Chapter Forty-five: Meeting With Jack
Irina knocks on Jack's door before entering, though of course the gesture is merely a formality. She'll enter if she pleases. "Jack, darling, it's your grandmother."
There is a long pause before Jack answers. "Come in, Grandma."
Irina turns the key in the lock, then enters the room to find the boy lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "How are you doing, Jack?"
Jack doesn't even bother to turn to her as he deadpans, "Fine. For a hostage."
"You're not a hostage. You're an employee."
Jack sat up, glaring at his grandmother. Such fire in his eyes. He reminds her of a ballsy young Michael storming into her office and calling her a bitch. You wouldn't do that now, would you, Mike? She thought, smiling to herself. You have something to lose besides your pretty face and your precious Sydney.
"When I'm summoned here to rescue my kidnapped sister and forced to do as you say, I'm not an employee. I'm a hostage."
Irina sat next to him on the bed, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off. "I remember when your parents first came to me," she said softly. "So young. So in love."
Jack looked away, but she could tell she'd piqued his interest.
"I doubted their motives when they first came to me, Jack, but I knew that they'd do my bidding soon enough."
Jack gave her a look of pure hatred. "They were never doing your bidding. They took you down."
"Oh, please, Jack," Irina scoffed. "They only did that because your grandfather put them in an impossible position. Prison or a decade on a beach, what would you choose?"
Jack looked away, but not before Irina saw the doubt in his eyes.
"They never planned to leave," Irina continued. "If they had, do you think they would have allowed their own son to be trained to work for me?"
"They told me all about that," Jack murmured.
"Did they?" Irina challenged. "Did they tell you that you were being groomed to be the next leader of the Organization? First your parents, then you."
Jack still didn't look at her. It was as if he was afraid she'd try to take his soul, should he look in her eyes.
"They're going to work for me again, Jack, and they want you to do the same," Irina told him. "They sent me in here to convince you because they know you don't exactly trust them right now."
Jack bit his lower lip, shaking his head. "I don't know who to trust."
"Trust me, Jack."
It was only then that Jack looked at her, and when he did, Irina could see that he was caving. He wanted to trust someone, and he didn't want it to be his parents. He wanted to trust her.
"Your sister is destined for great things, but you're groomed for them," Irina told him. "You can be a great asset to me, Jack."
Jack shook his head. "I-- I don't know what to think."
Irina stood. "Well, think about it, Jack. You can either be an asset, or you can be a hostage, as you called yourself. It's your choice."
Irina left the room confident that he'd make the right one.