Edited
*Noella's POV*
They all woke up early for what could be either the best or worst day of her life. None of them slept well. How could you when you knew that everything could go wrong?
The plan was near perfect, if it worked. That was a risk Noella would be willing to take alone, having someone else's life at risk was new territory for her. She did it, so they didn't have to, now her new friends were as tangled up as she was. If Noella got captured they could save her before any damage was done. She was already wanted, want more could they do? If any of the others got captured that made two members of the team will probably end up with a red notice. As of right now the others were in the clear, and she intended to keep it that way.
The added risk had Noella on edge, to the point that she was putting all the focus on her. Everything she was going to do today was chosen carefully. Her outfit screamed old money, the kind that radiates power.
She was in a long fur coat with an expensive dress underneath and heals that made her four inches taller. Her jewelry had been picked specifically for this outfit, all the way down to the gold pins in her right bun.
Every thief within a mile radius would be watching her, but the KGB and CIA would not. Another rule of being on the run is not to draw attention to yourself; they know that and so do she. People on the run dress like they don't want to be seen, thats who agents will look for.
Today when people look at her they are just going to think she's some rich bitch and pass her along. It was exactly what she was going for.
She had upgraded her luggage to a big handbag. Most of her important things were in there, so if she needed to run at least she would have the basics. The rest was tucked into the bags of the others. Including her gorgeous daggers. Man I already miss them.
The minute she emerged from the kitchen she could tell the situation bothered them. They were not the best at hiding feelings. They may not be the ones throwing themselves into danger, but each of them were tense. Honestly, their lack of faith is what bothered her the most about this whole situation. This is just another day at work for her.
"For the tenth time, yes, I know what I'm doing, and no, I don't want to back out. Please stop asking, we've got this." Noella finally snapped. Could they not understand that? If she had to answer those same questions one more time, she might actually lose it.
"Believe it or not. I have done this before, and your nerves aren't going to make this go smoother. So have a cup of coffee and leave me be." She huffed, leaving the room to adjust her costume.
She could hear their conversations start immediately after she left. It passed through the door and it kind of reinforced her point. She didn't know if it was some protective instinct they all have because of her age, or just an overall lack of faith in her. Either way it bothered her immensely.
"Are we sure she can do this? She is a child." Booker hissed.
"We have to trust her Book. She is one of us now. If we expect her to trust us, we need to trust her." Joe spoke quietly, almost as if he was scared she would hear them.
Yeah, this trust thing is working out great. Whatever, she had enough confidence on her own. She was not going to waste the energy it takes trying to gain theirs.
Noella was ready over an hour ago. She just needed them to sort out whatever was holding them back. Hesitation gets you killed. She should know. Instead of sharing her feelings, she just walked towards the window and opened it, slightly leaning out of it, taking in the fresh air she desperately needed.
She waited twenty minutes before she came out again, doing her best not to eavesdrop on their doubts. It was hard when their conversations got so heated. All of them centered around the debate of her competence. It was both insulting and a wake up call. It seems like to them, all she would ever be is a child. It's probably something Noella could learn to live with, but would she want to? She would have to decide later, now was not the time for hesitation.
"Ready to go?" She said appearing at the door, completely interrupting their arguments that were still happening. All of them looked extremely guilty.
"Because I could just meet ya'll there." She said, already walking to the door with her bag in hand. She was pretty sure they could see the irritation written all over her face. "Oh and Booker, I didn't screw up. I was betrayed, so fuck you."
"Wait! We are coming." Joe said starting to grab his stuff.
Nicky followed suit, leaving both Andy and Booker walking leisurely out of the apartment. They would arrive before her. She was going to walk to the station and appear to narrowly make the train. There would be less time for agents to stop her from getting on in the off chance she was recognized.
Twenty minutes later she was strutting into the train station projecting only power and confidence. She's pretty sure she felt every pair of eyes going straight to her, but that was the plan after all. When she lived here people saw her as the scared little orphan who was lucky enough to get taken in by a powerful man. Now she was power.
