Chapter 29
After they finished eating, Irina and Sydney got to work on the Rambaldi manuscript again; Jack and Tatiana moved into the living room, where Jack got out the chessboard. "White or black?" he asked.
"Black," Tatiana said decisively, sitting down and setting up the black pieces. Jack was a bit surprised—he would have guessed her to be the type that wanted to go first—but sat down opposite her and set up his own pieces. When the board was ready, Jack made his move silently, not sure how to broach the subject of Sergei. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Tatiana asked, surprising Jack by giving him a perfect opening.
"Yes, there was," Jack said, studiously looking at the board rather than Tatiana. He considered his words for a moment. "You've mentioned 'Sergei' a couple of times, and your mother wanted me to see if you wanted to talk about him, since..."
"Since he lied to me and apparently was working for the Covenant?" Tatiana finished calmly. Jack looked up to see that she was now looking down at the board. She looked up and fixed him with a direct gaze. "I figured out years ago that he was probably working with Kresniev. It was all too perfect: the way we were able to meet, the way we always made plans to leave but never actually did anything about them." She shrugged and returned her attention to the board. "He was only a child, just like the rest of us. Despite the lying, I'd still call him a...friend."
Jack didn't miss the minute hesitation before "friend"; he wondered what it meant, but decided not to say anything. "He's dead now?" he asked instead.
Tatiana nodded. She was quiet for a moment. "One thing I wouldn't have forgiven him for was standing by while Kresniev killed Mikel and Nadia, but Sergei was the first to die, and his death is the only one I'm not sure of. It could have actually been an accident." She looked down at the board and moved her queen.
Jack hadn't been paying that much attention to the game; now that the conversation had stalled, he studied the board closely and was surprised to see that Tatiana had him cornered. Knowing it was futile, he took her queen.
As he expected, she moved her bishop into position. "Checkmate," she said.
"Nice game," he said, moving his pieces back to their starting positions. "Want a rematch?"
"Only if you promise to play like you mean it this time," Tatiana said with a slight grin, resetting her own pieces.
Jack gave her a small smile in return. "I'll pay attention to the board this time." He made his first move.
***
Irina and Sydney worked on the Rambaldi manuscript in silence for awhile, Irina glancing up at Sydney every now and then. She seemed to have regained her spirits after the earlier revelations, and Irina was glad. She still didn't like being back on such fragile ground with her daughter after they'd developed such a good relationship, but at least Sydney didn't seem to be mad at her anymore.
After about half an hour, Sydney spoke. "I shouldn't know how to do this," she said. "Did you teach me?"
Irina looked up from the passage she'd become engrossed in. "I did, but you caught on quickly." She'd been thinking that Sydney must have retained the skills she'd picked up during her lost time.
Sydney looked down at the manuscript for a moment, frowning. "Mom, I...I hate not knowing...I know I thought it was better, before, but...Mom, I killed someone. Just...slit his throat. I wish...if I knew I had a reason...can you at least tell me why I killed Andrian Lazarey?"
Well, that was something she probably should tell Sydney, Irina thought. "You didn't kill him," she said simply.
Sydney stared at her for a moment in shock. "I didn't?"
"The Covenant ordered you to assassinate him. Instead, you went to him the night before you were supposed to do the job, and the two of you worked out a plan to fake his death. He was the one that brought you to me."
"You know him? How did he know I was your daughter?"
"Yes, I've known Andrian for many years," Irina answered. She paused for a moment, then decided to continue. "He used to be with the KGB as well. After I was extracted when you were a child, he was able to get pictures of you from time to time."
Sydney frowned. "I'd wondered if you were watching me while I was growing up."
Irina smiled. "As much as I could, Sydney."
"So...you and Lazarey must have known each other pretty well," said Sydney, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Were you...lovers?"
Irina couldn't help letting out a short, sharp laugh. "God, no. Sydney, Andrian Lazarey is my half brother."
