Kill Contract

Rogue | 2

They got off the train later the next day, and were instantly welcomed with chilly air and a taste of pine and ice on their tongue. The procedure went smoothly yet again, but it only made them even more on edge, because they were having too many close calls.

All that luck would probably turn bad sooner or later.

They entered the small town and located the nearest hotel which had WiFi. A sour looking lady answered after six rings of the bell, and tossed them two keys before disappearing behind to watch tv.

Chrissie went to her room and scavenged for something to eat, then gave up and decided she needed proper rest. The heating barely worked. She buried herself in the covers and knocked out.

Austin snuck back to the lobby and stole the computer.

He connected it to the Internet and immediately logged into his mail. Who knew for how long the signal would hold up. If it didn't, well...they would be stranded.

-------

"Can we go to the shopping mall?"

Austin stopped typing.

He turned to find Chrissie with her hands together, a hopeful look on her face and pleading eyes.

Austin blinked a couple times, registering the question. They were on the run in a foreign country and possibly wanted by the North Korean military. Why did girls always have to be distracted by the wrong things at the wrong time?

"I, uh...I have more important things to do, you know. Besides, you can go on your own, right?"

"Yeah..." Chrissie fidgeted with the hem of her jacket. Which was actually his vantablack one, but she liked it apparently.

"I just...can you come with me? I feel safer when you're there."

Austin frowned.

"Uh..."

He glanced back at the screen. The standard protocol for agents going rogue/ abandoning missions was to send contact as soon as possible and explain the situation.

"We've been wearing the same clothes for days." Chrissie added. "And we need to eat and drink something. I'm starving."

He shifted on his chair. She had a point. He probably stank with all the accumulated sweat and exertion. Austin slowly got to his feet with a sigh that instantly subsided as Chrissie's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Yay, thank you thank you!" She exclaimed in delight, practically dancing on her feet.

"I didn't say yes." He remarked.

"Oh come on."

Chrissie had already left to get her purse. Her voice rang through the small motel hallway.

"When else are you getting the chance to go to a famous Russian mall? This is prestigious stuff!"

"Exactly." Austin called back with a half guilty grin. "How much money do you have on you?"

"There's this thing called banks and this other thing called credit card."

Austin shook his head.

He'd never be able to come back here. Not that he desperately wanted to anyway. There were suspicious people roaming this isolated town, miles away from any big civilization.

Might as well go shopping before he was shut in jail...or whatever the generals were going to do with him after he closed the operation.

What could happen in a giant Russian shopping mall after all?

-------

"I've honestly never gone...y'know...shopping before." Austin stated the moment they stepped in.

Flashy signs and neon lights hit him from all directions. Golden shoe stores, trademark clothing; fast food and fancy restaurants glared at each other from opposite isles.

"This is gonna be so much fun!"

Chrissie said, grabbing his arm as if ready to drag him everywhere.

"So where first?"

Austin let his gaze sweep over the surrounding people populating the mall. He couldn't ignore the eerie prickle on the back of his neck. All those years of training and instinct were giving him bad feelings about the whole situation.

But Chrissie had already found her first target, because she yanked him away from the raincloud of doubts he was under.

"Up there!"

"A tailor shop?"

"So you're a spy, right?"

"No."

Austin eyed the Russian folks as they passed, gaging their abilities to understand English.

"Well you're some sort of agent anyway..."

Chrissie kept talking animatedly as they stepped on the escalator. "And you know how the iconic secret agent is represented..."

"In a suit." Austin rolled his eyes.

"Come on! I'm sure you'll look absolutely cool in one!"

"They're actually really impractical you know?"

-------

After visiting the top floor, they really needed to eat, so they grabbed sausage rolls, breadcakes ("wow look...they sell vodka for real!") and stopped at an ice cream parlor.

"Looks like a Dairy Queen ripoff." Chrissie commented at the blue and white counter.
It took some pointing and gesticulating as usual to place the order.

They sat down on the wood chairs next to a glass railing that looked down on the floor beneath them.

"Skyrise likes oreo ice cream?" Chrissie said with a laugh.

"Don't judge me." Austin mocked. He took a bite of the sweet, crunchy, refreshing, vanilla-and-oreo-bits dessert.

He looked up to see Chrissie's soft brown and blond curls rippling as she admired the chandeliers and decorations. Those eyes of caramel and that sweet smile...

The murmur of other shoppers and all the lights and scents...

"Hey, you zoning out?"

"No." Austin blinked and gave a lost smile. "Um, what?"

"I was asking you if you wanted to try my ice cream but you obviously don't care."

Chrissie crossed her arms in mock hurt.

"Aw come on, I wanna try." Austin leaned in with a grin, propping his elbows on the small round table.

"Guess what flavor it is." Chrissie held out the spoon.

Austin playfully closed his eyes, which made her giggle and made him smile.

He took a bite and concentrated on the flavor. Dark and rich...maybe chocolate based? Not yoghurt, not fruit based for sure...

He opened his eyes just a crack and felt something brush against the side of his face. He turned to find her lips touch his.

It was a warm contrast to the cold dessert, and yet he felt frozen to his place. A fire rushed to his cheeks.

Too soon, they broke apart too soon.

Austin stared into Chrissie's caramel eyes, still feeling the kiss lingering on his lips.

"Dark Chocolate."

Chrissie smiled.

"Coffee."