Cold War Stories:- A Change of Heart(Part 2 in the Anastasia's Heart Duology)

[Stormtrooper1990]

In the final part of Anastasia's Heart, Anastasia is betrayed by those she once called ally and suffers a terrible loss. But she set out to avenge that loss and in so doing learn something about herself. It will also be the start of a new path...


Virginia Beach, US Eastern Seaboard, 22:45pm Saturday 5th August 1985


It had taken Anastasia fifteen minutes to swim from the MSV Cornucopia, to the shoreline. Her petty officers uniform ruined and wet, she stripped it off until she was completely naked once more. She took out the wedding photograph, now ruined and sodden with water she sighed reluctantly leaving it behind, but she knew Maria would have the copy as well. "Soon, my darling Maria. I will hold you in my arms again." Anastasia blew a kiss on the photograph as she placed it on top of the discarded wet uniform. Turning, she crept up behind a rock to see the source of the light she observed from the shore. It was two people, a young couple both dressed in the garments typical of US "counter culture" but it was the young woman Anastasia was interested in, they both looked quite drunk and nearby was a Harley Davidson motorcycle. The girl no more than 18, was dressed in a dark black leather outfit that consisted of a black leather vest, with matching tight black leather pants belted with a studded leather belt and black boots. Under her vest, she wore a sheer black top that Anastasia could see a strapless solid black bra covering her B-cup breasts, with a large Celtic cross around her neck. The teen was a looker with a shock of hair died bright fluorescent red, her shallow cheekbones and heart shaped features accentuated by her dark make up. Anastasia needed those clothes, but how to get her alone. It wouldn't take much effort to snap that pretty neck, thought Anastasia. After five minutes of observation, Anastasia's opportunity came. "Sweetie, I need to pee." The young girl said to her boyfriend, a youth with a blue mohawk. He merely grunted, "Whatever." and rolled onto his side, bottle of beer in hand. The girl shrugged, and tottered over unsteadily on her feet towards the rock where Anastasia was crouching behind. This was too easy, she thought as the girl turned with her back to the rock unbelting her leather pants, pulling them down with her black scanty panties, crouching as she voided her bladder. Anastasia readied herself.



Peyton Sanders let out a hic-cup as she emptied her bladder. At 18, Peyton was a high school dropout who had ran out on her killjoy parents to be with her boyfriend Troy, who was the only guy who would ever understand her. He had sweeped off her feet with his Harley Motorbike and rugged good looks. They had came to this beach to escape the pointlessness of life, get wasted on the booze Troy had "liberated" from his dad's liquor cabinet and ultimately get laid as Peyton was still a virgin. They were probably breaking who knows how many federal laws, but the couple didn't give a shit. Not when the world could blow up at any minute. If it wasn't the Soviets, it would crazy Reagan who would most likely push the button "With a god bless America!" On his lips. Peyton chuckled, as she finished her piss only to feel the sensation of a hand clamping over her mouth to muffle her cries and an arm snaking around her neck, as she was pulled half naked over the rock. For a moment as she weakly struggled, Peyton felt as if her attacker was going to snap her head to the left, but instead she felt the arm apply pressure. Then she heard a Russian accent in her ear. " Funny how alcohol, leads so many their death. But I guess you owe it your life. If I were you girl I would stop, you have your whole life ahead of you." The female voice whispered in her ear, as Peyton weakly kicked her legs looking down at her bare womanhood, feeling her consciousness fade as her struggles grew weaker and weaker as the woman applied pressure, cutting off the blood flood to Peyton's brain. Then letting out a slow muffled rattle, Peyton slumped unconscious in her attackers arms. "Not what my instructors taught me, but that's exactly the point." Anastasia said to the unconscious Peyton, after received no answer Anastasia shrugged. "You wouldn't understand pretty little thing." Anastasia peered over the rock, it seemed her boyfriend didn't hear the struggle. Smiling, she caressed the girls cheek before getting to work, letting her young slim body fall onto the sand.



