The Secret Service ~~~

5 - Russia Is Cold

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SOME SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER.

Chapter Five - Russia Is Cold

June had known Russia was going to be cold, but not reaching above freezing was ridiculous. Thankfully she'd packed every item she could for winter, and she wondered how much she'd need to put on at once to remain warm. Probably all of it.

The four hour plane ride had been calm enough until they'd reached somewhere over Russia. Snowstorms had hit the plane with turbulence. June didn't know of anyone who didn't feel a little rocky and a little grateful to be on the ground. Even if they were now being thrown around the streets in a car that seemed to find every patch of ice to skid on.

Eventually they arrived at an apartment building. The driver handed them an envelope and dumped them out with their bags before zooming off as if he had somewhere better to be.

No one spoke as they dashed into the cream building. The iron gate on the front door was half hanging off it's hinges but still no one said anything. They all raced inside, finding it no warmer. Nor brighter - outside was dark, and inside the lights seemed not to be working.

"Third floor," the other boy, Xavier said, looking at the outside of the envelope with a flashlight on the writing - or rather, the two alone words on the package.

They marched up the stairs, hoping to get their blood pumping and bodies warm. June shivered inside her coat and when the red head, Emma, unlocked the door, they all piled in.

A fire was already roaring in the immediate room and they all rushed to it, someone slamming the door behind. June rubbed her hands together inside her gloves, and slowly the feeling came back.

Eventually everyone was able to shed their coats and scarfs, hanging them on the hooks by the door, but no one dared take off much more, afraid to loose appendages to the cold. June remained in her scarf but took off her gloves and coat.

She looked round the room then. The living room was the first room, then there was a kitchen to the immediate left. Beside that, there were three doors beside the front door. One had to be a bathroom, meaning the other two were bedrooms. They were going to have to share. Sharing with people they barely knew. Great.

"Why couldn't our first mission have been in Hawaii or something?" The girl, Rory, threw herself onto the sofa. They'd all got acquainted enough on the plane here - Rory had even sat beside June.

"If we could pick our missions, then I wouldn't have chosen this," Hailey commented, sitting beside Rory.

"And what would you have chosen?" Allie asked, slumping to the floor, her back to the fire.

"Somewhere on home soil," Hailey answered. "With family."

"Family, ey?" Kade asked as if intrigued but June caught an underlying note to his tone.

"The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can get back," Xavier said.

June moved to the kitchen with nothing to say and started opening cupboards. She found a laptop and charger hidden in the dishwasher. A hard-drive in the microwave. A random camera in a cupboard. And a black box under the sink.

June turned to the group, laying the items on the island counter. "What do you think these are for?" She asked, pushing the laptop with her finger. Were these things free from hacking of the outside world?

Some of the group shuffled round. "Do you think this is a safe house?" Ari asked.

"It has to be," Sadie said. "Why else would these be here?"