"What is going on here?!"
"Keep your voice down," the woman ordered coolly, pressing the gun against his stomach under the small table.
The pointed reminder did nothing to calm Alex's growing panic. "Keep my voice--? Who are you? What do you want?" he hissed, nevertheless obeying her command.
She sighed, and he almost thought he saw regret on her face. "Look, the last thing I want to do is... harm you. But I have to have your cooperation, and in the end, I thought it best for you if it looked like this wasn't entirely voluntary," she explained.
Alex gave her a look of pure frustration. "I still do not understand what is going on here."
"You won't, not until later. Now listen up and play along. You and I are going to take a little walk back to my hotel room. Try to get away, or alert anyone, and you'll be dead before you can take three steps," she answered coldly. He watched as carefully, surreptitiously, she hid the gun in her coat pocket, all the while keeping it trained on him.
She stood, motioning him to do the same, before linking her free arm in his and pressing closely to him. Leaning in, she whispered in his ear. "Let's go, Herr Kapitain."
*****
Twenty minutes later
Local hotel
Having taken a long, meandering path to the hotel, the mystery woman now led Alex to one of the rooms. She pressed a key into his hand, wordlessly indicating for him to open the door and go in.
She followed him in, making sure the door was firmly shut before removing the gun from her pocket and directing him to the bed with it. "Have a seat, Herr Kapitain. Our third will be along shortly."
Third? What the...?
Alex Volkonov had been in a number of unusual situations in his life, but this one beat them all.
Sure enough, there was a knock at the door a few minutes later. His 'guard' stepped closer, even as a voice on the other side called out, "Alles
klar?"
"Ja. Kommt herein," she replied, even as she checked the window.
The door opened, and a tall figure entered, his clothing a nondescript coat and slacks, his face hidden by a black fedora. He carefully closed the door behind him and spoke to the blonde woman in a low tone, still speaking what Alex thought was German.
Their discussion over, he turned to Volkonov, lifting his head so that his face could be seen. "Hello, Alex."
"Harm!?! But you... you just called me from Washington! How... What are you doing in Russia? And who is that?" Alex demanded, pointing at the blonde.
"It's a long story. As for her...." Harm paused. "Captain Alex Volkonov, meet Mercedes Rabb. My cousin."
Alex was speechless, even as CD tucked the gun into the waist of her jeans. "Hi. Sorry about the gun, Captain, but like I said, I need to be positive you'd play along," she said apologetically.
A thoroughly flabbergasted Alex looked at her, then at Harm. "Your cousin." Harm nodded. "Last time it was your brother. Are there any other members of your family around I should know about?"
"Actually, yes," Mercedes replied before Harm could answer. "In fact, he's the reason we're all here and why we need your help." She strode over to where a large knapsack was sitting on a table, and carefully removed a good-size metal box. "Alex Volkonov, meet Lt. Harmon Rabb Sr.," she said, gesturing to the box.
TBC....
"Keep your voice down," the woman ordered coolly, pressing the gun against his stomach under the small table.
The pointed reminder did nothing to calm Alex's growing panic. "Keep my voice--? Who are you? What do you want?" he hissed, nevertheless obeying her command.
She sighed, and he almost thought he saw regret on her face. "Look, the last thing I want to do is... harm you. But I have to have your cooperation, and in the end, I thought it best for you if it looked like this wasn't entirely voluntary," she explained.
Alex gave her a look of pure frustration. "I still do not understand what is going on here."
"You won't, not until later. Now listen up and play along. You and I are going to take a little walk back to my hotel room. Try to get away, or alert anyone, and you'll be dead before you can take three steps," she answered coldly. He watched as carefully, surreptitiously, she hid the gun in her coat pocket, all the while keeping it trained on him.
She stood, motioning him to do the same, before linking her free arm in his and pressing closely to him. Leaning in, she whispered in his ear. "Let's go, Herr Kapitain."
*****
Twenty minutes later
Local hotel
Having taken a long, meandering path to the hotel, the mystery woman now led Alex to one of the rooms. She pressed a key into his hand, wordlessly indicating for him to open the door and go in.
She followed him in, making sure the door was firmly shut before removing the gun from her pocket and directing him to the bed with it. "Have a seat, Herr Kapitain. Our third will be along shortly."
Third? What the...?
Alex Volkonov had been in a number of unusual situations in his life, but this one beat them all.
Sure enough, there was a knock at the door a few minutes later. His 'guard' stepped closer, even as a voice on the other side called out, "Alles
klar?"
"Ja. Kommt herein," she replied, even as she checked the window.
The door opened, and a tall figure entered, his clothing a nondescript coat and slacks, his face hidden by a black fedora. He carefully closed the door behind him and spoke to the blonde woman in a low tone, still speaking what Alex thought was German.
Their discussion over, he turned to Volkonov, lifting his head so that his face could be seen. "Hello, Alex."
"Harm!?! But you... you just called me from Washington! How... What are you doing in Russia? And who is that?" Alex demanded, pointing at the blonde.
"It's a long story. As for her...." Harm paused. "Captain Alex Volkonov, meet Mercedes Rabb. My cousin."
Alex was speechless, even as CD tucked the gun into the waist of her jeans. "Hi. Sorry about the gun, Captain, but like I said, I need to be positive you'd play along," she said apologetically.
A thoroughly flabbergasted Alex looked at her, then at Harm. "Your cousin." Harm nodded. "Last time it was your brother. Are there any other members of your family around I should know about?"
"Actually, yes," Mercedes replied before Harm could answer. "In fact, he's the reason we're all here and why we need your help." She strode over to where a large knapsack was sitting on a table, and carefully removed a good-size metal box. "Alex Volkonov, meet Lt. Harmon Rabb Sr.," she said, gesturing to the box.
TBC....