Rogue agents 1: The prima ballerina

Going south

*Ryan*

The car hums with an unsettling energy, the weight of the choices we were forced to make hanging heavy in the air. At first She is stiff, but soon Karolina leans against me, drifting into a hesitant slumber, and I can’t help but feel a surge of protectiveness.

It’s absurd, really… she is my captive, yet here I am, wrestling with an inexplicable urge to shield her from the chaos we have created in her life. Feeling her warmth against me, I can’t help but remember the fleeting kiss we shared, a moment that now feels both distant and hauntingly close.

Sebastian’s grip on the steering wheel tightens as he navigates the winding streets. Up front, he and Holly engage in a hushed debate, their voices low but urgent.

“We can’t just leave them in the dark,” Holly insists, her brow furrowed in concern as she glances back at us. “We should inform headquarters. They need to know what’s happening. Why we did what we did.”

“Are you crazy?” Sebastian retorts, his tone edged with frustration. “If we contact MI6, they will pinpoint our location in an instant. We can’t risk that… especially not now.”

“Sebastian’s right,” I chime in, my voice steady but firm. I can’t let them jeopardize our safety by playing by the rules. “If you go and reveal where we are, we will be walking straight into a trap. Our priority is to get to a safe location without drawing any attention.”

Holly narrows her eyes at me, and I know she doesn’t trust me as uncertainty flickering across her features. “And what if they hear about this, about what happened? Shouldn’t we at least give them a heads up?”

“No,” I say, my voice clipped. “We need to lay low and figure out our next move. The longer we stay off their radar, the better chance we have of staying alive to see this through.”

As the city blurs by, I catch another glimpse of Karolina in the rearview mirror. She’s still drifting, her expression softening as she unwittingly leans closer to me. It creates a strange warmth inside my chest… a flicker of connection amidst the turmoil. I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t just about the mission anymore.

“Just drive, Sebastian, keep going south ti I tell you elseway” I urge, shifting my focus back to the road ahead. “We will figure out our next steps once we are out of their reach.”

The city has faded in the rearview mirror, replaced by sprawling fields and the promise of open roads. My heart races along with the car, sometimes I wish I had decided to become an accountant instead. Karolina shifts slightly against me, her breath warm against my arm, and I have to push aside the conflicting emotions that threaten to cloud my judgment.

Sebastian glances at me through the mirror, his brow furrowed in thought. “So, the first time you learned about Romanov’s plan was when you bugged Karolina, right?” His voice is steady, but it carries a hint of accusation. “To steal the necklace.”

I hesitate, the question lingering like a storm cloud. “I had my suspicions to be honest,” I finally say, keeping my tone even. “But I thought he was just following the usual playbook… consolidating power, then ignoring how democracy works, same old eastern European half diktator s**t you know. I never imagined he’d go full Bond villain.”

Sebastian’s grip tightens on the steering wheel, and I can see the gears turning in his mind. “You should have shared what you knew with the authorities,” he presses, his tone clipped. “With the agency.”

I swallow hard, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “You think I didn’t want to? I am not so much on speaking terms with authorities at the moment. I didn’t know how deep Romanov’s plans ran until I overheard him. All I had was a hunch. As I said I assumed he was just going to do what tyrants do… forget how democracy works after attaining power, who would even care?”

Holly shifts in her seat, her eyes darting between us. “So what’s the endgame? What is his plans?”

I meet her gaze in the rearview mirror, the weight of her question settling heavily on my chest. “I don’t know, not for sure” I admit, the truth tasting bitter on my tongue. “But whatever it is, it’s not good.”

Sebastian exhales sharply, glancing at Holly before returning his focus to the road. “So what’s our plan? We can’t just sit here waiting for him to make his next move.”

I take a moment, the landscape outside shifting from urban chaos to tranquil countryside. “I have a safe place we can go, it is down sou5,” I say, the words firm. “When we get there we can look through everything and figure out our next steps. Who know, maybe Karolina unknowingly have something we can use too.”

Karolina stirs slightly next to me, her brow furrowing in her sleep, and I feel a pang of guilt for putting her in this position. But I had no choice if we were to make it out alive.

*Karolina*

I keep my eyes closed, breathing slowly, pretending to be asleep. The rhythmic hum of the tires on the pavement is almost soothing, but my mind races, a whirlwind of thoughts and fears.

I can hear their voices… the two of them up front, Sebastian and Holly is apparently their real names, discussing plans, strategies, and what they perceive as my father’s next move. They seem to almost think they are saving me.

They are the bad guys, I remind myself, but even as I think it, I can’t shake the nagging doubt that creeps in. I strain to listen, trying to catch every word. My father has always been a figure shrouded in power and authority even to me, but I have never truly known him… not the way I probably should have.

He has always been nice to me, but there have been whispers, murmurs of his ambitions and methods, but I dismissed them as the ravings of political rivals. Now, I wonder if I really understand who he is and what he is capable of.

What if they are right? What if my father has become the very tyrant he swore to fight against? The thought sends a shiver down my spine, but I push it aside. I have to focus on the present. I can’t allow myself to be consumed by confusion or fear. I need to think clearly.

I can feel Ryan’s warmth beside me, his body pressed against mine. It’s a strange sensation… comforting yet infuriating. I can feel the strength in his muscles, the way his arm rests protectively around me, and it makes my skin tingle. I want to push away, to create distance, but part of me is drawn to that warmth. I can’t afford to get caught up in this. He’s one of them, after all… the worst of them, he is the one who turned the others, the one who abducted me.

I remind myself that I need to escape. I can’t let myself be swayed by fleeting emotions or the intimacy of this moment. They may have taken me against my will, but I’m not powerless. I scan the interior of the car, searching for any potential escape routes or tools I might use to my advantage in case I get a chance.

The roads outside are blurring past us, and I can feel the distance between me and my father growing. But I can’t let that distance lull me into complacency. I need to act, and I need to act soon. I can’t let Ryan’s close presence distract me from my goal.

As they continue to discuss their plans, I focus on their words, piecing together what I can. They think they are doing the right thing, but isn’t that the case with a lot of villains. I can’t trust them. I need to find my own way out of this tangled web.