Chapter 3
***
Twenty years if they were lucky, a lifetime if they weren't. That's how long it took for refugees fleeing war to find a new country and identity in their resettlement. Relatives of those who had fought in the war and returned with intact limbs, ashes, or even just a single military number were recognized and granted asylum and nationality, but for many others, orphans like Sasha, or those whose families had disappeared and never returned, it was a near impossible task.
With a new nationality, you can live in a stable place. She would not have to wait in line at every checkpoint, be inspected, and fill out new paperwork with a guarantor to vouch for her status each time.
"Not just for me, but for my relatives?"
Sasha asked, wondering if there was any chance that her brother, who had disappeared in the war, would ever come back alive. She knew that after ten years, there was a greater chance that he wouldn't than that he would, but she thought she would hold on to even a glimmer of hope.
"I can do that if you want."
"I have a child in my care, Bobby....... I need someone to take care of him if I'm not around."
"I'll supply the money and the manpower, I promise."
"Give me a week. I need to get my affairs in order."
"You don't have to. We'll take care of your status on our own terms. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, report to the UN Office of Intelligence and Strategy. You'll have a week to cross the DoC border. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow."
A week? So soon? As Jared started to get out of the car, Sasha grabbed him by the collar. His eyes, shadowed beneath his bowler hat, were heavy and cold and goosebump-inducingly peaceful.
"I'm not ready for anything yet."
Jared laughed out loud. His laugh was so cheerful that it was almost breathtaking, and he spoke before he could stop his laughter. His voice was so light, so nonchalant.
"That's it, Miss Sasha."
"..."
"I don't want you to be prepared for anything."
"...."
Jared finally got out of the car. As the car drove around the fountain and back toward the hospital, Sasha sat in silence, mulling over Jared's last words.
What the hell did he mean when he said it was best to be unprepared?
****
The dark clouds that had begun to roll in at dusk eventually gave way to showers. The fierce rain continued to pound against the windows, and the wood fire in the fireplace sharpened the outline of the man with each flicker, only to fade away.
"What shall we do?"
Despite the man's question, John only tapped the table with the tip of his pen. The man's mouth clamped shut, and silence descended like a fog once more. How long would it be before John put down his pen and clasped his hands together? His black leather gloves made a stiff rubbing sound. Finally, he opened his mouth.
"Interrogate, torture, kill."
It was a no-brainer. There was no mercy for spies. It was their rule to harass them to death, then kill them when they were no longer worth harassing.
"Wait, and sweep at once."
"Aye, sir. I will, sir."
The man bowed grimly. The rank patch on his chest was unmistakably Major.
"If you'll excuse me, then."
With a bow, he left the room, and John closed the filing cabinet on his desk.
"A pitiful person."
His voice was dry, devoid of emotion.
***
Her name was Elga Schmidt, printed on a fake ID card emblazoned with the deep blue flag of Dochen. Born and raised in Nepiran, the capital of Dochen, an ardent supporter of the Republican Party, and the new secretary of the Republican Boban Congressman. That was Sasha's new name and identity.
"I had to go back in twice because the color didn't come out right, but it turned out pretty good."
Sasha didn’t know the name or identity of the woman who dyed her hair red. But she did know that she was a nervous wreck and that she worked with Jared.
"It's a little disturbing that your skin is so clear."
Jared puffed on his cigar and looked Sasha up and down, muttering to himself. Instead of a white apron and ash-colored dress, she was dressed in a dark green skirt that showed off her red hair and a short-sleeved jacket with a puffer, looking like an actress in a magazine. The sharp contrast between her slender frame and her blue eyes made her stand out even more.
Looking at her, Jared suddenly felt sorry for her, feeling that her fate had been harsh, and wondering if her life would be different if she had become an actress or a singer instead of a nurse. If she had a more brilliant talent, she could have had a wonderful life.
"Let's just hope she gets a lot of sunlight when she moves to Nerea, maybe she'll get some freckles."
Jared chuckled at his subordinate's comment. It was ridiculous. Nerea was a land with more foggy days than sunshine, more rainy days than dry days, so hoping for sunburn was like hoping for a rainy season in the desert. The only good thing was that the wet weather kept it less developed, which prevented it from being ravaged by the DoC.
"So I'm to monitor and record Senator Boban's movements until further instruction?"
"Yes. Frank will take you to the Nerean border, and once you've crossed, one of our agents will escort you to Senator Boban's party."
