I closed my eyes to block out the bustling activity and sounds of the street and throngs of people that pushed and shoved their way down the sidewalk before me. I hated coming into the city as it only reminded me that I was less than everyone else.

Regrettably, I opened them to look up into the faces of the strangers with their feigned smiles as they furtively cast their gazes upon me. Dozens of people flowed around me like I was an immovable rock in the middle of a stream. When a gap appeared, I glimpsed the shimmering facade of the monolithic mirrored glass and steel skyscraper that was Virtual Media Tech.

Trying not to hit anyone, I pushed the joystick of my wheelchair forward propelling me up the concrete ramp towards the entrance. I fought the contraption to get it positioned just right so I could hit the button that opened the door for me.

My life was like leftover rice that had sat out on the kitchen counter for a few days. Dried up, inedible, and tasteless. Ever since I lost my legs and my left arm in Afghanistan, I struggled to accept my new reality. A reality where I was a useless burden on society. I debated whether to even take up my friend’s offer. He said he had a job for me, something that would be perfect for me.

I rolled over to the front desk.

“How can I help you?”

“A new body would be fine. Can I get that with a side order of fries?” I watched the poor woman’s face drain of color and I sighed. “Sorry, just some bad wheelchair humor. I’m here to see Jack DeLaney.”

“And you are?”

“Alex Johnson.”

“Just a moment, Mr. Johnson. Let me check. I see you’re on the guest list. Please go ahead and take the elevator to the thirty-seventh floor.”

I bit back my reply about rather taking the stairs and directed my wheelchair over to the elevator. Once I was inside, I managed to only run over one person’s foot before exiting into a waiting area. I moved over to the window and stared down at the city. From this perspective it reminded me of an ant’s nest that just got hit by a stick.

“Alex!”

I spun around and tipped my head. “Jack.”

“You even wore a tie, Alex. I’m impressed.”

“It’s a tie? I thought I was putting on a rope noose this morning. They’re easier to tie with one hand, you know.”

Jack frowned and I could tell he was carefully choosing his next words to avoid my suicide reference. “Come on, Alex. Let me show you what we do here. You’re going to love it.”

I followed Jack down several hallways and into a conference room. Jack moved to a table and picked up a flexible metal and plastic device.

“This is the future of entertainment.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, Jack, but I don’t see kids buying those.”

“Humor me, Alex. Let me put this on your forehead.”

“Knock yourself out.”

Jack stretched the item out, centered it on my forehead, and pressed small leads that extended out from the central filament, so they stuck to various places on my head.

“All right Alex, look at the screen in front of you and speak the words ‘test mode’.”

“Test mode.”

The screen displayed categories from immersive movies to sports. As I moved my focus, the cursor also moved on the screen. I was impressed by the tracking system.

“Being in test mode, I can now assist you with a selection.”

“Seriously, Jack. I probably look like an elf wearing a little black tiara right now.”

“Bear with me, Alex. You’re a sports buff, right?”

“I live vicariously through some uneducated guy running a ball from one end of a field to another. Jack, I don’t need more television.”

Jack grinned and moved into the sports category where there were listings of various players and games. “Strap yourself in, Alex.”

Jack selected a game and then a football player and…

I was running with the ball in my hands. I could feel the opposing team grab for me as I dodged and twisted to get away. Someone gripped my ankle and I spun to get free. My heart pounded faster; my legs pushed against the turf with fervor. A trickle of sweat dripped across my forehead. I could see the goal line and I gave an extra burst of speed, but I was slammed hard to the ground from behind.

Suddenly my world shifted, and I was back in the conference room.

I gasped. “Holy bat dung, Jack! What the hell was that?”

“That, my friend, is the future of entertainment.”

“My God! I was there! I was running! I felt the heat of the sun on my back. I had legs!”

“I’ll give you a few minutes to recuperate as I explain the technology. Fifteen years ago, this technology was first developed by the military as a training simulator. Soldiers would wear a recording device that received information from their visual cortex so that new recruits could ultimately see situations through the eyes of a real soldier. This allowed them to be immersed in a combat situation to truly understand what combat was like. Over the next few years, the technology became smaller and more sophisticated so that it began to record more sensory information. This was when the technology was leaked, and the porn industry saw potential. They were the ones that kept pushing the limits and improving the quality.”

Jack paused and shifted the screen to display a slide presentation. “You’ve been a bit of a homebody for the last few years, Alex. You may not have seen or heard much about this stuff, but it’s the latest craze. The entertainment industry picked up the technology and began developing immersive movies so that the audience could live a movie as if they were the main character. That was the first generation to hit the streets. Over the years, the second generation pushed even further, allowing for time-delayed streaming of immersive events. Currently, the public has access to the third generation which allows for an almost live experience.”

“Is that what I experienced?”

“Yes. We have athletes that are now paid to wear transmitters while they play. With your on-screen interface, you can select numerous options to be immersed into any number of games or events. Imagine being the quarterback during a Superbowl game. You’re no longer watching the game from the sidelines, instead, you feel like you’re living the game from the perspective of one of the players. You will feel like you’re actually there inside the game.”

“People pay for this?”

“Handsomely. To connect to a quarterback, people will pay upwards of a thousand dollars. Tens of thousands to connect during a championship game. We even offer subscription packages.”

“I can attest to the fact that what I just experienced was truly amazing, but why am I here?”

“I know you haven’t been…” Jack paused and reformed his thoughts. “I have a job for you, Alex. I need beta testers for the fourth-generation tech.”

“What’s the difference between third and fourth-gen?”

“The newest generation is fully immersive with sub-second response times. It is as close to feeling like you truly are the other person as possible without tapping into their memories or private thoughts. For all intents and purposes, it’s real time.”

“I thought that test was real. How much more realistic can it get?”

“Much more, Alex. The newest generation provides recommendations based upon your highest neural matches and preferences. The higher the match, the more realistic your experience will be.”

“Do I need to come into the city to work?”

“Not at all. I first need to run some tests on you, but if you’re a good fit for the job, we will install the required network and equipment at your home. The pay is good.”

“Why are you doing this for me?”

“Because I owe you for saving my butt.”

“I don’t want a handout, Jack.”

Jack looked down. “How much functionality did the doctor’s say you lost in the explosion?”

“I told you, Jack. It’s not that I don’t appreciate you trying to get me some work, but I feel I should compete equally and not be given a job just because I’m an invalid or we shared some experience together.”

“This is where you’re wrong, Alex. The best testers are the ones with the least amount of neural interference. Your injuries are precisely why you are a top candidate. You see, your brain receives information from every nerve in your body. It processes sensory information from your eyes, ears, taste buds, and nose as well. These senses can conflict with testing, offering skewed results. Imagine a transmission from someone smelling a rose, but you’re watching it from an apartment where someone just burnt the toast. There’s a conflict of the sensory information. For us to fine tune the next generation, we need to be certain we’re isolating sensory information between the person sending their data and the one receiving. I ask you again, how much functionality did you lose?”

“I lost both legs, my left arm, hearing from my left ear, and sight from my left eye.”

“This is why I called you, Alex. You’re perfect for us. It’s not a handout in any way.”

“Sorry, Jack…”

“No apologies necessary. If you’re interested, let’s get you in testing.”

***

Two months passed, and I had been testing the new fourth-gen tech for almost six weeks now. I lived for the experiences and often felt addicted to feeling whole again. Living the life of another person, even if it was for an hour at a time, was incredibly freeing and yet disheartening every time I slipped off the headset and shifted back into the reality of my own life.

I rolled into my home office and attached the device to my forehead. My screens activated as I searched for the matches I would be the most interested in. I could experience any of the entertainment options, but my job was to test from those that were also testing the transmission from fourth-generation gear. Switching to the beta-tester’s menu, I had the system sort potential opportunities based upon neural match.

This morning, at the top of the list, was a match that displayed at 99.8%. This was far higher than any other match I had before. The top match happened to be female, which wasn’t surprising as most of my highest matches had been female in the past. I wasn’t certain why that was, but I wasn’t complaining. What caught my eye was the athlete’s name, Avia Conner. She played center forward for the United States Women’s Soccer team. She was an incredibly talented athlete and often on magazine covers as she was also fit and unbelievably beautiful. A Lebanese American by birth, she had risen in the soccer ranks and was considered one of the top female players in the world.

I was a huge soccer fan, so seeing Avia on my list, and the fact that this was a Women’s World Cup final game, almost gave me heart palpitations. The game had just started the second half and, if I had any legs, I would have kicked myself for getting up late. I immediately selected Avia and was denied access. I tried again with no luck.

I grabbed my phone and called Jack.

“Hello, Alex. How are things going?”

“Great, but I just ran into a problem. I’m trying to connect and I’m getting an error.”

“Let me see what you’re doing. I’m mirroring your screen now. You’re trying to connect to Avia?”

“Yes.”

“It shows as restricted access. That’s odd. With such a high neural match, the readings would be perfect for us to use this session as a test. Let me check a few things… Hmmm… The restriction is for one person to connect at a time and someone already has that connection.”

“Damn.”

“No worries, Alex. I’ve got this. I wrote most of the code that applies the restrictions. I’m making an executive decision and am going to disconnect whoever is connected. I’ll then lock them out entirely. Get ready…”

***

I could hear the roar of the crowd as I raced full speed down the field. With a nod to my teammate on the right wing I watched as she crossed the ball towards me. I was surrounded by defense and the ball was slightly behind me. Spinning around and putting my back to the goal, I jumped and scissor-kicked the ball towards the net before crashing heavily to the ground. The crowd was on their feet screaming. I got to my feet just as my teammates tackled me. It was a goal! I ran back to center field and glanced up at the clock. Forty minutes to go and we were all tied up.

I wished I could feel Avia’s thoughts. The immersion experience was more vivid than any I had ever experienced before. I was fully there, in Madrid. I felt every hair on Avia’s head as it bounced and swayed. I felt the incredible fitness and strength of her long legs. I heard the wind as she raced up the field. I was thirsty when she was thirsty and felt pain when she was kicked by another player. I could feel the pounding of her heart in her chest as if it were my own.

I almost severed the connection several times as the sensations were too lifelike. I knew it would be devastating to end the session. However, this was a chance of a lifetime. I now understood why someone would pay so much money. This was miraculous technology.

The game was tied with only a few minutes remaining. I ran as fast as my worn legs could go. I was all alone with the ball. Three defense and the goalie were before me. I feigned a move to the left, let the ball slip back, tapped it with my left foot at the back of my step and cut to the right to get around the defender. Another defender was closing in fast. Hooking the ball with my back foot, I launched it over both our heads. I spun away from the defender, let the ball bounce once in front of me, then lined up my shot. I put all the power I had into the kick. The ball rocketed away from me just as the last defender slammed her shoulder into me.

I could feel myself spinning in the air, but I kept my eye on the ball. The goalie dove, the ball clipped her fingers, and I saw the back of the net push out with the ball. Crashing hard to the ground, I heard the whistle, but the ball was in the net.

I slowly got to my feet as my teammates grabbed me. The referee held out a red card towards the defender, then pointed to center field before glancing at her watch and blowing the whistle three times. The game was over. We had won!

I had never felt such raw emotions pouring through me or the powerful sensation from every nerve and muscle. It was life giving and amazing. This was an experience like no other, as if the only thing that separated my life from Avia’s was a thin, fragile veil.

I was hoisted onto the bouncing shoulders of my teammates. The crowd erupted into chants and singing. I smiled and screamed my excitement while reaching my hands to my exuberant teammates.

I was caught up in the emotion of the moment when a huge explosion rippled through the stadium. Cheers became screams. I felt the heat of the blast as the force of the explosion threw me to the ground. I rolled and got quickly to my feet. People were yelling and running in all directions. I grabbed the arm of my teammate and pulled her to her feet. “Run for the changerooms!”

We ran as fast as we could, dodging falling debris and panicking people. Security guards waved us forward. Gunfire erupted. I pushed my teammate forward and paused briefly to look back at the devastation. I was nearly brought to my knees by the horrific sights and sounds all around me. As I turned back into the stadium hallway, I came face to face with masked men holding guns.

“There she is. Take her!”

I turned to run when I felt something cold touch the back of my neck. I heard the electric spark of a taser and collapsed to the ground shaking violently before everything went dark.

***

I woke suddenly and with instantly awareness and clarity. I was lying on a thin, rough, uncovered mattress in a room with gray cement walls. A heavy, rusted steel door was the only exit. I felt pain on my neck and moved my hand towards it but stopped suddenly. I stared at my hand and moved it back and forth. I knew I was Alex, but had I just controlled Avia’s hand?

“Hello?” I whispered. I looked up towards the single, dim light bulb that hung from the ceiling by a pair of wires. Something was wrong. I was moving Avia’s body. I had control. I even had Avia’s memories. I recalled the game and the explosion. I remembered the neural transmitter being attached to the back of my neck before the game. I remembered being told about a high-paying government official wanting to connect. The money was good, so I had agreed.

I had Avia’s knowledge, but somehow, I was controlling her. Why do I have control?

I looked down at my body. I was still wearing the soccer uniform and cleats. I was Avia. Female.

The door burst open and a huge man came into the room. I felt incredibly vulnerable and backed away onto the far corner of the cot.

“Get up!”

He grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet. He was massive in comparison to me. He dragged me through the complex and into another room. It looked a little like an operating room.

“Lie face down.”

There were several large men, and someone dressed in a white doctor’s outfit.

“What are you going to do?”

I was lifted like a sack of potatoes and roughly pressed face down on the table. I squirmed and tried to get away, but they were too strong.

The doctor spoke in Russian. “Hold her firm. I must remove the transmitter.”

I searched Avia’s memories. She didn’t know Russian, but as Alex, I did. I felt the men’s hands put more pressure on my arms, legs, and head. The doctor moved to my neck and delicately pulled four metal strands that held the transmitter to me.

This is it. Once they remove the transmitter, my connection will be lost.

With one final tug from the central lead, I screamed from the pain. The doctor ordered the men to release me. He smashed the device against the wall then stomped on it with his heavy boot several times. I was harshly pulled upwards and placed back on my feet. I stared at the broken transmitter. How did this happen? How can I still be in control of Avia? How can I be in control at all?

The doctor spoke to the men again. “Take her to the plane.”

“Where are you taking me?”

One of the large men held me as the doctor turned to face me. “We rescued you from the terrorists. Vladimir Kaznikov has asked for us to bring you to him for your own safety.”

The doctor waved his hand and the giant man dragged me through the building and shoved me into the back seat of a black Mercedes SUV.

Vladimir Kaznikov was a rich Russian diplomat that was a fan of Avia. He and Avia were supposed to meet tomorrow for dinner. Some people called him a Russian playboy.

The large man squeezed himself next to me and ordered the driver to take us to a private airstrip.

“I’m an American citizen. You must let me go!”

“We are merely looking after your safety. There are terrorists all over Madrid right now.”

“Then take me to the U.S. Embassy!”

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be wise as the U.S. Embassy is under attack.”

I crossed my arms and sat back, only just now realizing my real predicament. I was a woman being kidnapped. Perhaps it was Avia’s memories that made me feel comfortable in her body, or that I had experienced the sensations of being female several times before with the virtual technology. Either way, I felt oddly at ease as my arms protectively covered my breasts however the sensations I was feeling were enhanced beyond anything the technology could bring. Even my sense of smell was more robust as I picked up the slightly musky smell of my sweated body and oils used to keep the leather moist on the vehicle seats.

I spotted smoke several times during our drive to the airport. The heavy glass of the Mercedes dulled the sounds of what could have been distant gunfire. Still, with all the dangers in the area, I couldn’t get over the fact I was being kidnapped. I secretly tried to open my door several times to no avail.

We pulled up to a small jet aircraft. The big man exited and walked around to my side to open the door for me. I stepped out of the vehicle and decided if they had wanted me dead, I would be already. I broke away from the men and ran for the main terminal building. I quickly outdistanced the lumbering men and I grinned, very grateful for the speed and fitness of Avia.

I was almost at the main door just when three men stepped outside with guns. They pointed them at me, and I skidded to a stop. I was about to run a different direction when a heavy hand came down on my shoulder holding me fast.

With heavy gasping breaths, the giant guard held me firm. “You… shouldn’t keep… Mr. Kaznikov… waiting. After all, he… rescued you. Do I need to throw you… over my shoulder and carry you back to the plane?”

I had to bide my time and watch for more opportunities to escape. “I’ll cooperate.”

“Wise decision.”

The men stayed close and escorted me onto the plane. The plane was a lavish corporate jet complete with a pretty, dark-haired stewardess with her hair tightly drawn up in a professional bun. I was shoved roughly down into a seat. As I looked up, I faced a handsome man sitting across from me. He wore an expensive, tailored suit.

“Miss Conner. I’m a huge fan of yours. Very nice goals by the way. I’m Vladimir Kaznikov.”

“Let me go.”

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be a good idea. The streets are overrun with terrorists.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

The plane started to move.

“It would be best to get you out of Madrid and to safety. We’re leaving Spain and taking a short flight to Monaco. You’ll be safer there. Champagne?”

“No thank you.”

I stared out the window as the plane took off. Once we levelled off, Vladimir leaned forward. “You should relax. Take your hair out of your braids. It always looks better when it’s loose.”

I reminded myself of the situation I was in. I was Alex, a seasoned military man, but I was currently in the body of a five-foot nine, one hundred and twenty-five-pound woman on a plane with a kidnapper and some very large men with guns. My years of training kept me reasonably calm, but my mind was anything but quiet. Avia had been kidnapped and I could wake up back in my home at any moment. I needed to absorb everything I could if I were to help rescue her or at the very least provide important details to someone that could.

“This is kidnapping.”

Vladimir laughed. “You see this as kidnapping when I see it as a rescue. Madrid is in chaos and I was already there to meet you after the game. I know we had our dinner planned for tomorrow night, but I was at the game and wanted to congratulate you.”

“Rescues typically don’t involve tasers, guns, and thugs. Also, a rescue might involve getting more than one person out of an imploding stadium at a time.”

“We found you unconscious. The guns my men wear are for your protection. We barely managed to get out with you let alone anyone else.”

“Somehow that doesn’t line up with being thrown face down on an operating table and having my transmitter ripped from my neck.”

“We thought there was a possibility it was installed by the terrorists and we had no time to debate with you had you somehow been compromised. We couldn’t risk the transmission being used to identify us or where we were taking you.”

“I should at least get a message to my team to let them know I’m somewhere between Madrid and Monaco at thirty-thousand feet.”

“Madrid is having communications challenges right now. Particularly inbound which can be expected with such a terrorist act. When we land, I can assist you with getting a message to the United States. I’m not your enemy here.”

I sought Avia’s memories regarding her interactions with Vladimir. There had been some correspondence and a request to meet. That had been the limit. I started to feel the effects of the game and realized I haven’t had water for several hours.

“May I have some water please?”

Vladimir turned quickly to face one of the guards. “You didn’t offer her water?”

The guard shrugged as the stewardess moved to get me something to drink.

“I apologize Avia. You must be exhausted from your game and needing nourishment.”

The stewardess arrived with a large glass of water that I sipped slowly to allow my body time to better absorb it.

“What are your intentions towards me?”

“When we arrive in Monaco, we will transfer from the plane to my yacht. I have everything you need there including clothes and the ability to communicate anywhere in the world.”

“You have clothes on your yacht ready for me?”

“I know how that might sound to you like this was all premeditated. I am a man of means and once I knew the situation, I called ahead to my staff for them to arrange to have something for you to change into and make you feel more comfortable.”

“That’s… I’m worried about my team.”

“As am I. Let’s see if we can get any news about the situation.”

A large television activated behind me. Vladimir patted his hand on the seat next to him, but I opted to shift over to another seat across the central aisle. When Vladimir found a source of news, he scrolled back the feed until the beginning.

“I’m here at what is left of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Just four short hours ago, this stadium was filled with fans and media for the Women’s World Cup Soccer final. We all witnessed history as Avia Conner scored the winning goal in the final seconds of the match. A minute later, the stadium was in chaos. You can see behind me that nearly one third of the stadium has collapsed from the blast. It will be weeks to find all the bodies buried in the rubble. Switching to recorded feed from the moment of the explosion.”

I watched in horror as the cameras that had been focused on Avia shook violently and panned to see a fireball and smoke rising from the stadium. Pandemonium broke out. People were running in all directions. The screen switched back to announcers in the studio.

“What do we know for certain, Alice?”

“This all appears to have been a coordinated attack. Within seconds of the stadium explosion, another explosion occurred next to the U.S. Embassy. That was followed by groups of armed men opening fire in the stadium and on the embassy. No terrorist groups have claimed responsibility.”

“It appears that the acts of violence were focused on the Americans.”

“It is too early to tell at this point as we have also received word from numerous locations around Madrid of other attacks.”

“What about casualties?”

“At least three thousand are dead but that estimate is expected to rise.”

“This is a horrible and devastating blow to the Women’s World Cup. Do we know anything about the safety of the teams?”

“At this time, all but one person is safe and accounted for. Sadly, Avia Conner is missing. According to witnesses, Avia was last seen escaping the field into the safety of the underground portions of the stadium.”

“Do we have any theories?”

“None.”

Vladimir turned off the television.

I sat in disbelief at what I had just seen. So many people had died.

“I have a theory, Avia. I think this was all staged.”

“Staged? For what reason?”

“To kickstart a new war. The United States has pulled out of all wars overseas and their economy has suffered because of it. Military spending puts many taxpayer dollars into the hands of citizens and corporations. That, in turn, stimulates the economy. With no wars, spending is down. My sources suggest that the U.S. will put the blame on Russia. I think this was a ploy to build anger and resentment against the perpetrators. I think you are key to all of this.”

“Me?”

“The explosion was in a place to carefully block all exits from the stadium except for two. Additional gunfire directed all athletes towards one exit. You were the last athlete to get off the field. I believe whoever orchestrated all of this wanted to kidnap you.”

“That’s insane. Why would anyone want me?”

Vladimir raised an eyebrow. “You’re the most celebrated female athlete of all time. You’re exquisitely beautiful, articulate, and loved by billions around the world. You’re more popular than Hollywood actors and presidents. Imagine this. Avia Conner scores the winning goal in a World Cup Final. The U.S. Embassy is attacked, the stadium where the game is at is also attacked. The only one missing is the one person that everyone is really worried about. You. Your loss fans the flames of war.”

