by Rob Carnell
"Matt, what sort of weapon do you normally carry?" asked Natasha.
"My regular sidearm is a Browning 9mm, what do you prefer?" queried Matt.
"I like my Russian Yarygin, it is the most advanced pistol ever designed, seventeen rounds per clip" said Natasha proudly, as she rifled through the drawer. She found a used Browning 9mm and threw it to Matt.
Matt nearly dropped the pistol in surprise, but managed to grab on to it at the last second, and stuff it under his belt behind his back. Natasha also passed Matt a box containing ten empty magazines, together with and a box of Winchester hollow point ammunition.
"Thanks Natasha, I was not sure I would be permitted to carry a weapon in Russia" said Matt.
"Actually, you are not permitted to be armed, but since it will just be you and me, I want you armed so you can back me up if we get into and trouble" explained the Russian girl.
Matt was beginning to become concerned, he was expecting to just be the U.S. eyes and ears, he was expecting Russians to do the dirty work.
"The people we must track down will be easily spooked so we will work alone" said Natasha in perfect colloquial American.
"Where did you ever learn to speak English with a US accent, did you study in the U.S.?"
"No, actually I am an honors graduate from University of Moscow, where I majored in U.S. culture, it has the best US program in the world!" said the Russian proudly.
"Wow" chuckled Matt "that is a well kept secret".
Without a word, Natasha led Mat into another cell further down the hall and opened an unlocked door. Inside about six cells had been opened up to create a state of the art pistol range. There were individual shooting bays with baffles in between and motorized wires to take the targets down range.
"Before we leave Moscow, my American friend, you must prove to me that you are capable of being my backup. We start now." she explained.
"Look Natasha" said the bored American, "I regularly qualify on the CIA range, in fact, I have the top scores in my section, I grew up in Texas, and my dad owned a gun shop, I could shoot before I could ride a bicycle."
"Excellent, then this will not take too long. Show me what you can do."
Natasha inserted a man sized cardboard target into a bulldog clip on the top. Then she pressed a button and the target ran out to about fifteen yards on the wire. She then sent another three down range in the other empty bays.
Matt grabbed a pair of earmuffs off a hook and tossed another set to Natasha. Then he thumbed eight rounds into an empty clip, inserted it into the butt of the Browning, then pulled back the slide to insert a round into the chamber and cock the firing pin.
He took careful aim. Then he slowly fired all 8 rounds into a three inch circle, all in the heart region of the target.
"Not bad" said Natasha, "now do it faster."
Matt repeated the procedure, he fired all eight rounds in twelve seconds. The group of shots had widened considerably, into about a six inch circle. One just made paper.
"What do you think Natasha?" said the American proudly.
"I think we are dead" whispered Natasha. "Watch me, I will demonstrate."
She turned around facing away from the targets, took two slow breaths, then in a blur, she spun around, drawing her Yarygin from the holster under her arm, cocked the weapon, and fired six shots through the head of the target in less than four seconds.
Then she screamed and bent over, swearing loudly in a foreign tongue. Matt had no idea what was happening.
"Are you ok Natasha?"
"Shut up and turn around!" screamed Natasha.
Matt did as instructed.
Matt could hear her rearranging her clothes but politely faced away from her until she told him that he could face her again.
"You can turn around now" said Natasha.
When Matt noticed her doing up her top button as he turned, he asked what happened.
"One of the hot bullet casings bounced off the baffle and fell down the front of my shirt. It burnt my tit!" Natasha grimaced in pain "I have heard of this happening before, but I never imagined it could happen to me, especially now." She trailed off, embarrassment now taking over as her anger abated. She blushed slightly as she realized that her hand had found its way into her shirt and was cradling her injured breast.
Matt could not hold back his amusement at her predicament and laughed. He was becoming increasingly awed by this woman, the blend of subtle femininity and profound professionalism that she embodied was an enigma and he knew he was going to enjoy working with her.
Natasha, on the other hand was not amused "How about I put a hot casing in your shorts and see if you think that is funny."
In her eyes however, Matt saw a glimpse of mischief which betrayed her angry expression.
"Ok, I am sorry. Occupational hazard for female officers I guess," suggested Matt.
To ease the tension, Matt pushed the button and Natasha’s target came back towards him.
He was jerked back to reality when he realized what he had just witnessed. Matt had often observed the best CIA marksman on the range at Langley, but he had never seen anything even close to what the beautiful Russian girl had just done.
All Mat could mumble was "Oh my God! Teach me to do that!"
"Only if you teach me how to use my computer, I have heard you are an expert" said Natasha.
"You have a deal" said Matt as he stuck his hand out to seal the arrangement.
He passed the Browning back to Natasha "can I get a Yarygin too, that thing is awesome?"
"Sorry but these are hard to get" mentioned Natasha.
"It would be safer if we both used the same weapon so we could share clips in an emergency."
Natasha could not find fault with Matt’s reasoning.
"Ok, I will find one for you before we start here again tomorrow. In the meantime, try mine."
