Collateral Damage

Prague, Czech Republic
After Natasha had a successful few missions within Russia, Dreykov sent her off to do more international work. Her first target off Russian soil was a national of the Czech Republic. The Czech’s and the Russians have a fraught complex relationship. Russian espionage surged in he Czech Republic, and widows were certainly part of it. The leading candidate in the Czech election was a big risk for Russia to take, Russia preferred having communist leaning leaders in this nation, or at least ones who were sympathetic to Russian causes.

Natasha found her way into the candidate’s office and she sat in his office chair, her legs up on his desk waiting for him. As the man opened the door to his office he stoped in shock as he saw the beautiful girl waiting for him in his private space.

“Who are you!” He yelled with a mix of anger and intrigue.

Natasha gave the man a sultry smile and he couldn’t help but let his guard down as he admired the beautiful young woman before him. She was practically a kid, a teenager really.

“I’m a gift.” She responded with a coy look.

“From who?” he asked skeptically.

“The Slovaks.” She grinned and he seemed satisfied with that as he had close ties to Slovakia.

“Because I am going to win?” He asked as he started to undo his tie.

“Mmhm.” Natasha nodded. “We’ve made sure of it.” Natasha laughed.

“I heard, Slovakia is too good to me. We can finally get rid of the over arching looming Russian state. This country deserves leaders not taking backdoor bribes to those pigs.” He scoffed as he dropped his tie on the ground and came closer to Natasha.

“We can’t have that.” Natasha shook her head with smile.

“What do you know about politics, girl?” He scoffed a bit at her as he moved in close to her leaning over his office chair.

“That it keeps me very very busy.” She grinned and he laughed, but his laughter turned into a guttural cry and gasping for breath as he felt a sharp object plunged into his gut. Natasha pulled it right out and stabbed him two more times. He tried to reach for things close to desk to fight her but the stab wounds were fatal and he started to fall to the ground. He couldn’t speak as blood started to come up to his throat and he coughed.

Natasha twirled her knife around, wiped it off on his curtains and then stuck it back under her skirt in a sheath.

“Who…” he barely made out as he lay on the ground dying.

“TheMotherland.” Natasha said with her Russian accent dripping and she smirked as she bolted out of the room. Natasha left the man’s office, sporting a stolen Widow’s Veil. When she got into her car, she drove off a bit and then called Dreykov to alert him of her success.

“Are you done?” He asked knowing a call was coming.

“Of course.”

“Get the other one, leave them without any options.” Dreykov scolded he was referring to other anti-Russian candidate in the race.

“He’s with his family.” Natasha pushed back as she already scouted her other target earlier.

“So.” Dreykov huffed.

“There would be witnesses…” Natasha tried to suggest.

“You know not to leave witnesses.” He laughed but Natasha was quiet.

“They are kids, little kids.” She emphasized.

“So they are worthless, who cares about them.”

Natasha was quiet again.

“You know they will care, you know it changes everything.” Natasha insisted and Dreykov furrowed his brows to himself as a Widow contradicted his orders.

“I have to wait for him to be away from his kids.” Natasha cautioned.

“The kids are collateral damage, Natasha. You want your family to live? Don’t go against me. They reap what they sow.” Dreykov growled.

“I’ll only have to wait a little longer…” Natasha tried again.

“You think I am going to repeat myself to you? Do we have a problem?”

“No.” Natasha answered but even Natasha knew that taking out the kids would draw far more attention to the Russian effort than just going after the adults. She was just going to have stalk and make sure the kids were not around to be witnesses.

“Quick and clean means quick and clean.” Dreykov growled into the phone. “If I find out it’s not a job clean, I’ll make sure your bones are what my dogs use to clean their teeth.” He scoffed with disgust. A widow with compassion or care for a target? How?

“You didn’t go soft on me already, girl, did you?”
“Soft? No, I am just proposing the best strategy.” Natasha clarified.

“What I want is the best strategy, my word is only strategy and don’t you ever forget it.” He yelled into the receiver at Natasha. She felt a chill up her spine as he put her in her place verbally. Angering was always dangerous. “Do you understand me!”

“Yes, sir.” Natasha responded quickly and he hung up the phone. Natasha sighed to herself as she leaned her head back against the seat of her car she was laying low in.

Natasha bit her lower lip then moved her lip to the side of her mouth as her teeth pressed against it. Were the kids just collateral damage? It was much easier for Natasha to just take the father out and leave, but she needed him to be on his own, not some family retreat. If she couldn’t find her target maybe it would give him time for her kids to go to bed or something.

Natasha paused, she couldn’t not do what Dreykov ordered, but she only had to take out the kids if they were there. Natasha sighed, assassins really can’ have a moral compass, though, can they? She thought to herself as she started to stake out the other politician.

Natasha scaled a building on the other side of where she determined he was staying. They were in the penthouse of a ten story building, she found a vacant conference room in the business building across from it. The penthouse had privacy glass, but Natasha, had a scope that could see right through it. She looked through her scope and observed the family sitting together in the living room of the unit. She cut a hole in the glass to stick her rifle through.

They were all sitting on the couch together. She had a clear shot to take the father out and she could run and escape leaving the wife and two kids just fine. She had to be fast and get out of here quick, she couldn’t reason or think about it. She aimed right at his head, but she paused as she saw his eight year old blonde daughter lean her head into his shoulder. She had her blonde her pulled back in French braid, she reminded Natasha of Yelena. Natasha retracted her gun as she observed the family.

She had to think quickly, how could she off the politician and leave the rest of them and not enrage Dreykov. She paused as she contemplated it. She just had to wait until there were no witnesses, then she could lie and say the family wasn’t there to take out. ‘Clean and quick,’ that’s what he wanted, that’s what she would give him, eventually.

