Chapter 2
Sam was slowly pacing the control room of the Paladin, lost in his thoughts. Sitting in a corner, Grim and Charlie were watching him silently, knowing that something was bothering their commander. And Sam was really bothered, a very unpleasant and irritating sensation crawling up his back. He really didn't like the sound of that new mission with the CIA the president Caldwell had given him, but as he was bound to obey, he had no choice but doing it. And that didn't suit him at all.
He stopped abruptly and asked Charlie:
_ Could you find some intel on these leaks in the CIA?
_ Sam, Grim sighed wearily. I've already told you, we don't know anything yet. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
_ Well, I don't like it! he rumbled loudly, letting his annoyance show. The CIA loathes us, and the feeling is mutual aside for Briggs. Why would they need us so suddenly? We belong to the NSA, we're like fire and ice, we don't get along!
_ I agree with you, Grim said calmly, but we must wait till tomorrow to know more about all this.
_ At least we could search for the intel that has disappeared, Charlie suggested. We know some went missing, but we don't know what exactly. If it's Grandma's brownie recipe, no need to fuss. But if it's more sensitive data...
Sam shot him an appraising look, satisfied at his tech's thoughts. Charlie was much more mature and down-to-earth since his mishap with Fedorova, the Voron mole inside the CIA who had betrayed him and wrecked Kestrel's life. He nodded and said:
_ That would be great, but of course you must not be caught.
_ Too risky, Grim opposed him. If you raise a single alarm...
_ That won't happen, Charlie said calmly.
_ How can you be so sure?
_ Because I've had lessons from the best hacker in the world, the tech said simply. Alpha gave me her secrets to penetrate the CIA database, and she had never been caught.
_ That's true, Kestrel confirmed as he and Briggs entered the room, bags in hand.
Sam went in front of his two ops and shook hands with them. He immediately saw that Briggs was troubled by something and that Kestrel looked far better than the last time he had seen him, at his daughter's wedding. But the two of them shared a frowning expression, and Sam couldn't blame them. Grim and Charlie rose too and said hello, and Sam waited patiently for the small talk to die.
At last he said:
_ Briggs, Kestrel, go put your things in your cabins, then come back here. We must talk.
The ops left right away, and Sam told Charlie:
_ Do the search, but don't get caught.
Charlie nodded and sat in front of his computer. Sam held Grim's disapproving stare, knowing in his guts that he was right to be suspicious, and went next to her. He gently caressed her face and kissed her before murmuring in her ear:
_ I'm sorry but I must know. I have a very bad feeling about all this.
She didn't say anything but kissed him back softly before going to her own computer and doing some research. He sighed inwardly, a little disappointed at having to come back aboard the Paladin and leave the quiet routine with her in their house, but he felt good at the same time. Fourth Echelon was where he wanted to be, and where he hoped he would be until he decided to retire for good. But that wouldn't happen soon, he thought.
Kestrel was the first back in the control room, soon followed by Briggs. Sam said calmly:
_ Meeting, everyone.
The team gathered around the SMI, serious faces on. Sam glanced at each member of his team and started:
_ Right. You all roughly know why we are here. The CIA has a mole who's passing intel to foreign agencies. We don't know which agencies, we don't know what intel, we don't know when it happened. What we do know is that these losers can't find the mole and they need us to mop their shit.
_ Sam! Grim said reproachfully.
_ I'm only saying things as I see them, Sam rumbled, annoyed.
_ About all that, Briggs said calmly, I've had some info.
_ Tell us, Sam invited him, eyebrows furrowed.
_ The last leak has reached the SVR, and the CIA suspects Voron.
Briggs stopped there, but his expression was so clear Sam felt fury welling up in his chest. They were going to frame Kestrel, it was obvious. He tried to breathe deeply, but it was no good, and slammed his fist violently on the console.
_ Sons of a bitch! Assholes! I knew they were up to no good!
Around the table, only Charlie had flinched at his outburst. Briggs' concern was showing, Grim had a faraway look in her eyes Sam knew only too well, when she was calculating the consequences of an act, and Kestrel wore his usual poker face, looking unconcerned.
