Russian Roulette

Chapter 3 : Kremlin's decision

Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

A taxi stopped in front of the main entrance to the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation and a young woman stepped out. The young woman wore a fur-lined jacket, a white sweater underneath the jacket and paired with a pair of navy blue pants and white sneakers. "Thank you." she told the driver in Russian. She walked towards the door after disembarking but the guards stopped her.

"Identification?" one of the guards asked her. The woman sighed in respond and dug out her wallet in the pocket of her pants. 

"I am President Romanov's daughter, Katrina Romanov." she said, showing him her identification card.

"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Romanov." the guard said, stepping aside. "Do you need someone to escort you to the president?"

"I will be fine on my own, but thank you." she replied. Entering the building she then proceeds to climb the stairs, passing by several agents of the Federal Protection Service and Presidential Security Service. As she turned down into a long hallway a woman walked quickly and briskly towards her. 

"Good evening Miss Romanov." she said. "Your father is having a meeting, shall I-"

"How long?" she asked. "I need to speak with him."

"I will go talk to him, please wait for a while." she replied, hurrying off. The young woman then sat on the couch behind her when the woman entered the office. Katrina has served as an agent of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation for two years and counting after her father, Vladmir Romanov, took power as the new President of Russia following the incarceration of his predecessor. Katrina is also related to the current Vice President of the United States, Isabella Reagan, as they are cousins through a common ancestor, King Leonidas of Sparta. "He's ready to see you now Miss Romanov." the woman appeared again.

"Thank you, I'll take it from here." Katrina replied. The doors were closed back upon Katrina's entry. She passed through another door and entered the office of the President of Russia, where her father is now sitting at his desk, studying the newspaper headlines splashed against his desk.

"I presumed that you have watched the news from America, Katrina." he said without lifting his head. 

"Why do you think that I would come here father?" she asked him back. "Sergei is supposed to be protected."

"Isabella promised to kept him safe, on my behalf." he added.

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

"She worked for the Americans before."

"I know that, she worked for the peace-keeping agency."

"No, the Federal Bureau of Investigation." the Russian president replied. 

"Even if so, she has no right to help you. The agency is only involved with the protection of their own home country."

"I trust the American's Central Intelligence Agency as far as I can throw them. Isabella is my only choice back then."

"And now Sergei is poisoned." Katrina responded. "We know that Sergei will be safe with the Americans but we need to remember that he has two major enemies back in the day : Andrei Baranovsky and Aleksei Yuvchenko."

"Yuvchenko tried to kill your cousin before." 

"He was lucky to be spared from facing the firing squad." Katrina said. 

"After all these years Katrina, you still wanted the man dead."

"Let's not forget the time when you were prime minister father." she retorted. "Limiting your power, trying to drag us to war with the Americans, and becoming short-tempered when the vice president offended him because they initially believed that he was behind the bombings."

"I do not need to be reminded of that."

"True, I know." 

"Any progress on the case you have been investigating?"

"I have been working on it." she replied. "Should I be concerned with Volodin's poisoning?"

"No, you shouldn't be. Americans will handle the case."

"And what of you?"

"We will have to see what happens during the summit that will be held next week." he said. "Americans did their investigations in much more different ways than us, Katrina."

"And we are no different?"

"They have advanced technology to do so, which is why they lent the United Kingdom a hand when the reporter was poisoned."

"And we are letting the Americans do our job?"

"There are skeptics out there that don't trust us." he said. "Which is why I will observe their response to this poisoning first before I make my decision."