Chapter 13
Now back to Optimus.
I do not own Transformers.
Optimus and Ratchet pulled up to the little Truckers bar outside of Moscow. Optimus was still a semi, but his color was just a plain white, and no Autobot symbols displayed over the cab.
Ratchet was no long a Hummer but a Mercedes medical vehicle in a dark blue. Also, no signs of an Autobot symbol on his vehicle either.
The informant, an Andrei Nabanov, which of course wasn't his real name, but Optimus didn't care because he just wanted the information and to get going. He was getting more and more nervous about being away from Gabby this long.
Wheelie climbed up on the dashboard as Optimus activated his holoform.
"Are you sure we can trust this guy, Prime?" He asked seriously.
Optimus looked down at his friend, and smiled.
"I really don't have a choice at this point. If I continued to look for Gabby on my own, she would give birth before I could get to her," he said.
Optimus put on his jacket and said, "Besides he gave the right codes, and Mearing verified him."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you, I could be backup and all," Wheelie said hopeful.
Optimus chuckled. "I think it would look pretty silly with me going into a bar with a toy car following me."
Wheelie frowned in disapproval, and said, "Alright, but be careful big guy."
Optimus nodded looking off in the distance, and said, "You are my lookout. Ratchet is going to pull out of here and wait about a mile away."
Wheelie frowned again, and started to look out. Optimus shook his head in amusement. For being so small Wheelie and Brains were two of his bravest soldiers.
Optimus exited the semi, and observed the trucks around him. He started to get his processors going for the Russian language to make sure he had the accent right as well.
The bar was small and run down, but was still pretty busy for a weeknight. He could hear Michael Jackson playing loudly from the inside. He scanned the place before entering and spotted the informant at the bar nursing a beer. He seemed to be comfortable in there, which indicated to Optimus he had met people there before.
Optimus entered the bar, and was immediately hit by cigarette smoke filling the room. It would have been a typical American dive bar in the states too. There was an old jukebox in the corner, and the bar in the middle. Tables were scattered around the area, and an old pool table on one side, and a small stage for bands on the other side.
Andrei told Optimus he would signal him by buying him a drink.
Optimus walked up to an empty bar stool and sat down. He immediately noticed a waitress smiling at him from a corner, and her fellow waitress giggling at her.
The bartender, a big bald guy walked up and asked in Russian, "What can I get you, friend?"
It was obvious that Optimus was not a regular, so the trust level was really low.
"Толстяк," he answered relieved at his perfect accent.
The drink was called "Fat Man" in English, which Russian's most popular beer drink after Vodka.
Optimus reached into his pocket for the money, and threw it on the bar.
The bartender brought him his drink, and Optimus was left alone for a few moments.
Andrei made no move to acknowledge him yet, which made Optimus a little restless.
Optimus would pay for drinking these beers later, but wanted didn't want to draw too much attention to himself. After all, he was an alien life form, and who knows how much the Russians knew about that.
The waitress who was eyeing him earlier walked up and cleared his empty glass. She was cute, but too much makeup and her hair was a stringy bleached blonde.
Optimus smiled slightly at her, and was surprised by her attention.
"Another?" She asked in a husky voice in her language.
"Yes, please," he answered.
She giggled loudly at him as she wiped down the bar.
"What is so funny?"
The girl shrugged a little. "Not very often we have someone is as polite as you."
"Uh, thanks."
The girl looked off in the distance and nodded and said, "Andrei would like to buy your next drink."
Optimus looked over to the informant who raised his glass to him.
"I accept. Please bring it to the table," he said quietly rising from the barstool.
The girl smiled widely, and said she would.
Optimus sat down at the table, and Andrei joined him a moment later. Neither said a word as the girl put down fresh beers in front of them.
The girl made sure she showed Optimus some cleavage through her white shirt before going back to her friends to giggle.
Andrei scoffed in the amusement, and said, "I think she likes you."
Optimus shook his head and laughed a little. "I wonder if she would like me if she knew what I really was."
Andrei laughed and said, "Who knows, your woman seemed to like you from the start."
Optimus chuckled, and said, "Yes, but she met my real form first."
Andrei then pulled out a map from his pocket and set it on the table.
"People realize around here to mind their own business," he commented.
Optimus nodded, and asked, "Then should we speak Russian or another language?"
Andrei smiled and lit a cigarette. "English is fine, no one in here knows it well enough."
Andrei was a weathered human. Optimus could tell he had been doing his job for years, and he had witnessed many things in his life.
Andrei took out the map, and pointed to a place called Bratsk.
"Your woman is located here. It is an old military facility that was closed after the fall of Soviet Russia," he said frankly.
Optimus processed the information, and sent it to Ratchet to send on to NEST.
