–November 1963–
SOLDAT STANDS IN THE CROWD. She's wearing a long dress and coat, a small hat perched perfectly on her head. Her hair had been done up, curled neatly and tied in a bun in the back by one of the agents back at the base, it gelled until not a hair laid out of place. Her dress had been neatly pressed, and her make up had been done with scrutiny, making her look like an upper class lady. Her face showed that she was ever so slightly uncomfortable with the situation, and clothing, she had found herself in.
Her eyes glance up, watching Asset set up in a nearby tower, his body blending into the white building with the gear he was wearing. His head quickly goes back down and Soldat smiles, heading off from the area to get ready to put their mission back into order. She walks down the streets, weaving in and out of the crowd before bumping into a man who had been heading towards the bank. He drops the paper package in his arms and Soldat quickly scoops it up and hands it back to him, slipping a weapon inside it without him noticing.
"Heavy." She remarks in a soft voice, a fake smile on her face. "What's in it?" She asks, placing the package back in his arms and placing a string of hair out of her face.
The man smiles. "Oh, just some curtains." He answers, giving a small smile to the woman. "What's a pretty lady like you doing here?"
"Oh, just watching the parade. Hoping to catch a glance at a handsome fella." Soldat replies, flirting with him. "I'm Susanna Underwood and who might you be?"
"Harvey Oswald." He replies and the girl's eyes light up. He takes her hand gently and kisses her hand. "Nice to meet you Susanna, can I call you Suzzie."
Suzzie blushes. "Of course." She tells him. She brushes non-existent dust off of her skirt, her eyes tracing his body. "Would you be so kind as to give a lady a guide?" She asks.
"And where would this guide be?" He asks, his mind already made up, slipping his arm into the crook of her elbow.
"Just to the depository. It's such a lovely point to overlook the parade, don't you think?" She chuckles softly and they both head over the tower, heading to the door. "I'll be back in a bit, just need to touch up my make up." Soldat quickly rushes inside and up the stairs, taking off her long coat and hat once she's fairly high up, leaving her in her white gear, her body slowly blending into the walls of the vantage point.
They watched as the motorcade made a sharp 135-degree left turn onto Elm Street, a downward-sloping and thin road snaking outside of the tower they were perched on. The giant Hertz Rent-a-Car clock on top of the Depository building changed from 12:29 to 12:30 as the limousine turned into Elm Street. At this, Soldat nods to Asset, who grips his hand tighter on his rifle. She looks at Oswald making his way over to the tower and just as she was about to tap Asset on the shoulder to tell him to shoot, she heard heavy footsteps behind him and her mind became momentarily distracted.
Soldat turns around and starts to fight the man that had come up the stairs. The man had taken off a purple coat he had been wearing, showing a red suit underneath the coat, putting on a matching helmet. Soldat looked confused at the interesting and out of place outfit, which allowed the man to strike her in the face. She stumbled back slightly, shaking her head before trying to attack him. When her left hand doesn't make contact, hitting an invisible barrier she hits him in the temple with her other hand, continuing to fight him to make sure he can't touch the Asset.
"Я готов стрелять (Russian: Am I clear to shoot)?" The Asset asks quickly, but nobody replies. He doesn't turn his head, his eyes following the movements being made by the motorcade, keeping his focusing centred. "Я готов стрелять (Russian: Am I clear to shoot)?" He repeats, sounding more hastily. Again, he is met with silence. He huffs, his hand itching at the trigger of the rifle, he glances down at the crowds and then back at the president.
Asset fired the first shot after the president had started waving with his right hand, having made the quick second decision without the Soldat's signal, ignoring the sounds of the fighting going on behind him. When Kennedy doesn't falter, he fires two more. He watched as the bullet struck Kennedy in the back of his neck and went through his throat, the other one going through his head. They watched as Conelly, the main guard for Kennedy, ran towards the man, aiming to help, not liking the possibility of Kennedy being saved, Asset quickly shot the agent, causing him to drop, failing to make it to the president.
Soldat grips the radio in her hand, listening as a male voice, Roy Kellerman, radioing to Police Chief Jesse Curry that the President had been shot. Curry then communicated an order for Parkland Hospital to be stand by. "Цельтесь вниз (Russian: Target down)." She says to Asset, her voice sounding more human than it should, she doesn't notice but the Asset does and his hand grips that ever so much tighter, the movement going into the back of his mind to tell their handler once they arrive back at the base.
The limo driver and police motorcycles turned on their sirens and raced at an estimated 80 miles per hour to Parkland Hospital, along Stemmons Freeway and Harry Hines Boulevard, approximately four miles away. Asset heads off and Soldat comes down to the front of the tower, watching as Oswald left the building through its front door having not seen Soldat return again. She smiled, putting her hat and jacket back on, heading to the hospital.
She quickly arrives at the hospital, looking at President Kennedy's limousine parked outside. She puts her hands into her pockets and sits on a nearby bench, keeping an eye out at everything that is happening. She waits outside the hospital, standing near the news reporters with a feigned look of worry written on her face. President Kennedy is quickly pronounced dead and Soldat smiles. "Цель подтверждена мертвой. Я возьму открытый галстук (Russian: The target is confirmed dead. I'll get the open tie)." She whispers over the radio.