She didn't even have to wait in line for security. All of her intelligence showed that these people bowed to power, and she was pleased it hadn't changed in the months since she had last been here.
Security was easy for the most part, and it honestly felt like too soon when she was approaching the final security point: It was here all of her papers would get checked. She could not afford to let her nerves show as her credentials were finally put to the test.
"Miss Solovyova, it says that you reside here in Moscow. When do you plan on returning?" The agent spoke in an accented Russian, obviously a native.
Joe passed her as he cleared through security not even looking her way as he walked by. Good.
Nicky took the counter next to her as he started to go through the interview process with the other agent. Perfect timing.
"When my business is done. My grandmother is sick and requires my assistance, hence why I am in such a hurry. So can we move this along? My train is about to depart." She spoke in a very posh accent. Making sure to look inconvenienced.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Booker leaning on a column past security, keeping a very intent eye on her. He gave her a quick nod and looked down at a paper that he clearly wasn't reading. Everything about him looked on edge.
"Alone and with no luggage?" he said in a friendly tone, looking her up and down in a suggestive way. Too many questions already.
Nicky was waved through security. As he left, he made the subtle gesture of checking his watch. Yeah, I know. I'm working on it.
"No. I spend time with her often, but most of the time my father and I drive. Seeing as he is not here I am taking the train. Now if we are through?" She spoke harshly. That was the voice that had made men stronger cower.
He finally seemed to get the hint that she was not interested and started to quicken up the process.
"Of course Ma'am. My apologies." He said holding out her passport. Well, that was easy!
She snatched it back and started walking at a fast pace, clearly giving the impression that she was angry.
The boys were already making their way to the train, so she didn't bother looking for them. However, she felt like she was being watched.
She stopped to purchase a drink from the shop in an effort to waste time, knowing Andy was somewhere around here. She spotted her and started to move in her direction. She got the hint and started moving from her place at the coffee shop, staying a foot or so to her left and many paces ahead. Andy had the faintest of smiles, and it was something that Noella took pride in. They all made it through security.
Their walk was brisk and without stops. People seemed to move out of their way, almost as if sensing they were in a big hurry.
Noella watched Andy board the train, not even pausing to look back at her.
Ten paces to the train. She was so close.
Five paces.
A man bumped harshly into Her side causing both of them to stumble back and fall.
She could see Joe and Nicky's concerned eyes peer through the glass. Both starting to stand up in case she needed help. They would never make it in time.
Noella stood and looked up at the man, and she saw some very familiar Icy blue eyes. Fuck. She could see the recognition in his eyes as he started to move closer to her, almost as if he was scared she would disappear.
Noella looked between him and the train, trying to convince herself that she had to leave. The doors to the train were starting to shut. She had to make a choice right now. So she ran as fast as she could, away from him.
Two paces. The doors were not slowing, almost shut.
Noella slid through the doors narrowly. The attendant started fussing as the train started to move out of the station, she paid her no mind and steadied herself. She was able to afford a look back. Noella saw him standing beside the tracks. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, though in his defense, he did.
"Ma'am. Your ticket please." She said impatiently.
"My apologies." Noella appeared to look out of breath. She steadied her shaking hands and grabbed the ticket, before placing it in the woman's waiting hand.
"You got lucky. Please take your seat it is in this car right here."
Noella walked past her without a word and into the car, still slightly in shock.
The inhabitants of the car gave her a look before returning to whatever they were doing. She walked confidently to the corner seat she was assigned and sat down without a glance at anyone. Perfectly in character. Despite how rattled she was, she was not going to put anyone at risk.
Her eyes met Joe's soft ones and they shone with concern. She gave him a little smile and went back to pretending everyone was below her. When in reality, she focused on remembering every single detail of him.
They met when she was still in training, he was eighteen and she was ten. He was like a brother to her, so much so that when she was assigned to this task, he volunteered to be her courier. He was tasked with taking my messages to their base of operations and making sure she was safe. Well that last one was more of a suggestion he constantly made.
