An Offer – And a Price

It was late October when Tatiana returned.  She was waiting when Catherine came up from her evening meeting with the inquisitor.  She studied Catherine and waited.  Catherine had been yelling at a phantom.  What could she say to a real person?

She said nothing.  She took the final steps to Tatiana and wrapped her arms around her waist.  She kissed Tatiana, then lay her head down on her shoulder.  Tatiana backed her onto their bed, lay on her, and whispered to her between kisses.

“You are safe now.  They did not kill Yuri.  They will not kill you.  He was sent to Ukraine.  You are free to go back to Novosibirsk.”

“Thank you.”

Tatiana undressed Catherine and held her all night.  She watched Catherine.  She felt how close Catherine pushed herself against her.  How desperate she seemed to be to hold, to touch, to feel.  Her isolation had done exactly as Tatiana had hoped.  Tatiana held her with her arms and with her legs.  She established control.  As dawn approached, she used her hands to excite Catherine.  She made her wet, and even more anxious to hold and be close.  She brought Catherine to climax, then whispered her proposal.

“If you wish to help those Ukraine women, that may be possible.”

“The ones with the babies?”

“Yes.”

Tatiana kept her voice at a whisper.  Barely that.  Silence was her ally.  Quiet.  Time for Catherine to think back on the eight women in orange.  Time to think of a life outside the museum.  Time to feel Tatiana’s warmth against her.

“What could we do?”

Catherine kept her mouth close to Tatiana.  Ready for a kiss.  Hoping for a kiss.

“We need to find a way to get them west.  Maybe back to one of the Baltic countries.  Once there, their families could come for them.”

Silence again.  She let Catherine consider it.  Imagine it.  The women across the border, back to a friendly country.  Time passed.  Tatiana kissed Catherine while she waited.

“I have read about the crossings, Tatiana.  They usually cross into Estonia.  Apparently, the border is not well protected.”

“Yes, we could try that.  Do you think the border is still so open?”

Tatiana tilted her head ever so slightly.  She waited for Catherine to answer. 

“No.  I am sure everything is harder now.  Maybe Latvia or Lithuania would be easier now.”

“Yes, that could be.”

Silence again.  More kisses. A hand stroking Catherine’s hair.  A thigh pressed between Catherine’s thighs.  Tatiana let time pass.

“Catherine, did you once travel to Kaliningrad?  What’s that like?”

“It’s an odd place.  Russia but not Russia.  It’s on the Baltic, just like Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.  You can’t get there directly from Russia.  You have to go through Poland or Lithuania.”

“Yes, now I remember.  I wonder if we could get permission to take the women to Kaliningrad.  It’s still Russia, but it would be closer to the Baltic countries, and maybe easier to sneak out.”

“Who would have the authority to make that happen?”

“You would, Catherine.”

Tatiana continued to stroke her hair.  Twice she kissed Catherine while she waited for Catherine to work through what was being offered.  This was not the time to rush her.

“This is my recruitment?  Two months seeing the worst of the security bureaus, and now you ask me to join?”

“Yes.  Nothing hidden from you.  No pretenses.  Your first action as an FSB agent is to sneak eight women and thirteen babies out of the country.”

“I would just be moving them to another part of Russia.”

“You are creative.  You will think of how to accomplish the final step.  You will gain their freedom.”

“And the price I pay?”

“You will sign the papers and take the oath.”

“And do what?”

“Whatever you are told.”

“You have that already.  I do what you want, or you take Svetlana.”

“What if I freed Svetlana?  We bring her with the women to Kaliningrad, and she is freed when they are?  She returns to America and lives with your mother.”

“But I stay here.”

“Yes, my love.  You will never leave Russia.”

Catherine closed her eyes and cried.  Partly for joy.  Partly from loss.  She tightened her arms around Tatiana.  A bear hug.  She wondered if she could crush her ribs.  She kissed her instead.

“Yes.  I will sign.”