They dressed reluctantly, conscious of the passage of time. Irina helped Jack reapply his makeup, which had become smudged. Irina, noting that they had not been disturbed the whole afternoon, smiled and said, "Your guards are well-trained."
Jack turned to her, once again the aging rafir, and responded in his hoarse voice, "Didn't you know? I have a reputation to maintain. Would you like to join my harem?"
"Harem?" she said, pretending to look dangerous. "How thorough is this cover?"
Jack's eyes twinkled.
Turning her mind to the issue at hand, Irina began, "Jack, why are you here?"
Jack hesitated, pondering his reply. "I wanted to give you the chance to escape, if you need it. We could leave directly from here." He looked at her, questioningly.
"Escape? You mean back to the US? CIA custody?" Irina clarified.
Jack nodded, watching her response.
"So I'd be safe from Sloane. But he would be safe from me," she summarized.
Jack nodded again. "You could see Sydney," he offered.
"But she wouldn't be safe," Irina countered.
"No," said Jack. He knew where the conversation would end. He had played over the options in his head a hundred times.
"Not interested."
Jack waited. Of course she hadn't been.
"The only real way to take Sloane out is from the inside," she mused. "Someone he trusts." She looked at him. "Is that why you joined SD-6, all those years ago?"
Jack nodded, yet again.
"That person would need help." Irina looked at Jack. "From someone she could trust."
"Yes."
"Not the CIA," she clarified.
"No?" Her response had not surprised him. He was hoping that, at last, she would tell him why. He was praying that it was not what he feared.
She considered her words carefully. "As much as I hate him, this is not just about Sloane, Jack."
He waited, concealing his anxiety.
"It's...about Rambaldi. Which makes it bigger than the CIA. Bigger than the KGB." She looked at him to see if he was following her. "Bigger than any organization. Bigger than any country. Get rid of Sloane, and all you've done is clear the path for someone else to use Rambaldi for their own purposes. Sloane, with Rambaldi's power, would be evil. The US, with Rambaldi's power, would be...evil. Absolute power corrupts...absolutely."
She paused. For so long she had carried the burden herself. Had she found someone else who would understand? Could he understand if he hadn't been held in the thrall of the obsession, hadn't been tempted himself?
"I can't just destroy Sloane, Jack. I'm in this to destroy Rambaldi. Destroy all traces of his work, his theories. Prevent anyone, any organization, from ever recreating his work again."
Jack closed his eyes, momentarily overcome. In all his planning, in all his strategies, a black cloud had hovered. Irina and Rambaldi. Had she been seduced, as Sloane had been? Was eliminating Sloane just a part of her plan to have Rambaldi for herself? It was a fear that he couldn't acknowledge, an outcome that would have driven a wedge between them forever. He berated himself for doubting her.
She took a deep breath. "Jack, if you're going to help me destroy Rambaldi, you'll be betraying your country. As I am betraying mine."
Jack opened his eyes and nodded, one last time. He understood.
Jack turned to her, once again the aging rafir, and responded in his hoarse voice, "Didn't you know? I have a reputation to maintain. Would you like to join my harem?"
"Harem?" she said, pretending to look dangerous. "How thorough is this cover?"
Jack's eyes twinkled.
Turning her mind to the issue at hand, Irina began, "Jack, why are you here?"
Jack hesitated, pondering his reply. "I wanted to give you the chance to escape, if you need it. We could leave directly from here." He looked at her, questioningly.
"Escape? You mean back to the US? CIA custody?" Irina clarified.
Jack nodded, watching her response.
"So I'd be safe from Sloane. But he would be safe from me," she summarized.
Jack nodded again. "You could see Sydney," he offered.
"But she wouldn't be safe," Irina countered.
"No," said Jack. He knew where the conversation would end. He had played over the options in his head a hundred times.
"Not interested."
Jack waited. Of course she hadn't been.
"The only real way to take Sloane out is from the inside," she mused. "Someone he trusts." She looked at him. "Is that why you joined SD-6, all those years ago?"
Jack nodded, yet again.
"That person would need help." Irina looked at Jack. "From someone she could trust."
"Yes."
"Not the CIA," she clarified.
"No?" Her response had not surprised him. He was hoping that, at last, she would tell him why. He was praying that it was not what he feared.
She considered her words carefully. "As much as I hate him, this is not just about Sloane, Jack."
He waited, concealing his anxiety.
"It's...about Rambaldi. Which makes it bigger than the CIA. Bigger than the KGB." She looked at him to see if he was following her. "Bigger than any organization. Bigger than any country. Get rid of Sloane, and all you've done is clear the path for someone else to use Rambaldi for their own purposes. Sloane, with Rambaldi's power, would be evil. The US, with Rambaldi's power, would be...evil. Absolute power corrupts...absolutely."
She paused. For so long she had carried the burden herself. Had she found someone else who would understand? Could he understand if he hadn't been held in the thrall of the obsession, hadn't been tempted himself?
"I can't just destroy Sloane, Jack. I'm in this to destroy Rambaldi. Destroy all traces of his work, his theories. Prevent anyone, any organization, from ever recreating his work again."
Jack closed his eyes, momentarily overcome. In all his planning, in all his strategies, a black cloud had hovered. Irina and Rambaldi. Had she been seduced, as Sloane had been? Was eliminating Sloane just a part of her plan to have Rambaldi for herself? It was a fear that he couldn't acknowledge, an outcome that would have driven a wedge between them forever. He berated himself for doubting her.
She took a deep breath. "Jack, if you're going to help me destroy Rambaldi, you'll be betraying your country. As I am betraying mine."
Jack opened his eyes and nodded, one last time. He understood.