"Hold on target for the first shot, then hold lower for the rest. That way when you lower the gun back on target and pull the trigger, you will jerk it back to the right place. It sounds stupid, but it works."
Matt was a willing student, but changing his whole style of shooting was quite a battle. By the end of the day, he had perfected getting the weapon drawn and getting the shots down range in a hurry. The bad news was that most shots missed the target completely!
It took four days and nearly a thousand rounds of lead down the range before he could put all the rounds consistently on the target, but the spread of the bullets was still quite embarrassing.
"That will do" said Natasha, "it is time to go hunting."
"But my shots are still pretty widely spaced" mused Matt.
"Don’t worry. You are doing much better than most agents. I am usually quite modest, but I won the gold medal for the rapid fire event at the last Olympic Games."
"Wow! I don’t think I would like to have you as an enemy!"
"You either, that guy you took the knife from was probably a trained killer."
Unknown either to Matt, or Natasha, Oleg Karpov was watching every move they made so he could give his daily briefing to President Arkadin.
Meanwhile, Matt called Bill Simpson at midnight every night for his 4pm Washington time update.
Chapter 60
White House, Oval Office
Washington D.C.
* * *
"COME IN Colonel Kim, thank you for accepting our hospitality" said President Connolly offering his hand to the shorter North Korean. Kim was dressed in freshly pressed insignia free military fatigues, provided to him at the White house earlier.
"Thank you Mister President, I had no idea this could happen so quickly."
"The words you mentioned to our man in Seoul did the trick, we are aware of the problem, and would appreciate and assistance you can give to us. Let me introduce you to Adam Scott from the CIA who is in charge of the investigation to find these weapons" explained the President.
"We are very pleased to have you here, and we welcome anything at all you
can tell us to help avert an international incident of unheard of proportions" replied a grim Scott.
Kim was ready to unload, so he wasted no time getting down to business "The day before yesterday, I read a secure communication intended for our base commander, but was wrongly delivered to me instead of being destroyed. Now I stand before you as I am scared this may backfire on my country."
"The document was from the brother of my commander, who is an aide to the North Korean President. It revealed much more than should have been committed to paper, but unfortunately telephones in my country are not at all secure.
"The document mentioned that a miniature "special" weapon of Russian origin was secured in a boat at a shipyard in the north east of our country, and requested we do reconnaissance flights until it reached international waters. Further on the note mentioned the weapon was a small heavy suitcase."
"Regretfully, the document is two weeks old, so I guess the vessel could be almost anywhere by now. But I have no wish to see my country finish as a burning hole in the ground so here I am."
"Colonel, I know this must have been a huge step for you, and I am glad to offer you asylum here. Adam will see to that as soon as he has conducted a more thorough briefing, just in case you know anything else that may help us."
"Colonel, I have arranged accommodation for you at Langley for a couple of days so we can do the briefing. After that, we have a team that will basically help you get settled anywhere you wish" said Adam Scott.
"Gentlemen, I am glad to be of service, I am honored that you have offered me asylum here, and it is my pleasure to formally accept your offer."
Chapter 61
Russian airspace
En Route to
St Petersburg, Russia
* * *
NATASHA AND Matt had been met by a driver the next morning. He drove them to the airport, where they boarded a small VIP jet. It was much more civilized than the larger Aeroflot jet that had brought him to Russia.
"Where are we headed" said Matt as soon as they were wheels up.
"St Petersburg" explained Natasha, "this is where our fact finding tour will begin."My father, . . . . oops, I mean Mr. Karpov."
"Hold it" interjected Matt, "did you say your father?"
"I am sorry, this was to be a secret, but yes, he is my father" said Natasha.
"I don’t like surprises, is there anything else you forgot to mention?" Matt was not at all happy.
"Actually, yes there is. My father mentioned that he questioned the base commander in Vladivostok."
"That must have been right before he was shot, right?" speculated Matt.
"That was necessary for our own safety, we needed to arrive unannounced in St Petersburg" said Natasha dryly.
"Ok, maybe, but you could just have locked him up."
"Why should we feed and house a criminal that could have started World War III? My father did the right thing for our nation by putting a bullet in the traitor’s brain" said Natasha.
"The dog was given a choice. To reveal where the weapons went and be given a quick release, or refuse to speak or lie to us, and be tortured, and all his family jailed for the rest of their lives. The Captain made the honorable choice."
"He gave us a name, and that is where we are headed now. The man is a well known mafia figure who owns the most exclusive nightclub in St Petersburg."
"Our cover story is that you are an American oil millionaire here to negotiate access to Russian oil reserves. I am your secretary/guide" explained Natasha.
Shortly afterwards they landed at St Petersburg and were met by a Mercedes limousine and driven to the best hotel in Russia.
Chapter 62
Comrade Hotel
St Petersburg, Russia
* * *
"OK, I lied about the apartment being the best accommodation you would have in Russia, but it was fun watching you squirm" laughed Natasha as the bellboy showed then to their adjoining rooms.
