Any proof?
1237 Words
*Sebastian*
As Ryan scrolls through the phone, mumbling to himself in a language I don’r understand, I can feel the tension building. I exchange a quick glance with Holly, she gives me a small shrug.
“So where did that cute little ballerina go?” Ryan says, looking around like we might be hiding her.
“Holly took her back to her room while you were taking a nap.” I tell him. “Stay away from Karolina.”
“Why?” He gives me a lopsided grin, “maybe I should go tug her in, I think she has a bit of a crush on me.”
“More like wanting to crush your balls,” Holly mumbles.
Ryan glance at her, “Don’t be jelly sweetheart, I can tug you in too.”
I quickly grab Holly before she can jump him, and she hisses; “Please let me strangle him, just a little bit.”
“He is not worth it,” I tell her.
“Not really into that kinda kink.” He grin, before going back to scrolling on the phone.
She grind her teeth, “oh yes very worth it.”
"Anything valuable on there?" I ask Ryan, trying to keep my tone steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins.
Ryan looks up with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, you wouldn't believe the secrets hidden in this little gadget. It's a goldmine, my friends… a very nasty and dirty goldmine."
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at Ryan's theatrics. We need to stay focused. I still have no idea if we can trust him and what his ball is in this game.
As Ryan continues to scroll through the phone, I feel a knot tighten in my stomach. The atmosphere crackles with tension, and Holly's silent fury is palpable as she grips my arm tightly. I share her frustration but know that losing our cool now could jeopardize things.
I take a deep breath. "Ryan, are you finding anything that proves your claims or just porn?”
Ryan's smirk falters slightly as he meets my gaze, the mischievous glint in his eyes dimming for a moment. "Relax, Sebastian. I know what I'm doing. Trust me, this 'goldmine' is the ticket to success in this game."
I exchange a wary look with Holly, silently questioning whether we can truly trust Ryan. His cavalier attitude and cryptic remarks only deepen the sense of unease that gnaws at me.
Before I can respond, Holly's whisper cuts through the tension like a knife. "I don't trust him, Seb. He's playing his own game, and we might just be pawns in it."
“He also has excellent hearing,” Ryan mumbles, then he holds up the phone like a trophy. “And he has proof.”
“Let me see,” I step closer, holding out my hand. The scenarios are already running through my mind.
As I scroll through the contents of Mr. Romanov's phone, a sense of disbelief washes over me. The encrypted messages, the clandestine photographs… it all creates doubt that contradicts everything I believed about Romanov. Could it be possible that the man we trusted to bring democracy to Russia is hiding a darker truth?
Holly's sharp gaze meets mine after checking the files, silently conveying her reservations. "This is... concerning," she remarks, her tone measured. "But we can't jump to conclusions based on this alone. We need more than just suspicions to take action."
“Not jump to conclusions? Suspicions? Sweetie, I just handed you the evidence.” Ryan says, sounding like his patience is running out.
“Suspicious, yes… needs to be looked into, sure, probably,” Holly says, glancing at him. “But solid evidence, no.”
Ryan rolls his eyes, “he is communicating cozily with Zolani Mbeki, the iron lion of Congo… you Think they are planning a sleepover?”
MBeki is one of the world's worst dictators, and it is definitely unsettling that Mr. Romanow has been communicating a lot with him, but I do not Think MI6 will let us act on it.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Ryan, we appreciate your efforts in uncovering this information, but we can't rush into this blindly. We need to approach this methodically, with caution."
Ryan's smirk falters, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face before he quickly masks it with bravado. "Come on, Sebastian, where's your sense of adventure? This is our chance to shake things up, to make a real impact. We can save the World."
Holly groans, “oh lord, he thinks himself James Bond or something.”
“That would be something,” Ryan tells her, then he sighs. “Listen, if you do not want to get involved, then don’t… just do not get in my way, I have enough to deal with without you causing trouble for me.”
“Maybe we should just…,” Holly look at me. “Maybe it is better not to get involved.”
I shake my head, “I won’t force you, but I can’t just ignore this…” I hold up my hand to stop her as she is about to say something. “I know I do not trust him either… sorry Ryan… but I would never forgive myself if he is right and I stood on the wrong side of history here.”
“Yes man, I know you had adventure in you,” Ryan holds up his hand for a high five. “Come on Sebby, don’t leave me hanging.”
“I am not gonna high five you.” I tell him.
He folds his hand into a fist, “fist bump?”
“Nope,” I shake my head. “And no secret handshake or choreographed dance either.”
“Spoilsport,” he mumbles, he turns to Holly, “so Spunky McSpitfire, are you in or out?”
Holly blows out a long breath, then looks at me, “there is no way I will leave you alone with this plonker yank.”
“That wasn’t nice, I am Muppet or tosser at most,” he mumbles in an uncannily perfect cockney accent.
“Why do you do that?” I ask him.
He blinks a couple of times, like he is confused, “do what?”
“Change between languages and accents,” I say. “And how many languages do you speak?”
“I have kinda lost count,” he shrugs. “Sometimes for someone not to understand, sometimes it just is most easily explained in a certain language, and sometimes it is just funny.”
“Show off,” Holly mutters.
Ryan grins at her, “just admit you love it darling.”
“About as much as I love stepping barefoot on lego.” She huffs.
I quickly jump in, “what should we do not, we can’t go and confront Romanov.”
“I guess torture is also out on the question?” Ryan says, and both me and Holly nods. “Maybe I should go talk to his cute daughter, she might know something.”
“No!” I tell him. “The best option would be for him to reveal himself, bit how do we do that?”
Ryan smiles, making Holly roll her eyes, “I have an idea.”
- Writer
