The Last Romanov (Under Editing)

The Okhrana

Sasha was being followed.

He knew it from the second he stepped out of his apartment building. He could see the tail right away, too: some guy that looked like he was barely old enough to be shaving standing across the street from his building, a newspaper in hand. He was leaning against the building across the street, one that Sasha was fairly certain was another apartment building. He didn't even look like he had some breakfast or something. What kind of person read newspapers on random street corners by apartment buildings without food?

Yep: he was definitely a tail. Man, these people needed to work on training their guys!

Well, there was only one way to figure out what this guy wanted: get him into a trap, which was going to be a lot easier than it should be, and ask him about it.

And, of course, by ask him, he meant knock some sense into him.

He turned the corner, pulled out his lighter and a cigarette, and lit up. He was feeling a bit hung over; he'd need the extra energy to... ask a few questions.

He turned another corner and pressed his back against the wall, ready to pounce the second the Okhrana kid came around the corner. If he'd matched pace with him like he thought he had, he'd be coming around the corner in three... two... one...

The unsuspecting Okhrana member walked around the corner.

That was when Sasha attacked. He wrapped one arm around the kid's throat and squeezed.

He gasped and began to struggle against Sasha. Of course, though, it didn't work: he was skinny like a twig, seemingly without an ounce of muscle on his little body. Sasha might have laughed at it, had it not been so pathetic.

Really, though. He understood that they probably recruited this little twig so people wouldn't get suspicious of him, but come on: at least find someone with a little meat on their bones!

"Let me go!" the Okhrana boy squeaked.

"Not until you tell me who the hell you are and why the hell you're following me," Sasha said. Seriously: was he even putting up a fight? It didn't really feel like it.

He stayed silent for a second: he just kind of squirmed a little, trying to get away from Sasha. Well, whoever this guy was, he at least knew enough to know that the Okhrana didn't exactly appreciate their people squealing about what they were doing.

That wasn't exactly what Sasha needed at that point, though. So, he began to squeeze a little harder, lifting him slightly off the ground.

The Okhrana boy began to squirm a little more. So, he was trying to get away! Good thing he started moving, because Sasha probably wouldn't have realized it if he hadn't.

"Talk. Now."

"Th-the Czarina ordered the commander to have you followed," he said quickly.

Well, Sasha guessed that it made some sense: who else would want to have him followed?

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know-"

He squeezed a little tighter, making the Okhrana boy gasp. "Why?"

"I told you: I don't know! I-I don't ask questions: I just do what they tell me."

The boy was telling the truth: Sasha didn't think he would lie about that, especially considering the fact that he'd just sung like a bird to the other stuff he'd just kind of confessed to.