AllTheBest
Cadet
Okay. This post starts up about three months after the last one.
"Sit down!" Irina said. The man sat. She could see the fear in his eyes. She breathed it in, then exhaled.
"Who...who are you?" the man stammered. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead. He's afraid, she thought. Good. He should be.
"Adam Colder?" She raised the barrel of the gun from his chest to his forehead.
"Yes," he said. "Why...why are you here?"
"You've worked on Project Christmas, haven't you?" The man stayed silent. Big mistake. Irina pulled the barrel to the side, then whacked it into the man's temple. "Tell me! Have you worked on Project Christmas?" Blood trickled down Colder's cheek. He winced at the sound of her voice, but still did not speak. "You're silence is not brave, Colder. Do not be mistaken." Irina cocked the gun and fired. The bullet hit the man straight between the eyes and he slumped over in the chair. Irina put the gun back in her purse and walked out of the room.
Back at home Irina collapsed on the couch in the living room. She couldn't believe she had done it. It was all part of the job, but it was still hard to believe. She had purposely ended a man's life. She shuddered at the thought, the fear in the man's eyes. He had feared her. And he had had right to. She was an assassin. She dried her eyes and went into the kitchen. Dinner. She had to think about dinner. Jack would be home soon. She had to be calm, be composed. She had to be in control.
Irina woke up in the middle of the night in a dead sweat. She had seen it again. The fear in his eyes. But they weren't his eyes. They were Jack's. Irina closed her eyes then opened them again. She looked over at the sleeping form next to her. Jack was sleeping soundly. Good. He's still alive. She breathed out and went back to sleep.
The next morning Irina spent the morning leaning over the toilet. It's just nerves, she thought. It's only been one day. I'll get over it. Finally, she stood up, a little lightheaded. It was Tuesday so she didn't have class. She walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. Sitting at the table she let the hot brown liquid flow through her veins. She had just reached a state of composure when the phone rang. She startled. In her mind the phone sounded like a gun shot. She grabbed the phone from the counter. "Hello?" she said.
"Laura. It's Emily." Not now, Irina thought. I can't be Laura now. I need to be Irina. But she changed personas, closed her pain and anger off.
"Hi, Emily. How are the wedding plans going?" Over the months Irina, no, Laura, had become close friends with Emily. They met for coffee once a week, and Arvin and Emily often came over to the house for dinner, or Irina and Jack went to their house.
"Good, Laura. They're going well. I...I just had a favor to ask you."
"Of course. Anything."
"Well, I was wondering...would you be my maid of honor?" Irina blinked. Emily's maid of honor? They were close friends, but not the close. But, if Emily asked.
"Umm...sure, Emily. I would love to."
"Oh, thank you Laura. I wanted to ask earlier, but I never managed to. We'll have to set up times for the fittings and to make arrangements. I'll call you later."
"Great," Irina said and hung up the phone. What was wrong with her? She was thrilled that Emily had asked her, but she had barely said anything. She couldn't let Colder's murder get to her. It was her duty. Her country had asked her to kill him. He was a threat to Russian society. He didn't deserve to live. It was her choice. She had chosen to join the KGB. But, no. They had recruited her. They had made the choice for her. Suddenly, the nausea came back. Irina bolted towards the bathroom.
"Sit down!" Irina said. The man sat. She could see the fear in his eyes. She breathed it in, then exhaled.
"Who...who are you?" the man stammered. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead. He's afraid, she thought. Good. He should be.
"Adam Colder?" She raised the barrel of the gun from his chest to his forehead.
"Yes," he said. "Why...why are you here?"
"You've worked on Project Christmas, haven't you?" The man stayed silent. Big mistake. Irina pulled the barrel to the side, then whacked it into the man's temple. "Tell me! Have you worked on Project Christmas?" Blood trickled down Colder's cheek. He winced at the sound of her voice, but still did not speak. "You're silence is not brave, Colder. Do not be mistaken." Irina cocked the gun and fired. The bullet hit the man straight between the eyes and he slumped over in the chair. Irina put the gun back in her purse and walked out of the room.
Back at home Irina collapsed on the couch in the living room. She couldn't believe she had done it. It was all part of the job, but it was still hard to believe. She had purposely ended a man's life. She shuddered at the thought, the fear in the man's eyes. He had feared her. And he had had right to. She was an assassin. She dried her eyes and went into the kitchen. Dinner. She had to think about dinner. Jack would be home soon. She had to be calm, be composed. She had to be in control.
Irina woke up in the middle of the night in a dead sweat. She had seen it again. The fear in his eyes. But they weren't his eyes. They were Jack's. Irina closed her eyes then opened them again. She looked over at the sleeping form next to her. Jack was sleeping soundly. Good. He's still alive. She breathed out and went back to sleep.
The next morning Irina spent the morning leaning over the toilet. It's just nerves, she thought. It's only been one day. I'll get over it. Finally, she stood up, a little lightheaded. It was Tuesday so she didn't have class. She walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. Sitting at the table she let the hot brown liquid flow through her veins. She had just reached a state of composure when the phone rang. She startled. In her mind the phone sounded like a gun shot. She grabbed the phone from the counter. "Hello?" she said.
"Laura. It's Emily." Not now, Irina thought. I can't be Laura now. I need to be Irina. But she changed personas, closed her pain and anger off.
"Hi, Emily. How are the wedding plans going?" Over the months Irina, no, Laura, had become close friends with Emily. They met for coffee once a week, and Arvin and Emily often came over to the house for dinner, or Irina and Jack went to their house.
"Good, Laura. They're going well. I...I just had a favor to ask you."
"Of course. Anything."
"Well, I was wondering...would you be my maid of honor?" Irina blinked. Emily's maid of honor? They were close friends, but not the close. But, if Emily asked.
"Umm...sure, Emily. I would love to."
"Oh, thank you Laura. I wanted to ask earlier, but I never managed to. We'll have to set up times for the fittings and to make arrangements. I'll call you later."
"Great," Irina said and hung up the phone. What was wrong with her? She was thrilled that Emily had asked her, but she had barely said anything. She couldn't let Colder's murder get to her. It was her duty. Her country had asked her to kill him. He was a threat to Russian society. He didn't deserve to live. It was her choice. She had chosen to join the KGB. But, no. They had recruited her. They had made the choice for her. Suddenly, the nausea came back. Irina bolted towards the bathroom.