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Crouching Tiger: Chapter 4
By Marissa
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Harm followed Alex to the back sedan parked on the east end of the park, not far from his hotel. He threw his bag into the trunk, or the "boot" as the British called it, and climbed into the passenger side, but the passenger side wasn't the passenger side at all.
"We're in England now remember?" Had he been American, Alex would've been grinning ear to ear, but being a typical Russian his face remained expressionless.
"Too damned long in America," Harm mumbled, getting out to get in the proper passenger seat on the left side of the car. Alex got in on the right driver's side and sped off towards Heathrow airport where they had two first class tickets to Moscow.
"So how was life in America?" Alex asked, now speaking in his native Russian tongue.
"Good. The food and the people were much better than they always told us they were."
Alex nodded. "Did you meet any beautiful women? I hear that there are a lot over there."
"Quite a few," Harm replied. Of all the women he'd met in America, none stood out quite as firmly as one Sarah Mackenzie.
Alex glanced at his brooding companion. "Forget her M, you're never going to see her again."
Harm was grim. "Isn't that the first thing they teach you? To never fall in love? I thought that I was better than that."
Alex squeezed Harm's shoulder. "It could happen to anyone M, we're only men."
"Yes, only men," Harm repeated, wishing that it would make him feel better, but knowing that it wouldn't.
The flight to Moscow was a quiet one. Alex didn't have much to say and Harm wasn't really in the mood to talk anyway. He dozed most of the flight until a soft tap on his shoulder caused him to awaken.
"We're here," Alex said. "Welcome home."
And so he was. For the first time in many, many years Harm was on Russian soil as a Russian citizen. However, for all the times he'd dreamed of his homecoming, particularly as a young agent when he was first assigned and homesick, his actual return wasn't as grand as he might've expected. The sky was the usual dismal gray and the only people waiting for him were a group of sour-looking old men. Harm nodded his greeting.
"M, if you'll please," one of the agents said, gesturing to the back seat of the black SUV.
Harm did so and stared at out the darkly tinted windows at the city of Moscow. Shortly after passing the Red Square the car pulled up to a nondescript office building that housed Harm's agency, the RVS. Harm followed the older agents up to the director's office and was quickly ushered in.
"M, nice to see you again. It's been quite a while."
Harm nodded solemnly at the elder man. "Dmitiry."
"I hope that you have much to tell us."
"Yes. I have much to tell you."
Dmitiry smiled slightly. "Excellent."
"If I may ask sir, how did my identity get out?"
"Agent K was discovered in his position in Germany. The GSG-9 got to him before we could and he talked."
Harm grimaced. Germany's BKA brutal "interrogations" were greatly feared among all spies. Harm had heard all the horror stories in the academy as a young agent. Even in his classes to teach torture resistance, his professors could only give their blessings to any agent unfortunate enough to caught in such a predicament. "Has K been returned?"
"Unfortunately no. He is still being held in a BKA prison, but not for too much longer. We have an operation underway."
"Let me know if there's anything I can do to help," replied Harm.
"Right now I need you in debriefing. I don't care how long it takes, but we need to know *everything*."
"Absolutely sir, but what of after that?"
Dmitiry shook his head. "You position was seriously compromised in America. I'm recommending that you don't return to active duty. I'm sorry."
Harm shook his head. He loved his job, but he needed to quit while he was ahead. He stood to leave for debriefing.
"M?"
Harm looked at the aging man. "Da?"
"Thank you for your service. Mother Russia will not forget you."
"If only that were true Dmitiry. If only that was true."
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Mac awoke to a warm wetness on her cheek. She cracked open an eye to find a set of sad looking dog-eyes staring back at her.
"Oh Jingo, I forgot to feed you last night, didn't I?" She asked her furry companion as she got up to get him some food.
Glancing at her clock, Mac was startled to find that it was nearly two in the afternoon. She'd been up so late at the CIA headquarters last night...Mac's face fell when she remembered yesterday's events. She sighed heavily, her sigh sounding very much like a sob, and crumpled to the floor. Harm was a Russian spy and was now gone forever.
Mac looked at Jingo's panting face. "Why'd all this have to happen?"
Mac sat on her bedroom floor for a good while before she realized what she needed to do. After taking a shower, Mac picked up the phone and called the only person she felt she could trust at the moment.
"Webb."
"Don't you ever sleep?" Mac asked the agent.
"Mac. I told you that I'd call if anything else came up. You need to be patient right now."
"Let me go to Russia Webb." Mac waited for the outraged response, but instead she was met only with silence, "Webb?"
"Why do you want to go to Russia Mac?" Clayton finally responded.
"Harm knows me and he still might even trust me. If anyone can get him back, it's me."
"Do you really think you can find him?"
"Yes."
Mac could hear Clayton sigh. "If anyone asks, we never had this conversation. Good luck."
"Thanks Webb." Mac hung up the phone and dialed Dulles International Airport.
