ENCOUNTER
DISCLAIMER: DEBS belongs to Angela Robinson. Not to me.
SUMMARY: A very different beginning. A very different relationship.
ONWARDS:
ONE: ENTHUSIASTIC
In a trendy, but discreet restaurant, Les Deux Amours, a young woman sat at a round table, sipping white champagne. She casually glanced towards the door as it swung open, but sighed in disgust as a man and woman entered, arm in arm. A quick glance at her watch told her that she'd been sitting at the table, alone, for the better part of an hour. Considering that she'd been late by almost half an hour, it meant that her blind date, Ninotchka Kaprova, was definitely standing her up.
All in all, not a great date.
The cob, however, had been excellent.
She signalled to a passing waiter, who nodded his head and walked to the bar. Moments later he returned with a leather billfold. Without bothering to look, she slipped a credit card inside the leather, and handed it to the young man.
Before the waiter had a chance to return however, the door once more opened.
Lucy Diamond looked cautiously at the young woman. The photograph hadn't done her justice at all. Tall, lean and leggy, Ninotchka looked more like a Russian ballerina, rather than the assassin that she truly was. She was dressed in a low-cut white shirt and tight black pants, her high-heeled shoes only adding to her already impressive height.
The blonde's eyes met Lucy's, and she walked gracefully to the table. Lucy stood and found her hand captured by the Russian's.
"Miz Diamond, I must to apologise," came the heavily accented English. "The traffic in this city is, how you say...for shit?"
Lucy couldn't help but grin.
"I know how that can be," Lucy said. "I'm sorry to say I've eaten already, but...perhaps you'd care to order?"
Ninotchka smiled and nodded, and Lucy graciously pulled out the blonde's seat, and carefully pushed it in. She signalled for the return of the waiter, and asked for a menu.
"No menu," Ninotchka said. "First, a vodka. Then, a light salad. I am afraid that driving has corrupted my appetite."
The waiter noted the order on his pad, and returned to the kitchen.
Lucy and Ninotchka sat for a moment, the silence surprisingly comfortable.
"I vas surprised to be contacted by your..." Ninotchka trailed off, prompting Lucy to fill in the blank.
"Ah, that was Scud," Lucy admitted, her cheeks flushing a light pink. "I'm sorry if he was...weird."
"Not veird, just...secretive," the Russian replied. "He vould not give much in details."
Lucy shrugged and gave her most charming smile. "Well, sometimes the less you tell, the more that can be revealed."
"True," Ninotchka responded.
Lucy couldn't help but smile at the sound of the rolled 'r' that came from the woman opposite her. She had a feeling she could listen to her for a long time. She only wished that her name had an 'r' so she could hear the woman say it.
"So...perhaps you could tell me, da?"
Lucy felt a little caught. This wouldn't be the first time that her second-in-command had failed to communicate to a beautiful woman that the scheduled meet was a 'date' more than a job.
Lucy was saved from replying by the waiter's timely return with a glass of vodka. Ninotchka took it gratefully and drank deeply. She exhaled sharply and smiled.
"True Russian Vodka," she complimented. "So few American's care about quality these days. Vhich is vhat I admire about you Miz Diamond...you certainly care about quality."
"I only have the very best," Lucy assured.
"So...the job? Who, vhy and vhen?"
Lucy's eyes twinkled a little. "Who said there was a job?" she asked. "Can't two women just...get to know each other a little? Over a nice dinner, some wine...or vodka. Just to...talk?"
Lucy wondered if Ninotchka's eyes would actually fall out. The assassin recovered gracefully, though she tipped what was left of the vodka down her throat.
"Your Scud left that part of the conversation out," Ninotchka said.
"My Scud often does," Lucy laughed.
Ninotchka smiled tentatively. "Alright. Vell...vhat vould you vish to talk about?"
"Well...tell me about you. How long have you been an assassin?" Lucy asked, leaning her chin on her hand, her elbow resting on the table.
"Eight years," Ninotchka replied. "Vhen I vas vorking vith the FSB, I vas trained from young age. Both mother and papa died vhen I was four. My uncle was KGB, and I vanted to be like him. I enlisted vhen I vas sixteen, and vorked with them for five years. Then eight years ago...I vas discharged. I vas good at only few t'ings. Killing and maiming."
"FSB?"
"KGB vas disbanded," Ninotchka responded. "Though foreign nations rarely acknowledge new name for our Intelligence Sector. FSB is Federal Security Service. KGB has such poor reputation in America. Many of its units vere legitimate, and did good vork, despite the terrible incidents of past."
