Well, everyone, I just posted the previous chapter last night, but here I am, beginning the next almost immediately. We're coming to the section of scenes which I've written and rewritten over and over again. I hope its what you've all been waiting on. And though I'm beginning this chapter right away, it will probably not be posted until later because this chapter is so important, I'm going to be very particular about it. ;-)
And now, here we are.
Be forewarned: this chapter is not for the faint of heart.
-rosa
To Protect and Serve
Chapter 9: Day 11
When Frank clenched his fist and sent it forward to knock, it missed. The door opened before his fist could make contact.
He looked down at the woman there; for the first time since they met on the plane, Frank noticed that Nancy was about four inches shorter than him. But she always seemed so much taller, just by her presence. His look into her eyes held a question.
"I knew you would come," she said softly, stepping aside so he could enter. He did so, slowly, unsure of what he wanted to ask but certain of what he wanted answered.
She shut the door behind him, and took her time fixing every latch and finally, the deadbolt. When she turned around, she looked... vulnerable.
"I just had the room checked for bugs. We're clear."
He realized something; she was letting down the wall she'd had up for so long. He felt his heart begin to pound. She took a seat next to him, looking straight ahead, exhausted but suddenly wide awake. One white hand gripped a steaming, fresh cup of black coffee.
Yes, she had known he would follow.
"Ali..." Frank's voice cracked, and his hand lifted off his knee for a moment, almost to touch hers, but fell again. "You let me in to your apartment, but you're still keeping me out. Why?" The final word was worked with agony.
She didn't answer the question. Instead she took a deep breath, and began to talk slowly, her voice soft, ominous, lyrical.
"It was raining that night. It's always raining. We'd planned the sting for months; my partner Max was deep undercover, and tonight was the first night we bugged him. We had a drug trail and a morgue full of dead dealers and a few innocents. Our evidence was circumstantial; we needed a confession. They didn't suspect Max at all. It was going to finally happen.
"I was the only female agent in the operation; my job was clear. I had to get in to the mob boss's favorite bar, the Knetka with Krutin himself to gather the recorded evidence, and there was only one way to do it. I was watching the bar from the restaurant across the street, waiting for his limo to arrive. When it did, I left my table at the restaurant, and approached Krutin. I was wearing a teal evening dress; very expensive and very revealing. All intentional. I had a gun strapped to my leg if something went wrong."
Frank slowly leaned back into the couch, watching her face as she recited the story. She avoided his eyes and her eyes focused on something straight ahead as she plowed on.
"I approached him. He liked what he saw, and I knew it. He said, 'What is an exquisite lady such as yourself doing alone on a beautiful night?'
" 'Looking for a handsome man to take me home with him tonight,' I said. He asked my name, called me baboyka. I introduced myself as Clarice, and then I asked him, 'Is it true, what they say about you?' And just like that, he responded, 'Da, madam, every word.'
"It was going to be so easy to get information from him. I would follow him into the bar and get him talking until the warrant arrived. And then the entire team would come in; no one would leave the building. We had him."
Her voice twisted painfully. The cup in her hand was liable to break and cut her. Frank gently pried it out of her hands. As soon as the cup was gone, Nancy's fingers curled into tight fists, her white knuckles shining.
"I slipped my arm into Krutin's. He escorted me to the door, opened the door for me. I was about to step in, felt his arm fall around my shoulders when a voice from behind us shouted, 'NANCY!'"
She stopped for a moment, breathing hard. She hadn't been talking fast, but he guessed the effort of erecting the emotionless front was was causing her fatigue.
"Who was it, Nan?" Frank asked quietly, but he feared he already knew.
A single tear made it through her blank eyes. "It was Ned. He was in Pittsburgh on business. I didn't tell him I would be there, and his business there had come up on short notice. I didn't tell him about the case; it was top secret. My father didn't even know about it. Ned saw me in that dress on the arm of a stranger and immediately assumed the worst. He... blew my cover."
Frank sucked in an apprehensive breath. With Krutin, the story could only get worse.
"I didn't turn around; I didn't acknowledge him. But I was the only woman around. Krutin realized what was going on instantly. Before I could say anything or get my gun, Krutin whirled on me, putting a gun to my head. His henchmen on either side of him held Ned at gunpoint. He looked stunned, confused, but stood absolutely still, holding his hands in the air.
