let everything wash away, coming to focus on the job at hand—saving Natasha and making it out alive.
As I tried to focus, a pang of anxiety went through me. My stomach tightened and threatened to double me over as I was overtaken by a sick feeling. The feeling vanished as I calmed my mind, replaying Rum’s advice from training. Clear your mind of everything except the matter at hand. Anything else is a distraction. Focus, pay attention, and most importantly, survive. I felt a calm wave wash over me, letting me breathe easily again before Demon called to me.
“Night Stripe, it’s time.”
I opened my eyes, renewed with focus and determination, to see the guards surrounding Natasha and Volodya. I swallowed the sickness as it came back up, but it didn’t help, the foreboding feeling wouldn’t waver. I would have to push it back and focus. There wasn’t another way, I needed to go now and follow after them.
“I’ll see you soon,” I said as I got up and followed after the guards. With them leading Volodya, no one would be sweeping until after they were safely in the building. It was now or never.
They slipped inside and I quickly followed them. I managed to squeeze in as the heavy metal door slowly closed, slamming shut behind me. I met a familiar scene of metal walkways, open areas, and guards. I took a deep breath and prayed the bad feeling would go away. I was trapped now, and the only way out was to finish my mission.
Chapter 22
I managed to find a place to lay low while I got oriented to the warehouse and Volodya talked to a few of the guards he had come in with. I could hear his voice bouncing off the walls. They were mostly concrete with a few metal doors to secure whatever they kept in the rooms, but it didn’t save me any trouble. I couldn’t understand anything Volodya said, one guard constantly hovered over Natasha, and if I lost them I knew the concrete walls lined hallways upon hallways, either leading to dead ends or office spaces. I would have to follow them closely and pray that I didn’t get caught up in trying to stay out of sight and lose them.
I managed to do just that as I tried to keep up with Natasha and Volodya, but they walked easily through the compound, following hallways, climbing stairs, and appearing before other people without a care in the world. My approach had to be a little more subtle. I couldn’t show myself, so I was constantly darting through the halls looking for another place to hide so I could tail after them.
A few extraneous guards moved past them while I followed, but it seemed as if Volodya was surrounded by who he needed and the others were elsewhere. Too bad that small favor he provided would vanish the second I stepped out of his shadow. I’d be on my own, all while trying to control someone else’s actions. That never went well. It was impossible to control another person fully, no matter if they knew you were helping them or not. Everyone reacted differently, and I couldn’t tell how Natasha would act when it came time to run. Without Katya, I wasn’t sure if she would even trust me enough to come with me.
I silently cursed Katya again. She just had to make my job more difficult than it already was.
Volodya turned around, causing me to slide back behind a corner. I was out of his sight, but now I was in the open for others to discover me. I could hear him question his guards, whether to see if they had seen anything or not I couldn’t be sure, but it became clear as I heard footsteps approaching. From the sound of the voices bouncing off the walls, it had to be two young men. Their footsteps edged closer, and I glanced around for a better place to hide. They would soon turn the corner and
find me. I hadn’t even made it to Natasha yet, I was not about to fail now.
The welcome sight of storage rack across the hall and a little behind me gave me a new hope. I took off at a run and quickly slid under the metal rack, concealed from view due to the boxes and equipment on the top shelves. They would have to look down and under to find me, and I had learned early on while young workers had a lot to prove, they were the easiest to avoid. They weren’t as thorough as the older men. They didn’t have experience to tell them where to look or what to watch out for.
I’d be their first lesson, I thought, letting a mischievous smile curve onto my lips as they came around the corner.
I couldn’t see above the waist on them from my hiding spot so I watched their feet. They split up, one coming down the hall I was in and the other continuing the search further down. Whoever came down this hall walked right past me. His deep voice filled my ears as he called to his friend, most likely to say that he had found nothing. I glanced over my shoulder to see his pace had slowed, he was idly tapping his hand on his leg. He seemed to be counting, as if there was an acceptable amount of time for him to look before returning back to Volodya.
He counted upwards of one hundred, according to my count, before he turned to walk back from where he had come. I took soft breath of relief, each second that had passed while he counted had let the anticipation build up until it had become almost unbearable. My pulse was still racing as he once again met up with his friend and they turned back to see Volodya.
I waited a few moments before I slowly moved out from my hiding spot and crouched down behind the wall again. Peeking around the corner, I could see the two men who had been sent to look for me, but not Volodya or Natasha. Gritting my teeth to prevent a growl of annoyance to escape my lips, I raced after the two men as quietly as I could. Quickening my pace as they rounded another corner—they were heading right to the drop off room where I would meet Demon should I need him. At least I knew where I was, it would save me a lot of trouble should I need a quick place to hide besides behind walls and boxes or under racks and tables.