Spalko sat slumped in a rickety folding chair, hands cuffed tightly before her. The interrogation room was darker than usual, and cold enough that her breath was visible in the stale air. In a chair opposite, Smith sat, paying Spalko no attention. He was conversing quietly with the officer beside him, a balding man with sparse, crooked eyebrows.

It had been almost a week since her brutal interrogation, and Irina still felt drained. Her injuries had barely begun to heal; the medic had treated her for a dislocated shoulder and several broken ribs, among other minor complaints. She had spent the past few days lying on her pallet, allowed to recover in peace.

The officer's tone grew sharper, catching Spalko's attention. "…Do as you see fit, Paul. But if Jones isn't released, I have the ability to make life difficult for you." He stared balefully at Smith, who adjusted his glasses, obviously uncomfortable.

"I am responsible for this investigation. Threats will get you nowhere."

"Like I said, do as you see fit." The man gestured suddenly to Spalko. "Shall we proceed?"

Both men turned to her, and she adopted an expression of contempt. "Who is the newcomer?" she inquired bluntly.

Smith leaned forward in his chair. "Allow me to introduce you to General Robert Ross. He will be assisting in your interrogation. I am…bringing in reinforcements, so to speak."

Ross gave Smith an ambiguous look. "Yes, reinforcements." He put on an expression of pity, one Spalko did not trust. "I suspect that my colleague has been treating you badly. Well, no more of that."

She eyed his skeptically.

"If you will only help us in our investigation, you won't be harmed."

"Until the moment I lose my usefulness…" Her mouth tightened meaningfully. "I am not stupid, General."

He dropped his gaze thoughtfully, rubbing at a spot on the table. Quietly, he responded. "Then I can't be responsible for what might happen. Paul, do as you will."

Smith puckered his brow. "I always intended to, General. This is my facility."

Ross slapped his palms on the table and stood. Heading for the door, he paused beside Spalko.

"You are going to regret this," he whispered bitterly. When she didn't respond, he shuffled past her and departed.

"I have discovered something very interesting." Spalko sat down carefully, eying Indy from across the room. She tilted her chin, lips curling in satisfaction.

"Hmm?" Indy ran a hand through his hair, listening with genuine curiosity. He hadn't left the cell in days, for reasons that eluded him. Only the occasional visits of a medic had interrupted the tedium. He had spent the time tending to his cellmate, and ruminating about how to outmaneuver Smith. He still hadn't found a satisfactory solution, short of escaping the facility.

Spalko continued, "A new officer accompanied Smith today, a General Robert Ross-"

"Robert Ross?" Indy felt confusion, and tentative hope. Ross was a close friend from Indy's army days, one who would certainly vouch for him.

"Yes. Before the interrogation began, Smith and Ross seemed to be quarreling. I heard Ross mention your name – I believe he was arguing for your release." Her brow creased, and she clasped her hands thoughtfully. "He also threatened Smith."

Indy's eyes widened. This was certainly an interesting development. Ross' help could allow him to secure his freedom despite Smith. His friend wielded considerable power, and would probably be willing to bring it to bear for Indy's sake. Looking soberly at Spalko, he said:

"Excellent. Ross is a good friend, and I think he'll be willing to help me."

"He sounded quite angry with Smith."

"I'm not surprised."

There was a long pause, and Spalko looked away. When her eyes returned to his, they were completely empty. "He also gave Smith permission to continue with his methods of questioning."

Indy immediately dropped his gaze, wincing inwardly. Ross was a duty-driven man, one who believed in exploiting every tool in his possession. He was also warmhearted and loyal, two traits that stood in sharp contrast to his professional persona. Indy understood the need to fulfill obligations as well as anyone; he didn't usually begrudge Ross his unpleasant duty. But now, after watching Spalko endure torture, it sickened him.

Indy was unable to verbalize a decent response. He settled for a mumbled apology. Refusing to look at Spalko, he crossed his arms and stared blankly at the concrete floor.

She answered him emotionlessly. "It has nothing to do with you, Dr. Jones."

Indy was more impressed than he cared to admit by her composure. Setting his jaw, he looked up to find her watching him. Her pale eyes were full of shadows. Changing the subject, he spoke to her. "Thanks for telling me about Ross."

"I am merely fulfilling the terms of our agreement." She nodded brusquely. "After the past few days…"

"We can consider ourselves even."

Her posture relaxed a little, although her expression remained cold. They both started as the light above them flickered, then switched off. Spalko gave a short, harsh-sounding laugh.

"I suppose that's good night, Dr. Jones."

"Yeah." He heard the rustle of plastic as she lay down; stretching out on his own pallet, he tucked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Unsurprisingly, sleep eluded him. Staring into the cold darkness, he let his thoughts wander, contemplating what Spalko had told him. Indy felt a new tension between them, possibly because he now had a better chance of being freed. Indy did see the necessity of keeping her incarcerated; she was a Soviet spy, and could provide valuable intelligence. Still, seeing the conditions she was kept in…

When Indy finally slept, it was fitfully.

Irina was startled awake by a sudden clanging outside the cell. Stiffening, she listened intently, blinking hard. She pressed her hand roughly to her mouth, willing herself not to panic. When nothing happened, she exhaled slowly, with an involuntary shudder.

For the past week, she had been in a state of constant nervousness, no doubt experiencing the psychological effects of torture. While researching paranormal psychology in East Asia, she had studied various methods of meditation, many of which were proving useful to her in maintaining composure. Now, she simply closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Slowly, she felt her heart rate slow, and her body relaxed a little.

Thus quieted, she still couldn't return to sleep. Lying on her side, she inspected the thin ribbon of light that spilled from under the door. Across the room, Jones snored raspingly. This reminder of his presence called to mind their earlier conversation. She was unreasonably pleased by the fact that he had been repaid for his assistance.

She still felt compelled to analyze his reaction to Ross' orders. His obvious dismay had been unexpected, and she was unsure of its source. She was certain he wasn't patronizing her. Furthermore, he surely knew that his comrade engaged in dubious practices. He could have been demonstrating an aversion to torture on ethical grounds, of course. The one explanation she refused to consider was that of simple compassion.

Irina made no distinction between compassion and condescension. If there was a true difference, it lay beyond her understanding. To her, both represented a means of achieving dominance, something she strongly resented. Spalko was willing to suffer, but always with dignity intact. Thus, she refused to accept a sentiment that deprived her of something so essential.

As the night dragged on, she continued to guess at Jones' intentions. He was a peculiar individual, more enigmatic than she had originally believed. Irina suspected that she had no real grasp of his character, beyond a few obvious traits. It struck her, how much time she spent analyzing her cellmate. She snorted at the absurdity of it, and shook her head at herself. Suddenly drowsy, she cleared her mind and shut her eyes.

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading, following, favorite-ing, and/ or reviewing my story! Fun fact: I wrote some of this chapter in a bar, during a football game that I didn't really want to watch. It made a pretty good place to write, actually. Anyway, feel free to leave me a review; I appreciate any sort of feedback.