Natasha waited hours, watching for the room to clear out, finally the family went to bed. The husband came back into the kitchen a little while later. Natasha scanned the room. She saw him put his hand on the fridge, he turned his head away from the window and then pulled a drink out. Then he walked over to the widow and looked out at the landscape. Natasha held her rifle through the glass and stared him down. She could have sworn he was looking right at her. But he stood there calmly, and took a sip of his drink. He was right in front of her, a perfect shot in an empty room.

“Well, didn’t pick the best spot for you night cap.” Natasha mumbled to herself as she pulled the trigger firing right for his head. The bullet shot through the glass and hit him. He fell backward his glass shattered as it fell out of his hand and he was lifeless on the ground. Natasha booked it from the office in the corresponding building. She had to move faster than she ever did before, because she knew the wife would come out and call the cops.

As Natasha raced for cover and to get out of the area, she heard sirens blasting all around her. She could already tell this was going to be a mess and she was going to have to come up with some explanation. She didn’t do what she was told. She had been so successful so far, Dreykov was just going to have to believe her that things just weren’t as smooth as they needed.

Natasha felt a cold unnerving chill rise from her stomach through her arms and then down to her toes as she drove out of the area. Maybe Dreykov would give her the benefit of the doubt… she headed back to one of Dreykov’s safe houses.

HOURS LATER

In the basement of the safe house, Natasha’s face was bloodied and her head was leaning forward as blood dripped from her nose onto the floor. One of her eyes was swollen shut. Her hands were tied behind her back and attached to a pole behind her. So much for the benefit of the doubt. A group of older, sophisticated widows were instructed to go hard on her for her disobedience. It was generally treated as an unforgivable sin, but Dreykov always knew Natasha was special, her talents were unparalleled and he wouldn’t dare waste her skills, but at eighteen she couldn’t feel so bold to go against him. Now, or ever. He had to teach her a lesson and it was going to sink in for her. So much for benefit of the doubt Natasha was hoping for.

The widows had finally left and Natasha was alone just thinking to herself, feeling all the pain they left her in. She didn’t regret it though. She couldn’t. She did the right thing and got the job completed.

Natasha had no idea what was going to happen to her. She never had a chance to explain what happened. She came back and was immediately detained. She knew Dreykov was mad though and upsetting him never ended well for anyone.

After what felt like a few hours Natasha saw the door start to open, she tried to widened her one eye she could see out of it. She could tell it was Dreykov coming in, sh could hear him in the way he walked. He always walked with purpose with a slow, confident, yet terrifying walk.

Natasha gave him a look like she was afraid and confused but then she shot her head down looking at the floor.

“Now, why did you give me that look? Surely, you know why you are here.” He laughed at her in a surprisingly caring tone considering what he ordered happen to her.

“No.” She barely made out.

“I suppose, I can do anything to my widows without a reason if I wanted…” he started and took a pause “but this has a purpose. A lesson for your disobedience, for your impulsiveness.” He stood in front of Natasha and blood from her face dripped on his shoes.

“You didn’t want to do what I told you to do. You defied me. Do you think there are widows who roam these halls who defy me?”

Natasha shook her head no.

“That’s right.”

“Now tell me why? Do you think you’re a savior or something?” Dreykov asked as he hit Natasha across the face.

She yelped but didn’t answer as she caught her breath.

“Answer me!”

She shook her head no.

“Verbally!”

“No.” She said in a breathy tired voice.

“You think your judgement is better than mine? You think you get to make decisions in place of mine?” He growled at her.

She shook her head no and he grabbed her jaw

“You are a killer, a machine, I created you and I will end you. So, tell me the truth, how did you leave that mess?” He growled in Natasha’s bloodied face.

“When I saw him, I shot him.” She claimed.

“The first time you saw him?”

“The first time I saw him— with a clean shot.”

“I HAD A BUG IN THE ROOM NATASHA. I know they were there, across from you, I know where you were because I have you tracked.”

She shook her head no between his grip on her jaw.

“I lost my scope for the privacy glass.” She lied. “It took me awhile to find it, so I could see. When I did I had to wait for the clean shot.” She tried again.

“You left the wife, the kids, they called the cops, you barely got out. They found the room you were in, they are looking for security footage. If you did what I said, this wouldn’t be a problem.”

Natasha knew that wasn’t true he was just angry, testing her.

“I did my best.” She mumbled pitifully.

“Your best? YOUR BEST? Not even close. You do what I THINK is best and then you come home. And I’m not sure you can even do that.” He finally let go of her face and scoffed at her.

“I killed him, I completed the task.”

“I said quick and clean. It was neither.”

“I did the best with what I could…” Natasha defended and Dreykov scoffed.

“You were such a promising widow, a star, you could have changed the world, but only half a year in and you’ve strayed from me, from your home, your blood. I don’t allow strays.”

“I needed the scope, that’s all.” She repeated.

“You think I’m heartless because I told you to take out the kids, too. You think you know better than me, but I was protecting you, now you will have people seeking revenge looking for their father’s killer forever, hunting you. Now, we can’t have that, and we won’t.” Dreykov shook his head.

Natasha was quiet, was he saying he was going to kill them anyway? Was he being vague on purpose? She looked at Dreykov but when he looked at her in the eyes her eyes darted down to the ground submissively.

“An assassin is nobody’s hero, Natasha. You have to accept the casualties that come with your work, I’ve trained you for this. There is no compassion, the only thing to ever consider is the task at hand, everything else is just collateral damage. That’s why they made the phrase, dear.” He snickered in a smug voice.

“I’ll believe you though, this time, just this one time. But I don’t like your attitude and I think you need some reconditioning before you go back in the world again. I can’t risk another silly -missing your scope- mistake, now can I?”