I looked down past my tightly bound breasts to my long, lean legs. “There’s no way that can be true. Why were you there?”

Vladimir stretched out his hands. “I told you this already. What can I say? I’m a huge fan. I was in the stadium. When the explosion hit, I sent my men down to find you to make sure you were safe. This was not done without significant loss. You were unconscious and being dragged away by a dozen men. I lost three of my men in that fight to rescue you.”

As part of Avia’s public relations, her manager set up a dinner meeting with the Russian entrepreneur and diplomat. Her manager had hoped that the meeting might open the door to more lucrative events for Avia in Russia. “Who do you think these men were that tried to take me?”

“I have my hunches. Several were Russian mercenaries, but there was one… CIA I think.”

I stood and paced a bit before sitting across from Vladimir again. “Let’s assume you’re correct, which I highly doubt as I still believe you’re kidnapping me. You believe the CIA was involved in killing thousands of people and attacking our own embassy to place the blame on Russia to start a war? And they wanted me… what… held hostage by some fictitious Russian terrorist group?”

Vladimir leaned back. “Yes. That pretty much sums it up. There’s one more catch. I’m certain the CIA might try to pin the whole thing on me. If they think I have you, then your life and mine may be in additional risk.”

I sat confused and dumbfounded. I didn’t trust Vladimir at all. “Why would I be at risk from my own country?”

“They need the added support from U.S. citizens to demand justice. Making it look like you’re held as a hostage is perfect for the psychological gains that could bring them. The citizens need to have high emotions to make it acceptable to change policies and enter war. However, I need to caution you that your death could be equally polarizing. If they think you may know what is really happening, they will do everything in their power to silence you.”

I leaned back and finished my water. I stared out the window of the plane. What have I got myself into? What happened to Avia?

***

Jack DeLaney sat at his desk. He was interrupted by Frank Devalo as he came to his office door.

“Jack?”

Jack looked up. “Yes, Frank?”

“I know there is a lot going on right now, but I have some very bad news.”

“I know about the terrorist bombings in Madrid.”

“It’s not about that, Jack. I was monitoring the feedback from Alex Johnson’s connection with Avia Conner. There was a moment when I registered a surge in the system. This was when the athletes were running out of the stadium. I called Alex numerous times. I tried to force a disconnect. Nothing worked. I couldn’t reach Alex.”

“Send someone by his house.”

“I did, Jack. It appears that Alex committed suicide. There was a bullet through his head. I know he was your friend. I’m sorry.”

Jack put his head in his hands and turned away.

***

Vladimir kept me engaged in conversation for the remaining flight giving me little time to think through my situation. At any moment, the connection could be severed, and I would find myself back at home. All my failsafe methods to break the transmissions had failed.

I had spent time as a female as part of the beta testing. Perhaps this eased my mind finding myself as a woman, but nothing could truly prepare me for how invigorated I felt. I was in full control of another body. A body that had fully functional legs, arms, and could see and hear perfectly. Regardless of the gender, I was whole. The longer I spent as Avia, the more frightened I became about the thought of going back to my old broken shell. What I was steadfastly denying to myself was that this might be long-term or permanent.

I was anxious to reach someone, anyone to let them know where Avia was and to figure out what had transpired. I looked for any opportunity to escape once we landed, but I was immediately escorted to an SUV then driven towards the Mediterranean. Vladimir and his guards took extra precautions to surround me as we left the vehicle and arrived at the private dock.

The yachts at the nearby harbor paled in comparison to the 250-foot ultramodern luxury ship that I was escorted onto.

“Take us out to sea, Captain. No delays.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once inside the main cabin, I watched with dismay as the ropes were untied and the yacht slipped out to sea. Vladimir came to my side.

“I’m certain you would appreciate a chance to clean up before dinner. Let me show you to your room.”

We descended deeper into the ship and Vladimir opened a door for me. I hesitated, not wanting to be alone with him.

“You have nothing to fear from me, Avia. Feel free to lock the door from the inside. Some clothing is inside and ready for you. Take your time and meet me back on deck when you’re ready.”

I slipped inside the room and quickly closed the door behind me. I locked and deadbolted the door before making sure I was truly alone. The room was large with a king-sized bed, several closets, and a private bath. On the bed was a white dress, shoes, even panties and a bra. Avia’s memories told me they were the correct sizes and that the dress was very expensive.

I sat down on the edge of the bed. This was the first chance I had to contemplate my circumstances. I held up my left hand and turned it back and forth. I closed my right eye and continued to stare at my fingers as I moved them back and forth. Reaching down, I removed my cleats, socks, and shin pads. I gently massaged my feet knowing that at some point I would be back in my old body with no feet to rub.

Being virtually connected to someone was one thing but being them was something else entirely. Having the full use of this body exaggerated all that I had lost. A wave of depression washed over me. I recognized it and forced it aside. I owed it to Avia to protect her and to find a way out of this mess.

Moving into the bathroom, I stood before the mirror. Even with stadium dust plastered to where sweat had accumulated during the game and debris in my hair, Avia was beautiful. Bright, blue eyes were highlighted by olive skin and dark brown hair.

I hesitated a moment before pulling off the jersey and the tight-fitting sports bra. I didn’t want to violate her in any way but there was no chance I could protect her with inaction. While I had seen Avia’s body before through her memories, nothing could truly have stirred me like this moment. I was riveted by my reflection. Avia’s flawless skin couldn’t hide her level of fitness. I could see and feel her abs beneath breasts that were larger than I would have expected. Avia was achingly beautiful, lean, fit, athletic, strong, and curvy. She wasn’t the typical female athlete with small breasts and thick waist. Her waist was thin and that gave her a pronounced hourglass figure.

I stepped out of her shorts and panties. Avia had long, toned legs. They were strong as would be expected of someone that played soccer, yet they were lean and beautiful.

Reaching up, I slowly unbound my hair. I struggled between thinking of this body as my own and considering it Avia’s. My fingers knew what to do as if I had been born Avia, but every action was fresh and new for me. Slowly, I unraveled my ponytail and braids until my hair fell completely unbound. It was long, silky, and luxurious.

I spent a few more minutes staring at my reflection. I shuddered to think that a body exchange might have taken place when Avia was shocked with the taser. Is Avia now in my body back home? She must be horrified. What if there is no going back?

My military training kicked in and I forced myself to think about the next steps and next moments. Vladimir said I could communicate once on the yacht. I would have to press him on this. I needed to reach Jack Delaney. If what Vladimir suggested was true, then Avia was a pawn in the middle of treasonous acts that reached the highest levels of government. As Avia, I would be in danger and possibly not only from Vladimir.

***

I took my time in the shower, letting the hot water gently massage my hard-worked muscles. Avia’s memories guided me as if I were on autopilot. Without them, I would have had no idea how to manage her thick, long hair. After the shower, I found a robe that I used to keep myself warm while I worked on my hair.

Avia would normally highlight her eyes with some eyeshadow and use a light-colored lipstick to enhance her lips but there were no cosmetics around.

With my hair dry and styled, I shifted my attention back to the room. I went through closets and drawers looking for a weapon. I only found a skimpy, white bikini. That did, however, give me an idea for a possible escape. The dress would entangle me, but I could possibly jump overboard and swim to safety with the bikini on underneath. I would need to wait until nightfall to attempt that.

As I changed into the dress, I tried hard to focus on my next move and not how this body felt but that was a useless endeavor. Avia was as graceful and smooth in her movements as a Russian ballerina and there was a distinct sensuality that was ever present. Glancing in the mirror now that I was fully dressed, I was stunning. Coming from my broken and scarred body, my new reflection was almost sinful.

I desired time for myself, but I couldn’t effectively plan for an escape from below deck. I was also famished. With reluctance, I left the room and headed back to the upper floors of the yacht.

My experiences using the fourth-generation technology to feel what it was like in a female body, paled in comparison to how I now felt. In none of my prior experiences had anyone worn a dress, look elegant, or were exceptionally beautiful. I felt the light swish of silk against my smooth calves, the cool breeze of air against my skin, and imagined this must be what a princess would feel like. The dress that made me feel elegant, powerful, and regal.

Reaching the top of the stairs, I heard a low whistle.

“Pictures don’t do you justice, Avia.”

“I would ask how you knew my sizes, but I’m not sure I want to know.”

Vladimir extended his arm to me, but I pulled away slightly. I wasn’t planning on getting cozy with a potential kidnapper or anyone for that matter.

“You don’t trust me. That’s understandable after everything you have been through. Can I offer you a drink?”

“Water, please.”

“You don’t drink alcohol? Not even wine?”

“Not when I’m hungry and depleted after a game. It would go straight to my head and take away needed nutrients from my body.”

Vladimir smiled. “I apologize. I forget you ran for over ninety minutes. We can move to the table.”

In my wildest dreams, I never pictured myself on a luxury yacht at sunset with the lights of Monaco in the distance. We were at least a mile offshore and heading east.

Vladimir pulled out a chair for me and I sat down. He sat across from me. The table had a white tablecloth, fine silver and gold utensils, and crystal glasses.

“I know you like steak and potatoes after a game. I took the liberty of making sure that was available for you. You would make a good Russian.”

“Just what don’t you know about me?”

“I don’t know if you are single or not. You always remain very private about your romantic relationships.”

Avia was currently single only had a few relationships in her life. She was drawn to both men and women, but preferred women.

“Some things are best kept out of the media. You have me at a disadvantage. You know so much about me and yet I know so little about you. You seem well protected and live a life of abundance. How did you come into your fortune?”

I watched the shoreline slowly recede as we waited for dinner. If my geography were correct, then as long as we maintained our current heading, the shore would soon be too far to reach by swimming. I wondered if this was Vladimir’s plan all along to keep me from escaping.

“My family did well during the fall of communism, and I have invested in oil and gas among other things.”

“You said that I could communicate with the United States. I would like to do that now.”

“Before dinner?”

“It is a simple and not overly time-consuming request.”

“I’ve been considering your request and I’m not saying no. I’m trying to be cautious. Who would you contact?”

“My parents. My manager. My teammates. My coach. What difference would it make who I contact?”

“Bear with me, Avia. If what I have told you is true, then anyone you contact may put them at risk. Let’s say you contacted your parents. Don’t you think that the CIA, with all their technology and power, wouldn’t know you would try to reach them and be watching for that communication? If you are a major part of this plot to start a war, not only might they track you, but if, by chance, they want you dead to fan the fuel of revenge among the populace, then anyone that knows you’re alive also becomes a threat to them.”

My eyes narrowed. “How does an oil and gas entrepreneur like yourself even have the wherewithal to contemplate such ridiculous intrigue?”

“I said I invested in oil and gas. My company is also a major contractor to the Russian military. You would be surprised who I eat dinner and drink vodka with.”

“You’re not going to let me contact anyone?”

“Please, think it over carefully as I would be devasted if someone you knew were to be hurt or killed. Tomorrow we will pass Naples. If you must communicate with someone, we can find an Internet café there that you can use. Any communications will be tracked back to the café and by the time anyone arrives, we would be long gone. I’m merely thinking about you and your family’s safety.”

The food arrived and my stomach growled as I looked at the perfectly cooked steak.

Vladimir saw my hesitation. “Eat first. If, after dinner, you still wish to reach someone, then you can call from my cell phone. I just think it is dangerous and it may put us all at risk.”

If we stopped in Naples, then I would have an opportunity to escape. Vladimir had shown no interest in wanting me harmed. I should at least be safe through the night if he or his burly men didn’t become amorous. “I am hungry…”

***

Dinner and conversation lasted several hours before I could feign tiredness and slip away back to my cabin. I locked the door behind me and was grateful Vladimir never tried to make a move on me. Clearly, he was obsessed with Avia and had remained courteous and surprisingly gracious. My new female intuition, however, was sending out warnings and the last thing I wanted was to be on the receiving end of a man that wanted to have his way with me.

When I probed her memories, Avia was no slouch when it came to her strength and fitness. Her fitness routine was impressive, and she was well trained in self-defense. Being a public figure, it was imperative for her to have control in most situations. While she might feel slightly more comfortable, this was a unique feeling for me as I wasn’t used to being smaller and weaker let alone being in the middle of the Mediterranean surrounded by large men with guns.

I noticed right away that the soccer uniform was missing. I quickly moved from closet to closet to verify it were no longer in the room. I knew the uniform was covered in sweat and dirt, but I wasn’t pleased it was gone.

I did my best to get ready for bed with the limited items at hand. Since I only had one set of clothes, I stripped out of the dress before getting into the bed. Sleep eluded me for a long time. The door loomed large and formidable as I was feeling quite vulnerable. After an hour of nothing, I tried to settle myself, but fear crept into the back of my mind.

If I go to sleep, will that trigger the return to my old body? Will Vladimir come in the middle of the night and rape me?

I refocused my thoughts by wiggling my toes and the fingers on my left hand, trying to memorize the sensations. If I were to wake up as me again, I would be in shock almost as if I lost my legs and arm all over again. I trembled under the covers at the thought and yet I also knew that Avia was the rightful owner of this wondrous body. She didn’t deserve this fate.

It was late when the gentle rocking of the yacht quieted my racing mind and lulled me to sleep.

***

I woke to the sound of a ship’s horn. My eyes opened quickly, and I sat up with an acute feeling of disorientation. Light filtered in through the curtained portal and I could see I was still on the yacht. Looking down upon my breasts that were bound in a white, lacey bra left no doubt that I was still Avia.

Falling back into the pillows, I reached out with my senses and felt my legs and toes. I was both exhilarated and troubled. Aside from some lingering muscle weariness, I was whole. This begged the questions as to what really happened and what was Avia’s situation.

A thought came to mind that if I heard a horn, we might be nearing other ships or shore. I got up quickly, put on the bikini and then the dress over top. I did my business and quietly exited the bedroom.

As stealthily as I could, I made my way towards the open decks. My plan came together with my first glimpses of my surroundings. The yacht was about a mile from harbor. Moving to the railing, I gripped it firmly.

“Good morning, Avia. Are you ready to join me for breakfast?”

I contemplated jumping, but it would get me nowhere with Vladimir’s close presence. I turned to face Vladimir. “Yes. Thank you.”

“I trust you slept well.”

“You gave me much to think about, but I was still able to rest.”

Vladimir led me to a table that was near the front of the ship. He sat me down so that I would have a view of the Mergellina e Porto di Sannazaro as we made our slow approach. I tried to relax and enjoy the view and the variety of fresh food placed before me without making it look obvious what I was planning.

“Once we dock, we will take a car into Naples. I have a package waiting that my men will pick up for me and I have a friend arriving as well. From here we will travel towards Istanbul.”

“As gracious as your hospitality has been and you have my gratitude for my rescue from the stadium, I think it is best we go our separate ways. I can find a hostel here until someone can make arrangements to come get me.”

“For your own safety, I must insist you stay on the yacht until it is safe for you. I’m looking after my own best interests as well as yours. No doubt, it will be made known that I brought you here, and, if anything bad were to happen to you, then I would become a target of negative press and slander.”

“As much as I would not want you to be on the receiving end of negative press and slander, I feel that is outweighed by the fact my family and teammates think I’m dead or missing while I sit on a yacht eating delicacies for breakfast. Someone needs to know I’m alive and safe and there is no reason for me to implicate you. After all, you said it yourself that you rescued me. I would hardly think that would be cause for such negative reactions.”

“Have you given any thought as to who you might contact?”

“Everyone. If what you believe is correct, that the CIA is behind this and wants me to either appear as kidnapped or killed, then making myself visible would make it harder for them. The more people that know I’m alive and safe, the harder it will be for them to deal with it. I still can’t believe that the CIA wants me as a pawn in some treasonous plot to start a war with Russia.”

“It isn’t as farfetched as you would think. Perhaps you would like to read today’s headlines.”

Vladimir tossed four newspapers onto the table. I scanned through the Russian, Spanish, Italian, and American papers. Headlines were titled, “Where is Avia?”, “Russian weapons and explosives found at stadium”, “Russian terrorist act?”. And the Russian headline denying everything.

“Forgive me for stating the obvious, but you’re Russian, have a military presence as part of your entourage, work with the military and have access to weapons, and I am being held captive, albeit graciously, aboard your yacht. There’s nothing about the CIA in these papers.”

“Nobody would think to blame them.”

“I still think I should take my own chances and the risk to us both is minimal.”

“Then, for our own safety, I must insist you stay on board.”

Vladimir waved his hand and several muscular men with their hands hovering over their weapons stood on either side of me. “Take her back to her room and make sure she stays there until we leave Naples. I’m sorry, Avia. This is for our own good. You have no idea what’s at stake here.”

I stood. “Then I wasn’t wrong. You are kidnapping me.”

“Time and actions will prove your assumptions wrong, Avia.”

One of the men grabbed my arm. I spun, lowered myself, thrust a fist into his groin, and raced for the railing. The dress was cumbersome, but I managed to get close enough to dive over the edge before the other guard grabbed for me.

I hit the water hard but fought against the pain to stay underwater. I kicked off my shoes, pulled off the dress, and swam with all my strength against the pull of the yacht’s large propellers. I popped up just for a second to get air, before diving underwater again and headed in the direction of the shore. Every time I popped up for air, I could hear the commotion aboard the yacht behind me. Luckily, it was a large ship that took a lot of time to slow down.

My timing had been perfect as I was just pulling myself out of the water when a skiff was launched from the yacht. I managed to run in my bare feet towards the main road, flagging down a cab just in time.

“Downtown Naples, please!”

As if the driver rescued soaking wet, nearly naked brunettes all the time, he gunned the taxi and we raced into the main part of the city.

I leaned forward and placed a hand on the back of the driver’s seat. “Do you speak English?”

“A little.” I could see his eyes looking back at me through the rearview mirror. They opened slightly. “Avia Conner?”

“Yes.”

“Is an honor. You’re dead, no?”

I laughed. “Not yet.”

“Where to?”

I suddenly realized I had no way to pay the man. “I’m escaping but I have no money.”

“No pay. Is an honor.”

“Can you take me to the police?”

“Yes.”

About ten minutes later we arrived in front of the police station. I had a few second thoughts but decided this was the safest for me.

“Thank you! You’re so kind.”

“Good football. Is honor.”

I stretched my hand over the front seat and shook his hand. I opened the door and quickly moved up the steps and into the police station. A teller-style window was there. I paced back and forth waiting for the small line to dwindle. Some people gave me a look that suggested they might know me, but they thankfully left me alone.

When it was my turn, I stood in front of a female officer. “I’m Avia Conner and I need your help.”

“Avia Conner?” Her eyes went wide. “Come with me.”

The officer closed her window and opened a door. “Please follow me.” She grabbed a jacket and put it over my shoulders as we entered a room.

“One minute.”

She closed the door and headed further into the building. I paced back and forth until she arrived with a male officer. He indicated with his hand for me to take a seat.

“My name is Estaban. Avia Conner… The world is looking for you. How did you arrive in Naples?”

“I was just entering the underground section of the Madrid stadium after the explosion. Someone came up behind me and used a taser on me. I woke in a cement room and was then taken by Russian men to the airport. I was escorted onto a plane with Vladimir Kaznikov. We then flew to Monaco where I was driven to his yacht. We were coming into the harbor here when I jumped over the rail and swam to shore.”

“I need to make a few calls. Can I get you anything?”

“Not unless you have some clothes that would fit me.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Soon was more like an hour. When Estaban finally returned, he brought another man with him. “Miss Conner, this is Richard Watts with the CIA. He will take you to a safe house in Naples until he can arrange for your transport back home.”

Richard appeared trustworthy. I extended my hand. “Pleased to meet you, Richard.”

“I’ll take her from here, Estaban. Thank you.”

Estaban tipped his head and stepped outside.

“Are you ready to go home, Miss Conner?”

“Yes.” I took off the police jacket and felt vulnerable when Richard’s eyes gave me the once over.

“My car is right outside. Once we get to the safehouse, I will arrange for some clothing for you.”

He escorted me to the car, and we drove further into the city.

“You gave us all quite the scare, Miss Conner.”

“Please, call me Avia. I’m just thankful this is almost over.”

“The CIA believes Vladimir Kaznikov was behind the attack on the stadium and the embassy. He’s an arms dealer and would profit quite nicely in the event of a war. Did he hurt you?”

“No. He told me he was rescuing and protecting me. He thought the CIA was involved and that they would try to blame him. You were stationed here in Naples?”

“I followed you here. We suspected that Vladimir may have been involved in your disappearance. We reviewed airport logs and port information. Camera footage confirmed that you were at the airport and the port in Monaco. We tracked his yacht since Monaco. The police in Naples called the U.S. Embassy and they in turn reached the CIA who called me in.”

“I’m glad you were here.”

“I understand you jumped off the yacht?”

“Vladimir promised me that I could communicate to someone, but in the end, he refused believing I would put myself and him at risk. He was going to keep me on the yacht. I had to do something.”

“Gutsy move and it all worked out in your favor. You’re safe now. That’s all that matters. Great goals, by the way. My wife will never believe I got to meet you. You’re more popular than any movie star in my house.”

“I hope you tell her how boring and plain I am.”

“Don’t tell my wife I said this, but you’re far more beautiful in person than on television.”

“I’m not usually in a bikini on television.”

“The guys at work won’t believe my luck. I’m tempted to get a selfie with you just to prove it. Here we are. Let me get the door for you.”

I looked up at the nondescript Italian apartment building. It was a little rundown. After helping me out of the car, Richard led me upstairs to an apartment. As soon as I stepped inside, he turned and locked the door behind him. When he faced me again, he was holding a gun.

“You almost ruined everything!”

I started backing away. “What are you doing?”

“All beauty and no brains. Typical. Sit down in the chair.”

I hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a heavy dining room chair placed in the middle of the living area. Two sets of cuffs were attached to the chair legs.

Richard moved quickly towards me with his hand raised high. “I said sit!”

I backed over towards the chair and sat down. “Just let me go.”

“You’re no good to me out there. You’re needed to instigate a war. Attach those cuffs to your ankles.”

I was very worried now. I was wearing a bikini and being forced to lock myself to a chair.

“Do it!”

Richard was becoming more unhinged by the second. Reaching down with shaking hands, I cuffed both ankles to the chair. Richard pulled another set from his pants and walked behind me. My arms were roughly pulled back and I felt the cold handcuffs snap tightly against my wrists.

