Untrusted

Panic and adrenaline began to energize him. "Fuck!" he shouted. He carefully shuffled over to each side of the bed to check the floor. Still no clothes. "Fuck!" His wallet and phone were neatly placed onto the night stand. He examined his wallet and didn't see anything that was obviously missing. He picked up his phone and determined that no attempts to login had been made. He hobbled over to the bathroom and to the tiny hotel closet where also found no sign of his clothes. With one last sliver of hope, he clumsily got on the floor again and to look underneath the bed. "Fuck!" he screamed as he got up. "That stupid bitch!" he shouted. "It was all a ruse to get me back! Damnit! It was that fucking drink she gave me! I knew it! I shouldn't have trusted her!"

Ivan stood naked and shivering while he tried to calm his thoughts so that he could figure out how to best deal with his predicament. He peered at the snow through the window again and envisioned frostbitten feet as he ran back four blocks back to his hotel. That obviously was not a practical solution. He briefly cracked open the door to the room and stuck his head out to glimpse down the hallway. The hallway had the same ancient interior that he saw in his room. At least the hallway was devoid of people at the moment. He still had his wallet and his phone, so maybe he could call a cab. He'd need to steal the sheet or a towel to wear, not just for modesty, but for survival in this brutal weather. Even if he wore the sheet as a toga, his feet would still be exposed, even for a cab ride. "That fucking bitch!" he muttered angrily out loud.

Just then he heard a key sliding into the door lock from the outside. He stepped to the side of the door frame where he would have the option of attacking whomever entered the room, if appropriate. He heard the lock turn, followed by the door knob turning. The door cracked open slightly, and someone removed the key from the lock. Ivan stood behind the door and as it opened wider and he watched Natalya step into the room. She was wearing his coat, and carrying bundles of objects in with her arms. One object was a pillow case stuffed with something inside it.

She saw him as she turned to close the door. "Oh, God! you're up!" she said with surprise. "I went out and got us from coffee and some breakfast. You are going to need it. How is your head?"

"What the fuck is going on!" he screamed at her. "Where are my clothes?"

"In here," she said as she placed the stuffed pillow case onto the bed. "I'm sure that you don't feel well, but please don't talk to me that way."

"What happened to me? Why the fuck did you take my clothes?!" he angrily demanded.

Natalya looked tired and stressed. "You were drugged last night,..." she started. "It was in that drink from the bar. I took your clothes because I didn't want you to leave."

"You took my clothes because you didn't want me to leave?!" he echoed with exasperation. "You really are psycho!"

"Damn it, Ivan! I'm doing my best!" She looked downward and pressed the palms of her hands to her temples. Her head ached as well.

"Well then explain what's going on," he demanded.

"I don't like your tone," Natalya stated tiredly. "But someone drugged our drink last night. Maybe that explains why our server never returned. I only had a few sips, but you drank most of that glass. I noticed that I was beginning to feel loopy, and then I then noticed that you looked like you were about to fall onto the floor."

"So how did I end up over here?" he demanded impatiently.

Natalya glared at him. "I decided that we needed to get out of there as soon as possible. I thought that it was best that we not get a room in that hotel, since I wasn't sure what role the staff may have had in drugging us. I took us across the street to this hotel. I wasn't feeling well when we left, and you were much worse off than I was. I wasn't sure that we were going to make it here before you passed out."

"And you thought that coming here and taking my clothes was a good idea? I could have died. You are psycho!"

"Damn it! Ivan, not everything is about you. That drink was intended for me. It was served to ME before you arrived. There is a good chance that they wanted to drug me with the intent to abduct me, which would probably have been for the purpose of raping me at the very least, with a chance murdering me afterwards." She glared at him. "Before leaving for this assignment, I was given three bulletins about human traffickers for sex slaves. I don't know whether those alerts were specific to some of the entities we are exchanging info with, or whether they were just general alerts about traffickers in the area. I might prefer to be murdered rather than accept that fate."

Ivan stood silently listening.

"Also, Ivan," Natalya resumed, "I was concerned about your safety as well. I checked your pulse rate and your breathing obsessively after I got you into the room. I logged your stats into my phone."

