Chapter Four: From Washington To Russia

4:30 am

"Clickety-clack," the train wheels kept on, Nick looked outside the windows, the darkness he saw, was just the word he could use to describe how he felt. The sound of the wheels was all he focused on, to keep him from going back to the torture in his mind.

Nick looks to his side to see Lieutenant Mason smith, looking back at him with is empty eye sockets, Nick looks to the darkness, outside and turns back, he was gone. He was a little glad that, that was enough to keep his mind away from his family, at least before now.

Time past fast, and it still felt like it was a few minutes ago he just saw Rose on her knee crying, and now he is just minutes away from Washington DC. He checks his watch, wondering when this train will stop.

"Chug chug choo," the train suddenly becomes louder, then suddenly a loud screech, probably from the train, he thought to himself then the sound was gone, the doors of the train were opened as the people rushed out. Nick picks up his luggage and walks out the doors, going straight for a cab heading for Greenleaf point. He didn't want to waste any more time, it's already 5:15, and he wants to be out of Washington at the earliest. He walked to the line of taxies, outside the train station, he enters one. "To Greenleaf point, fort Lesley J.McNair," he said to the driver, who quickly starts the car and drove off.

5:47 am

The taxi stops and the looks back at Nick. "Can't go past here, you'll have to walk the rest." Referring to the military signpost, standing right outside the gates.

"How much?" Nick asked picking up his things and walking out of the taxi.

"For a soldier, free," The taxi driver said as he drove back.

Nick, looks back at the taxi, Lieutenant Mason Smith was in the passenger seat looking right into his eyes. Agast, Nick looks away and looks back, Mason was gone. He picks his luggage and walks to the gate, he pulls out one of his badges and holds it up to the soldier on the wall of the gate, the gates open and he enters, and walks to the long extended duplex building that forms part of the left wall.

He enters and was stopped by a man.

"Who are you? and state your business," asked the man.

Nick looks for a name tag, but none, the soldier was not in his complete uniform, he wore a trouser and a white shirt.

Nick then places his arm in his jacket, bringing out the letter.

"Colonel Nickolas Ryan, I am here to see the Major general."

The man takes the letter, reads the end of it and looks at him, giving him back his letter. "There is a spare bed, the second floor to the left, I'll inform the major your here," he said, then walks out of the building.

Nick went up the stairs, and to his left, he entered and saw the other soldiers, some on their beds, others grouped, talking. He went to the only free bed in the room, sets his luggage beside the bed and doesn't border to unpack cause he knew he was leaving today, he lays down and shoots his eyes, taking himself into the darkness of his mind.

***

Nick stood to his feet, looked around, and sees all the death and destruction happening around him, soldiers charging from his back, shooting at the face of death, a dark abyss that seems to get closer and closer, sucking everything into its nothingness. Nick, turns to his back and tries to run, but his legs are deep in the mud, he tries repeatedly but keeps falling on his face, flat in the mud, he started crawling, harder to get away from the now approaching abyss. Nick looks back and sees the darkness, taking people off their feet, and those grabbing hard to the few blades of grass on the ground, trying hard not to get sucked in. He leaps out of the mud, but falls back, he starts crawling faster, then an arm grabs his legs and pulls him back, he turns to see Marcus Smith pulling legs into the mud.

"No soldier escapes the darkness. We don't deserve the light. Death calls for death," Marcus said.

Suddenly a hand pulls his left hand and pulls him into the mud, Nick looks all around and sees Marcus pulling him into the mud and chanting: "Death calls for death." Nick turns to crawl out, ripping Marcus arms out of their bodies, he turns back, looking straight into the abyss, that was already on him, sucking all the mud and things around him. He takes his last glimpse of light, then it all went dark.

Nick opens his eyes, happy for it was all a dream, he sits up and looks back at the bed he sees an imprint of sweat on it, he places his hand on his face feeling and wiping off the sweat that covers his face. He then notices his heart pacing at the thought of Russia and his spy mission.

The man he saw downstairs walks into the room, spots him, and walked to him. "Colonel, Major General Lucas Stevens will see you in his office." The man said.

Nick looks up and notices the name tag on his chest, and from the insignia, on his jacket, he knew he was a sergeant. "Sergeant, when can I see the major general?"

Sergeant Liam, knowing he wasn't listening. "Colonel, Major General Lucas Stevens, will see you in his office," he stood, waiting to be sent off.

Nick stands up, searches his first bag, and brings out a handkerchief and looks to Liam. "Take me to him."

Liam led Nick out of the building, into the next building on his right, he takes him into an office where a man is seated behind a wooden table with framed images of soldiers and presidents hung on the wall behind him. " Colonel Nick Ryan, Major," Liam said leaving the office.

"Colonel, please have a seat," Lucas said. Nick took a seat in front of him. "I'm happy you could make it. You already know why you're here, just want to fill you in, on some details of this mission," Nick said nothing, just listening and waiting for his send-off. "Nick, you were chosen for this because you have had experience in Russia since world war 1, and now your country needs you again." He pauses to look at Nick, who just looked directly at him and said nothing. "You will be leaving for Russia by 9:00 am and you will be traveling in one of the cargo boxes, your arrival in Russia shouldn't be discovered by anyone or you will be instantly killed."

Nick now taking concern. "Sir, but what is the reason for the whole mission."

"We have reasons to believe that Russia is planning an attack on Washington soon, this information came from some of our diplomats, but there is so little that they can get, since they are already known to be working for the American government. So we need someone to be our hidden radio in Russia, checking this lead and reporting when you find what is truly going on in that country. Do you understand Colonel?"

"Yes sir."

"Your mission is to just report information, not take any action, any action will be seen as an act of war. Don't be discovered, and we will make sure your family gets all their needs. Use the radio. I'll be checking in, every 9'oclock. You got your satellite radio, right?"

"Yes sir, never leave without it."

"The truck will be here soon to take you to the airport." Nick stood up to leave. "And one more thing. May God be with you." Nick walks out of the office and goes to the weaponry, to get some new gear.

Nick walks into a shack, guns of all kinds are hung on the walls, inside a big glass chase, which divides the room between the weapons vendor and him. "So what can I interest you in, Baretta?Browning? pistols?"

"Give me two Brownings, 2 Cults, and whatever machine gun that can fit into a briefcase."

"I got what you need," the vendor said bringing out an MG34. "MG34, just dismantle this bad boy, and you can carry it in a purse."

"I'll have them."

"Mission Permit?" the vendor asks immediately. Nick shows him his mission letter and the vendor went in and bagged all the guns.

Nick takes the bag of guns and went up to his bed, and placed all the guns in his bags, underneath all his clothes, and zipped them up. He laid back on his bed, looking at the ceiling, imagining what is going on at his house right now, wondering whether they are ok or have they moved on, with his absence. Suddenly Liam walked into him.

"Colonel, the truck has arrived," Liam said, waiting on Nick to get up.

Nick, soon noticing Liam's presence, gets up. "Has the truck arrived?"

"Yes sir, it's waiting outside."

"Okay let's go," Nick said, picking up his luggage and walks downstairs, outside to the truck waiting for him, Lucas is standing in front of the truck. Nick drops his luggage in the trunk and goes to Lucas. "Major?"

"You are going to get a change of currency, then to the cargo warehouse. Ensure you are not spotted, this mission cannot get compromised, and there are no rescue teams, so don't get compromised." Lucas said, now moving out of the way for Nick.

"Okay, sir."

"Nick, Goodluck, your country is counting on you," Lucas said as the truck drove off.

In the truck, Nick said nothing to the driver, he just monitored the road and tried to calm his heart which was pacing at the mission.

The truck drove to treasures foreign exchange, a few miles away from the airport. Nick came down and entered in, carrying his second briefcase.

The place was filled with people, seated, and waiting for their turn, he luckily came as a woman was just leaving, he went to the free lady on the stand. "Excuse me miss, I need you to change this to soviet rubles." She opens the briefcase to see three $10,000 notes, she takes the money files it in and fills the briefcase with 100,000 soviet rubles. "Thank you," Nick said locking it up, then he grabs it and walked out. He enters the truck and drove off.

As soon as it starts, it stops at a warehouse filled with cargo boxes. Nick came out, walks in, and searches the labels on the boxes for the ambassador's cargo going to Russia. As he searches, he walks deeper into the warehouse then at the sight of two men, he ducks behind one the boxes, to hide. As he listens to their conversation, a voice, it sounds so familiar he took a look at the men, one of the men is Dimitri Smirnov, one of his friends from Russia, during the world war 1.

"This box must never be opened it, or tampered with, do you hear me?" Dimitri yells at the other man, who seems to be a worker at the warehouse. "This is very important, ambassadors cargo, it mustn't be damaged, in the slightest."

"Yes sir." The worker replied in fear.

Nick tries looking at the box he was referring to, but at the sight, he nocks over the briefcase of money. Nick hides back. Once he realized that if he let them, they weren't going to stop searching for the sound, he stood up and pretends to be looking for his cargo box.

Dimitri walks to him, stares at him, to take a better look at him.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Dimitri asks trying to remember this face.

Nick spreads his arm around his arms him in a warm embrace and looks back at him with his arms still on his shoulder. "Dimitri, it's me, Nick, from world war 1," Nick said, sounding happy to see him.

Dimitri instantly remembered. "Nick, God, what are you doing here?"

"Just came to pick up a cargo delivery." Nick hugs Dimitri again.

Dimitri looking behind Nick notices Nick's bag open with Soviet rubles sticking pouring out.

"Oh god, I'm late need to get going," Dimitri said, starting to leave and turns back. "And if it comes please call me," he said to the worker then walks out.

Nick turns back and sees his bag of rubles open, he immediately locks it up and by now the thought running through his mind was - What is so important in that box? - What is he hiding? - And I hope he didn't see this.

Nick got out a pistol and followed the worker as he walked deeper into the warehouse. The worker, hearing some footsteps turn around, immediately Nick swings his hand, hitting him hard on the side of his head with the gun, knocking him out.

He pulls the worker behind a cargo box and leaves swiftly.

He goes back to Dimitri's cargo box and Stikes the lock with the gun, unlocking it. He lifts the cover to see nothing but hay.

Nick knew there had to be more to it, so jumps in, and starts searching the hay, he sees a small wooden box filled with machine parts and a sealed envelope.

He couldn't take or open the envelope, so he searches, persisting for some movable information.

He reads the body of the envelope and sees an address. Nick jumps out and gets a pen and paper from his briefcase and writes down the address, then places things back and continue searching for his box.

Outside the warehouse, Dimitri is in his car, waiting for Nick to come out, but he doesn't see anything. He runs back in and sees nothing, no Nick.

P.T.S.D info: During 1945 Russia wasn't a country but a part of way bigger nation known as USSR(Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) and Russia and many other now nations where to. I choose to address USSR as Russia cause it is way more adaptable.

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