Anastasia glanced at the exposed small clit of the unconscious girl as she unlaced the leather boots. " So not a natural redhead I see, more a brunette. And it looks like you haven't been touched yet. Well you will have plenty of time to use it." She said admiring the small pink vulva, crowned with a small thick strip of dark brown pubic hair. After removing the girls boots, Anastasia worked off the pants and underwear from around the girls ankles. As she pulled up the stolen leather pants including the underwear, Anastasia reflected on her decision to spare the youth. It was only because she was a pathetic little drunk, that she had spared the girl. Had she been sober, she would snapped her neck like a twig, stripped the corpse then moved on to the boyfriend, without a second thought. It wasn't just that, Anastasia thought as she finished belting up the pants, her time abroad the ship gave her time to think. For the first time, it was her that made the decision not the KGB to hold the power of life or death in her hands. This was the freedom, Maria spoke of and Anastasia was revelling in it. Shaking her thoughts back to the present, Anastasia walked around the girl's half naked toned body. Crouching, she leant the body up against her as she looped the necklace over her the girl's head. After slipping off the leather vest. Anastasia held up the girl's arms, pulling up the sheer top over her head then unhooking the strapless black bra, letting the unconscious girls' naked body flop onto the sand. Anastasia got dressed in the rest of the punk girls clothes, admiring the small but youthful B-cup breasts with puffy slightly pointed dark pink areolas. "You know, this isn't the first time I have worn something like this. On that occasion, the girl wasn't as fortunate as you were. You have a nice taste in style girl. But we both know I wear this better." Anastasia said to the unconscious naked girl, as she put her feet on the rock, lacing up the boots one foot at a time. When she was finished, Anastasia left the naked girl behind the rock not electing to tie her up, between the alcohol and the chokeout it wouldn't be morning until she woke, Anastasia would be by then long gone. She walked up to the sleeping boyfriend, punching him once in the head to be on the safe side, knocking him unconscious. Searching his pockets in his jacket, Anastasia found the keys to his motorbike. Smiling she also scooped up the girl's studded handbag, looping it over her shoulder. Hopping on the Harley Davidson, she turned on the ignition revved the bike into gear then drove off the beach onto the main road. Her next destination already in mind.



KGB Safehouse 22203 North Edison Street, Arlington Virginia 23:30 hrs



Agent Lara Toombs yawned widely as her stakeout on the former KGB dragged on for another hour. She sat next to her partner, Michael Laramie who was in the passenger seat of their Ford Sedan . "Come on, Lara. We have been here for over two days straight, no KGB would dare come back to this place, it's burnt." Yawned the ginger haired agent. Lara let out a tired sigh, all her leads into the suspected KGB cell had dried up when CIA took Tereshkova. It was obvious she wasn't connected to the bizarre murders in Miami and Georgia, all those women stripped their identities stolen. The very thought unnerved the 5 year veteran agent, but her anonymous source had been so reliable. "You're probably right, Michael. This whole investigation as been a busy. I should have stayed on serious crimes." Laramie clapped her on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Toombs. Tereshkova is freezing her tits off, courtesy of the US tax player. Let's go home, you can feed your cats get an early night." Lara smiled as she switched on the cars engine. "That my friend, sounds like a good idea." As she drove the car away from the safe house, Lara wondered about Tereshkova. She did find the KGB spy quite attractive and a strong character to boot, her wife was a lucky woman.



From across the street, hidden in shadows perched on her bike behind the agents was Anastasia. The girl's dark clothes had hidden her from view of the two foolish FBI agents as they drove away. With the coast clear, Anastasia rode the bike down the path parking it beside the house out of sight. Dismounting, she walked up to the front door and searched under a loose paving slab on the porch. Finding the spare emergency key, Anastasia removed the police tape from the door and unlocked it. Closing the door behind her, Anastasia moved to the bedroom where she had been arrested careful not to turn on the lights. The last thing she wanted to do was attract the attention of a nosy civilian. Anastasia crouched down getting on her hands and knees, crawling under the bed finding the loose floorboard. Pulling out the nail, she removed the floorboard and placed her hand inside. Anastasia smiled as she pulled out a wad of five Polaroids, bound with an elastic band plus a 9mm Makarov with a suppressor. "Stupid Americans, couldn't find their asses with both hands." Anastasia said as she put the gun and it's attachment in her bag, then she sat on the bed looking at the photographs. The one that was her favourite, the one that accompanied her to England during the Cambridge Extraction, sat at the top. Her mind then went to Maria. I need to go to her, to Luanda, she thought. Together we will find whoever betrayed me and end them. Putting the photographs into her handbag, Anastasia searched the rest of the safehouse. It seemed the Americans had picked the place clean, even taking the fake passports that were stashed in the bathroom. It didn't matter, Anastasia knew if a better way to get on a plane, all it needed was a change of clothes and the right woman. Going back to the bedroom, Anastasia laid on the bed and closed her eyes. The night had left her exhausted, and she would need her strength come the morning. She settled on the bed, thinking of her sweet Maria, her gentle caress the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin. Anastasia soon lost herself in bliss.



Dulles International Airport 08:30am The next day



Anastasia had woken at seven the next morning, she had policed the scene scrubbing down the safe house and resealing the door before replacing the door key under the slab. On the way to the airport, she had stopped at a roadside diner using her best American accent to order a coffee, with sausages eggs, ham and a stack of toast to get her strength up she hadn't eaten since her meal on the ship that brought her to Greenland. Paying her tab and even leaving a tip with the money she had stolen from the punk girl, Anastasia had arrived at the airport by 08:30 in the morning. She now needed to find a flight to Luanda and a uniform from an unwilling donor. Walking into the terminal, Anastasia scanned the departure boards finding a KLM flight to Luanda, flight KM7584 leaving in a hour and a half. Now she just needed to find a uniform. Turning she saw a young KLM stewardess, walk past her clutching a packet of cigarettes. Smiling Anastasia appraised the woman, she was a pretty little thing with strawberry blonde hair, under her blue hat pinned with wings on the front, with high cheekbones, slightly squared features her eyes a pale turquoise colour, she looked no more than 21. Her uniform consisted of a blue sweater vest, with a "trainee" badge pinned on her left breast, underwhich she wore a patterned blue and white polka dot blouse with a blue and white scarf knotted around her slender neck. A blue knee length skirt with black heels, completed the look. A black handbag looped around her shoulder. Anastasia smiled, the girl was her size she just needed to find out if she was going to Luanda. She followed the young stewardess out of the terminal, around the corner into a secluded alley.



As she stood in the alleyway, KLM trainee stewardess Marianne Summers, nervously tried to light her cigarette flicking once, twice even but the damn thing wouldn't light! "Damn fucking stupid thing, work damn you!" She cursed at her throbbing thumb. "Everything alright, honey?" Marianne looked up to find a very pretty young blonde punk dressed in a very sexy outfit that brought out her curves. " It's just I can't light this fucking cigarette, I'am so nervous!" She cried stamping her foot in frustration. "Look, come here." The woman, took out two cigarettes lit on for herself the other for Marianne. "Ah, thanks honey. You're a saint. What's the name of my beautiful rescuer?" Marianne flirted slightly, more to calm her nerves as she accepted the proffered cigarette. "The name's Peyton, Peyton Sanders." She answered puffing on the cigarette. "If I may ask what's got you all jittery?" Marianne nodded as she took a drag of her cigarette, Peyton that was pretty name. "Well, Peyton. My name's Marianne. It's my first trainee flight as a stewardess for KLM and I'am so afraid I might screw it up." Peyton nodded as she blew out a stream of blue smoke. "I'am sure it will out well sweetie. If they based it on looks alone, I'am sure you will pass with flying colours." Marianne laughed at the well meaning joke, blushing ever so slightly. "That's very sweet of you Peyton." The platinum blonde punk nodded, taking another drag, of her cigarette. "So where are you heading? Somewhere exotic I take it?" Peyton asked innocently. Marianne blew out a steady stream of smoke. "Yep, it's a long haul flight to Luanda in Angola. Despite the communists there, I heard it's very pretty." Peyton gave her a curious look, as she stubbed out her cigarette. "Well I have a flight to catch to Luanda. Shit! I just dropped my lighter." Peyton cried as she fumbled her lighter. Marianne smiled, she bent down to retrieve it. "Don't worry I got this, it's the least I could d-ugh!!" Marianne wasn't prepared for the blow to the back of her neck, that knocked her unconscious her hat fell from her head. Standing over her prone body, arm outstretched Anastasia shook her head. "Stupid, naive girl." She said.