"Oh," he replied.

"Maybe I should have just had us check into a hospital," Natalya added. "I don't know. My mind was affected by the drink as well. I did my best. I'm still trying to do my best." She looked flustered, and the two of them stood in silence for several seconds. "I would have been greatly inconvenienced if you had died," she said. "The paperwork would have been unbearable."

Ivan smiled for the first time since the previous night. Natalya noticed that he was shivering.

"I'm enjoying the show, but you might want to get dressed. I can tell that you are cold," she said to him as she pointed to the pillow case with his clothes which she had placed onto the bed earlier.

Ivan became aware that he had been standing naked in front of Natalya this whole time. He glanced down at his cold, shrunken genitals, and then noticed that Natalya was staring downward between his legs. He tried to discretely cover his currently tiny penis with one hand as he reached for the pillow case with the other hand.

"Don't worry, I've had that penis in my mouth. I know exactly how big it is," she reassured him. They both smiled as some of the tension left the room.

"Get dressed and drink some of this coffee and eat some of these Latvian breakfast pastries that I got us. I don't know what's wrong with the damned radiator in this room, but it's freezing in here. Oh, and here's your jacket. I borrowed it to go outside earlier. It's pretty light for this weather."

"Where is your jacket?" he asked.

"It's in my hotel room. Across the street in the same hotel where we had our drinks. I didn't feel that it would be safe for us to spend the night in that hotel. You do have a nice body," she said to him as she watched him getting dressed.

"Thank you," he replied. "And Natalya?"

"Yes?" she said.

"Thanks for taking care of me," he said.

"You are welcome. I've been making decisions while under the influence and second guessing myself. Taking your clothes seemed like the best idea at the time, but it does seem a little odd, now. I didn't want you to leave without getting an explanation of what happened. I couldn't find a single piece of paper or anything to write with in this dump of a hotel room. It seemed like a logical idea at the time."

"How did I end up naked?" he asked. Natalya chuckled.

"You took off all of your clothes after we walked into the room,"she said.

"Oh, God," he said. Netatlya continued to chuckle.

"At least you waited until we got to the hotel room," she said before chuckling again.

"Was I that funny?" he asked.

"And then you started masturbating," she continued.

"I'm so sorry!" he said with a horrified look.

Natalya laughed out loud. "You don't remember any of it?" she asked.

"No. The last thing that I remember was us talking in the bar," he said. Natalya continued to laugh.

"So, did we have sex?" Ivan asked.

"No. I just got to see you masturbate," she said. "I seriously considered it. I debated the ethical considerations after the thought crossed my mind, but you eventually passed out hard and I got concerned about you."

Ivan held his head.

"My head was hurting when I got up, and I'll bet that yours is killing you," said Natalya.

Chapter Six: Brothel

Budapest, Hungary

This evening, Natalya found herself sitting impatiently in a large indoor bistro in Budapest, waiting to meet with her next contact, and eating a small sandwich while she waited. She was assigned the name "Aranka" for this location, and her hair was now short and jet black. Her communications with headquarters seemed sparse and strained since the unpleasant events in Riga. She had succeeded in her mission, but her HQ seemed displeased at the complications that she had encountered with her contact at that location. They had insisted on a drastic change of appearance, and she resented the cutting and yet another dying of her hair. It was a necessary consequence of the job. It had been weeks since the Riga encounter, and she had made over half dozen exchanges with her new hair. With one exchange, she thought that she recognized the other cutout, but she was certain that he didn't recognize her.

Natalya had been sent to today's location to receive a packet from another female who may or may not be prostitute. Natalya was to meet her in her place of employment, which was a hotel that was a likely brothel. Budapest is one of the sex capitals of Europe, where prostitutes and brothels are in abundance, so this wasn't extraordinary for the region. For these reasons, Natalya wasn't entirely surprised to find herself dressed as someone who may or may not have been a prostitute. It wasn't the first time that she had received instructions for this type of persona. She didn't mind. She thought that she looked quite good for the part, but it didn't excite her. She did, however, take pride in being able to take on a task that others wouldn't. However, right now, she just seemed irritated. She had arrived in Budapest yesterday, with plans to meet up with her contact tonight. However, before she could complete this exchange, she had received an urgent message that she was to meet an additional contact less than an hour before she was to meet the woman who may or may not be a prostitute.

