“It’s been a while.” Sergei touched his graying mustache.
“Tell me more captain,” Ivan caressed the controls gently. Under the surface all sounds were muffled and he found himself whispering.
“We came and went as we pleased, sometimes playing hide and seek, but we always made it back to mother”
“What happens now?”
“We will infiltrate and mingle, we are here to serve Mother Russia”
Not a muscle twitched when captain Sergei Ivanoff caressed the photo of Sonia. Finally he would meet her, his infant daughter, now a married woman he had left behind. Infiltration could come at unexpected costs.
Copyright The Reclining Gentleman
Our newspapers here are filled with pictures of open surfaces of water, and of course speculations why we have submarines coming and going. Of course we also speculate on why they had been coming and why they might be coming back. A little cloak and dagger spy story could be fitting this October when Stockholm vibrate with Cold War memories.
Friday Fictioneers is a vibrant blogging community under the stewardship of captain Rochelle Wissoff-Fields who celebrate her second year this week. The task is to write a story of 100 words to the same picture.
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October 22, 2014
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Dear Bjorn,
I knew right away where you (and they) were headed in this classic submarine story. Way to take today’s headlines and concoct a story from them. Lovely work. Brings back fond memories.
Aloha,
Doug
Thank you.. yes I’m looking over my shoulder for spetznaz walking the street…
Dear Björn,
A great interpretation of the reasons for the denied Russian subs. I find myself hoping Sergei’s reunion with his daughter will go well. Nicely done and well layered.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Oh,.. maybe as a Swede, I would long for Sergei to get caught.. maybe we can unite and say let them meet at visiting hours 🙂
Loving it ! Am following the media from here in England and it is all like from a film . . . v
It is .. very exciting .. and I almost imagine to see them coming…
I love how you bring a human, tender element into your story of soviets, submarines and spies.
Claire
Claire, I feel convinced that this has happened.. could be something to build a story from…
I’ve been watching this headline with interest. Good work, bringing it to the foreground again.
It’s quite exciting actually.. and speculation is fun.
Nice one, Björn. You probably described a real thing, I don’t know if that is amusing or scary. From my porch it sounds funny, but I doubt I would feel the same if I was followed by a submarine on my daily walks by the river.
Especially if its purpose was to map out preparations for a potential invasion… then I would be quite distressed actually.
Nice one!
Thank you 🙂
I think it is amazing how everyone can take something different from the photo.
interesting…reminds me of the cold war or a tom Clancy novel….and we have become such a mixed up world with everyone intermingling I imagine a spy could run into a family member that immigrated…
Or a spurious child left behind.. I guess spy’s had affairs too…
Bjorn, Good story and very timely. I’m quite far from the ocean here in the mountains of India. But I have a good imagination. Well written. 🙂 — Susan
Thank you Suzanne .. it feels extremely timely now.. and I think we have been visited before.
I love the intrigue, both personal and political.
Clever mix of fact and fiction (or maybe all fiction/media hysteria). I just wish the Russians would kiss (metaphorically) and make up with all of us.
Almost has me in the mood to watch The Hunt For Red October 🙂
I hope he finds his daughter and that she forgives him for infiltrating her mother all those yers ago!
Bjorn, past and present wonderfully interwoven . . . Kudos!
I thought of those news stories as soon as I read this. It must be a different story actually living there. I can’t imagine being a long-term spy, as in the story, especially leaving behind a family like that.
Whether good or bad, spies have and love families, too. Nice human touch, Björn. This sentence might read better with one less “now”, as they’re so close: “He would meet her now, his infant daughter, now a married woman he had left behind.” Maybe “He would finally meet her…?”
janet
Indeed.. that was the sentence I was struggling with… Thank you Janet.
There are indeed high costs of such activities, and I can’t for the life of me figure out who actually benefits. An engaging story.
Marg
I love a good spy story, Bjorn, and I enjoyed yours. Maybe he’s the father the girl in my story was waiting for!?
Cleverly written story, Bjorn. I’m intrigued about the reunion though!
Sounds like he was out there a long time. I also immediately thought of the current ongoing story with Sweden and the submarine hunt.
Bjorn, This brought back memories and held my attention. Infant daughter now about to marry? Wow! That’s been a lengthy deployment. Nice take on the prompt.
All my best,
MG
Could become a movie, has eveything in it: polical, spy, family, and a love for sure in same place.
A Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler plotline here! (I jest, I know it’s all your own, Bjorn!) Time can be such a relentless thief.
High costs for spies! That’s why I’m waiting until my kids are grown to be a double agent 😉
i like how it was concluded
Nice layering, Bjorn. I also enjoyed the tenderness of this spy drama. I hope he can reunite with his daughter. Way to pull it from the headlines. I have no idea what’s happening with that sub found Stolkholm. It seemed kind of surreal when I heard about it, but there must be a story there.
On the story alone – loved it, a characterful look at someone in a ‘difficult’ position, giving up their loves for their country. Lovely.
Reading the comments, I get the feeling I have missed something… There is some fact behind this story?
Dear Bjorn, I hope Sergei finds his daughter and I think you could make this into a book – really! EXCELLENT! Nan 🙂
It’s been an odd week for lots of weeks now – it seems. And now this submarine stuff…
Anyway…Ivanoff – so well trained in hiding his emotions. I wonder if he’ll make it back this time or stay to ‘mingle’ longer?
Ellespeth
It’s an intriguing thought that he hadn’t planned on leaving his family behind for so long. Great take on the photo.
I had to brush up on my news and then it became all clear. A cloak and daggers story with a great last line.
I have read the news reports with interest, you have turned them into a great story. Well done Bjorn,
A lovely topical tale. I wonder if Sonia will be pleased to see him. A great take on infiltration, although this latest visit won’t go unnoticed.
It may be political but I love that you show the human and tenderness …now there needs to be a part II 🙂
I love the human touch to this spy drama. Underneath it all, we have the same desires and dreams.
Hmm I can only suppose that “sometimes playing hide and seek” is a euphemism popularly used in Russian subs, given that he fathered a daughter whilst engaged in the activity 😉