The Mantis: Action Adventure Thriller Read online

  “I don’t know a Nathan Young.”

  “Yes, you do. He contacted me yesterday to say you were coming in to get the contact out of prison. I said I could keep you here and supply you with the things you needed.” Claudia paused to take a sip from her cup of tea. “I told you I know everything about the city and have been here over seventy years. For the last fifty, I have been working with the west to help them control communism. You would have thought after we declared democracy that would have been the end for me, but the communist faction is still very strong and ready to take over again. So, I still get work from time to time.”

  “I really don’t know…”

  Claudia cut in, raising a hand and then pointed a finger at Gabriella. “I used to be you. I killed people and went on missions, but now I am an old lady who just provides housing and guns. How about you let me back into the game, Gabriella? I still have skills.”

  “Are you sure you want that?” questioned Gabriella, letting down her guard for the first time. “You know the risks.”

  “You’re damn right I want that!”

  Chapter Eleven

  The two women set themselves at either end of the sofa in the living room. It was dated but held a classic style, the walls had been painted with a soft blue, and the crown molding that ran along the ceiling was ornate and custom made. The hardwood floors were oak, and still held high polish as they had done for many years before. The furniture in the room was of a classic style of a traditional sitting room. A coffee table, a sofa, and two high back chairs were artfully set up, letting the center of the room revolve around the fireplace that was on the interior wall.

  Gabriella shifted her body, turning to Claudia and gave her a polite smile. Rummaging through her thoughts, she looked for the words that would be able to convince the older woman that a mission of this undertaking was not advisable at her age.

  "I know what you're thinking," Claudia interrupted her thoughts with a smile. "You think this old lady sitting on the sofa with you is crazy."

  "I don't think you're crazy at all. I'm just wondering if you're underestimating what's going to happen in this mission."

  "It's a funny thing isn't it. I know more about this mission than you do right now. You're relying on me for all the information." Claudia leaned back on the sofa, getting herself more comfortable.

  Gabriella realized that Claudia did hold all the cards. She was entertained and impressed by the woman she imagined herself being the same way as in many years to come. She was sure that she wouldn't be so quick to let go of the fun and excitement of the job that she had. Simply being washed out by age seemed to be a cruel and an ineffective way of utilizing highly skilled resources.

  "So, do you want to share with me what's going on with this mission?" asked Gabriella. "From what I've been told, there's a contact that is being held by the KGB, and I need to get him out of there so he can help me with part two of my mission."

  "Part two?" Claudia mused. "They always leave out part two for me. But I'll be happy just to be included in part one. The contact that you want to get to is in downtown Moscow. It's our job to spring him from where they are holding him."

  "Where exactly are they holding him?" Gabriella asked.

  "Let's not jump too far ahead here." Claudia winked. "I'll give you the information on a need-to-know basis. If somehow, we get compromised and either one of us gets taken in, it’s better for us not to both have the information. The odds of them torturing a little old lady like me is minimal."

  "Yes, a little old lady that can shoot them at a hundred yards." Gabriella smiled at the old woman who gave a smile of her own in return.

  "The way I'm looking at the situation, is we can make our move today," Claudia said pulling herself up. "A Sunday is going to have minimal traffic, and less people working."

  "Sounds like a good plan."

  "The man that we're going to get, I fear has already undergone extensive torture." Claudia shook her head in disapproval. "The amount of time they've had him, and his unwillingness to give them any information, I'm sure has led to them calling in a specialist to try and break him."

  "When you say a specialist, are we talking about an executioner or somebody who's been trained to get information by any means necessary?" asked Gabriella

  "The latter, dear," Claudia answered. "The kind of men they bring in for the spark are unique. They're not exactly psychopaths, they're far too calm and collected for that sort of thing. But they are men that have no remorse. They have no feelings. Many of them even seem to enjoy their work. The KGB has always been very proud of their interrogators, and that few, if any, have never walked away from the job. They always saw that as a credit to their ability to pick the right person for the right job."

  "So, they'll do everything they can to them while still keeping them alive?" Gabriella asked.

  "That's exactly right," Claudia replied. "Keeping them alive is the biggest part of their job. Dead men tell no tales. But an alive tortured person will tell everything. "

  "And they have no fear that while these people are being tortured, they won't just say anything to try to keep themselves alive?" Gabriella was curious.

  "That's the thing about these men, they all seem to have the ability to understand when people are just saying something because they think you want to hear it, or if it is the truth. When we get him out of there, who knows what kind of shape he'll be in. The KGB is not into chopping off hands or beating people to within inches of death. They prefer torture on a smaller scale, something that causes excruciating pain but leaves too little or no marks. One of their classics is injecting needles into the corners of the eyeball or perforating the eardrum with sharpened objects."

  "So, this contact might be in no shape to do anything with us by the time we get there," Gabriella realized. “If we do boost him of out of this place and we get him to safety, I'm not sure part two of my plan will ever come to fruition."