Dressing provocatively sexy and revealing in cold weather can be a challenge. The springtime weather in Budapest is well above freezing, but is still pretty cool for someone in skimpy clothing, especially at night. Fortunately for Natalya, she had a little more flexibility as someone who was dressing ambiguously. She wore tall boots with stockings, but a shorter skirt than she had worn in her meeting with Ivan in Moscow. She also sported a hat that was very fashionable on the outside but had ample lining for warmth.

Natalya had been approached by a few men today while she was walking outside. A couple of them were obviously seeking sex, and one seemed to be ambiguously hitting on her. He was polite, but seemed to lose interest quickly, maybe because he realized that she wasn't looking for business. She toyed with the idea that maybe he was hitting on her simply because he thought that she was attractive. She sighed and turned her head when she saw another man with a goatee approaching her. "Not here, idiot," she thought, "I'm eating."

"Aranka?" the man asked as he came within easy speaking distance. That was her alias's name for this trip. She instantly surveilled his clothes by first glancing downward to confirm his identifying features.

"Bernát?" she replied as she glanced upward to his face. "Ivan?" she asked somewhat bewildered.

"Who are you?" he asked in Hungarian with a confused look that quickly turned to excitement. "Natalya?!" he asked this time.

"Oh, Ivan, it's so good to see you again," she said as she stood up and they embraced each other.

"I didn't recognize you at first," he said. "You look quite different from last time."

"I wasn't expecting you," she said.

"Neither was I," he replied. "This is a surprise for me as well."

Natalya sighed uneasily. "This is so hard," she said. "Almost every time I see you, I think that it will be the last."

Ivan released his embrace and sat down on the chair next to hers at her table. Natalya seemed disappointed at Ivan's quick release of their embrace.

"It is hard," he said. "It's great to see you again, but it inevitably means that we'll be saying goodbye again soon. I thought that our last goodbye was forever. It seems that they are taunting us again. Should I be resentful or grateful?" Natalya seemed further deflated at his lack of enthusiasm.

"So, I have been told that you have something for me," she said to him expectantly. "Do you have it with you?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," he replied. "I have a message. I am to accompany you to retrieve your next packet, and you are to give it to me immediately afterwards."

"That's what you have for me!" she responded with irritation. "I can do this myself! I don't need a man to oversee me," she said.

"I didn't come up with these instructions. I just follow them," he said. "That's what I get paid to do."

"I resent this!" she added.

"Look," he said. "I've doubled teamed with a partner in the past for a high risk exchange. Maybe that's why they've made this arrangement. Maybe this is high risk."

"The only time I've heard of this happening was when one party doesn't trust the other party," she said.

"I also got two safety bulletins since I received this assignment. One was about general caution for personal safety, and the other was about human trafficking. Maybe that's why they want two people for this pickup. Or maybe it's a really important exchange. Maybe that's the whole point of our repeat assignments with each other for this exchange."

"I'm happy to see you, but not under these circumstances," she said to him.

"I don't like gambling or pointless risks," he said, "and I'd like to think that you don't either."

Natalya's facial expression didn't indicate that this comment was welcome. "I didn't say that I was going alone. I just don't appreciate not having a choice," she said. "I know that it wasn't your decision," she said seemingly reluctantly before she took the final bite of her sandwich.

"Is it about time we get going?" he asked as he checked the time.

"Yes," she responded as she grabbed her small handbag and headed towards the door.

"Where are we headed?" he asked as they walked down to the street.

"Panzio Hotel 81," she said. "About ten blocks from here. I'm counting on a cab. I saw several in the area earlier, though I'll call one if we have to."

"I'm surprised that you aren't already in the area," Ivan commented.

"I would be if I hadn't had to meet up with you here," she replied dryly, and she turned her attention to locating their transportation. As an empty cab drove towards them on the street, she stepped in front of Ivan to flag it down. She gave directions to the driver as they both climbed into the back seat.

