A Different Call

6. A Lot Like You

The alarms could be raised any minute now, and Natalia realized she had run into a conundrum: they didn't have a ride. Her transportation to the party waited in the crescent driveway, but she couldn't trust the KGB agent driver. She wouldn't get far on foot, especially with her tag-along. Speaking of which...

Natalia turned a full circle, but the archer was nowhere to be seen. She frowned as the possibilities ran through her brain. He either ditched her or was caught. She preferred the former. If he was caught, he could rat her out.

Her fight instincts jumped into action as an engine roar startled her. She squinted against the powerful light as the motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of her. The rider removed his helmet, revealing the smirking face of the archer.

  "Get on," he invited, tossing her the bike helmet. "Safety first!"

  Natalia scowled. "I don't need this."

  "I see better without it. Besides, it would hide your face from street cameras. Hopefully, that will take the KGB off our trail for a little while longer."

Reluctantly, Natalia slipped the clunky black helmet over her red head and climbed on behind him.

  "Hang on." The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent revved the engine and tore away. Determined to only grip his shoulders, Natalia lost her grip and was forced to wrap her arms around his stomach like, in her mind, a damsel in distress. That irked her.

Her hair whipped around in the wind. Glancing behind them periodically, Natalia watched their six for Miroslav's men or the police. As the dial climbed the miles per hour, she was surprised no one pulled them over.

It was when he parked behind her apartment building Natalia realized she never gave him any directions.

  "How long have you been spying on me?" she snapped as she removed the helmet.

  "Two days," he answered simply as he unslung his bow off his shoulder.

Natalia frowned.

  Noticing her distress, the archer added, "It was mostly the KGB's fault. Your informant was sloppy."

The Black Widow gazed up to her apartment window. She chewed her lip as she considered her options. She could use the fire escape or the staff only stairs... then weighed the risk of walking through the front door into the lobby.

  "Wait here."

Before the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent could protest, Natalia sprinted to the building. Using the power in her legs built up by years of intense training, the assassin coiled and jumped, just barely catching the edge of the fire escape. Her arms remained steady as they alone pulled up. Her heels braced against the icy metal floor as her hands moved to the railing. She climbed over the fence and stood safely on the fire escape, not even breathless.

Natalia scaled the stairs quickly. As she neared her apartment window, she slowed to make her steps silent. The room was dark like how she left it. The Russian assassin attempted to lift the window. The fact that it was still locked comforted her only slightly. Natalia flicked out the knife hidden beneath her skirt and used the blade to unlock the window. Silently, she opened it and stepped inside.

First, Natalia switched on a lamp. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she would be able to see whoever could be lurking. That also meant the potential assailant could see her, too. A necessary risk. They probably already knew she was home.

Now dimly lit, Natalia scanned her living quarters with her knife still firmly in her grip. She would prefer her glock, which was with the archer and her spare was in her bedroom. The living room was empty, so she deemed it safe enough to bend down and remove her heels for stealth and balance.