Wolf still followed the German tradition of lunch being the main meal of the day, so there was plenty for Illya and Napoleon to eat. Schnitzel and spaetzle, green beans, German breads and Black Forest cake for dessert. Knowing his brother – in – law's appetite, there was no shortage of food.

Afterwards, they hiked around the property to work off what they had eaten. When they got to the water's edge Wolf said, "I was thinking that we could fish while you're here. I have fishing poles for each of us."

"That sounds good," Napoleon opined. "Sounds like just what the doctor ordered: Relaxation, peace and quiet. This property is absolutely stunning."

"I agree," Illya said. "Is that the plan for tomorrow?"

"Not quite," Wolf said. "I told my friend that I was going to have company for a few days and he is very excited to meet you, so I figured we could drive down in the Winnebago and have lunch at his place. He doesn't open until 12:30, so if we're there no later than 11:30, we can have an uninterrupted visit and even after he opens, it doesn't get really busy until two. We can be back home by five. That's the only excursion I've planned."

Later that evening, the three men sat in the living room with drinks in hand. Instead of dinner, Wolf had set out platters of cheeses and German cold cuts, rolls, crackers, pickles and mustard.

Napoleon snagged some liverwurst and crackers and popped some into his mouth. After he washed it down with a swig of his beer he said, "Wolf, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Napoleon looked past Wolf at the glass wall that the front door was a part of and said, "With the lamps on in here, don't you feel a little exposed sitting here with your back to the door?"

Illya interjected, "Yes, Wolf, I was thinking the same thing. I do not feel comfortable with my back to the windows, either. That is why Napoleon and I are sitting where we are so we can face outside, but with the lights on in here, one cannot really see."

"When Eunice and I first looked at this property, she fell in love with it immediately. I, on the other hand, had the same concerns you're expressing. Once a spy, always a spy, I guess. So when Eunice said she had her heart set on this place, I had to put my thinking cap on and figure out how to secure it." He stood and went to stand at the glass wall. "There are motion detectors at the tree line surrounding the house. There are also motion detectors that will pick up movement twenty – five feet away from the house in case the tree line detectors are disabled. The detectors set off floodlights so I can see who or what is coming." He walked to a bookcase opposite the stone wall and pushed a button behind it causing a hidden gun cabinet to spring open. "Every room in this house, including the bathrooms, has a weapons cache."

"Impressive," Napoleon remarked. "Did Eunice know?"

"She knew about some of it. Like I said, there were people who made her feel uncomfortable and unwelcome so the idea that people would be hard pressed to sneak up on us made her feel better. One night, a deer set off one of the tree line flood lights and that's when she became aware that I had guns hidden in our bedroom. I let her believe that was the only place I have weapons stored."

Illya went to the kitchen and returned with three beers. "Speaking of Eunice, how are you doing without her, Wolf?"

Napoleon cleared his throat and said, "Perhaps that is a subject he wants to discuss when I'm not around." He stood up to leave the room.

"Nonsense, Napoleon! If I didn't want you to be privy to this conversation, I would have asked Illya to come alone. Please stay." After Napoleon sat back down, he said, "Some days are better than others. Truth be told, Eunice was not the only person unhappy with my inability to share my life completely."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, Illya, that were times I wanted to talk about my days in THRUSH. You have Napoleon. Aren't there days when you look at each other and say, 'Remember when…?' I could never do that with her. Number one, as you both know, some of the things that have happened in The Game are so outlandish and bizarre that even if I told her, she wouldn't believe it. Number two, any tale I told her would only raise more questions whose answers would inspire even more questions."

"I see what you mean," Illya said. He looked at Napoleon and grinned. "Not too long ago, I gave a lecture to new agents about the importance of developing a bond with your assigned partner so that you can share your feelings in a safe space." *

"I cared for Eunice very much; I still do, but it wouldn't have been safe for me to share my time with THRUSH and it wouldn't have been safe for her to hear it."

Napoleon swallowed the last of his beer and said, "And unfortunately, your childhood was so traumatic I would think you wouldn't want to discuss that, either."

"Very true, Napoleon. The only person I shared my experiences during the war with is Illya and that was years ago. But if I wanted to talk about it with him again, he would listen and he would understand what I was saying. Eunice couldn't possibly understand what it was like to be an orphan on the streets of Germany with only your twin sister as your companion. That is why I value my growing friendship with Drew."

"Drew? This is your friend in Utah?"

"Correct, Illya. We have bonded over our love of hunting and fishing, the outdoors and enjoying the mountains. He is from back East somewhere; he moved here about a year ago. After Eunice left me, he let me talk his ear off about her at the hunting lodge one trip. I like talking to him. We talk about the present and the future, not the past. I get the feeling that he would prefer not to talk about the past, either. I guarantee you'll both like him."

Napoleon nodded. "We'll see. I'm going to fix one more round of drinks and then, I'm going to bed. I have a favor to ask, though."

"What is it?"

"I'd like you to show me where the weapons caches are in my bedroom and bath. Just in case."

Wolf laughed. "Of course. What kind of host would I be if I didn't show you and my brother – in – law where the weapons of destruction are? Oh, and we're leaving no later than 8:30 tomorrow morning."