Hiya! Sorry it's been a while, but so much has been happening, and it will continue to do so for quite a while, but I promise I will try to update whenever I can. I'm afraid to say that I can't even make up for it with an especially long chapter, but I decided that since its been nearly two weeks since my last update, then I'd better post what I'd done - just to let you know I'm still here ;) So it's a bit short, and probably a but uneventful, but I promise some juicy bits are up next. Please R&R! xx
Harry and Ruth watched in horror as Elena Gavrik, complete and pristine as always, walked carefully across the grubby, darkened room and reached up towards the ceiling. As the torchlight from the guards' flashlights illuminated her, they caught sight of a small bulb-holder, which was currently empty. Elena was apparently remedying this as she produced a small light bulb from her smart jacket pocket and screwed it inside the holder. A guard, whom both Harry and Ruth now recognised as the American, Delloy, also moved to the inside of the room to flick the switch on. The room was suddenly lit far brighter than either of them had been used to for some time, and they both recoiled slightly away from the bulb's gaze. Harry only kept his eyes closed for a single second, before forcing them back open to look at Elena, who was still wearing that thin, triumphant smile on her face. It was a smile he had used to consider beautiful but as he stared at her now, and as realisation dawned on him as to how much she must have been involved with this whole plot, he did not think he had ever felt so sickened. As Elena and the two guards stared at them; the other one being the Russian, Anatoly, whom Calum had identified, Ruth stiffened under their gaze and felt her breathing increase ten-fold. Harry felt this and his grip on her was now so tight she could barely breathe, but it was the only thing reassuring her at the moment, so she dared not complain. Elena was still watching them with those beady dark eyes, and twisted smile, so Harry forced himself to study her properly for the very first time.
"Well Harry," she said eventually in that thick, but silky Russian accent. "Why don't you say something? I can tell you so desperately want to do so."
Harry took the time to contemplate his answer, for had he rushed into things, he may well have done something he'd regret, "What do you want me to say Elena?" he asked her quietly, but in that dangerous tone he reserved with people who were about to get themselves into deep trouble. "That I don't believe it? That the woman whom I fathered a child by has actually been up to her neck in this mess in the first place?" He tried to glare at her, but found to his horror that he was still unable to do so. "There are a great many things I would like to say Elena, but I don't think I have the courage or the willpower to voice them yet."
"You are so sweet Harry," Elena cooed, slowly approaching where they were huddled on the floor. "Always the same picture of horror and disappointment when you realise that someone you were naïve enough to trust and love, is actually someone you cannot trust at all."
Ruth looked between Harry and Elena for a few moment before gathering enough courage to actually speak in the presence of the two guards, "I…I don't understand." She whispered quietly and terrified to Harry. "How can it be Elena? She-"
"I covered my tracks quite well don't you think?" Elena interrupted, now getting so close that at her great height, Ruth could see that Elena Gavrik was actually someone quite threatening. "I'm afraid the precaution of myself getting kidnapped alongside you Ruth was the only way…otherwise your friends would have started to suspect."
"Oh I don't know about that Elena," Harry said sharply. "With all the hiding and acting you've been doing recently, you seem to be a better spy than I ever was. Perhaps Dimitri and Erin would not have suspected anything after all."
"I am not quite the damsel in distress you took me for, am I Harry?" Elena asked, a hint of bitterness in her voice; something he was entirely unused to hearing.
"Believe me," Harry said grimly. "I never mistook you for a damsel in distress. You were too good a spy for that." As her twisted smile widened even further, Harry realised something that made his stomach lurch with even greater force. "Except the betrayal doesn't stop at these last few months does it?" he caught on. "Were you even a genuine asset for the allies all those years ago in Berlin?"
Elena shrugged, "I passed on information, some of it true, and some of it lies; but mostly it was things I knew you'd believe and act on."
Harry stared at her as she spoke, completely unable to take in that this woman, whom he had cared for, even without contact, for thirty years was actually a traitor, a criminal, and possibly even a terrorist. How could he ever trust his judgment again, if Elena Gavrik, his best foreign ally and achievement, had actually been playing him along all this time? Ruth turned in his arms to survey Harry, and even though his gaze remained impassive, she could tell by his slightly watery eyes that he was deeply upset.