  "Well that's something we're just going to have to wait to find out young lady." Claudia gave a wink. "For now, I have a few things to show you."

  Moving to the other side of the coffee table Claudia reached under the bottom of the table, and the sound of metal on metal clanking jumped up through the air. Watching as she let out a few groans from leaning over so far, Gabriella was tempted to ask her if she needed help, but in no way wanted to hurt the woman's pride.

  With a creaky noise Claudia pushed herself up straight, letting several audible cracks come from her back as her spine adjusted to the upright position. Reaching down with one hand, she leaned across the coffee table toward Gabriella and pulled the top up as if it were a large box. On the underside of the coffee table’s cover, two semi-automatic AK-47s were held tight against the wood.

  Pulling herself to the edge of the table, Gabriella looked inside to see several handguns, a few grenades, and what also appeared to be an assortment of smoke bombs and concussion grenades.

  "This is quite an assortment of weapons for a lady that says she's retired." Gabriella was impressed.

  "Well I guess you could say that I'm semi-retired," Claudia chuckled.

  "This should be more than enough firepower to do what we need to do." Gabriella was relieved, and waited to be given permission to reach into the box and examine the weapons.

  Reaching over the top of the coffee table, Claudia unstrapped one of the AK-47s from its housing. Pulling the weapon up close to her, she pulled back on the slide, looking in to see if there were any bullets in the chamber, and then quickly put it back into place. "I've always been an AK-47 girl. Right from the start I was. I don't think I'll ever change"

  "Rapid fire type grouping, limited kick back. What isn't there to love?" Gabriella showed her knowledge of the AK-47.

  "Oh, so you're a fan too?" Claudia grinned. "I'm glad, I have a second one here for you."

  "You mind if I also carry a handgun and a couple of those concussion grenades?" asked Gabriella, reaching into the box and pulling each one out
as she spoke. “I love these concussion grenades they are fantastic. With one loud pop, we can pretty much render anybody incapacitated. If we lay one of those on them, we could get that guy out of there without even having to shoot anyone."

  While still holding the AK-47, Claudia reached up and pulled her hair back over her ear. She’d allowed her hair to go fully gray and had it up in loose curls, giving it the same look she always had as a child.

  Gabriella smiled up at Claudia, thinking the only thing that looked out of place was that the woman didn't still have her handbag wrapped over her arm, and she held the AK-47 like it was a child. This little old lady who appeared to be harmless in every way, was an agent that was still looking to get back in the fight. She was the perfect example of not judging the book by its cover.

  "Claudia, after all this time why do you want to go and do this?" Gabriella was curious, as if she was asking the old woman to give her a secret about staying youthful in the mind and body.

  "I guess I just feel like I can still do it," Claudia shrugged. "But that's been something I've been living with for a long time. My mind tells me that I can do things that I used to do. It's the body that's not willing. It started out with small things, just cramps and needing to catch my breath more often, then the sprained ankle that wouldn't go away which followed into arthritis. You just see little things keep piling up, and your ability gets less and less. At some point we all must test ourselves. We all must see what we have left.”

  "If worst comes to worst, is it worth your life?" Gabriella asked earnestly, but only got raised eyebrows in return.

  Chapter Twelve

  Stealing a moment away to slip into the bathroom, Gabriella knew better than to take people at more than just face value. More often than not, the person that charmed you, the one that seemed wholesome and right, would be the one to stick the knife in your back in the long run. Many years in her profession had taught her just that, there was no safety, there was no way to protect yourself from what the others would do to you. Your killers would come to you as friends, people you knew, people you trusted and liked, people who have been coerced by others, leading to your final demise.

  Locking the bathroom door, Gabriella slid her hand down into her boot, retrieving a small, square item with a single light in the middle of it. Though it looked simple and rustic, the abilities of the small box were a lifesaver time and time again. Feeling the small button depressed on the back of it, Gabriella started to tap out a code that only she and one other person knew. The rhythmic pressing of her finger going up and down, searching for a response at the other end, was at times frustrating and mind-numbing, for the only way the message could be received was if the person on the other end had the same box close by and could witness the flashing from the small light in the front.

  "Come on, have it with you," Gabriella willed, pushing her fingers back through her hair as she sat on the toilet, trying to communicate, and could do nothing more.

  Pausing between each round of very simple signals of hello, Gabriella took thirty seconds waiting for the return. Once, twice, three times she attempted, with no response. Again, she let her thumb press the button rapidly, looking to get some help that she felt she so desperately needed.

  "I don't like being stranded," Gabriella whispered under her breath to herself, staring at the box. As if by fate, the box suddenly blinked three rapid blinks right to her, and a smile crossed her face knowing who it was.

  "Antonio," she said in a hushed tone, feeling a warmth come over her body for her husband that sat thousands of miles away in Chile.

  The light lit up in flashes of dots and dashes, similar to that of Morse code, but Gabriella would not allow that simple of a system to be used. She and Antonio had developed their own system that had tied into some of the Native American translations of codes mixed with the seminal language.

