“Just think of it as the biggest adventure of your life.”
“That is putting all of this mildly,” she said nervously, putting her hand in his. Two could play his game. She felt like he was asking for so much more than just what he hinted at. Understatement extraordinaire. Galina noticed her hand trembled as she put it in his warm palm. His fingers curled around hers as he smiled at her confidently.
“I’ve got you my lovely little American,” he murmured. “Let me spoil you and show you everything magical that I can before reality intrudes on us. Let’s pretend that there are no borders, no one is after us. It’s just you and me.”
Nodding, she followed him to the helicopter and found herself ducking abnormally low out of sheer anxiety. The blades that soared above their heads blurred due to their speed and the rush of wind nearly knocked her over. She climbed inelegantly into the small egg-shaped glass enclosure and swallowed hard as she was buckled in by Nik.
Her hands were shaking so much she wasn’t sure she’d be able to fasten it herself. Nik sat directly beside her and immediately took her hand in his. Galina curled her arm around his as if she was wrapping herself around the only thing she felt gave her a sense of security. Glancing down, she quickly shut her eyes and began to breathe quickly as she felt a full-blown panic attack ensuing.
Don’t think about the glass bottom of the helicopter, Galina! That was not grass you saw beneath your feet. You are safe …and OMGOSH are we moving? she thought, panicked, breathing even faster with her eyes pinched tightly. As several minutes passed, she got used to the mechanical noise of the motor turning the blades above them and the movement of the helicopter. Cracking open one eye slowly, she began to release the death grip on Nik’s arm as she saw the beauty surrounding them. She saw Nik smiling warmly at her and nodding in approval.
Lake Ladoga was massive in its splendor. The water was a deep blue that was dotted with jutting rock in areas that had formed islands over time. Piney woods surrounded the lake, making it look like an idyllic scene… out of a fairy tale, she thought, as one island revealed a small castle upon it. Stunned by the view, she forgot all about her fear as she watched in sheer wonder as they flew over.
In complete shock, they started to descend as the helicopter landed almost in the middle of the fortress. A nod from the pilot had him flipping off overhead switches before he got out of the helicopter, opening the side door for Galina. She climbed out gingerly and saw Nik follow close by. He turned, handed several folded bills to the man, and grabbed a backpack off the floor of the helicopter.
“Shall we?”
“Are we supposed to be here?”
“Absolutely. This is my treat,” he said with a grin. “Let the adventure begin, right?”
“I think the adventure started a few days ago,” she muttered under her breath in truthfulness and realization. Nothing had been or felt the same since she’d waved hello to him. Her world had turned completely upside down and spun like a wild top since that very first moment they’d exchanged hellos on that park bench. They walked towards the walls of the stone fortress, feeling like the only two people in the world right now; not another soul was in sight. As they scaled the stone steps up to the wall of the parapets, Galina couldn’t help the smile on her face as she saw the paradise they were in.
“You are spoiling me,” she admitted, staring at the water below and laughing happily as she saw a seal dive into the water not far from the shore. “Just look at all of this, Nik. I don’t know what to say or think right now.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“I feel,” she breathed, seeing him lean in towards her. His lips drawing closer in almost slow motion. “I feel so…” His lips touched hers at that moment and she shut her eyes in exquisite pleasure. Warm arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace as she surrendered to the unfiltered feelings that were blossoming between them. She felt a tenderness deep in her soul that was almost encompassing.
Breaking the kiss, she lay her head on his chest and heard Nik’s heart hammering wildly under her cheek. The soft drumming made her smile as her own pulse seemed to beat in time with his. A simple kiss made her body melt and her heart soar. Surely that something so perfect couldn’t be wrong? She believed deep in her heart that they were meant to meet, that their destinies were supposed to cross.
“I am never going to be ready to say goodbye to you,” he whispered against her hair as he cradled her against him. Galina felt tears spring to her eyes at the thought of leaving or losing what precious happiness she’d found since meeting him.
“We don’t have to say goodbye yet,” she said softly. “I’ve got at least a week or two before I have to return, unless I get notification earlier for some reason. Let’s make the best of the time we have right now.”
“That is why I brought us here. I wanted to show you more of Russia, hoping that maybe it would be enough to tempt you to stay.”
“What about you coming to the States someday? I thought you wanted to travel the world and see the sights?”
“Galina, I will never be free and I know it. They’ll hold me here because of what I know and what I could do for them.”
Standing there silently in his arms, she stared out at the peaceful water, wishing it would soothe her soul. She knew deep down inside that Nik was right. The Russian Intelligence Agency would never let their greatest asset leave without securing Nik’s return somehow.
9
Galina found herself admiring Nik’s outlook and personality. He wasn’t just handsome beyond anything she’d ever seen before, but she found herself reaching for him, wanting that constant touch between them. Something as simple as holding his hand made her feel calm and grounded. They would talk about a subject and he would start to answer, grow quiet for a moment, and then respond.