Matt took a quick tour of the room. It was not quite up to the standard of the Hay Addams in Washington D.C., it was nonetheless of a high standard. There was no plasma screen or fax machine, but it was much better appointed than he had expected.
Already waiting in the cupboard in Matt’s room were some fancy clothes, and a briefcase containing his PC (with his new Yarygin 9mm hidden inside). In addition he had elegant documents showing he was Matthew Harrison a manager with Exxon oil. Natasha was to be his secretary Natalie Laurence.
"I suggest you take a nap, we are going clubbing tonight" said Natasha as she headed for the door. "Be ready for dinner at 8pm wear the Hugo Boss suit."
Sleep closed peacefully for the young American, and the chirping of his mobile phone preset to wake him at seven p.m. aroused him from a peaceful slumber.
He showered, shaved and then dressed in the clothes Natasha had arranged for him. Matt was amazed that they fit quite so well, she was a resourceful woman he thought.
Chapter 63
Eclipse Restaurant
St Petersburg, Russia
* * *
"WOW, THIS is better than airline food" said Matt as he scanned the menu. Prices were in US dollars which was a surprise, but not as big a surprise as seeing the cost of the signature appetizer for two, Beluga caviar with a chilled bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal champagne!
They were seated in a rather lovely old world type of restaurant with white jacketed waiters, high back chairs and antique silverware.
Natasha was tastefully dressed in a navy suit, her hair up as usual with no makeup at all. For the first time Matt actually wondered what Natasha would look like if she ever decided to relax and wear something a little more revealing.
"Let’s do a general knowledge test to see who pays the bill" said Natasha playfully. In fact it did not really matter as both had Exxon issued black American Express cards.
"Ok, but I am not that good on Russian history" laughed Matt.
"No problem, let’s go with world history" grinned Natasha.
"Ok" said Matt, "lets give it a try".
"What was the most significant world event in 1776?" asked a serious Natasha.
"Looks like you are paying, that is obviously the signing of the US declaration of Independence" said a proud Matt.
"Looks like you are paying" said Natasha, "wrong answer, maybe the most important in US, but nowhere near the most significant worldwide."
"I give up, give me a clue" said Matt.
"Sure, order the caviar" said Natasha.
A few moments later, the white jacketed waiter delivered the special.
As the caviar was served on a bed of ice, Matt tried again "You guys discovered caviar?"
"Getting closer" said Natasha as she passed the bottle of champagne to Matt.
The white jacketed waiter nearly had heart failure when he saw one of his customers serving themselves. He hoped the maitre de had not noticed this move, or his job was history.
"Its ok, my boss just wants to read the label" Natasha told the running waiter, remembering to stay in her role as Matt’s secretary.
There inside a small golden shield almost invisible to the naked eye were the words Natasha had remembered…"Louis Roederer founded in 1776".
"I don’t believe you knew that! I have never even seen a bottle of this stuff much less tasted it" said an amused Matt.
After a wonderful dinner, Matt finally said what was on his mind all night "Natasha, when are you going to level with me? I need to know what our plan is here".
"Ok, you can pay the bill and I will tell you more on the walk back to our hotel, I need to change."
Three thousand dollars lighter in the Amex Card, they began the walk home. Natasha stepped very close to Matt and whispered in his ear "When my father questioned the captain in Vladivostok, he gave the name of the man he sold the weapons to. It is the "Leopard".
"His name is Vladimir Petrov, but he is always known as "The Leopard" after the nightclub he runs right here in St Petersburg. "The Snow L
eopard" is the most exclusive entertainment venue in Russia. He is a leading mafia figure here in Russia, and is a man to be feared.
"We are going to pay a visit to his club. But first I need to change into something a little more suited to the venue" quipped Natasha.
Chapter 64
Comrade Hotel
St Petersburg, Russia
* * *
MATT TRIED to prevent his jaw from hitting the floor as Natasha slowly strolled toward him. Even in his fantasies, which were very enticing in their own right, could he have imagined a sexier, more beautiful woman.
Her short black dress barely covered the curves that he knew existed beneath her more austere attire. Gold stiletto heels accentuated her long shapely legs. Expertly applied makeup accentuated her high cheek bones and luminous eyes which so fascinated him. She wore expensive gold jewellery and her long black hair cascaded all the way down her back.
"Wow", he said, finally recovering from the shock and regaining his ability to speak, "I’ve never seen such a drop dead gorgeous secretary, I think I am going to really enjoy being an oil magnate."
Natasha laughed softly, greatly enjoying his praises, then said "Down boy, this isn’t for you. Our friend The Leopard is a notorious womanizer. But don’t worry, I have arranged for some company for you as well" said Natasha with a wink. "We will split up when we get there. I am planning on having a chat with our host. Be ready to leave in a hurry if I tell you I feel tired."
They walked outside, and a limousine was waiting for them for the short trip to the club. When the driver came to open the door for Natasha, Matt rushed forward. It was the same man who tried to rob him with a knife when he went for a run on his second day in Russia.
