Chapter Text
“I need your help.”
Words Elena Federova never intended to utter to Val Turner again. And yet there she was, crouched on the ground, holding her phone with a bloody hand, trying to sound as composed and convincing as she could.
Some minutes ago, she had felt the blow of the explosion and it had brought back the most unpleasant memories. An immediate emotional distress, accompanied by a sensation of loss and loneliness, invaded her heart and she dared not move, she dared not verify the truth. Instead, she froze into place and waited. She waited, crouched on the dirty ground, her shoulder throbbing with pain. She was certain that if Sergey was still alive, that he’d find his way back to her. So, she prayed, and she wished to feel his warmth surrounding her once more. But minutes passed and her soulmate was nowhere around. Only the cold air surrounded her, toying with her mind. No footsteps, no voice. Elena wished desperately that the love of her life would arrive and hug her, so she waited more, not wanting to face such a big loss. But nothing. Nothing but the sound of the fire behind her and the throbbing pain in her shoulder. Nothing but the flow of blood escaping through her fingers and the cold breeze playing with her hair. She shivered, water filling her eyes as the implications of what that absence meant crept deeply into her consciousness. Sergey had been in the car when it exploded. Her family was forever broken. They could never be both with their daughter again, their beautiful, smart daughter. The remembrance of her child shook Elena out of her misery and gave her something she still had power over to focus on. She swore to herself she would not rest until her daughter would be back into her arms and in safety.
After a few calls to her Snow White organization, she dialed agent Turner’s cell phone number.
“I need your help” Federova said over the phone, as composed as she could muster.
It took Val Turner a moment to formulate an answer. “Seriously?” she replied with an incredulous tone.
“The Beloks. They have my daughter.”
“Shit.” Elena could easily imagine the FBI agent expression, probably rolling her eyes and shaking her head, understanding too well what was at stake.
“Something like that.” A sudden shooting pain had Federova make a small groan before continuing. “Agent Turner, I need you to follow the thread.”
“I found the map.”
“Oh.” Elena was surprised it took her so little time to figure it out. “Missed me already?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. What does it lead to?”
“Hopefully what I need in order to get my daughter back.” Elena hissed in pain again. “But I need your help. I can’t do it alone.”
“Wait. You need my help to find something you hid?”
“It’s complicated and I don’t trust the Beloks.”
Val let out a short sigh. “So, what am I? Bait? Servant? Look, this time I don’t want riddles. I’m serious.”
“I thought riddles were part of my charm?” Elena hissed again.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’ll manage. Follow the map. I’ll contact you again soon.”
“Elena… is Sergey with you?”
The criminal fell short of an answer.
“Elena? Are you still there?”
She hung up the phone.
***
Valerie Turner couldn’t believe she was helping that woman again. The agent was filled with conflicted emotions she didn’t even have time to process yet: discovering the truth about the bank assaults, the President being with the mafia and stealing from the United States, Owen being finally back while her trust in him felt gone. And yet here she was, her curiosity piqued by Federova, trying to figure out what that map represented and where it was pointing to. Also trying, on the sideline, to figure out how not to get killed while facing one criminal organization as deeply rooted in the United States government as the Beloks actually were.
She expected to hear from Elena again, but not as soon as 10 minutes later.
“Are you still in New York?” Val heard as she answered the phone. There was something unfamiliar with the criminal’s voice, an edginess to it the agent was not used to hear.
“Yes, why?”
The answer came after a resigned sigh. “If you are so adamant to follow the rules and to put me back in prison, which, by all means, I do not suggest you do, but if you do, you HAVE to promise me you will not rest until my daughter is safe and away from the Beloks. Promise me.”
“Elena I… I promise.” Val would do anything in her power to save any child in such a dreadful situation.
“Good.” Val could hear the criminal panting, taking pauses as she spoke. “I’m on Valley road, near Seven Street, west of New York. There is not much and definitively no one on that dirt road, so you should find me easily.”
“Elena…”
“I have a bullet wound to the shoulder. I can’t stop the bleeding.”
