Chapter Eight: Annika
What am I even doing here? Is this what I really want to be doing for the rest of my life? The intrigue of it all has gotten me this far, and I have to admit that there’s a part of me that longs for adventure, but I’m not sure this is exactly what I had in mind. I won’t know if it’s something I want unless I give it my best shot, because while I still have a lot to learn, I have a gut feeling that this is where I’m supposed to be.
I can’t ignore that I’ve begun to want more out of life, that I’ve dwelled on the possibility that this could be what I was meant to do all along, and I still wonder what my family is going to say about it. I’m starting to think my excitement is overriding my fear, and that this could be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for to finally come into my own.
I looked back at Stephan, while he got behind me, outstretching his arms, while his hands rested over mine, feeling the brush of cold metal against his skin. I tried to stay focused, but I couldn’t ignore how good it felt to feel his touch again, even if it was just for a few moments.
It was right then that I realized a lot of my need to be this way and to understand if this was something I wanted, was because I started to have real feelings for Stephan. There was an undeniable connection between the two of us, and even though I couldn’t explain it, I didn’t want to be without it. It gave me hope, it ignited something within me that I’d never felt before, and I didn’t want to give that up.
“You see that branch over there, Annika? I want you to shoot it off. One clear shot and it will come tumbling down,” he whispered into my ear, and I nodded, taking a deep breath before I pulled the trigger back, watching the branch come clean off, falling to the ground. I was so happy that I nearly pulled the trigger again, and he held it steady, smiling back at me, like the proud mentor he was.
“Let’s not get too excited now, I don’t want you to hurt yourself in the process,” he said, brushing the little strands of hair out of my eyes, while I got ready to do it again.
“I have to say, you have a clean shot, Novikova. Though, when the time comes, your targets are rarely ever going to be standing still. I need you to remember that,” he said, and I agreed.
My heart was fluttering, but at the same time, I was filled with the kind of adrenaline that came with wielding so much power with a single weapon.
I wasn’t sure if I was ready to put it to use, but Stephan didn’t seem to back down from my urge to keep going, and try my hand at being useful during a job.
He decided to take me with him to a bad part of town, hijack a car that he could sell to make some quick cash, without his buddies at home catching wind of any of it. It was a small step, but I was finally ready to see where it would lead.
We were both sitting low in our seats, scoping out the area for any vehicles that would make a profit. I didn’t know what to look for, but I sat there, following Stephan’s gaze, observing his every move.
“There are a lot of people around here that have expensive cars, which are usually stolen, so we’re going to go ahead and steal them back,” Stephan explained, as a shiny red car approached, parking a bit away from us.
I saw four hulking men get out, heading into the small walk-up of the house, shutting the door behind them, but the window was clearly open. Any move that we made near that car, they’d be able to spot, so I had no idea how Stephan planned on getting us both anywhere near there.
“That’s the car you want to steal? You do see that they have a close eye on it, right? Can you even hot-wire it fast enough?” I asked, feeling rather stupid for asking so many questions, and I had to remind myself that he’s probably done this sort of thing countless times before.
“It will be cutting it close, but you’re going to have to trust me. Remember, I taught you how to point and shoot, so if the situation calls for it, go right ahead,” he said, and I stared back at them blankly.
“You don’t have to kill anyone, just make sure that they won’t be able to keep up with us,” he said.
“Okay, got it. So, when are we going to…”
“Now, let’s go.” He waved at me to get out of the car, then we made our way down the sidewalk, running up to the car, and I held the gun Stephan gave me close to my chest.
You can do this, Annika. You can do this.
All seemed to be going well as Stephan broke the glass window of the driver’s seat, unlocked it and slipped inside while he opened up the passenger door for me. One of the men inside the house peered out of the window with a beer in one hand, and the minute he realized what was happening, he pulled his gun out and began to shoot before I could even get my bearings.
I took a quick deep breath, getting my gun ready, firing back at him while Stephan tried his best to get the engine running.
“How much longer?” I asked, screaming and ducking any time I thought a bullet was going to pierce through my skull.
“Not long. There! Okay, now we’re in business,” he said, starting it up, and he just managed to get us back on the road as the men piled out of the house shooting at us. There were so many bullet holes in the glass, but I reached my hand out of the window, shooting away, hearing one of the men yell in pain before they all disappeared into the distance.
“I-I think I got one!” I screamed, like a little girl.
“Yes, you did. Not bad, Annika. I genuinely thought that was going to go down much worse than it did,” he said, chuckling.
“So, you’re telling me you didn’t have the slightest bit of faith in me?” I asked, teasingly.
“I hoped for the best, and you exceeded my expectations. How do you feel?”
“Do you want an honest answer?” I asked, and he shrugged.
“That depends on what the answer is.”