  How are you, my love? came the blinking from Antonio. How can I be of service?

  Gabriella pressed down hard, pushing out dots and dashes as quickly as possible. The woman who typically had no time for anything other than business while on a mission, started the conversation with I love you.

  Are we secure? asked Antonio.

  We are, multiple satellites and three blockers. Nobody can pick me up, even if they were standing right behind me, Gabriella replied, falling back into her business-like state and ready for any fight that might come at hand.

  Are you in a secure location?

  That's why I'm sending you this message. I was picked up by a contact that one of the government agencies gave me. But I'm not so sure. Gabriella wanted desperately to be with her husband and laying in their bed in the mountains of Chile. I was hoping you could run down some information for me.

  What do you have for vitals? replied Antonio.

  I can tell you her name is Claudia. She appears to have been an assassin quite a number of years ago. Approximate age, late seventies to early eighties, and has been established in Moscow for many years, typed Gabriella, trying to give all she knew of the mystery woman who she liked so much. You may also find her in some kind of a listing for active agents or counter-terrorism. It appears that she was in the thick of it during her day.

  Just give me a few moments, came Antonio’s reply. The light stopped and Gabriella looked down to her watch, seeing the time that she had been in the bathroom. It had already eclipsed five minutes. Not enough to draw too much attention, but enough to make people on the outside start to wonder. There are only so many excuses she could make to a woman like Claudia, who had vast experience in the field of espionage. She wouldn't believe the old, basic comments of having an upset stomach and needing to refresh yourself after a long trip.

  Anything? Gabriella sent back to Antonio.

  Just give me a minute, typed Antonio, still working hard at the other end, exploring the different channels and databases that he first needed to hack his way into to get the critical information.

  Information of past agents was difficult to come by. You had to enter in through archived records, some of which may not have even been put online yet. Activity within the archived records was always sure to raise an eyebrow to the men and women working at the various agencies around the world. Archived agents no longer see any action, so the desire for anyone to check their history usually was administrative in nature, or because a new case involved them or a common enemy.

  She doesn't seem to have much of a history, came blinking across from Antonio. If I've got the same woman here in Moscow, she's been doing a lot of work over the years with MI6 and was a Moscow agent for them. She then seemed to go on her own, but not in a rogue fashion. It was more matter of fact, she didn't want to work MI6 anymore, but had the skills needed to provide herself with a comfortable lifestyle.

  Any reason why she's still here in Moscow? typed Gabriella. Seems strange that she wouldn't return to England or set up a life in a new location after having been so infused with the issues that went between the countries.

  It appears here, that she has an incredible ability to assume identities of numerous people. From what I can tell, Claudia is her real name, but the list of AKAs is extensive. Different nationalities, religions, and affiliations from all over the world. She may have been part of a recon team that would be sent in to set up and establish a base, and live within a community as one of their own before taking action, typed Antonio, still letting himself scroll through the information on the other side. Wait a minute. Hold on, I think I have something more for you.

  Gabriella sat silently, again checking her watch. Passing over the eight-minute mark, she now knew that within the next two to three minutes, she may receive a call from Claudia asking her if everything was alright. Once that happened, she would have to extinguish the conversation with Antonio, and be on her way out the door of the bathroom and engaging with Claudia again. There was no time for suspicion. The information was needed now in order to maintain herself with a woman she was still not completely sure was on her sid
e.

  Seems like she has had some dealings on the wrong side, typed Antonio from Chile. It looks as if the KGB had hired her various times after she had begun to live there. Minor stuff, gun running, a little bit of stakeout work for them, watching different marks, but it does not appear like they had her involved in any direct action involving the killing of anyone or assault.

  When was the last time she had a mission? asked Gabriella.

  Well, I'm seeing here in the system that she's connected to you on a mission that's rating right now," said Antonio. "It's also got a link here on MI6.

  Are you kidding me? Gabriella was frustrated at knowing her information had been logged in, when Nathan Young had told her the operation was completely covert.

  I'm seeing here that the connection is for supplies and transfer. Looks like pretty ordinary stuff. The problem is, it's written down as being current. My guess is if you have someone connected to you at MI6, they were looking to get funding, and the only way they could do it was to process it out through the system, came Antonio’s response. This is starting to feel like it's too risky, kiddo. I'm wondering if it would make a lot more sense for you just to get the hell out of here and get home. No shame in leaving one behind, especially when it's risky for us.

  Letting herself sit, translating the dots and dashes that came through on the light, Gabriella knew exactly what Antonio meant. She herself would have followed a very similar stance if it had been him out in the field getting this kind of information. Not knowing everything at all times was a huge risk. Agents knew that those risks did come, but when that risk was connected to someone that was supposed to be a confidante in the mission, it made everything more stressful.

  She hasn't done anything to show me that she's not on our side, but if I get the slightest whiff of it, I'll be gone, typed Gabriella. My gut feeling tells me that she's just a lady that's earning money by keeping in the business, and also keeping some of that fire alive inside her.