You Must Remember This

Chapter 7 - Engaging the enemy

A/N starting this chapter, other languages will be used in the text as well. I will include a translation in brackets underneath it. 

Novosibirsk, Siberia, October 13th, 1945

The snowstorm came by surprise. In less than 5 minutes, the entire city of Novosibirsk was covered in a downy sheet of snow. In less than 5 seconds, Evelyn's body was frozen to the bone. The snow and frost stuck to her like glue to paper. It weighed her down as she trudged along.
She took a breath of relief as she stepped into the quaint, warm tea room and shruged off her cloak. Evelyn hoped the blizzard wouldn't cause any interference with her wire. Stark swore it wouldn't, but she could never tell with him.
As she took off her black scarf to hang up with her cloak, Evelyn clicked the side button of the silver watch he gave her. She thought she heard a soft buzzing from inside and prayed it wouldn't make that noise when she talked to Zola. After a week in the city, HYDRA's number one scientist had finally taken the bait and left a message at her lodging, requesting a meeting with her for a job offer. If that flimsy bit of jewelry around her wrist screwed it all up now, she would personally ensure Howard Stark would never procreate.

Evelyn took a moment to take in the room. There were only ten tables, of which seven were occupied, mostly by ladies chatting. It didn't look like any of them were HYDRA agents, but it wouldn't be the first time those bastards won in playing hide and seek. Even that family with children was suspicious until proven otherwise (bringing family along for a nice slice of Skazka cake seemed like a perfect way to stay undercover).

"Стол для одного?"
(Table for one?)

Evelyn turned when she heard the proprietor's croaky voice on her left. She looked like so many old Russian ladies Evelyn knew at home, with her grey hair neatly tucked away underneath a red shawl and a kind smile on her wrinkly face. Hard to believe she could be part of HYDRA too.

"Я встречаюсь с кем-то. Доктор Шмидт?"
(I'm meeting someone. Dr. Schmidt?)

The old woman narrowed her eyes at Evelyn.

"Ваше имя?" she asked.
(Your name?)

"Eva Roth."

"Подождите здесь."
(Wait here.)

Evelyn nodded and watched the woman walk to the back of the room. She leaned in to talk to a man sitting with his back to the other patrons. The man, not that much bigger than the old lady, stood and turned. When she saw the chubby spectacled face of Arnim Zola, Evelyn's heart pounded with rage.
This was the man who had worked with Red Skull. Her brother's enemy. That made him her enemy. And if he truly had James, she would make him wish he was never born.

Zola beckoned her over, and Evelyn made her way through the wooden tables with fine white table cloth and red cushioned chairs. The light from the ornate chandeliers above each table bounced off her diamond hairpin on the green and gold walls.
The old woman promptly returned to her boiling samovar, nodding to Evelyn as she passed her and left her alone with Zola. Now that she stood face to face with the man, Evelyn felt so many things at once. An overwhelming fury rushed through her like a wild river. In any other time and place, she would have knocked Zola's lights out. But she couldn't do that now. Fear kicked in then. If anything went wrong, or if he suspected she wasn't who she claimed to be and her cover got blown... She would never know then. She would never know if HYDRA had James or if he was even alive. That thought was enough to give Evelyn the strength and courage that she needed to see this through. Right to the very end if she had to.

"Мисс Рот, рада с вами познакомиться. Спасибо, что встретились со мной в столь сжатые сроки," greeted Zola. "Пожалуйста, сядьте."
(Miss Roth, a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. - Please, sit.)