“Let’s see if we can get that collar off of you,” said Cassandra as she examined the leather band around Nadia’s neck. “Standard fetish collar and lock. They probably buy this stuff wholesale.”

“That’s comforting,” replied Nadia sarcastically. “Can you get it off?”

“Sure thing, let me get my smaller knife.”

“Can you get it off without ruining it?”

“You want to keep it?”

Nadia blushed and nodded.

“What was it Sergei said the day we met?” asked Cassandra. “Ah yes. Whatever floats boat,” she said with a russian accent causing Nadia to giggle. “Let me get my lockpicks. I don’t know if I have a rake small enough to fit that lock.” Nadia sat on the bed straightening out her socks while Cassandra retrieved her lockpicks from the living room, where she found Sergei playing on her XBOX 360.

“I hope you don’t mind,” said Sergei pointing at the TV. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“It’s fine,” she replied taking the lockpicks back into the bedroom where she found Nadia had straightened herself out, and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She sat down on the bed, and using the smallest tools in her kit, set to work on the lock. After a few minutes she heard the lock click, and she slowly removed the lock and the collar from Nadia’s neck. “Well, I salvaged it.”

“Thank you,” replied Nadia hugging and kissing her.

Cassandra’s phone rang and caused them both to jump. The caller ID revealed it was Jessica. “Hey Jess, what’s up?”

“You caused quite a ruckus in Miami last night.”

“Nobody knows it was us do they?”

“No. Nobody knows anything. What in the hell were you up to?”

“Do you remember Nickolai Pavlovski?”

“Your FSB contact in Moscow?”

“Yeah.”

“What does he have to do with this?”

“I extracted his daughter from that brothel last night.”

“Oh. That makes sense, but why do you sound like a woman?”

“Hang on,” replied Cassandra as she turned to Nadia. “Will you be okay for a few minutes? I need to take this in private.”

“Sure,” replied Nadia.

“Thanks,” replied Cassandra as she kissed Nadia on the forehead before getting up and walking out to the front porch. “Still there Jess?”

“Yeah, now what’s going on?”

“Jess the reason I left the army, is the same reason I sound like a woman. I’m transgendered.”

“You’re kidding me right?”

“No Jess, I’m dead serious.”

“Wow, I never would’ve guessed. Oh, also, I heard there’s a civilian intelligence advisor position about to open up if you’re looking for a job.”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind. I should get going though. I have a russian demolitions expert playing xbox in my living room.”

“You would,” giggled Jessica. “Call me later.”

“Will do,” replied Cassandra as she hung up the phone. She walked back into the bedroom to find that Nadia had hung her collar with the chain still attached from a hook the previous tenant had left in the wall.

“I want it to always remind me of the darkness you rescued me from,” said Nadia as she wrapped her arms around Cassandra’s waist.

“Nadia, you know, as much as I don’t want to, I have to return you to your father soon,” replied Cassandra causing Nadia to run across the room and curl up on the floor.

“I won’t go back. You can’t make me!” she shouted. Cassandra, stunned by the girl’s reaction, ran over to her and pulled her into a hug.

“You know I don’t want to send you back,” Cassandra said reassuringly. “I’ve known you less than a day, and my life is already exponentially better. I can’t even imagine how wonderful my life would be if I were able to keep you in it, but I have to know why you’re so scared to go back.”

“I just can’t go back,” sobbed Nadia.

“You don’t have to tell me now,” replied Cassandra as she squeezed the girl tighter and kissed her on top of her head. She sat there comforting Nadia for several minutes before her sobs finally died down.

“Please let me stay with you,” she plead looking up at Cassandra like a frightened child. Cassandra stared into those captivating blue orbs wondering how Nadia could one minute be so grown up, and the next a frightened child. She wondered if it had something to do with the girl’s disease. Many interesting theories ran through her head, but in the end it didn’t matter. All she knew was that she was going to take care of this girl. She leaned down and gently kissed Nadia.

“You can stay with me forever. In fact, I hope you do,” smiled Cassandra.

“Thank you,” Nadia said as she squeezed herself against Cassandra before kissing her on the cheek. “Your face is prickly,” she giggled. Cassandra dropped her gaze and sighed, but Nadia lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes. “It’s okay,” she smiled, “we all have things in our past we’d like to forget.”

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” Cassandra replied half heartedly.

“Of course I’m right, now go get cleaned up,” said Nadia as she kissed Cassandra on the cheek and pushed her towards the bathroom.

Cassandra snapped to attention and saluted her. “Yes Ma’am!” she said before dropping her salute, executing an about face, and marching towards the bathroom leaving a giggling Nadia on the bed. She took off her nightgown and panties first before reaching down to remove her socks. She stopped for a second when she saw the circle of lace around her ankle as it reminded her of Katie. She thought back to that day in Georgia as she finished undressing and showered. She wondered if the girl she reluctantly left behind was doing okay and decided she needed a way to keep tabs on her.

She climbed out of the shower and after quickly toweling off glanced in the mirror. Her reflection still caused her some pain, however her hair had grown a bit over the past few weeks and she could now at least pass for a civilian. She lathered up her face with shaving cream, and started shaving. “There’s got to be a better way,” she said to no one in particular. She finished shaving and got dressed in a pair of flare leg jeans, some black canvas shoes, and her grey army PT shirt. She checked herself in her full length mirror and was definitely happier with what she saw than that first night in the apartment. Her muscles were a bit softer without the constant workout routine she kept in the army, and soon she would have enough hair that she wouldn't need her wig.

“You look lovely,” said Nadia who was leaning inside the doorway.

“Now I know you’re lying,” replied Cassandra.

“Am not!” pouted Nadia as she ran over to Cassandra and jumped into her arms planting a passionate kiss on her lips. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

“I’m a long way from beautiful, but thank you,” smiled Cassandra as she put Nadia down. They walked out into the living room where Sergei was still engrossed in the XBOX. Nadia joined him on the couch and picked up another controller as Cassandra went over to her desk and fired up her laptop. She tossed her phone to Nadia, “order us a pizza. I’ve got some research to do.”

To Be Continued...