_ What's going on? Charlie asked in astonishment. Please explain yourself, Sam!
_ Charlie, Briggs said after shooting a brief glance at Sam who was angrily pacing the room again, trying to force down his fury. We suspect that the CIA will blame Kestrel, as he's a former Voron ops. That's probably why they want us in Langley tomorrow, to arrest him.
Charlie looked outraged, but Sam shouted, blinded by his anger:
_ No way I'm gonna let them arrest you, Kestrel! Assholes! They don't want to find the real mole, that's all! You're an easy target, but I won't let them! I won't!
_ Sam, Kestrel said softly, making Sam stop in his tracks and look at him.
His ops was very calm, so calm it appeased him a little. His expression was neutral, but a faint smile was playing on his lips, and Sam felt better. He wouldn't let his ops down, not after all he had endured.
_ Don't worry. They're probably going to arrest me, but it doesn't matter. I'm innocent. I don't know anyone in the CIA and I don't hack computers. They won't be able to prove anything. The only thing they could find is Igor's call last Sunday, but we only talked about ourselves.
_ What did he tell you exactly? Grim asked him. I'm sorry to ask, but...
_ I understand, Kestrel shrugged. He told me that he had met someone, and he hoped she was the one he had been waiting for. And I told him about my holidays. That's it, really.
_ Okay, Sam nodded. When you were abroad, where did you go?
_ France first, Kestrel recalled with a dreamy look. I visited Paris, Lyon and Brest. I wanted to see Alpha's town of birth. Then London, Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Madrid. After that I went with a tour group to Romania for a week, we visited a lot of beautiful places.
_ Okay, Grim said, having written all of it on a small notepad. Well, you didn't approach Russia, so it should be all right.
Kestrel had a joyless smile.
_ A lot of Voron ops work in embassies, and there are several in Europe. I myself spent six months as a diplomat in Russia's embassy in South Africa nine years ago. The CIA will think I've met someone during my trip, and it's true I could've done it easily. Only I didn't.
_ But I can't have you arrested, Kestrel! Sam said loudly again, anger boiling in him. I won't let them!
_ You will, Sam, Kestrel said very calmly. You will, and you know why.
Sam faced his ops and was again struck by his calm. Kestrel was perfectly well-balanced, his holidays had really worked wonders on his sanity. But Sam didn't want to let him fall in the CIA's clutches.
_ If I'm arrested, I need all of you here to clear my name, Kestrel explained seriously. If the CIA doesn't want to look somewhere else for a culprit, you must be the ones protecting their data and finding the leak. If some intel disappears again while I'm in their custody, it'll clear me, but maybe the damage will be irreversible. We can't let that happen.
_ But maybe they'll keep you for days before we can prove anything! Sam protested.
_ I won't tell them anything, Kestrel assured calmly. I'm no terrorist, they don't have the right to touch me. And whatever they do to make me talk will be cream cheese compared to what Voron did to me.
Sam, although reassured by his ops' confidence, wasn't thrilled about that plan. Unfortunately, they didn't have any choice. He went right in front of his ops and put a hand on his shoulder.
_ I don't want you to think we're letting you down. If you're arrested, we'll do all we can to set you free and clear you as soon as possible.
_ I know, Sam, Kestrel nodded calmly. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm quite used to being interrogated by now.
Sam half-smiled, then turned towards the rest of his team.
_ We'll have dinner now, but right after that I want everything on this intel passed to the SVR. The more we know about it by ourselves, the better. Sorry, Briggs, but I don't trust your old friends any second.
_ You're wise, Sam, Briggs said unexpectedly. I wouldn't trust them either, except for two people. But it's very few among all the CIA assholes.
Sam nodded grimly and led the team to the dining cabin, where they had a great but silent dinner. Grim had made a Yorkshire pudding with roasted potatoes, and Kestrel did so much justice to it that he emptied the huge dish, as usual. Then the apple pie was quickly eaten too, and Kestrel soon rose.
_ Thanks for this excellent dinner. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to have some fresh air before being cooped up in a cell.
