Sleeper

The scenery was beautiful, almost picturesque. This was what he had been missing all those days in the classroom with its stuffiness and over-inflated sense of ego. Then there was the actual environment. The drabness of Stalinist architecture. The ornamental monuments were falling into decay. Now add on top of that the brutal winters and it was enough to make most men have a bleak outlook.

This though was different. The sunshine I had experienced here and the bright almost luminescent colors. I was already feeling more myself. Well, not myself but more than I thought I was. This is what all my hard work was for. All those late nights and refusal to go partying with the other students. No, I could not afford that. My wish to accomplish this dream was brief. This trip was the first step of hopefully many more into becoming a sleeper agent. To serve my country but not actually live in my country. I was after all a proud Russian, but the dreary confines of Moscow were unbearable.

“Demetri, is this your first time out of the Motherland?” He looked over at Carl. Carl knew better than to ask this question. Being a sleeper was a privileged position. No one except the Director and his immediate underlings knew the real identity of their agents.

“You know better than this, Comrade.” I replied to the man. He smiled. Still with the endless test I thought to myself.

“That is good. You are not letting the beautiful environment, and the sunshine get inside of your head.” He responded to me. We continued to drive down the coast. The waves looked as if they were rolling forever and the sand they folded into made my feet ache for them.

My cover was to be that I was here as a Mechanical Engineer working for a space exploration company. I was over time, to become integrated into the inner workings of the engine program. Truly, I had multiple degrees from the Moscow State University of Mechanical Engineering. I knew the layout of the land so-to-speak. I just needed to be compliant and resourceful, then everything would blend. That is when the real work of the trade would begin. Names of other workers in key positions could be discovered. Trade secrets could be stolen. The occasional military or even C.I.A operative agent could be flipped.

This time, this journey, this mission had been put into place almost ten years prior. The “ved’mak,” or the Spook was responsible for that. He was a mysterious man who took interest in me after I scored high on my first mathematical exam. The cold winters drove me to stay indoors more than most people and my release was the numbers. They came to me in colors. Rich blues and reds. Positive numbers were blue and negative numbers were red. That is how it started when I was a small child. The synesthesia progressed as I matured, and I saw all numbers in colors. It was a playground of epic proportions in my mind. The colors drove me into my quest to solve any math problem I came across. This showed to the “Spook.”

A few months after my test, government officials approached my parents. The decision was made, and I was to attend government sponsored education classes from there until further notice. I excelled and then they discovered the one thing that they would later tell me was a flaw. To a normal person on a normal track, it was not noticeable. But to a person who was considered for the position I was in it could mean embarrassment to the state. Embarrassing the state meant that you were expendable and would more than not mean a trip to the Gulag or even worse, death. What was this flaw? More about that later.

“You are daydreaming about the beauty of this place, yes?” I heard Carl say. He could tell by the look on my face that this fact was true. And it was true. The dreary gray clouds, the dreary gray buildings with the dreary gray people that I had to deal with all my life were gone. This was truly paradise for me, no doubt.

“This is very much the opposite of anything I have ever experienced. How one could not be impressed with the white sandy beaches and the crystal blue water. The warmness of the sun in your face and the endless coastline with the spectacular views.” This was a little too much of a positive answer. I could not afford to have this man think wearily of me. He was the most experienced agent in the service. He spent years in Afghanistan fighting the Muslim dogs. Then he spent the following years serving the Kremlin searching for spies from various countries but especially the ones from the country which we are in now.

“Do not let the beauty of this place fool you. These people who live here are cunning and they are smart. They will test you and use every tool to break you. You would not want to disappoint the Tsar.” I looked at him truly for the first time. His head was larger than normal. His eyes were inset to his large forehead and with one eye being milky appearing from being struck by shrapnel during his time in Afghanistan. His hair was thinning and gray. He was the picture of an old Russian bear who had fought in many tough battles. His frame helped that thought form also as he was tall and thick as a Betula or better understood here, tree.

“I am well aware of the pitfalls of this place and the dangers it presents.” I responded a little to forceful, but I did not want to let him think I was not a serious man. He glared back at me as if he wanted to tell me something but refrained. We drove for several minutes without a word.

“We are to our first stopping point. We will need to pick up some goodies our friends have left us for your mission.” He spoke. His voice was steady. The only time I had noticed even a hint of the real Carl was when he glared at me a few minutes earlier. There was something about his glare that scared me. But that was nothing to really be concerned with, I was nervous. A little slip of the tongue speaking in a forceful manner was no big deal.

We pulled left into a forest. The trees were bigger than any I had ever seen. I think they were names Sequoias, or Giant Redwoods. They were humongous. I had never seen such things. The interior of the forest was as beautiful and breathtaking as the ocean and the beaches. My life had turned for the better. The hard work had paid off. Now the only thing left was to work hard and perform my duty to the fullest.

“We are here. Do not worry about getting out. I will retrieve the package and then we will continue the journey." He said in a cool and calm manner. It was easy to see that this man was a true leader. He almost made you feel as comfortable to be around him as being in this beautiful land.

“No problem.” I replied. Then after a curve we went to a spot where there was an opening to the right. He slowed and turned in. After a hundred meters he stopped and put the car in park.

“You can get out and relive yourself if you must. I will be back in a few seconds.” He opened the door and walked into the forest. After a moment he disappeared. I looked at the trees around me. The beautiful red richness of the trunks amazed me as much as the size. Shivers of sunshine hit my face. This was going to be the life. I smiled at the thought of all the tough times and hard work. I do not know how I made it through. But I did know how. It was the so-called flaw. Better said it was the long legs and blue eyes that helped me make it through. In some circles it was known as womanizing. I was weak when it came to that area. This is why my trainers and supervisors were worried. They saw this as a flaw, but I convinced them it was a strength. My charm would help in the recruitment of assets. I heard footsteps it was Carl coming back. I turned and at that moment I understood the flaw had sealed my fate. Because the flaw led me to have an affair with the mistress of the Tsar himself.

“Putin sends his regards!” The last sound I heard was the thud of the gun going off.