"Normally, your naivety would have led to nothing but your death, but today I'am feeling merciful. Count yourself lucky dear, had you been more brighter and thus a problem, I would opted for something more permanent." Anastasia said to the unconscious Marianne as she stripped completely naked. "Let's get you out of that uniform, Marianne. You dumb little bitch." She knelt by the unconscious Marianne, rolling her over and began to undress her. After removing the girls high heels, Anastasia lent the unconscious woman against her holding up her arms pulling the sweater vest over her strawberry blonde head. As Marianne's arms fell to her sides, the KGB agent unbuttoned the stewardesses blouse revealing a blue satin and lace plunge bra with floral patterns, covering full C-cup breasts. "Hmm? You maybe a dumb bitch, but you have good taste in lingerie. Well that's mine now, along with everything else." Anastasia removed Marianne's scarf, then rolled her body onto its side unzipping the skirt from the rear and peeling it down her long dancers legs, exposing her matching blue satin and lace floral pattern panties, that protected her modesty. Rolling Marianne's unconscious form, onto her front Anastasia whipped off her panties. "Not bad, but I really like mine Latin." Anastasia said as she pulled up the stolen panties, as she regarded the stewardesses full vulva topped with a small tuft of strawberry blonde pubic hair. After removing the rest of the blouse, from Marianne's slim attractive body, Anastasia pulled the girl into a seated position unhooking her bra and slipping it from her shoulders letting the now naked body fall onto the tarmac. Anastasia quickly got dressed in her stolen uniform, admiring the firm well-formed C-cup breasts of Marianne, with perky circular pink areolas. "You American girls, can't hold a candle to my Maria." She remarked as she fixed on the hat. "Hmm? Blue was always my colour." Now fully dressed, Anastasia put her photos and Makarov pistol in Marianne's handbag, then tore up Peyton's sheer shirt binding Marianne's wrists, ankles and gagging her. "Not something I usually do, but like I said it's your lucky day, Marianne." Anastasia hauled the naked body of Marianne onto her shoulder, opened the lid of the dumpster and casually tossed her inside like a sack of rubbish. "Have a nice nap, you silly little American. I have a flight to catch." She tossed the remains of Peyton's clothes, along with the punk's empty handbag onto Marianne's body before closing the lid. Anastasia scooped up the handbag, looped the handbag over her shoulder as she walked out of the alley, and back into the terminal.



Using her disguise, Anastasia walked up to the boarding gate where a KLM Stewardess greeted her, a pretty chestnut haired girl with shoulder length curls wearing a blue uniform. "Oh hello, you must be Marianne our trainee! Welcome to the KLM family!" She said with a beaming smile, Anastasia flashed one back holding out her hand. "Yes! I'am Marianne. Marianne Summers. Pleased to meet you!" She mimicked Marianne's silly little east coast accent perfectly. The brunette took her hand warmly shaking it. "A pleasure, Marianne. I'am Denise Stiller, your shadow. I will be looking after all on this, your first flight. Walk with me." Anastasia fell into step behind Denise as they walked down the boarding tube. " We will be working in first class, so nothing too strenuous for you just yet." Anastasia had to suppress a chuckle, she had killed and impersonated that many stewardesses that she practically could be one herself. Why, she could wager she could do Denise's job better then she could herself. "How long will the flight be, Denise?" Anastasia asked with an air of innocence, as the pair reached the door to the 747. Denise put her hand up to her chin, pondering. "Well it's a 16 hour flight. We will stop and refuel in Rabat, then it's a straight shot from there." Anastasia inwardly sighed, while it was a long flight she would get to see her beloved again. "Right, thank you Denise." The brunette laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey don't worry, Marianne we have your back. You're part of the KLM family now." Anastasia nodded as they walked onto the plane. This was going to be a long flight she thought.