_ Would you mind to have some company? Sam asked him softly.
_ Not at all.
Sam swiftly kissed Grim, then he got up and followed his ops to the tarmac of the airport. The Paladin had a special hangar of its own for the times between missions, which ensured some good privacy for Fourth Echelon. But Kestrel started to walk casually on the grass along the airport fence, hands in his pockets, breathing deeply. The sun was almost set, and a cool breeze was softly blowing.
_ Well, Sam?
Kestrel's voice jarred Sam out of his thoughts, and he shot a glance at his ops.
_ What do you want to tell me?
_ How do you know I have something to tell you?
_ You have your embarrassed expression on, and Grim didn't look surprised at you coming with me.
_ You truly know us well, Kestrel, Sam smiled.
_ Indeed. Now speak before the light fades completely, please. I don't want to come back to the plane too late.
_ Okay.
Sam stopped and faced his ops. He knew the questions he had for him were quite personal, but he had to ask them to him since it could affect his job as a Fourth Echelon ops.
_ Have you solved your drinking problem for good?
_ Yes, Kestrel answered serenely. It was hard, I admit, but I haven't touched alcohol since our stay in Boise last January.
_ That's fine, Sam said, smiling and rejoicing. And have you had any balance trouble again?
_ No. Everything's fine, thanks.
_ Good.
Sam fell silent, but he ached to ask another question. However, he knew Kestrel would maybe become angry or depressed, and it was something he didn't want at all. His ops stared at him, and finally said:
_ I don't bite, Sam, you know. And I've solved my raging temper issue, at least I think so. Ask away, then.
Sam laughed softly. It was as if Kestrel could read his mind.
_ I really don't know how you're doing it. Okay, I have a last question. But I don't know if I should ask it.
_ Go on.
_ Are you absolutely sure you're gonna withstand the pressure if the CIA detains you?
Sam was very reluctant at the idea of letting Kestrel in the hands of the CIA, not only for his ops' sanity and well-being, but also for the intel he had about Voron and Fourth Echelon. He trusted his ops blindly, but Kestrel was just out of a breakdown, and there was always a risk of him cracking. But Kestrel held his gaze and said calmly:
_ I am a hundred percent sure, Sam. They won't have anything from me, not even my name.
_ I don't want you detained, Kestrel, Sam said, anger rising again. You've already been detained and interrogated enough for a lifetime, and the bastards who did it haven't paid enough to my taste. You left that painful past behind you and became American with the hope that it wouldn't happen again. What will you think of your new country if it treats you as badly as Russia? It drives me crazy!
Sam was fuming, a blinding rage threatening to explode tightening his guts, but like before dinner Kestrel answered him calmly.
_ The CIA is not the USA, Sam. And as you and the team support me, I know it won't be like with Voron. I don't fancy being detained, but I will learn things from them. The questions they'll ask me will betray them.
Sam shot him an impressed look. His ops was truly brave, and smart.
_ You're right. Well, in this case, I trust you to bring us back important info when you'll come back.
_ We're not even certain I'll be arrested, Kestrel said with a smile.
_ Better think about the worst, Sam said grimly.
_ Absolutely.
Kestrel started walking again, and Sam followed him, his mind swirling with thoughts. He would defend his ops until the end, and try to avoid having him arrested. But against the CIA, he was a featherweight. They don't know Fourth Echelon's director Sam Fisher yet, he thought grimly. They wouldn't be disappointed.
Kestrel and he walked in silence for another ten minutes, then they came back to the Paladin. The team was working hard on finding info, but so far nothing. And Charlie was having trouble hacking the CIA.
_ Looks like they built up some huge defences against us, he told Sam gloomily. It'll take me time, even with Alpha's backdoor.
_ Don't worry, Sam said. We'll see tomorrow.
Grim looked at him in surprise, but he had a faint smile on his lips. They would obtain this intel, sooner or later, he knew it. But the team needed to rest while they still could, as he sensed the coming days would be tough. As he said all this, Grim nodded in approval, and Kestrel, Briggs and Charlie smiled. The mission could begin.