The Spy Who Came in from Cold Part 1 is the sixteenth chapter of the Black Lagoon spinoff series Eda Initial Stage. It was originally released on July 19, 2023.
Plot[]
In the 1980s in the Soviet Union, a happy young Russian girl, Duša, tugs her father's arm. She asks him if he is going out on a business trip again and if it will be longer this time. When she reminds her father twice to bring back a souvenir for her, Duša's mother tells her not to be so selfish. Smiling, her father asks her what she wants, prompting his wife to try and discourage him from spoiling her. The young girl asks for a doll, so he asks if she wants a stuffed one. Excitedly saying that she does not want just any doll, Duša requests a Barbie doll in particular. Giving her one last hug, he promises to do so. Before her father exits the door, she says that she loves him, and he reciprocates and solemnly declares his leave.
In the present day in the 1990s, now grown up, Duša looks out the airplane window to her right. Next to her, her associate Bill asks her if she is awake since she slept well. When she asks how much further they are from their destination, the man is confused, informing her that they are in the "land of the free" that she has always wanted to travel to. At the Johnston Regional Airport in North Carolina, USA, Eda and two CIA agents wait for the woman's arrival, with the former questioning why someone needs to defect from Russia given that the Cold War is over. One man replies that the exile is from the Russian FSB, adding that they have brought a lot of information with them. Skeptical of the Russian woman's motives, Eda again emphasizes that the Soviet era is over, stating that she could come to the U.S. at anytime if she truly had access to such important information. Seeing Eda continue to wait, the two male agents gossip about her, wondering if she is Ravencroft's favorite that they have heard so much about. Though one man comments that she has been very active, the other man informs him that she has been a powder keg who gives off too much sparks, making them chuckle. Just then, they hear the Russian woman arriving.
Upon seeing the exile, one agent wolf-whistles while the other man says "ooh-la-la" at her. Eda elaborates that the woman is Yevdokiya Skachkova, born on October 5, 1973, in Moscow, Russian SFSR. Specifically, she is an ex-member of the Russian FSB. Similarly, her father, Vasili Skachkov, was a former Soviet Embassy security officer but defected to the U.S. in 1985, leaving behind his wife and child. Whereas her mother has stayed in Moscow, Yevdokiya seems to be following her father, even asking about his whereabouts frequently. One of Eda's associates asks her if Vasili is back in Russia, but she answers that he obtained American citizenship and a new name in exchange for various classified information. She finishes by concluding that Vasili "supposedly" lives in a Baltimore suburb under the name Maynard Sears. Confused by her use of "supposedly," one agent asks her how long it has been since his defection. Eda only replies that the general pattern for defectors is getting the information and securing their livelihood so that they can do whatever they want afterward.
Walking to the agents, one of Yevdokiya's guides tells Eda that it is her turn to work, clarifying that she needs to identify the FSB defector's identity. As both women leave, Bill jokingly asks Eda if she will accept $100 to give the woman to him, prompting her to politely tell him off. In a closed waiting room, Eda nonchalantly tells her that she needs to undress as part of verifying her identity, particularly her physical description. Once taking off her jacket and turtleneck dress, Yevdokiya smiles and asks if she needs to remove her underwear too, but Eda says that just the clothing was necessary. The Russian woman also wonders if the CIA checked on her father, but the American woman clarifies that she was only called in to aid in transporting her. Eda then orders her to raise her hands, and she examines Yevdokiya's body. When she checks out the back of Yevdokiya's pelvis, she becomes surprised, so she asks for her hand. Eda puts down Yevdokiya's arm, causing the latter to ask what is wrong. Brushing it off, Eda sternly denies any abnormality. Putting her clothes back on, Yevdokiya asks for her name, but Eda in turn rhetorically asks who knows. Being politely prodded, Eda states her name, making the Russian woman smile and respond that she will remember it.
Preparing to leave the airport, Yevdokiya waits in a car as Eda informs Bill that she has verified the defector's identity, asking him to sign a paper. Handing it to him, Eda expresses that she has a question, wondering if the defector was truly a desk worker for the FSB. When Bill confirms that she did paperwork at their headquarters, the suspicious Eda notes that the calluses on Yevdokiya's fingers, as well as her muscles' shape, indicate that she is a trained human being and not merely a documenter. Bill rhetorically asks if he should care, causing Eda to warn him to think it through. Sighing, he agrees to keep it in mind, heading to the car. As they sit in the backseat during the ride, Yevdokiya asks where they are going. The skinny agent answers that she is going to a facility for asylum seekers, elaborating that she will be subject to a full-scale interrogation. Disappointed at the thought, she reminds them that she has already been subject to several interrogations. Bill clarifies that the real work will begin soon, smirking and pointing at her head to state that he will ask her for all the information inside of her mind. Advising her not to worry, he rubs his hand on her thigh and assures her that she will be treated better depending on her attitude. Annoyed by his colleague's behavior, the skinny man warns him to stop it, reminding him that she is a defector.
