Sappho's Commando

FOURTEEN (ISELEN POV)

"I see a lot of activity," I whisper quietly, leaning my back on a wall, pretending that I'm waiting for the traffic light to go green. "And intense surveillance."

"Those are three local police officers," Oleg answers with a fake grin plastered on his face, walking slowly with a marked limp, easily noticeable, till he leans his back next to me and rubs his thigh with his hand, as if in pain. Although I know the show is all fake and he intends to look innocent and helpless. Smart guy. "Some officers work closely with the Russians in exchange for money and gifts, some others don't report the citizens when they catch them smuggling food. It's hard to know who's going to be kind or not so we try to keep a safe distance from them even if they're not as bad as Russian soldiers."

"What are these twin buildings made of white stone with green roofs?" Hanna mumbles in front of us while smiling too. Tara, Nora and Ruby are waiting, standing a few steps away from us while I keep an eye on them discreetly. I don't want to lose sight of any member of my team while we're in hostile territory, it's a reasonable precaution and has nothing to do with the fact that I'd have a nervous breakdown if Ruby vanishes from my side, damn it.

"That's the new market. The building to your right leads to a long gallery where the butchers sell meat and behind there's a maze of narrow streets full of small shops. Five years ago, it was a wonderful place where you could find fresh and homemade products: cheese, fish, veggies, fruit and milk. Going grocery shopping is more difficult nowadays and way more expensive, unfortunately."

"What's the plan?" I ask looking at the police officers out of the corner of my eye while fixing the collar of my shabby coat to fight against the cold wind.

"We'll cross the street keeping our heads low, walking into the market pretending that we work here and came early in the morning to get the goodies ready to sell, and we'll sneak out through the back door. Zenaida's apartment is very close. The secret is to walk confidently, you should look like you know where you're going but you're in a hurry."

"Let's go," I wave my hand discreetly to point at the street and the doctor nods.

Oleg goes first, walking fast even if he's limping ostensibly, avoiding cars and the market staff nimbly. I keep my eyes on the ground although watching the police officers discreetly thanks to my peripheral vision, they're talking to each other and ignoring us, I think they're arguing about who should go to a nearby café to buy some hot tea, judging by the way they gesture. We get into the maze of narrow streets and I have to focus on the boy so I don't get lost, resisting the temptation to turn my head and check if the girls are following me.

I can feel Hanna walking close but don't know where the doctor is right now and I don't like that. Fuck, working together will be more difficult than I expected. I knew I'd become overprotective after sharing a bed with Ruby, it's inevitable, protecting my partner is a strong instinct, but I thought that my rational mind could deal with it. It's obvious that I underestimated my feelings for her but it's not the right time to think about this. I must trust her, she's a well-trained elite soldier and capable of taking care of herself. Besides, the sooner we complete this mission successfully, the sooner I'll take my team back home. If I want the doctor to be safe, I have to focus on my job.

Feeling my mind clearer, I start noticing the market sounds: women speaking, men laughing, a dog barking... And the smells: freshly baked bread, spices, fish... There're not police officers around, nor Russian soldiers, only delivery workers and families getting their shops ready for the day. Some of them are already open and Oleg buys bread, cold cuts and some fruit, handing us the bags. I nod approvingly, this way, it looks like we came to the market with a goal and we can eat lunch later. His grandmother's tea and walnut cookies were delicious but not enough to keep standing some tall and strong girls like us.