His stubbled face rubbed against my bare shoulder. I flinched and tried to pull away as he quickly spun the chair and me around to face him.

“You need to look sweet and lovely for the video. Too bad as I’m tempted to have my way with you first. You wouldn’t look so good once I was done with you.”

His nearness was so terrifying that I breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped away from me.

“Why are you doing this? You don’t need me. Let me go and I swear I won’t say a word to anyone.”

“Every day misinformation hits the news, but no one will be able to deny seeing your head slide from your pretty body. The Russians will take the blame and war will break out. By the time the first shot is taken, I’ll be sitting on a tropical beach drinking an ice-cold beer.”

Vladimir had been right. My actions had played right into the CIA’s hands. I watched as Richard hung a Russian flag behind me and set up a camera. He pulled out a long knife and brought it to my neck.

“This is how things are going to unfold. I’m going to change, then I will start recording my message. At the end of the message, I will slit your throat. And just in case you want to interfere, I have this nice gag for you.”

I was horrified, but in a way, I had already died once. Long ago I had contemplated how easily it would be to take my own life after I woke up in the hospital without an arm, eye, ear, and legs. I was more afraid for Avia. Would she now be forever stuck in my old body?

Still, I wasn’t feeling overly valiant or defiant as the tip of the blade slid slowly down my neck.

“Total shame…”

I closed my eyes as he placed a hand on my knees and started to spread my legs. His fingers inched their way up my thigh. I whimpered, closed my eyes, and turned my head away from him. Just as he was about to violate me, the door burst open sending wooden splinters across the room. I heard two silenced shots before Richard slumped across me and fell heavily to the ground at my feet.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Vladimir standing there with his two brutes. I was never so glad to see anyone, even if I wasn’t certain about his motives.

Vladimir tenderly moved some stray hairs from my eyes, but the feeling was anything but comforting. He pulled the gag from my mouth. His gaze fell on the body of Richard Watts.

“CIA, I presume? I warned you, didn’t I?”

“You must consider things from my perspective. None of what you suggested seemed plausible.”

“Does it sound more plausible now? Will you cooperate?”

I rattled my cuffs. “Do I have a choice?” I realized my tone was angry. “I’m sorry. I haven’t had the best few days. I’m terrified and confused. Why is this happening?”

Vladimir rolled Richard over and dug through his pockets. He produced a cuff key. His hands lingered on my ankles a touch too long for my liking, but soon I was free of the cuffs.

I stood and rubbed my sore wrists.

Vladimir turned to one of his men and whispered something at length to him. He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “Let me take you back to the yacht, Avia.”

Vladimir extended his arm and this time I took it. I hadn’t realized I was shaking. This ordeal had disturbed me more than I realized. Vladimir’s arm offered me a hint at protection even though I still didn’t trust him.

One of the men that had arrived with Vladimir stayed behind. I suspected Vladimir had asked him to clean things up or to contact the authorities. I was just happy to be out of there and soon we were driving back to the harbor.

“I guess I owe you an apology. I don’t like the idea that I’m without hope or control of my own destiny. I feel lost and don’t know what I should do.”

“This is understandable, and I don’t hold your actions against you, Avia. I will say, however, that you are the first woman to ever leave my yacht the way you did. Would you like to stop off at an Internet café?”

“Yes… No. My last decision nearly got me killed. I don’t know what would be best.”

“In two days, we will dock in Istanbul. By then, maybe there will be some resolution to the current state of affairs, or we can contemplate other options that would be safer.”

“I hope you’re right.”

We pulled up to the docks and I was escorted back onto the yacht. Once on board, a gorgeous blonde woman shimmied up to Vladimir and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was wearing a red bikini and a sheer wrap. Her tanned body glistened with small drops of perspiration from the heat of the sun. She could have easily been a fitness model.

Her Russian words oozed sensuality. “It’s so wonderful to see you again, Vladimir. Did you miss me?”

“I always miss you.” Vladimir faced me and spoke in English. “Catia, this is Avia Conner. Avia, this is Catia Anchova.”

Her eyes narrowed as she looked me over. “American?” The sensual tone of her voice was replaced with sharp crispness.

“Yes.”

“Avia is a football star, Catia.”

“As long as she doesn’t interfere with our time together, I don’t care what she does.”

“Avia, I need to catch up with Catia. I have some new clothes for you in your room. You might want to freshen up some.”

I slipped off Vladimir’s jacket and handed it back to him. Catia’s eyes strayed briefly towards me before she took his arm and led him away. I headed down to my room. Once inside I locked the door and curled up on the bed pulling the covers over me. I was confused and deeply disturbed about many things. I shivered as I recalled being cuffed and the feeling of the knife against my throat. I gasped and buried my head in a pillow as I remembered Richard’s hand on my legs. I had never been so frightened.

I forced myself to imagine better things. What first came to mind was Catia. She was gorgeous and even with recent events, I felt aroused by her. As Alex, I was drawn to her as any man would be. Still, the look in her eyes was dangerous. She saw me as a threat.

After several minutes, I pushed myself from the bed and opened the closets to find three new dresses and a nightgown. Drawers held a few panties and a bra, and the bathroom had a hairbrush and toothbrush. Glancing in the mirror, I noted my hair was matted from the sea water.

I had some time, so I decided to take a shower before going back on deck.

***

“Jack?”

Jack Delaney pulled his concentration from the computer screen to find Frank Devalo waiting for his response from the far side of his desk.

“Yes, Frank?”

“I just received word that the funeral for Alex is tomorrow. I’ve been told it is a closed casket ceremony. I assume you will be going?”

“Yes. I just don’t get it, Frank. Alex didn’t even own a gun. Sure, he joked about suicide, but I know Alex. They were only jokes.”

“Have you looked at the logs?”

Jack nodded. “There were a lot of strange biometric readings, but I’m not a doctor.”

“I’ve been studying the logs as well. For beta testers, we track ten times the data from the connections than we do regularly. The transmitter on Avia showed a burst of power before her transmitter went dead. However, Alex’s kept working for another thirty-seven minutes. I found something interesting. Alex’s readings were identical to someone that would be unconscious.”

“What are you saying, Frank?”

“I believe Alex was murdered. My hunch is that the transmission surge from Avia’s transmitter caused Alex to lapse into unconsciousness. After thirty-seven minutes of being unconscious, Alex flatlined and the connection was severed completely. It’s pretty hard to shoot yourself when you’re unconscious.”

“Who would kill Alex?”

“I don’t have that kind of information.”

***

I twisted back and forth before the mirror and admired myself. The blue formal dress I was wearing highlighted my blue eyes, trim waist, and long legs. I had never felt so connected to my reflection before. Even knowing that at some point someone would figure out the problem and I would be whisked back to being Alex, I had begun seeing myself as Avia. I felt so alive and healthy. This body itched for activity and exercise.

I left my room and made my way to the upper decks to learn we were still docked in Naples. After my last experience I was hesitant to consider escaping. For now, at least I was safe.

The polished mahogany upper decks were quiet as I made my way towards the stern of the yacht. There I discovered Catia sunbathing. She rolled over when she heard me.

“You’re not so bad looking after you get all cleaned up.”

Her words were like salt on an open wound. “I’m not here to get between you and Vladimir.”

“You don’t understand anything, do you?”

“That depends on what you’re referring to.”

“Why are you here, Avia?”

“The way Vladimir recounts the tale, he rescued me from terrorists and the CIA.”

Catia laughed. “Just as I suspected. Don’t get too cozy. I wouldn’t recommend you spread your legs for him.”

This made me angry. “Like you do for him?”

Catia was like a panther in how she moved. She quickly rolled to her feet, grabbed my shoulders, and pushed me firmly against a wall.

“Don’t ever speak to me like that!” She then added a few Russian expletives.

I knew Avia was strong and fit. Even more so than Catia. With Avia’s training and mine from the military, I was able to push us away, spin us around, and pressed Catia up against the wall. It was a slick move, and I was proud of myself.

I leaned in close and whispered to Catia in Russian. “Don’t touch me!”

Her eyes went wide. Catia squirmed as she pushed back but I was able to hold her. She smiled. “My work with Vladimir is purely business. Don’t trust him.”

I let her go and pushed myself back from her. “I don’t plan to.”

We had just stepped apart and were staring intensely into each other’s eyes when Vladimir approached us. “There you both are. I trust you are getting to know each other?”

Catia sidled up to Vladimir and slipped her arm in his. “She’s absolutely charming. I imagine you will be dropping her off on one of the many touristy islands along our route. That will give us some nice privacy to talk business.”

Vladimir grinned down at Catia. “Jealous?”

Catia put an adorable pouty face on. “When was the last time you bought me something?” Catia reached towards my neck and pulled off a price sticker. She held it up in front of him.

“Last week. You should go get changed as dinner will be ready soon.”

Catia batted her eyes. “You mean I can’t dine with you like this?” She spun for him.

“We will be waiting for you.”

Catia shrugged and sauntered off.

“Interesting friends you have, Vladimir.”

“Have you recovered from earlier today? I suspect that was quite a shock to you.”

“I imagine I will be checking out every chair I sit in for the rest of my life. You seem to skirt the edges of all this intrigue. What do you think I should do?”

“I have given much thought about your idea of communicating broadly and it has merit. You need a safe and protected venue to do that from. It needs to be spontaneous so that the CIA can’t interfere.”

“Interfere? As in putting a sniper on a roof to shoot me through the forehead?”

“Precisely. I’m thinking of a sporting event with lots of media in a neutral country. The world cricket championships will be held in London in a week. That gives us time to pass through Istanbul, arrive at my villa in Sochi, then we can fly from there to Moscow and on to London.”

“A week?”

“Are you aware of any other events that would be suitable? You can’t call a news conference without the CIA hearing about it. It will also give us time to see if the CIA gives up on the idea of using you.”

I looked back at Naples and saw a sedan pull up near the dock entrance. Two of Vladimir’s burly guards got out and walked towards the yacht. As I watched them, I remembered the cold edge of the blade at my throat.

“I feel like I’m letting down my friends and family by not reaching out to them.”

“Picture how they would feel if you were never able to communicate again or if they were killed because of your contacting them.”

“That almost happened today. I don’t want to push fate. Your plan seems rational. I’m not imposing between you and Catia?”

“She will get over it. It’s not often she has any competition. She needs the challenge.”

“I wasn’t aware I was competition.”

“When it comes to beauty, I have found women are always competitors.”

I looked back to the two men walking up the plank onto the yacht. I swore I saw blood on one of their sleeves. I shivered slightly.

“We will be setting off in a moment. Please, don’t jump overboard again.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

Vladimir smiled. “That’s good. I like having you around.”

I walked slowly to the front of the yacht and watched the men untie the dock lines. We had just started moving when Catia came up behind me.

“You’re still here?” There was an edge to her voice.

I turned to face her. She was wearing a stunning red dress that left little to the imagination. Her hair and makeup were flawless. I felt a touch of warmth rise to my face as I imagined kissing her exposed neck. Avia’s body was responding and my male brain was as well. The only problem was that Catia disliked me immensely.

“I’m afraid so. I’m not your enemy, Catia. I have no desire to be with Vladimir. I’m a guest, nothing more.”

Catia moved quickly and put her hands on either side of me. She gripped the rail trapping me there. She leaned in close.

“If you were my enemy, you would be dead already.”

So much had happened in the past few days. The harsh tone of her voice, the close call I had earlier with Richard. There was the bombing I felt I had lived through and the feeling of being out of control from what still felt like a kidnapping. I was a woman. Emotionally frail with all that had happened. I was completely isolated. All these things surfaced in me at the same time and the combination hit me hard.

I gasped and felt wetness falling down my cheeks. I sniffed, shrunk away from her, and turned within the confines of Catia’s arms.

Catia pressed herself even closer and whispered in my ear. “Don’t turn away from me when our conversation is just getting interesting.”

Catia’s arms let go of the railing and she quickly pulled away from me. I heard Vladimir’s voice from inside the yacht telling the captain to plot a course to Istanbul.

I hastily wiped my tears and looked back over my shoulder to see Catia moving over to hug Vladimir. Her eyes, however, were always upon me.

Vladimir pulled away from Catia. “Ladies. If you would, please join me inside in the dining room.”

I followed them inside and sat down at the seat Vladimir pulled out for me. I did find myself looking down to check for cuffs.

“No worries, Avia. It is a regular chair.”

Catia smiled as she placed a hand on Vladimir’s. “She’s afraid of chairs? That’s a rather strange phobia.”

Vladimir’s eyes darkened. “Earlier today I found Avia chained to a chair with a knife to her throat. You should be more gracious to my guest, Catia.”

Catia’s eyes offered a touch of sympathy as she looked across the table towards me. As if to appease Vladimir, Catia smiled. “You must tell me, Avia. You play American football with all those pads and helmets?”

“Not American football. Soccer.”

Catia held up her glass for the waiter to fill it with red wine. “Ahh. That football. As I’m sure you have surmised, I’m not much into watching sports.”

The waiter came to my side and I was more than interested in having my senses dulled. I held up my glass to be filled without breaking my stare with Catia.

“What are your interests then? If not sports, something must keep you occupied.”

Vladimir sat quietly listening to our exchange. I could hear the crispness in our voices suggesting neither of us were happy being at the same table together.

“I ski in the Alps, shop in Paris, and sunbathe in the Caribbean.” Her eyes narrowed slightly again. “I also love to hunt.”

Avia did all these things as well. She would hunt each fall with her father, and she was an avid shopper. This was either an enormous coincidence, or Catia’s ignorance of Avia’s life was a lie.

“What is it you hunt?”

Catia slowly ran her finger along the top of the crystal wine glass. “Everything. Deer, fowl, ex-lovers.”

“I guess I’m safe then.”

Catia’s stare was penetrating. “No one is ever safe from me.”

I glanced at Vladimir who was watching me intensely. I was grateful for the first course to arrive so I could focus on something else.

***

By the time our dinner was completed, it was dark outside, and the lights of Naples were long gone. Three glasses of wine were all it took to make me feel quite tipsy. I excused myself from the table and headed back to my room looking forward to the comfortable bed and a blissful night’s sleep to put the day’s events behind me.

I opened the door to my bedroom and was grabbed from behind and shoved inside. A hand clamped over my mouth as I was about to scream, and the door was kicked shut. My assailant kept pushing me forward until we both landed on the bed. I fought, but the alcohol put me at a disadvantage. All I could do was roll us both over so that I was on top.

I stared down into Catia’s eyes. Perhaps the wine had dulled my senses, but Catia looked exceptionally attractive. I felt her hand move from my mouth. I giggled, leaned down, and kissed her.

Catia’s eyes flashed angrily and I quickly found myself on my back. Her hand was back over my mouth. “Enough of the wine, Avia!” She whispered into my ear. “You need to keep your wits about you and stay sharp. Make sure you convince Vladimir to let you go to the spice bazaar in Istanbul in two days.”

She was incredibly intense.

“Do you understand me?”

I nodded.

“Good. Get some sleep.”

I had so many questions. I didn’t understand Catia at all. She got up, cracked the door open, and slipped into the night. I rolled from the bed, locked the door, then fell back into the bed. I grabbed a pillow and cuddled myself around it.

Perhaps it was the wine or the emotionally charged day, but I felt myself changing. I had never felt so vulnerable and alone before.

***

I woke slowly to discover I had slept in my clothes on top of the bed. I had a light headache as a reminder of the wine I drank the night before. I sat up and stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was disheveled.

I noticed something different about myself that morning. I was Avia. For the first time, I realized that was my new life. I hadn’t transitioned back to my own body and, if by some chance I was still connected somehow, I would be near death due to lack of food and water. If Avia had been in my body, then by now she would have reached out to Virtual Media Tech.

My logical mind was churning through the options, and there was only a small chance that my old body or Avia were still alive. This realization was sobering. I stretched out my left hand and wiggled my fingers again. For days I had known that returning to my old body would be devastating, but it was more than that. I loved everything about being Avia and female except that I was smaller and couldn’t defend myself as well as I would like.

I stripped from my clothes and stepped into the hot water of a shower. That was when everything pressed on me like a load of bricks. I started to shake before collapsing on the shower floor in tears. Unless by some miracle Avia was alive, she was most likely dead. Dead because of me and the technology we both used. I was emotionally torn between having a new chance at life and knowing an innocent and wondrous life had been lost.

It took a great deal of time to release the pain and sorrow before my military training once again kicked in. I intimately knew Avia. I had all her memories, and she was more like me than I could believe anyone ever could be. It was why we had such a high neural match. We shared many interests and had a similar intellect. She was a fighter and yet she was compassionate. She would want me to move on, to be Avia. She would urge me to fight for my life and not walk away from the plot to start a war. She wouldn’t want innocent people to die in a war designed to make a select few rich and powerful. Neither would I.

My many tears had eased the pain giving me a chance to move forward and focus on the present and future. I had to stop thinking of myself as Alex in Avia’s body and I needed to live as Avia. It was with an easing headache and a renewed spirit that I stepped up onto the yacht’s deck. I felt stronger and more confident.

Vladimir waved me over to a table loaded with breakfast food. Catia’s eyes bored into mine as I sat down.

“I must apologize for my actions last night. I should never have had more than one glass of wine. I wanted to try and forget about Richard’s knife at my throat or his hands on my body. It won’t happen again.”

Vladimir reached for my hand and I let him hold it briefly. “It’s understandable, Avia.”

I gently pulled my hand away, an action that Catia watched carefully.

“I’ve been thinking. If it isn’t too much of an imposition or put anyone at risk, I like your plan, Vladimir. The world cricket championships in London would be an excellent place for me to get before the media. It would be dangerous to try and communicate with anyone before then.”

“It would be no imposition, Avia.”

“May I ask a favor?”

“Of course.”

“You said we will arrive in Istanbul tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“I have always dreamed of visiting the spice bazaar there. With your permission and hopefully your men for protection, I ask you if I could go. I’ve been told the Turkish delight is unbelievably delicious and that world class cosmetics are offered there. I could use some makeup and imbibe my sweet tooth at the same time. If I were honest with you, I’m seeking a respite from global conspiracies and terrorist plots. I’m hoping for a hint of normalcy.”

“I’m not sure that would be safe.”

“Please… Find me some glasses and a head scarf to hide my identity. Your men would be with me and I have no desire for a repeat of yesterday.”

Vladimir didn’t seem to want to give in. Catia interrupted us.

“You believe this girl, Vladimir? She has brought you nothing but trouble. I suggest you sell her to a harem and be done with her.”

Vladimir glared at Catia. “I will be pleased to accompany you, Avia. If you have never seen the Turkish shops, they are a delight for the senses.”

This time I reached out and gently squeezed his hand. I hoped it was just enough to show appreciation. “Thank you! Can we also see the Hagia Sophia?”

“Another time.”

I pulled my hand back and picked up a sample of food and nibbled on it. Catia caught my eye and then excused herself. Did I kiss her last night?

***

The next morning the normal hum of the yacht was silent. I looked out the porthole window to see that we had docked in Istanbul.

I was still dressed in my nightgown when a knock sounded at my door. Finding a robe, I wrapped it around me and carefully opened the door a sliver to see who was there. Vladimir waited patiently while holding some clothing. His eyes danced over my body and I pulled the robe even tighter.

“Istanbul has a mixture of cultures and styles. The clothing you have now isn’t appropriate and I don’t want what you wear to bring attention to you. Please change into these.”

“Thank you. I’m excited to see the markets today.”

“Can you be ready in forty-five minutes?”

“Yes.”

Taking the items from Vladimir, I closed and locked the door. The dress was full length with long sleeves and fabric that would cover everything up to my neck. It was still beautiful and would be flattering, but quite conservative and a touch heavy and warm.

I quickly showered, styled my hair, and got dressed before heading to the upper decks.

“That looks lovely on you, Avia.”

“It’s beautiful, but it might be a little hot for such a warm day.”

“It is the price you must pay for being a woman in Turkey.”

“Speaking of women, where is your friend Catia?”

“She left early this morning. You two had quite the rivalry going on. I’ve never seen Catia so off balance. From here on, it will just be you.”

“I would think that a man in your position might have numerous Catias in every port.”

Vladimir looked at me with a combination of longing and lust that sent my internal alarms blaring. “I’m only interested in one.”

I held my breath for a moment. I hated every moment in Vladimir’s presence, but he held all the power. I had to get off the yacht. “Whomever she is, she is a lucky woman.”

“And if I told you that woman was you, would you feel lucky?”

“Me?”

“In case I haven’t made my intentions clear, Avia, it would please me to have you permanently by my side.”

What he said sent a shiver down my spine. No doubt he could arrange for me to be locked away in one of his homes for him to take me anytime he wanted. “We have time to get to know each other better. One can never predict the future. You may soon realize I’m a poor excuse for a long-term relationship.”

“You don’t sound too enthused about the prospect.”

“You must forgive me, Vladimir. You have been gracious, kind, and gallant and offered me great hospitality.”

“But?”

“But I’m unsettled and out of my element. I miss my friends and family that ground me. I miss my routine. It is difficult for me to think romantically with everything that has happened.”

“That’s understandable. Perhaps I am being too forward with my intentions, but there is no guarantee that the circumstances might change. What if that were the case?”

He was probing and I needed to be extremely careful. “I would be a foolish woman to believe my life will unfold exactly as I planned since I was young. We live in a world of dichotomies. It is peaceful in some places and there are wars in others. Our personal circumstances change, and we must adapt. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I would find a new way to be happy and content.”

“I have never seen you as someone that would give up easily. I love that about you. I see your heart and passion every time you play soccer. Even when you are knocked down and injured you get up and fight for your victory. That is a rare quality and I admire it.”

There was a pause in our conversation as we finished our breakfast. Vladimir stood as I did when we were finished.

“I won’t be able to go with you today, but Boris and Serge will be with you the whole time. Whatever you wish to buy, they will arrange it.”

Vladimir stood in front of me and came very close. He took a few strands of my hair and put them behind my ear. He leaned forward and kissed me. I was incensed and repulsed but fought my inner turmoil to hide my emotions.

Vladimir pulled back and stared into my eyes. “My apologies, Avia. Your presence is like the most spectacular of sunsets that you can’t turn away from. I am drawn to you. I should have asked before I kissed you, and I took advantage of your nearness.”

“Yes, you should have asked first.” I saw a flash of anger in his eyes. “Next time I will be more ready.”

The smoldering anger diffused, and he smiled. “I have something for you.”

He reached into his pocket and produced a colorful blue headscarf. He gently placed it over my head and tied it under my chin. He then slid a pair of designer sunglasses over my eyes.

I offered a feigned smile. All I wanted to do was wash my lips. “The CIA won’t find me now.”

“Please keep them on as I want nothing to happen to you. I’ll be waiting for your return.”

He quickly turned away and the two large guards were immediately at my side. They didn’t say a word as they led me to the car and drove me over the bridge towards the markets.

The Istanbul spice market was an incredible pleasant assault on all the senses. Large baskets of colorful spices lined the fronts of the stalls. The aromas of fresh baked goods, meats, and burning incense were overwhelming. Tapestries and patterned fabrics covered the ground, ceiling, and walls. Stalls of shining gold and silver jewelry sparkled through the hazy air. Throngs of people squeezed their way through the twisted maze of endless shops while those selling shouted out their wares to all passersby.

I had been here once before as Alex and I had always wanted to return. I wished this visit could have been under different circumstances as it was clear that I was on a very short leash. Vladimir’s henchmen stayed so close I could smell their deodorant over the hundreds of spices in the crowded market. My plan was simple. Buy items that my two guards would have to carry for me and make a run for it when the right moment arrived. There was no way I was going to fall into the clutches of the CIA or Vladimir again. I needed to be free.

My memory for places and my sense of direction had always been exceptional. We worked our way to a spot in the market that was notorious for tourists getting lost. Several intersections came together near the center of the massive marketplace. People were pressed against each other.

I stepped into a spice stall and moved towards the back. I waited for the exact moment when other shoppers came around the store’s spices from the opposite direction. I squeezed past them so they would be between me and the two guards. Reaching down into a basket of cayenne pepper, I grabbed a fistful of the red spice, turned, and flung it straight into the faces of the guards.

The effect was far greater than I expected. The spice that is the main ingredient in pepper spray, burst into a cloud. The guards were immediately put into a fit of coughing and burning eyes, but so were the rest of the people in the store. They shouted and screamed as I rushed headlong into the market.

I hiked up my dress and moved as quickly as I could in the through the masses of people. I turned north, then west, then south, west, and north again until I found myself outside of the market. Once I got my bearings, I raced west as fast as I could go. The dress proved cumbersome and slowed me down.

Looking back over my shoulder, I was stunned to see the two guards break out of the market. They both had handguns drawn. A clay pot shattered next to me before I heard the sound. I dove for cover before scrambling to my feet. I ran down street after street turning left and right. Whatever I did, I couldn’t lose them.

I quickly found myself in a narrow alleyway only to discover it was a dead end. Turning around, I watched as the two infuriated guards arrived at the other end of the alley. I put my hands in the air as they paused and leaned over at their hips to catch their breath and wiped at their red, puffy eyes. It was a long alley and they had time on their hands as they slowly approached me.

A door opened next to me and I was roughly pulled inside. It was dark as I spun awkwardly towards a table. I pulled my sunglasses off just in time to catch the flash of a firing gun. Two shots were made in rapid succession and the two guards fell face first into the room.

As my eyes adjusted, I saw Catia standing there. She quickly confirmed the two men were dead before she stepped back towards me. She held the gun up and tossed me a canvas bag.

“Strip and put on these clothes.”

I hesitated as I was quite confused.

“Do it! Now! We have no time to spare.”

Catia had the gun and I wasn’t about to argue. I pulled off the headscarf and dress.

“All of it!”

I hesitated once again.

“Do you want to die?”

“No.”

“There is a sports bra, panties, runners, jeans, and a blouse in the bag. Put them on. Your clothes were bugged with GPS transmitters.”

Not once did Catia turn her eyes from me but I changed as quickly as I could.

“Let’s see how fast you can move. Follow me and stay close.”

Catia climbed a wooden ladder to the roof of the building, then ran across the rooftops. I had no problems keeping up with her, but as I ran, I questioned why I was following her and not going my own way.

Catia paused and looked up. A helicopter was nearing the area. “Keep up, Avia!”

She turned ninety degrees and jumped off the roof, landing on a balcony on the other side of the narrow alleyway below. She was like a female version of Jason Stratham. I tried not to think about the perils of jumping between buildings as I leapt for the balcony. Catia elbowed her way through a window and stepped inside the apartment. I followed as we ran past wide-eyed residents.

Once I got my bearings again, we were heading northwest. We travelled quickly for a solid hour before Catia slowed and pulled her gun. She pushed open a door and stepped inside an apartment with her gun ready to fire.

“It’s clear. Get inside.”

Once inside, Catia closed and locked the door. She paced back and forth as I watched her closely.

“I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Had what?”

“The cayenne pepper. That was brilliant.”

“Did I just go from the frying pan into the fire? Who are you and what do you want with me?”

“I have the gun so I will ask the questions. Sit down.”

I found a chair and sat.

“Why did you kiss me?”

I was befuddled. “Seriously? That’s your first question? Nothing about Vladimir, the CIA, or apocalyptic end of the world wars?”

Catia put the gun on a table and moved closer to put her hands on the arms of the chair. “I want to know why you kissed me.”

“I was drunk.” I thought of Vladimir’s kiss from this morning and how much I was disgusted by it. I looked down. “I’m sorry.”

“Being drunk wasn’t why you kissed me.”

“Maybe it was your sparkling and charming personality.”

Catia stood and took a seat where she was within easy reach of her gun. “You’re dead.”

I was getting upset. “You don’t want me dead or you wouldn’t have killed Vladimir’s guards.”

“I didn’t say I wanted you dead. I said you’re dead.” Catia pulled out a phone and tossed it to me.

There was a video clip on the screen. I tapped the play button.

The audio was in Russian.

“For too long we have sat in the shadows listening to accusation after accusation of how we interfered in your elections and attacked your allies.”

I paused it. “What is this?”

“Keep playing it. Do you need it translated?”

“No.”

Catia’s eyes narrowed. “You speak Russian?”

“Yes.”

“That wasn’t listed in your file. Keep playing it.”

“I have a file?”

Catia rolled her eyes. “Keep playing the video.”

I hit play again.

“While you have fought war after war in the Middle East, we have redesigned our military. While you have forced yourself upon others as the police of the world, we have built new weapons. While you have sanctioned us, internally we trained and waited. Now the time has come for Russia to take its rightful place of power in the world.”

The screen transitioned to the stadium in Madrid. I watched in horror as the video showed thousands of cheering fans being torn apart by the explosion. The screen faded back to a masked man.

“You have sat back in your comfortable homes and thought you were safe as you educated your youth how to whine and complain at the slightest issue. Meanwhile, Russia has been plotting, planning, and training our people to be strong, prepared, and to fight.”

The image panned to the left. A young woman was cuffed to a chair. A chair I recognized. She was wearing my soccer uniform. She had a hood over her head.

“Behold your beloved Avia Conner, an American symbol of pride and superiority.”

The girl struggled and the man slugged her hard in the head. Blood dripped from the hood onto the uniform. Her head slumped forward. She was obviously unconscious.

The masked man shifted to another person lying on the floor. Using his foot, he rolled the man over. The camera zoomed in on the man’s face.

“To all you CIA agents out there, you might recognize your compatriot. Richard Watts.”

The image panned out as the masked man pulled a gun and put a bullet into Richard’s head. He then moved back to the girl.

“Your poor Avia Conner. So beautiful. Such a representation of American confidence and superiority…”

The masked man put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. Blood sprayed back over his gloved hand. I remembered the guards returning to the yacht. I thought one had some blood on his sleeve.

I put my hand over my mouth and stifled a cry.

“Russia will sit back and take your lies no longer. We gladly await your response.”

The video went black.

“I was there. In that room and cuffed to that chair. Richard Watts was going to kill me. That woman… Who was she?”

Catia leaned forward and took the phone from me. “Likely some very unfortunate stray young woman Vladimir’s men found on the street.”

“I’m confused. Why would Vladimir want to take me to London and yet make it look like I’m dead?”

“We believe…”

“Wait. Who is the we you’re talking about?”

“The FSB.”

“Oh crap.” I stood and pointed at Catia. “I had nothing to do with any of this! I’m not CIA or some arms dealer. What are you planning on doing with me? Am I going to wind up in a Siberian prison?”

“Do you know you’re cute when you get flustered? Sit down, Avia. I’ll tell you what we believe.”

I sat back down.

“Several top officials within the CIA under the direction of the president are working in cooperation with Vladimir to create a war, or, at the very least, a new cold war. Their plan was to have Vladimir’s men place the bombs and attack the U.S. Embassy in Madrid and to kidnap you. The CIA would implicate Russia.”

“But why would Vladimir kill Richard Watts if they were planning on killing me anyways?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Vladimir is fixated on you. You’re his dream girl. The plan was always for him to kidnap you, but you were never going to be killed. Vladimir would have none of it. You were the CIA’s payment to him for the bombing and attack on the U.S. Embassy.”

“I was… payment?”

“Yes. You were going to become Vladimir’s slave. He was planning on keeping you isolated from the world at his Sochi estate. Your little swim at Naples sped his timetable up. The Italian police followed their protocols to the letter and contacted the U.S. Embassy. The embassy contacted the CIA to discover Richard Watts was in the area and sent him in to recover you. Richard Watts was all part of the plot. He just decided on his own to kill you and Vladimir killed him out of rage for touching you.”

“He was never going to take me to London.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“Why did he let me go to the market?”

“Why have a slave when you can have a mistress?”

“I’m not following you.”

“Vladimir worships you but he isn’t altogether trusting. All your clothes had GPS transmitters. He knew how to find you in Naples just as he was directing his guards to every move you made in the spice market. By showing himself the courteous and chivalrous host, he had hoped you would fall for him.”

“You thought my panties had a GPS transmitter in them?”

Catia smiled. “No. That was payback for kissing me.”

I hung my head. “Why were you with Vladimir?”

“Vladimir has been a target of the FSB for years. I was sent in to determine what his level of involvement was.”

“You’re not here to kill me or send me to Siberia?”

“No.”

“Then I’m free to go?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“I just need to get on the news, and everyone will know the truth.”

“I wouldn’t recommend that either.”

“Why?”

“In the public eye you’re now dead. The CIA and Vladimir will stop at nothing to get to you. The CIA wants to kill you and Vladimir wants to turn you into his sex kitten. Both have tremendous resources under their control. Satellites, cameras, mercenaries. If you went to the news, you would be discredited by the CIA as being part of the plot. You would be branded a Russian agent and a traitor to your country.”

“They could hardly suggest I was a Russian agent and in league with these terrorists.”

“Really?” Catia held up her phone to display a picture of Vladimir kissing me. “It looks like you’re hardly being resistant while clothed in a thousand-dollar silk dress aboard a luxury yacht and kissing the king of terrorists.”

“He kissed me! He disgusts me!”

“The picture says otherwise. I took this picture with a telephoto lens when I was monitoring you this morning. Just think what the CIA can do with satellites that can take photos of license plates.”

“You were monitoring me?”

“Of course. I put my own GPS tracker on you when you were drunk.”

“What?”

“I snuck back into your room after you fell asleep and placed one in your bra.”

“The door was locked.”

“Did you really think the lock only operates from the inside on a yacht owned by a terrorist that wanted to make you his sex slave?”

I shuddered. “Once again, I have no freedom. Why did you help me escape Vladimir?”

“If Russia has you, we can protect you and prove we weren’t the ones that did the attacks. By rescuing you, we might be able to avoid a war.”

“You’re stuck with me then. I bet you’re thrilled about that. You’ve been antagonistic towards me from the moment you first saw me.”

“Quite the contrary. I’m your biggest fan. You’re absolutely amazing.”

“Stop being facetious.”

“I’m not. I watched your career for years. Every game.”

“I have gone from the pan into the fire then. Do you intend on locking me away and turning me into your sex slave just like Vladimir?”

“Mmmm. The image warms my heart, but, alas, I like having an equal partner. A sex slave just wouldn’t do.”

I leaned back feeling suddenly defeated. “You were adorable.”

“I was what?”

“When I kissed you, I thought you looked adorable and...”

Catia smiled. “Finally, an honest answer. I need you to shower.”

“Do you have your telephoto lens for that too?”

“This is so I can dye and cut your hair. You can choose any color you want if it isn’t close to your current color. I’ll use non-permanent dye that will wash out in a week.”

I hated the idea of cutting my long hair or dying it. “I’m all right with dying my hair, but I don’t want to cut it.”

“Personally, I love long hair on a woman. It makes them look more feminine. We can use hats and keep your hair long, but we need to hide your identity as much as possible. You should shower up as we need to be moving soon.”

“Blonde would be my first choice. That or red as long as it’s a tasteful red.”

“You’re fleeing for your life and you’re worried about how you look?”

I stood and leaned over Catia as I grabbed the arms of her chair like she had done to me. “You’re the spy. If my hair were flaming red, blue, or green, I would think it wouldn’t be congruent with who I am, and that would make me stand out more.”

“I guess I’ll just have to get to know you better and see more of you before I can determine that.”

“I think you’ve seen quite enough of me already. I can’t believe you had me remove my panties while I was being shot at.”

“Technically, no one was shooting at you when I told you to strip.”

I stood and turned away when I felt Catia’s hand slip into mine. “I can be pretty blunt at times and I needed to play my part with Vladimir. I had to appear jealous and he has eyes everywhere. You’ve been through a lot and you made some very courageous moves and yet you look forward. No one has ever pinned me before like you did. I’m very impressed by you Avia. I’m sorry if I came across as harsh and uncaring.”

I turned around to face her. “Apology accepted.”

Catia stared into my eyes and she took her time letting go of my hand. She swatted me on my butt. “Scoot. We need to get out of the city by nightfall.”

***

I stared at my reflection with my new blonde hair. I liked the brunette color better as it highlighted my blue eyes more, but the blonde gave me an angelic look.

“Now we’re twins, Catia. We just need a pair of red polka-dot dresses.”

“Is that your plan? The CIA or Vladimir shoots me first?”

“The thought never crossed my mind.”

“It won’t work anyways. You’re far more beautiful than I am. They will know which one of us you are.”

“Then I just need to run faster than you.” I glanced one more time in the mirror. “I like it.”

“I’ll remind you that we have some significant challenges ahead of us. I need to get you to an airport north of the city where we have a jet waiting.”

“Where exactly are you taking me?”

“Moscow.”

Knowing I wasn’t in immediate danger and that Catia didn’t hate me, I found myself talking more. The more I talked the more I was having fun thinking about other things. The more I thought about other things, the flirtier I became. Catia’s closeness was a constant source of arousal for me.

“Moscow? Would that be considered a date?”

“I need to get you before the FSB and the country’s leaders.”

“So, not a date…”

“It’s not a date.”

“It’s all spy stuff then. Do I get a spy name? Agent 99?”

Catia rolled her eyes. “Ludmila Morosov.”

“Ludmila? That’s such a mouthful. How about just Mila?”

“Mila is acceptable.”

I stared into Catia’s eyes and stepped towards her. I took her hand in mine and leaned close. “Are you going to take me to dinner?”

Catia pushed me away. “You’re not taking this situation seriously.”

I turned away. “You’re right. I just wanted a day, an hour, hell, even thirty minutes without someone trying to kill me. I’m sorry.”

Catia spun me around. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. If we get out of the city in one piece, I’ll take you to dinner in Moscow.” Catia grabbed a hat and sunglasses and put them on me. “Let’s go, Mila.”

“Wait. May I use your phone one more time?”

“Who are you going to call?”

“I want to look online to see what is happening back home.”

“That’s not a good idea. At least not yet. We have too many people in this area actively trying to kill you. Any search you might make from my phone could get flagged and then they might be able to track this phone. To be safe, I have turned the phone off for now and removed the battery, and when we get out of Turkey and into Russia, then we can investigate further.”

“I understand.”

***

“Stay close, Mila.”

“I’m having a hard time getting used to that name.”

“Which is why I am using it. As long as we’re traveling, you need to hear it often enough to be able to respond as if it were your own name.”

We had been moving for hours, heading northwest until angling south towards the Yesilkoy Havaalani airport. Catia explained there was a plane waiting for us at the northwest part of the airport. This meant even though we were close, we still needed to circle around and with all the traffic and security, it became harder and harder to avoid detection.

Catia crept slowly through some low bushes and darted over to the north wall of a large building. I followed closely as we hugged the wall. Catia slipped her gun into the back of her pants, poked her head around the corner, and turned back towards me.

“Stay here.”

I watched her move out into the open. From my military days, I knew these moments were the most dangerous. One never knew what they might be stepping into.

A male voice spoke in Russian.

“You’re late, Catia. We should have been in the air an hour ago.”

I took a chance and peeked around the corner. Catia was close to me. A large Russian military transport looked prepped and ready to go.

“It wasn’t easy getting here undetected.”

“Where is Avia?”

Catia paused briefly before responding. “We ran into trouble. She is in a safe house nearby.”

“She should be easy to track down then.”

A noise caused me to look away. Two soldiers came around from the far side of the transport, their weapons were ready. Catia hadn’t seen them. I saw her drop her hand towards her back.

I rushed out and dove on top of Catia, just as automatic gunfire tore through the air around us. It would only take a second for the guards to retrain their sights on us. I rolled with Catia, grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards the bushes behind us.

Gunfire erupted once again as I glanced back over our shoulders. The sound of the gunfire was suddenly lost by an enormous explosion. I felt the blast throw us both forward at incredible speed, followed by intense heat. We crashed into some bushes, rolled, and Catia pulled me to my feet.

We glanced back to see the entire north end of the airport in flames.

“This just got a whole lot more difficult. Are you all right, Mila?”

“Just some scrapes. You?”

“I’ll survive. We need to get out of here quickly.”

***

We ran for twenty minutes, hiding every time we saw a helicopter or emergency vehicle. Finally, we slowed down and found a protected place to regroup in the Kanarya Mezarligi cemetery. We put our backs against the cool stone of a raised grave.

Catia winced as she lifted her shirt. Her side had been grazed by a shot, or perhaps a piece of flying metal from the explosion.

“You’re hurt. Let me look at that.”

“I’m all right.”

“Stop being so tough.”

I lifted her shirt and gently examined the wound.

“I need to get something to take care of this.”

I let my fingers linger on her skin a moment before pulling back. Catia’s hand grabbed mine holding me fast.

“What part of stay behind did you not understand, Mila? You’re too valuable in all of this to risk losing.”

“And you’re not? They were going to kill you. Your own people.”

She held my gaze. “I misjudged the extent of Vladimir’s reach. It could have also been the CIA, but I doubt that.”

“How did you know something was wrong?”

“He called you Avia. My people would have known to ask for Ludmila in case anyone was in listening range.”

“We must assume that Vladimir’s men somehow managed to replace your team here. Why blow up the plane? I thought I might have caught the trail of a missile just before the explosion.”

“I suspect we have Vladimir trying to recapture you and the CIA trying to kill you. Our trip has become a little more challenging.”

“Rest here, Catia. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’m not leaving your side.”

I sighed, stood, and pulled Catia to her feet before turning back the way we came. Catia’s hand slipped into mine.

“That was a really brave thing to do back there. You saved my life. Thank you.”

“I guess that makes us even.”

She squeezed my hand before letting it go.

“Why are we going back the way we came, Mila?”

“I remember we jogged past a pharmacy.”

“They’re not going to be open.”

“I’m going to do what it takes to take care of your wound. Since I have no money, it’s not likely I would be able to pay anyways.”

“The FSB has a safe house nearby. It might be compromised, but the last thing we need is the local police to be throwing us in jail because we broke into someone’s business. I say we go there, take what we need, then get out of Turkey as quickly as we can.”

***

Jack Delaney’s desk phone chirped.

“Yes, Agnes?”

“There are some men from the FBI here to see you.”

“FBI? Please, send them in.”

Two men entered Jack’s office and Agnes closed the door behind them.

“Mr. Delaney. I’m Special Agent Tom Bristow and this is Special Agent William Mayer. We would like to ask you some questions.”

“Is this about my enquiry into Alex Johnson’s death?”

“You mean, Alex Johnson’s murder and the possible ties it has to Avia Conner, Virtual Media Tech, and our heightened DefCon level in the United States. Yes, we need to see your logs.”

“You have evidence Alex was murdered?”

“We have some but to confirm, we need your logs.”

“Of course.” Jack looked out the window briefly before turning back to the agents. “You said ties to Virtual Media Tech. You think we had something to do with all of this?”

“We don’t know what to think at this point, Mr. Delaney. All we’re asking for is your full cooperation.”

“You have it. Anything you need.”

***

Catia sucked in a breath as I gently wiped her wound with disinfectant.

“Sorry. I know that’s got to sting.”

“How is it that you know Russian and what a missile trail looks like?”

Catia didn’t miss much. I was finding it difficult to forget Avia didn’t know these things, but in the heat of the moments, they were coming out as part of my own experiences and training. I didn’t want to lie to her, but the whole truth was something I still found implausible.

I tried to keep my voice level and nonchalant as I put the bandage on her side.

“Were you aware I was testing a new technology during the World Cup soccer final?”

“No. What technology?”

“The latest generation from Virtual Media Tech.”

“You were broadcasting?”

“Yes. I was told only one person would be connected, but I never knew who. When I left the stadium, I was tased. When I woke, I had additional knowledge. Perhaps this was a flaw, or the tasing surged through the system, but I know several languages now and some military training that I never had before.”

“Hmmm.”

“You don’t sound too convinced.”

“Actually, I believe you. We have been playing with this sort of technology for years but we were trying to find a way to use it to transfer skills and knowledge for military purposes. We were trying to replicate skills from one person to another and had limited success when the systems were overloaded with power. It was most likely that the person you were connected to had a military background. The question arises as to who and why were they monitoring you. In any event, anything extra you got, let’s hope it’s permanent as those skills could come in handy before this is all over.”

I let my fingers linger on her side as she pushed herself off the bed. “Careful.”

“I’m fine, Mila. You worry too much about a simple scratch.”

She pulled my hand away just long enough to place a pistol into my hand.

“Do you know how to operate that?”

I nodded, examined the pistol carefully, and slipped it into the back of my jeans.

