COLLATERAL DAMAGE

Eyghon

Author's notes: Most of what I write in terms of information (airports, weather, cities…) is real, and normally accurate: Google is a wonderful tool, and so is Encarta.

Chapter 4: Russia

Irina and Nikolai were flying the plane over the Atlantic Ocean. In Las Vegas, they had switched places, she had driven to the McCarran Airport, following their plan without any problem.

They were in the air for several hours now and the tranquilliser Irina had given Sydney before their departure was starting to wear off. The older agent came inside the cabin to check on her daughter and sat down in front of her. She quietly observed as Sydney slowly emerged from unconsciousness. They had laid her down on a row of seats, keeping her tied and blindfolded so they wouldn't have to put their masks on.

A few minutes later, Irina made her presence known by helping Sydney to sit up.

"Wha…" She coughed and groaned, probably from a drug induced headache.

"Here, have some water, your throat won't remain sore long." Irina helped her to drink from a bottle.

"Thanks." Croaked Sydney once she was done. She felt so disoriented and scared. She had no idea where she was, why she was there or who she was with. "Where are we?" She dared ask, after a long silence.

"On a plane on our way to France."

"A plane? France?" She pondered the information for a moment, it was her first flight ever. Finally, she asked what she was dying to know. "What do you want with me?"

"It's complicated."

"I have a right to know! You people jump on me, you knock me out, you take me away from my country…" Her voice was rising, she didn't like not to know what happened to her, she hated not to feel in control. Her father was selling airplane parts, they lived modestly, and no one in her immediate family was wealthy enough to be asked for a ransom… What in hell did those people want with her?

"Calm down. Just know that if you behave and do exactly as we say, you'll get out of this alive and unharmed" calmly interrupted Irina.

"Unharmed… Oh my God, Francie!" In the van, she had been in full panic mode, and the pain wasn't helping her in thinking clearly. She had completely forgotten that the woman facing her had taken away her friend. God knew what she had done to her! "Where is Francie! Where is my friend! What did you do to her!" She was now frantic, they had killed her, oh God, it was all her fault!

"She'll be just fine, don't worry."

"I don't understand… I saw you take her… Where is she?"

"I hit her over the head, she will be unconscious for several more hours. The people that were supposed to watch over you will soon notice that you are missing and check your car, I left her in it. They will find her and return her to her home."

"The people that… What people!" She was completely confused, that woman was crazy, she wasn't making any sense.

"I told you, it's complicated, but you will have your answer soon enough."

She got up and fastened her daughter's seatbelt. She couldn't believe she just had a two-way conversation with her little girl, it felt so good despite the settings. "We're about to land, I have to go back in the cockpit. Stay there, don't make a noise, I'll come back to get you in a few minutes."

All the roller blinds were safely closed, making it impossible for outside observers to see the occupants of the aircraft. They safely landed in the Aéroport International Marseille-Provence in Marignane. They had chosen this airport over Roissy-Charles de Gaulles and Orly because it was more discreet, what with not being located in the capital, Paris.

Just like they had done at the Las Vegas airport, they entered a hangar and only when its doors were closed they stepped out, thus preserving their 'privacy'.

Irina carried Sydney from one Lear jet to the other and proceeded to buckle her belt before making her way to the cockpit where she assisted Nikolai in the take off. A maintenance agent would probably come by later and close the hangar door, as he was paid to do.

Once they were well on their way, the woman came back to the cabin, only to see that her daughter was awake and struggling against her handcuffs.

"Too tight?"

The young girl would probably have jumped up in surprise if it weren't for her seatbelt.

"I…" She hadn't heard the other woman come back, now she was in trouble. Her ribs couldn't take more abuse, they must be broken or something because it hurt like hell to even breathe.

"Do not worry. I am not mad." She murmured in her ear, sticking yet another needle in her daughter's arm.

"God no…" She had time to wonder how the woman had approached her so closely without her noticing anything before falling in a dreamless sleep. Funny what drugs can do to you, she could have sworn she felt a soothing touch on her cheek.

Irina didn't take her eyes off of Sydney during the rest of the fly, until Nikolai called her back in the cockpit before they landed in Pulkovo International Airport, situated ten miles south of Saint Petersburg.

They were safe now that they were in Russia. Nobody would question them here, least of all the local authorities, as they were fellow 'government employees'. Of course their business was not very official and certainly not legal, but they still had the credentials to tell the Police to back off, if necessary.

They would both travel inside the car this time, leaving their prisoner alone in the trunk. There was no way the CIA could have followed their trail, but they didn't want to take any chance and switched cars right before leaving Saint Petersburg. The city was close enough to the International airport and quiet enough so that people asking questions would be noticed immediately.

The house they had been lent was fairly isolated without being lost in the middle of nowhere. It was situated along a road going up on a hill, between a forest and a clearing, dominating the town centre. The place was quite beautiful and very spacious, the kitchen had been stocked with food and the owner of the house had brought other supplies for their comfort.

The car they were driving actually belonged to the agent who was lending his house. He hadn't tell anybody that he was leaving town and the locals might find it strange that another car was parked in his driveway. Even half buried in the forest, they had to remain extra careful, the CIA had eyes everywhere, whether it was by technological means or informants, they would look everywhere.

TBC