Chapter One

Elda Ainsworth froze in place. Was that a footstep? Had she been detected?

She crouched down behind the dumpster. The cold wind whirled around her. She pulled up the collar of her black jacket and tugged her black watch cap down low over her curly salt and pepper hair.

Elda was glad the Russian factory she was next to, didn’t have guard dogs, and the guards were civilians, much like what she would call rent-a-cops in the United States. She held her breath and listened. Nothing.

She consulted her Garmin watch. He was late.

Her fingers were numb from the cold, despite her insulated gloves. She snugged her gaiter up over her nose and mouth to conceal any signs of breath. She would give her contact two more minutes. After that, she would have to leave to catch her ride out.

Elda had been in the Yelabuga area of Russia for three days now, gathering intel on the drone factory and shipping schedules. She existed in the shadows of the night and was dressed entirely in black, carrying a black backpack, and a 15 round semi-automatic compact Udav Poloz pistol, complete with a silencer. In a sheath on her belt, she stowed a Shaitan throwing knife.

Crunch. A footstep in the ice-covered snow.

Elda whirled around. Someone was here. She screwed the silencer onto her gun. Waited.

Voices floated over to her hiding place.

“Da. She told me to meet her by this factory.”

Damn. She had been sold out. That was her contact’s voice.

“It appears as if you have been stood up, little man. If you are telling the truth.”

Elda didn’t recognize that person.

Her contact spoke again. “I am. I swear to it. I would not lie to the FSB.”

“I think you have lied to me to save your skin from your own charges. This was your last chance.”

FSB. Damn that’s not good. Elda willed her heartbeat and breathing to slow. Her leg muscles tensed. She shifted her weight onto her front foot, in case she needed to run. She prayed she wouldn’t have to. She was slowing down as she got older. Her hand thumbed the safety on her pistol to off.

Elda heard a soft pop and the crash of a body falling over. Footsteps headed her way. She readied her aim.

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