Insanity

Chapter 12

Song: You Mean the World to Me by Freya Ridings

☆☆☆

"There's a darkness that I've 
known, and it's shaken me 
to the bone."

☆☆☆

Knock, knock, knock.

James sat bolt upright, his heart leaping to his throat and a massive headrush coming over him. He heard the knocks again, harsher this time.

Knock, knock, knock!

He shook Natalia awake. "Natalia!" he hissed, but she didn't stir. "Natalia!" he desperately tried again and finally, her eyes flickered open. He was just about to explain when the knocks came again, this time followed by a voice.

"Soldier! Open the door in ten seconds or we're coming in!"

Natalia's eyes grew wide and she sprung out of bed, ducking beneath the cot. James draped his thin blanket over the top to try and cover her as best he could, though the flimsy thing did little to help. He groaned, running a hand through his newly shortened hair, and hurried for the door. He threw it open with irritated force. "What?" he drawled, rubbing his eyes.

"General Karpov wishes to speak to you," a man who James had never seen before stated, his eyes briefly flitting to James's short hair. "You and Miss Romanova both, though we have yet to find her."

They don't know, James thought. Good. "Did you check her quarters?" he suggested, hoping the man would turn and walk away.

"No. But you need to come with us, now."

"What about the showers?"

"Soldier," the man's tone became threatening, "you know we have ways of making you come with us if you won't comply."

James felt his pride immediately deflate. Whatever noble feeling had caused him to talk back to a guard dissipated with that one statement. "Yes, sir," he sighed, stepping out of the door, knowingly leaving Natalia tucked under the bed. He followed the guard down the hallway, not bothering to turn when he heard the telltale pattering of Natalia's feet scurrying in the other direction.

James didn't need a guard to get to Karpov's office, he knew the path like the back of his hand; he didn't understand why he was being led there. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, the same long sleeved black thing as always, feeling as though it was tightening around his neck. Of course, he knew it wasn't, but he was just nervous about what Karpov had requested his presence for. His right hand grew clammy, and no amount of rubbing it on his sleeve seemed to help.

The guard opened the door to Karpov's office, ushering James inside and shutting it behind him. James swallowed nervously, watching Karpov scribble something onto a piece of paper as he always seemed to do, waiting for him to notice his presence. He stood at attention, arms clasped behind his back, waiting to be yelled at for some inexplicable thing.

Karpov didn't look up from his paper. "We'll begin once Miss Romanova graces us with her presence," he said, sounding close to boredom. As if on cue, Natalia stepped in the room, nervously taking her place beside James. Though he noticed she left a considerable amount of space between the two of them, an amount of space one might leave between a coworker, which was all they were supposed to be. Karpov finally looked up from his paper, glaring at both of them behind his thin rimmed glasses. "Why do you think you're here?" he asked, folding his hands on his desk.

James knew that posture; it wasn't good. "A mission, sir?" James asked, speaking before Natalia could get herself into any trouble.

"No. Miss Romanova?" he said, looking to Natalia whose face suddenly went pallid, causing her scarlet hair to appear even brighter.