Roma sat in the back of the van with hair tied in a ponytail. It was getting colder. So she had to wear two more sweaters in case they will have to spend waiting outside. Last night she couldn't fall asleep, so she did some research instead. There wasn't so much information about Govran in the database. All she found was that Tarvo started business in the early 90s. They were working more like shadows of bigger and stronger gangs. They were not so well respected among people like Vardhaan. Therefore Tarvo fell as a suspect in various crimes that he obviously didn't make. Good planned out set ups. Only somehow it never went further than one arrest for him. Someone always got him out before the case was even started. Unlike Tarvo, Govran was never on the radar of CBI. The only thing she could find out on him was the start of his club business. And that's when the footprints ended. No mentions about drugs or illegal human trafficking. How could they become millionaires on a business like that without anyone even noticing?
She looked out of the van's window onto a huge, gray, square like building that looked more like human forgotten place. She wondered, was there even someone inside? Maybe it was another Don's trick? Maybe he's not even coming? Maybe all he has needed was the chance to get back into the country. Why would he need immunity when he knows how to hide successfully? If he did it before, why not do it again?
"I don't think he is coming!" she said as she climbed out of the van.
"He will, Roma. He will," Roy said unconvincingly.
"God, look at this place!" she frowned. "No normal person would hide here! Look at that building! Does it look like it has any live human being inside?We're just wasting our time here."
"I spent just a few minutes with Don, but I learned one thing he always holds his promise."
She came closer to Roy.
"And you learned that from his eyes, I assume."she said. "I spent more than just a few minutes with him and I learned that he can give to any promise a second meaning."
She looked at the gray building again.
"And do we even need him? You said you didn't want to walk on them blind. But walking in there with Don is more than just being blind. It's tying yourself up and letting him throw knifes at you."
"You think you can do it on your own?"
"I would feel more safe doing it on my own."
"But it seems you're not getting that chance today." he said as they heard tires of a car behind them.
A black mustang was making it's way to them. Stopping just a few meters from them and with an ear-cutting sound of breaks. Roma felt a tiny wave of shivers go down her spine.
A broad shouldered figure walked out of the car dressed in black, with dark shaded sunglasses and a cocky smile.
"Ah, missed you guys so much!"
"You're an hour late, Don." Roy said. It seemed he wanted to sound angry, but yet his sheepish tone messed it up.
"I don't think so. My time shows me it's 3 p.m. Govran arranged a meeting at 3.05." he frowned. "So I can say I'm a bit early."
"But I told you to be here at 2 o'clock."
"Does she really has to go there inside?" he ignored Roy and waved at Roma.
"Funny, I asked the same question about you." Roma smiled a fake politeness.
"You both are going. End of story." Roy finally set his strict tone for good.
"Well, then you will have to dress up a little bit, Roma. I can't afford you walking in there dressed like a ninja."
"What do you mean dress up?" she sensed something bad.
He leaned back in the car, then got a big box out and handed it to Roma.
"Here you are. You have five minutes." he looked at his expensive rollex watch. "No! Sorry, I lied. Four minutes actually."
Roma felt a rush of anger.
"I am not waring anything. Especially what's in that box."
She tossed the box to Roy. She managed to catch a glimpse of Don's smile as she turned away.
"Come on, Roma! Trust me, you will look stunning in it," he talked in a soft voice. "Open the box."
She turned back again and pointed her finger to Don's chest.
"Do I look like am going to a party? Quit your games, Don. This is not a playground!"
"I'm not playing," his smile suddenly faded, his eyes turned cool and serious."The best way to get accepted by Govran is walk in there like friends, without a slightest reference to that your are from CBI and have a gun in your pocket."
"I don't think we're here to make friends with him."
"You're not going to get him right now. Even if you are, which I doubt, you don't have enough evidence to hold him for long. It'll be a wasted effort."
She knew he was right. But her pride was trying hard to not to give in.
"Three minutes left. Tick Tock," he said. "Tick tock.