After they finished eating, Irina and Sydney got to work on the Rambaldi manuscript again; Jack and Tatiana moved into the living room, where Jack got out the chessboard. "White or black?" he asked.
"Black," Tatiana said decisively, sitting down and setting up the black pieces. Jack was a bit surprised—he would have guessed her to be the type that wanted to go first—but sat down opposite her and set up his own pieces. When the board was ready, Jack made his move silently, not sure how to broach the subject of Sergei. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Tatiana asked, surprising Jack by giving him a perfect opening.
"Yes, there was," Jack said, studiously looking at the board rather than Tatiana. He considered his words for a moment. "You've mentioned 'Sergei' a couple of times, and your mother wanted me to see if you wanted to talk about him, since..."
"Since he lied to me and apparently was working for the Covenant?" Tatiana finished calmly. Jack looked up to see that she was now looking down at the board. She looked up and fixed him with a direct gaze. "I figured out years ago that he was probably working with Kresniev. It was all too perfect: the way we were able to meet, the way we always made plans to leave but never actually did anything about them." She shrugged and returned her attention to the board. "He was only a child, just like the rest of us. Despite the lying, I'd still call him a...friend."
Jack didn't miss the minute hesitation before "friend"; he wondered what it meant, but decided not to say anything. "He's dead now?" he asked instead.
Tatiana nodded. She was quiet for a moment. "One thing I wouldn't have forgiven him for was standing by while Kresniev killed Mikel and Nadia, but Sergei was the first to die, and his death is the only one I'm not sure of. It could have actually been an accident." She looked down at the board and moved her queen.
Jack hadn't been paying that much attention to the game; now that the conversation had stalled, he studied the board closely and was surprised to see that Tatiana had him cornered. Knowing it was futile, he took her queen.
As he expected, she moved her bishop into position. "Checkmate," she said.
"Nice game," he said, moving his pieces back to their starting positions. "Want a rematch?"
"Only if you promise to play like you mean it this time," Tatiana said with a slight grin, resetting her own pieces.
Jack gave her a small smile in return. "I'll pay attention to the board this time." He made his first move.
***
Irina and Sydney worked on the Rambaldi manuscript in silence for awhile, Irina glancing up at Sydney every now and then. She seemed to have regained her spirits after the earlier revelations, and Irina was glad. She still didn't like being back on such fragile ground with her daughter after they'd developed such a good relationship, but at least Sydney didn't seem to be mad at her anymore.
After about half an hour, Sydney spoke. "I shouldn't know how to do this," she said. "Did you teach me?"
Irina looked up from the passage she'd become engrossed in. "I did, but you caught on quickly." She'd been thinking that Sydney must have retained the skills she'd picked up during her lost time.
Sydney looked down at the manuscript for a moment, frowning. "Mom, I...I hate not knowing...I know I thought it was better, before, but...Mom, I killed someone. Just...slit his throat. I wish...if I knew I had a reason...can you at least tell me why I killed Andrian Lazarey?"
Well, that was something she probably should tell Sydney, Irina thought. "You didn't kill him," she said simply.
Sydney stared at her for a moment in shock. "I didn't?"
"The Covenant ordered you to assassinate him. Instead, you went to him the night before you were supposed to do the job, and the two of you worked out a plan to fake his death. He was the one that brought you to me."
"You know him? How did he know I was your daughter?"
"Yes, I've known Andrian for many years," Irina answered. She paused for a moment, then decided to continue. "He used to be with the KGB as well. After I was extracted when you were a child, he was able to get pictures of you from time to time."
Sydney frowned. "I'd wondered if you were watching me while I was growing up."
Irina smiled. "As much as I could, Sydney."
"So...you and Lazarey must have known each other pretty well," said Sydney, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Were you...lovers?"
Irina couldn't help letting out a short, sharp laugh. "God, no. Sydney, Andrian Lazarey is my half brother."