Natasha was only slightly relieved he wasn’t going to kill her. Being cycled through conditioning and training again would be nothing but misery, but she knew she could survive it, well… probably.

Chicago, Illinois - approx. 2000

Maria finally graduated from high school, the turmoil of the weeks leading up to it were high in stress and the whole thing seemed uneventful to her despite her achievements. Her father did not show up again, everything was painless, normal, anti-climactic even. Maria, Elizabeth, and Tom had no contact with one another for weeks after he had arrived with the NDA for Maria to sign in exchange of protecting her mother (from his own concocted lies) and funds for college. Elizabeth was ready to go on the hunt though, this wasn’t 18 years ago, things were different now. Men were much less protected and Elizabeth had a good, strong, established network now to help her. She wasn’t trapped and isolated like she was in Chicago.

Maria and Elizabeth had a talk about the whole thing. They would ignore the contract, and if they were contacted by reporters, investigators or anything they would not speak with them for any reason. If Tom pushed his lies, then Elizabeth would make a statement against him, but for now they were just going to go on with their lives.

One thing Elizabeth was upset about was that Maria had not applied to colleges like she had said she was going to. Maria explained she wanted a gap year, or to the join the military and see the world. Elizabeth was against this, and Maria understood why given the information she learned about her mother. Still, it did not deter Maria’s interest and Elizabeth was shocked and proud of Maria for her interest in serving her country.

In the summer after graduating, Maria worked at the bookstore and she planned to attend a rock climbing competition for her age group in Ohio. Elizabeth couldn’t go with her, but Maria was going with her fellow climber and her mother to the event. On the day they were leaving, Maria told her climbing buddy and her mother that she was sick and couldn’t attend they left without her. Maria instead, used her money to buy a ticket to Chicago. She just couldn’t leave this business with her father threatening them unfinished, despite her mother and aunt telling her to her face to never talk to her father again. She knew her mother and aunt were right, but still Maria just felt this urge to put this man in his place. She had no concept of danger or how stupid this plan was. She just felt compelled beyond what she could explain to go there.

Going back to Chicago made a pit grow in Maria’s stomach. As she got closer and closer to the city and she stepped out into the airport she realized she made a horrible mistake. She wanted to turn around and go back. What was she doing! Men like her father can kill women, she knew that, she read many books and stories about abusive fathers killing wives and children. She had no idea why she felt so confident, safe, and protected, but now she felt fear.

Maria went over to a pay phone she went to call her mother and admit what she had done but instead she remembered the card she had from her father’s lawyer. She sighed as she got a terrible idea. She called the lawyer and asked for her father’s address. The lawyer wouldn’t give it to her but told her to go the Chicago branch of his office and her father would meet her there to sign the NDA.

When Maria made it to the attorneys office she sat in a room alone with the attorney until her father arrived. Maria was in a hoodie and jeans and she had a jean backpack with plaid straps and patches. She had this same bag since the mid 90s and she used it all the time. It was just the right size to carry what she needed. Maria sat with her bag in her lap as she held her hand inside one of the pockets anxiously.

Tom was stunned by the call from his attorney and he rushed over to the office to get this matter finally settled. He was eager for it to be over so he could move now with his campaign planning.

“You came to Chicago?” Tom asked as he raced into the office his body barely in the room as he closed the door and looked shocked to see Maria there. Maria nodded. “You came alone?” He asked even more surprised.

“Yeah…”

“Ms. Walsh do you have an attorney of your own?”

“Hill.” Maria corrected. The attorney and Tom exchanged a quick glance and Tom gave the lawyer a look not press it.

“Ms. Hill, sorry.” The attorney apologized.

“I don’t have one.”

“Did you have an attorney look at this before you sign it?”

“Yes.”

“So you have one?” The lawyer asked confused.

“Her aunt is an attorney.” Tom jumped in and Maria looked at him surprised that he knew that but then not surprised.

“So you had your aunt look at it?” The attorney asked and Maria nodded. “What about your mom?” Maria again nodded. She seemed quiet, not strong, like the presence of her father had really subdued her confidence.

“Did they tell you that you should sign this?”

“No.”

“But you came here anyway to sign this?” The lawyer was clarifying, she was only 18 after all he did want to make sure she was doing this of her own free will, as far as he was concerned.

“Can I just talk to my dad for a minute?” Maria said abruptly and both men looked surprised and Tom nodded that it was okay for the attorney to leave the room. When he left Maria was quiet and then she turned and looked at her dad who was standing next to where she was sitting, she looked mad, not at demure and quiet like she was a moment ago.

“Why did you show up and turn my life upside down?” Maria asked him, tilting her head and squinting at him. Despite the fake feeling of normalcy in the world around her, internally, he opened up a great deal of long suppressed issues that she struggled with. He revealed private information about her mother to her, without her mom’s consent an basically threatened Maria with it to get her to go along with what he wanted.

“I am trying to keep your life the same, improve it, actually, I would say.” He shrugged. Maria pressed her lips together and looked annoyed.

“Did you ever say you were going to kill my mother?” She asked him, confronting him directly.

“Never.” He insisted with a foul amount of confidence and Maria stared at him like she knew that wasn’t true. “I never said that.” He doubled down.

“Did you threaten her that ‘she’d be sorry she ever crossed you and she would never see her daughter again?’” Maria still stared him down.

“Obviously not, Maria. If I wanted to find you and take you clearly I could have years ago and I didn’t.” He gestured to himself. “Your mother has problems, you can’t deny that. You’ve noticed it growing up, you know she’s paranoid, she’s smart, she’s gorgeous, she’s talented and charismatic even, but she has some issues, they aren’t her fault but they aren’t mine either.” He reasoned trying to sound like an innocent caring man.

Maria was quiet and she looked upset.

