Hotel Six: A Call of Duty Fanfiction

Chapter 27: A Room with a View

It was a strange thing, walking through the streets in the late autumn hours as a wolf. Wolves weren't common in these parts of Russia, were they? For certain, not a 48 inch tall one. Gal wove through the dark alleys and shadows until she got to the restaurant. She shifted and walked into a shop nearby and quietly slipped into the lav. Sasha changed from her jeans and sweater to a black dress and heels, pinned up her hair, and walked back to the restaurant.

Upon arriving, Vladimir swung open the door, wearing a black suit and a maroon shirt. "Now, I thought you looked beautiful before, but, my God, you're stunning in that dress," he purred, offering her arm as he walked her inside.

"Thank you," she replied. "You look good in a suit, too."

He chuckled. "I appreciate the compliment." Vladimir pulled out her chair for her. "So, now that you're here, I absolutely must recommend the caviar; it's the best I've had anywhere else."

Sasha smiled brightly and looked over the menu. "You know, I would defy you and order something else, but you've piqued my curiosity."

Dinner passed smoothly with breezy, light conversation. Vladimir was quite the charmer, yet still seemed genuine. Perhaps he was simply a good actor. Nonetheless, he was at least an interesting conversationalist and made the evening fun.

They walked out the door, both laughing and smiling. "So, now," he said. "I'll show you the place I had in mind. It has a gorgeous view of the whole town and waterfront."

Sasha made a sound of intrigue. "I can't wait. Show me the way!"

He led her around a corner to a steel grey Maserati parked in a lot just off the street. Vladimir unlocked the car and opened her door, giving a low, overly dramatic bow when she gave him a look. "No, I did not buy this to impress you," he said. "It was a gift from a friend."

"A friend, or someone you killed?" Jessica inquired, tone fraught with suspicion.

"Shut up, Gal," Sasha hissed back. "It's magnificent! You seem to run in wealthy circles; can I meet some of your friends, too?"

They both laughed. "Well, if things go well, I'm sure you'll get to meet them." He said. With that, he started the car, and they drove away.

It was a little less than a half-hour later when they drove to the top of a hill where a very angular, modern designed house was situated. Though the house wasn't enormous, it certainly looked luxurious; how Makarov had been hiding the last few months was a mystery, especially with the amount of money he clearly had and was spending. Wouldn't that draw the CIA's or any of the British intelligence agencies' attention?

He opened her door and led her out. "I think you're going to like the view from here," he said. As they walked to the doorstep, she noticed dark shapes moving quietly behind them and tending to the car. "Staff?" she wondered.  Vladimir punched in a code on the front door, and when the lock quietly turned back, he pushed it open to reveal a large, open living space with grand windows facing the city below.

Sasha gaped at the view, almost too stunned to speak. "It's beautiful from up here!" she said. "Maybe I need to give up being a history teacher, and do whatever you're doing for work."

"It's no easy job," he chuckled. "But, I'm more than happy to share my blessings with some people."

She turned back to look at him; Galaxy growled and bristled from the silent confines of Sasha's conscience when she saw that Vladimir was standing close behind her. Sasha looked him up and down, then drew her gaze back up to his. He was transfixed, it seemed, his blue and green eyes keenly focussed on her. "... What?" she asked softly.

Vladimir, whose face was mostly serious when she caught him staring, blinked and made a small smile before looking away, almost as if he was loosing confidence. "I apologize," he said. "You're just very beautiful, I couldn't pull my eyes away."

Sasha made a devilish smile of her own. "You're allowed to look. I'm not offended by a handsome man looking at me." She turned back to the window, watching his reflection in the glass. He stepped a little closer, looking at the city, too, when he put his hands on her shoulders. She turned her head ever so slightly and leaned back toward him. She was met with a soft, warm kiss on her shoulder, and then another and another, slowly moving up her neck. She gave a hum of enjoyment and turned back even further to kiss him on the mouth.

Vladimir sighed, his hands wandering around her toned back, and finally over her shoulders to her chest. She broke the kiss abruptly and he scanned her face. "You look frightened..." he said. "What's the matter?"

"Sash..?" Jessica asked.

Sasha cleared her throat. "I don't recall giving you permission to touch me like that..." she said uncertainly.

He grinned. "Apologies, I should have been more transparent with my intentions." He pulled her closer so she was pressed up against him, his grip on his waist strong- stronger than she could easily pull away from. "You're beautiful, and I want to explore you."

"Explore me...?" Jessica growled. "Sasha, does he mean what I think he means?"

Sasha was silent, but Jessica could hear her heart pounding. "Yes, he does," she said. 

"How do we get out of this?"

"Oh," Sasha replied in a warm murmur. "Well, had I known I'd have come dressed a little better." She kissed him again, this time running her fingernails down his defined chest, rippling his body with a shutter.

Jessica was becoming urgent. "Sasha, how are we getting out of this?"

"We aren't." came her cold reply. "We want whatever intel he has, and he already knows what he wants from us. Not the trade I had in mind, but this is the hand we were dealt."

"What?!" Jessica felt sick and he mouth went dry. "Sasha, I didn't say yes to this!"

"And you think Makarov is going to suddenly stop because we didn't say yes?" Sasha scoffed. "We're here, this is what's happening, I suggest you roll your eyes into the back of your head and go with it."

Vladimir pulled back again, this time with a pink tone in his cheeks and a nervous. "Want to take this somewhere more... Comfortable?"

She smiled, a little taken aback. "We're alone, aren't we?"

"Well, I mean..." He cleared his throat. "I just thought maybe a bed would be more comfortable than standing up... Unless that's your thing..?"

Sasha noticed him looking outside and saw some kind of movement around the perimeter; a group of people if her eyes weren't deceiving her. "Shit..." she thought. She grinned at him, leaning in closer to kiss his cheek. "I didn't say anything of the sort," she said. "Show me the way."

"No, Sasha..." growled Jessica. "There's got to be something else we can do."

Sasha ignored her and followed Vladimir into a back room and closed the door behind them.