“Don’t shoot your butt off. It’s one of your greatest assets.”

“The safety is on and there is no round in the chamber. It’s nice that occasionally you think about my assets.”

Catia faced me and stepped so close I was pinned against the wall. Her breath was warm against the skin on my neck. I swallowed trying to keep my composure and not do anything I might regret.

“I think about your assets all the time, but we need to have our wits about us.” She whispered as I heard a drawer open next to me. I watched as Catia pulled out another pistol, some rounds of ammo, a knife, and some money.

When she stepped away, I was breathing heavily. Catia’s nearness caused me feelings that I had never felt so strongly before.

Catia turned away towards the door. The moment was gone but she spun back, grabbed the back of my neck with her hand, pulled me towards her, and kissed me so passionately that when our lips parted, I let out a moan and gasped for breath.

“Oh… my…”

The heated moment turned cool as Catia turned away from me and she headed to the door.

“We need to go. Now.”

Still dazed and with a slight smile forming on my lips, I merely nodded and slipped outside the safe house into the dark alleyway beyond.

***

“Mila.”

We had been walking for hours and I had let my gaze fall to the shapely woman before me. My mind followed my gaze, recalling the passionate exchange we had earlier. I ran my fingers over my delicate and sensitive lips, remembering the electric sensations. In all Avia’s memories, she had never felt like this. She had never been so moved by another person. There had been moments of attraction and passion, but nothing resembling the heart-pounding…

“Mila!” Catia hissed.

Startled from my musings, I almost walked into Catia’s back. “Sorry.”

“You need to keep your head in the game. What’s got you so distracted?”

“Uhm…” I bit my lower lip to stop myself from saying something that would get me into trouble.

Catia leaned her head around the corner of a brick building, then turned back to me. “We’re at the train station. Pull your hair up under your hat and put your sunglasses on. I’ll buy our tickets to Bucharest. Stay close to me, don’t talk to anyone, and keep your eyes open and alert.”

I tore my eyes off her lips, recalling the memory of the plane exploding to remind me of the dire circumstances we were in. I nodded, my emotions suddenly and quickly held in check.

Her fingers found mine as she pulled us around the corner. Once she knew I was close behind her, she let go as she neared the ticket counter. I watched the bustling station, trying to pinpoint any possible followers or obvious security details.

A minute later, Catia pulled me over to a train and hustled us to our cabin. Having never travelled by train before, I was surprised at the comfort of the quaint, wood-walled room.

“This is nice.”

“Sit down as far away from the window as possible. We’re not out of this yet. With the extraction failure at the airport, both Vladimir and the CIA might expect us to leave by train.”

Catia sat down across from me. I glanced up at the hidden bed, then down again to Catia. It had been years since I had… Even with all her fans, Avia had only one long-term relationship and even with that, she had never made love to another person. There was something about Catia that I had never felt before. She would have been Avia’s perfect match. I felt Catia’s draw on me like a pair of magnets. I had to force myself to think about something else.

“How’s your wound?”

Catia’s eyes drifted from the train station platform outside the window to me. Her gaze lingered on my lips. A smile tugged up at the corner of her mouth before her face became impassive again. When she didn’t say anything, I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest.

“You seem frustrated, Mila.”

“I can’t figure you out. You’re like a really bad rock climber.”

“A bad rock climber?”

“You make some headway, then fall and repeat that over and over again. One moment you’re kissing me with enough passion to make it hard for me to stand, the next you ignore me.”

“I’m sorry. I’m struggling between completing my mission, keeping you safe, and…”

“Don’t pause now. I’m dying to hear what comes next.”

“You don’t want to hear it.”

“Bring it on.”

She waited for the commotion of the train horn sounding and the shouts for final boarding to finish.

“You’re often in the media posing with some celebrity of the day.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“I don’t like flirts and easy women. They’re untrustworthy and disloyal.”

I felt the sting in those words. “I’m sorry that’s how you think of me.”

“Mila…”

The train horn sounded, and we jerked forward amidst multiple metallic clunking sounds.

I moved over next to the window and trained my eyes outside.

“Mila, it isn’t safe. Come away from the window. Please.”

I pushed my way back towards the inside of the cabin.

“Mila, look at me.”

“Why?”

“It’s easier to hold a conversation.”

“Ah… Now you want to talk. Talking is a good way to get to know one another without making idiotic assumptions.”

Catia sighed. “You’re right. I don’t know the real you. I just formed a picture based on what I watched or read about you.”

I glanced up to meet Catia’s eyes. “It’s part of my job. My contract. Company endorsements, photo shoots, and plenty of people that want to take a picture with me so they can get additional press in various social circles. My sponsors want to make my life look glamorous so they can sell their gear to young women and girls wanting to be like me. While I’m proud to be a role model, I’ve cried myself to sleep more times than I care to admit, all over what some tabloid lied about me.”

“So, you don’t…”

“I never have. Not once.”

“But you kissed me, and you didn’t even know me.”

“I haven’t felt this way around anyone before, Catia. Not even close. I’m confused because of everything I have been through and I’m constantly questioning my feelings for you. You’re like a cross between Jason Bourne and a blonde Grace Kelly. Action, strength, confidence, and unparalleled beauty. You could be the one person in this whole damn world I always wanted to find, however, it does me no good if you think I’m a slut, your taken already, you simply don’t like me, or I’m simply too brain addled by explosions, kidnappings, being cuffed to a chair with a knife at my throat, and being shot at to know how I’m really feeling. So, enough about me. Let’s talk about you. I know why I kissed you, why did you kiss me?”

“I couldn’t help myself.”

“That’s not a good answer and you know it. You couldn’t help yourself even though you’re disgusted by me?”

“I’m not disgusted by you, quite the opposite.”

“You were hurt, weren’t you? Is that why you come close then push me away?”

Catia grimaced. “That would be an accurate assessment. I keep making up excuses why this could never work, rehashing old memories, and trying my hardest to keep you safe. I’ve never been so flustered on a mission before.”

“How were you hurt?”

“It is not a single event. Everyone I get close to winds up injured, taken from me, lies, cheats, or dies.”

“How often has this happened to you?”

“Enough times to know I need to guard my heart.”

I sighed. “Maybe I should be focusing on figuring this all out, to find a way out of all this intrigue, but there is much outside of my control. I can tell you that all of these events have exposed one big truth in me.”

“What is that?”

“That I have failed to connect to anyone in my life. More than anything, I wonder if anyone would be heartbroken if I were found dead.”

“This whole war situation is founded on that. People love you, Mila.”

“People in general, but not individuals. I have no one and I don’t want to miss another opportunity. If I have learned anything these past few days is that life is far too fleeting and precious to avoid finding love. What I’m saying is…”

Catia’s lips were on mine before I could take my next breath. I came away gasping for air as she pulled back slowly, then moved in such a loving way to stroke my cheek with her fingers and kissed me again gently. My arms snaked around her neck. I was deliriously lost in her touch.

When she pulled herself away, her eyes were focused on mine. “I’ve never felt so drawn to anyone before, Mila. I don’t even know how this could work between us. I work for the FSB. I live in Russia. I…”

I silenced her with a kiss. “If anything, Catia, we need to live in the moment. There are no guarantees. Let’s take things one day, one moment at a time.”

There was a knock on the cabin door and Catia had her gun pulled and levelled in a second.

“Tickets, please.”

I held my hand up towards Catia and unlocked the cabin door slowly. In my periphery, I saw Catia slip the gun behind her as she handed me the tickets. I opened the door all the way. He looked at Catia and me, then held out his hand. I gave him our tickets. He looked them over carefully, punched them, and handed them back to me.

“Enjoy your trip.” He backed out and closed the door behind me.

I turned back to Catia after locking the door. “Jumpy much?”

Catia put her head in her hands. “I almost lost it. I was ready to shoot through the door. I should have never kissed you. I should have never let my heart get so caught up with you.”

“It’s all right, Catia.”

“No, it’s not. Don’t you see? My mission was simple. Learn about Vladimir’s involvement, rescue you, and bring you to Moscow. Now… it’s personal. How can I do my job when I want to blow the head off anyone that comes near you? I see Vladimir’s lips on yours and all I want to do is rip his head off before blowing up his yacht. Yes, I’m jumpy. I’m questioning everything including bringing you to Moscow.”

I sat down next to Catia and took her hand in mine. For a moment, I silently basked in the sensation of feeling her thumb caress the back of my hand.

“Would it make you feel any better, Catia, if I told you I was revolted when Vladimir touched you? I wanted to cut his Achilles tendons with a butter knife. I want you to know I have your back, as much as I am capable. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Catia.”

Catia laughed. “A butter knife? That would take an insane amount of time.”

“Yes, but imagine how painful it would be for him.”

“You’re a devious little kotehok, Mila. I love it. You’re right. We need to watch each other’s backs.”

“Kotehok? Kitten?”

“It’s a Russian term of endearment. I still think it is in our best interests to get you to Moscow.”

I smiled at the kitten reference. It made me feel closer to Catia. “We need to get to Moscow for our dinner date.”

Catia smiled. “There’s no telling how things will proceed once I bring you in. We’ll do dinner before I do that. We can even start now. I’m famished.”

***

FBI Special Agent Tom Bristow stood and stretched. “We can confirm Alex Johnson was murdered. Your logs show that he was connected to the system, was alive, but unconscious when he was shot in the head. What we would like to know is why you severed the prior connection to Avia Conner and granted Alex access to her transmission.”

Jack DeLaney turned back from the windows that looked over the city.

“Alex was a beta tester for our fourth-generation technology. He called me saying he was being blocked and when I saw he had such a high neural match with Avia, I made an executive decision and locked out the other connection, giving it to Alex. Am I in trouble? Do I need a lawyer?”

“No, but you’re not out of this yet. For Alex to be murdered, someone had to have known he was connected. Only Virtual Media Tech staff have access to the logs.”

Jack leaned forward placing his hands on his desk. “I want to get to the bottom of this. Alex was my friend. I owed him my life. I don’t understand why anyone would murder him because he was connected to Avia Conner. I will assist in any way I can.”

“We are trying to trace the IP address of the first connection to Avia. This is taking time as the connections were routed through dozens of network hops. You developed a lot of the code. We want you to help us get to the bottom of this.”

“Certainly. Are you able to share your thoughts as to why Alex would have been murdered? Because I can’t fathom why anyone would do such a thing.”

“We believe that Avia Conner was a target from the very beginning. We suspect whoever wanted access needed confirmation that she was taken. By losing access, the final disposition of Avia would not be known, and anyone that was connected might have held valuable information as a witness to the events that led up to her death.”

“In other words, Alex was murdered because he saw everything from Avia’s perspective. I’m at your disposal. I will go through every shred of evidence in our logs and code.”

***

Dinner was distinctly tasteless, but I doubted I would have remembered it even if it had been fantastic. With Catia’s foot sliding up my leg the entire time, I was more than distracted.

“Are you finished, Mila?”

“Yes. I’m anxious to get back to our cabin.”

“Are you, kitten?” Catia’s smile reminded me of Alice in Wonderland.

My mouth twitched up involuntarily at the term of endearment. I was in a playful mood. “Kitten? You’re the one named Catia. If anyone is a kitten, it would be you.”

“Nope. That’s my new name for you.”

“I guess it could be worse.”

“Come. Let’s see if I can make you purr, kitten.”

I felt my face flush with warmth. Catia extended her hand and led me back through the train cars towards our cabin. Her thumb kept stroking my wrist sending little electric shocks through me as we walked. When we arrived at our cabin, she opened the door. I glanced down the hallway to find a large man coming our way.

“Catia…?”

I reached to tap Catia on her shoulder when Catia was pulled into the cabin and the man coming down the hallway sped up. There was a sound of a fight going on in the cabin and a muffled voice screamed out.

“Run, Mila!”

I was torn between helping Catia and running until I heard heavy steps behind me. I ran forward so I wouldn’t get grabbed from behind. My martial arts skills fell into a smooth, natural flow as the man in front of me started pulling a gun from his jacket. I was on him in a second and slammed my heel into his knee. The crack was as loud as was his scream of pain and curses. He fell heavily to the floor, dropped his gun, and it clattered away from his hand.

He was reaching for the gun as I dove for it, spun, and shot the man coming up behind me. A hand grabbed my ankle, I rolled and kicked, breaking several of the man’s fingers in the process. I slammed the gun into his temple and headed for the cabin.

I pushed the door open and Catia was fighting for her life. They were moving quickly and using the gun in my hand would risk hitting her.

“Catia! Drop!”

Catia let go of the man and fell to the ground. He turned to face me just as I grabbed both bed rails, swung myself up and with both legs kicked as hard as I could right into the center of his chest. He flew backwards and crashed through the cabin window. He was frantically hanging on with just his fingertips. Catia lifted his foot and shoved hard, the man lost his grip and fell from the train. She then grabbed the gun from my hand, wiped it off, then threw it out the window.

Catia took my hand. “We have to move!”

She pulled me into the hallway, glanced both ways at the two men on the floor, then pulled me towards the front of the train. We were nearing the front when she pulled the emergency signal and the train’s brakes activated.

“As soon as we stop, we run for it.”

I nodded. The train shook and groaned as it slowed rapidly. We could hear shouting coming from the rear of the train. Catia pried the door open and even though we were still moving some, we leapt, hit the ground hard, rolled, and ran from the train. We dashed into a farmer’s field and I glanced back. People on the train were pointing at us.

“Don’t stop, Mila. The train security will call this into the police. Their security detail won’t leave the train, but rest assured, the CIA and Vladimir will pick up our trail when they listen in on the dispatch.”

I kept up with Catia as we ran putting distance between us and the train. We veered west, then south, and found a bridge over a wide river. We rested when we reached the far side of the river, hiding from sight under the bridge.

Catia held me tight against her and kissed me. “I thought I told you to run, kitten?”

“I was going to, but I was trapped.”

“So, you took out two trained mercenaries? How does that even happen? You’re a soccer player.”

“I’ve taken self-defense classes and that additional knowledge from whoever was connected to me helped a lot.”

“Damn, kitten. All right, you somehow incapacitated one, shot the other, then instead of running, you came to check on me?”

“I figured there wasn’t likely more than one or two in there with you and I wasn’t leaving you. I just can’t leave you.”

“I told you to run.”

“Right. As if I would leave behind the only person that has ever stirred my heart. Maybe you don’t feel for me what I feel for you, but I would rather the CIA put a bullet through my brain than risk losing you. Besides, it worked out.”

“You watch too many movies. No one drop kicks a thug out a train window. I could have taken him out. I almost had him.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away. Catia’s hands tenderly turned my face back to hers.

“I’m sorry, kitten. You were phenomenal back there. I’m so proud of you. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I don’t want to lose you.”

“What happens now?”

“I’ll make an encrypted call to FSB. I think we can still fly out of here, but we need to do this as stealthily as possible.”

***

Jack Delaney leaned back in his chair and stared at his computer screen. “This doesn’t make sense.”

Special Agent Tom Bristow came around Jack’s desk. “What did you find?”

“I’m checking the signaling. The audit logs show the digital events that took place, but the signaling logs should line up. The problem I’m seeing here is that the voltages are off. If I were to guess, I would say Avia’s transmitter wasn’t ours, but clearly they were using our infrastructure.”

“Is that possible?”

“In theory. Someone from Virtual Media Tech would need to accept the network address of the device as one of our own. We only allow our devices to communicate on our infrastructure.”

“Who could do that?”

“I could think of a dozen or so.”

“That’s a start. Send me their names.”

“There’s something else. We’re already playing with fifth generation. It’s barely in the experimental phase, but it allows for the potential of control of the other person. Some of the signaling reminds me of that generation.”

“Meaning?”

“It appears that there was keep-alive signaling going to Avia’s transmitter. This suggests it was possibly capable of receiving data that might have been able to control her.”

“You think Alex was controlling Avia?”

“No. I know Alex didn’t have anything like that for hardware. What I’m suggesting is perhaps the other person that was connected might have been able to.”

“They played the game as Avia?”

“That wouldn’t be possible. Without the level of host body neural mapping, someone controlling Avia would be able to walk, talk, and perform some aspects of control, but they would never be able to play soccer well enough to win a World Cup match. Plus, Alex was connected for the last half of the game.”

“We’ll keep that in mind. Keep working on internal logs to see who might have set up the connection to the first person.”

***

We made our way north into the outskirts of Edirne. There we found a taxi to take us northeast to a smaller village. From there we walked due north into farmer’s fields until we were isolated and far from any major roads. We waited there until a private charter helicopter arrived, picked us up, and flew us east towards the Black Sea.

I leaned in close to Catia, removing my headset and microphone. Catia placed hers aside. My lips brushed her neck just below her ear and I was tempted to snuggle into her arms, but I glanced at the pilot.

“This all feels very clandestine. Where are we headed?”

Catia slid her nose through my hair and nipped my earlobe with her teeth. “I’m taking you home to meet my parents.”

The pilot’s eyes flicked to his mirror. I pulled away slightly but felt Catia’s hand slip into mine out of the pilot’s view. Catia put on her headset and I did as well. She spoke in Arabic to the pilot. He nodded and the helicopter veered slightly north.

It didn’t take long until we made our landing at a small airstrip. A private jet was waiting and Catia dragged me from the helicopter to the jet. The moment we stepped foot in the plane, we were taxing to the end of the runway. I had just taken my seat when the plane took off, heading east over the Black Sea.

This was a much smaller plane than Vladimir’s. There was a selection of food and water near us, but it appeared only the pilot and copilot were with us on the plane. I started to say something to Catia, but she held up her finger, removed her seatbelt, and opened the door to the cockpit. She returned a few minutes later.

“Okay, kitten. I think this is going to work. We will transfer planes one more time in Yeysk, then go to Moscow, but we will land in a small airstrip south of the city. By avoiding controlled airstrips, we should keep off the CIA and Vladimir’s radar.” She glanced back to the cockpit. The door was closed. “Come here.” She patted the seat next to her.

I needed no additional motivation. My life had been a whirlwind since I became Avia. Catia made me feel safe. I felt at ease about my desire to be held and comforted and every touch from Catia both excited me and gave me strength to carry on. As Alex, I was a force to be reckoned with before my injuries. Those around me were drawn to my strength and leadership, being calm under pressure. My lengthy recovery and realization that my life would never be the same, changed me from being independent to suddenly having to rely on others. I had been broken.

I slipped off my seatbelt and slid into the seat next to Catia. I leaned into her, feeling her strength as her arm wrapped around my shoulders.

“Try to sleep, kitten.”

I smiled and nuzzled her neck. I was tired and it took no time to drift off.

***

“This is your apartment?”

“The FSB might know about this place, but I have done my best to keep it as hidden as possible. I suspect my primary residence will be monitored. This is where I keep my cherished belongings.”

I watched how comfortable Catia was in this place of solitude for her. She kicked off her shoes and lounged on the couch. Her eyes never left me as I moved slowly around the main living space, touching the odd item, picking up the occasional picture of Catia that I assumed was her as a child. I would look back and forth between the photo and Catia.

There was something unnerving about seeing her past. She had an entire life I knew nothing about and wasn’t a part of. I had spoken bravely about the future and living in the moment, but the reality of our situations made my heart squeeze within my chest. I gently placed a picture of a young, teenaged Catia back on the mantle. I bit my lower lip.

“What’s going through that pretty head of yours, kitten?”

“I’m just realizing how different our lives are. It hurts that I didn’t know you. You have your whole life, family, friends… lovers…” I looked away from her. “I…”

I hadn’t even heard Catia get up. I jumped slightly when her arms slid around my waist from behind.

“Are you have second thoughts about us?”

“No. I know this seems sudden and foolish, bordering on ridiculous, but I hurt because I want to be with you. I see these pictures and I wished I could have grown up with you. I missed so much of your life.”

“Those are quite possibly the sweetest words I have ever heard spoken to me, kitten. It’s challenging for me too. I wonder what our lives would have been like if I met you earlier. Unfortunately, the FSB won’t simply let me leave Russia to play house. Even leaving my job is highly discouraged.”

I spun slowly in her arms until I was facing her. “I’m trying not to think about the future. It’s funny that with all the things I need to worry about, the only one that is pressing is what will happen to us.”

Catia’s hand reached up and stroked my hair. Her jaw muscles tightened and relaxed several times. “Are you still up for a dinner date?”

“I rested well on the trip here and I can’t think of anything I would rather do than spend time with you.”

She kissed my forehead. “You can use the shower first. I’ll find you something to wear and put it on the bed.”

I nodded and kissed her, then took her hand and pulled her but she remained where she was. “Come with me?”

“You tempt me, kitten, but I need to make some arrangements for tomorrow.”

“One condition.”

Catia raised her eyebrow in response.

“Tonight, I want your undivided attention. I want to forget about everything that’s happened and focus on you. No talk of what will happen tomorrow. No discussion about how our lives are complicated. I want tonight to be for us. I want to share one night, one span of time with the only person in this world that means more to me than my own life. Agreed?”

Catia smiled like I have never seen her smile before. “Only if you let me treat you the way you deserve to be.”

“Deal.”

***

I stared at the dress on the bed and smiled. Catia had just slipped into the bathroom to get herself ready. I ran my fingers over the short, black-sequined dress. Dark pantyhose laid next to the dress and a selection of silver jewelry embedded with sapphires rested next to the ensemble.

Removing my robe, I slid into the sexy clothes, put on the jewelry, and slipped on the shiny black heels. I moved to a full-length mirror and gasped. It had been a few days since I had taken a moment to consider my new life. While I mourned Avia and her situation of either being dead or having to live in my old, broken body, there was nothing I could do. My reflection made my breath catch and my heart skip a beat. I was breathtaking. My fingers glided down my flat stomach and just past my hip bones. I turned to admire how the ultra-short dress emphasized the curves of my body and my long, lean legs. Returning to my old self would be a death sentence. Suicide would be the only way I could deal with losing Catia and this body that gave me more energy and joy than anything in my life ever had.

I pulled myself away from the mirror and stepped into the main living area. Putting the thoughts about my old life and Avia away, I thought of Catia and an overwhelming desire to just be close to her, to touch her, pulsed strongly within me. I glanced back towards the bedroom where the bathroom was located and took a deep breath. How could it be that every breath I took made me yearn for Catia even more than the last?