"Krutin might be a criminal, but he's no fool. 'Clarice,' he whispered in my ear, 'who is this young man? And why did he call you Nancy?'"
"Ned realized that I was undercover. He realized that he'd just blown a sting...He desperately tried to fix it by acting like he'd mistaken me for someone else. It was a good try."
"I told Krutin I'd never seen Ned before. Ned knew better than to get his feelings hurt in that moment. I was trying to keep him alive."
Frank winced.
"Krutin didn't fall for it, of course. 'Are you sure you've never seen him before, Clarice?' he asked me. I nodded aloofly. But when Krutin moved the aim of his gun from my head to Ned's, I reacted. I elbowed him in the ribs, and the shot he fired went into the sky, harmless. When he doubled over, I kicked him to the ground, and yanked my gun from under my gown. 'Freeze!' I screamed. 'FBI!' I jumped on top of him, put my gun to his neck."
Frank closed his eyes, allowing the scene to play before his eyes. He didn't like what he saw.
"'Nancy Drew, isn't it?' he asked calmly, from below me. 'I heard about you when I was in Chicago last. I didn't know you'd joined the Bureau.'"
"'This is just me and you, Krutin,' I said tersely, watching the guys holding Ned. One had a blade against Ned's throat, waiting for Krutin's word. "'Let him go; you can have me.'
"The other agents were practically panicked. I could here them in my earpiece, trying to decide what to do. The search warrant for the Knetka had cleared but they obviously couldn't execute it with a hostage situation. And a civilian hostage took precedence. They couldn't very well just storm the club without risking a hundred lives. In the end, I knew they were waiting for an idea from me. I had none."
"'Clarice, please tell your fellow Agents to stand down. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your friend. Believe me, my men have no qualms about killing him.'
"Ned shook his head no, but the guys holding him had a knife to his neck. When Krutin glanced at them, they pressed it against Ned's throat until it drew blood. He didn't make a sound, just glared at Krutin. So, I called over the radio. 'All Agents stand down. We have a situation.' Situation in this case meant a hostage. Max was still inside; I didn't want him to blow his cover. So I added, 'Everyone please hold your present positions.'
"Krutin thanked me. Then he said, 'Now, Clarice, despite how pleasant our physical situation might be in other circumstances, I must request that you please get off of me so we can rectify this situation in a reasonable fashion. Besides,' he motioned for his thugs to bring Ned over. 'I believe I might have collateral over you, madam." When Ned got close enough, he mouthed, I'm sorry. I mouthed back, Me too.' And I slowly got off of Krutin's back and stood up straight, gun still leveled at his head.
"'Let's all go inside, please,' Krutin said calmly, standing to his full height. He towered over me. 'After you, Clarice. And please, you won't be needing your firearm.' He took my gun but was so arrogant, that he didn't bother taking my ear piece or microphone.
"I glanced over at Ned. He shook his head no again, but the guys holding him wouldn't hesitate to slit his throat. And even if I shot Krutin right there, we'd all still die. Every man in and outside that club was armed. So, I gave him my gun."
"It was bad, Frank. I was thinking fast. The only other Agent inside the Knetka was Max, and he was deep undercover. We couldn't afford for him to blow his cover if another operation like this could succeed in the future. I spotted him when I came in but didn't acknowledge him. Krutin put my own gun to my back, and led Ned and me into the Knetka. The music was off, and the crowd cleared for him to pass.
"'Turn the music back on,' he said, almost gallantly. 'The party has just begun.'"
Frank began to realize that perhaps Nancy hadn't been entirely truthful with him; Ned obviously hadn't deserted her. He braced himself for the worst as she continued on, her voice monotonous, as if she was reading from a textbook. He found that his eyes were drawn to the long scar across outside her eye.
"He cuffed my hands in front of me. He cuffed Ned's hands to a chair. Ned didn't fight. He was waiting for my signal to make a move. And frankly, I had no idea what to do.
"Krutin left us for a moment to discuss something with one of his higher-ups. I could tell Max was trying to figure out what to do, but he didn't approach. In my ear, I could hear my squad trying to form a plan. The building was surrounded, but Krutin had the advantage."
"'Nancy, I'm sorry,' Ned whispered to me. 'I was just so surprised to see you, I didn't think...'
"'Forget about that,' I told him. 'Just relax and watch me, and we'll try to get out of here alive.'"