"Roma, open the box!" Roy ordered.
She took a box without even looking at it, got in the van, then closed the door behind her. She carelessly took out the black peace of material, with mind full of disgusting thoughts. But when she examined the dress, she became speechless. It was the most beautiful black dress that she ever got a chance to see. She got it on and turned to the mirror. It fitted her perfectly, a little bit higher than knees, but long enough to make her look gorgeous. Suddenly there was no trace of hardworking, cool-minded CBI officer. But a gentle, unprotected woman. She ruined the ponytail, her long brown hair fell loose on her shoulders. But something was missing.
The door of the van opened. She put her hand out without revealing her looks.
"Shoes, please!"
A new box was handed to her. She closed the doors again. She found black pair of shoes with small diamonds. Again, they fitted her perfectly. But something still was missing. She couldn't figure out what. She sighed and turned to the door, but that's when she noticed a velvet sack at the bottom of the small box. She took out a necklace and earrings with similar diamonds as there were on the shoes. She got them on.
She opened the door, got out. Don and Roy were discussing something. Don was laughing and throwing out jokes. Roy somehow felt obligated to laugh, but he was doing a very bad job. She could see a sight of disgust slipping through Don's face, then coming back to cocky smile.
Don turned to her. His smile froze. His hands slipped out of his pockets. He was examining her, both looking shocked and amazed. It seemed he wasn't ready to that kind of look that turned out.
He wasn't ready for that kind of Roma.
"That's beautiful!" Roy looked stunned too."How did you know the right size? And the style!"
"I have a few secret talents." Don said still looking shocked. " Aside from those that you already know."
Few moments later Roma was sitting in the black mustang's leather seat next to Don. He was clearly avoiding looking at her. His eyes were set on something over the horizont. They got to the building very quickly. Next thing she knew she was standing in front of a huge steel door. She looked impatiently at Don.
"What's next? Are we waiting for invitation?"
"They already know we're here. So you might as well start acting like a friend. At least my friend. Ofc, if you don't want to blow up our cover."
Of course she didn't want to blow up their cover! But acting wasn't her strongest side. And pretending to like Don was way impossible.
The door finally opened. They were met by two men.
"Govran is waiting for you," said one of them.
"Perfect!"
Roma felt as Don wrapped an arm around her waist. They started to make their way through, but one of the man stopped them.
"Govran didn't say anything about the girl. She can't come."
"She can, because she's with me." his words were sharp.
"No. I'm sorry sir, she can't."
Roma felt his arm tighten around her waist, as if he was making sure nobody can disconnect them.
"You see, gentleman, I can't leave her here alone. Simply, because she's my woman. Would you leave your woman in an unfamiliar place with a couple of boneheads?"
They exchanged confused looks.
"No,sir," one of them answered accurately.
"Then I think we solved our little misunderstanding."
They went further leaving the two guys speechless.
Roma got out of the Don's arms and continued following him. They went through several doors. Then suddenly they got into a huge light up room that looked like a ball room. With huge chandeliers and expensive art exhibits.
"What is this place?"
"I'm not sure." he laughed. "I think it was planned to be a living room. But try not to look as if it's something you have never seen. "
"Don! What a pleasure! Always on time!" Roma heard a voice somewhere on the right.
"As you know, time is money. And I prefer making money, not wasting them."
"And who is that beautiful young birdy?"
A short, bold-headed man came closer to Roma. He wasn't higher than her shoulders. So she felt awkward looking down at him. He had the widest smile that she had ever seen and he didn't look like a criminal. More like a clown that got rogue from the circus. Roma looked at Don, trying to demand some explanation. But all he did was smirk.
"She's my woman, Govran. If you know what I mean."
Roma could swear at that moment that if he ever spoak the my-woman thing again she would shoot him right on the spot.
"Oh, you're one lucky bastard! I wish all of my girls were at least half as gorgeous as this piece of diamond. And now please follow me."
