Six

Paige had been waiting for a signal, and was beginning to wonder if anyone would show up. She had spent a long time sat on a park bench having sent a help message to the Rezidentura. Being sat here, the pages of a book open in front of her, the same lines being read over and over without being taken in, gave her plenty of time to think. Thinking about her parents, about how much she missed them and how she was going to cope without their support and guidance. She was very close to them, although she and her mum had been at loggerheads on many occasions. She was still in her teens, gradually learning to come to terms with the events of the last four years or so since she discovered her parents true reason for being in the United States.

For Paige there had been a lot of soul searching since then. At first she was shocked to learn that her parents were born in Russia, moving to America to work in secret for their own country. However she also harboured doubts about her country of birth, believing strongly in her own social conscience. Her mother had influenced Paige's leanings herself, slowly introducing ideas and concepts, backed up by events from the present and the past played out in the media. Over time, Paige started to understand, and up to a point, justify her parents activities to herself.

She had no respect for the leaders of either superpower, and Elizabeth used every available opportunity to demonstrate that the governments on both sides had a lot to answer for. Her over-riding theme was that the US government would do their best to destroy Russia, which would have dire consequences for millions of people. This was Elizabeth's driving force, and it became Paige's also. Her relationship with her mother had grown stronger over recent years, especially as she slowly learned the extent of her skills. Paige did not know the full truth about what her parents really did, even though she seen at first hand how dangerous her mother could be. She was fairly certain that both her parents would use any means available to further their aims, and she had learned to some degree to block out the thoughts that inevitably came to mind about their activities. She had asked her mum directly, and Elizabeth had always denied the more extreme, unpalatable side to their lives, murder, seductions, etc., but Paige was in little doubt that they were both guilty of these and more.

Over the past couple of years, Elizabeth had been training Paige in the art of tradecraft, involving her more and more as her skills developed. Paige was no fool, and was very aware that the KGB were promoting this involvement, but she had decided there were limits to how far she would go. Even though she was a willing participant, part of her knew that she was making herself an enemy of her own country. When she was leaving the country with her parents, only a couple of days before which seemed a lifetime ago now, this self doubt had been plaguing her. The long journey north into Canada, in disguise, separated from her parents by necessity when they joined the train, had brought it home to her. The sight of the guards waiting on the platform as the train pulled in, gave her the perfect reason to alight. Paige had been convinced that at least one of them would be discovered, and it was with a mixed sense of relief and profound heartache that she saw both parents had passed the guards checks. She would never forget the look on both their faces as they passed by seeing her stood on the platform by herself. She had used her newly developed skills to make her way back to Washington DC, not really knowing what the future would hold for her.

Sat there by herself on the park bench, all Paige could do was wait and hope.