Evgeni sat waiting in a cold, bleak room. He stared around at the all-to-
familiar desolate environment; the low ceilings, black and steel furniture,
and tinted windows that allowed you to see the outside world, but in turn
hid you from it. There was a young woman, in her twenties, sitting at a
large black desk, feverishly typing away at a keyboard. Her phone rang, she
picked it up. After nodding a couple of times, she stood up.
"Mr. Donovitch shall see you now Mr. Plushenko," replied the tall blonde Russian, "right this way". Evgeni silently got up and followed the lady into a small dark office. The only motion in the room was the methodical spinning of a ceiling fan. There did not appear to be anyone else in the room. The secretary left and Evgeni was alone in utter silence. Suddenly the door was slammed shut, and their appeared an tall man behind it. He was an older man, in his late 50's, going gray and slightly balding. His steely gray eyes kept a unfading, malicious look set deep into them. Those cold eyes came to rest upon Evgeni. Evgeni uncomfortably shifted in his chair and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. It felt like the gaze was bearing down straight through his very soul.
"Evgeni, I'm pleased you came so quickly," sneered the man with a smirk gradually appearing upon his face. Evgeni grimaced, but managed to quickly fake a smile. No matter how many times he had heard that voice, he would never grow accustomed to it.
"There is a slight problem in the Russian Skating Federation," he bluntly stated with the smirk now completely gone from his face.
"A problem?" inquired Evgeni, trying to humor Mr. Donovitch.
"Yes, the domination of the Russian skaters is threatening to be overturned," Evgeni's face turned into a look of confusion.
"But sir.... between Alexei and myself nobody can touch the gold, and Irina can certainly handle the women's department. What can possibly be the matter?"
"Don't back talk me!" said the man ferociously, "I know what I am talking about, so it would do you good to shut up and listen." Evgeni felt like he had been cut in half. His stomach lurched as he sank back down into the chair, and lowered his head. "A young woman is threatening the federation's stance. She has been progressing rapidly through all competitions and now threatens to overthrow our reigning champion. It is your duty to take her out Evgeni. I don't care how you complete your task, just do it. Get her to join our side...lead the girl on with your immense charms, and get her to switch over to Russia. Then you can dump her or whatever you wish. If that doesn't work we will have to deal with the situation in...... Other ways. There is a picture of her in this packet, as well as other information that should be of use. Do you understand?"
"...yes...," said Evgeni softly under his breath. There was nothing else he could say. He was expected to and had to do what he was told. He stood up and exited the room. Once again he put on his coat, and began to brave the coldness of the bitter Russian night. As he was walking, he opened the manila envelope and removed the contents. He took out a picture of a girl in her early twenties. She was tall and slender with straight ebony colored hair that fell midway down her back and was quite buxom. A little smile came to his lips as he examined the pictures.
"Maybe this won't be that horrid after all," Evgeni thought to himself. His eyes wondered across the sheet of statistics. His eyes stopped on one statement. "A speed skater!!!!!" he said aloud in astonishment. "A speed skater," he mumbled as he shook his head. "I have to go get a speed skater." Why would he be sent for this job? Why not another speed skater? And why this girl...she looked harmless enough. While these thought whirred around his head, he reached his home. He brought out his key and opened the front door. Upon entering, he immediately went up the stairs into his room and flopped down on the bed. Exhausted from the experience, he immediately began to doze off. Under his breath, he mumbled....."Kathryn McKibben." Then he slipped off into a deep slumber.
meanwhile.......
Kathryn skipped down the sidewalk towards the skating commissions building, humming a happy little ditty to herself all the way there. She arrived at a large, five story, brick building. She pushed her way through the revolving doors, and made her way to the lobby. The sound of her boots echoed against the marble floors as she crossed over to the front desk.
"Mr. Rochester's office please," said Kathryn with a smile.
"Do you have an appointment?" inquired the woman behind the desk.
"I'm pretty sure I do," she replied scratching her head, "the name is Kathryn McKibben. I should be on the waiting list."
"Oh yes, here you are," said the secretary pointing at a piece of paper attached to a large clipboard, "Third floor second room on the right."
"Thank you so much," Kathryn merrily said as she made her way towards the elevator. She pushed the up button, and the elevator doors immediately opened. She walked inside and push a button with the number three upon it. The elevator ride seemed to take for ever. How long could three floors really last?!?! She began to tap her foot impatiently as the elevator slowly made it's way up the cable. At long last, the door opened revealing the third floor hallway. She walked down the hallway for a little while and finally came to the door marked Alan Rochester, Head of Olympic appointment. She knocked timidly upon the oaken door.
"Come in," said a deep but gentle voice from inside the office. She opened the door and entered.
"Kathryn!!! I'm so very glad you came," Mr. Rochester said while shaking her hand with great enthusiasm.
"OH, my pleasure," said Kathryn.
"Well then, down to business. As you know the Olympics are fast approaching. Veronica Smith had a terrible fall during one of her practice sessions, and has broken her ankle."
"Oh that's terrible!" said Kathryn, all though she was trying to fight a smile that kept threatening to show itself upon her face.
"You know what that means don't you?" inquired Alan Rochester.
"No I can't say that I do sir," said Kathryn coolly, trying to savor the moment.
"You are now officially on the United States Olympic speed skating team."
"Thank you sir, I won't let you down," she said with a polite smile as she stood up and shook his hand. She turned around and calmly walked into the hallway. As soon as she had shut the door she began to wildly jump around in circles and flail her arms. She ran down the hallway, and kicked her heals together as she reached the elevator. The ride down the elevator didn't seem as long as the previous one. The door opened to the first floor. "I've got to go tell Valeri!!!!!" she excitedly thought to herself. She ran full force into the revolving doors, and wound up sliding across the marble floor. Everyone looked over and began to question if she was all right. Before people could finish their questions she stood up, casually brushed herself off, and calmly walked through the doors.