"How sweet you are Harry," she said again, also observing this tell-tale action with interest. Had they not been in this situation, Ruth would have quite readily believed that they were partaking in an ordinary conversation; by the way both Elena and Harry stared calmly at each other. "You thought I really loved you? That I cared about you? That we once shared something nobody else could take away?"
Ruth's own anger was slowly beginning to boil as she witnessed this horrific taunting of the man she loved. Harry said nothing in reply to Elena's comments but merely looked away, his jaw set firmly in hurt and anger.
"Come on Harry," Elena pondered slowly, still in that calm, rich accent. "The evidence is sitting in front of you that you do not waste any time with women." Her eyes landed on Ruth's large baby bump, and Harry closed his eyes to block out the disgusting image of Elena's twisted smile. "You were never satisfied with just one, and we both know that. Even in Berlin there were women other than me. You cannot tell me that you actually felt something for me?"
Again, Harry could not answer the question, and he found himself unable to even look at Ruth for fear of seeing a condemning look in her eyes.
"You and Ruth on the other hand," Elena sighed, her eyes straying over the younger woman, and Ruth did her best to glare back. "When I saw you again after all these years, I knew that something was different… you were different... You weren't the bold, confident young man I knew in Berlin, but a less self-assured, tired, aging man, who had devotion to only one woman… and I saw who that was the moment the two of you were together at the Reception."
Ruth stared at Harry again and began to grow anxious that he just was not looking her; in fact he seemed to be looking anywhere but at her.
"Did Harry ever tell you what happened in Berlin, Ruth?" Elena asked quietly, and Ruth knew it was time to defend Harry right at the time when he most needed that reassurance.
"Yes." She replied as confidently and as steadily as she could, with Delloy and Anatoly's eyes on her.
"But has he told you the truth?" Elena asked, her horrible smile twisting even more. "The attempting to get me to spy for the Allies, at a time when Ilya and I were happy? And when I refused, he made up a story about my parents death. They had both died a few years before, and he managed to forge evidence that proved they were murdered at the hands of my own country. And with that, he managed to distress me to the point that I was even suspicious of Ilya." Ruth's heart constricted as she listened to Elena's story, trying hard not to imagine this younger, darker version of Harry. Harry, for the first time in minutes, looked fearfully at Ruth whose expression contained that of silent horror, and he felt as if his gut had been twisted. No…he could not lose her now. He couldn't.
"But I was still loyal, and I stood by Ilya, even though he was now beginning to push me away. But then Harry resorted to the last weapon he had," she stared at him and smirked that nasty poisonous smirk, whilst Harry looked away from Ruth's gaze in shame. "And he… seduced me… to convince me to get information that he needed." She took in Ruth's slightly hurt gaze at Harry, and she asked again, "Did Harry tell you that?"
Ruth took a moment to consider Harry's expression of utter shame and humility, and she automatically knew what her answer had to be. Avoiding looking at either Delloy or Anatoly, she said quietly but defiantly to Elena, "No."
"He is not the man you took him to be?"
"No." Ruth replied, and Harry's jaw clenched even tighter as she realised he looked like he was about to cry. "He's a better man." Both Harry and Elena froze; in fact, the world might have stood still for a few seconds, as Harry tried to comprehend this incredible, understanding woman, and Elena tried to grasp that her snide comments had failed to divide the pair. "He's made mistakes, and… and I suppose I of all people should know he has…but… but after what you've just said… all I cans see is a man who gave more to the service, and learnt more from these mistakes than anybody could think possible."
It was all Harry could do not to seize her and kiss her right there and then, but obviously he knew that in this current situation and after everything she had been through, that would not be appropriate.
"And besides," Ruth continued astutely, her gaze still fixed on Elena's beady eyes. "It seems you weren't the victim after all. I'm prepared to bet that all of what you have just said is a very well- rehearsed legend that you've come to memorise over all these years."
"What do you mean?" Elena asked, her eyes narrowed.
"What she means Elena," Harry finally spoke up. "Is that in all likelihood you were setting me up from the beginning, or at least as soon as I started showing an interest in you. Are we right?"
Elena stared at the pair of them, her expression now crossed between a glare and a smirk, which was a rather ugly combination. "You are right." She replied calmly.
"Who was it you were working for then?" Harry demanded, having regained control of himself thanks to Ruth's sudden act of bravery. He was now holding her tighter than ever, trying to let her know how grateful he was through his gentle touch. "Ilya? KGB?"
