Hi there,
New chapter.
Hope you enjoy it.
:K
Chapter 4
The following days were not easy for either of them. Illya spent most nights out, watching the Vinciguerra operations and getting into the warehouses and factories that appeared to be legal, but they obviously were just covers. He was risking himself too much, but there was no one able to stop him. For him the mission was the most important, but perhaps he was rushing but didn't want to admit it.
"You are leaving again," she said seeing him dressed in all black. "No need to lie, I know where you are going. And I would tell it's stupid to go alone, but you wouldn't listen. I would say tell you that I want to go with you but I already know the answer." Illya hated being so predictable, but she was right.
"I will be careful."
"It's not about being careful, but being patient. Seeing things in perspective." The Russian snorted. "I know I have a lot to learn, but the Vinciguerra are not going anywhere, so it's not a matter of time."
Illya walked toward her, stopping to be face to face. "This mission is dangerous."
"They all are, aren't they?"
He nodded. "I have never faced an enemy in possession of nuclear weapons, which it is a matter of time." He added sharply. "It does not matter how they try hiding it, or who must be killed to get it, the Vinciguerra are dangerous. They only care about money and they would betray their own country for it. And your uncle Rudi…"
"What about him?" She interrupted him before finishing the sentence. "Are you going to tell me that I should not trust him? That after these years he could not be the same person I knew, that it is possible he's betraying all his beliefs in exchange of money or reputation. Is that what you were going to say?" Illya remained silent. "I know that possibility exists, but he is still my family. I don't know him, true, but at least I want to know the truth before judging him."
"I apologize if I offended you at some point." He murmured looking into her eyes. "But this changes nothing. I have to continue investigating, getting as much information as possible to be prepared, and I can't do it if I have to take care of you."
"I'm not a little girl, Illya. I can take care of myself." She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. "Go, I'll be fine." But her eyes sparkled because of unshed tears, and not just anger. She worried that something might happen to him, and wondered why she cared so much. She barely knew him and they were not good friends, at all.
Illya raised his hand to rest on her shoulder but he ultimately did not. He knew she was angry although he did not understand why, but he could respect her. And that's what he did.
"I will return before the sun rises."
"Great." She mumbled still turned around.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Illya was watching from the harbor to the factory closest to the water, with Vinciguerra mark everywhere. Security measures were extraordinary: armed guards walking and on ships, alarms, and dogs that wouldn't hesitate to rip an arm of any intruder who dared to set foot on the "supposed" satellite factory Illya was about to walk into.
He was careful when approaching the panel that controlled the lights, and cut all the complex lighting. There would be little time, maybe ten minutes before solving the problem, so he must move quickly. He waited for the guards to leave, and then, at the fence, used his CO2 laser to break through towards the gates.
The area wouldn't remain unwatched for much longer, so getting inside in a few seconds was crucial. After opening the lock on the top he started to do the same with the bottom one, but it was getting complicated. He was already listening guards' voices coming back and he knew in a more few seconds he would be surrounded, and he'd have to get rid of them. Unless he was shot first.
"Need a hand with that?" He almost had a heart attack when hearing a familiar voice behind him. "I can see you have some trouble."
"What the hell are you doing here?!" He snapped in a whisper, looking over his shoulder to the lights approaching. "This is dangerous!"
"I know, so I came to help." She answered no more, resting her hands on the hips. "Hey, no time to argue, so let me help you with that or they'll catch us." Gaby's ultimatum made effect as Illya stood aside to let her work, standing behind her to watch the guards. "Hurry up."
"Now you're in a hurry, dear?" She asked sarcastically. "You take care of them if we get caught, I'll handle this." Illya grabbed his gun ready to kill them, but Gaby was faster and they walked in before being discovered.
"So close…" Gaby muttered laughingly.
"You should not be here." Illya snapped angrily. "You are risking the mission and…"
"Shut up!" She was getting tired of receiving orders and that he treated her like a child. "Had it not been for me you would have been caught, so forget it and let's move on. I guess we should register this place, find something that gives us a clue, right?"
Illya did not answer but began walking with her on his heels. He handed her a gun and told her to keep her eyes open and not to make a noise. Together they got into all the rooms they were finding on their way, but only seemed to be simple offices where there was nothing of interest.
"We have not found anything suspicious. We may have made a mistake." Gaby nodded and then had to hide when a guard was walking towards them. He spoke on Italian using the radio and headed for the room where they were both. Gaby stuck to the corner with Illya covering her almost entirely, while he, pistol in hand, remained alert and ready to shoot if necessary.
The guard walked past without noticing their presence, but Illya reacted by observing the watch on his wrist. His whole body tensed and Gaby saw him follow him and placing himself behind him when he stopped to open one of the lockers. He stopped just few centimeters away, and then she saw him putting his left hand next to the man's head while with his right hand rehearsed a few times before hitting him and let him paralyzed and unconscious.
"But what have you done to him?" She asked approaching and looking at him. "Is he dead?"
