Insane in my Russian Brain - P. Parker

Chapter Twelve

"You know, this is the first piece of clothing I ever bought for myself," Yelena spoke, motioning down to the green vest that sat on her chest.

Kat looked over, continuing to chew on her piece of gum. "That?"

Yelena looked back at her, a confused look on her face. "Yeah. You don't like it?"

"Is that like a..." Kat trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"An army surplus?" Natasha finished her sentence, smiling at the teenager who sat in the back as she drove.

"Okay, it has a lot of pockets. But I use them all the time and I made some of my own modifications." Yelena scoffed. "Whatever."

Natasha chuckled, trying to keep her eyes on the road as she was distracted by her baby sister. "Shut up. The point is, I've never... I've never had control over my own life before, and now I do. I want to do things."

"Hmm..." Kat placed her chin in her hands, deep in thought. "I like your vest." Might as well give Yelena a win on this one.

"I knew it. I knew you did. It's so cool, right?"

Natasha glanced in her direction, smiling softly. "It's good. Yes. I like it."

"And you can put so much stuff in there. You wouldn't even know." Yelena shrugged, her smile flattening. "I really don't know where the Red Room is, though. I'm sorry."

"I know. Any thoughts Kat?"

"That Alexei guy, Dreykov's best friend as you described, you think he would know something?"

"Ah, you're right." Yelena pointed at Kat, smiling and giving her a fist bump.

Natasha smiled at the two. "We're gonna need a jet."

⧗ ⧗ ⧗

"I said we needed a jet." Natasha, Yelena, and Kat walked into a field through a bundle of trees, walking up to a man Kat knew as Mason. She had known him very well as a friend since she had escaped from the Red Room.

"Yeah, you know what you didn't give me? Time." Mason observed the group of girls. He hadn't yet noticed Kat, being she was short and stood behind Yelena. "Or money. I'm not made of jets."

"I thought you were supposed to be the best. Like a real pro." Yelena walked forward, looking over the structure of the jet.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, tsarina. Was the free flat and lifetime supply of kissel not to your liking?"

"Oh, don't let her wind you up." Such a mom.

"No, I take exception to impugn my professionalism."

"Well, you did set me up with a generator that crapped out after six hours."

"Tag team?" He pointed between Natasha and Yelena, an annoyed expression replacing his earlier smile.

"Aw, he's sensitive." Kat walked forward, her eyes glued to those Mason. Spotting the girl, his face almost instantly lit up.

"Ekaterina! What are you doing here?" He nearly ran forward, crushing the sixteen-year-old in his arms.

"Just helping a work friend and her sister out, no big deal. And, may I remind you, it's Kat." Natasha looked over at the pair, her eyebrows shuffling together. Ekaterina? But.. that was her daughter's name?

"Where's the rest?"

Mason sighed, placing down Kat. He walked back over to the jet, grabbed a duffel bag out, and tossed it into the grass. "Voilà."

"Ooh." Yelena picked up a bar of granola, placing it into her mouth before Natasha could warn her.

"How is it? I stashed it in there like five years ago."

Yelena swallowed, handing the rest of the bar to Kat. "It's dry. It's really dry." She hopped onto the jet and sat down in a seat.

"You know, the two of you are getting dangerously close to running out of your tab. Supplies I can tally, but you're bringing me attention from the authorities, and my prices are going up."

Standing up from the duffel bag, Natasha looked up at the taller man. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your mate, Secretary Ross, has been sniffing around my affairs to the point at which I've got contacts declining my calls. I'm a private contractor."

Natasha looked down, and for a minute Mason thought she was going to be apologetic. "You're sensitive."

"The two of you are very annoying individuals."

Natasha grabbed the duffel bag, passing it over to Kat. She walked onto the plane as well, yelling back about how she would make it up to Mason. He turned to Kat, giving her a questioning look. "Can you?"

She scoffed, liking her lips. "I already did."

Mason threw his hands up in the air. "One ride on your motorcycle is not making it up to me!"

Kat rolled her eyes, shutting the doors to the jet. "Sure it isn't."