"What makes you think I was working for someone Harry?" Elena asked in apparent curiosity,
"You're clever Elena," Harry growled, his spook face now firmly in place. "But you're really not that clever." This blatant insult seemed to have the desired effect on Elena whose smirk slowly slid off her face in annoyance.
"You will find out in due course who I work for," she said in a clipped tone, creating a strange sense of satisfaction within Harry, with the knowledge that he had successfully rattled her.
What about Sasha?" Ruth asked suddenly, both Elena and Harry turning to look at her. Almost as soon as he had done so, Harry whirled his head back around to stare at Elena, whose look of triumph had been restored.
"What about Sasha?" She asked, though it was clear enough who Ruth was asking about.
"No more games Elena," Harry said dangerously quietly. "You tell me… is Sasha actually my son or is that another lie as well?"
Elena looked between the two of them for a moment before saying, "Sasha is your son."
Harry tried to think how this made him feel, but was surprised to find that he felt neither joy nor remorse at this. Ruth however, he noticed, had begun to breathe very quickly and shallowly again, as if in great panic. He could not understand what was wrong, and he brought her round to face him properly: "Ruth?"
"She has not told you yet?" Elena asked silkily. "Well… I suppose not… there has not been time."
"What?" Harry asked quietly, for the first time in his life, completely neglecting Elena and turning his full attention to the woman in front of him. "Told me what?" he asked Ruth gently.
Ruth swallowed and shook her head, still hardly able to comprehend this herself, let alone be able to convey this truth to Harry. Harry was trying not to push her, especially in front of the other two men whose faces also contained horrible smirks, as they watched her struggle with the information.
"What?" he asked again, a little more urgently, but still with the same amount of tenderness in his voice.
"Ruth and her friends discovered information about her attackers." Elena said helpfully, placing one elegant hand on her hip. "And she finally realised that Sasha was one of them."
Harry felt as if he had been punched in the stomach, for he had most certainly stopped breathing, and his heart seemed to have just broken. "No." he swallowed uncertainly, turning his head to look at Ruth. From the way she steadfastly avoided his eyes he could tell that what he was hearing was in fact the truth. But how could it possibly be the truth? No son of his would ever perform such a horrific act as rape, and more specifically, how could his own flesh and blood find it within their ability to harm Ruth. Sasha, the boy, he was fifty per cent himself and fifty per cent Elena, and yet, he was so unlike Harry himself it was untrue. And then it properly hit him – his own son, a part of him had… interfered with Ruth. The truth was so awful that Harry felt most unclean, almost as if it had been he who had attacked Ruth. All of a sudden, Ruth felt Harry's arms unwrap from around her slightly, and attempt to pull away. She looked up at him, startled at this gesture and saw that his expression was a mixture of mingled disgust and horror.
"Sasha, our son, was one of the ones who-" Elena was confirming, almost smugly, although her expression was still straight and silky. Ruth wondered how on earth she found the nerve to stand there and talk about such matters, as if they were an everyday occurrence. Elena's ruthlessness shocked her quite a lot, as although she had not exactly liked the older woman due to her past with Harry, she had considered her relatively harmless. Now, not only was she quite convinced that she really rather hated Elena, but she was also starting to realise that this seemingly fragile Russian housewife was a great deal more harmful than either of them had originally anticipated.
"Sasha is no son of mine!" Harry suddenly snapped, making Ruth jump from the unexpected outburst and display of emotion, and causing Elena to raise an eyebrow. "No son of mine would condone rape, let alone practice it."
"I am sorry Harry," Elena said quietly, even though she was quite plainly anything but. Ruth was beginning to wonder whether this was just another lie to get Harry riled up. "But he is your son."
"He's more Ilya's son than mine!" Harry yelled, breathing exceptionally heavily, just as he always did when he found himself unable to control his anger levels. "Didn't your precious husband condone rape and terror all those years ago in Berlin? I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was him you are working for!" Elena's eyebrows, if it was possible, seemed to rise even higher. Ruth took this as a sign that he was ruffling her feathers, and she could not help but feel pleased at this. "As you are so fond of reminding me Elena – I left you in Berlin. I haven't seen either you or that boy in nearly thirty years. I couldn't possibly know him, and he couldn't possibly know me. Anything he regards as right or wrong is based on your principles, and on that note, I have to say I am quite sorry for him."
"I-" Elena began, a little frostily, although she was trying her best to amend her poker face, but Harry continued before she was even given the chance to speak.