“Maria..” He tried to coddle for a moment but she jerked to the side so he didn’t touch her.

“Do you think it’s anything other than mind numbingly terrifying and exhausting wondering if you were going to find us? You make those comments like you could just show up any time and it’d mean nothing to us?” Maria asked bitterly.

“Well, I found you, was it really that scary?” He asked almost like it was a joke and Maria pressed her eyes close and glared at him.

“Yes.” She answered in a curt tone.

“Well, it couldn’t be too scary for you because here you are and you just asked to be alone with me.” He snickered a bit at her response and she sighed because she wondered if that was right.

“I’m a loser dead beat dad if I don’t show up and a stalker who wants to kill your mom if I do show up, do you see how trapped I am?” He framed himself as the victim again.

“You showed up right after I turned 18 so you don’t have to pay anything.” Maria scoffed brushing off his fake victimhood.

“I just told you I would pay for your college.”

“You made a conditional offer and not because you want to help your child but because you know you have to change the narrative to have any success in your campaign.” Maria looked mad again. She’s wasn’t dumb and her father did know that, he could tell she was quick to understand what was going on, not a person who was easily manipulated despite being female and young.

“Well that’s called damage control, a standard part of campaigning.”

“Damage control, yeah, is what your child wants to be called.” Maria rolled her eyes.

“Hey, your mother is the one who wanted to keep you.”

“Yeah, I heard she forced you to be a father, what a shame for you you can’t pay for her to get rid of me, and now you can’t pay to keep me around.” Maria laughed under her breath.

“That’s not what I meant! I meant that she’s the one who caused this mess when she took you away from your family.” He corrected sternly.

“I can’t pay for you and support you if I don’t know where you are. I am in an unfair position and you are smart enough to know that. Your head was filled with lies for a decade, your mother took you and she lied about me, she lied about your life, she demonized me and your grandparents, she’s not well. She’s paranoid, crazy, she thought I was going to keep you from her so she took you first. I let her be, and this is the least that you two could do for me in return. What do you get out of it, a reunited relationship with the other half of your family, college tuition, funds for your life, an inheritance, networking, a whole world that you have been deprived of because of her selfishness and illness. The doors that could have been opened for you if you stayed her the opportunities, the colleges you could have gotten into if you stayed.. there’s a lot to make up for.” He turned the conversation back on Maria.

Maria pressed her lips together bitterly she was clearly offended.

“I’m not going to college, I’m going to join the marines.” Maria declared harshly and her father let out a harsh yet shocked sigh.

“You are not going into the military, Jesus Christ. First of all, it’s not safe. Just ask your mother.” He rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air.

“There’s nothing wrong with going into military.” Maria said a bit offended and her father was shocked by this. Maria was way too smart and privileged to do something like that.

“You .. no.” he glared at her.

“What do you even care? I’m eighteen I can make my own decisions remember? Old enough to sign my privacy and history away… why does it look bad if the child you don’t support is out in army and you’re sitting your mansion?”

Yeah, Maria was right on the money, the optics of that looked fucking terrible for him.

“No.. because… it’s not safe.”

“In my experience you’re not safe.” Maria quipped back.

“It’s for poor people!” He yelled at her.

Maria made a face because that was a problem too, wasn’t it.

“Well, I am poor..”

“Well, that’s your mother’s fault isn’t it?”

Maria looked very angry.

“I’m not the one who whisked you out of your home, from your loving father and grandparents, leaving everything you owned behind in the middle of the night, am I?” He raised a brow at Maria. “It really is a shame what happened to you. I can tell you’re smart, a beautiful girl if you wore some make up and knew how to dress. Just imagine if you had been raised in the world you were supposed to be how well it could have ended up for you.”
Maria paused as she heard him say what he said. Did he hear it?

“I think I turned out just fine?”

“Really? Rude, confrontational, sarcastic? Wanting to join the marines for god’s sake, you think that’s how educated and sophisticated young women act?”

“You think that sexist nonsense is going to work for you campaigning?” Maria tilted her head suppressing her urge to scoff at him.

“It’s not sexism, Maria. You want to be part of a certain world, a certain class, you have to act like it, you have to look like you belong. Something your mother could never do. Now she’s going to take opportunities and everything away from you to if you let her.”

“I need you to sign the NDA now.” Tom practically ordered, he was done entertaining her with this talk. Maria was quiet. She was acting like she was thinking but she knew before she got here she would never sign this.

“I don’t think I am going to sign it.” She finally said after a long pause.

“Of course you are.”

“No.” Maria said in a stern voice.

“Maria. You came all the way here, of course you are going to sign it.”

“I mean what does it matter if I sign it. It’s not like you’re going to sue your own child.” Maria glared at him, he cared way too much about optics for something like that. This was just to scare Maria because she was young. “Even if you did, I don’t have any money anyway, so..” She shrugged.

He groaned.

“This document isn’t about protecting ME, it’s about protecting YOU.” He lied through his teeth, although it seemed like he genuinely believed what he was saying was true.

“How?” Maria made a face.

“It entitles you to things your grandparents could try to take away from you if I died, it protects you from curious press, it protects your mother’s privacy… very personal information about her.” he claimed with no way to back it up.

“But you’re the one who would release the information…” Maria pointed out and he was dismayed that she wasn’t lured by wealth or privilege like he would have thought a young girl deprived of luxury life that she had been born into would have been.

They were both quiet for a moment.

“Maria, you have to sign it.” He said in a moderately threateningly manner and she sighed as she realized she didn’t think this plan through very well. Maria heard the threat and she felt the prickle of goosebumps rise over her skin. She thought about it for a moment, nobody knew she was here, this was a really, really bad plan, but a bit of rage sparked in her as she heard that that threatening tone that scared her a bit.

