Matryushka and Nikolai
She was a spy, there to steal his company secrets and give them to whoever had hired her. Most likely, the government officials that had been rejecting their bribes on moral grounds. Nikolai smiled a tight smile as he contemplated the various ways in which he would torture them, once he got his hands on them. The girl, of course, was already his. She just did not know it yet.
"Alexander, Sokol, come," he gestured for his two best men to follow him, then he turned and strolled down the long hallway to his penthouse suite. Pausing at the entryway, he issued them with brief instructions, "Wait five minutes, precisely. Then come in and help me to subdue her. I want her frightened but mostly unharmed, is that clear?"
"Da, Nikolai," they nodded. He patted their broad shoulders, before spinning around and swiping the card to unlock the door.
Stepping into the opulent room, he found her waiting for him at the far end, by the king size bed. She was tall, lean, and gorgeous, with long blonde hair and full, slightly pouty lips typical of their women. Her full breasts and small waist were accentuated by the tight, black cocktail dress she wore, which also showed off her long, shapely legs. He still had no idea how old she really was, nor did he care. She was over eighteen, that was all that mattered. Otherwise, they would not have hired her.
"Hello, my little matryushka," he said, strolling toward her. "Thank you for waiting for me so patiently."
"That's OK, Nikolai. I know you're a busy man." She smiled at him but did not move from her position. Whoever trained her, did a good job. What a pity their efforts were about to go to waste.
Deliberately, he slowed his step and opened his arms wide, inviting her to come to him.
"Come, my little doll, let me see those hips move." His smile was wide and carefree, giving her no hint of his intentions. "You know that's what drew me to you, down in that bar, don't you?"
"Yes, I know," she said, blushing slightly. That could not be trained, he knew. It was just his charisma doing its magic on her. Idly, he watched her walking over to him, her hips sashaying seductively. When she was within arm's reach, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Grinding his hips against hers, letting her feel his erection, he leaned down and kissed her. She opened up to him without hesitation, and once again he had the feeling of a strong mutual attraction. This, he felt, was a good thing, though it would not make him change his mind.
He was, after all, part of the Russian mafia, and they did not take any chances with spies.
After the kiss, he checked his watch. Three minutes and thirty seconds remaining.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked, letting go of her and strolling to the mini bar. "Vodka with lemon juice, perhaps?"
It was what she had been drinking at the bar, and she gave him a big smile as she replied, "Yes, please. You have a good memory."
The drinks poured, he passed her the glass and said, "Nazdarovie."
They both drank, and he noted in passing that her hand shook slightly. She was nervous, either because of how much she fancied him, or because she suspected her cover had been blown. Again, he did not really care. Either way, her days as a free woman were numbered. He leaned against the nearby cabinet, inviting her in with his posture and with the smoldering look he gave her. She hesitated for only a second, before stepping up close and pressing herself against him.
"Allow me," he said, taking her empty glass from her. After setting it down carefully, he ran his hand through her long, blonde mane, and from there, across her bare back. "You dress very provocatively, matryushka. Are you sure you're not a hooker?"
Her blue eyes opened wide in mock-offence, as she replied, "Nikolai! Please! Do not speak to me like that, unless you want me to leave right this minute!"
He laughed indulgently, while pretending to apologise. As he hugged her, he brought his hand up behind her back and checked the time again. Sixty seconds.
"So, tell me, my doll," he whispered in her ear, inhaling her perfume, "since you're not a hooker... who do you work for?"
She flinched as though he had struck her and pulled away from him. Staring at him hard.
"What... do you mean?" she asked, glancing behind her. Mapping out her escape route. He smiled at her as he informed her politely,
"Come, now, Katia. That's your code name, isn't it? Let's not play games. I know why you're here, trying to seduce me. I suspected you from the moment I laid my eyes on you, that's why I asked my men to run a check on you. Turns out, I was right. And I'm sorry but I can't let you have that thing you came for."
As he spoke, she shoved at his chest and backed away from him. Nikolai let her, without blinking an eyelid. His lack of interest in chasing her should have given her a clue, but she was too anxious to think clearly. He watched her as she turned and tried to run, and then the door opened and Alex and Sokol came into the room.
"Nooo!" Katia cried, when she saw them. It was such a primal scream, made in the split moment before capture, and as always, it fascinated him.
"There's no point in screaming," he told her, while she struggled against his men, ineffectually. "We are on top of the building, and we have the entire floor to ourselves. So, my little doll, the only ones that will hear you are Alexander, Sokol, and I. Do you see what I'm saying, little doll?"
She stopped screaming then, but continued to struggle, earning herself several harsh slaps in the process. True to their instructions, the men handled her roughly, subduing her through the use of force. Twisting her arms behind her back, they lifted her off the floor, so that her legs kicked through the air while they carried her across the room. Along the way, one of her high-heeled shoes flew off and landed next to him. Idly, Nikolai picked it up and started playing with it as he spoke.
"Cuff her, and put her in that chair over there, by the window. Thank you, boys."
Barefoot, trembling, but otherwise unharmed, Katia gazed at him tearfully while the men snapped the handcuffs around her wrists. The moment they had manhandled her into the chair, she began pleading with him,
"Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me! I'm not your enemy, I swear it on my father's grave! I'm just..."
He cut her off by signalling Sokol to slap her, one more time. In the ensuing silence, her short, gasping breaths were loud in his ears, testifying to her terror.
"I am sorry to treat you this way, my little doll," he said, stepping up close, still playing with her shoe. "I would've asked you to shut up, if I thought you'd listen. See, the truth is, the Russian mafia doesn't care about your story. The 'why' doesn't matter to us, only the 'what' and the 'who'. In your case, the 'what' is an attempt to steal valuable information, and the 'who' is you, matryushka. So, my options are very limited. I can kill you here or take you somewhere else and kill you there. Or I can make you disappear. It's what we do with all the spies that we catch. Surely, they explained this to you, when they gave you the assignment?"
She shook her head, while continuing to tremble violently, sitting before him with her head bowed. To Nikolai, she looked both vulnerable and beautiful - more beautiful than when she was smiling a fake smile at him, trying to seduce him.
"No?" he asked, tapping the shoe against his open palm. Tap-tap. Tap-tap. "Answer me, please, Katia. Did they tell you what would happen to you if you were caught, or no?"
"N-no... No..." She was starting to cry, and he squatted in front of her so that he could smooth her hair away from her face and get her to look at him. When, at last, she did so, he smiled at her and said,
"I believe you. You know, I really do. Our enemies rarely tell their agents exactly what they're in for, when sending them to spy on us. I also believe you couldn't possibly have been so naive, as to not know whom you were dealing with. We do have a bit of a reputation, am I right? So now, why don't you tell me who sent you, who your contacts were, and what you have managed to find out, before I caught you? Tell me, so I can make this quick and painless for you, matryushka."
He let the silence stretch between them while he waited for her to answer. Five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen.