Sappho's Commando

FIFTEEN (RUBY POV)

"Everything will be all right," I repeat again and again in my head while fixing my eyes on Iselen's back, she's walking ahead of me following Oleg through Odessa's streets while the sun goes down and the citizens come back home from their work.

I guess the thing that's bugging me is the lack of backup: we're alone in Ukraine, in the area under Russian control and, if things go wrong, they won't come to rescue us, help is far away on the other side of the border, and we don't have a clear escape plan. Tara is sure that the boss won't leave us stranded, Colonel Larsen will do whatever necessary to send a rescue team, even fighting her NATO senior officers. But she's still too far away and we'd have to survive in a hostile environment, almost without resources and unable to speak the local language, till the big boys, or the CIA, or whoever is in charge, gets us out of here.

I've never worked like this before. Even during my hardest deployments, I had medical supplies, a helicopter to fly the most seriously wounded to a better hospital and soldiers from the British army to protect us while we worked saving lives. Now, I only have a pistol, an emergency kit and a satellite phone to ask for help, and the lives that are at risk are my friends'. And my lover's life, one of the most amazing women I've ever met.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down and smile, pretending that I'm a member of this group of harmless women that are going to a restaurant to order some food to bring dinner to their families. I still can't believe that, half an hour ago, I was lying in bed with Iselen, sleeping happily wrapped up with her warmth. For a few seconds, when I felt her lips against my forehead, I forgot where we were and dreamt that we were back to that suite in a Brussels fancy hotel.

But that's impossible so I better focus on this mission, on staying alive and helping my friends as much as I can so they stay safe too. We'll go back home with the damned hard drive with Russia's nuclear plans, bosses will be happy, the colonel too, we'll get some holidays and I'll ask Iselen if she wants to spend some days with me in Scotland. I can't help but smile picturing in my mind the pretty Spanish lady enjoying a glass of whisky in front of the fireplace in my favourite pub. I'm sure she'd love the experience.

"There it is," Olge points at the other side of the road. "The restaurant with the wooden façade and flowers around the terrace."

"Gorgeous," Iselen answers pretending that she's waiting for the traffic to stop to cross the street while taking a look around. "Do you see your cousin?" The boy shakes his head. "We have a problem, then. Oleg can go with Hanna to order the food while we all wait here... but we don't know Zenaida, we never met her. We saw some pics the bosses gave us, but she could've changed the way she looks, maybe she's not blonde anymore, maybe she wears a hat or a costume. And if Oleg and Hanna come back with our dinner and she doesn't show up, we won't have a good reason to wander around here anymore and wait. If she comes today..."

"What are we going to do?" Dakota asks frowning.

"We don't have many options," Iselen admits shrugging. "Grab this money and buy us some dinner. Hanna will go with you because she's the only one who speaks the language, kind of. We'll wait here keeping our eyes open in case we see a girl that looks like the pictures we got of your cousin."

"The city gardens are over there, you can watch the restaurant main door sitting on the benches on the other side of the iron fence," Oleg points at the street and Tara nods, taking Dakota's arm not wasting time and walking towards the trees pretending that they're chatting casually. Nora, Iselen and I follow them looking around, buildings are pretty and look more elegant and fancier in this neighbourhood. Built at the end of the 19th century, probably.

Minutes tick by slowly while we wait listening to the sound of water coming from the stone fountain in the middle of the garden. It's beautiful too and there's a bandstand light up with small fairy lights, some couples walk around holding hands and take pics in front of the bronze statues of lions despite it's a cold night. Tara taps with her heel on the ground, impatiently, while Dakota keeps her eyes fixed on the restaurant door and Nora touches her waist absentmindedly because she's hiding her gun under the jacket. The lieutenant-colonel remains still and calm, thanks to her training as a shooter, no doubt, although I'm sure she's nervous too because Hanna and Oleg are nowhere to be seen.