“Why? What happens to me if I don’t?” She asked gently and looked at him right in the eye. He looked at her for a moment and his eyes darted to the ground, he hated looking at her. She looked so much like him in subtle yet recognizable ways but then she had the bright blue eyes that her mother had. Looking at her just made him uncomfortable, not because he detested her, but because he hated the situation that was forced between them. He denied all his own responsibility in creating it.

Tom should have waited a minute for his cooler head to prevail, but his temper and frustration took over. He was giving Maria an opportunity to change and improve her life, protect himself, and keep the press away from her mom, giving everyone something they wanted. If Maria wasn’t smart enough to see the generous offer he was providing, he would help her make the right choice.

“SIGN IT, NOW!” He yelled in clearly serious and angry voice at Maria. She was still and paralyzed for a moment as the mistakes she made in this plan came crashing down on her. She slowly shook her head no without responding as she realized she did remember that forceful, scary voice from her childhood.

Tom grabbed her arm forcefully to move it toward his desk her the NDA was.

“Ahh!” Maria yelled from the pain and haste of it as she was in total shock as he pulled her for a moment. But then, Maria snapped out of it. She pulled her arm back from him but his forceful grasp did not let go. She could feel his finger tips angrily pressing into her arm deep into her muscles. Hearing his voice so loud and angry, it unlocked a core memory from when she was very young. She had indeed heard that voice, with that tone before. Now she remembered why she had been so afraid of the idea of him finding them. Why just possibility of her name being in the paper and outing where she her mother lived gave her a panic attack weeks ago. Why her mother and aunt repeatedly reminded her that her father was dangerous and she shouldn’t be alone with him. Yet Maria, once again, defied them. She stared down at the hand that gripped her arm so aggressively and she was defenseless as he pulled her toward the desk to sign the contract.

Maria stared at his grip with a laser like focus. There was a noticeable silent pause from her as Tom watched her stare at his hand like she was calculating something. Maria looked up from the fingers that pressed into her and straight at her father. Her head moved up in a cold slow motion as she glared at him. This was not the reaction Tom was expecting, in fact, it gave him great pause as he quickly let go of his iron grasp on his daughter as she stared at him with such a calm angry demeanor. It was like Maria was challenging him silently to continue his ways in the public office. Tom realized while he was in his attorney’s office there were a lot of people out there and he wasn’t being as level headed as he need to be, and he could tell Maria knew that too. Tom didn’t want anything to escalate and he stepped back a small step to give her some space.

“I’m sorry I grabbed you. Now, just sign the NDA.” He rephrased in a much more considerate tone.

“Are you going to hurt me again if I don’t?” She asked in a shaky voice her eyes were glassy and he could tell he scared her.
“Jesus Christ Maria, I’m not going to hurt you…”

Maria looked at the obviously bruising hand print on her arm and he looked at it too.

“Again, I mean.” He added in acknowledging that he did that to her.

Maria just stood there quietly looking at the contract she was being forced to sign.

“But maybe don’t test my patience.” He added in as almost a joke as if the situation hadn’t been terrifying for her.

“And after you sign this, while you’re here go visit your grandparents who have been deprived of their grandchild for ten years.” He said in a warning voice and Maria just nodded in fear that she would but she still refused to sign anything she just stood there frozen. He took a pen from the lawyer’s desk and handed it to her impatiently.

Maria rolled the pen back and forth in her hand for a moment.

“You know what, you’re right, let’s get the lawyer back in here for a witness.” He said calmly as he went to open the door. As he stepped away from Maria he saw her lean over the desk and start to sign the document and go through the pages. He smiled to himself as he could tell his former tricks still worked.

Maria signed the pages and she put the contract back in the yellow envelope it came in as the lawyer came in.

“You signed it?” The lawyer asked.

“Yes.” Maria sighed.

“Great!” He said as he took the envelope and put it in his drawer.

Maria looked a little shell shocked.

“What are you going to do while you are visiting Chicago?” They lawyer asked her in a friendly manner and Maria was still a little shaken from what happened before.

“I, uhm..” She paused

“I’m taking her to go see her grandparents.” Tom answered for her.

“Oh, that’s great.” The lawyer smiled and the two men shook hands like everything was fine.

As Maria watched this very friendly transactional business exchange between these two men happen right after her father threatened and assaulted her she felt a different kind of fear she had yet to experience. She had always grown up so supported and protected after they left Chicago, and this was like the ground grumbling under her. Did she say something about what happened, what would he even do? It was her father’s lawyer, he was here to protect him, not her.

Maria’s father put his arm around her in a performance of a friendly relationship and Maria was stiff for a moment. Although it looked innocent, he used to control her movement out of the office and to the elevators. Unsure of what she would do, realizing how wholly and unquestionably unprepared for this she went along with him. She did come here to do something specific but she wondered if she was even going to get the chance.

Riding the elevator with her dad he took his hand off her and the two of them were silent for most of the ride.

“Do you remember Chicago?” He asked like nothing had even happened.

“A little.” Maria said quietly looking strait ahead at the gold mirrored wall of the elevator.

“Do you remember your grandparents?”

“Yes.” She answered more confidently.

“Your grandmother will be very excited to see you.”

Maria was quiet briefly.

“I’m happy to see her too.” Maria finally responded with slightly more confidence in her voice.

“Good!” He said pleased as the elevators opened to the main lobby of the office building, he put his arm back around her waist and compelled her body forward and she moved with him. He ushered her out the door and toward a black town car that was parked in a loading zone and Maria made a face, was she supposed to get in a car with him? Alone! He opened the back door of the car and held it open for her and she looked at him but then she looked in the car and she noticed a driver.

“After you.” He gestured for her to get into the car and Maria slid into the seat and he followed after her.

