Part Three:
"That went well," comments Khasinau. He speaks in Russian.
Irina takes a sip from her glass and looks thoughtful.
"I still believe retrieving him yourself was too much of a risk, Irina."
"We've been through this." She sounds slightly exasperated. "I took all the necessary precautions. I just felt compelled to see him for myself."
"Your compulsion could have cost us the entire organization." She doesn't answer, so he goes on. "I notice your story contained two discrepancies."
"Those are." Irina has gotten up, and is walking around the room.
"First, Reilly did not die in a 'car accident.'"
She is examining a small bust of Aphrodite. "I hardly think that telling him his father was tortured and killed because of his work would be a good recruitment strategy."
"The other is that in truth, his father was more interested in learning the secrets of the world than staying with his own family."
Her head cocks to one side. "We all have secrets," she says tersely.
He seems almost pleased to have touched a nerve. It is not a common occurrence.
Irina tears her gaze away from the sculpture and looks directly at him. "I'll expect reports on him each week. I want to see his progress, know how he's doing. He'll be fully trained in basics in a year and a half, at best. But he's capable of more. You heard his plan. There'll be an additional six months for more foreign techniques. He could be working directly under you in a matter of weeks."
"You place a great deal of trust in him, Irina."
"Yes." She trails off thoughtfully. "I'll wait to hear from you."
"That went well," comments Khasinau. He speaks in Russian.
Irina takes a sip from her glass and looks thoughtful.
"I still believe retrieving him yourself was too much of a risk, Irina."
"We've been through this." She sounds slightly exasperated. "I took all the necessary precautions. I just felt compelled to see him for myself."
"Your compulsion could have cost us the entire organization." She doesn't answer, so he goes on. "I notice your story contained two discrepancies."
"Those are." Irina has gotten up, and is walking around the room.
"First, Reilly did not die in a 'car accident.'"
She is examining a small bust of Aphrodite. "I hardly think that telling him his father was tortured and killed because of his work would be a good recruitment strategy."
"The other is that in truth, his father was more interested in learning the secrets of the world than staying with his own family."
Her head cocks to one side. "We all have secrets," she says tersely.
He seems almost pleased to have touched a nerve. It is not a common occurrence.
Irina tears her gaze away from the sculpture and looks directly at him. "I'll expect reports on him each week. I want to see his progress, know how he's doing. He'll be fully trained in basics in a year and a half, at best. But he's capable of more. You heard his plan. There'll be an additional six months for more foreign techniques. He could be working directly under you in a matter of weeks."
"You place a great deal of trust in him, Irina."
"Yes." She trails off thoughtfully. "I'll wait to hear from you."