Outskirts of Luanda, Angola 10:00am


Anastasia sped down the dusty road towards the small farm, she and Maria had called home these last past 10 years, in a hire jeep. The long 16 hour flight had really taken it out of her. Denise, the even more stupider woman than Marianne was had given her a sparkling performance review. Which was ironic, considering how dumb Marianne was. Anastasia had checked into a local hotel, showered and had a bite to eat but didn't have chance to change into something a little more comfortable. She was still dressed in the uniform and underwear she had taken from Marianne. As she sped down the track towards the farm, Anastasia had a bad feeling that couldn't explain that something terrible had happened. As she neared the farm, she could see smoke on the horizon coming from it's direction. "No, no, no. Please not Maria." Anastasia repeated twice as she got closer, a mantra of denial. As she stopped the jeep, she could see two cars with Angolan plates, one had been shot up by automatic weapons fire smoke billowing from the engine block, the two corpses of men slumped in the front seats. And there was smoke billowing from the farm house. Anastasia quickly stripped off the hat and scarf, tearing a cut into her skirt. As she picked up the 9mm suppressed Makarov from the passenger seat, Anastasia darted out of the jeep turning to see a young dark haired woman wearing a cream pantsuit, with a blue blouse underneath holding out a Makarov, rounding the one of the cars. " Izmenniik!" she cried in Russian, traitor. Anastasia reacted quickly putting two suppressed shots into her forehead, double tap. The girl fell back, dead before she hit the ground. Scooping up the dead woman's handgun, she heard a woman's scream. "Anastasia! Ugh!" There were two shots, two yelps of pain then nothing. "Maria! I'am coming!" Rushing up the stairs of the porch and entering the living room she was confronted by a bald headed Russian man, in a dark suit. "It's you the renegade- ugh!" Anastasia blew out his kneecaps with two shots each from either handgun, the man screamed in pain as he fell forwards. "Where is she! Answer me, svoloch!" She said as she stood on his bloody ruined knee, he cried out in pain. "She's in there, the bedroom your little bitch. But we got her good, you too late, iz- ah!" Bang! Anastasia shot him in his weapon arm. "Don't go anywhere. I have questions for you." Walking over the the mans struggling body, Anastasia had never felt me afraid, " Maria, it's okay. I'am here" she said with a lump in her throat as she walked into their bedroom.



"Ana..help..I'am in here." Came the weak voice of Maria De La Cruz, as she lay on her back two red holes in her white shirt, blood pooling around her. "No,no, no Maria!" Anastasia threw her handguns on the bed as she knelt by the stricken body of Maria, cradling her in her arms. "I got two of the bastards, Ana..." Maria said gesturing to the AK-47 beside her body, despite being 39 Maria was still as beautiful as the day Anastasia, met her in Luanda all those years ago. Then she was full of life, deadly and mericless. But here she lay in her arms, broken, bloody. Anastasia had never felt so helpless. "You did good, Maria, my love, you did good. But I should have been here for you, to protect you." Maria coughed up more blood, dappling her rounded features she fixed her big brown eyes on her. "No my love, you mustn't blame yourself ever." She caressed Anastasia's cheek, as tears rolled down the KGB assassin's face. "We should have known they wouldn't let us be, my love. They fear our freedom...what we able... capable of..without the leash." Anastasia could feel her heart breaking with every cough from her beloved. "Maria, stay with me! I will get you help, it's not too late." Maria shook her head, her eyes full of fear. "No, it's too late for me, Ana. But you must live. Promise me, dear heart that you will kill the bastard who killed me." Anastasia took her beloveds hands in hers, tears streaming down her face. "I swear on our love, that they will die." She said with conviction." Ana coughed up more blood, this time black. "Good, now hold me. Stay with me and kiss me one last time." Anastasia smiled as their tear stained faces met, their lips meeting in passionate embrace. As Maria pulled out of the kiss, she caressed her lovers face. "So beautiful. I will always love you." Then her arm fell limply to the ground, the light in her eyes extinguished forever. Sobbing, Anastasia closed those beautiful eyes their life together flashing before her own eyes. "I love you too, Maria." She screamed in rage and anguish, her heart finally breaking. Taking deep breaths, feeling the anger inside her Anastasia gently lowered Maria's body. "Be back soon my love." She said before turning towards the bed grabbing the handguns as she passed.



