He wasn’t sure what he enjoyed more — her thanks or the incredible amount of moist heat that seemed to be radiating from between her thighs. He fell into a very happy and deep slumber.
The next morning he awoke to a disheveled Marina poking him in the side. She was rather grumpy, and the prods were very uncomfortable. “Get up. It’s time to move.”
Before Nick could gather himself, she started the car and drove. It was barely past dawn as they sped down deserted roads and across icy bridges. The people of Saint Petersburg weren’t awake yet, so Marina took many liberties with her driving. Nick was scared, but he didn’t make a sound. The road wound about and began to look somewhat familiar. She headed west, and within ten minutes, the little car pulled back into Vlad’s dacha. She brought it to a halt and jumped out.
“What the fuck?” Nick blurted out in English. “Why didn’t we stay here last night?”
“Speak in Russian, you moron. It was too dangerous. I couldn’t risk exposing this place.” She went inside.
This pissed him off. He considered spending the night freezing in a car a little beyond stupid. Not to mention his wet pants. He entered the house seconds behind her and caught a glimpse of her entering the upstairs room. Vlad was up and had breakfast ready to serve. He knew they would return in the morning, and he handed Nick a plate of pork and scrambled eggs. He also had a smile.
“Eat, Nicholas. You look hungry.”
Nick sat in the study and devoured the plate. The way he ate almost made him feel barbaric. Vlad waited until he was done and more comfortable before he handed him a cup of coffee. Nick could hear running water in the pipes and guessed that Marina was taking a shower.
Vlad still had a smile, but it had taken on the appearance of a snicker. “You irritate her.”
“Story of my life with women,” he replied. “Thanks for the meal.”
Vlad acknowledged with a nod. “What I’m trying to say is that she may actually like you. You know what I mean?”
“I know what you mean,” Nick answered in disgust.
Vlad was not encouraged by his answer. He kept the conversation going. “I only bring this up for one reason. You can get her out of here. What she does is too dangerous.”
“Vlad, she does her thing, and I do mine. That’s as far as it goes.”
“I know you’re American.” Vlad was sitting more forward in his chair, trying to press the importance of what he had to say. “You may sound Russian, but you don’t speak Russian. There is a subtle difference. There is no poetry in your words. It will not fool everyone.”
Nick didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t know where the conversation was going, and he really didn’t want to hear where it was going to end up.
Vlad pushed on. “I’m telling you to get Marina out of this country. It will cause her death if she does not leave. Take her to America.”
Nick felt rather embarrassed having a total stranger talk to him like this. “I can’t take her anywhere if she doesn’t want to go.” Nick hoped this feeble attempt would end the conversation.
“You didn’t understand. You make her mad. She likes you.”
“Well, there’s a good barometer.”
“You make her angry because she worries about you.”
“She’s been mad at me since I met her. The only time we speak is when she has something nasty to say.”
Vlad became serious. “You must trust me. I love her like a daughter. It would break my heart if she were to be hurt.”
“All right. If the opportunity arrives, I’ll try to sway her to come with me.”
“No, my friend. You will take her with you.” Vlad leaned over and peered deep into Nick’s eyes. His statement was said with such finality that Nick didn’t respond.
Marina came down the stairs as the conversation ended. Her hair was wet, and she was wearing a robe. Vlad gave her a hug and handed her a plate of food.
“Go up and take a bath,” she said to Nick. “We’ll spend the rest of the morning here.”
“Then what?”
“Then we continue.”
“And you know where, right?”
“It’s a bus station. The main route runs from Saint Petersburg to Archangel. Our mission is somewhere up north.”
Nick’s shower was hot for five minutes before it started to wane. He returned to the bedroom to find a clean pair of pants and shirt laid out for him. A pair of boots sat on the floor. The change looked rather satisfying compared to what he had been wearing. He decided to rest on the bed for a minute. It was a minute that stretched into several hours.
In the study, Marina finished her coffee and was snuggling into her chair when Vlad broke his silence. “This one likes you.”
If Marina was guilty of anything, it was vanity. “Oh, is it that obvious? He probably wants what all men want.”
“Whatever it is, Marina, please be careful. Watch out for him. Make sure he gets all the way home safely.”
“I’ll probably have to hold his hand the whole way,” she replied.
“Perhaps.” Vlad was a master at reading people. “This one doesn’t seem like the others you associate with.”
“Vladimir. You know what I do. Why I’m here. He is a man who doesn’t belong in my world. It’s too much for him. I worry about him…” Marina caught herself. It was bad business to worry about someone else. It put her safety at risk.
Vlad knew he had the wheels in her head turning. “I guess you could be right. This may be too much for him. Let him go his own way. It’s not your job to keep him alive.” He cleared the plates and began to leave. “By the way, where did you spend the night last night?”
“In my car.”
“You slept in your car? Marina, you could have returned here.”
“Too dangerous.”
“Oh.” Vlad was ready to sting her. “You just slept? Nothing else. Sleep?” he said with a taunting smile.
She was offended at the misguided insight and answered tersely. “Yes, just sleep. Nothing else. Nothing at all.”
“It was possible I was wrong then. Perhaps he is not attracted to you.” Vlad had seen vanity work with all women in any situation over his life. He knew it would work here. He left to allow his words to bore into her.
The question had been in the back of her head. Why did Nick cool his initial advances and never pick them up again? It was a thought that she had ignored until now. Last night he had the perfect opportunity. Why didn’t he even try? Then Marina began to question her reasons for sleeping in the car. She wondered if it was to protect her base with Vlad or to present Nick with an opportunity. It bothered her now. It was a distraction. One that she had to put out of her head by seven o’clock. She did admit to herself that she had some respect for the American. He was in a tough situation and handling it well enough to get himself this far. That counted for something.
Upstairs, Nick awoke at two o’clock. The sun had been burning through the window, wrapping him in a comforting blanket of heat. Waking was slow, and the heat made him drowsy. He struggled to get his clothes on, and by the time he had combed his hair and returned downstairs, he was more alert.
Marina had changed into some pants and a shirt that flattered her figure. She was lying on the couch in the study, sleeping. She awoke when Nick stepped in.
“Good sleep?” he asked.
“Yes. I was more tired than I thought.” She was a little embarrassed to be caught napping.
“You needed the rest. You push yourself hard.”
“There are so many things to do. Especially in this situation.”
She was beginning to sound all business again. It turned Nick off. He liked to enjoy a little levity occasionally.
Marina spoke again. “We must be extremely careful from here on out. Many things will be out of my control.”