“You should change before you see your grandparents.” He observed Maria wearing a gray hoodie and jeans with black boots.

“I didn’t bring anything with me.” She admitted a bit quietly.

“Where are you supposed to be?” He asked curiously because he knew she wasn’t meant to be here that’s for sure.

“Columbus, Ohio, at a rock climbing competition.”

“And you just took a detour?” He squinted at her and she nodded.
“How, where’s your mother?”

“She couldn’t go, she had to work. I was going with my friend and her mom but I told them I was sick and then bought a ticket here.” Maria replied truthfully.

“And you were just going to come here why?”

“I don’t know, I just..” Maria paused not finishing her thought.

“What?” He demanded.

“I guess I just wanted some closure or something. I don’t like having things hanging or looming over me. I already did that for ten years. I want to move on with my life and be normal. It’s not fair for me or my mom to look over our shoulders all the time. If came here and signed it just wouldn’t be a problem anymore.”

“See? Benefits everyone.” He responded smugly and Maria titled her head and then nodded biting on her bottom lip.

“Yeah..” She responded quietly.

“I have to go my campaign team and have a meeting and update them, I’ll do that when you visit with your grandparents and then you can come meet the team and talk about what role you want in the campaign.”

“I don’t want any.”

“Well, you’re going to have some.”

Maria sighed loudly.

“Hey, that’s the trade that you made.” He rolled his eyes at her reluctance.

The car drove from downtown Chicago to Highland Park about 25 miles from the city. The neighborhood was full of beautiful homes that just got grander the further they drove into the suburb. It actually reminded Maria of Lake Oswego in some ways. She actually remembered some of these streets and parks as she drove by them. She had a strange feeling like she was emotionally car sick and home sick at the same time as the car drove closer and closer to the home of her grandparents.

Tom escorted Maria inside to his parents house, Maria remembered it surprisingly well. They had not done a single renovation on the outside of it at least. He noticed Maria was extremely quiet, but she was dealing with a lot of emotions here, he could tell the wheels in her brain were turning.

“You did the right thing.” He praised trying to keep her from seconding guessing herself. She just nodded in agreement.

As Tom entered the house, he called for his mother, who was in reading room by a gorgeous bay window drinking some tea.

“I saw your car pull up.” Marie responded to his voice but she didn’t get up to greet him. It was never good when he showed up in the middle of the day like this. He usually wanted more money for his campaign that hadn’t even started yet.

When Tom and Maria made it to the reading room where she was reading a book and having her tea by the window she barely looked up.

“Eva has hot water on the stove if you…” she started to explain that the housekeeper had made the tea water and then she stopped speaking as she looked up and saw a very young woman standing next to Tom. Marie did a double take, she’s recognize Maria anywhere, she couldn’t believe how grown up she was.

“Maria!?” Marie said in shock. She honestly didn’t think this day would ever come. Her only granddaughter.. her only grandchild that was named after her even, gone for ten years with nothing. Marie stood up quickly as she raced over. She cupped her hands over Maria’s face in a loving way and removed them quickly as she hugged her affectionately. Something Maria was quick to realize her father never did since they ‘reunited.’ Maria hugged Marie back compassionately, she actually needed it in that moment.

“Look at you!” Marie exclaimed as she let go of the embrace. Marie even wiped a tear from her eye. Something Maria also noticed that her father never did.

“Maria, what are you doing here? We could have worked out a formal visit you know.” Marie said.

“Maria has decided to welcome her family back into her life and help with the campaign.” Tom answered for her.

Maria just nodded without confirming verbally.

“Uh huh, and where is Elizabeth in all of this?” Marie asked skeptically.

“She’s not.. part of it.” Maria mumbled unsure of what to say.

“Come sit down and tell me everything about you.” Marie said eagerly as she pulled Maria to the table near the window. “Eva! Bring some tea!” She yelled toward the kitchen.

“Great, I’ll be back.” Tom said eager to leave. Maria turned her head noticing he was leaving quickly and Maria wondered if when he was gone if this was her chance to explain what just happened.

Instead, Maria was bombarded with questions about her life, what she liked, how she did in school, where she was going to college, how her mother was, if she had a boyfriend, asking how she grew up, if she missed her family.

Maria answered her grandmother very honestly about her life, how well she did in school and everything she could think of. Her grandfather soon joined them but he wasn’t as loving in the reunion as Marie. He insisted to know Maria’s plan for college and he was gravely dismayed when she expressed her interest in joining the military instead.

“There are military colleges, excellent ones in fact. Do you not have the grades for college? Surely, your father can help smooth that over.” He said to Maria.

“She was the valedictorian of her high school class and took college courses in high school.” Marie answered for Maria as a brag which made Maria smirk to herself as she had never heard someone brag about her accomplishments like that for her.

“What’s the problem then? Money? The top schools never give scholarships for intelligence, everyone is genius there, you know? You have the money to go, I don’t understand.” William said sternly. He talked the way Tom talked like he was always right no matter what.

“There isn’t a problem I just want to do something else.” Maria shrugged.

“The military is not safe for women.” William reminded.

“I uh.. I don’t know that anywhere is safe for women..” Maria responded rather bravely and William tilted his head at that response and thought about it and then nodded.

“Still, there is nothing wrong with attending one of our fine even rather elite military institutions.” William encouraged.

“I’ll think about it.” Maria said earnestly, because her grandfather was actually proposing a fair middle ground that would get a lot of people off her back.

Maria felt conflicted about reuniting with her grandparents. How complicit were they in what happened to her and her mother? She felt worse that she kind of liked reuniting with them because she did miss them in some ways too. But Maria was quick to notice the way her grandfather talked so assertively to her grandmother and to her, the same way her father talked to Maria. Clearly there was some kind legacy of male control here just like her mother told her.