"No, he is not dead, only unconscious." But she kept looking at him blankly. "In Russia we call it "the kiss". It is a technique to immobilize a man without killing him. He gets hit in the temple avoiding with the other hand that the head moves, so the brain is unable to rebound and the loss of consciousness occurs. He will be like that for about twenty minute. Can't touch him."
"And why did you do that? He hadn't seen us."
"I thought it was my father's watch. I made a mistake."
"Great…" she muttered, shaking her head.
"What a strange place to put a button," he said when looking at it under the helmet the guard removed. "This place is supposed to be a satellite factory, why is there a secret button?" Illya pressed it and a trapdoor opened behind them.
"Wow…jackpot must be down there."
Gaby began walking first but Illya stopped her, going downstairs without making the slightest noise. His footsteps, despite his height, were silent as they should be for any good spy, but she was not used to move so fast and barely making a sound. It was very complicated and she stayed behind.
"Do not touch anything." He said when coming face to face with the large reinforced gate. "We do not know what kind of alarm will be connected, but we need to open it to find evidence."
"So what are we going to do that?" Gaby thought it was impossible, and didn't have so much time to lose.
"In the KGB you can learn many things," he said putting his gun in the holster, and examining the safe. "You learn to fight, to handle all kinds of weapons, to study the enemies and…" he commented while working, "to access anywhere, no matter how difficult it may seem." Gaby was holding the pistol with a trembling hand, and almost yelled when she heard the safe opening.
"Did you get it?" Illya nodded stepping away from the gate. "Did you deactivate the alarm?"
"This model has no alarm." And not a second later a siren rang, alerting all the guards that intruders were inside.
"What a lovely job!" The sarcasm in Gaby reached very high levels but they had urgent things to take care of. "Watch, I will come in to see what I can find." Said the young woman without waiting for an answer, walking into the safe while Illya was ready to face anything or anyone.
"We have to go!" He yelled. Gaby was coming out when she saw a cylinder in a corner and grabbed it on her way out.
The guards were already on their way so they ran as fast as they could, Illya first shielding her with his body, and shooting at anyone who stood in his way. The enemies appeared from everywhere, but they finally climbed the stairs and found refuge behind what appeared to be a large metal box which shielded them.
"Does this mean anything to you?" She yelled in his ear, showing him the cylinder. "It is part of a centrifuge! To refine uranium!" The bullets flew over their heads and Illya knew time was running out before being captured or killed, and neither option was acceptable.
"I am not staying here!" Said the Russian.
"Where are you gonna go?"
He looked to the huge windows and then at Gaby. "Swimming."
"What?!" But no further explanation, the Russian spy pulled out his gun, shot at the glass destroying it completely, and grabbed Gaby's hand. Together they ran and jumped down, Illya falling back with the girl hugged to his chest.
"Ahhh!" He shrieked in pain as he felt his back hitting against the hard wood of the bridge, cursing not having fallen into the water as expected. "Are you okay?"
"I will be. Come on, we have to go." They got in a small speedboat and Illya hotwired it, while Gaby kept firing at the guards who attacked them from above. "Hold on!"
Despite how fast he was driving he wasn't able to reach the gate before closing up, and he had to turn in another direction to try to escape, but again, they found no way out.
"We won't last long! They'll get us!" Gaby's yells were barely audible because of the engine and the shooting, but Illya heard her perfectly. "We have to get out of here."
"Hold on!"
Minutes passed, the guards were approaching them, and gas wouldn't last forever. They had to think of a plan, and fast, or else they wouldn't leave alive. But then Illya drove to a loading area that was unwatched, and cut the engine as soon as they were hidden from the lights.
"What are we doing here?" She whispered before he grabbed her and both jumped into the water, hiding behind several speedboats located there. "We will wait here, do not worry."
The lights almost revealed their position, but luckily nobody found them. Illya kept calm and had Gaby's back against his chest, but she continued trembling. It was night and the water was cold, and the fact that they needed to remain still did not help at all. She was shaking so much that her teeth chattered, and although they had to get out of the water as soon as possible, they couldn't risk to be discovered before the guards gave up.
"Do you…do you think they're still looking for us?" Gaby muttered with her voice trembling.
"We will wait a little longer. Everything will be fine, I promise you."
Almost fifteen minutes later Illya moved to take a look and saw the guards returning inside to keep looking for them. It was the perfect opportunity to leave, and turned around to look at her but he couldn't find her. "Gaby?" He panicked at not seeing her anywhere, and then the bubbles began to surface.
"Gaby!" He dipped and swam quickly to the bottom to find her. Luckily she was close and he grabbed her arm, swimming and pulling her out of the water. "Gaby…?" She wasn't breathing and he began CPR. "Gaby…please…do not leave me…" he muttered pressing her chest repeatedly, and then blowing air into her mouth. "Please…wake up. Come back to me." She coughed and expelled the water, looking disoriented, but clinging to his arm.
"Come on, I will get you out of here." He took her in his arms and ran to the entrance of the factory to steal a vehicle. The motorbike was faster but the cold air would make Gaby to feel sick, so he got her into the first truck he found, and after hotwiring it they headed back to the hotel.
Reviews, please. I would love to know what you think.
Thanks.
:K
