The First Visit
She's not quite sure why she's standing here in the first place. She doesn't remember the drive, parking or coming in with the tour group. All she knows is that she's been standing there for a while, if the guard's demeanor is any indication.
They had discretely motioned her over to the guest book a while back and she stared at the blank line trying to figure out an appropriate alias. She couldn't sign her real name; she couldn't sign her American name. So she ended up signing the name Catie Richmond. It seemed appropriate, because that is why she was here. Wrapped in black wool, a sign of sadness, with a splash of red to remind her of the mission.
He had been too young, like her; but not nearly as jaded. He was doing what he thought best for his country, as she was. Did the ends justify the means? Is one country more superior to another? That question alone would have her spending months -- or years -- in Siberia.
Why was she here, really? To make sure that she had been successful in her assignments? Yes. Guilt? No. Shame? No. Remorse? Maybe. Regret? Maybe. Or just to honor another patriot? Maybe. There might not really be a reason.
Now she knew two names upon the wall. She knew their lives and knew their deaths. She knew the look on their faces when she took their futures, all for the good of her country. And a tear rolled down her cheek.
Andrew and James - Fishers of Men
Their contact was late and they were beginning to become impatient. It was supposed to be routine; meet with the Russians, buy the weapons they offered, signal backup and take the Russians into custody. One more illegal weapons ring taken out. Johnson and Boudreaux had planned for everything, as their reputations acknowledged. Johnson glanced at his watch once more and began to pace between the rows of crates.
"Phil, get in the game," a harsh whisper from his partner. Boudreaux knew that Phil always paced when he got anxious and he loved to bust his chops about it. They had been working together as partners for eight years now and could read each other well.
"Bite me Oz," was his reply. Chuckles lilted through their earpieces and Oz took the opportunity to check in with surveillance.
"Red, any signs of them?"
"Negative, sir."
"Blue?"
"None sir."
"Sky-eye, any signs of approaching vehicles?"
"All clear sir. Just normal traffic patterns."
"Keep an eye out all of you. I'm getting a feeling about this one." Phil knew to trust his feelings and so did the rest of the team.
Phil glanced over at the briefcase full of money. He'd been doing this job for what seemed like eons, but the thought of such sums of money sitting in a briefcase on the floor next to Oz still made him nervous. He had seen what some people would do for money and it gave him nightmares. He took a moment to take a sweeping inventory of the warehouse. Light filtered in through the high windows, putting the rafters in shadows. He knew that Mac and Deb were on the roof of the building next door, eyes trained on the western windows; Ramsey and Wilson were watching the southern windows. He knew there was no egress on the east, only a shared wall with the warehouse on that side. The only entrance for the Russians was to the north and here, he and Oz were waiting.
The tip they had gotten from their source was that Zaranoysti was eager to unload these weapons, as he was looking to retire to his nice dacha on the Black Sea. Their meeting with Zaranoysti's right hand man had gone relatively smoothly and with the right amount of haggling, a price had been settled on. So, the trade was set to everyone's satisfaction for today.
The Russians were 20 minutes late and that made both Phil and Oz nervous.
"Did I tell you that Bobby finally passed his drivers' test?"
"Really, how many tries did it take him, Oz? Cuz if he drives like you, I'm surprised that they passed him."
"He had to take the driving portion a second time; the kid just won't quit rolling through stop signs. So Nancy started to tease him that if he couldn't pass, then he'd have to have his mom drive Tam and him to the prom."
"Well, thank God Max still has 4 years before he starts driving, I don't think my nerves are ready. So when are you going to introduce Bobby to the Dupont Circle?"
"Not till he's 25. I even hate driving the circle."
"Show me one person who does and I'll show you someone that belongs in the nuthouse."
"Don't you know it," and Oz checked his watch again.
Oz began mentally reviewing the plan in his mind and wondered if there was something they overlooked. He tried to remember everything about the meetings with the Russians, determined to uncover any duplicity. Oz was the analytical one; Phil had the gut feelings; that is why they had always worked so well together. He absently patted his shoulder holster, making sure his piece was still there and his hand reached up and tapped his earpiece.
Phil's pace began to speed up and Oz decided it was officially time to start worrying. He checked in with all the teams and knew it was time to consider that the transaction would not be taking place. For some reason, the Russians had stood them up.
Forty minutes after the proposed meet time, Oz officially called off the sting.
***
Her legs had gone numb about an hour ago and still, she waited. She knew that the Russians wouldn't be coming. Their organization was currently in disarray. Yesterday, Zaranoysti was assassinated in his home and no suspects had been found.
She had been waiting in the HVAC unit in the northeast corner of the building. The shadows obstructed the CIA's view of her hideout but she had a perfect view of the two agents. She watched them as they paced and followed protocol, checking in with the snipers on the roof next door. And she waited until the perfect time.
***
"OK, everyone, we're packing it up. It looks as though the Russians are a no show." Oz gave one last look around and walked over to pick up the briefcase.
"Understood. Blue team standing down."
"Red standing down."
"Keep your guard up everyone. We don't know if we're under any type of surveillance," added Phil. "Sky-eye, keep a lock on everyone until they are at least one mile from here. Keep circling as needed."
"We've got a lock on all personnel. Proceed."
"Let's go home everyone. See you back at the ranch." Oz felt a sense of relief as he gathered the briefcase and headed for the door. He heard Phil's footsteps behind him and he gave a small chuckle; Phil always hated being the last one out of a building. Then the footsteps suddenly stopped and he heard a small moan followed by a thud.
"Having trouble walking there partner?" he quipped as he turned around to see Phil sprawled on the floor.
He felt a sting in his chest and time seemed to slow as he fell to the ground.
"Agent down," he gasped, as the briefcase slipped from his hand.
***
Khasinau let himself into her hotel room and walked into the steamy bathroom. Irina was barely visible in the steam rising from the tub.
He roughly grabbed her chin and pulled her forward with a swift jerk.
"Zaranoysti's murder was not sanctioned. Do not take things into your own hands again. You will not like the consequences."
He pushed her back and water sloshed over the side of the tub getting him wet and giving her a face full of water. She spat it out and sank further into the warm water.