Crouching Tiger: Chapter 4
By Marissa
XxXxXxXxXxX
Harm followed Alex to the back sedan parked on the east end of the park, not far from his hotel. He threw his bag into the trunk, or the "boot" as the British called it, and climbed into the passenger side, but the passenger side wasn't the passenger side at all.
"We're in England now remember?" Had he been American, Alex would've been grinning ear to ear, but being a typical Russian his face remained expressionless.
"Too damned long in America," Harm mumbled, getting out to get in the proper passenger seat on the left side of the car. Alex got in on the right driver's side and sped off towards Heathrow airport where they had two first class tickets to Moscow.
"So how was life in America?" Alex asked, now speaking in his native Russian tongue.
"Good. The food and the people were much better than they always told us they were."
Alex nodded. "Did you meet any beautiful women? I hear that there are a lot over there."
"Quite a few," Harm replied. Of all the women he'd met in America, none stood out quite as firmly as one Sarah Mackenzie.
Alex glanced at his brooding companion. "Forget her M, you're never going to see her again."
Harm was grim. "Isn't that the first thing they teach you? To never fall in love? I thought that I was better than that."
Alex squeezed Harm's shoulder. "It could happen to anyone M, we're only men."
"Yes, only men," Harm repeated, wishing that it would make him feel better, but knowing that it wouldn't.
The flight to Moscow was a quiet one. Alex didn't have much to say and Harm wasn't really in the mood to talk anyway. He dozed most of the flight until a soft tap on his shoulder caused him to awaken.
"We're here," Alex said. "Welcome home."
And so he was. For the first time in many, many years Harm was on Russian soil as a Russian citizen. However, for all the times he'd dreamed of his homecoming, particularly as a young agent when he was first assigned and homesick, his actual return wasn't as grand as he might've expected. The sky was the usual dismal gray and the only people waiting for him were a group of sour-looking old men. Harm nodded his greeting.
"M, if you'll please," one of the agents said, gesturing to the back seat of the black SUV.
Harm did so and stared at out the darkly tinted windows at the city of Moscow. Shortly after passing the Red Square the car pulled up to a nondescript office building that housed Harm's agency, the RVS. Harm followed the older agents up to the director's office and was quickly ushered in.
"M, nice to see you again. It's been quite a while."
Harm nodded solemnly at the elder man. "Dmitiry."
"I hope that you have much to tell us."
"Yes. I have much to tell you."
Dmitiry smiled slightly. "Excellent."
"If I may ask sir, how did my identity get out?"
"Agent K was discovered in his position in Germany. The GSG-9 got to him before we could and he talked."
Harm grimaced. Germany's BKA brutal "interrogations" were greatly feared among all spies. Harm had heard all the horror stories in the academy as a young agent. Even in his classes to teach torture resistance, his professors could only give their blessings to any agent unfortunate enough to caught in such a predicament. "Has K been returned?"
"Unfortunately no. He is still being held in a BKA prison, but not for too much longer. We have an operation underway."
"Let me know if there's anything I can do to help," replied Harm.
"Right now I need you in debriefing. I don't care how long it takes, but we need to know *everything*."
"Absolutely sir, but what of after that?"
Dmitiry shook his head. "You position was seriously compromised in America. I'm recommending that you don't return to active duty. I'm sorry."
Harm shook his head. He loved his job, but he needed to quit while he was ahead. He stood to leave for debriefing.
"M?"
Harm looked at the aging man. "Da?"
"Thank you for your service. Mother Russia will not forget you."
"If only that were true Dmitiry. If only that was true."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Mac awoke to a warm wetness on her cheek. She cracked open an eye to find a set of sad looking dog-eyes staring back at her.
"Oh Jingo, I forgot to feed you last night, didn't I?" She asked her furry companion as she got up to get him some food.
Glancing at her clock, Mac was startled to find that it was nearly two in the afternoon. She'd been up so late at the CIA headquarters last night...Mac's face fell when she remembered yesterday's events. She sighed heavily, her sigh sounding very much like a sob, and crumpled to the floor. Harm was a Russian spy and was now gone forever.
Mac looked at Jingo's panting face. "Why'd all this have to happen?"
Mac sat on her bedroom floor for a good while before she realized what she needed to do. After taking a shower, Mac picked up the phone and called the only person she felt she could trust at the moment.
"Webb."
"Don't you ever sleep?" Mac asked the agent.
"Mac. I told you that I'd call if anything else came up. You need to be patient right now."
"Let me go to Russia Webb." Mac waited for the outraged response, but instead she was met only with silence, "Webb?"
"Why do you want to go to Russia Mac?" Clayton finally responded.
"Harm knows me and he still might even trust me. If anyone can get him back, it's me."
"Do you really think you can find him?"
"Yes."
Mac could hear Clayton sigh. "If anyone asks, we never had this conversation. Good luck."
"Thanks Webb." Mac hung up the phone and dialed Dulles International Airport.