After awhile of catching up with her grandparents, Tom returned with members of the campaign group and the attorney from the office. Maria made a face as she saw them. Maria did feel like as far as her father was concerned she was just a useful prop to help him cover up his past crimes and it was obvious he was delighted that she appeared to be going along with it.

Everyone gathered together in a living room area. Her grandparents’ house was so large. It had so many rooms and everything was so luxurious and clean, crown molding, china, large windows, it was much different from the small home she shared with her mom in Oregon, yet weirdly Maria strongly preferred where she lived now. This place was kind of overwhelming with its staleness. The place was very proper yet it felt very unloved, like it was a movie set for a show.

Maria sat next to her grandmother Marie. She was the only person here she felt somewhat safe near.

Tom introduced his daughter to the campaign talent scouts who were so relieved and surprised that she was here and willingly coming out to support her father as he had just claimed to them.

“So, Maria you want to help with your father’s campaign?” One advisor asked and Maria shook her head no.

“No.” She answered honestly and the advisor looked surprised.

“Oh…”

Tom squinted at Maria and looked displeased.

“And, what does your mother think about you coming out here to help your father?” The advisor asked as he could tell something was a bit fishy.

“Oh, she doesn’t think I should be here or doing that.” Maria answered honestly.

“She’s a free thinker, she’s eighteen.” Tom interjected.

“Okay, so when people find your mother and the ask her about what happened with your father what’s going to happen?” The advisor tilted his head.

“They won’t be doing that.” Maria responded confidently.

“Unfortunately, Maria, campaigns are pretty invasive and opposing candidates teams will do research into your family, so will the press. We live in a new world in the post Monica Lewinsky scandal. Everyone is looking for a big take down.”

“Yeah, I understand that… but…” Maria paused for moment as she reached into her jean backpack. “I don’t think there is going to be a campaign.” Maria responded although she was a afraid her voice was stern.

“Excuse me?” Tom said in a harsh voice.

“You said, you told me to my face that you never threatened to kill my mother, and you said that you never threatened that she would never see her daughter again. I asked you, do you remember that? In your lawyer’s office?” Maria glared directly at Tom.

“Because I never said those things and your mother a sick, she needs help, everyone knows that, I even gave you the medical evaluations.” Tom defended confidently and everyone in the room was silent. You could hear a pin drop as the tension built between Maria and Tom.

Maria reached into her backpack and she pulled out a tape player about the size of her hands put together.

“What the hell is that?” He asked in a huff.

Maria paused before she did anything, she really wondered if there was any upside to playing this in this room. Would Maria disappear? No one even knew she was here. As Maria quickly weighed the options in her mind she decided this was her chance to do something and confront this problem head on.

Maria pressed play on the tape player and it played a conversation that Elizabeth and Ellie had recorded 10 years ago when Liz finally left him. He called Ellie’s house assuming Liz was there and screamed at her, threatening to kill her or take Maria away forever if she didn’t come back now. The threats were loud, chilling, made with clear anger.

Everyone was looking at Maria holding the tape but Maria was looking at Grandmother who had covered her mouth with her hands in disappointment but maybe not shock that her son was talking this way to his former partner and mother of his child.

The tape finished and Maria put it back in her bag. Everyone was quiet and the faces of the campaign team were white from shock and appalled by what they heard. This was career ending in every capacity.

“Maria, I know that sounds.. it is horrible, but you have to understand that your mother just basically kidnapped you, of course your father would be mad at her.” Her grandfather defended his son and Maria squinted at him.

“Sometimes passions get inflamed.” He continued.

“And then what? Women die?” Maria asked bluntly with a disgusted tone.

“Obviously, this is something we are going to have to talk about.” The advisor said cautiously.

“Talk about? It’s over.” Another advisor said quickly.

“Over?!” Tom yelled. “Because of that? That’s nothing. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“You threatened to kill your wife on tape.” One of the advisors almost laughed from his absurdity.

“She’s not my wife!” Tom corrected loudly and everyone in the room looked uncomfortable that useless distinction.

“That is irrelevant.” An advisor remarked.

“Give me that tape.” Tom demanded holding his hand out toward Maria.

“We have many copies, people we know that you don’t have copies. If something happens to me, or my mother, or you put some national spotlight on us, it will come out and everyone in this room just heard it too.” Maria wasn’t sure if these people were on her side but there was no denying they heard the same hateful threats she just did that were clearly of her father’s and mother’s voices.

“Are you threatening me? Blackmailing me?” Tom asked in harsh hateful tone almost echoing the tones they heard in the recording.

“Yes.” Maria didn’t play she was being very up front.

“That’s a crime.” Tom warned her harshly and took no consideration for the people in the room with the tones he was using.

“Is this a crime?” Maria rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm with the bruising he left on her from earlier.

Marie gasped as she saw the bruise on Maria.

“You did not put your hands on your daughter.” Marie said astounded.

“I didn’t.” Tom clenched his teeth through a whine trying to defend himself. “She is just lying, just like her mother taught her. She came here with that. It’s from rock climbing or whatever.” He was starting to turn red as he was undercut by his daughter in front of all of these people.

“I came here with it?” Maria asked shocked at this lie. Maria reached into her bag and she pulled out a tiny cassette player.

“Oh, god.” Marie said as she saw Maria had yet ANOTHER recording device on her, this girl kept her evidence, that’s for sure.

Maria pressed play on the device.

“SIGN IT, NOW!”

“Ahh!”

“I’m sorry I grabbed you. Now, just sign the NDA.”

“Are you going to hurt me again if I don’t?”

“I’m not going to hurt you… again, I mean.”

Everyone heard the the conversation and that there was clearly a struggle and some pain and an admission by Tom.