It fascinated her because it was like someone who was playing a chess match mentally in his head, looking for all the angles before deciding his next move. That was part of the reason she was so flattered and amazed at the tenderness growing between them. He was careful, but with her it was like watching a queen move boldly across the chessboard.
Nik moved directly to Galina.`
She was the exact opposite of him. She was the king on the board, taking things one step at a time- in any direction she chose when she was confident. Methodical, slow and decisive – a planner. That was why she felt rushed leaving for Russia so quickly. She wanted to do her research, be ready for whatever could come at her. Nothing prepared her for the feelings she had growing towards Nik.
Pouring Galina some hot tea from a thermos, Nik handed her a sandwich that he’d had hidden away in his backpack as they took a seat on a small wooden bench. He thought of everything, and it all seemed focused on romancing her. As if he could read her thoughts, he suddenly smiled shyly at her.
“Did you wear your necklace?” She hooked her thumb under her shirt collar and held up a corner of the chain to show him she had it on. “Good. I wondered if you liked it.”
“I adore it, even if it was too much.”
“Nothing is too much when it comes to you.”
“Nik, you shouldn’t say things like that,” she admitted softly and accepted the small collapsible plastic cup from him. “We both know that I will have to go back to America soon enough and you’ll be here.”
“That’s no life anymore,” he told her. “It was fine at first, but that is like being in a room that is pitch black. When someone shines sunlight in the room, you feel the brightness and it is blinding-but it also shows any flaws that were once hidden. When the darkness comes back, you are scared and feel so alone.” He stopped and took a bite of his sandwich, looking away from her where she sat next to him. “I’m not ready and I don’t think I will ever be,” he confessed.
“I know,” she admitted. “I know it sounds crazy, but I feel so drawn to you, and its tearing me up to think that I am leaving someone that I already consider to be essential to my life, my happines
s.” Nik reached over and squeezed her hand, staring off into the distance silently.
“What if we left together?”
“Come again?” she asked, startled, thinking she might have misheard him.
“What if we left Russia together and crossed a border into another country. I think I could hide us until we had new papers drawn up or had help from your country. That is the part I can’t or don’t know how to figure. It could be days, weeks or months before we could safely travel by airplane to the United States. Until then we would be pretending to be someone else and hope that it was good enough. I could hide us digitally. Fake accounts, fake histories. It would take some time but… I could do it.”
Staring at him in shock, she was floored by what he was suggesting. He wanted to leave Russia with her and was coming up with a plan to try to escape. Nik would be a fugitive from a country he loved – and she would be an accomplice if they were caught.
“What about your mother? Your things, your car?”
“My mother has someone now and I have already set her up for life financially. The money from my apps goes directly into an account she doesn’t know about. I just have to say the word and it’s transferred into her bank account. My mother is a beautiful soul, she’d want me to be happy.”
“Would you be?”
“I think I could be if you were with me,” he admitted. “I care for you a lot, Galina.”
“Think about this,” she cautioned. “You’d never be welcomed back into Russia if you left as a fugitive. They are going to accuse you of stealing information from them and giving it to whatever country you end up in – regardless if it’s America or not. It could start a war, or what if your new home gave you back to prevent one? You’d come back a criminal with a life sentence ahead of you.”
“My precious Galina,” he said tenderly, brushing her hair back from her head. His sad, knowing blue eyes were full of awareness and knowledge of what he was suggesting. He knew the consequences and understood. “I am looking at a life sentence, if you are gone. Don’t you know that already?”
She lay her hand over his on her cheek and nodded. “I care for you too – all I am asking is for you to think about it and be sure this is what you want. I’m scared and I am certain you must be too, deep down inside. I don’t want you to have any regrets and I’m terrified you’ll blame me someday.”
“I don’t think I ever could.”
They finished their meal and walked around the fortress there. She’d never seen anything like it before and marveled at how secluded it was. The silence was broken only by a few birds calling as they flew over, and occasionally the bark of a seal in the water. It was breathtaking. Eventually the sun began to go down further and further in the sky, sending orange hues into the blue horizon.
“Nik, this has been the most beautiful, peaceful day with you – thank you.”
Nodding, he put his arm around her waist as they returned back to the helicopter where the pilot was waiting patiently. Galina saw he’d eaten his lunch and wadded it up into a small crumpled paper and was sitting in the seat of the helicopter, playing a video game on his phone.
It was much easier to get into the helicopter for Galina when she didn’t have to fear the blades overhead. As she took her seat, she felt the entire vehicle shift slightly as the massive blades began to move and pick up speed. This time, she watched the entire lift off in silent trepidation, but a bit more at ease. She still ended up clenching Nik’s arm as the air currents made the entire contraption dip and shake as it glided along, but overall she felt much more relaxed than the first flight out to the fortress. Today’s visit would be something she would never forget; in fact – she would never, ever forget the past week.
They were both silent in the car as it sped down the road. Galina wanted to ask Nik what he was thinking or if he regretted saying anything, but couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She’d not heard back from the CIA as of yet and that concerned her.