They followed him out of the ball room and into some dark corridor. While they were walking, Roma thought she heard a scream. A woman's scream. Roma stopped and listened for a second. She heard a few more screams. Then Don got a hold of her arm.
"Not now, Roma." he whispered." We have a mission to complete.
"No mission is worth it, if we can't help someone who is getting hurt."
"But it won't be worth it ether, if get hurt along the way. He liked you. Everything's going good. Don't try to mess up anything, as it is me who'll get the most trouble."
"Maybe that's exactly what I'm aiming for!"
They both walked into some dark, black and red room. Govran showed them to sit down. He light up few candles. Than sat in front of them.
"As you noticed I prefer darkness more. Makes it all seem a little intimate, don't you think?"
Roma didn't know what was about this Govran, but he already started to freak her out.
"I hope our deal is still on the go?" asked Don.
"Of course it is. But lets don't talk business. I don't feel like it right now. Lets talk about love and music!"
"You want to talk about love and music?" Don laughed. Then his expression changed. It was one of his looks that Roma feared the most. The look of a killer. Look of cold-blooded and heartless killer. He leaned closer to Govran.
"I'm not here to talk about love or music. To be honest, I don't feel like talking to you at all."
Roma wondered where did their not-messing-up-anything plan go. Govran's smile faded.
"I'm here to know exact location and time. Nothing more nothing less."
"OK, Don. If you want it that way. The Oberoi hotel. 2 o'clock. Room 273. Code 55913. As soon as you activate that code, you'll get your reward."
"That's precisely what I needed to know. I enjoyed our conversation. Have a nice evening, Govran."
A few minutes later they were already out of the building.
"What has just happened?" she stopped Don. "What happened to "Not mess anything up,Roma!'' or "Start acting like a friend,Roma!"?
"I forgot how dirty-minded he is."
"And what was the deal about? You didn't say you had any deals with him."
"You didn't think he would want to talk to me if I had nothing to give him in return? Or serve him so to say.
"And?"
"The deal was I push all the buttons and then get my reward."
"You're the one who's going to do what?"
"Activate the bombs."
"And you were supposed to tell me that when exactly?"
"I wasn't planning on telling you that."
"You know what," she felt anger rising all the way up through her body. 'I'm sick of playing you're games, because since Roy allowed you to help us, you've been holding us on a leash. We don't know where we are going and what we are doing! All that we have is your word. And that is not enough. Not for CBI. Not for me. So ether you're telling the truth- what is the plan. Or you're going to jail.
"Ease up, my Wild Cat. I wasn't planning to play with you ether. Your nails are too sharp, and being scratched is not in my interest.
"The plan, Don!" she demanded.
"There is a German ambassador Alfred Scholz coming this weekend. His light side owns a pride of German people towards him, his dark side owns an underground weapon manufacturing. One of the things they produce is a modern technology bombs. Bombs that paralyze various of electronic systems and result in a massive explosion. Those bombs can be set on from small buildings to huge areas. It all depends on the program they are set to. He wants to sell them here in India. My job is to steal those bombs and activate them. Which of course I am not going to do. Are you satisfied now?
"But why you?
"You see, that ambassador has way too many bodyguards and agents all around him. Govran believes I'm the only one who can get through them."
"But you can't."
"I can, with the kind support of CBI." he winked and opened the car's door for her.
"What is the reward?" she didn't want to get in.
"Money of course, but I'm not interested in them. I have enough of my own. All I need is immunity in this country. That is going to be my reward for helping you get the bombs, right?" he searched inside of her eyes for the answer.
Roma silently turned away and got into the car.
"As I thought," he sighed.
"Why was the dressing up for, if he was supposed to give you that information anyway?" she wanted to know.
He turned to her. Their eyes connected. For a moment she thought she couldn't handle that look. Too open, too honest. She would be able to handle anyone, but him. Luckily he turned away, then answered.
"I just wanted to see you in that dress. I have a good taste, don't I?"