Agent Turner was unsure about a lot of things at the moment, but one thing she knew is that she didn’t want that woman to die. Federova deserved punishment, yes, but not that one.
***
Elena Federova was indeed easily found, sitting her back to a tiny tree, obviously trying to stay conscious but apparently struggling to do so. Her pale hands, covered in red, had lost their usual steadiness. Her black leather jacket did a better job at hiding the blood loss, making it hard for Val to see the extent of the wound. Agent Turner quickly helped the woman to the passenger seat of her car, placed a blanket on her and a piece of cloth over her wound. She commanded gently to the woman to “press there” while she hurried back to the driver seat.
“Ah! Very helpful” the woman snorted with sarcasm. “I haven’t thought of trying pressure.”
Val side eyed her unexpected companion. “I’m getting you treated.”
“Ah yes… I’m sure Fort Totten doctors will be thrilled to patch me up with love and kindness.” Her tone was sarcastic again, a slight shake of her voice betraying her bad state.
Val sighed and shook her head, quickly driving away. She couldn’t believe the words she was about to utter, but she made up her mind long minutes ago, after much internal debate during her lonely car ride: “I know a place.”
Elena frowned. “A place? What kind of place?”
“Unofficial. No papers needed, no questions asked. Just… doctors helping people that wouldn’t receive help any other way.”
Elena’s frown deepened. “You’re not… bringing me back to prison?”
“Don’t go there” Val warned, already annoyed.
“You brought your own husband before justice and you’re not bringing a renown criminal back to prison when you have the chance?”
“And you went there.”
“Don’t take me wrong” Elena amended, “I’m flattered!”
“Well don’t be. It’s… temporary. Until we figure…” Val gestured vaguely “… all of this out.”
The Brazilian woman made a surprised pout.
Val continued. “We’re maneuvering a complicated situation. We both know that the President of the United States is linked to the Beloks, but… we have to tread carefully, our lives are already in enough danger as it is, without you… Elena!?! Hey, stay with me!”
The FBI agent shook the arm of the woman to bring her back to consciousness once more. Elena groaned and opened tired eyes.
“I’m so cold. Is it normal that everything is spinning?” she whispered.
“Why don’t you talk instead. Stay focused Elena, stay with me.”
“I literally can’t go anywhere else at the moment, agent Turner.” Elena shook her head, trying to stabilize her vision. “Plus, I’m fine where I am” she added with a smile that seemed sincere enough.
Val decided to ignore that last comment and followed up with questions.
“Why didn’t you ask one of your Snow White operatives to come and pick you up?”
“Oh, I tried. Many are with the gold who is far from the coast on a boat as we speak. No car rides. Others have fled far from New York. Or are unreachable or currently in custody. Or might have betrayed me. There is that, too” she finished the list of explanations.
“Okay. So, I’m what? Your stopgap?”
Val found Elena’s frown of confusion adorable. The wounded woman’s brain seemed to work much slower than usual and it took the black head a while to piece things together and formulate an answer.
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Maybe a little” Val offered with a smile.
“To tell the truth, my first thoughts were of you. You are talented, agent Turner, and an ally I know I can trust against the Beloks. Plus, we make a great team. I’m just not ready to get back to prison yet.”
“You have a point.”
***
Valerie Turner sat in the waiting room impatiently. She hated to have nothing to do, but she didn’t want to leave the hospital and give the criminal a chance to slip between her fingers once more. And she was sure Elena would, at this moment, the first time she had the occasion. So, she was not going to give her any occasion. Federova was in a bad state when they arrived and the surgery was taking such a long time that worry was starting to creep up in Val’s mind, even if she was doing a good job at hiding it.
“Are you the… friend? Of the black-haired woman with a bullet wound?” a calm female voice brought her back from her thoughts.
“Yes! Kind of.”
“Well, good news, she’s gonna be alright.”
Val let out a sigh of relief as she felt a burden she didn’t realize she had leave her chest. “Good!” She felt her whole body relax once more.