DISCLAIMER: As a minor, I don't have legal rights to have my own driving license or my own gun license. Same with owning fictional characters- I just borrowed them. They'll be returned, promise!
CHAPTER FOUR
"Clio, Clio!" the voice woke me up. I opened my eyes and saw Reyes sitting beside me trying to put some bandage on my bleeding head. She sighed to see me awaken. "Try to sit still. We need to take you to the agency."
"Won't it be better if we take her to the hospital?" another voice asked. Then I noticed Liun at the driver's seat.
"No," Reyes detested. She took her phone and called someone. "Sydney, we need the paramedics team at the compound. Tell them to get there at once. We have Ilinova here..."
It was a long call. Still shaken and weak, I, for myself, didn't understand why Reyes didn't want to take me to the hospital. Liun drove faster. Soon, we were entering the Los Angeles station compound.
"Give her medication. I've only given her first aid," Reyes told the men in uniform. "I need her awake. Ilinova, listen, you might not understand clearly what I'm saying but I need you to stay awake. It's about the tracker..."
It was a delicate action. They had me treated but at the same time, they almost caused my life to end. Again, I woke up lying uncomfortably on a bed. But then, the pain in my neck was greater especially with bandage on it. A white figure was standing at the end of my bed, taking up records. Just as then, Reyes arrived. She thanked the doctor then told me that we must leave at once. As I get dressed, she told me that the tracker was taken off.
"…Because the station is again activated you were tracked down. That's why Lhuzikov was able to send choppers for Ivanov. You should thank Jack for that," she continued. I had second thoughts of doing so.
We headed back to the station. People were all standing on the hall, attentively listening to the director. Reyes paused and instantly, the director noticed her. He waved for us to come near and we stood near Liun.
"As I've already said, Agent Liun here gave us intel about 'The Code'. This..." he continued as he turned the monitor on, "...is what we needed to persuade the Russian government to have Lhuzikov and his team restrained. And now we have this, we can now acquire what they had stolen- secret files, important intels, programs and moreover, the employees of the former KGB."
Liun looked down as I glanced at him. He didn't say a word. I've always thought of him as a very loyal agent to the KGB so I didn't expect that he would surrender the database that soon.
"And all thanks to Agents Liun and Ilinova," the director proceeded. "Special operations will be conducted and each and everyone will be given specific tasks. We need everyone's presence. I request Agents Bristow, Marshall, Reyes, Ilinova and Liun to proceed to the conference room. Briefing would start in two minutes."
Just as we must leave, I remembered something more important; the database or 'The Code', it has the most important intel that I needed then. They must know that Irina is greatly connected to my parents' disappearance. I glanced back and saw Jack heading to the conference room with Sydney.
"Agent Bristow..." I called and both of them looked back, "…sir, I need to talk to you."
"After the briefing, Ilinova."
"No, it's very important."
"This, too, is important," he hesitated. I looked at him closely to tell him that that was really an important matter.
"I… In 'The Code', there's this telegram that indicates that..." I told him in Chinese and he gave a stern look. He expected whom I was referring to. "She must have known from the start that this will happen."
"I know," he answered stoically. "He had an agreement with Lhuzikov to protect certain people in her personal life."
"But I hope that you know that in order to protect these people, she also had to kill some."
"And they were your parents, weren't they?" he asked. I went quiet.
"Who told you this?" I asked him wanting to know who had known this before. Without a word, he glanced at my back. Reyes approached us.
"It's time."
----------
We were all sent to Paris. We arrived there about 2200 hours or so. We were instructed to see Lhuzikov at a certain meeting with some of his alliances. Once again, the transmitters were implanted to us. The tracker, that had been taken off from my neck was then placed in a ring. The plan was that I speak to Lhuzikov to offer him to surrender and I needed to be noticed so I had to bring the ring. Sydney and the others were to retrieve a numerical access for a program in 'The Code'. We suspected it has protocols of his plans that we were to be immediately submitted to Russia while Langley dealt with them.
We went in different arrivals. Reyes was with Jack and Liun was with Sydney. As for me, I entered alone. I double-checked my dress and the bugs. As soon as the limousine stopped, I entered in. Extraction team was standing by at the building next block.
"Where are you?" Jack transmitted escorting Reyes as they entered.
"I'm in position, dad," Sydney transmitted back as I spotted them in the bar. Reyes smiled at me as a sign to proceed. "Let's go."
Sydney entered the stage. She handled the microphone calmly as Liun played the cello. As soon as the first song ended, Sydney rushed out to the backstage as Liun proceeded to his number. I noticed the guards as they detected me.
"He's at the front row," Sydney radioed to inform me. "He's the third person to the right."
"I see him," I radioed in as I hurried. As I approached him, Liun's play ended and Sydney entered again the stage. Syd, Liun, Reyes and Jack secretly watched. The next song started. I stood at his front. The man standing behind him was whispering to him and I guessed that he was reporting that I had entered the building. They both glanced to me at my notice. "You and I need to talk."
