Shattered Trust

Chapter 3

Sergei stepped into his black Vauxhall Velox and turned the ignition. He had gone out on three dates with Julie in the past week and a half and was on his way to pick her up for the fourth, and he felt things were going well. Over the past dates, they found that they had several common interests, one being politics. They had similar views, and they had good conversions about them.Her house was only a few blocks down, and he pulled up at 7 pm sharp. He felt butterflies in his stomach as he strode up to her front door. He wasn't sure why he felt nervous, but he did. He hesitated before ringing the doorbell. She answered almost immediately. "Hi!" He held out his arm. "Ready to go?" She grinned as she stepped out and took it. "I certainly am."

When they reached the car, they both went to the driver's side. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm driving. I have somewhere I want to take you. You're going to love it, trust me."

"Alright then, sounds good to me." He slid into the passenger's side as she turned the ignition. He was curious. "Where are we going?" She smiled and glanced over. "I'm not saying. But you're going to love it." She spoke again before he could ask any questions. "So how has your day been?"

They made conversation and small talk for a while. He lost track of time and before he knew it they had been in the car for almost thirty minutes and they were turning off onto a small, gravel side road. He opened his mouth to ask where they were again, but she must have sensed this somehow because she stopped him. "Hun, you gotta stop asking, you'll see in a minute. Just trust me." After about five minutes on the narrow, gravel road surrounded by thick woodland, she pulled off into a small clearing. She parked and he stepped out of the car. They were surrounded by woods. She walked around the car and took his hand. "Follow me." He followed her down a narrow, dirt path surrounded by small scrubby bushes. The sun was beginning to set and it was getting a bit dark. "Are you sure this is safe out here? It's-" He stopped as they stepped out into a grassy clearing. There he saw a massive lake. The sight was breathtaking. The brilliant orange-and-pink sunset reflected off the crystal-like surface of the water, creating a spectacular piece of scenery. She grinned. "Hey, we're lucky! We got here just in time for sunset! What do you think?" He gazed off into the distance. "It's fantastic!" She nodded. "Right? This is one of my most favorite places on earth. It doesn't get much better."

She sat down on the grass and patted the ground next to her. "Here." He took a seat next to her on the grassy slope. He was almost mesmerized by the astounding view. He had seen sunsets before of course, but here, nature, the trees, the lake all together created a spectacular show. She rested her head on his shoulder as they relaxed there, and he once again felt the butterflies in his stomach, but they soon subsided, and he rested his head on hers. He felt strange. Strange in a good way. Strange in a way he had never felt before. He felt content, alive. Julie was the only person who had ever made him feel this way before. He felt he could stay here in this spot with her forever, and be happy. They sat in silence as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, and the sky slowly turned from orange to the inky black of night. He heard her sigh a contented sigh beside him. "Isn't it wonderful out here?"

"It really is."

"This has been my favorite place to perch since I was young. I've been coming here since I can remember. I'm convinced this is the closest you can get to heaven on earth." She paused for a moment and continued. "And it's even better sharing it with you." He felt his face get hot. "R-really?" She grinned and looked up at him. "Of course! I...I..." She trailed off and was silent for a few moments. "I love you, Oliver." He felt his heart had just leaped into his throat. He once again felt the butterflies in his stomach as he looked down to meet her gaze. "I...I love you too Julie." She reached up and kissed him lightly, and he felt his head get light. He felt like he was going to pass out. She laid her head back on his shoulder and they just sat there, listening to the chirping of the crickets in the background and watching the reflections of the stars glimmering on the surface of the lake. Sergei didn't think he had felt happier in all his life. He felt more alive than he ever had before. She was right, this had to be the closest one could get to heaven on earth. She sat up and yawned. "We should go, it's almost 10 o'clock, and I have work tomorrow." Sergei glanced down at his watch, which was difficult in the dim light. She was right, it was 9:45. How had it gotten so late so fast? Had they really been there for almost three hours? How was that possible? He sighed. "I suppose you're right. It is getting late." He stood and then held out his hand to help her up. He gazed into the forest. "Isn't it going to be difficult to find our way back? It's pitch black out here, I can't see a thing." She took his hand and started walking towards the small path they came from. "Don't worry, I've been here hundreds of times. I could navigate this whole area with my eyes shut, I know it like the back of my hand." He followed closely behind her down the narrow path that wound through the densely wooded forest. They finally reached the clearing where the car was parked. Julie headed for the driver's side. "I'll drive back us back, this road can be hard to navigate at night if you've never driven it before.

