C. Paradee - Deep Cover

Suddenly uneasy, Shelby lifted the kitten from her lap and stood up. Kris had been gone only a matter of minutes, but out of nowhere had come a strong feeling that something was very wrong. She dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Kris was fine. But her uneasiness continued to grow. She's in trouble.

Shelby usually trusted her instincts, but worried that her overactive imagination and emotional attachment might have conjured up the feeling rather than her gut. Trying to ignore the feeling, she discovered that it nonetheless persisted and grew. Should she go and look for her? She very clearly remembered Kris' admonition to stay inside no matter what. She'd agreed at the time, but she hadn't felt like this, then.

She picked up the phone only to set it back down. Whom could she call and what could she say? 'Um, you see, Kris went outside and she's been gone twenty minutes and I'm worried about her.' Yeah right!

Forcing herself to calm down, Shelby sat down on the couch and flicked through the channels before tossing the remote on the end table in disgust. It was no use. She couldn't concentrate on anything except the clock, and it seemed like only a minute had passed since she'd looked at it last. She decided to wait another half hour before doing something. Just exactly what that would be, she wasn't sure, but Shelby figured she had an interminable half hour to try and figure it out if Kris still hadn't returned.

Blue was slowly regaining consciousness, but deliberately kept her growing awareness of her surroundings hidden. She was lying on what felt like a cement floor with her hands and legs secured. Tensing her muscles slightly, she could feel the steel vises on her wrists tighten, and relaxed to relieve some of the pressure.

Sensing that she was alone, Blue opened her eyes and looked around. The room was barren except for two chairs, a table, and some leather restraints attached to chains hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. She grimaced, all too familiar with the uses for the device. She hoped this action was directed only at her and that Shelby was safe, but her stomach tightened in worry.

She lay unmoving, watching as the door opened and five men walked in, only one of whom she recognized. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Sergei and suddenly she knew what had prompted her capture. Somehow they must have already found out the information she gave them was bogus. Shit! She'd known the risks, but had expected more time. Not bothering to ponder how they'd found out so quickly, Blue began to focus her energy on preparing herself both mentally and physically for the punishment she was sure was to come.

"Put her in the restraints."

The four burly men approached, two observing while two roughly grabbed her and dragged her across the room. Not willing to cooperate with the goons in any way, Kris kept her body limp, forcing the other two to hold her erect while her wrists and ankles were secured by the leather bands, then tightened.

"Nice to see you again, Natasha."

Blue glared at Sergei, but remained quiet.

"Not happy to see me? That wouldn't be because of the useless information you gave us, now would it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Sergei crossed the room and backhanded Blue viciously across the face. "You will answer honestly when I talk to you. Did you really think you'd get away with that?"

Blue could feel the blood trickling from her mouth as she stared back at Sergei. "Get away with what?"

At a look from the Russian, one of the men delivered a solid blow to Blue's midsection.

"You disgust me." Sergei knew there was a remote chance that she could be telling the truth and the computers just hadn't been updated, but he felt it unlikely. "I should kill you now, but I have another job for you. If you do it well, I might spare your life."

Blue tried to keep the pain at bay. She had no intentions of doing anything he wished, but she would have to play the game in order to leave this room alive.

The Russian agent paced back and forth in front of Blue. "The woman you're staying with is a highly regarded analyst with access to very sensitive information. Such knowledge would be of great value to us. I want her password and you will obtain it without arousing suspicion."

"That's...impossible," Blue managed to spit out.

"For someone less skilled than you, perhaps. But I'm sure you can find a way." Sergei smiled cruelly. "Just in case you doubt my seriousness..." He nodded to two of the men, and watched as they approached the woman.

Blue knew what was coming and began focusing her mind to ignore the pain that would be inflicted.

Sergei had picked the two men because they were interrogation experts trained to deliver the maximum amount of punishment without doing any major bodily damage. He had already briefed them that they were to leave no marks on any part of her body that would normally be exposed, not wanting to arouse the suspicions of anyone at the Company. The bruise he'd left on her cheek could be easily covered.

The Russian officer stood back with his arms crossed in front of his chest observing the punishment being meted out. He always enjoyed this part of an interrogation and smiled with satisfaction at the grunts of pain that accompanied the blows. He allowed the brutalization to continue for several minutes after she passed out before calling a halt. He hadn't forgotten her stubbornness as a child and wanted to make sure she understood his message. Sergei knew that every time she moved for the next week, she would be reminded of this lesson.

The fact that she would be terminated once they had the password was of no consequence right now. He walked over and began slapping her face lightly. "Wake up. I have another surprise for you."

Blue had allowed herself to fade into blackness instead of fighting it. Her slow return to consciousness was suddenly accelerated when she was drenched in cold water. Her eyes opened as she spat out water, gritting her teeth as pain rolled over her. She wanted to double over in agony, but her bonds denied her even that luxury.

"Oh, good. You're back with us. You had me worried for a while. Are you ready to see your mother now?"

Blue remained silent, her mind disbelieving. Her mother was dead. She'd been dead for almost twenty years. Obviously, Sergei wasn't done torturing her yet, but she'd buried her mother long ago. "She's dead."

"No, Natasha. She isn't dead, but that isn't what we wanted you to think. You had no reason to doubt us. You were but a child. It suited our purposes for you to believe that." He looked at one of the men. "Release her. It wouldn't do for your mother to see you all trussed up, now would it?"

Blue didn't know what to believe as she fell to the ground in a heap, her arms wrapped around her throbbing midsection. She tried to hold the pain at bay, but the men had been experts at plying their trade and it was unrelenting in its intensity.

"I'll be back after your visit," Sergei promised as he left.

A few minutes later the door to the interrogation room opened. A tall, thin woman with gray hair walked in and looked curiously at the female lying curled up on the floor. The last twenty-four hours had been so confusing. Twenty years ago, Masha had been told her little girl had died in a fire at the school. Then yesterday, she was rushed from her home and flown to America to meet with her suddenly resurrected daughter.

She didn't know what Sergei was up to, but she didn't trust him. Masha hadn't seen him since the day he'd informed her of Natasha's death, and she hadn't been pleased to see him again.

Masha approached the figure on the floor. She didn't believe this was her daughter, but the poor woman had obviously been beaten and she would try to help her. Kneeling down, she gazed into the pain filled eyes regarding her and rocked back on her heels. Those eyes! Could it be? She tentatively extended her fingers and brushed the woman's cheek.