Nancy had been awake almost 24 hours, but she wasn't giving up on this story. Frank finally got up the nerve to reach over to grab her hand. Her fingers twitched, but she didn't pull away.
"Krutin came over to me. 'Let's dance,' he said to me. He was still holding my gun. He took my cuffed hands and put them around his neck, then let his hands rest on my waist, one still holding the gun. Ned started to struggle, but when a knife appeared at his throat again, he stilled. I shook my head at him. Krutin led me around the dance floor, talking as if we were old friends from college."
Frank recognized the phrase let's dance from the email, but Nancy had seen the connection too, so he didn't bother to interrupt. She wasn't sure about the email's implications; that's why she gave the order to move them. He understood.
"As we were dancing, Krutin began to talk about how much he admired my audacity and cunning. He advised me not to do anything stupid, but I was trying so hard to think of something stupid to do that might just work. Agents were in my ear, trying to form a plan. I listened carefully, but they didn't have anything yet. Max recognized Ned; they'd met at the FBI's holiday banquet. Max was the only other agent besides me that realized how bad the situation really was."
Frank nodded grimly
"'What were you going to do, Clarice?' he asked me as we danced. 'Were you going to use your feminine charms to gently persuade information from me? And then your colleagues would storm in and arrest the others and myself?'
"I didn't answer him. He didn't care. He was slowly leading me back to where Ned was being held."
"'Clarice... it would have worked.' And then, without warning, he threw me to the ground and put his gun at Ned's heart. I tried to get to my feet, but three huge Russians grabbed me and held me still. I started screaming.
"Ned's eyes were strangely calm. His chin was high and defiant. Krutin stood still for a moment, then finally said to Ned, 'Is she worth it?'"
Now the tears fell unfettered from Nancy's eyes.
"'Yes,' Ned whispered. 'Of course she is.'"
"Krutin shot him. With my gun. Ned died instantly. Something snapped in me, and I screamed, and flew out of the thugs' arms. I attacked Krutin, kicked the gun from his hand, then jumped on him. I got in several kicks and hits with my cuffed fists before his thugs pulled me off of him. He stood slowly, brushing off his tuxedo. He didn't bother getting my gun from the ground. Instead he pulled a knife from his coat, and put the tip of the blade at my cheek.
"'You won't ever forget me, Nancy Drew,' he whispered in my ear. He kissed my cheek, his lips right against the blade. Then he slowly pushed the blade into my skin and pulled it upwards, cutting a gash into my face. 'You'll see me every time you look in the mirror.'"
Her finger trembled as she traced the scar.
"The room was absolutely still. My partner Max was the only one moving. He started inching his way to me, sneaking up behind Krutin as if he wanted a closer look.
"Krutin walked over to stand by Ned's body. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a very small jar. Inside was a Russian Tent Spider. This spider is fairly large. Black with brown and white patterns. It won't bite unless forced, and even then, the bite has no effect. But every time Krutin murdered, he left one of these spiders on the victim as a trademark. So he took the spider, and dropped it into Ned's hair, then turned to me. Blood covered one of my eyes, but in the other, his toothy smile was a clear as day.
"'Clarice, I am impressed. But I can't let you come this close again.' Krutin picked up my gun and aimed it at my kneecap. It wasn't a fatal shot, but it would be a painful, crippling one. He didn't want to kill me. But, when Krutin fired, Max dove at me, catching my legs in a flying tackle, sending us both to the ground. The bullet barely grazed his arm, and I screamed into my radio for backup.
"The room was suddenly flooded with Agents. Krutin's voice boomed over everything, shouting in Russian to retreat. But before he disappeared in the chaos, he stood in front of me, getting his face close to mine. 'I hope to see you again, Clarice,' he whispered. He dropped the keys to the handcuffs at my feet, then simply strolled out a back door in the chaos."
Nancy paused to take a breath. She didn't bother to wipe her eyes. Her gaze was fixed on something Frank could not see.
"The FBI managed to make a few arrests, but none that were worthwhile. Krutin and those directly below him all escaped. The FBI got Max and me and Ned's body out of the building before any cameras arrived. My name and Ned's never appeared in the stories about the sting. No one in the Bureau leaked and none of the Russians did either. The FBI had enough power then to cover up the information it wished to. No names of Agents made the paper and Ned's involvement was top secret.