The original time frame had been weeks, then it was moved up to days. Had something happened that they needed the information immediately? She was afraid to share anything Nik had told her because she didn’t want to betray his confidences, nor jeopardize their budding relationship. She’d nearly blurted out how she felt when he admitted to being away from her was like a life sentence. She adored that about him, how wonderful and tender he was.
Lost in thought, Galina barely had time to gasp as she heard Nik’s voice suddenly exclaim a curse word in Russian just moments before the headlights of a large truck careened into the beautiful, sleek Aston Martin.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she turned to look at Nik. She saw the grill just outside of the driver side window seconds before it shattered into a million pieces, looking like a waterfall of diamonds, onto Nik. His eyes met hers and she knew this was bad. His arm flew forward in a useless attempt to hold her back in the seat as inertia moved his body into the center console hard. She saw the door frame and A-pillar near the windshield crumple as she screamed. The airbag in the steering wheel unfolded and inflated in a small cloud, covering the entire steering wheel.
Galina felt her seatbelt snap and seize, yanking her back into the seat even further as the pretensioners in the system fired off at the split-second indication that they’d been in an accident. She felt her head hit something as the expensive luxury car careened into bushes and slammed into a tree. Everything went fuzzy and dim for a moment, causing her ears to ring.
“Galina? Galina!” she heard Nik’s voice from far away before it came into focus. She turned her head to look at him and saw he was bleeding from his lip. Taking a moment, she shut her eyes and took inventory of her body. Everything ached, but nothing was broken. She had a whopper of a headache right now but seemed to be okay.
“Galina are you okay?”
“I think so, are you?”
“Yes, but that wasn’t an accident. Galina, they came out of nowhere and he flipped his headlights on right before he hit us. We’ve got to get out of the car.”
“Where’s the truck at?”
“I think it’s still on the road. If they check on us, I don’t think we should be waiting here to be found.”
“Can you move okay?”
“Yes. My side hurts but I’ll be fine. Open your door sweetheart. Mine won’t open, I already tried it.”
“Okay- Yes, it opens. How are you going to get out?”
“As soon as you move, I’m coming over the console and hope I don’t hurt something else on the shifter,” he said flatly with a bloodied smile that made him wince. “I bit my lip something fierce and you hit your poor head. I can already see a bump starting.” She reached up to touch it and he pointed. “Not yet, we’ve gotta get out first. Then I will take a look at it.”
Galina moved slowly out of the car feeling like everything was taking an extraordinary amount of effort. Nik climbed over the console and then stepped out of the car. Standing straight up, Nik put his finger up to his mouth and cupped a hand to his ear -that’s when she heard it.
Russian voices.
Nik’s own people were after him – or her. He slowly stepped forward and reached for her hand. She didn’t even question him, just blindly trusted him and followed closely behind. They moved into the darkness of the forest looking for a place to hide. As they walked, her eyes became acclimated to the darkness and faint moonlight from above, allowing her to see shadows and outlines of the shrubbery. There was nothing nearby, but off in the distance she could see lights from a city. She had no idea how far off it was, only that they couldn’t stay with the car. Nik suddenly moved to the left and crouched down blindly in a thicket, pulling her down with him into the brush.
“Shh,” he whispered in her ear and held her tight against him. They couldn’t move because any disturbance caused a twig or leaf to make a noise. She could hear them walking in the distance and one of them was injured. He was complaining about his ankle and chest hurting as he walked. Finally, t
he other man angrily told him to go back to the truck.
“They won’t get far on foot,” he said, and there was something that struck Galina as odd about his words, but she couldn’t focus right now. Her head was aching something fierce and she just wanted to snuggle against Nik’s warm arms. She shut her eyes and let the fatigue wash over her as she slipped into a light slumber.
Galina awoke hours later stiff and sore. Her headache had faded quite a bit, but the cold of the ground was seeping through her clothing as the temperatures were dropping overnight. Nik had sat there holding her across his lap for an indeterminate amount of time. She glanced up at him and winced as she heard the rustle of movement.
“I haven’t heard them for a while now,” he whispered softly. “You were sleeping and I hated to disturb you, but wasn’t sure if it was alright either. I’m a hacker, not a doctor, but I plan on taking you to one as soon as we are clear.” Galina nodded slowly and saw him wince again as he tried to smile.
“Are you okay?”
“You asked me if I was sure about escaping from Russia,” he said softly. “I am positive now. I can’t have you in danger and if something happened, there’d be no future for us.” He took her hand in his and lay it on his chest. “I want us to have a chance together someday.”
“I do too.”
“When we get back, I will start making arrangements as soon as possible.” She nodded, unsure and afraid. Fleeing a country was never something she’d ever imagined. She didn’t know where they would end up, only that the idea of never seeing Nik again hurt worse than the ache in her head.
It tore at her heart.
Spying on the Billionaire Page 8