The wounded KGB man hadn't got very far, the blood trail he made him easy to track like a fat snail. Anastasia found him near the front door, storming up to him she rolled him onto his back with her foot. "Tell me bastard? I know the KGB sent you, but tell me was it her. I will make your death quick and painless if you talk." Anastasia kept her voice even, staring straight into the man's watery blue eyes. The man nodded. "Yes, it was your handler. Lyuda Valinova. She ordered the hit on you, traitor. You and your wife." He answering laughing despite his pain. Anastasia put a foot on his shoulder, twisting it the man roared in pain. "Why? Why label us traitors!? Is this because you fear us? Is this about Afghanistan? Tell me!" The man shook his head. "You know that's not how this works, Agent Swallow. They just tell us to kill whoever and that's all we do. Because that's what we were trained to do, as loyal servants of the motherland. We never ask questions." A dawning realisation hit her, she was nothing but a tool to the KGB. She had killed for them, faithfully and now they just cast her aside, murdering the only woman who saw her as a person. "I have told you all I know, now kill me and make it quick, comrade." Anastasia shook her head, as stood over the dying man. She laid her foot across his throat. "I'am not your fucking comrade!" Anastasia said as she stamped on it, crushing his throat. She walked away, leaving the man to choke to death very slowly. Ignoring his whimpering, Anastasia walked back into the bedroom, gently scooping up Maria's body carrying it outside. It took her 10 minutes to dig Maria a suitable grave, paying her final respects to her beloved. She uttered the lord's prayer in Russian, something she hadn't done since the orphanage. Anastasia didn't believe, she had taken too many lives to even care but Maria believed. As she placed the photographs on the grave, Anastasia took one from the top it was her favourite smiling she took it. After blowing a kiss on top of the wooden cross, the KGB assassin finally said goodbye. Anastasia made a vow, never to love again. Back in the farmhouse, she stripped off her stolen stewardess outfit, showered and changed clothes. Anastasia found their go bag, that they had set up so long ago hidden under their bed. Taking out the fake passports, some cash, extra magazines for the Makarov and some wigs, Anastasia now knew her final destination. She would travel to Moscow, to where it all began. She will kill Lyuda Valinova, and have her revenge. Walking away from the farmhouse she once called home, and sparing her beloved one last glance, Anastasia clambered into the jeep, switching on the ignition. She had another flight to catch.


The Lubyanska, KGB Headquarters Moscow 3 days later 21:00pm


Colonel Lyuda Valinova, walked towards her office on the third floor of the KGB Headquarters. She hadn't heard anything from the hit squad that had been dispatched to kill Maria de la Cruz in three days. She wasn't overly concerned, the KGB had communication issues all the time. It was bad enough she was dealing with reports of a break in at the archives downstairs, just a couple of days ago. She knew that it had been a petty thing to order Maria's death, but with Anastasia now at the Americans pleasure Lyuda had to teach the little bitch a lesson in taking away the only woman she had considered a daughter. It was no easy thing betraying Anastasia, but the KGB had to remain strong there was no room for love in this business. It was weakness. As she entered her office, she greeted her secretary Ivana, who was dressed in a pale green buttoned shirt, olive green knee length skirt and brown leather pumps. Her uniform jacket draped over her chair. " Good evening, Ivana. Any messages?" She asked the woman, who suddenly rose from her desk, whipping off her curly brown hair revealing a platinum blonde pixie cut, pointing a suppressed Makarov at her chest. "Hello, comrade Valinova." Said Anastasia Tereshkova, her voice even grinning. Lyuda reared back. Anastasia opened the cabinet behind her, revealing the bound gagged half naked form of the real Ivana Zminova tears streaming down her face, as she screamed into her tape gag, clad only in her black lace trim bra and matching hipster shorts. Her big hazel eyes full of tears, as her curly medium hair bounced around her bare shoulder beautiful face full of terror. " Surprised I'am capable of sparing people, Lyuda? Unlike what you and the KGB think, I'am not a simple killing machine, I can leave people alive if I want." Lyuda shook her head. "How are you not dead?" Anastasia pointed the suppressed Makarov at her chest. " You should know, Lyuda. You trained me to be an assassin." Glancing nervously at the pistol in Anastasia's hand, Lyuda asked. "How did you get in here? This is a high security building!" Anastasia nodded her head to the half naked Ivana, who was still crying. "Trade secrets, Lyuda. But I will say this, your secretary was a great help." Ivana sobs were muffled by her gag. "Tell me this, Lyuda. Why her? Why did Maria have to die?" Anastasia asked with an even voice that dripped with menace. Lyuda straightened herself up. "It was nothing personal. But you were compromised by your relationship with her. She made you weak, and the KGB needs strong agents. And she wasn't right for you." Anastasia let out a scream of rage, as she gunned Lyuda down shooting her twice in the chest and once in the head. "I travelled half the world just to kill you, for her. I'am not weak!" She cried as Lyuda's body hit the carpeted floor. The secretary, Ivana screamed into her gag in terror. Anastasia simply turned fixing her with a cold stare, that silenced the young pretty secretary.