I forced myself to move and absorb more of the pictures and trinkets Catia had collected over the years. How long I stared at the pictures, I couldn’t say, but I was startled when I heard Catia’s sharp intake of breath behind me. I turned slowly and looked her over from head to toe and back several times. I bit my lower lip and resisted the urge to throw myself at her.

We stared at each other, not saying a word. Catia moved closer and slid her hand to my cheek, letting her fingers slip effortlessly through my silky hair. Her eyes never left mine.

“Never in my life have I seen anything as beautiful as you, kitten. The blonde dye is almost gone now. Your brunette hair is stunning, making your exquisite blue eyes stand out even more. Knowing you were here in my apartment, I fought to not rush out here and take you in my arms.”

Her nose slid alongside mine. My lips parted against the warmth of her breath.

My voice was a whisper, shaking with passion. “Will you kiss me, Catia?”

Her lips pulled gently at my upper lip several times before kissing me more firmly. I moaned softly, pressing into her. My hands cupped her face as we continued to kiss. Her touch ignited a fire within me.

Catching my breath between kisses, I let my lips graze along her neck until I could nip her earlobe gently. My heart was so full.

“I love you, Catia.”

Her hands moved to mine and she pulled slowly away. Tears formed as Catia’s warm body stepped back. She stared into my eyes with such tenderness as her hand moved back to my cheek to wipe away my tears.

“How can you love me, kitten? Do you know what danger you put us in by speaking those words to me?”

She turned away and released my hand.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She turned her face towards me, her own tears now falling freely.

“Don’t…”

I closed the distance between us and placed my hands on her face, dabbing her tears with my thumbs. “I’m not letting you walk away from me. I’m not letting you close yourself off. I don’t care if your employer sends me to Siberia. I don’t care if I die tomorrow. I’m not going to cheat on you or give up on you but if I don’t take this chance, I know that I will regret my decision for the rest of my life. I…” I kissed her. “Love…” I kissed her again, slowly with more passion. “You… And I never want to leave your side.”

Catia pulled back, but a smile slowly spread across her face. “You’re certain about this?”

I nodded.

“Positive?”

I nodded again.

“Do you know how much trouble you are in?”

I bit my lower lip and shook my head from side to side.

“You’re about to find out.” Her smile grew even larger.

Catia threw her arms around my waist and lifted me up onto her shoulder. I squealed with laughter as she took me into the bedroom and tossed me on the bed like a sack of potatoes. She rolled onto the bed next to me, so our faces were close.

“Here’s the challenge because I love you too. Vladimir, the CIA, and the FSB will use us against each other if they know we love each other.” Her hand slid slowly up my thigh, pushing up the fabric of my dress. “Vladimir will kill me, take you, and lock you away. The CIA, they just want you dead. The FSB would never let me go with you out of Russia if they believed I might not return because of my feelings for you.”

I kissed Catia lightly. “I love how your fingers sliding under the hem of my dress sends little electric shocks through my body.”

“Did you hear anything I said?”

I smiled. “You said you loved me.”

“I did say that. I love you, kitten. I’m not sure how I have fallen for you so quickly. I have never felt so connected to anyone before in my life. But we need to stay focused and figure a way out of this.”

“I know I asked that we forget about all of this for tonight, but I would rather we have more than one night together. I’m sure between the two of us we can come up with a plan. You’re like Jason Bourne, except that you are far prettier and smarter. What confuses me about all of this, is why would the FSB allow Vladimir to put them in this position?”

“How do you mean?”

“How did the FSB know that I was kidnapped by Vladimir and send you in to rescue me? If the FSB had already believed Vladimir was up to something, why didn’t they stop him knowing the risk they were putting themselves in?”

Catia’s fingers paused their slow ministrations along my thigh. She rolled onto her back and growled. “This is what I was worried about.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’ve been blinded. I was sent in several times over the past few months to get to know Vladimir. Then, when everything happened, I was the one chosen to rescue you. The FSB doesn’t do anything without a lot of forethought and careful consideration. I know they have a full dossier on you as I have seen it. Undoubtedly, they will also have one on me, including my Internet search history. They would know I am a huge fan of yours, that my relationships have been with women in the past, and…”

“And what, Catia?”

She sat up, her face dark like a threatening storm. “I have been so taken by you, kitten, that I missed what was right before me. The FSB made me a failsafe. If Vladimir had second thoughts about what he was planning on using you for, the FSB wanted me to deliver you to them. I’ve been played.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Those questions you asked, kitten. You were right to ask them. There is no way the FSB would have let Vladimir start a war with the United States. They would have stopped him. The only reason they didn’t take out Vladimir is that the FSB is in on the whole thing. Everything has been plotted, crafted, and planned to kickstart a new cold war. With the FSB and Russia denying everything, Vladimir would have been blamed by all sides, yet tensions would remain high. The FSB knew I would do anything to bring you to safety and that would mean taking you directly to them. That is if I succeeded in taking you away from Vladimir.”

Catia stood and paced. “Vladimir takes the blame… Of course, kitten! Russia can’t blame Vladimir without demonstrating they took care of the problem.”

“You mean the FSB is going to kill Vladimir?”

“The United States will demand proof that you were killed. They will demand the return of your body. If I hadn’t rescued you, you would still be with Vladimir when he is blown to kingdom come. The United States would be granted access to the scene to perform forensics as proof he was taken care of and had evidence linking him to your kidnapping and terrorist acts. But, if the United States found your body with Vladimir, they could still suggest Russia was behind it all. This is the difficult part. To make this work, the FSB needs to deliver your body to the United States. Your body with a bullet through your head just as it was staged in Naples. The FSB is going to kill you if I deliver you to them tomorrow.” Catia growled again. “I’ve been so stupid!”

I sat up. “We have to assume even if your rescue attempt failed, the FSB would have been able to demonstrate they tried to save me.”

“What are you suggesting, kitten?”

“The FSB sees you as expendable.”

“You’re right. If I succeeded or failed, the FSB still comes out ahead.”

“What do we do now? We’re in the middle of Russia, in Moscow, with the FSB expecting us to arrive tomorrow. The CIA is clearly in on it. Vladimir is still out there. And neither of us are good to any of them alive. I even wonder if Vladimir didn’t have a plan like the FSB. Maybe he wasn’t so infatuated with me after all. Perhaps he planned to kill me off and blame it on the FSB. He couldn’t be that naïve to think the FSB would let him walk away from all of this.”

“You’re wrong, but you’re right. Vladimir was infatuated with you and I doubt he would kill you without at least taking advantage of you first.”

I shuddered.

“Whoever has you, kitten, holds all the cards.”

“It’s a good thing you have me then, Catia. All of me. Although, I would be willing to walk into the FSB on my own to give you a chance at surviving this.”

“I could never let you do that. You’re the only person in this world that has given my life any meaning. I’m not letting you get away from me. We need to change and pack some essentials.” Catia rushed to her closet and started tossing out clothing.

I was half covered by them when she stepped back into the room. I held up a pair of red lace panties. “Would these be considered essential?”

Catia smiled and pulled me to the edge of the bed where she kissed me. “They are for you to wear, so yes, they are essential to my wellbeing. As much as I hate to see you out of that dress… let me rephrase that as I would love to see you out of that dress. We need to be ready for anything and wearing what we’re wearing will only slow us down. Find some pants and a top that will work well for travelling and as soon as we are changed, we will arm ourselves. I think the safest thing to do is get out of Moscow and find someplace safe to plan our next move.”

I stood and moved close to Catia. I turned so my back was to her and pulled my hair aside. “Can you unzip me?”

Catia pressed herself against me. Her lips grazed my exposed neck as her fingers lingered on my bare shoulder. I wanted to turn into her arms so badly. I wanted to give in to my yearnings for her touch. My brain was belching crazy, wild, and disparate thoughts. What’s one hour, one night? You might not be alive tomorrow. Don’t give up this opportunity. Better one night than never. Better to live than risk being killed. It is too soon to fall into bed with Catia. Find someplace safe. Then the one thought that chilled me to the bone. You’re not Avia Conner and you have no right to fall in love with anyone.

I stepped away from Catia and doubled over in pain, falling to my knees as the last thought overwhelmed me. I was living a lie. Catia was in love with Avia and not me. I had stolen Avia’s body and while I was trying to do the honorable thing in keeping her alive, I had taken advantage of the situation. I enjoyed the feeling of being alive, being vulnerable, being whole so much that I yielded to it completely.

“Kitten! Avia! What’s wrong?”

I felt her warm hands on my shaking shoulders. “I… I haven’t been… completely honest with you. Before you risk your life for me… you need to know the truth.”

Catia yanked her hands away and I felt the coldness of her stare on my back. All her fears had just surfaced with my betrayal of her trust.

“I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true.”

I looked up through my tear-stained eyes at her cold, hardened face. I swallowed hard. “I didn’t lie to you. My feelings for you are real. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone or anything before. It’s just…”

“Don’t bother. I’ve heard it all before. I’m married. I’m in love with someone else.” Catia turned away.

“You haven’t heard this one. I’m not Avia Conner. I am, but I’m not.”

She spun so fast I fell back away from her in my fear of her lashing out.

“What are you talking about?”

“I told you that during the soccer match I was transmitting and somehow I received knowledge from the person that I was connected to. It was how I can speak and understand Russian. This is true, but the full story is something I’m still grappling with and it isn’t fair to you to not know. It isn’t fair to risk your life for me. It… it isn’t fair… for you to love me. You need to know everything.”

“I’m listening. Get changed as you talk. I don’t care what your situation is, I’m not handing you over to the FSB to be murdered.”

***

We sat together on the couch. We were fully changed into travel clothes. Two small backpacks were filled, and an assortment of knives and guns rested on the coffee table.

“That’s how you know Russian, can fight so well, and know what a missile trail looks like.”

I nodded and Catia paused briefly. I was about to tell her I would go my own way when she began talking again.

“Are you Alex Johnson or Avia Conner? Did you really have feelings for me at all?”

I looked down as my heart shattered in my chest. “It’s hard to explain, Catia. I’m Alex Johnson with everything that made Avia Conner within me. The Virtual Media technology showed Avia and I had a 99.8% neural match. We shared the same values, desires, fears. We believed in the same things, had the same likes and dislikes. After she was rendered unconscious and I woke up and had control, I had all my memories, but I also had Avia’s. It felt as if we were merged as one. For the first few days, I did everything I could to absorb every detail of what Avia had gotten herself into. If, somehow, the transmission was severed, I might still be able to find a way to rescue her. After a while, I realized there was very little likelihood this could be reversed, and I suspected something tragic had happened to Avia… in my old body… assuming a transference had taken place. I had to move forward and look ahead, living as Avia and doing everything possible to honor her life.”

“When did you realize you were on your own? Was it before you met me?”

“It was. I was on Vladimir’s yacht on the second morning after the World Cup match. I was devastated about what had taken place. The day you arrived and right after the incident with Richard Watts, I was inconsolable. I cried feeling the loss of Avia. It was me that should have perished. I was the one that didn’t deserve to live.”

“Why now? Why tell me any of this? You could have simply continued pretending to be Avia.”

I couldn’t look Catia in the eyes. My fingers twisted together in my lap. “Our circumstances have changed. For a while there was hope I could be safe. With your proclamation to me and seeing the threat is even more widespread than before, I couldn’t… I can’t let you continue to risk your life for me.”

“You never answered my question if you really had feelings for me.”

“My feelings for you come from the deepest part of me. I never lied to you. I just didn’t expound upon the entire truth as crazy as it is. I can tell you that if Avia was the one to meet you, she would have felt the same way I do. I know she had been yearning to find her perfect mate. You are everything Avia, and I, would ever have hoped or dreamed of finding. What I have spoken to you, I can say wholeheartedly that it was from the core of my being. It is why I will not let you throw your life away for me.”

Catia seemed to struggle with her thoughts. “Who was Alex Johnson? Who are you? What were you like?”

I sighed. “Broken.”

“Broken?”

“I was a soldier. A Marine. I had fought and battled many times over many years, but it was when I was deployed in a region of the Middle East to maintain peace that our convoy was attacked with rocket propelled grenades. I lost both legs, my left arm, my left eye, and hearing from my left ear. So, yes. I was broken. I was a useless burden on society.”

Catia winced as I continued.

“My friend is an executive at Virtual Media Tech. He told me I was perfect for a job as a beta tester. The lack of neural impulses flowing to my brain from lost limbs was ideal for what they needed. The morning of the World Cup match, I logged onto the system and saw Avia was transmitting. Our neural match was the highest I had ever seen, and I was a huge fan of Avia’s. I tried to connect but was denied access. I called my friend and he told me one person had Avia’s feed, but he managed to lock out the other person and granted me the connection.”

“You don’t know what really happened to Avia?”

“I haven’t had a chance to communicate or see news of any kind.”

Catia got up and moved to a computer. I watched from the couch, not believing my legs would allow me to stand. Catia brought up a web page, sucked in her breath, and moved to the side so I could see. There was a photo of me and a headline, “Alex Johnson, dead of apparent gun inflicted suicide.” The date was a few days after my transfer into Avia’s body, but the time of death was estimated shortly after Avia was attacked and unconscious.

I burst into tears with the full revelation that Avia Conner was truly dead and I had taken her place and survived. “I wanted there to be a chance… That Avia could somehow… I should have…”

Catia handed me a towel. I wiped my face and came to a sudden realization.

“That’s a lie!”

“What’s a lie?”

“There was no way it was suicide. I didn’t even own a gun for fear I would do just that.”

I stood shaking to my feet. I looked at Catia, my emotions running wild. “For what it’s worth, I’m very sorry. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. It’s just… I should go. I… I wish you everything…” I choked on my words and headed for the door.

“Stop.”

My hand froze on the door handle, but I didn’t turn around.

“I’m not going to let you go alone. You’re right that the FSB has placed me in a position to be eliminated. I’ve given my loyalty to them for a singular purpose and that is because leaving them wasn’t an option. Come back and get your pack and gun.”

I turned and glanced furtively into Catia’s eyes. They were still hard as ice and I knew I had broken all trust between us. I wiped a tear as I moved past her and slipped the backpack on and put a revolver into the back of my pants.

“Thank you, Catia.”

She didn’t look at me as she ushered me out the door.

“Where are we heading, Catia?”

“We need to get out of Moscow. I think heading to Minsk in Belarus would be the safest route. We can take a cab to a train station outside of Moscow. We should be safe for a few hours before the FSB tries to contact me and determine I may have gone rogue.”

“There’s no need for you to put yourself at further risk. You can go in and tell them I escaped in the night.”

“I’m never going back.”

I stopped and watched Catia move ahead a few paces before she turned around.

“Why did you stop?”

“What about your things? Your most cherished possessions?”

“They only remind me of a life of servitude, a past that turned me into the person that I am. I have enough money to restart my life somewhere else.”

“I’m sorry, Catia. This is my fault.”

Catia frowned. “Keep walking. This is something I should have done long before you came into my wretched life.”

I winced at the insinuation that there was nothing in her life worthwhile. I followed silently after Catia.

After thirty minutes of quietly trudging through the streets of Moscow, Catia spoke.

“I don’t understand if you were Alex Johnson, why you seem so… feminine and at ease with being Avia.”

“I’ve contemplated this a lot myself. All my life I was a leader and someone people looked up to. I entered the military as soon as I was of age. I hoped it would turn me into something more than I felt I was inside. I poured myself into my military career and I was commended and promoted for it. The truth is I never wanted to lead. I lost men in battles and blamed myself. It was a heavy burden that I never wanted to carry. When I lost my legs, I lost my desire to live and yet I fought through it. My physical loss meant that I would never lead again, and I was grateful for that. As the years progressed, I found myself lost and despondent. I hid myself away from society. The only dreams I had were those of regrets that haunted me. Regrets that I could have lived another life where I could have found happiness. I could have chosen a different path.

“When Jack offered me the job as Beta Tester at Virtual Media Tech, at first, I was addicted to the feeling of being alive and whole again. I would find myself wishing I were that person I was connected to, if only for an hour at a time. I began to realize, however, that I would never be whole, never have another life. I would crawl a little further back into my depression every time I disconnected from someone’s transmission. The day I saw Avia’s name listed, I hesitated. I had neural matches as high as 69% that felt so realistic, I almost convinced myself quit my job.”

“You had connected to females before?”

“Yes. It was my job to test and the higher the neural match, the better testing results were. It just happened that most of my highest matches were female. When Avia’s listing appeared and I finally got connected, the resulting experience was so lifelike that I almost severed the connection several times. I was afraid of going back to my old broken body. My interest in the person, the event, and the feeling I could only describe as being euphoric, kept me connected.

“It was one thing to be connected via the technology, but to have full control and living another life was both amazing and devastating at the same time. I knew returning to my old life would be like losing my limbs all over again. As the days progressed as Avia, I felt increasingly comfortable. Her memories, knowledge, skills, and muscle memory made my transition seamless. It was when I let go of my old life knowing that something must have happened to my old body and, sadly, Avia, that I mentally shifted. I needed to live the life I had before me, if for no other reason than to protect Avia in case she could be returned, and for my own sanity.

“This is a lot of talking to get to the answer to your question. For the first time in my life, I feel free. Free not to hide my emotions. Free to care and to love. I have been able to give in to fear for my life and for others for the first time. Avia was a very feminine woman. She loved the feeling of wearing dresses, being beautiful, and being graceful, kind, and compassionate. She encompassed everything I could ever dream of being and more. Never have I felt protected before you came into my life. Instead I was always the protector. I will be sad for the loss of Avia until my last breath, but I have been given a gift beyond my comprehension even if I’m undeserving of every minute I live.”

“Thank you for that.”

The icy gulf between us seemed to erode a sliver, however I knew I had still lost Catia. The sun had been up for some time now as we continued to move through the city. We couldn’t find a cab, so we continued to walk at a quick and steady pace. As we began moving through a park, I noticed several cars pull up on all sides.

“Catia.”

Catia kept walking, lost in her own thoughts. From my peripheral vision I could see people exiting the cars and advancing rapidly towards us. We walked into a spot where for a moment those coming towards us could no longer see us.

I grabbed Catia’s arm and pulled her to a stop.

“What?”

“Pull out your gun.”

“Why?”

“Just do it, Catia! I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. You may not believe this, but I love you with every fiber of my being.” I leaned in and kissed her, then pulled my gun and pointed it at her. I backed slowly away and raised my voice. “I’m not letting you take me in! That’s why I ran away this morning!”

Catia’s eyes were wide with confusion and then with fear as men came at us from all sides. They tackled me, threw me to the ground, and bound my hands tightly. Several men were speaking with Catia but did not seem to be threatening her. I heard them tell her she did a good job. I glanced up into her eyes as I was dragged towards a waiting car.

***

I was surprised I wasn’t taken back towards Red Square but to a large, isolated building near the outskirts of Moscow. I was afraid, but I had little fear for my life. I meant what I said to Catia. I didn’t deserve the extra wondrous minutes my life had been granted.

The building looked like it was long since abandoned. There was only scant broken-down furniture and the filthy plaster interior walls were crumbling, exposing the old wooden lath underneath. I was shoved through a set of barely functioning double doors then dragged into a large room. Two men flanked me and held my arms so I couldn’t get away.

In Russian, an imposing woman with gray hair told the men to let my arms go and move to the side. A heavyset man in a dark blue business suit stood next to her.

“Avia Conner.” The man said as he slowly walked around me. “You have been problematic.”

His accent was, without any doubt, American.

I glared at him all the while restraining myself from spitting on him. “I’ll assume you’re another traitor from the CIA.”

He pointed his finger at me and looked at the woman behind him. “She doesn’t appear very grateful for her rescue.”

The woman flicked her eyes from him back to me. “What do you know, Avia?”

“I know how to kick a soccer ball into the net. I also know when a rescue feels more like a kidnapping. That’s happened several times to me recently.” I turned to show them my bound wrists. “I believe I would receive a warmer welcome if this was a rescue.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed as she refocused her gaze on the man. “We need this mess cleaned up, Angus.”

“It’s not the CIA’s problem anymore. When Vladimir killed Richard Watts, he all but vindicated us. Richard is a hero, dying while rescuing Avia under my and the President’s direction. The United States will continue to blame Russia as planned.”

The woman hissed a little before replying. “No one knew the extent that this pretty little girl’s demise would have had. Things have gotten out of hand. The world is demanding Russia’s head on a silver platter.”

Angus shrugged. “That’s the risks we all had. She’s a liability and there are others that also know too much.”

“You are implying that Catia is compromised? Catia is my best agent. She will not disclose anything.”

Angus chuckled. “It was a mistake sending Catia and you know it. You can’t tell me with all certainty she hasn’t been swept off her feet by Avia.”

“This plan began unravelling the moment you lost your connection to Avia. You were supposed to control her and make sure everything went as planned. Instead your bungling of everything managed to create a witness a half a world away.”

Angus looked back at me and smiled before turning to face the woman again. “Seems to me that all worked out rather well for the United States. We spoke about this, Elena. I had no control when the idiots at Virtual Media Tech hacked my connection. Besides, we quickly dealt with the witness, such as he was.”

Elena turned her angry focus back to me. “Tell me about Catia.”

“She dragged me from Turkey to Moscow against my will. I escaped her this morning. So much for her being one of your best agents when a soccer player can evade the FSB.”

Elena held her hands out wide. “Evading the FSB? I think not. Why don’t you tell me the truth? You’ve slept with her, haven’t you?”

“Why would I sleep with the second of my third kidnappers? Is this when you parade me in front of the cameras and claim you rescued me? It won’t look good to the world if my hands are bound.”

Elena smiled. “Angus is here to take you home. I’m sorry that will be in a coffin.” She nodded to the two male guards. “I want to know about her relationship to Catia before you recreate the events surrounding her death.”

The men closed in from both sides. I wasn’t going to die without a fight. I turned and kicked with all my strength right into the groin of one of the men. He fell to the ground hard, but that didn’t stop the other man from grabbing me firmly. I stomped on his foot, hearing the telltale sound of toes cracking. Unfortunately, the man barely flinched as he slammed his fist into the side of my head.

***

I came to as water poured over my head. I was lying on my back, my hands tightly bound in front of me. My ankles were tied as well. My eyes slowly focused on the room around me. I was on an old, but heavy wooden table. The plaster walls were the same dingy, crumbling ones of the building I was brought. One guard was sitting with a vodka bottle in his hand and a bag of ice over his balls. He looked rather queasy and I smiled at him.

