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墨書 Inktalez
I hurried out of the office, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing down on my chest. The task assigned by Scully was too sudden and vague, which made me even more anxious. "Moscow? Top secret mission? Related to national security?" I kept repeating these keywords in my mind as I quickened my pace.
When I returned to my apartment, I quickly packed a few changes of clothes and essential items, stuffing the document bag into the bottom of my suitcase before zipping it up. I took one last look around the apartment where I had lived for three years; everything felt so familiar yet so strange at that moment. I picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hello? Is this the airline? I need the fastest ticket to Moscow..."
...
It was eight o'clock in the evening in Moscow, at Sheremetyevo Airport.
Dragging my suitcase behind me, I stepped out of the terminal and was greeted by a rush of cold air. The air in Moscow was much drier than in Washington and carried a hint of the unique fragrance of birch trees. I tightened my coat and quickly made my way toward customs.
"Name?" the customs officer asked expressionlessly, scanning my face.
"Yegor Smirnov," I replied fluently in Russian, handing over my passport. This was the new identity Scully had prepared for me—an ordinary Soviet engineer.
The customs officer flipped through my passport, scrutinizing me with a doubtful gaze before finally stamping it and letting me pass.
I walked through the arrivals hall to the baggage claim area. The crowd was bustling, with various languages intertwining to create a noisy scene. I anxiously searched for my suitcase while my mind kept pondering the true purpose of this mission.
What exactly is the Night Watchman plan? Why did Scully send me to Moscow?
A soft thud interrupted my thoughts as a black suitcase bumped against my leg. Looking down, I saw a tall woman bending over to pick up some documents that had fallen from her bag. She wore a black coat, and her long golden hair fell loosely over her shoulders, obscuring her face.
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to," she said in Russian as she looked up.
I was taken aback.
It was a breathtakingly beautiful face, with exquisite features that were sculpted to perfection. A pair of bright blue eyes sparkled with clarity, yet held a hint of barely perceptible melancholy.
"Elena?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.
The woman clearly froze for a moment before regaining her calm demeanor. "Sir, you have mistaken me for someone else. My name is not Elena."
"No, I haven't made a mistake," I lowered my voice to a whisper only we could hear. "I am Yegor, 'Falcon.'"
Elena, codename "Nightingale," was the youngest nuclear physicist at the Soviet Academy of Sciences and a key figure planted in the upper echelons of the Soviet Union by the Night Watchman organization. I had met her once during a covert operation and was deeply impressed by her.
Elena's expression shifted slightly but quickly returned to composure. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said coldly. "Please step aside; I'm in a hurry."
With that, she attempted to push past me with her suitcase.
I grabbed her arm firmly. "Elena, I know it's you! Why are you here..."
Before I could finish my sentence, Elena suddenly turned around and looked at me with a strange expression. "Are you really 'Falcon'?" she asked in a low voice, disbelief evident in her tone.
I nodded, about to explain further when I suddenly sensed a dangerous presence approaching from behind.
"You two, come with me!" a rough voice called out from behind us.
Two uniformed KGB agents had appeared out of nowhere, their dark guns aimed directly at us.
A sinking feeling filled my heart as I realized we had been exposed.
---
My heart sank; despite all my calculations, I had overlooked one crucial detail. How could the KGB know our identities? Was there a traitor within the organization? With no time to think further, I made a swift decision, pulling Elena behind me while controlling her slender arm with one hand. With my other hand, I drew my pistol and pressed it against her temple.
Everything happened too quickly; Elena didn't even have time to react before I took her hostage. She stared at me with wide, terrified blue eyes, filled with disbelief, her lips trembling slightly but she remained silent. The crowd around us was thrown into chaos by this sudden turn of events, screaming and scattering in all directions, turning the once orderly baggage claim area into a mess.
"Don't move! Anyone who dares to come any closer, I'll kill her!" I shouted in Russian, my tone resolute and fierce. My cold gaze swept over the approaching KGB agents and then scanned the panicking crowd, my mind racing to find an escape opportunity.
The two KGB agents clearly hadn't expected me to suddenly take a hostage; they froze for a moment, looking at each other in shock. One of the older agents was the first to react; he raised his hands to show he meant no harm and spoke in as calm a tone as he could muster, "Calm down, comrade! We can talk this over; just don't hurt this lady."
I let out a cold laugh, the gun still pressed tightly against Elena's temple, my voice devoid of warmth: "Talk it over? When did your KGB learn to negotiate? If you know what's good for you, step aside quickly, or I'll take us both down!"
Elena's body trembled slightly under my grip; I could feel her warm breath against my ear, but she held back her fear and made no sound. Instead, she looked at me with a complex expression, as if asking what was happening.
"Yegor..." Elena whispered in a voice only I could hear, "What are you doing?"
I leaned slightly closer and quickly said in her ear, "Trust me, Elena, I'm saving you! Follow my lead if we want to get out of here!"
Elena paused for a moment before understanding dawned on her; a glimmer of determination flashed in her eyes. She subtly nodded in agreement and pretended to comply with my hold on her.
I backed away slowly with Elena in tow, keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings for any opportunity. The airport's announcements repeatedly warned in Russian and English for everyone not to approach and to evacuate the area. More armed KGB agents had arrived at the terminal exit, blocking all escape routes.
Taking a deep breath, I realized there was no turning back now; it was time to fight for our escape!
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