"I'm impressed with your ability to transform your appearance," Ivan commented quietly as they began their ride in the noisy cab.

Natalya first reacted with an expression of annoyance, but her face then transformed into a faint smile. "Thank you," she said.

"I liked your hair earlier," he said, "but this this is quite pleasing as well." She continued her subdued smile but seemed focused elsewhere.

"And today, your dress... are you a ... prostitute?" he asked awkwardly.

"A whore," she answered. "'Whore' is the preferred term around here. 'Prostitute' is considered to be too clinical."

"Oh." They sat in silence for a moment as the cab continued.

"And I was hoping that my appearance would be ambiguous. I need to pass off as a possible whore at Panzio Hotel 81, but also pass off as a non-whore in other places."

"Well executed," Ivan responded with a smile. She smiled back at him. "So, who do we meet, and how do you find her. I was given no information on your contact."

"Her name is Elena," Natalya answered. "She works at Panzio Hotel 81. That's all I know about her."

"So, you don't know what she looks like? Can she identify you?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered, "but I think that she has my name."

"So, are you just going to walk up and ask to speak to her?" Ivan asked with concern.

"That's the plan," she responded. "I'm not a happy about this either. She knows that I'm coming, and she is supposed to have a packet of some sort for me." Her faint smile had disappeared, and she appeared to be deep in thought.

"Panzio Hotel 81 has hourly rates, but that's not unusual for around here," Natalya added.

Ivan looked at her, paused for a moment, and added, "I can be your client if you need one."

Natalya sat expressionless and then commented, "That may be necessary to avoid suspicion. We'll see what plays out."

Ivan watched as their cab passed Panzio Hotel 81 and eventually stopped several buildings past their destination. Natalya had no intention of disembarking from their cab right in front of their destination. They were to arrive on foot. Natalya handed the fare to the cab owner before Ivan could get his wallet out.

"We are in our time window," Natalya said to him. "Are you ready?"

"Quite ready," Ivan responded. "Let's see what happens."

Panzio Hotel 81 was about a block or two from the edge of one of the night life areas. There wasn't much active night life here, except for people looking for short term rooms. Most of the nearby shops were closed, except for a ground-level convenience store, and their primary sales at this time of night were alcohol and condoms. Natalya and Ivan passed a short-skirted woman walking past them in the opposite direction as they began walking towards the hotel. Unlike Natalya, her attire was not ambiguous. Like Natalya, they were both focused on their work tonight.

They approached a grey, bricked building that seemed a little more dilapidated the surrounding buildings. Both the steps and the door appeared grungy in the dim light as they approached it. Ivan recalled the personal safety precaution that he received from HQ as he climbed the steps. He quickly stepped in front of Natalya and held the door open for her. Unlike some other Eastern European countries, chivalry was the norm for Hungary.

The tall but skinny door squeaked on its hinges as it moved, and a bell clanged as it banged shut behind them. They stepped into a small, dimly lit foyer, and a tiny unoccupied front desk greeted them. They heard footsteps in the distance, and a short but stocky man began to approach the desk. Natalya politely, but firmly pushed Ivan backward as she stepped forward to the desk.

"May I help you tonight?" the man asked strongly in Hungarian. He wasn't exactly rude, but it had an air of Ivan's "don't fuck with me" aura that Ivan often deployed.

"I'd like to see Elena," Natalya answered in Hungarian. "Is she here?"

The man pursed his lips and began walking away without saying a word. Ivan and Natalya looked at each other without saying anything. They heard a door shut and they could make out the muffled sound of two people talking. The conversation had become heated, and they soon heard the sound of the man shouting, however, they weren't able to make out any meaningful information from his speech that didn't seem to be Hungarian. Ivan and Natalya looked at each other again. Both of them had concerned looks on their faces. The shouting stopped and was replaced by a minute of silence. They could hear an occasion car drive by, and there were occasional sounds of people walking on wooden floors above them. Eventually, a very thin and tired-looking woman emerged from the same door where the man had disappeared.