The Russian Spy

It had been twenty-four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. Nataliya Romanova stared up at the towering skyscraper, covered in shining glass, reflecting on the clear blue sky above.

She turned to the two men behind her, her shoulder-length red waves swinging behind her. The first man was stout and carried a yellow briefcase. The second was tall and dressed sharply, with a long black overcoat over his perfectly tailored suit.

"You stay here until I return. Do not let anyone who looks suspicious into the building."

Nataliya's faded, Russian accent could be heard clearly as she spoke.

She turned away from her fellows and entered the building, pursing her ruby-red lips as she showed the guard her identification card. He nodded solemnly and let her through the gate and into the main lobby.

Nataliya Romanova ignored the hustle of people around her and pushed past the crowd and made her way into the elevator. She quickly pressed the button labeled '43', and closed the elevator doors before anyone else could get inside. Nataliya smirked to herself as the doors dinged shut.

When the doors opened again, Nataliya exited swiftly, hurried down the hallway, and opened the door to her right at the end of the corridor.

She walked into a conference room with a long glass table and several people already seated. There was a beautiful view of the city outside the glass windows, but it was all ignored as Nataliya Romanova stalked to the end of the room and took a seat at the head of the table.

There were only men in the room, the most notable the one on the right side of the other end of the table, who had wispy brown hair, wire rimmed glasses, and was noisily shuffling through a stack of filed.

There were a few tense minutes of silence before the door opened and the man that would start the meeting entered. He was tall and had blond hair, dark eyes, and a navy suit. He took his seat at the other end of the table.

The man eyed Nataliya hopefully.

"Let's start this meeting, then, shall we?" The man with glasses said quickly, standing up. He turned to Nataliya. "My name is Hank Walters, I am the co-head of General. Nice to meet you, miss Romanova. Fort has told me quite a bit about you."

Nataliya frowned and turned to the person across from her. The blond man stood up.

"Um, sorry I was late. I had...a hold up. Anyway, this lovely young woman at the end of the table is Nataliya Romanova. She is from Russia, she lives in America, and the last time she was here was when she was 7."

The other people in the room looked at Nataliya in interest. She straightened herself.

"I was seven. Fort does have his  facts straight, it only took him the years I was gone to set him straight.." There was a murmur of chuckles. Nataliya smiled. "I had been taken in by General for coming to the United States via trading boat. I hitched a ride. they found me and delivered to General." She paused, the continued. "I was held here for about 5 months before my parents came to pick me up."

"But that's not the end of this pretty girl's story, is it?" Fort asked, running his fingers through his blond hair, an oddly playful smile dancing across his face.

"Yes," Hank Walters interjected before Fort could speak. "You've come to become a national spy?"

"For Russia." Nataliya said flatly. "So why am I here?"

"Miss Romanova, we need you to help us out here, on the other side. We ask that you stay a few days while we explain what we want you to do. But we don't want to scare you off, which is why we are stretching out our explanation."

"Is that so?" Nataliya sniggered at Hank. "You're cute when you're flustered."

Hank turned pink, but Fort turned even redder.

Nataliya went on. "Fine. I will stay, but only for three more days. I have no reason to stay longer. I am with the enemy, as they call you back at home."

"That will be fine," one of the other men, one to Nataliya's right, said as he overlooked some files. "That should give us enough time, should it not, gentlemen?"

There were a few murmurs, before Fort said "Absolutely!"

Nataliya stood up and dusted her emerald dress. "So that will be all then?"

Fort opened his mouth to say something, but Hank said "Yes, that's all."

Fort glared at Hank. "I will give you the address to your hotel, yes?"

Nataliya brushed her red hair aside. "That will be fine."

Hank pulled out a document from his stack of paper. "You requested two rooms?"

"Yes, I brought some... companions along. I do not wish to be sleeping with them." Nataliya smirked. One of the men at the table laughed.

Hank nodded and placed the paper back in the pile. Fort coughed rather loudly.

"Nataliya, if you'll please follow me, I'll bring you to my office where the address is."

Hank frowned. "But boss, I have the address right-"

"Shut up." Fort snapped quickly. He opened the door and gestured for Nataliya to walk through. "Ladies first, my dear."

Fort's office was only one floor above. It was by far the most amazing office Nataliya had ever seen, with glass windows everywhere and artifacts of all sorts decorating around. Fort led her to a comfy armchair that was placed in front of his desk.

"Please, have a seat while I fetch the address." His eyes gleamed. "Feel free to, ahh, have a sip of wine or two."

Nataliya narrowed her eyes. "I would rather not, thank you. You forget that I am a spy, Mister Fort. I notice every detail."

Fort blushed, but turned his back to search his desk. Nataliya waited patiently.

Finally, Fort presented Nataliya with the address. It was a slip of paper that read;

5th Avenue and 42nd street

Nataliya placed the paper in her small purse, the turned to leave. "Thank you, mister Fort."

"Please, wait! Why not stay for a bit?"

"I have people waiting for me, mister Fort. You wouldn't want me to desert them."

Fort scratched the back of his neck uneasily. "Perhaps..."

Nataliya raised an eyebrow. "Sir, I do not think you realize that-"

Fort smiled. "I realize everything, darling."

"Is that so?"

"I have never been denied anything," Fort hinted.

"It's about time you have," Nataliya said, her Russian accent getting stronger. "Good day, mister Fort."

*                               *                             *

Nataliya opened the door to a posh, long black limo and climbed into the backseat. she took her seat next to her portly comrade and across from the taller one.

Her taller partner peered over his newspaper, written all in Russian. His thick framed glasses could have made him look nerdy, but they instead added a different menace to his appearance.

"Как прошло?" He asked, setting his paper aside.

Nataliya smoothed her dress. "It went fine."

"Что-нибудь подозрительное?"

"For goodness- Stop speaking Russian, it will draw attention here."

The man sighed. "Well? Will you answer my question?"

Nataliya winced agitatedly. "No. There was nothing suspicious."

"We should still be careful. You never know what the American's are up to."

"They are our enemies," the stout man added, smoking a fat cigar. "We need to remember that. Stay on our toes..."

"Stanislav," Nataliya started. "Aleks." She turned to the man next to her. "We have a hotel."

"They did not give you the information when you were there?" Stanislav asked, astonished. He straightened his tie nervously. "Aleks is right. We need to keep our eyes peeled."

Nataliya shrugged and tapped the limo driver.

"Stop here." She turned back to her fellows. "I will walk to the hotel. Here is the address."

Nataliya flipped the address to Stanislavand handed the limo driver some Russian currency, before shutting the car door.

The limo driver turned to Stanislav. "What am I s'posed t' do with this?" He asked in a heavy New York accent.

Stanislav ignored the driver. "Aleks," he said, opening the address and reading it. "This can't be right."

"I'm sure it can," Aleks said gruffly.

"No, it can't. Isn't this address of the New York Public Library?"

"I don't live here, how would I know?" Aleks gave a hearty laugh.

"I think it is," Stanislav said hotly. He turned pale. "If they gave us the address to something that's not a hotel... oh no."

* * *

Nataliya was in front of the building at the corner of 42nd street and 5th avenue. She looked around, narrowing her eyes. She’d hardly call a public library a hotel. Something was afoot.

Nataliya walked briskly to the other end of the library, wondering if there was a hotel on the other side. She had no luck.

Nataliya entered the library unwillingly, wondering if there was a hotel behind or under the building. She searched around, standing out in her formal attire.

Nataliya walked down a large flight of stairs, and entered a large, empty hallway. She glanced down the hall, and noticed a door with a sign that read “Study Hall.”

Nataliya wrinkled her nose. Had she forgotten the address? Had they given her the wrong address? What was General scheming now?

Nataliya turned to go back up the stairs and was greeted by an army of about 15 agents dressed in battle gear, each pointing a gun at her. They could only be from General.

Too bad there were too many to take on at once.

Nataliya threw her hands up half heartedly.

The captain of the group smirked. “You’re coming with us, beauty.”

* * *

Nataliya was tied up in a cell in the underground floor of the General building. She had no idea what was going on, but she had a nagging thought that it was something that had to do with her being a Russian Spy.

Nataliya froze as she heard footsteps moving down the corridor.

Fort’s face appeared behind the bars of her cell. Nataliya felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She narrowed her eyes.

Fort ushered the guard away, and pulled out a key and unlocked the cell. He stepped in.

Nataliya had the sudden urge to break out of her bounds and slap Fort in the face. She steadily sat up, trying to break her hands apart from the ropes binding them.

Fort smiled.

“So we meet again.”

His voice caused Nataliya so much anger that she forced her legs apart and the bounds on her ankles snapped. Fort blinked, but didn’t seem to care.

“Why am I here?” Nataliya asked forcefully. “You are going to kill me, aren’t you? That was why you brought me here, no?”

Fort chuckled. “Ah. My darling, Nataliya, you should-”

“I am not your darling, you sick wolf.”

Fort laughed again. “Would you like to know why you are here?”

Nataliya stayed silent.

Fort continued on. “You are a Russian spy. You have information. We cannot risk that getting out.”

“Just like you have information about the Russians that we cannot let you have.” Nataliya said pensively. “So you are going to kill me?”

Fort sighed, and hung his head. “We do plan to kill you.”

Nataliya nodded stiffly.

“However.” Fort paused, then went on. “There is a way to squirm out of death.”

“Is that so?” Nataliya asked, intrigued.

“Yes.” Fort coughed.

“Well, are you going to tell me?”

Fort mumbled something that Nataliya couldn’t make out. She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. She was starting to doubt whatever method Fort was going to be using to evade her death.

“Come again?” Nataliya said, a bit sternly.

Fort cleared his throat. “Would you join me for a drink?”

Nataliya wanted to stab Fort.

“I’d rather die,” she said flatly. “Thanks for hitting on me, Fort, you’ve really made my day.”

Fort frowned and stood up, glaring. “You’d rather face death?”

“Death to my country.”

Fort grunted and walked out of the cell, slamming the cell door behind him. He gave Nataliya one last evil eye, before turning on his heel and stalking off in a huff.

Nataliya silently leaned against the cold stone wall of her cell, sighing happily to herself.

She had avoided Fort at all costs. If she couldn't escape the cell, then Aleks and Stanislav would surely come for her. And if not that... well, then she would die for her country.

The country that she loved and lived for.

She was going to go down for it with pride.

And that was all that mattered.