"How do I recognize him?"
"You don't have to, they'll recognize Miss Sasha."
Jared's demeanor was anything but calm. The way he puffed on his cigar and flipped through the papers. He looked her up and down, as if she was no longer his business, and then he didn't even make eye contact.
His attitude was a far cry from the heavy voice that had told her the fate of the country was in her hands.
While Jared signed the documents, she stuffed the fake ID he'd given her into a pre-packaged suitcase.
"We're all set, Mr. Jared."
Jared exhaled a thick puff of cigar smoke and closed the paperwork he'd just signed. His eyes crinkled as he smiled softly.
"Good luck, Sasha. No, Miss Elga Schmidt."
Sasha swallowed hard at his goodbye. Suddenly, everything was starting to scare her. But she knew she couldn't back down now. She had a vague feeling that this trip would not have a happy ending, but she knew she had no choice but to leave.
Intelligence work always seemed to start in the dark of night and end in the dark of night. Sasha crossed the border under the waning moon. As she had been told, there were no lights at the border checkpoint and no one in sight. Frank stopped Sasha right in front of the gate. He bowed his head in a small greeting. That was it. The goodbye was shabby, too cavalier.
It was clearly her will that had crossed the line, but her steps were as if she was being pushed. Sasha didn't look back. She paused for a moment, but then continued straight ahead, walking for a long time in the dark along the narrow road, seeing nothing but the same darkness she had just passed through. Sasha switched the duffel bag in her right hand to her left and brought her freezing hand to her mouth and blew into it. It was still early in the fall, but the chill that enveloped her body was only getting stronger with each passing minute.
She wondered how much longer she had to go. Would she reach Nerea by herself? If she didn't know where she was going, would she be greeted by someone, and if so, why was there no one in sight? Had this mission already failed? Should she stop here and turn back? If she wanted to go back, she felt like she had only one chance. As she hesitated, faltering and hesitating, a voice called out from the darkness.
"Miss Elga Schmidt."
It was a low voice from nowhere. Sasha gritted her teeth and held back a scream, clutching the front of her coat to calm her startled heart.
"Miss Elga Schmidt, is that you?"
Yes. My name was Elga Schmidt.
"That's ................... I-I'm Elga......... Elga Schmidt."
She couldn't get the name to stick. Sasha spoke her fake name in an awkward tone and swallowed hard.
"Are you Agent..................?"
"I would advise you to keep your mouth shut, Miss Schmidt. Now, and for the foreseeable future, if that's possible."
"...."
The man warned in a cold voice. "Now and in the future” means don't open your mouth unnecessarily, even after you've infiltrated Senator Boban's office. Jared's people would have been on the same page, but the sternness in his voice chilled Sasha to the bone. Maybe he could be a little nicer. This inky darkness shrouded everything in shadows and made it impossible to see clearly. She was not blind, but everything about this was just a blur, as if she were.
Sasha walked for a long time after the man. The dirt path had puddles everywhere and creaked with every step, quickly ruining her new skirt and boots. The smell of a long-forgotten home lingered in her nostrils. Nerea. A place where the misty fog and dewy forest air had always been mysterious. A place where water and forest, beast and man, lived together in peace. A place where one put a flower necklace and a wreath around the soldier's neck, not knowing that the soldier pointing his gun in front of them was a greedy conqueror.
"How long do we have to walk?"
Sasha asked, unable to hold back any longer, her hands clutching at her damp skirt.
"We're almost there."
The man replied quickly, not looking back. His pace was so quick that Sasha had to almost run to keep up with him. The hem of her skirt sagged against her wet feet, and the man's fast pace was just as bad. She was already starting to get tired of this. She could tolerate the pain, but it was very hard to tolerate the curiosity. Especially if it had to do with her life or safety.
"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going? I can't just follow you without knowing where you're going, and I don't know your name, your identity, or even your face."
"Snow."
"Excuse me?"
"That's what everyone calls me, Snow."
"Okay, Mr. Snow................... Where are we going?"
He pushed through the branches and clicked open the car door. He'd hidden the car far from the border, deep enough and dark enough that they wouldn't be spotted.
"Get in."
"Where are we going?"
"To the place where you'll be staying."
"..."
"Try to keep the mud off the seats if you can. It's just been washed."
"..."
Sasha lifted her skirt in a dutiful manner, bunched it up, and climbed into the car. Mr. Snow closed the door with a satisfied smile and climbed into the driver's seat.
***
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