"Ned's death and my injury were reported as the results of a random mugging. To this day, that's how everyone believes he died. Rumors about what happened in the Knetka to Max and to me are all over the FBI but no one really knows. And Ned's death was a small tragedy that only made a quarter of a page in the River Heights paper."
Frank felt tears on his own cheeks as he absorbed what Nancy had just confessed to him.
"Oh, Nancy..." he whispered, wanting so much to pull her into his arms.
But she wasn't finished. Her voice cracked for the first time, and she whispered through her tears the final horror.
"We were engaged."
Anguish for her threatened to choke Frank. All her dreams, all her hopes, the chance for freedom died with Ned, Frank realized, his grip on her hands tightening. Murdered by Krutin. Now Nancy was forced as an agent into the Witness Protection Program indefinitely—until Krutin's death or arrest. She couldn't transfer or resign because the minute she did, she'd be put in the program as a civilian. Remaining a WPP agent was the only way she could have any shred of control.
When he looked at her, Frank knew that Nancy had loved Ned. But he also knew she'd finished grieving for him long ago. The problem now was not letting got of Ned... it was letting go of Krutin. The desire for revenge had been eating at Nancy Drew for four long years.
"I can help you get him, Nan," Frank whispered, catching her eye. "Please. Don't shut me out of this case. And don't lock me out of your life."
Her composure had returned, but her hands were still trembling just slightly. "Jake." He wasn't Frank anymore, or even Fitz. He was Jake again. "This is different." Her eyes held longing and so much sadness. "We aren't teenagers pretending to be a couple so we can return a lost artifact to a family friend. We can't flirt for a while then, as soon as the case is closed, go our separate ways. We aren't trying to solve a mystery; I'm trying to keep you alive!"
"No, Ali, you're killing me!" Frank shouted, standing and grabbing her shoulders. Her face paled instantly. Frank mimicked his brother and knelt before Nancy, not caring what her agents would see on the camera. "It's been 10 long years since we've spoken to each other, and by some act of God, we're together again, and it's like we're still not speaking! And I can't take it, Alice. I can't."
Nancy stared into his eyes. "Jake, I'm protecting you. My agents don't know that I knew you before. I can't--,"
"Tell me you aren't in love with me!" Frank demanded suddenly, his grip on her hands tightening. His eyes bore into her and she felt more vulnerable than she ever had.
"I can't..." she whispered, suddenly gripping his hands. His eyes started to brighten with hope but her tears returned. "I can't risk you, Frank. I lost Ned. I can't lose you, too."
He let that comment be for a moment. Instead he let go of her hands, and leaned in close to her face, letting his hands rest on her waist. He could hear her sides shaking in beat with her pounding heart.
"You're wrong, Nan," he whispered huskily. "This is a mystery. The same mystery I've been trying to solve for years."
He moved a hand up to her face, touching her scar, touching the corner of her lips with her thumb.
"You."
Just as Nancy could feel his breath on her trembling lips, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. A spider. Dangling from her doorknob.
As she turned to leave, a large spider crawled across the floor.
Frank was amused at first when Nancy blanched and yanked at his arm, hissing, "Ugh, Jake, kill it!"
He did so, stepping on it surely.
She turned back to him with a shaky grin, but Frank's amusement faded when he could clearly see her racing pulse pounding in her pale throat.
"I hate those things," she whispered, laughing breathlessly.
Then, like a dream, his face appeared before the nose of the plane. Ned. As she came closer, she could see him. Standing, patiently, always waiting on her, his eyes sparkling like diamond. But then, the plane rebelled under her hands. It wobbled in the air, then began a dive. She pulled up, but the stick came out into her hands, useless. She was plunging down, but still, out the windshield, she could see him. Suddenly, a spider was crawling on him, into his hair, and he turned away from her with anger in his eyes, disappearing into the black clouds.
"Krutin walked over to stand by Ned's body. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a very small jar. Inside was a Russian Tent Spider. This spider is fairly large. Black with brown and white patterns. It won't bite unless forced, and even then, the bite has no effect. But every time Krutin murdered, he left one of these spiders on the victim as a trademark. So he took the spider, and dropped it into Ned's hair, then turned to me. Blood covered one of my eyes, but in the other, his toothy smile was a clear as day."
Before Frank's lips could find her own, Nancy reacted,tackling Frank and sending them both hurtling over the arm of the couch to the ground.. A second later, her front door exploded.
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