Andrei took a drag of his cigarette. "Apparently, a woman approached one of our generals and paid him for the facility to be reopened about 3 months ago."
Optimus looked back at Andrei and shook his head. "Bribery?"
"Actually, it was threats," Andrei answered.
Optimus sighed. "I am guessing of destruction, chaos, everything that my enemy loves to boast about."
Andrei nodded, and said, "That and exposing our spies to the world."
Andrei continued, "She was very persuasive, and showed her real skin to the general."
Optimus shook his head. Of course she did, he thought sarcastically.
"Is there anything guarding the facility as of now?"
"Not that my guy could see, the male leader had spotted him, but he was able to get away. I was not able to retrieve any new satellite images either."
Optimus and Andrei shook hands, and stood up.
"I hope your woman is alive and returned to you safely," he said.
"Thank you for your help," Optimus said.
Andrei shrugged, and said, "I never thought I would be having a conversation with an alien being, but now I have seen it all."
Optimus smiled, and Andrei took his place back at the bar signaling for another drink.
Optimus looked around, and got ready to leave. He didn't see the waitress around, and was relieved.
He started to walk out of the bar when Wheelie came through the commlink.
"Optimus, some blondie is out here leaning on your trailer," Wheelie said annoyed.
Optimus sighed. He didn't have time for some random human female and her unwanted attention.
Ratchet laughed through the commlink. "An admirer huh?"
Optimus tried to think of how to get her away from him without being, what humans called, an asshole about it.
He pictured Gabby in his processors, and this girl would never be her.
He walked up to the Semi trying to keep his cool, and the girl turned to him and smiled widely.
He nodded politely and said in Russian, "Hi. Is there something I can help you with?"
The girl giggled again, and said, "You are so polite. Not a lot men are like that around here."
Optimus laughed a little sarcastically. "I am not like most men."
The girl pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "I was wondering if I could by you a drink….and we could talk."
She was persistent, Optimus had to give her that much. He noticed she unbuttoned her uniform shirt down a little more, and made cleavage show along with a white lace bra.
Wheelie and Ratchet were listening to the conversation, and were laughing. Optimus was going to shoot them when he was done with the girl.
"I…..I'm happily married," Optimus thought that might work.
The girl pursed her lips again, and approached Optimus. Her blue eyes were half closed. "So?"
Ok, that didn't work. What now?
"What's your name?"
The girl smiled widely, and said, "Sasha."
"Sasha. That's a very pretty name," he said.
"Uh oh. Wrong move there big guy," Wheelie said laughing.
The girl smiled widely and moved even closer to Optimus. She was now invading his personal space, and it was making him uncomfortable.
"Thank you, and your name?"
"That's not really important. I am really needing to go," he said taking a step back. He didn't want to do anything to hurt the girl by making his escape.
"What is the hurry?" She asked.
"I just want to get home to MY Wife," he said more sternly.
The girl scoffed and looked around. Then before Optimus could react she jumped up and kissed him.
Optimus's eyes widened in surprise at her boldness. She tried to slip her tongue through his lips, but he kept them firmly closed.
All his thoughts at that moment went to Gabby, and how much he missed her touch. In fact, he almost relaxed and leaned into the girl still caught up in his thoughts of Gabby when the girl let out a yelp and stepped back in fear.
Optimus was confused for a moment on what was happening and then realized his thoughts of Gabby had made his optics start to glow in the dark.
The girl was shaking in fear and asked, "What are you?"
Optimus sighed again. Well, at least she was out of his space.
"I will not hurt you. I tried to tell you to keep away, but you refused to listen," he said.
This made Ratchet and Wheelie roar in laughter. Optimus told them to shut up, but they were not listening.
He stepped towards the girl to explain a little more, but because of her fear she took off running into the bar.
At that moment Andrei walked out with a drink still in his hand. He looked at the girl in amusement and back to Optimus. He raised the glass in salute, and laughed.
Optimus shook his holoform head, and deactivated his holoform.
After Wheelie was done laughing, and Ratchet pulled into the parking lot with an all clear, Optimus began to pull out.
"Did we find her?" Ratchet asked serious again through the commlink.
"She is in Bratsk," Optimus said setting the distance. "About five thousand kilometers from here. I would say about a day and half drive, weather permitting."
"We'll get her in time, Optimus," Wheelie said seriously.
Optimus felt the sadness come again. The kiss from the girl reminded him how much he missed Gabby, and how worried he was about her.
"Ratchet, let the rest of the Autobots know the location, but to keep their distance until my signal," Optimus said.
"Will do," he answered.
The rest of the Autobots were scattered around Russia waiting for Optimus to signal a go ahead on the rescue.
He remembered back to the day that Gabby had rammed Barricade, and how mad he was that she risked her life for him like that.
Now, he wouldn't trade that moment in for anything in the universe.
