Collaboration with @silmarilz1701
Svetlana knew how to play the game. She'd been caught in the political drama of Stalin's inner circle since birth. The only child of one of Stalin's closest friends, she grew up in the limelight, scrutinized by frie...
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Sveta looked at Winters. He sat at his desk in the upper room of the CP. In his hands a pencil flicked up and down, nervous energy searching for an escape from the man who usually managed to bottle up so much. Losing his command had done a number on the usually quiet man. She could see the frustration itching to get out.
"Moose is in charge, but I want you on Pegasus."
Suppressing a sigh, she just nodded. It was to be expected. Heyliger was the CO, regardless of her outranking him. But it confused her, why she was being sent. "My purpose for going?"
"We have reports of a few Russians being involved," he tried to explain.
Sveta's eyebrows raised. Russians? In the Netherlands? With a nod, she asked him to explain. "What are the Soviets doing here?"
"I don't know." Winters got up, tossing his pencil back onto this desk, and rounded it to the front. He crossed his arms. "Sink doesn't have any more information. All we know is three Russians are stuck with the British and some of the Resistance. I want you to go along to make sure things proceed smoothly."
Sveta nodded. "Of course." But she could almost feel the fear creeping up. What if they knew who she was? Desperately trying to suppress her anxiety, she put her arms behind her back, grasping her left wrist to stop the fidgeting. "When do we leave?"
"They're leaving in a little over an hour. This was last minute information," he said. After a sigh, he looked out the window. "Do you know how to use a boat?"
"Yes. It won't be an issue."
Winters nodded again. He seemed to do that a lot when anxious. Small nods, in quick succession. She wondered if it was only fear for Easy, or if he was thinking of Zhanna no longer being in his direct command. She couldn't tell if it was more than friendship. But sometimes she wondered at the way he would ask after her. Then again, he asked after all his former officers and enlisted men.
"Is Casmirovna going?" Sveta asked. "Or is she staying behind."
"I have her on lookout along with a handful of the best riflemen from Dog and Fox," he told her. "They'll be posted along the bank as backup."
Sveta nodded again. Operation Pegasus had a solid plan. She wondered whose it was: Nixon's, Winters', or someone else. Nixon had a good mind for tactics.
"I'll go find Lieutenant Heyliger, then," Sveta told him. "Harry's going too?"
"Harry's going," he confirmed. "Peacock will be on the shore with two machine gunners in case they need suppressing fire in retreat."
Smart. Peacock would probably screw the whole thing up if he went in for stealth. She left Winters' makeshift office just as Nixon walked up. They exchanged quick nods. As she walked out into the night, Sveta took a deep breath. They had cloud cover which would aid their mission. A bright moon could glint off any uncovered metals like dog tags or rifle muzzles.
