Budapest

Chapter 9

Drip...Drip...Drip...Drip
The water that temporarily resided at the top of the tunnel slowly made its way to join the small river beneath.
Slosh...Drag...Slosh...Drag
The sound echoed off the cemented walls. A figure dressed in black waded through the water with difficulty.
They took one step then dragged their other leg behind. Their hands ran along the side of the tunnel as a guide.
There was only the smallest amount of light that pushed its way through the slightest cracks.
Slosh...Drag...Drip...Drip...Slosh...Drag...Drip...Drip
A red liquid ran down from the person's wounds and mixed with the water beneath.
The sound of scurrying rats blended with the person's heavy breathing.
Slosh...Drag...Drip...Drip...Scurry...Gasp...Slosh...Drip...Drip...
•
Natalia Romanov blinked rapidly, attempting to push the feeling of pain aside. To stifle a groan, she fiercely bit her lip. The blood rushed into her mouth.
She felt light-headed. Sleep deprivation wasn't helping the fact.
'6 days straight without sleep, 2 gunshot wounds, heaps of bruises, scratches and cuts, a split lip and a gash above my left eye. It's official. This mission sucks.'
•
'Can't go back. They won't accept my failed mission. I'm already in trouble from my last mission and now, I fail again. Torture and brainwashing is what awaits me there.
Can't go out in the open. Not with Ivan, SHIELD and the KGB after me.
No options. I'm trapped.'
Natalia gritted her teeth and spat out blood.
'Ivan. That treacherous swine.'
She had always fantasized the many ways she would kill him. But she may have to settle for the breaking of his wrist and most likely his nose. No way was she getting out of this alive.
'But if I go down, I'm taking that bitch with me.'
•
Natalia finally reached the small room at the end of the tunnel. It was set a little higher than the rest of the structure, meaning it was dry. The only thing in the 'room' was an old, rusting ladder on the right wall. It lead up to a man-hole covering.

Spitting out the blood that had once again filled her mouth, she leant against the ladder.
Natalia opened her mouth slightly, her finger went to the source of the blood. A tooth.
Her hand came away bloody. She sighed and then began checking the rest of her wounds. One shot to the right shoulder and another to the left thigh. Her head lifted up until she was staring at the roof. She fumbled in her bag for a second before bringing out a bandage.
"Dammit!" She hissed.
She only had one.
Considering the wound to her thigh was more likely to become infected, she attempted to wrap the bandage around her leg. It was a pitiful attempt but her hands were shaking so bad and she was starting to see black at the edge of her vision.
•
She slowly turned, putting most of her weight on her right side. As she reached up with her arms to grab at he ladder, her shoulder screamed in protest. She gritted her teeth harder and blinked away tears.
'Pain is weakness. Crying is weakness.'
Halfway up the ladder, Natalia let out a shaky breath. She roped her left arm around one of the runs and put her weight off her aching thigh.
From the pain she was feeling and the black haze impairing her vision, Natalia estimated about 7 minutes until she passed out, she could possibly make 10.
•
2 minutes later, she made it to the top and used her good arm to push open the cover despite the pounding pain she felt everywhere.
As she dragged herself into the cool air, she chanted the same words that had been drilled into her for many years.

"Pain is vulnerability.
Pain is vulnerability.
Vulnerability is weakness.
Vulnerability is weakness.
Weakness is not allowed.
Weakness is not allowed.
The weak die."