Within thirty minutes, they had arrived back at her house. She had been strangely quiet on the way back, she seemed like something was bothering her. But he didn't mention it, it was probably nothing. He got out of the car with her and they ambled up the walkway to her front porch hand-in-hand. They stopped at the front door and turned to face each other. She looked up at him and met his gaze. "Tonight was fun. I enjoyed it." He smiled. "Me too, that's a beautiful little place you've got up there. Really nice." She put her hands on his shoulders and they kissed once again, and he felt his heart pound and his knees got shaky. They stood there on the porch for a moment, before she turned to leave. "Goodnight Oliver." He hesitated for a moment before speaking. He was so nervous it was difficult to even get words out. "G-goodnight." She gave him one last smile before going inside and closing the door behind her. He felt lightheaded and foggy as he sauntered out to his car. What a night that had been.

He noticed there was a car parked behind his, but thought nothing of it until he heard a hushed voice behind him as he was opening the car door. "Pst! Oliver! Hey!" The voice startled him and he spun around. He almost immediately recognized the man walking briskly towards him from the other car as Theo. Theo approached him. He looked over both his shoulders and glanced behind Sergei as if he were worried someone was watching. "Theo, what's all this? What are you doing here?" Theo hesitated before pulling an envelope out of his overcoat and handed it to Sergei. "Here. Don't read this until you get home, and whatever you do, don't tell anyone about it. Follow the instructions on it." Sergei took the envelope and tucked it into his pocket. "Theo, what are you talking about? What is this?" Theo scowled. "Sh, keep your voice down. Just trust me." Theo's face quickly changed from serious to upbeat and happy in an instant, and he spoke before Sergei had a chance to say anything else. "Well, see you around mate, cheerio!" He patted him on the shoulder before strolling back to his car and driving off.

Sergei felt the note in his pocket as he drove home. He felt as if it were burning a hole in his pocket. The suspense was driving him mad. He had an uneasy feeling about it. What could it possibly be? He had seen Theo only a couple of times. They were friends, but they weren't very close. Had he been following him? The whole thing seemed terribly suspicious, and he didn't like it. He finally pulled into the driveway, and he rushed up the walkway and quickly tossed his coat on the hook inside. He had to know what that note said.

He sat down at his dining room table and pulled the envelope out of his pocket. It was a completely blank envelope, and when he opened it up there was a single slip of folded-up, lined paper. He delicately slid it out and unfolded it. It was handwritten in Russian. Why was it in Russian? He immediately felt a lump in his throat. A note written in Russian could only mean bad things. His palms became sweaty as he began reading.

To Oliver Wright, or should I say, Sergei Levitsky,

Yes, I know who you are and that you are an agent for the KGB. And yes, I am an agent for the MI6. But don't panic. I'm here to make a proposition. I know we only met a couple of weeks ago and haven't known each other personally for very long, but we've been gathering intel on you for months and have decided based on undisclosed information that you are the perfect candidate to be a counterspy for the MI6. You're educated enough to know generally what the job would entail. Please make your decision and meet me in the alley between the drug store and the tv repair store on Elm Street tomorrow evening at 10 pm with a decision. I understand that this is extremely short notice and that only having one day to make a relatively life-changing decision is rather absurd, but we need an answer ASAP. Thank you.

Sincerely, Theodore Harris

Sergei stared at the letter for several minutes. He read it over and over, trying to fully process the entire thing. The MI6? Why did they want him? He felt lightheaded and his stomach was in knots. He set the letter down and put his head in his hands. That explained why Theo had been so friendly and jovial. Them meeting at that diner hadn't been a coincidence after all. It was all planned. He felt frustrated and angry at himself. Why hadn't he seen that? Why hadn't he caught on? He felt like an absolute imbecile. Years upon years of training he had spent, only to ultimately be outsmarted by the MI6. He felt another wave of anxiety as the realization hit him that he had to make a decision. He had to decide whether to stay loyal to his homeland, despite feeling more gravitated toward western beliefs, or to abandon his roots and follow his calling to move on. He sat there at that table for what felt like hours. He had really gotten himself into a rough situation this time.

After sitting at that table for what seemed like hours, contemplating and wondering, he finally stood up, let out a frustrated groan, and trudged off to bed. It was going to be a long twenty-four hours.