Lucy couldn't help but be interested, and, as Ninotchka ate her salad, she discovered more about Russia's Security Service, and the history of the KGB. Ninotchka had a lot of stories about her home land, and about her family that Lucy couldn't help but be intrigued by. The rolling 'r's and the big blue eyes didn't hurt either.
Lucy was on her third glass of wine, unprecedented in her last few blind dates, and finding Ninotchka more and more charming as the evening wore on. And once Ninotchka had figured out that this was a date, the blonde had loosened up and had been telling tale after tale about her trials and tribulations with her former employers, and about a few of her more recent exploits in the assassination business as well.
"Only two veeks ago, I vas approached by a man who vished his vife to die, but only if he could frame his vork partner for the crime. Vell, doink one vas simple, but both was...harder. So, to create the crime scene-"
The tale was interrupted by Lucy's glass breaking. Both women jumped, startled. Lucy's hand carefully navigated through the remains of the broken glass, and found a set of black binoculars. Her eyes hardened, and she looked up, surprised to see three girls in familiar plaid skirts, as well as a man in black Homeland Security uniform.
"Fuck me," Lucy muttered.
Her hand reached into her jacket, but before she could grab hold of her gun, there were four agents above her with their guns trained on her. From the table beside her, a bottle of wine was uncorked, the pop of the flying cork sounding a lot like gunfire. And within a heartbeat, more guns were firing. Lucy grabbed Ninotchka's hand and ran with her towards the bar, leaping over it and landing hard. She grabbed her gun, and was unsurprised to see Ninotchka do the same.
"Who are they?" Ninotchka asked.
"D.E.B.S," Lucy sneered. "And the only good D.E.B is a dead D.E.B."
Ninotchka nodded and flipped the safety on her gun. "Vhat's the plan?"
Lucy popped her head above the bar, only to duck behind it quickly, as she realised that the D.E.B.S were no longer on the floor above, but had abseiled down to the ground level with their Homeland Security buddy. From one floor up, there also seemed to be other branches of security agencies working with them.
"We kick ass, we get out of here, and maybe end up in a club somewhere. I have the distinct urge to dance with you," Lucy replied.
Ninotchka smiled. "I like that plan."
Lucy grinned and the two women moved to either side of the bar, and began shooting at the D.E.B.S and the other agents that flanked them.
"I think there's an exit through the kitchens," Lucy yelled over the gunfire. "How fast can you run?"
"Like vind...vhen motivated," Ninotchka replied.
Lucy smiled. Laughing in the face of danger. Her kind of girl.
"Alright. I'll cover you. Run through the door on your left. I'll be right behind you."
The blonde nodded, and waited for a break in he gunfire. When she had her break in the fire, she ran for the kitchen, and watched impatiently as the shootout continued. She turned her gun on the D.E.B.S and shot at the woman who seemed to be the leader of the group, a beautiful dark-skinned girl with a very large gun.
Her gunfire caused the woman to duck behind a pole, and Lucy took that moment to race towards the door. Lucy grabbed hold of Ninotchka's hand and the twosome ran as fast as they could towards the car park. Lucy grinned as she saw the sky-blue car, engine running, waiting patiently. She pointed Ninotchka to the car, and swiftly opened the back door. Ninotchka jumped in quickly and scooted across the seat. Lucy climbed in after her, and had barely closed the door when the young man behind the wheel pressed the accelerator.
"Evening, ladies," he greeted them with a smile. "Good date?"
"To die for," Lucy replied, out of breath but smiling. Her hand reached across the seat to find Ninotchka's. She couldn't help but grin when she heard the sharp intake of breathe from the Russian. Her smile widened further.
Of course, the fact that she now owed Scud a huge favour was something that didn't bare thinking about. Of course, if she found Ninotchka even half as interesting tomorrow as she had this evening, she wouldn't mind paying him his weight in diamonds.
And for Ninotchka Kaprova...well, the true Ninotchka was on her way to a hospital, with a gunshot wound from an enthusiastic newbie Homeland Security agent. And the only blonde woman who'd been on-hand at the restaurant and knew anything about Russia, and could fake a Russian accent, had been a woman named Amy Bradshaw.
A D.E.B to be precise.
A spy.
The Perfect Score.
And now, Ninotchka Kaprova, Russian Assassin.
Who was holding hands with Lucy Diamond, and didn't feel even the slightest hint of guilt when her fingers curled tightly around Lucy's.
(I had you worried though, didn't I?)