"And I also feel sorry for you Elena!" he snapped.
Elena hesitated before asking with dignity, "Why should you feel sorry for me?"
Harry gazed at her coldly –something he never thought he would do towards her in his entire life, "You've become so dark and twisted that any principles you had before marrying Ilya have gone. Because no matter what you insist, I believe that you were a good person before you met him, and I think I genuinely saw that side of you all those years ago – albeit if only for short amount of time." Elena's expression had frozen, and was staring at Harry with a most odd expression on her face. Ruth tried to make out whether it was confusion or, dare she say it, vulnerability. Could Harry possibly be right? "But since you chose to take that man's side, you've allowed yourself to… become this." He said gesturing towards her in disgust. "A woman who seems pleased at the fact that her own son feels it is perfectly adequate to go around raping innocent women in their own homes."
Elena stared at Harry for a few more moments; moments in which Ruth genuinely thought Harry had cracked this woman – that he was possibly going to break her. But then they both witnessed that horrible smug smile slide up over her features again, no sparkle of kindness in those eagle eyes, as she said:
"Oh Harry," she sighed. "Perhaps you are right." At Harry's questioning look she elaborated. "Perhaps I am a better spy than you after all… you do not think I would fall for simple breaking techniques like those do you?"
Harry looked away, as this had apparently been his intention. Ruth was still feeling slightly anxious without his arms tight and protective around her, but she tried to maintain a dignified expression in front of the sneering faces of the two burly bodyguards.
"How could you do it Elena?" Harry asked quietly, as if all the fight had evaporated from him. "How could you? And why? What has been the point of all of this?"
Elena regarded Harry with suspicion for a moment before answering shortly, "The partnership. It is against the wishes of the people I work for."
"And is it against your wishes?" Harry probed, desperate now to get to the more humane side of this seemingly inhumane, bitter woman.
"It is against the wishes of the people I work for; therefore it is against my wishes." She answered enigmatically.
"But why forge those notes from me?" Harry demanded. "Just so I wouldn't suspect? And if that's the case, why didn't you want me to suspect if this is what you had in mind all along." He finished, gesturing around the darkened room, and its grimy floor.
"It was… necessary." Elena replied unhelpfully.
"Was it necessary to attack Ruth?" he demanded, getting increasingly angry at her stubbornness to answer his questions. If they were going to die here, they at least had the right to know why. "Was it necessary to hurt her like that?" When Elena still did not deign to reply he yelled. "What was that for Elena? Was that purely to follow orders or was it partly a personal agenda? After everything you've just said, were you possibly angry that I had left you behind? Was there a small part of you… a small humane part of you that just wanted to get out of a loveless marriage with your child?" Elena's eyes were widening all the time he spoke, her mouth parted slightly, as if she wanted to reply with dignity but could not quite manage it. "Did you help organise that attack because of that Elena? Because I know you did… you sent the text to Ruth so that when she answered that door, she expected it to be me – not four violent men all intent on getting their pound of flesh!"
Ruth closed her eyes at the coarse fury and brashness in Harry's voice, now rather glad that he had let her go. She did not think she could bear him to talk about the attack for much longer.
"In that case Elena," Harry continued, not noticing Ruth's expression. "Ruth is completely innocent. Because when we had our affair, and at that time, she was still had school. She hadn't even done her O-Levels!"
Harry had thought it was a long shot asking these questions, but something within him told him that he was getting to Elena. Her expression now showed genuine surprise, and he was sure that this time, she was not acting. He was about to persist onwards, when a sudden noise came from beyond the doorway, as footsteps echoed along the cold stone floor towards them. The whole room went silent, Elena still staring unwaveringly at Harry, whilst he, regardless of what he had just found out, resumed his hold on Ruth, who had begun to tremble slightly. She found his hand in the moderate darkness and squeezed it as if to ask that he would stay with her. Harry, who would have it no other way, squeezed it back, and kept holding it tightly until the face of the approaching figure finally came into view.
Even though not very much happened, I do hope you liked that. It's really hard with a plot as intricate as this to remember to put eveything in. It's especially difficult when you have to write two or three chapters of exposition. Hhmm... now I know how Agatha Christie felt when she had to write nearly ten pages of exposition, with Miss Marple having to explain how the mystery all fit together. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but as I said, I hoped that was satisfactory. Please let me know what you think :) xxx