Rainbow Six: November Sun

28: "SCARED"

Night had fallen. The lights illuminating Rainbow HQ in the midst of the SAS base in Hereford cast a white haze across the dark sky, mixing with the soft glow of the moon overhead.

Finka stood alone outside the Visitors Center. A cold wind swept across the circular parking lot. She pulled her leather jacket tighter around her by habit - the wind wasn't that cold, really - and she looked down at her feet when she felt a chill on the front of her thigh.

There were two small tears in her dark jeans, just above the knee.

She sighed, annoyed, and let her rucksack fall to the concrete with a thud. Where the hell was her ride?

"Lera."

Finka turned to see Tachanka jogging her way. He raised a hand in greeting.

"Alex?" The woman smiled. "What are you doing out here?"

"What, you think you're just gonna slip away without a word?" The man grinned and slowed to a stop beside her. "Just wishing you well and all that."

Lera's eyebrows narrowed, but her features remained alight. "Wish me well?" she echoed. "Since when?"

"I... just wanted to talk to you before you went."

"About?"

Alex's smile faded slowly. He thrust his hands into his pockets and looked up at the moon. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"Oh, Jesus. I don't—"

"I know, I know. You don't want to hear that shit." He looked over at her. "I don't care. Me and the boys are worried. What's happening? Where are you going?"

Lera sighed crossly. "Nowhere."

"Nowhere?"

"Just a vacation."

"A vacation? That's somewhere."

"Ugh. Don't worry about me, Alex. I'm just going on vacation."

"Oh?"

"After... after the other day in the control room—"

"When you fainted."

Lera glared at him. "Fuck you."

Alexsandr faced her. "What? It happened. That doesn't make you weak."

"I don't really want to be talking about weakness with anyone. Not now. Not right before I leave." Lera paused. "Not with you."

Tachanka's eyes grew soft, a rare occurrence that seemed to only be happening around Finka in recent months. "Not with me?"

Lera rolled her eyes. Instead of answering the man, she folded her arms and swept her gaze out over the parking lot. The gate guards in the distance could be seen pacing about, switching up their shifts. "I don't want to talk about any of this. I don't even want to go. Harry ordered me to."

"How long?"

"Four weeks."

Alex pursed his lips and nodded without a word, now understanding her apprehension.

Lera sighed. "I shouldn't be going anywhere. Not with this new threat. Not with my neuropathy coming back."

"Lera."

"I need to stay on top of this. I need my lab. I have to monitor things. Last thing I need to do is take a fucking vacation. I can't—"

"Lera."

"What!?" the woman exploded. "What, Alex?"

The pair stared at each other for a long moment. Lera's chest was rising and falling as she tried to contain herself.

"Lera." Alexsandr took a step towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Stop saying that," she ordered coarsely. She lifted her eyes up to meet Alex's gaze. They shimmered with tears in the moonlight. "I don't want to die, Alex," she whispered suddenly, her voice cracking. "I'm fucking scared."

"You won't."

"You don't know that."

Alex slouched slightly in his stance to lower his gaze to match hers. "Look at me."

She did.

"I am looking at the strongest person I've ever met," he said softly. "You are strong, smart. You're fucking unstoppable, and you look hot when you're holding a gun."

Lera tried unsuccessfully not to smile.

"You'll get through this. Just take a breather for a few weeks. It'll help." Alex straightened again and let his hands fall from her shoulders. "Where are you going?"

"Back home to Belarus." Lera wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. "Going to visit family. Then, maybe Moscow. I don't know."

"It'll be good for you."

Headlights washed over the gate up ahead. The guards checked the car before allowing it through, and the driver - an on-base SAS operative - pulled around and eased to a stop in front of Finka and Tachanka. The driver exited, rounded the vehicle, and pulled the passenger door open for Lera.

The woman shrugged and knelt to scoop up her rucksack again. "If I get drunk, I might text you."

Alex chuckled. "Good. FaceTime me. We can do some shots together."

Lera suddenly stepped close to the man and tilted her head upward. "Thank you," she whispered, and embraced him tightly. "Watch after our Spetsnaz boys, yes? They fight too much."

Before Alex could say anything, Lera turned and got into the car. He was so stunned by her sudden show of affection that he stood on the curb long after her car passed out of view beyond the front gate.