Julia Gousseva - Gray Shadows - Russian Historical Thriller

“And this?” She pointed to the other one.

“Sorry. It’s yours to carry. My right hand always needs to be free.”

She chuckled. “In case somebody starts firing?”

“Exactly. Let’s go.” Nikolai pointed towards the airport checkpoint.

Natalya huffed, picked up the other bag, and started walking. Nikolai and Konstantin followed a few steps behind her.

“She’s trouble,” Konstantin said. “I don’t envy you. I’ve spoiled her and now can’t get any control back. Maybe, this job will be good for her. She needs to feel responsible for something. Anything.”

They checked in their larger bags and came up to a checkpoint where a uniformed officer checked off their names on the passenger list. There were no metal detectors and no x-ray machines, just an officer with a clipboard.

“Need our passports?” Nikolai asked.

The officer shook his head. “It’s a charter flight. Your names are on the list. That’s all that matters. Have a good flight.”

“You never check passports?” Nikolai asked.

The guard shrugged. “Why check? Nothing bad has happened yet. And charter flights are always safe.”

Nikolai patted his pocket, feeling the extra cartridge for his Makarov. “As you say.”

Natalya waved good-bye to her dad. No kisses, no hugs, and no attempts for either from her or the dad. Nikolai sighed. She must be real trouble for the dad. He seemed relieved to have handed her over to Nikolai.

They walked down the hallway, then out onto the tarmac, and climbed into a small van that took them to a far corner of the airfield where a YAK-40 plane was waiting for them. Nikolai had flown in enough of them to know that they were not the best of what Soviet aviation industry could produce, but because of their compact size and ability to land in small airports, YAK-40 planes were a popular choice for charter flights to remote areas.

They entered the plane through a narrow ladder in the back and walked into the cabin lined with two rows of seats on each side.

“Take the window seat,” Nikolai said.

“Thanks. You’re such a gentleman,” Natalya said. “Are you that nice to all your women?”

“Let’s establish something once and for all. You are not my woman. You’re a client. I’m your bodyguard. That’s the extent of our relationship. No more and no less.”

“For now,” Natalya said.

“Yes, for now. Until the mission is over. No relationship whatsoever after that. Please keep that in mind.”

Nikolai knew he sounded a little harsh, but he wanted Natalya to know the limits from the very beginning. Later on, he would need to talk to her more, get to know her better, and help them both develop trust in each other. With other clients, that was the first step. With Natalya, considering the nature of this assignment, her personality and her history, that would have to wait. Maintaining a distance was more important right now.

“Champagne?” The flight attendant, a short young brunette, came up to them with a tray filled with champagne flutes.

“I’ll take one.” Natalya grabbed a glass.

“None for me, thanks,” Nikolai said.

“You’re so perfect. You don’t drink, you don’t smoke, you don’t swear.” She took a sip of her champagne. “It’s delicious.”

“I don’t drink while on duty.”

“But you must have some vices. What are they? Can I help you find them?” Natalya smiled mischievously, put her glass on the tray table in front of her and turned to Nikolai.

“None. I’m perfect. You just said it yourself.”

“Too bad,” Natalya said. “I hope you change your mind. And not about the champagne.” She turned her head to Nikolai and leaned towards him, her face inches away from his.

The intercom buzzed, followed by an announcement to fasten seatbelts. Natalya leaned away from Nikolai and reached for her seatbelt. Nikolai reached for his. A moment later, with a jerk, the plane started taxiing and gaining speed. Soon, it reached the end of the runway and lifted off into the cloudy milky sky. Soon, Moscow disappeared behind a thick white blanket.

As it attempted to reach the cruising altitude, the small plane trembled and shook. The engines whined like a wounded seal. With each twist, tremble, and whine of the plane, Natalya grabbed his arm and whimpered, “Are we going to die, Mr. Bodyguard?”

“We’ll be just fine. Turbulence is not unusual. Just relax.”

It will be a long assignment , Nikolai thought as he tried to unclutch Natalya from his arm. He had forgotten how immature twenty-two-year-olds could be, and Natalya was at the top of that list. No wonder her dad barely said bye. He was probably relieved to get her off his hands for a while.

As the airplane gained altitude, it stopped shaking and dipping, and the engines went from pained whining to a dull roar. The flight attendant brought more champagne. Natalya took another glass, retrieved a glossy magazine from her purse, and started leafing through it. Soon, she was fast asleep. Nikolai got out a paperback mystery he brought along and started reading.

After two hours of the flight, cabin lights dimmed, and the engines started their high-pitch whining again. The change in the cabin woke up Natalya. She opened her eyes and looked at Nikolai, then out the window.

The airplane dropped altitude, broke through thick clouds, and lunged towards the grayish white ground below.

“Please fasten your seat belts and prepare for landing in Upper Luzinsk International Airport,” the flight attendant said through the intercom.

“International?” Natalya said to Nikolai. “Look at that.”

A dimly lit weathered shack with hardly discernible letters “Upper Luzinsk” decorated the end of a lonely runway. Nikolai could not see any other buildings in the twilight, just boundless snow and ice. The plane screeched to a stop, and cabin lights flickered back on.

“Local time is half past ten in the morning. Welcome to Upper Luzinsk,” the flight attendant said.

As passengers around them jumped up from their seats, Nikolai grabbed his bag and followed Natalya to the back of the airplane. Passengers in front of them were cautiously walking down a small shaky ramp.

“It looks slippery,” Natalya said.

“Hold on to the rail,” Nikolai said. “With your free hand. Put your bag strap over your shoulder.” No matter how much she whined, he was not going to let her turn him into a porter.

As Nikolai took the first step out of the airplane, a blast of cold air hit him in the face. In front of him, Natalya lost her footing and slipped. Nikolai grabbed her to stop her from falling.

“Thank you, Mr. Bodyguard. You’re so strong,” Natalya said.

“Watch your step, please.”

“You can pick up your bags in the loading zone of the airfield,” the flight attendant said and pointed to a fenced-in area where an open-bed truck stood loaded with suitcases.

The air and the ground were so cold that Nikolai felt like he was barefoot. With every step, the cold from the ground radiated up through the thin soles of his boots intended for a much milder Moscow winter. He kept walking on the airfield next to Natalya, his wounded leg aching with each step, probably from the cold weather.

“Welcome to Upper Luzinsk,” yelled a man in a parka from the top of the baggage pile. He motioned for the passengers to walk off the airfield through the small iron gate. “I’ll throw all the bags over the fence; it’s much faster that way. If you try to find your own bags in the pile, it will take too long. We’ll all freeze here.”

Natalya gasped, probably horrified at the thought of her fancy suitcases being thrown over a shabby fence onto the freezing ground. Nikolai tightened his scarf and stepped up to the fence.