Lhuzikov smiled; he led me out of the noisy hall. We walked down the hallway, accompanied by three of his guards. We approached the elevator and he pushed for the 10th floor. We started to walk again down the hall. The ring was still activated.
"Ilinova how is it?" Reyes asked. I cleared my throat to answer. "We'll be moving now. Just give us a sign if something goes wrong."
"You have a nice lounge," I told Lhuzikov as we entered his room. I dropped the ring in his trashcan. He offered me a seat and I refused to. Two men were inside with us and three were outside.
"Now, Ilinova," he continued as he poured himself a drink, "tell me. What is it that brought you here?"
"Tell him the offer," Jack instructed as he heard Lhuzikov's voice. I thought for a while. I know he'll be humiliated if he hears that and besides, he would suspect that I'm covering for the others. "We are now inspecting his things."
"I must tell you privately," I told him to make his men get out and they did. "I'm working on to file a case against you in Russia. I suggest that you surrender."
"Ilinova," he chuckled. ('Ilinova, we can't find his palmtop,' Reyes intercepted. 'It's not here in his car,' Syd intercepted.) "I don't like your tone."
"I warn you Lhuzikov. I now have 'The Code'. If you don't want to surrender, I'll make you to."
"I expect that you know that I now hold the whole KGB in captive. I don't want you to threaten me, if you still want your friends alive."
"You can't kill them," I warned him.
"Why not?" he answered. I stared at him as he took another sip. With a grin on his face, I couldn't help myself to get annoyed.
"We did not find anything. Move on to Plan B," Jack radioed in. I smiled at Lhuzikov, knowing that I now have the authority to do what I want. "Were now on our way to your location."
"Because I'll kill you if you will," I continued to warn him. A call on his phone distracted him.
"Sir, we have a problem. CIA's are here." As soon as he heard, Lhuzikov looked at me. I quickly grabbed his phone and threw it to the wall. Tactically, I pulled his arm and hovered him, pinned him on the table.
"Where's the access code?" I asked him in low voice as I covered his mouth. Guards were still outside. Lhuzikov tried to kick himself free but I held him tight. He glanced at his coat pocket. I knew then that his palmtop was there. I let him go. But as he tried to shout for his guards, I hit him with his lamp at the neck. He lied unconscious at the floor. I quickly looked for it.
"I got it," I radioed in. I panted as I planned to get out. The guards started to knock furiously. "Jack, where are you?"
"We're now on the hallway."
"They already know you're hear."
"Wait for us. We can now see the room."
The knock stopped. I can hear Jack speak in Russian as he tried to convince the guards about his meeting with Lhuzikov. When they didn't allow them to get in, I went out and we all took the five guards down.
"Go to the first extraction point," Jack informed me as he gave the reporting guard his last blow. "Liun, go with her."
Liun and I raced down the hall. We went in to the first elevator and headed for the rooftop. Liun pressed on for the 25th floor.
"Are you alright?" Liun asked as I ripped off the rest of the gown's long skirt. I nodded quietly. Suddenly, the elevator stopped at 18th floor. As the door opened, guards were waiting for us and they tried to shoot on us. "Get back!"
Liun pushed me to the other side and he pressed on frantically for the 25th floor. But only two floors later, the elevator stopped again.
"What's happening?" I asked Liun, still breathless from the threat. "What's going on?"
"I think we have been trapped," he answered. He tried to intercept. "Jack, we have a problem. Do you read me?"
There was no answer. I can see Liun sweating in the red light. My shoulder ached from my bump against the elevator wall. I looked up and saw the exit.
"Can you still climb?"
We climbed the ceiling of the elevator. Liun stretched his hand for help and I pushed harder to reach the hole. We climbed the ladder. Five more floors took us to finally notice the exit. Liun glanced down at me as he pushed further to reach the top. He pushed open the surface and helped me out.
"Where's the chopper?" I frantically asked as we continued to run. I tried to make as many intercepts as I can and I finally got one. But as I made the transmission, bullets ripped through the line of fabrics. "Reyes! Where are you??!"
"We're on our way out. What happened?"
"The chopper's not here!" we leaned against another wall. "We've been traced..."
My voice dissolved in the roar. The chopper arrived and covered for us as we ran to get through; we flew away just in time.
----------
Four hours later, I felt more comfortable sitting inside the jet. Jack held the new briefing papers.
"We broke down the site," he informed us. "Here are the briefing papers for the next location. We will go straight to Ukraine."
My heart rejoiced as we prepared to land directly to Ukraine. Sydney and Reyes assured to me their full support on the mission. I looked out of the window as I impatiently waited for the sunrise. I could not wait to have my companions rescued. Although I am aware that there may be no more hope for the KGB to be reestablished. I was buried in my thoughts when I noticed another image on the glass.
"Our parts will soon be completed," Liun smiled at me. He joined me to watch the break of dawn.