Russian Roulette

Chapter 22 : Trail of breadcrumbs

Washington DC (Years ago)

"I'll meet you as soon as I can Glasnost." I said in Russian. Opening my closet I picked out the clothes I need to cope with the freezing winter outside and scooped up the keys. I left my apartment, knowing full well that Bruce will be the only one staying inside. I hurried out to my motorcycle and climbed onto the vehicle, putting on my earpiece connected to my phone via Bluetooth. I punched in Calvin's number and revved the engine.

"Who is this?" the agent answered the call a few minutes after I hit the road. 

"It's me Agent Rodriquez." I say, keeping an eye on the speed limit and the road ahead. "How far are you from the Lincoln Memorial?"

"Agent Black Bird." said Calvin, who finally recognized my voice. "I... I'm at the Memorial."

"Look, my Russian contact wants to meet me. I think it could be related to our friend Sergei Volodin."

"Your Russian contact?"

"How do you think I know about Sergei Volodin?" I asked him. "You stay put for a while. I need to contact him."

"Okay, I'll stay out of sight." he said, ending the call. I dialed my uncle's number soon after.

"Uncle Vladimir." I speak as soon as the call is connected. 

"Is someone following you?" he asked, sounding worried.

"I hate to break it to you uncle, but I have to outsource your work to the CIA. I'm already assigned by my boss to work with a CIA agent." a long sigh on the other side. 

"I knew it would happen, you Americans tend to do this a lot." he said on the other side. "I need to remind you that Roland has an interest in the case and he's with me now."

"I'll meet you at the Lincoln Memorial." I say. "The CIA agent's going to be there."

"Okay, fine." he said, his voice stiffening. "We still have ten more minutes to the meeting point." 

"About that-" I say, hearing the roaring of another motorcycle behind me. The driver was a man, clad in black wearing a helmet tinted with a dark visor. "I need to make a detour, have a case of a stalker."

"Is it that bloody man again?!" I heard Uncle Roland yelling in the background. "Shake him! That bloody stalker!"

"Calm down King. I know who the guy is." I say, turning into Massachusetts Avenue. "He knows that I'm an agent now."

"For God's sake." Uncle Roland cursed. "Try to shake him off while we're on the way there."

"I know my way around uncle. I'll be fine." I replied. "Over and out." my mind had already conjured up the plan of escape when I was talking with them. Is Bruce really blowing his cover? Or is it just someone else he paid to keep an eye on me now he knew I'm FBI? Racing past Embassy Row the streets are quiet, not even a soul is present on the streets. A flash of lights appeared, blue and white, hinting a cop car's presence. I kept my speed and headed towards the light, but it's not a cop car. The motorcade convoy is in full swing, the lead vehicle being the limousine of the President of the United States. The convoy seemed to slow down but no agent emerged. Somehow it's probably a cue from the President himself, if he can even recognize the woman he labelled as a person of interest. I cut past the motorcade and slowed down as I heard a door open. An agent stepped out, pointing his automatic weapon at the figure tailing me on a motorbike. Taking the chance I increased the speed and headed to the meeting location. 

Lincoln Memorial

Stopping and parking my motorcycle at the bollards guarding the memorial to prevent any vehicular collition I got off and looked around. A silver sedan is already there, with another motorcycle. Casting one last look around the place I drew in a breath and entered the perimeter of the park. Uncle Roland and Uncle Vladimir are already there, admiring the memorial built to honor Abe Lincoln while standing a few feet from the Reflecting Pool, no sign of Calvin though. "Sorry, stuck in traffic." I say, approaching the two man. They nodded and we shook hands as Calvin emerged from inside the memorial. Wearing a winter coat lined with fur Agent Rodriquez descended the stairs and approached the group. He scanned my contacts from head to toe but stopped short when he saw Uncle Vladimir. "You're here, glad that you can make it." I told him. "This is Roland Churchill from MI6 and Vladimir Romanov, a former KGB agent."

"Your contact is former KGB?" Calvin lifted his gaze towards me. "Are you sure that we can trust guys from the KGB?"

"And you believe that all KGB agents can't be trusted?" Uncle Vladimir confronted Calvin. "Be careful of what you are saying."

"We agreed to meet with you on behalf of Agent Black Bird, if not for her we won't be here to meet you." Uncle Roland warned him. 

"Fine." Calvin responded. "If they ever betray you, don't say I never warned you agent." Uncle Vladimir hurled a curse at him in Russian. 

"Everybody just calm down." I say. "Just tell us what did you two found?"

"For one, Sergei is in relative safety with me."

"Sergei Volodin is with you?" Calvin raised a brow.

"He's with me. Any questions?" my uncle asked. "You should leave." 

"Me?" I asked. 

"Not you Isabella." Uncle Roland said. "Him." 

"I should stay, I'm part of this." Calvin insisted. 

"The information I will relay to Agent Black Bird later does not involve the Russian." Uncle Roland said. 

"... Fine." Calvin responded, turning away. "Don't say I didn't warn you Agent Black Bird."

"Such a horrible character." Uncle Roland shook his head when he's out of sight. "He's too suspicious in Russians."

"He's more doubting towards anyone from the KGB." Uncle Vladimir said. "But then... I understand his reasons."

"So, what's the thing you want to tell me?" I asked. 

"We have a positive ID on the man following you during the mission in London." the chief of MI6 handed me a tablet and I looked at the compiled dossier. "His character is very dubious indeed, billionaires like him doesn't usually wear simple clothes plus a baseball cap." the dossier I'm looking however, is Mr. Wayne's. "Is it a coincidence that the both of you arrived in England at the same time? I think not."

"I have my doubts at first. He knows where the MP stays."

"That explains my father's explanation of seeing you arriving home late."

"I was assigned by my boss to investigate him, because the local police has discovered a cargo container under his company name intending to ship out AKs to Afghanistan." hearing this Uncle Vladimir furrowed a brow. "For sure, he knows that I'm FBI."

"I'm sure he will, MI6 is keeping an eye on him from now."

"If you need to bring him in for questioning, try not to be public about it."

"If MI6 does that we're overstepping."

"I will inform you when to extract Sergei Volodin." Uncle Vladimir said. "By using that same number I have used to dial you. It's a burner phone."

"Ok, I'll bring him." I say. "He isn't in Russia, correct?"

"Yes, but he doesn't wish his location known by anyone except me." 

"Ok, keep in touch." I say.