Soldat rushed up to Oswald as he left the depository and walked seven blocks before boarding a bus. Soldat snuck in after him and sat down beside him. "I got lost in all the trouble." She tells him and Osward smiles slightly, but looking on edge, his eyes darting around. Her fingers brushed against his hands, leaving invisible specks of dark dust on his hands. As she went to talk again, the bus jerked forward, halting in the middle of the bustling traffic. Osward huffs and turns to look at Soldat.
"I'm leaving." He tells her. "If you want that guide you better follow." He grips the handle and hauls himself up, heading off the bus with Soldat in tow. They both rushed towards the bus station and get into a taxi. Osward looks back at her, watching her movements. "You look nervous." He notices. "I ain't gonna kill you." He tries to reassure her, but it just makes her feel more scared about it all and the moment the taxi stops, she rushes off.
After a bit of time, Soldat waits for him outside of his house, waiting for him. He quickly exits mere minutes afterwards and the head down the street, arm in arm. She makes soft chat with him, trying to distract his mind, her eyes watching as his arm brushes against his hip holster. She only noticed it because of such a close angle, but she was sure if anyone else looked they would not have even noticed that it was there to begin with.
As they headed down the street, a police officer started walking towards him, his eyes drifting to Soldat and darkening. She stopped walking and took steps back, watching as Oswald shot and killed the police officer. The people around the area noticed the movement and Soldat's reaction, or lack of, and started running in fear, making their way as far as possible from the two of them. Soldat looks up at him, her eyes wide before she drags him into the nearby theatre in a split second decision.
She looks at him, taking her coat off and loading her gun. "Mr Oswald." She says slowly, her fake American accent going back into her proper African one. "Thank you for the fall, but now no one will know you at all." She raises the gun towards his head.
"Your Wakadanian." He notices, walking slightly closer to her. "You don't kill so what do you actually want with me? What was the point with that whole facade you made?"
She looks confused, halting her movements slightly, her arm shakes slightly, her fingers itching the trigger. Her hand tightens and her head whips to the side, looking near the door before holstering it, it once again hidden from sight. She bends down and picks up her jacket, putting it back on. She takes her radio out and speaks into it. "Освальд и принять падение (Oswald can take the fall)." She says into the radio, and static is all she hears back.
She huffs going to speak again, but instead she quickly puts the radio away when police officers start to surround the building, storming inside, their guns raised. Oswald quickly puts his hands up and, faking confusion and fear, Soldat follows suit, shaking. The officers walk over to them, and quickly cuff Soldat's hands behind her back but Oswald fights, shouting that he's innocent, his eyes glancing over at Soldat in betrayal before he's eventually subdued in anger.
She doesn't react when they are taken to the police station. She doesn't react when she's processed and tested. Or when she is forced into a small room with a meagre light and interrogated and belittled because of her gender and skin. She doesn't react when she hears cries of anguish and anger from a few rooms over, the screams of betrayal slowly going silent. She doesn't react when she's released and doesn't move when hauled out of her seat and out the room. She knows to stay silent and she knows something is wrong with her.
She waits out in the hall, she doesn't know why, but her mind tells her too. Then, as Oswald walks out of the room and into the crowded hallway she subconsciously draws her gun, pointing it at Oswald and shooting him. It was the first time she had regretted killing someone and deep down she knew that she shouldn't be. She knew that this is what she was meant to be doing. In a fit of worry, she storms out of the building in a rush, quickly going into a nearby car where Soldat had been waiting. She looks forward and notices her handler also in the car and she looks worried.
"Отчет миссии (Russian: Mission Report)." Karpov orders, his hands gripping tightly as the car starts to go back towards their current base.
Soldat hesitates. "Who am I?" She asks, looking at him. "I'm not called Susanna Underwood, I know that, you never use your real name undercover."
"You are Soldat, you are subject 3, you are a weapon. A weapon does not deserve or need a name." He reminds her, his eyes becoming harsh when she talks in English. He knows she is not supposed to be in English, not to him. He nods to the Asset with a smile. "Thank you for informing me about this malfunction."
Soldat goes silent, and the car continues on for a few minutes before stopping. Karpov grips her arm tightly and takes her into a dark room. She does not see the chair like she expected, instead she sees a tall metal chamber, a clamp on the door and a keypad on the side. She gulps and tries to fight. Sol- Yawa pushes him away, fighting tooth and nail to get away. Asset grabs her arm and shoves her in the chamber, locking it down so she can't get out. He looks at her emotionlessly. Karpov looks over at her in disapproval.
Yawa bangs at the small glass window in fear, pleading with him, but her cries go unnoticed as Karpov's hand goes towards the control panel and starts typing. Her eyes widen when gas starts to enter and her body starts to cool. In seconds, her eyes start to slip closed and she passes out. Her body goes still against the frame and Karpov glances over the Asset. "Отчет миссии (Russian: Mission report)." He asks.
"Цель устранена, свободный конец связан (Russian: Target eliminated, loose end tied)." Asset replies and Karpov nods slightly in affirmation.