An open hand slapped my face hard then grabbed my chin and twisted my head, so I looked into the eyes of the second guard.

“Bitch!” He spoke heavily accented English. “You will tell me about your relationship with Catia.”

My mouth hurt as I spoke. “At first, I had a thing for her. I think it was Stockholm Syndrome.”

He grabbed a soiled cloth and put it over my head, yanked on my chin until my mouth opened, then I felt a steady stream of water pouring through the cloth. I coughed and sputtered, unable to catch a breath. I had seen waterboarding performed before, but never experienced it myself. It was like drowning in a frozen lake. In moments, my body was on fire thrashing as I tried to move my head away from the water. My knees came up and collided with the man’s ribs sending the bucket of water from his hand allowing me to breathe again.

I coughed up water several times and the cloth fell away.

The guard hovered over me and yelled at the other man in Russian. “Stop whining about your balls and get over here and help me or I swear I will stick that bottle of vodka up your…”

The sitting man growled and winced as he stood.

“Hold her legs.” He spat to the side and glared at me again. “What does Catia know?”

I coughed spitting more water into his face. I was going to die, and there was no chance in Hell I would give up Catia. “She… She told me… about a guy at work. Kind of looks like you… with a crooked nose and an ugly face like yours. She said… you love men and have a fetish for…” My head crashed to the side with another blow from his fist. The cloth was found and put over my face again.

Water began pouring into my nose and mouth. I fought with all I had, but I was being held down firmly. Just when I was about to lose consciousness, I heard a soft snap, then what must have been fighting. I coughed up water and sputtered as the table bounced violently several times.

The room went quiet until I heard a choked whisper.

“Kitten. Kitten… Avia… talk to me!”

The cloth was pulled away and I coughed up more water. Through blurry, water-soaked eyes, I stared into Catia’s face. Tears were falling from her eyes as her hands worked frantically to remove my bindings.

I croaked out one word. “Catia!”

My hands were suddenly freed, and I struggled to push myself up. Moments later Catia was hovering over me. Her hands gently brushed my swollen face.

“I’m so sorry, kitten. Forgive me.”

“You… called me… kitten.”

A flutter of a smile crossed her lips. “Yes, kitten. I’m ashamed of myself in that I expected betrayal from you. I thought long and hard about what you shared with me and fought my inner turmoil. I knew Avia and followed her career, and yet the only Avia I have ever truly known is you. I understand why you weren’t forthcoming with all the details. It was… honorable… while I was a fool. Please don’t give up on me, kitten. I love you.”

Catia pulled me to my feet. I stood a little unsteady and looked around. The two guards were dead. A warm handgun was slipped into my hand.

“It’s not safe for either of us, kitten. Can you move quickly?”

“I’ve been better, but I will keep up.”

Catia slid her warm hand into mine and squeezed gently. “Let’s go.”

I followed Catia to the door as she pressed herself against it and slowly opened it to peer into the next room.

“Clear.”

I followed as close as I could, ignoring the pounding headache, bruises, and iron taste of blood in my mouth. We crossed the room that had three men lying in pools of blood, then through two more rooms with at least five more dead bodies. Silently, we slipped out a back entrance to the building and were on the move again through the edges of the city. We came to a rustic train station and Catia had me stay behind while she purchased two tickets.

As I waited for her, I watched the area carefully for any signs of police or FSB. It wouldn’t be long before the ten or more FSB agents were discovered dead and the city would be locked down tight. While I watched, a slow smile spread across my cracked and sore lips. Catia came back for me. She knew who I was and yet she came for me. She said she loved me as I was.

Catia nodded to me from a distance. Slipping the gun under my top and into my waistband, I walked slowly to cross the train platform to meet her. She slid her arm into mine and pulled me onto the train and to a private cabin just as the train began to move.

With the door closed, Catia’s lips were on mine.

“I should have done that earlier, kitten.”

I took a shuddered breath as Catia’s fingers grazed my neck. “Mmm. I’m not complaining. I’m not certain I would have been able to enjoy your kiss with the state I was in and dead bodies all around. I assume that was you?”

“When I realized what had happened, I went a little Rambo.”

“It seems you went a lot Rambo. Did you get the CIA agent and the lady as well?”

“I saw them through some windows. They were gone when I entered, but I did get something that might come in handy.”

Catia sat us down but kept her hands in mine.

“The CIA agent was named Angus. An older lady that was with him was Elena. It was suggested that Angus was the person connected to Avia and he was supposed to have controlled Avia to make sure everything went smoothly.”

“That would be Angus Blackwood, Director of the CIA. Elena Ankarinsky is the head of the FSB.”

“They wanted me to expose you before killing me. I would never give you up.”

“I heard some of it. I don’t deserve your loyalty.”

“You do and I’m so sorry for keeping information from you.” I looked around the wood-paneled cabin. This all feels a little like we have been here before. I can’t imagine the FSB being too thrilled with you right now. How safe are we?”

“Moscow and Russia will be locked down quickly. Everyone will be hunting us. Every camera and satellite will be tasked to try and spot us. Our only reprieve is that they can’t publicize they are looking for you as you’re already supposed to be dead, but they will issue a kill first ask questions later for me and anyone travelling with me. If we have time, I may need to change my looks and cut my hair.”

I reached up and touched her hair. “Keep it long, please.”

Catia moved my hand to her lips. “Of course, kitten. I can dye it.”

“It’s not looking good, is it?”

“I think we are safe for a short time. I suggest we stay on the train and keep our heads down until Smolensk. We should arrive about five hours from now. Thankfully, that will still be night and we can steal a car and head due north. There is a small border crossing on dirt roads I used once before. From the main road to the Belarus border is only a few hundred meters and only monitored by helicopters and drones. We can make it across there before anyone notices the stolen car. Once we turn west for the Belarus border, everyone will know. The CIA, Vladimir, and the FSB.”

“Would we be attacked once we are in Belarus?”

“Russia won’t open fire inside Belarus borders, but that doesn’t mean we will be safe. The FSB has many agents living in countries that border Russia. We will be hunted and when they find us, it won’t be long before we will be attacked. We will have to keep moving.”

“I have been thinking about how this might all come to an end safely for us. We need insurance and we need a good story.”

***

Catia nudged me. “Kitten. Wake up. We’re in Smolensk.”

“I was having the sweetest dream. You were in a bikini and I was bringing you a tropical drink.”

“Sounds like a dream worth having. Put your hat on.” Catia looked out the window. “We have to assume every camera is looking for us and there will likely be police or agents here. The station is designed like an island. Foot bridges head north and south over the tracks. Most likely police or agents will be watching those. I want you to head south, while I will head north.”

I frowned. “I don’t want to separate from you and I’m still recovering. Come with me over the south pedestrian bridge. We can stagger ourselves. That way it is the two of us against anyone that might try to capture us.”

“All right. I’ll be right behind you.”

We hugged and I slipped from the cabin. I kept my head down as I stepped onto the train platform. I merged with about twenty people heading for the walkways. By the time I turned south, only two people turned with me. There were cameras everywhere. I had no desire to be captured by anyone ever again. My nerves were frayed like an unravelling knitted sweater.

There was a police officer standing at the entrance to the pedestrian bridge. He was carefully examining everyone’s faces and periodically looking down at a piece of paper. I slid up next to one of the other passengers to hide myself as much as possible. It took all my will to keep looking forward. I was just off the bridge and veering left into the grounds of the Church of SS Peter and Paul when a man’s voice called out in Russian.

“Miss?”

I kept walking.

“Miss?”

The voice was closer and more insistent. I paused and turned around. The officer had his gun trained on me.

“Remove your hat, Miss.”

I’m sure the bruising of my face helped hide me, but his eyes widened as my long hair fell. He reached for his radio just as Catia smashed the back of his head with a handgun. The officer dropped heavily to the ground.

“Help me, kitten.”

I glanced up and around. It was dark and no one else was nearby. We each took an arm and dragged the officer to a tree. We used his handcuffs to lock him there, put a gag in his mouth, and disabled his radio.

Catia’s eyes were intense. “It won’t be long before he is discovered. Let’s find a car.”

We walked for blocks until we found the right vehicle. An older Toyota Hilux 4x4 practically screamed at us to take it. As a pickup, there was a small window that opened to the bed of the truck that we pried open. Once inside the cab, Catia quickly pulled the cables from under the steering column, stripped a few wires, then started the truck. Seconds later, we were pulling away and heading north.

Once we were on quieter roads, we began talking again.

“This would almost be fun if we didn’t have a terrorist and two superpowers trying to kill us.”

Catia grinned and she reached over and squeezed my thigh. “Who is to say I’m not having fun? Sure, we could be targeted with a missile at any moment, but I have never felt so free. I should have left the FSB a long time ago, but then I wouldn’t have met you. When we left my apartment, you asked about my most cherished belongings. The truth is you’re all I need. I’m sorry I let you down.”

“You never let me down.”

Catia leaned to look up through the driver’s side window. A helicopter sped by overhead. Catia growled.

“It’s all right, Catia. Probably just a routine border patrol flight.”

“We’re getting closer to the border with Belarus. We turn off soon. My main fear is that there was a satellite tasked over Smolensk.”

I started digging under the seat and checked the glove compartment. I found two flares. “These might come in handy.”

Catia looked over her shoulder. “Light one up. Now!”

I didn’t hesitate and struck the starter for one of the flares as I rolled down the window.

“Incoming! Throw it!”

I tossed the flare as Catia swerved to the left. Seconds later an explosion shattered the rear window. The truck shuddered as Catia tried to regain control.

“We’re turning off! Hang on!”

The rear of the truck skidded and hopped as the truck turned onto a dirt road just as the ground behind us was pelted with bullets. Catia floored the truck.

Directly in front of us were a half-dozen men with rifles and a second helicopter hovering over the border. I lit the second flare as we careened down the road, tossing it out near the men that were diving to the side to avoid getting hit by us. I had thought the bright light would temporarily blind everyone, but it wasn’t needed. The area lit up bright red just as a missile smashed into the helicopter hovering in front of us.

Everything felt like it was in slow motion. I watched in horror as the helicopter tore apart in a roaring fireball. Soldiers ran for cover while looking over their shoulders. Our truck bounced on something I was to afraid to even imagine, then we plowed through a wooden barricade. The noise all around us was deafening.

Suddenly, the slow motion feeling ended. Our truck just squeezed under the falling, flaming debris of the helicopter but we didn’t get away unscathed. The tail blade sheared through the truck’s roof and wedged itself in the passenger side door, inches from my face. The front windshield shattered with a loud crack.

We careened down the dirt road skidding slightly from side to side. Our headlights looked dim in comparison to the bright light coming from the fireball behind us.

Catia glanced at me. I must have looked a fright. She slowed slightly to get better control of the truck and reached her hand to grasp mine.

“We made it. We’re in Belarus.”

My eyes widened as I silently pointed beyond the cracked windshield. Catia cursed and slammed on the breaks as a second helicopter hovered ten feet above the road in a small clearing. Missiles and guns were trained on us.

Catia let out a long stream of Russian curses. “Vladimir. He’s the only one stupid enough to fly into Belarus airspace. I’m not going to let him take you.” She leaned back and kicked the shattered windshield away, drew her pistol. She slammed the truck into second gear, nodded to me, then floored it. I pulled my gun and began firing at the helicopter. I could see the bullets hitting the glass of the helicopter. We were now so close I could see the pilot’s thumb hovering over the missile switch.

The pilot looked quickly to his right then pulled back on the stick. The helicopter lurched upward and left, spinning in the air as two jet fighters rocketed overhead. Catia used the distraction to our advantage. We bounced along the rough road, exploded through a shallow river, and veered onto a smaller road that was surrounded by thick forest.

“This area will be flooded with soldiers in no time at all. Belarus will send their army in. We need to go as far and as fast as we can then abandon the vehicle and make our way by foot. We can’t leave any trail and anytime we hear a helicopter, we will need to duck under trees to hide our heat signature.”

I nodded, still glancing at the helicopter tail blade vibrating inches in front of my face. “We…” I was shaken up. The whole last five minutes reminded me of the RPG attack in Afghanistan. I no longer wanted to die. “We should set fire to the truck and crash it.”

We drove another ten miles before stopping. Catia pulled me to her and we both slid from the driver’s side. She put the truck into gear, wedged a stick on the clutch, and placed a rock on the gas. She tossed a lighter into the cab before pulling the stick off the clutch. The truck lurched forward, rushed down a hill, then smashed into a tree.

I grabbed a light branch and wiped our tracks from the road before we dashed into the forest.

***

We traipsed through the thick forest for an entire day. When we found water, we used that to hide our scent and change directions. We were hungry and filthy, covered in moss, mud, and soot by the time we snuck into the small town of Gorodok. Darkness settled around us as we made our way through residential areas.

“What are we going to do, Catia?”

“I have a friend here. Someone I can trust… I think.”

I pressed her for more details, but she stayed quiet. She took my hand and pulled me through a back alley to a blue-roofed home. A rusty, white-painted gate hung open. We had taken only a few steps towards the door when it flung open and flood lights blinded us. All I could make out was someone with a rifle trained on us from the doorway.

“Catia!” A female voice hissed with anger.

The lights turned off and I blinked a few times. Before us, a beautiful, dark-haired woman brandished a shotgun. She held it steady on us.

“Nadia. We could use your help.”

Catia took a step forward and Nadia planted her foot and raised the shotgun slightly.

“I’ve heard a few rumblings. Seems like you are leaving a trail of death and destruction and you come to my door? Mine? After all this time?”

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me. “Is that…?” She lowered her shotgun slightly and looked around the neighborhood. “Get inside. No sudden moves.”

We stepped around Nadia and into her home. Nadia took one more look behind her, then closed the door. She pointed the shotgun towards a couch.

“Sit.”

Nadia waited until we sat down before she pulled a chair around, leaned her shotgun nearby, but pulled a revolver from a drawer before sitting down to face us.

“You have no idea what a hornet’s nest you have stirred up, Catia. And you come here?”

“We’ll leave, Nadia. I don’t want to put you in any danger.”

“Danger? You killed at least ten FSB agents! Word has gone out far and wide. You’re to be killed. No exceptions. What is strange is that the kill order is for Catia and a travelling companion. They never said a word about that person being Avia Conner. I thought you were dead already.”

I smiled weakly as I stared at the revolver in her hand. “It’s been a rough few days. Catia saved me, but we are mere pawns in something much more nefarious.”

“By the bruising on your pretty face, it looks like it.” Nadia sighed and put the revolver to the side. She stood, crossed the room, and kissed Catia with passion before stepping back and slapping her hard. “I can’t believe you came to my home!”

Catia looked down. “I love her, Nadia.”

Nadia shrugged. “People like us don’t get to love anyone.” She turned to me. “You love Catia? Do you even know what she is?”

I reached for Catia and turned her face, so her eyes met mine. “Yes. I love Catia and I know who and what she is. I would die for her.”

Catia kissed me as Nadia threw up her arms.

“The FSB is all over the place. In all my years, I have never seen them so stirred up. What the hell is going on? What are your plans? Certainly, you don’t plan on walking away from this.”

Catia held my hands and squeezed them before standing. “It’s not just the FSB. Vladimir Kaznikov and the CIA are also hunting us.”

“I’ll give you one thing, you never do any halfway, Catia. I’m surprised China isn’t involved. There was a time when I thought we had a chance together.”

Catia winced. “We might have had a chance until I found out you were married to a man that had a contract out on my life.”

“That was business. We’ve been taught well to separate our work from matters of the heart. That’s why you walked away from me years ago after killing Ivan.”

“It was either him or me.” Catia pulled me to my feet. “It was a mistake coming here.” She led me to the door.

“Wait.”

We turned to face Nadia.

“I hated Ivan. You did me a favor. He was a brute with a viscous temper that only got worse when he drank. I envy you, Catia. I believe you found something true and lasting. I can see it in her gorgeous eyes. She would do anything for you and you for her. I can’t repair the past or how I betrayed you, Catia, but maybe I can make some amends. What do you need?”

***

Our three-and-a-half-hour journey by car was extended to six as we made our way to Minsk through smaller back country roads. Nadia went above and beyond. We were fed, clothed, given money and provisions, a pair of burner phones, and a car with more rust on it than paint that was unregistered and couldn’t connect back to her.

I bit my lower lip as I looked over at Catia. She was wearing a red dress that hid little of her figure. “So… Nadia and you…”

“Is in the past. I had feelings for her at one time, but she had lied to me, claiming she was single. Ivan worked for a drug distribution ring that I was trying to infiltrate. He was tasked with taking me out. Nadia knew this and arranged for the her and I to meet. It was a ruse. She led me right to him. After I killed Ivan, Nadia reached out. She had been afraid of him but now she was free. I couldn’t get over the betrayal. Nadia was later picked up by the FSB and coerced into spying for them. It was either that or be terminated for her role with setting me up. The FSB can be rather convincing at times.”

“It hurts… When she kissed you…”

“It was a risk to see her, kitten. I never want you to feel like you aren’t first in my life.”

“I’m just being…”

“Hey, kitten. It would drive me crazy to see you kiss someone else. I understand and she caught me off guard. I would have never let her do that.”

Satisfied, I removed my seatbelt and scooted over next to Catia. “I have a plan. We need to go to the Dinamo Stadium in Minsk. There’s an important soccer game being played there.”

“I’m not sure now is the time to go watch a soccer match.”

“Not watch, interrupt. There will be a lot of media there and being who I am, I can get in. I’ll be recognized there.”

“You plan on simply knocking on the window of the ticket booth where a camera is?”

“Not exactly.”

***

We parked at the stadium and had to weave our way through the cars to get to the entrance. Cameras might have already picked us up, so we had little time. Catia drew her gun, pointed it at the person waiting for tickets, and spoke calmly to the man.

“Step aside.”

The man looked like he was about to pass out as we rushed by him. I took a second to get oriented. So many stadiums were of similar design that it didn’t take long to figure out the fastest way to the field. I took Catia’s hand and ran, twisting and turning through the hallways until we heard the crowd.

We entered the main stadium, ran past cheering fans, and vaulted the lower bars dropping us out onto the field. The game was paused for a substitution. I ran right by the man waiting to enter the field. The crowd whistled, then went silent. Cameras panned towards me and I was plastered up on the big screen. Suddenly the stadium burst into cheers. The entire stadium began chanting. “Avia! Avia!”

Media followed after me with their cameras. There were dozens of them.

I paused at center field, putting up my hand to silence the crowd. A microphone was handed to me. “People of the world. Have I got a story to share with you.”

My voice echoed through the stadium. Police were now running across the field. I was overwhelmed by my name being chanted by thousands of people. Catia stood close to my side as stadium security surrounded us. They pushed the media back to give us space. Since they weren’t coming to arrest me, I thought I should say as much as I could.

“Much has happened since Madrid. As I entered the underground portion of the stadium, I was set upon by armed men and knocked unconscious. I was kidnapped and taken from Madrid by Vladimir Kaznikov. It was Vladimir that blew up the stadium and attacked the U.S. Embassy. Trapped and alone on Vladimir’s yacht, I tried several times to escape. Once, in Naples, I made it to the police and was handed over to the CIA. Vladimir tracked us and killed the CIA agent, Richard Watts, before staging my death.

“It was Vladimir’s plan to ignite a war between Russia and the United States using my death to fuel the flames of anger. As an arms dealer, he would make billions of dollars. It was the combined efforts of FSB Director Elena Ankarinsky and CIA Director Angus Blackwood that ultimately saved me. They sent Catia Anchova, an FSB agent, under cover to find me. Catia managed to free me from Vladimir’s grasp while we were docked in Istanbul. At every turn, Vladimir and his mercenaries hunted us.

“Catia Anchova is my hero. She is a precious treasure of Russia, a person with incredible courage and strength. She deserves the highest honor and praise.” I paused to catch my breath.

“I understand the world has been on a precipice. We can now step back from the edge of war. To the CIA and the FSB who put their people into harm’s way to save me, you have my eternal gratitude.”

I lowered the microphone and slowly spun. The crowd was on their feet chanting my name. A man came through the crowd and glanced at the cameras before introducing himself.

“Avia Conner. I am Edward Polanski of the CIA. I’m here to take you home. You too, Catia.”

***

I waved to the people in the stands. Police and stadium security walked alongside us until we arrived at a black SUV parked out front of the stadium. Several Russian and American men stood stoically.

“Your weapons?”

Catia growled. “Not likely. Take us to Elena and Angus. I’m certain they are nearby.”

The man started to speak, then paused and tapped his earpiece.

“Fine. Get in.”

A man tried to enter the back seat first. Catia held her gun up and waved him away. “Just Avia and me in the back seat.”

Edward nodded the men off. “We would look like fools to let anything happen to either of you now. You’re safe. We will take you to the Prezident-Otel. It will be another hour before Miss Ankarinsky and Mr. Blackwood arrive.”

Catia held her gun at the ready while she slid into the backseat and pulled me close to her. She leaned over and whispered into my ear. “You’re absolutely brilliant.”

“And you really are my hero.”

We drove in a small caravan of black SUVs the short distance to the Prezident-Otel. Someone must have called ahead as media vans were blocking access. I tapped Edward on the shoulder.

“What’s with all the media?”

“We’ve been ordered to make you as visible as possible. You can answer several questions before we take you inside. Stick to your story and you will remain safe. After you meet with the Directors, we will hold a press conference.”

The vehicle stopped and Edward got out and opened the door for us. With all the media around, Catia slipped her hand and gun into a dress pocket. Cameras flashed and people shouted. “Avia Conner!”

Avia was used to such press, but I wasn’t. I tapped Avia’s memories as to how she handled the press. A microphone was pushed forward.

“Avia Conner. You are safe now. That must be a huge relief.”

“Absolutely. The entire ordeal has been terrifying. To be in the stadium where so many lives were lost. It was heart wrenching to witness. Then, to be attacked and kidnapped…”

“I see your face is bruised and you have several cuts. Can you tell us what happened?”

“I was indeed beaten and if it weren’t for Catia Anchova, I would have been dead a dozen times over. I’m just thankful this is all over.”

They turned to Catia. “Miss Anchova. I understand Vladimir Kaznikov is a well-connected arms dealer. The FSB sent you in by yourself to rescue Avia?”