He oversaw most of her training. They were extremely close before coming to Moscow and even more after. It probably broke him when she was captured, especially when he warned her it was coming...
"Would you like anything dear?"
That snapped her out of her thoughts. She didn't even notice her approach.
"Could I have a cup of tea please? Three sugars." She spoke sweetly. The hard part of her job was done, she could afford to be nice.
The woman passed her the cup of tea, and Noella grabbed her money. Giving the woman more than double the amount.
"Thank you. Keep the change."
"Thank you Ma'am." She said before hurrying off. Probably scared Noella would ask for it back, these people are all horribly underpaid.
Noella grabbed a book out of her bag and chanced a look around the car. The entire team looked concerned over her spacing out. She just turned back to her book and pretended to read. She would just have to remember to turn the pages every once in a while. Shouldn't be too hard.
Memories seized her once again. He knew they were on to her. His cover was that of a mail boy in the Kremlin. He hand delivered to the higher ups meaning that when she needed to pass a message all she would have to do is go to visit her father at work under the guise of missing him or something along those lines.
One day he overheard that the hunt for the American spy (Agent six) was beginning. Naturally, he was startled, they knew her code name and that she was among them. He also couldn't remember any slip-ups she had made. She was very careful.
Someone in our ranks sold her out. They didn't have enough clearance to have her name and cover but they did know she existed, or at least that was the first theory. It's funny, her death sentence came from the hand of an American, only it wasn't that one. He just wrote it.
She turned the page leisurely, still lost in her thoughts.
When he found out there was a threat to her, he rushed to the base and informed the bosses, positive that they would start making the necessary plans to get Noella out, as they had promised before. They didn't, in fact they didn't really see it as that much of a threat. The KGB has always been paranoid, they chalked it all up to coincidence, despite her codename being known. So he was given orders to not tell her. He reluctantly followed them.
Months later, there wasn't another whisper about her identity. She was doing her job perfectly, feeding intel to the army on troop movements and scientific projects. He even started to believe she was safe from exposure.
That was until the packets were printed. He was assigned to deliver them but recognized the operation name and snuck a peak. Project 'Witch hunt' had been operational for 4 months without detection from the CIA. It was filled with information they believed she had given to the CIA. The scary part was that they had a lot of it correct. Their source was getting bolder and because of it they had also started to close in on her. It was a large pool of names, but hers was on it.
Another page, another memory.
Obviously, he was pissed. She was his little sister and their mistake could cost her her life. When he alerted our bosses, they were quick to divert the blame. However, after quick deliberation, he was once again sent away with instructions to not tell her anything, it would only hinder the quality of her work.
He hated it, his training told him to listen to his superiors. His heart told him to tell his sister everything. He eventually listened to his heart, only by then it was too late.
She flipped the page, only this time she was fighting tears.
If it wasn't for him, she would have been blindsided. That was the KGB's affairs, and she was watching their military and science division. With his warning she started doing some digging, and Noella realized she was royally screwed. They were only a week or two away from her identity, that was if she was lucky. In the end she was faced with a choice, either run or stick it out to the end. She did what she had too. Running would have likely killed him too.
It took Blake three weeks to tell her what he had seen. She had lost her chance to escape a week after the packets were printed. She knew he blames himself, but she didn't. Her death sentence was not given to her by Blake, it was given to her by her boss. She later found out it was his fault she was discovered. His hubris cost us all.
A single tear landed on her page as she turned it.
She was captured two weeks later, just like she predicted. When they asked about the base and her courier she didn't say anything. It wasn't just for Blake, but for the people who weren't at fault.
As for Blake, she knew he wouldn't speak about seeing her alive. He told her himself.
She looked down at the note that was placed in her pocket.
Peaches,
I don't know how you survived, only that I'm glad you did. The CIA ruled you KIA six months after you were taken. Whatever you do, don't come back to the agency. You finally have a chance to live your life, don't waste it. I love you always and one day when it's safe, we will see each other again.
-Brother Bear
She looked out the window, indeed we will.