Red Uprising

Chapter 13

11:43

My phone is buzzing on the dresser of my bedroom as I step out of the shower.  The noise draws my attention as I wrap a towel around myself before grabbing another for my damp hair, my wet feet slipping ever so slightly in my rush to reach the other room in time.

“Romanoff” I answer hastily just before the call can reach voicemail.

“You were easier to get hold of when you were on the payroll, ironic, don't you think?”  Maria’s voice rings through the speaker.

“Old habits die hard.”  A smirk pulls at the corner of my mouth as I hear the sound of a friendly voice.

“Listen.”  There’s a subtle change to her voice, barely noticeable but definitely there.  “At the last party Tony threw, when we were talking at the bar, I think I left my purse.”

“Yeah, I got it.”  Her words would make perfect sense to anybody listening, but Maria wasn’t carrying a purse.  For some reason, she doesn’t trust the line.  My mind instantly flashes back to that night, to her telling me we need to talk, again, not trusting those around us.

“Great!  Maybe I can stop by to collect it, say 2pm?  Hopefully you’ve got some half decent coffee over there, I swear I’ve survived on that dishwater from the diner for weeks!”  A fake cheerfulness echoes through her words.

“2pm sounds great.  I’ll make sure the coffee is hot.”  I respond before hanging up.  If Maria has reason not to trust the line it’s better to save the conversation until later.

12:36

Yelena sits on the floor outside my door, legs crossed, head against the wall.  With her eyes closed and her lack of movement, she almost appears asleep.  As she hears my door open, she pushes herself to her feet, stumbling slightly in her rush to follow me down the hallway.  I smirk to myself as I watch a few hobbled steps, evidently the result of a dead leg.

“How long were you sitting there?”

“Since before you went to shower.”  She shrugs nonchalantly.  “A couple of hours, maybe.”

“You know, most people just knock?”

“I did not want to bother you.”  Her head dips ever so slightly, I can tell something is on her mind.

“Yelena, you’re not bothering me if something is wrong…”  I draw to a halt with a sigh.  “Look, we can’t run anymore.  Either of us, we’re needed here, so if something is wrong, you need to talk to me.”

“It’s not wrong. I just, well, I guess I just don’t know where I fit in around here.  Without Y/N, I mean, sometimes I think she was the only one who really wanted me here.”

“That’s not true.”  I use a finger to lift her chin as a fresh waves of regret, and guilt rushes over me along with memories of the way I had treated her before she left.  “Hey, look at me.  I want you here.  You belong here, you belong with me.  You will always fit right beside me, no matter what.  Got it?”

“Got it.”  She gives an uncertain nod as she answers.

“Come on.”  I wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her along as I continue down the hallway.  “I need your help with something.”

13:41

The sun warms my back through my hooded jacket as I cross the parking lot, my eyes on the diner in front of me.  It’s been a while since my last visit to this place.  Y/N had begged for us to stop here on that occasion, but today, I walk towards the door alone.

Across the street, on a junction to the right of the diner, Yelena sits on the rooftop of an apartment block.  I can feel her eyes on me as I reach the front door of the diner.  The insignificant looking Honda Civic I had her borrow from the more than ample garage Tony possesses is parked several blocks over.  Maria’s unwillingness to talk at the compound or over the phone has me concerned, hiding Yelena’s presence should hopefully give me an advantage should things go sour.

“Be careful.”  Her voice flows clearly through the earpiece hidden in my right ear.

I answer only with a subtle nod as my arm pushes the door open, a bell ringing out overhead.  The diner is almost empty.  An older couple sits near the door, eating in silence.  Neither of them look up as I cross the room, seating myself in a booth by the window, my eyes on the door.

I’ve been sat this way for a few minutes when footsteps behind me draw my attention from the doorway.  Looking up my eyes meet a gentle, genuine smile.  Blue eyes shine brightly as she brushes her blonde hair away from her face. 

“Natasha?”  I recognise her face instantly, but her name escapes me.  My eyes flicker towards her name badge before I realise she’s dressed casually, her shift over.

“Danni.”  She laughs as she fills in the blank, evidently noticing the hesitation.

“I knew that.”  My voice is filled with defensiveness.

“Sure.”  She laughs again.  “Are you alone?”

“Yes.  I mean no, not really.  I’m waiting for someone.”

“Oh, Y/N, of course.  I should go, I didn’t mean to interrupt, I’m sorry.”

“No, no it’s fine.  Y/N isn’t really around right now.  It's just a friend, and I'm early, i guess.”

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."  The smile on her face grows.  "Maybe you should let someone take your mind off that."

“Did she just sit down?  Are you crazy?   What the hell are you doing?  Get rid of her!”  Yelena’s voice rings in my ear.

"I'm trying."  I mutter the words under my breath, answering Yelena but instantly realising the girl now sitting opposite me believes I was talking to her.

In front of me, the door opens as the bell chimes.  A guy in his 30s walks in and sits himself at the counter with a menu.  He never glances in our direction, and I turn my attention back to the table.

"Your family are from out west, right?"

"Ohio."  I give a simple nod.  "My parents still live there. They have a pig farm, and my mother names them after us like surrogate children."

"You moved here alone?  Wasn't that scary?"  She questions when she finally stops laughing.

"I was busy working a lot.  There wasn't a lot of time to think about it."  I give an answer I almost believe.

"You don't want to go back?"  Her hand reaches across the table, gripping my own.

"Soon." I answer with an uncomfortable smile as I extricate my hand from her grasp."  My sister just gave birth, and she's a science teacher. She could use the help with childcare.

"You are crazy."  Yelena's words ring clearly in one in while the other hears my phone vibrates on the table.

McClaren's Bar. 10 minutes.