“I was sent in alone, but I had the full support of a team, a team that was killed in Istanbul by a missile attack when Avia and I were trying to board a plane to leave Turkey. What Avia fails to recount is the numerous times she saved me. I knew Avia from her soccer and the news, but I was stunned by her courage under fire.”

Edward stepped in front of us. “That is enough for now. We will have a press conference in a few hours. The ladies are very tired from their ordeal and we have medics on hand to make sure their wounds are treated.”

We were ushered into the hotel and straight to a large conference room of white leather chairs, gold trim, and expansive tables. Surprisingly, there were two women that looked like doctors and numerous people running about. I was expecting lot and lots of people with guns. Once the doors closed behind us, Edward took control.

“We have less than an hour until the Directors arrive. I want Catia and Avia’s wounds treated and we need to get them cleaned up. Get to it!”

They tried to separate Catia from me, but I clung to her. They insisted until I snapped at them. “We stay together!”

The doctors cleaned us up, dabbed antiseptic on our cuts, and put some cream on my face to help reduce the swelling and hide some of the bruising. There was a side room with several women ready to help us get changed. I let Catia change first as she handed me her gun and several knives. The ladies helping us stood back, obviously afraid.

Catia grinned at me. “We’re not out of this yet, kitten, but I think our plan is working well.”

I nodded. “A lot can easily go wrong. How come you get pants and they give me a dress?”

“Jealous?”

“Not at all.”

“I suspect they want you to appear as innocent and approachable as possible and me professional, kitten.”

Catia took the weapons from me as I changed. “I think you need to take off your panties as well.”

“I think we need to remedy the unbalanced viewing privileges you have had, Catia.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

A very business-like woman came into the change room. “Everyone is here and waiting for you both in the conference room.”

My stomach fluttered with nerves. I had no desire to be in a room with the same people that were going to kill me. Catia leaned in and whispered to me.

“I’m here. Nothing will happen to you.”

We stepped into the conference room. Angus Blackwood and Elena Ankarinsky stood on the far side of the table from us.

Elena snapped her fingers. “Leave us! All of you!”

We waited until the doors closed after the last person left the conference room.

Elena narrowed her eyes at Catia before turning her hard gaze towards me. “Nicely played, Avia. Your story painted the FSB and the CIA as heroes all the while making Vladimir out to be the villain. Russia and United States relations are suddenly and decidedly less tense. I don’t think you realize what kind of game you are playing here. We can easily have you both assassinated and blame it on Vladimir.”

Catia tensed and I held her hand in mine to keep her from leaping over the table.

Angus sneered at Elena. “I told you it was a mistake sending in Catia. She is compromised by Avia, just as I said she would be. I can see she would do anything to protect Avia.”

“Try me you piece of…” Catia added a few Russian expletives.

Angus chuckled. “I must say, Elena, I could use several agents like Catia in the CIA. She took out your best agents like they were ripe wheat during the harvest.”

“Catia will be returning to Moscow with me.”

I swallowed. “No, she isn’t. Let me tell you how this is going to work.”

“You are in no position to negotiate anything, little girl!” Elena snapped.

“We have a complete video statement telling the truth of what transpired, and naming all those involved which will be released to the world’s media stations and the public at large if we don’t reset a clock every twenty-four hours. If anything happens to me or Catia, it will be published.”

“Go ahead. Release it. You have no prove either of us is involved.”

“On the contrary. Catia captured video and audio of you both back in Moscow when you were threatening me. Plus, we are recording you now and that is going straight to multiple servers as we speak.”

Angus growled. “I don’t believe it.”

I tossed him a burner phone. “See it for yourself. I cued it up for you. Hit the play button.”

Angus snarled and tapped the screen.

“Avia Conner. You have been problematic.”

“I’ll assume you’re another traitor from the CIA.”

“She doesn’t appear very grateful for her rescue.”

“What do you know, Avia?”

“I know how to kick a soccer ball into the net. I also know when a rescue feels more like a kidnapping. That’s happened several times to me recently. I believe I would receive a warmer welcome from rescuers.”

“We need this mess cleaned up, Angus.”

“It’s not the CIA’s problem anymore. When Vladimir killed Richard Watts, he all but vindicated us. Richard is a hero, dying while rescuing Avia under my and the President’s direction. The United States will continue to blame Russia as planned.”

“No one knew the extent that this pretty little girl’s demise would have had. Things have gotten out of hand. The world is demanding Russia’s head on a silver platter.”

“That’s the risks we all had. She’s a liability and there are others that also know too much.”

“You are implying that Catia is compromised? Catia is my best agent. She will not disclose anything.”

“It was a mistake sending Catia and you know it. You can’t tell me with all certainty she hasn’t been swept off her feet by Avia.”

“This plan began unravelling the moment you lost your connection to Avia. You were supposed to control her and make sure everything went as planned. Instead your bungling of everything managed to create a witness a half a world away.”

“Seems to me that all worked out rather well for the United States. We spoke about this, Elena. I had no control when the idiots at Virtual Media Tech hacked my connection. Besides, we quickly dealt with the witness, such as he was.”

Angus chucked the phone back onto the table. I caught it as it was about to fall off the edge of the table.

“This is what I get for working with amateurs, Elena. You have royally screwed this mission.”

I interrupted the two of them. “This is how this is going to play out. Catia comes with me to the United States where we will live free from harassment or threats of harm. She will be given everything needed to establish herself as an American citizen. If you stay away from us, we will not release the truth. Russia and the United States get to put the blame on Vladimir and resume normal relations.”

Elena hissed. “This isn’t over. Accidents can happen. You can’t hold Russia hostage.”

“Yes, or no?”

Elena smacked a chair in front of her hard enough that it fell over. “Yes. I agree.”

Catia eyed Angus. “And you, Mr. Blackwood?”

“I can’t grant you citizenship.”

“Yes, or no?”

“Fine. I agree.”

I leaned forward. “A pleasure doing business with you both. I believe there is a press conference awaiting us.”

“Let’s get this over with.” Elena growled.

***

Jack Delaney leaned back in his chair. Everything he and his company had been working for was on the verge of collapse. The FBI had begun maneuvering to shift the blame of Alex and Avia’s deaths on Virtual Media Tech. It would be hard enough to try to explain all of this to the staff, even worse to his wife if he wound up in prison as executives often did in situations like these.

Jack’s phone chirped and he glanced down at it. The number of the caller ID belonged to Tom Bristow. This was the call he had been dreading.

Sighing, he reached for the phone and answered.

“Jack Delaney.”

“Jack, this is Tom Bristow from the FBI. Looks like we’re wrapped up on our end. Virtual Media Tech has been absolved of any involvement in Alex Johnson’s death and the terrorist attack in Madrid.”

“That’s… That’s excellent news. You managed to track the person that was connected to Avia Conner?”

“Our investigation revealed that it was a system glitch. No one was connected to Avia when she disappeared. Also, Alex did purchase a handgun through a private sale. He committed suicide after all.”

“Hmmm…”

“Have you seen the news? There is a live press conference happening right now. You should turn on the television. Jack, it was a pleasure working with you. Consider this case closed.”

“Thank you.”

Jack finished the call and turned on his television.

“Avia. Can you tell us how you escaped from Vladimir?”

“I attempted to escape in Naples by diving off Vladimir’s yacht, but he and his men captured me again. We stopped in Istanbul and I managed to sneak off the yacht while there were many people bringing in goods to restock the ship for the next leg of the trip. From the docks, I ran into the spice bazaar. Unfortunately and unknown by me, my clothes had GPS trackers in them, and Vladimir’s guards hunted me down. If it weren’t for the FSB sending Catia Anchova to my rescue, I have no doubt that I wouldn’t be alive right now.”

“Avia, there was an explosion at an airport in nothern Istanbul. Did that have something to do with your escape?”

“Yes. The FSB were planning on flying us to Moscow. Unfortunately, Vladimir somehow knew the airplane waiting for us belonged to the FSB. A missile was launched just as we were nearing the plane.”

“It sounds like something from a movie. What are your plans?”

“I need to get home and meet up with my family and team.”

“Have you spoken to them yet?”

“I hope to right after this conference is over.”

Jack turned off the television and shook his head. Nothing added up, but he wasn’t going to complain.

***

I called my parents, Avia’s, as soon as we were being shuttled to the Minsk airport. At first, it felt awkward, but as soon as I heard their voices on the phone, my voice cracked.

“Mom! Dad!” I didn’t feel like an imposter as my heart broke for them. “I’m all right.” Tears fell down my cheeks.

“We saw the news conference. Are you sure you are all right? It must have been horrific.”

“I was incredibly frightened. But it’s over. I’m coming home.”

“The president called us. He is flying us in. We will be at the airport when you arrive. We are so thankful. We prayed for you. The entire world was in shock and now… now we have you back.”

“I’ll call you again from the plane.”

“Rest. We’re fine and we’ll be flying to Dulles Airport anyways. We’ll see you soon. We love you, Avia!”

“I love you too!”

I sniffed as I ended the call. Catia wiped my tears and I leaned my head on her shoulder.

***

Vladimir Kaznikov seethed as he tossed the tablet computer into the rail of his yacht as it made its way towards his home in Sochi.

“What are your orders, Mr. Kaznikov?”

“We’ve been played from the very start. I wouldn’t be surprised if Avia Conner was an agent for the CIA. I want her dead.”

“Very well, sir.”

Vladimir’s eyes widened as they focused on two inbound missiles. He didn’t even have time to curse.

***

“Kitten?”

I moaned softly. “Why do planes have to be so uncomfortable?”

“They can’t be too uncomfortable. You slept the entire flight.”

My head was in Catia’s lap. Her fingers ran lightly through my hair.

“I just closed my eyes. That’s not possible.”

“Oh. I know it’s possible. I’ve had to go to the bathroom for the last four hours.”

“You should have woken me.”

“I didn’t have the heart. You look like an angel and you needed the sleep.”

“My hero. You better scoot before you burst.”

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Catia handed me the gun.

Several CIA agents watched me closely. I waved at them. A stewardess came by and leaned towards me.

“We’re about thirty minutes from landing, Miss Conner. Can I get you anything?”

“Just some water, please.”

She glanced at the handgun. “I’m fairly certain they won’t let you or Miss Anchova have a weapon when you meet the President.”

“The President?”

“At the airport. I understand they had to redirect planes from Dulles for our arrival. Security is tight with the President there, the media, and tens of thousands of fans. I understand your team is also there.”

“Oh. I must look terrible.”

“I don’t think anyone will mind, Miss Conner. They’re just thankful you’re alive. Miss Anchova is very protective of you. She’s the one that rescued you?”

“Yes. She saved my life multiple times. I’m rather protective of her as well.”

Catia walked down the aisle and slid into the seat next to me. The stewardess headed toward the cockpit.

I slid my hand into Catia’s. “I missed you. They might ask to take the gun and knives away from us.”

“I won’t let them.”

“We might not have a choice. We’re meeting the President.”

Catia rolled her eyes. “As if that will be the highlight of my life. I’m fairly certain he was in on the entire thing.”

“I guess he was mad because I never voted for him.”

Catia laughed. “Neither did I.”

The stewardess came back from the cockpit. “Miss Conner? You might want to watch this.”

A large screen flickered to life displaying a news anchor standing in a dark harbor.

“I’m here in Sochi where Vladimir Kaznikov docks his yacht. About one hundred and thirty miles from here in the Black Sea, I am told a salvage operation is going on. In a joint effort between the United States and Russia, Vladimir’s yacht was destroyed a few hours ago. The Pentagon released this footage.”

The scene shifted to a monochromatic aerial view of a large yacht. It was zoomed in enough you could see several people on the front deck. Two missiles, leaving jet trails rapidly approached the yacht. A mushroom cloud of water erupted into the air and the fragments of the yacht were flung in all directions. Two major pieces of the ship crashed back into the sea and sank. There was absolutely nothing left.

“Although it is early in the investigation, a joint team is on the scene scouring through the wreckage. They have been able to confirm that Vladimir Kaznikov is among the dead. The terrorist of the Madrid bombings and kidnapper of Avia Conner is dead. Justice has been served and has been swift.”

The stewardess turned off the screen. “I’m sure you are relieved to see that Miss Conner.”

I shuddered and nodded slowly before getting up and heading to the bathroom. As I closed and latched the door, I stared at myself in the mirror. Tears fell freely down my face. I tried to wash my face and pull myself together to no avail.

“Kitten?”

I unlatched the door and fell into Catia’s arms. “I caused that. I’m trying to be logical. I know he planted the bombs. He killed thousands of people. He deserved to die. But this was the first time that my words became the kill order.”

She wrapped her arms around me tightly.

***

The plane taxied to a stop in front of a massive hanger. The President’s helicopter was positioned not far away. A set of stairs was brought to the plane and as soon as the door was opened, Secret Service agents entered the plane.

“Miss Conner. Miss Anchova. I am Justin Paige with the Secret Service. Understandably you have been through some harrowing days and events. You’re here on American soil now. You’re safe. I need you to hand over the gun and knives. I will personally guarantee that I will give them back to you once the President has departed.”

I looked at Catia. “We must trust we are in good hands and that nothing will happen with the world watching.”

Catia nodded and handed over the handgun and two knives.

“Thank you both for that. Here’s what is going to happen. The CIA agents will leave the plane first. My partner will then descend the stairs. You will both follow him once he reaches the bottom. The cameras will want to have a clear picture of you, Miss Conner, so I’ll have you go first. Miss Anchova will be next, then I will bring up the rear. The President does not want to intrude on your reunion with your parents and your team. You will have a few minutes with them before greeting the President.”

I just nodded.

When it was my turn to step from the plane, I almost collapsed. The team I had never known were all there. Tears were falling from every eye. They were my teammates now. My friends. I was not Alex Johnson, but Avia Conner, complete with her raw emotions. I choked back a cry and Catia grasped my elbow to give me strength to stand.

“Go ahead, kitten. They need to see and touch you.”

My eyes flicked to two people standing at the foot of the stairs. My mom shook with emotions and my dad barely could contain himself while keeping her from collapsing. My hands went to my mouth as I ran down the stairs and fell to my knees onto a carpet I hadn’t even noticed was there. I wrapped my arms around them both and held them tight.

Mom finally found the strength to pull me to my feet. She held onto my face with both her hands and kissed me before crushing me to her. Several minutes passed and I knew Catia was standing right behind me. Dad broke our silence.

“You must be Catia Anchova. Thank you for bringing our daughter home.”

Dad pulled Catia into a group hug before standing tall and wiping his tears. “Welcome home, sweetheart.” With a wave, we were surrounded by my coach and teammates. I grabbed onto each person one at a time and greeted them by name. I didn’t think it was possible to cry so much.

Suddenly, I felt something was missing. I had to jump and turn until I spotted Catia standing quietly to the side. I pushed through the crowd of friends, wrapped my arms around Catia, and kissed her for all I was worth. I heard the cameras snap shots and the cheers from everyone around us. Let the media have a field day. I took Catia’s hand in mine. Hugged Mom and Dad once again, then turned to a slightly impatient President.

“Avia Conner. The world deeply mourned your loss. We thank God for your safe return to us.”

“I’m so grateful for the courage of those that saved me. I’m saddened for the tragic loss of Richard Watts. I understand Vladimir Kaznikov is no longer a threat. For that, you will always have my sincerest gratitude.”

“When you are settled, I would like to invite you to the White House. Your story is one I need to hear firsthand.”

The President faced Catia and held out his hand. “Miss Anchova, Russia’s finest agent. You have returned a treasure of immeasurable value back to the United States. We are forever in your debt.”

“Thank you.”

The President waved to the crowd and moved to the waiting helicopter. Justin Paige came to my side.

“Miss Conner. We have a few formalities we need to review with you and Miss Anchova. We will take you and your parents from here to a hotel. We have secured a private restaurant so you can be refreshed and fed in peace. In the morning, I’m authorized to fly you anywhere you need to go. Welcome home.”

***

True to their word, Catia received everything she needed to live permanently in the United States. Except for the tens of thousands of people trying to catch a glimpse of me as we were transported from the airport to the hotel, the drive into Washington DC was uneventful.

Dinner with Mom and Dad was lengthy as I had to recount my entire story. I was pleased they were so accepting of Catia and beyond grateful for her efforts to bring me home. The following day, we all flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We paused for lunch with my parents at their residence before driving to my home further north.

“I hope you like it here, Catia.”

“Wherever you are is perfect, kitten. How far is it from here?”

“Not much further.”

I slipped my hand into hers and she kept staring at the spectacular scenery.

“You really have become Avia, haven’t you? I saw your hesitation leaving the plane, but then…”

“I have her muscle memory and all of her memories and emotions. I was frightened and felt like an imposter when I first stepped from the plane, but then I saw everyone Avia had known. I knew them all by name. I felt how much they meant to her deep within me. When I spotted her parents, it was like coming home. It’s hard to explain.”

“You never have to explain anything to me, kitten. It was beautiful to watch and I feel Avia would be thankful it was you. You’re inspiring.”

I turned off the highway. “Here we are.”

Catia looked up the side road at a tall wooden gateway with the words ‘Conner Ranch’ elaborately carved into it. “You own a ranch?”

“It’s small by Wyoming standards. Only three hundred acres. I let others raise cattle on the land and get paid for that with amazing beef.”

“Where’s the house?”

I grinned. The drive to the house was fresh and new but at the same time familiar. “Just up the hill and around the bend. It was built to be hidden from the road but still have unobstructed views.”

Catia’s eyes opened wide as we turned the corner and the large wood home spilled out before us. I pulled into the oversized four-bay garage. Catia remained silent as we exited the vehicle and I took her hand in mine. We walked under a broad covered causeway to the main house. We paused under the front covered deck by the front doors. Catia turned to stare out over the meadows and forest towards the Grand Teton mountains.

I bit my lower lip and I leaned into Catia. “I hope you like it.”

“Aside from you, I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking.”

“This is your home, as long as you want me, Catia.”

Catia faced me, brushing away some stray hairs from my face. “Then this will be home until we depart this world, kitten.”

I opened the front doors and stepped inside. Catia took in a deep breath. Rich, warm wood floors and walls greeted us. I pulled Catia into the professionally equipped kitchen, then into the main living room. Two-story high floor to ceiling windows provided incredible views from both sides of the home. A broad stairway made from solid timbers led upstairs to the master bedroom.

I paused. “I know we’ve not… I haven’t even seen you…” I swallowed. “How do you feel about sleeping in the same bed?”

Catia’s eyes glanced up the stairs. “Your bedroom is up there?”

I nodded.

Her arms wrapped around my waist as she tossed e up onto her shoulder. I squealed and giggled as she made her way up the stairs, turned into the expansive master bedroom, and then tossed me onto the bed. Her lips were on mine as she pressed me down onto the bed.

I smiled into her kiss, spun us around so I was on top, and nibbled her neck. That didn’t last but a second before I was on my back again.

“I think it is high time I make you purr, kitten.”

“Mhmmm.”

***

I woke early and stared at Catia’s angelic face as she slept. The sun was just rising, and out the bedroom window I could see an orange glow slowly making its way down the face of the Tetons. I kissed Catia’s forehead and recalled the most passionate and romantic night I had ever had to shove aside the remnants of my nightmare.

Slipping from the bed, I wrapped a warm, thick robe tightly around me. As silently as I could, I made my way downstairs and made a cup of hot tea. I stepped out onto the front covered porch and leaned on the smooth, polished log railing. Several elk grazed their way through the meadow.

I was still unsettled by my dream but let my mind shift towards the beautiful scene before me. I felt my lips tug up a little as I took a deep breath. I couldn’t help but feel alive and thankful. Whatever had happened, I had somehow pierced the virtual veil to became Avia Conner. I grieved for her loss, but I looked forward to my life with great joy.

The door clicked behind me. Catia’s lips found my neck and her warm hands pulled me close.

“What’s the matter, kitten?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“With everything that has happened, it’s not surprising you didn’t sleep well.”

“It’s not that. I had the strangest dream that my old body was still alive. It gave me the feeling this isn’t over yet.”

“I suspect we will be left alone for a while, but we can’t be naïve. We took on the two most powerful organizations in the world. We thwarted their plans. They will find a way to get us back.”

“Then perhaps we need to be ready for them. In the meantime, I haven’t had enough of you yet.”

“Aren’t you hungry, kitten?”

“Ravenous. For you.” I pushed her back against the wall and pressed my lips to hers.

She moaned as she untied my robe.

***

The original Avia Conner had the strangest of dreams. They were so real they felt tangible. Her mind was thick and foggy, but it was clearing moment by moment. She couldn’t open her eyes yet, but she could hear.

“Mr. Devalo. What is the outcome of your testing on Alex Johnson and his connection?”

“The results were well beyond our expectations, Mr. Blackwood and Miss Ankarinsky. We kept Alex in a comatose state as we analyzed the findings. Today, we had a breakthrough. Using what we learned from the fifth generation hardware and the data collected during Avia’s soccer match and the subsequent surge, we identified crucial control and personal essence factors and managed to transfer Alex from his broken body into one of your soldier clones. We activated the training and learning protocols. Alex is ready to be awakened and tested.”

“He will be able to be controlled?”

“He will become the ultimate soldier. I’m certain of it.”

“What of Virtual Media Tech? Do they know you were the one that was the insider?”

“No, sir. They don’t have a clue. They still think Alex committed suicide. I worked with Special Agents Tom Bristow and William Mayer to gather all the data, hide the fact we took Alex’s body, and misled Virtual Media Tech. They haven’t got a clue we’ve been stealing their secrets for years and now, they just gave us the future of warfare and society. It’s time. Nurse. Reduce the sedative. Alex Johnson needs to wake up.”

Avia heard some movement near her then the fogginess began to clear. Her eyes fluttered open.

“Hello, Alex. Welcome to your new life.”

***

End of Book One

***

Yup… I just did that. I left you hanging. I have the second story bouncing along in my brain. For a teaser, I envision the new Alex Johnson (formerly Avia Conner) fighting the control of the FSB and CIA. Meanwhile, Avia Conner (formerly Alex Johnson) and Catia develop a plan to eliminate those that wish them dead. At some point, the three all come together to give a little payback.

I hope you enjoyed this story. Let me know you read it and how it made you feel. Leave a review, a comment, or send me a message. That’s all the payment I care about.

- Avia Conner