ACT V: Building A Routine
For the next two days Illya set a routine that put him between the perimeter walls twice a day with his walking distance growing longer each time. He was looking for the best area to breach the wall and pushed aside the admission that he needed to get away from Talia.
He couldn't help but smile at the thought of her. She hadn't changed a bit; she was still as efficient and thorough as he remembered. She had been a good partner in their underground days. And there was something strangely comforting about the fact that she knew him in a way his current partner did not. There were no secrets between them . . .
. . which is exactly why their parting had been so painful.
The scene in his mind that he'd managed to relegate to the deepest, darkest place of his memories came forward with surprising clarity. Illya set his jaw and refocused on the mission, the scene pushed back to the dark place again.
He ran the layout of the mansion through his head. Talia had filled in all the details of the rooms in the basement area, along with the security protocols that made it almost impossible for him to get down there. He included the 'almost' part because he hadn't yet tried. So far, there was no need. He trusted Talia's evaluation and had a clear picture in his mind. The explosives and magnets that would be delivered here under the guise as a gift for the library would easily take care of the computer labs, drives and keypunch cards; the mission was falling in place as intended which made the pessimistic Russian uneasy.
Things rarely went as planned.
All the pieces seemed to fall in place when the Talia told him about the plans on Thursday. Now all he had to find was a way out of the compound when the fireworks began. With that being his only task left, the week ahead seemed fraught with spare time.
Time he had to keep away from Talia and temptation.
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The dinner routine of the Danzig compound was the same as the first night of Illya's arrival. They all dressed and assembled at the massive table precisely at six.
Monica Danzig seemed to consider the gathering her chance to tease and bother Illya to distraction. The more he ignored her, the more aggressive her technique became. On the second seating, her stocking foot made its way up his leg and close to his sensitive regions. A well-placed cappuccino spill caused the wandering appendage to retreat. The glare that resulted didn't last long; the offending foot was soon tickling his ankles again.
She also began to make whispered sexual innuendos whenever they passed in the house. The agent was glad they rarely saw each other during the day. Monica was usually attending some luncheon or the nearby spa. The distance to any large city that had those amenities made her gone for a major part of the day. Marcus seemed oblivious to her maneuvers, and Illya wondered about their relationship, but never enough to ask Talia. He and Talia were busy with their own game of emotional tag.
As a result, he spent a lot of time outside walking every inch of the property. Sometimes Talia joined him and they talked on safe subjects, but he managed to see that she was determined to make her life with David work. He just wasn't clear if David was going in the same direction.
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Waiting was never one of Talia Inova's strong points. With all the things in place to remove the Odysseus Program from her and David's life, waiting for the Program itself to be complete was wearing her thin. Sleepless nights worrying and days filled with routines in the lab were making her edgy. She'd gone over the set up of the lab so many times with Illya that he rolled his eyes when she insisted on going over it again. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; it was just that it was a safe subject. She had found her attraction to him had not waned.
She walked the grounds with Illya when she needed a break during the day, and she found the walks very enjoyable. After several days she found herself making reasons to meet him and knew that it probably wasn't a good idea. But he was familiar to the point of being a tremendous comfort, and she needed comforting now. David was in constant high gear with his family, and she was feeling neglected. Intellectually, she knew this was a dangerous combination but couldn't resist time with her lifelong friend.
Each morning she awoke and counted down the days until this would be all behind her. She could finally feel safe with her future husband thanks to the white knight of her past.
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Illya's walks around the grounds were not unnoticed by Marcus Danzig. From his dressing room on the upper level he watched the blond man amble around, some of the time with Talia beside him. Their behavior together was nothing that would arouse suspicion; they were respectful to the guards and to each other, sometimes walking arm in arm. He could see them quietly talking and wondered what they talked about.
The man certainly looked sickly enough, and his investigative team in the Ukraine hadn't reported in yet. They were unable to track Talia because Marcus had sent them after her too late. Her trail was lost as soon as she crossed the border. Her arrival here in Essen with her ailing cousin was as scheduled, but something still bothered him, and he knew exactly what it was.
Timing.