"Mr. Donovitch shall see you now Mr. Plushenko," replied the tall blonde Russian, "right this way". Evgeni silently got up and followed the lady into a small dark office. The only motion in the room was the methodical spinning of a ceiling fan. There did not appear to be anyone else in the room. The secretary left and Evgeni was alone in utter silence. Suddenly the door was slammed shut, and their appeared an tall man behind it. He was an older man, in his late 50's, going gray and slightly balding. His steely gray eyes kept a unfading, malicious look set deep into them. Those cold eyes came to rest upon Evgeni. Evgeni uncomfortably shifted in his chair and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. It felt like the gaze was bearing down straight through his very soul.
"Evgeni, I'm pleased you came so quickly," sneered the man with a smirk gradually appearing upon his face. Evgeni grimaced, but managed to quickly fake a smile. No matter how many times he had heard that voice, he would never grow accustomed to it.
"There is a slight problem in the Russian Skating Federation," he bluntly stated with the smirk now completely gone from his face.
"A problem?" inquired Evgeni, trying to humor Mr. Donovitch.
"Yes, the domination of the Russian skaters is threatening to be overturned," Evgeni's face turned into a look of confusion.
"But sir.... between Alexei and myself nobody can touch the gold, and Irina can certainly handle the women's department. What can possibly be the matter?"
"Don't back talk me!" said the man ferociously, "I know what I am talking about, so it would do you good to shut up and listen." Evgeni felt like he had been cut in half. His stomach lurched as he sank back down into the chair, and lowered his head. "A young woman is threatening the federation's stance. She has been progressing rapidly through all competitions and now threatens to overthrow our reigning champion. It is your duty to take her out Evgeni. I don't care how you complete your task, just do it. Get her to join our side...lead the girl on with your immense charms, and get her to switch over to Russia. Then you can dump her or whatever you wish. If that doesn't work we will have to deal with the situation in...... Other ways. There is a picture of her in this packet, as well as other information that should be of use. Do you understand?"
"...yes...," said Evgeni softly under his breath. There was nothing else he could say. He was expected to and had to do what he was told. He stood up and exited the room. Once again he put on his coat, and began to brave the coldness of the bitter Russian night. As he was walking, he opened the manila envelope and removed the contents. He took out a picture of a girl in her early twenties. She was tall and slender with straight ebony colored hair that fell midway down her back and was quite buxom. A little smile came to his lips as he examined the pictures.
"Maybe this won't be that horrid after all," Evgeni thought to himself. His eyes wondered across the sheet of statistics. His eyes stopped on one statement. "A speed skater!!!!!" he said aloud in astonishment. "A speed skater," he mumbled as he shook his head. "I have to go get a speed skater." Why would he be sent for this job? Why not another speed skater? And why this girl...she looked harmless enough. While these thought whirred around his head, he reached his home. He brought out his key and opened the front door. Upon entering, he immediately went up the stairs into his room and flopped down on the bed. Exhausted from the experience, he immediately began to doze off. Under his breath, he mumbled....."Kathryn McKibben." Then he slipped off into a deep slumber.
meanwhile.......
Kathryn skipped down the sidewalk towards the skating commissions building, humming a happy little ditty to herself all the way there. She arrived at a large, five story, brick building. She pushed her way through the revolving doors, and made her way to the lobby. The sound of her boots echoed against the marble floors as she crossed over to the front desk.
"Mr. Rochester's office please," said Kathryn with a smile.
"Do you have an appointment?" inquired the woman behind the desk.
"I'm pretty sure I do," she replied scratching her head, "the name is Kathryn McKibben. I should be on the waiting list."
"Oh yes, here you are," said the secretary pointing at a piece of paper attached to a large clipboard, "Third floor second room on the right."
"Thank you so much," Kathryn merrily said as she made her way towards the elevator. She pushed the up button, and the elevator doors immediately opened. She walked inside and push a button with the number three upon it. The elevator ride seemed to take for ever. How long could three floors really last?!?! She began to tap her foot impatiently as the elevator slowly made it's way up the cable. At long last, the door opened revealing the third floor hallway. She walked down the hallway for a little while and finally came to the door marked Alan Rochester, Head of Olympic appointment. She knocked timidly upon the oaken door.
"Come in," said a deep but gentle voice from inside the office. She opened the door and entered.
"Kathryn!!! I'm so very glad you came," Mr. Rochester said while shaking her hand with great enthusiasm.
"OH, my pleasure," said Kathryn.
"Well then, down to business. As you know the Olympics are fast approaching. Veronica Smith had a terrible fall during one of her practice sessions, and has broken her ankle."
"Oh that's terrible!" said Kathryn, all though she was trying to fight a smile that kept threatening to show itself upon her face.
"You know what that means don't you?" inquired Alan Rochester.
"No I can't say that I do sir," said Kathryn coolly, trying to savor the moment.
"You are now officially on the United States Olympic speed skating team."
"Thank you sir, I won't let you down," she said with a polite smile as she stood up and shook his hand. She turned around and calmly walked into the hallway. As soon as she had shut the door she began to wildly jump around in circles and flail her arms. She ran down the hallway, and kicked her heals together as she reached the elevator. The ride down the elevator didn't seem as long as the previous one. The door opened to the first floor. "I've got to go tell Valeri!!!!!" she excitedly thought to herself. She ran full force into the revolving doors, and wound up sliding across the marble floor. Everyone looked over and began to question if she was all right. Before people could finish their questions she stood up, casually brushed herself off, and calmly walked through the doors.