Anastasia walked up to the secretary, bound in a foetal position in just her underwear. " You didn't think I had forgotten about you, did you?" Anastasia gently caressed the girls cheek with the suppressor on her pistol. The young woman, shook her head pleading with her eyes. "Do you think I left you alive just to teach a lesson to Lyuda? I need you to deliver a message: tell the KGB the Swallow as flown. I'am no longer their lapdog. Do you think that you do that, sweetheart?" The young secretary slowly nodded. Then without a word, Anastasia put her finger to her lips and closed the cabinet door leaving Ivana Zminova in darkness. Scooping up the woman's jacket, Anastasia slipped it on sparing Lyuda's cooling corpse one last look. "For Maria." She said as she swept from the office.


Epilogue Moscow Paveletsky Train Station 1 hour later


Anastasia still dressed in her stolen secretaries uniform, sat on the bench in the train station clutching the photograph of herself and Maria, young hopeful and very much in love. It had only been three days since her death and she already missed her. For the first time in her life, Anastasia was free but she had no idea where to go or what do next. "What do I do, Maria?" She asked the photograph sighing when she received no answer. "Penny for your thoughts Comrade?" Came a young woman's voice, a strange accent of British mixed with German. She turned to see a beautiful brunette with sculptured features, and deep blue eyes, her dark brown hair tied into an elegant ponytail. "Please leave me alone, I have nothing left anymore." Anastasia looked up at the woman, who smiled sitting herself next to her. "I know all about you, Anastasia Tereshkova. Does the name Samantha Bruckner, mean anything to you?" Anastasia reared back, shaking her head. The woman lent back onto the bench. "My name is Caroline Vollner-Shaw. And she was a friend of mine. It's all in your KGB file. You were the KGB agent who supervised her defection, brought her into the KGB. You know that her former lover, Harper Rasinski killed her." Anastasia sighed shaking her head. "I knew it, they never told me what happened but I knew deep down. It was me that ordered Samatha to kill her lover. But when I wrote it, I regretted it." Caroline laid a hand on her shoulders. "You have to tell her or she will kill you." Anastasia made a grunting sound. "She will kill me anyway, I forced her to kill her beloved and I now i lost mine. A fitting punishment..." Anastasia told Caroline her story, leaving no detail out. When she was finished, Caroline put her hands together. "You did want you had to do, Anastasia. I need people like you for a new Initiative we are putting together. We are going to change the world, and I want you to be a part of that." Anastasia grinned wanly leaning back. "Why? I'am a killer, and I make no apologies. It's what I'am good at." Caroline got up offering her a hand. "But you spared three people, because you chose too. It was like you said to Lyuda, you are no killing machine. You are human like the rest of us. Join us, seize that freedom and make Maria's death mean something. I know it's what she would want." After some thought, Anastasia took Caroline's hand getting up of the bench. "Welcome to the Shadow Initiative, Anastasia." She said as they walked out of the train station. "The Shadow Initiative, seriously?" Anastasia shrugged "You couldn't come up with a better name?" Caroline laughed as they came to a waiting car. "I wouldn't say that, Harper came up with it."

[esercito sconfitto]

thanks for the Anastasia and Peyton Sanders meeting, such a remarkable scene

[Stormtrooper1990]

thanks for the Anastasia and Peyton Sanders meeting, such a remarkable scene

Your very welcome my friend. Out of all the scenes in this story, that one was perhaps my favourite to write as it represents the change in Anastasia from assassin to anti-heroine.