The timing of a stranger arriving just as their plans were being finalized was just too coincidental, and Marcus Danzig did not believe in coincidence. He had conceded to his brother's request to respect the privacy of his fiancée and her cousin and not wire their rooms. After all, David was entitled to have a say in the happenings of the family, but he was also naïve. Marcus hoped his brother's request didn't result in their downfall. Highly unlikely, especially after meeting the meek little man, but still the feeling of unease wouldn't go away. He'd just have to wait for his contacts in the Ukraine to report in.
Even though Marcus Danzig stood at the window in his den and appeared to be thoughtfully gazing at the scenery, there was nothing calm about what was going on in his mind. The closer they got to achieve their goal of taking over Thrush, the more pressure he felt. It was what they'd been working towards for years.
His father depended on him to make this go right. Arthur was already making noises about taking a back seat in the family business after this affair, and Marcus was both willing and able to step in. He was well prepared to take over the Danzig Empire. The only thing missing was his own back up, and David was the only one he would trust in that position. If he could only get him focused on the job ahead.
Ever since that woman had entered his brother's life he had seen a difference in David's attitude. She brought out the weaknesses in him. And the fact that her history was a blank disturbed Marcus to no end. He simply did not trust anyone he did not know. The longer it took to get information from Talia's homeland, the greater his wariness grew.
He saw his brother at a crossroad, with his choices being either the family or Talia Inova. Marcus intended to force the choice as soon as he got the information he needed on her. And Marcus Danzig never lost. Marcus hoped that David would get on board before the introduction of the Odysseus Program to Thrush. They needed to present a unified front.
In the meantime, there were things he needed to do. He picked up the phone to go over the security protocols for the upcoming event one more time.
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The headache was from overworking and under-sleeping, and David Danzig had been plagued with it for days now. With a sigh, he leaned back in his office chair and put his feet on the desk. He knew Marcus wouldn't approve of such a relaxed posture in a place of business and the thought made him stretch back even more.
I can't wait until this is over and Talia and I can get away for a while, he thought. Maybe a tour of her homeland. He smiled. Marcus would have a fit. The Soviet Union was not a safe place for a Danzig. It was, however, an area that was wide open for business expansion, and he had been toying with the idea. With Talia as a guide, he could carve his own niche in the Danzig family business, and yet still have a life of his own. It would be the best of both worlds. All he had to do was get this Program finished and launched, and he would be free to go.
He glanced at his watch. If he got down there now, he could work until dinner, but Marcus had tasked him with this other detail. He dragged his feet to the floor and scooted back up to his desk, his mood swinging back to work mode. David Danzig was glad Marcus was around to handle the business; he wasn't sure he was cut out to do this on a day-to-day basis.
The file folder was fat, and he started with page one. His schooling in the Danzig affairs, with Marcus as his instructor, was almost complete. When they took over this Thrush operation, he would be free.
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The next two days were busy for Solo and Neiman. They successfully embedded themselves in the rocky outcropping and Illya was able to communicate with them on a regular basis, but the terrain hampered any other communications. Keeping an eye on the comings and goings was easier this close to the road, but also more hazardous. Solo noticed that Neiman was remarkably skilled at camouflage and let him head up that duty as well as monitor the telephone traffic of the numerous lines into the house.
"Napoleon, I think there's a small problem." Neiman had been monitoring the lines for nearly two days. He pressed the earphone tighter to his head and frowned.
"That's not exactly music to my ears. What's up?"
"I think I'm listening to a private line to Marcus Danzig. This is the first time I've heard it used." He listened while Solo waited impatiently. "Marcus has investigators looking into Miss Inova's background."
"Really?" Solo replied, not letting on that he was doing the same thing but in a different way. "What's he saying?"
"Apparently, his investigators haven't come up with anything on Androv Inova and he's not happy."
"What's he going to do?" Napoleon wished Illya could get into that office to bug it, but knew it would be picked up immediately. Marcus Danzig was fanatical about electronic sweeps inside the house. He was again thankful for the lousy phone service that made the clicks of the tap blend in with the static and crackling that was normal on the line.
"Well, they're supposed to keep digging."
"I'd better tell Illya to watch his back."