“This just happened, hours ago.” Maria huffed.

“You recorded me?” Tom growled at Maria.

“Yeah, I learned that from my mother that you told everyone was a ‘crazy liar.’” Maria looked at Tom. Marie made an audible stunned gasp.

The campaign team was entirely silent, this eighteen year old girl just took down her own father in front of a whole room of witnesses, she should probably go be a prosecutor, she had 10/10 political instincts, but they didn’t dare say that out loud.

“If you give those tapes out you violate the contract you signed.” Tom said as if that was any defense.

“Well, here’s the other thing. I didn’t sign anything.” Maria admitted.

“I saw you.”

“Yeah, I mean, you saw me write on it…” Maria glared at him and Tom pressed his eyes close as he wondered if she hadn’t even signed the NDA this whole time. Was she just some little schemer tricking him?

The lawyer pulled the NDA out of the envelope and as he reviewed the first page that required a signature his expression was clear that it was not signed ‘Maria Hill’ or ‘Maria Walsh’ but instead in excellent cursive said ‘fuck you’ on each page on the signature line. He quickly put the contact back in the envelope.

“She didn’t sign it.” He confirmed. “Wouldn’t really matter if she did, since there is audio that it appears it would be under duress.” The lawyer added in covering his bases so he wasn’t in the room and wasn’t part of some massive criminal conspiracy her father was trying to cover up.

“What do you want, Maria!” He yelled at her with distaste.

“I want you to leave us alone and if you put a spotlight on our lives I will put one on yours. You would be gravely mistaken to think this is all we have on you.” Maria said in a tone that was quite scary and serious for her age. Maria was exaggerating here but she wanted to really sink in for the room.

“I was trying to protect you and your mother and you come here and do this? This is thanks I get? You should be grateful.”

“You were trying to use me for a political prop to cover up crimes and mistakes. Maybe you should be grateful I didn’t go the police. Maybe you should be grateful that we are trying to move on from this awful part of our lives and are not demanding accountability or money.” Maria shot back and Tom and the rest of the room realized this wasn’t some average eighteen year old kid.

“I think everyone needs to leave as we have a family matter to work out.” William said to the room. The advisors and even the attorney made a face at that request because maybe this wasn’t going to be a very safe situation for this child.

“Yeah, you’re right, we should leave so you guys can talk about it.” Maria said almost too smug and one of the political advisors coughed to cover up his shock laugh. One of the advisors motioned to Maria to come with them and she got up and moved toward them.

“Sit down.” Tom ordered Maria and she shook her head no.

“I told you what I wanted. I am not even asking for anything except for things to go back to the way they were when you were not part of my life and not stalking me and showing up unannounced and threatening me, and hurting me and threatening to ruin my mother’s life for your own political gain. It will not happen.” Maria said with a shockingly stern tone, in some ways she was kind of like her father.

“Fine, go! Leave like your mother did. I’m not sure why I’m surprised, running away is all you’ve ever known.” He baited Maria and the advisor shook his head no at her not to respond as he then pushed Maria gentle out of the room before the situation escalated even more. The other advisor followed as did the attorney.

“Do you think I bill for the whole hour for this?” The attorney asked one of the advisors and the two advisors just stared at him but Maria laughed a little as they walked out of the house.

Marie was upset, she was going to lose her granddaughter again, and there was so much she didn’t know, her son drove them away, kept the away and all this time he had lied so much about everything. Marie didn’t know what was true—part of her did sort of know as she experienced lots of controlling things herself but that was just the world she lived in. She was actually happy that Maria and Liz got out of it. She was devastated to lose the relationship though.

Maria got in the car with the stunned political advisors. They knew lots of secrets about powerful people and now they had even more.

“Uhm, are you okay?” Of them asked Maria.

"I don’t know.” Maria said honestly.

“Maybe you should call your mom.”

“She’s going to be so mad.”

“She doesn’t know!!?” The advisors asked.

“I took some liberties with the situation.” Maria admitted making a face.

“I mean, you saved us a massive political disaster so thanks, and I can’t say it wasn’t insane to watch but uh.. but did you really accomplish something or just put a target on your back?” The advisor asked Maria as he drove the two advisors and Maria far away from that potential crime scene.

“Yeah, uhh I don’t know.” Maria questioned because that was a good point.

“Because I mean, that’s like murder-suicide killer level scary..” The advisor warned not thinking what he was saying.

“What is wrong with you.” The other advisor asked.

“Uhmmm…” Maria paused, because yeah, what the fuck. Her great plan maybe was actually terrible even if it was cathartic to out her father’s abusive behavior.

“If he assaulted her maybe she should go file a police report.” The other advisor questioned.

“No, I have to go the airport, I have to go home.” Maria said in a moment of panic as she actually felt more afraid than she had been before. What was wrong with her? How could she do something so stupid? She should have left it alone like her mother told her.

“You should probably contact your mom and tell her what happened and she can meet you airport to pick you up.” The advisor explained as he realized he was in some ways still talking to a young kid. He had a 16 year old daughter himself and this whole situation was riveting and scary to him. This girl didn’t even know the powerful political forces she was taking on and she just did it any and made sure there witnesses.

Marie ended up meeting Maria at the political office where Maria sat with Marie and called her mother and she tearfully admitted what she had done and Liz was horrified, upset, appalled, afraid for her, but a tiny bit proud of Maria — but Liz would never admit this because her actions and decisions were so stupid and so dangerous. And when Maria got back to Oregon and she saw her mother, they embraced and cried and then when they got home Liz let Maria have it for sure and Maria knew she deserved it in every way. Maria realized she may have been quite selfish doing this even if she thought she needed it and thought she was protecting her mother. Had she even changed anything for them, was everything the same or had she just made it worse?