Calmly retorting that he should not be so harsh, Bill says that he is only trying to persuade her to cooperate. Scolding him, the skinny agent yells that he is sick, but the unconcerned Yevdokiya crosses her legs and leans next to Bill, asking if he knows anything about her father. Hearing him declare that he will attain more info on that after she exchanges her info, she innocently asks if he can tell her a little bit about him, also grabbing his hand and voluntarily putting it on her thigh. Looking at him flirtingly, Yevdokiya claims that only a name or address will do, making Bill giddy. Irate, the skinny man again warns his colleague not to let himself be taken advantage of, ordering the woman to stop. Yevdokiya gives the skinny man a glare while Bill suggests that he stop staring at him so scoldingly. Letting his guard down, he tells the woman that her father's name is Maynard Sears. Adding that he lives on the outskirts of Baltimore, he asserts that she will need to divulge her info from now on. Kissing his cheek, Yevdokiya thanks him and promises to see him again. Infuriated at their behavior, the skinny man tells them not to get carried away, but to his surprise, she elbows him in the face.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Baltimore, two criminals wait in a car. The driver asks if Vasili is really nearby, and his bearded accomplice confirms that it took a while but finally tracked him down. Cursing him, the bearded man recalls that Vasili had already changed his name before joining them. The driver asks how he knows that he still has the money, to which the bearded criminal responds that Ives informed him that Vasili started a company that is currently in good shape. Claiming that he does not know if his money was used as a starting point, the bearded man concludes that Vasili should be able to pay off their debt if they can get him to scrap the money together. Looking through his rearview mirror, the driver points out that Vasili has returned. To their confusion, they see him being approached by two people, Eda and her associate. The driver is even more surprised that he begins to follow the two, but his accomplice recommends letting him go, reminding him that Vasili is not their objective. Subsequently, the two men leave, and soon, Vasili privately speaks with the two CIA agents in a remote area.
He asks them what the CIA wants from him, commenting that their deal ended a long time ago in addition to either party having no more business with the other. Upon hearing Eda mention Yevdokiya Skachkova, he recognizes the name in shock, learning that she defected to the U.S. and escaped during transit. Puzzled, he wonders why she would defect, and Eda relays to him that she has been looking for him since the beginning. Taken aback, he mutters his daughter's diminutive name, Duša. Taking note of Yevdokiya's nickname, Eda elaborates that she took the car during transport and fled, leaving behind the three men into an alley. She also states that the car was found only a further bit away, indicating that she stole another car and lastly noting that she was not willing to kill the men whom she subdued. The astounded Vasili truly wonders if Yevdokiya's purpose is to find him. Assessing the story, Eda asks him if his daughter was approximately 10 when he defected, smirkingly concluding that she probably wants to see him to get revenge for being left behind rather than for a family reunion. She informs him that she will need his help either way, at first calling him Maynard Sears but remembering his real name.
At the same time, at the Sears residence, Sears's wife hears the doorbell ring, making her think that he and their daughter Lottie have returned home early. Opening the door, she welcomes them and states that they have arrived early, but she sees that the person is Yevdokiya. Not knowing who she is, the mother asks her who she is. Yevdokiya calmly asks if the place is Maynard Sears's home, which the mother confirms and in turn asks how she can help. As Yevdokiya hesitates to introduce herself, Lottie arrives and calls for her mother, who greets her as she bikes to the house. The young girl remarks that her friend Janice was unable to play with her due to an emergency, so she returned home. Seeing Yevdokiya, she asks who the visitor is. Embarrassed, her mother tells her not to be rude, apologizing to Yevdokiya for her daughter's impoliteness. As she warns her daughter to avoid such behavior, the two criminals who spied on Vasili exit their car near Sears's house. Lottie asks if her father has returned home, which her mother confusingly denies.
The girl notes that there is a car nearby, puzzling the mother since she did not hear Maynard enter the house. Nonetheless, Lottie asks who the female visitor is, again dismaying the mother. When Yevdokiya tries to introduce herself, one of the two criminals points his gun at Lottie's head, telling the three shocked women not to move. Lottie screams for her mother as she is grabbed and restrained. When the mother tries walking forward in distress, one of the men shoots the ground near her feet as a warning shot. The bearded man warns the woman that if she calls the police, then Lottie's life will be ruined. As the mother begins to cry, the men order her to tell Vasili that his three "friends" said hello, speeding off into their car with the child as their hostage.