Chapter 37
"You're right, these are really good," Sydney said after trying her syrniki.
"Told you," Tatiana said as she enjoyed her own syrniki.
"These really are very good," Irina said. "You should all try my sister Elena's syrniki sometime. She's a fabulous cook."
Jack's phone rang, and everyone grew silent while he answered it. "Bristow." He listened for a moment. "Agent Campbell, is there an emergency?" After a brief pause, he said, "Well, if there's no emergency, surely it can wait until tomorrow, since tomorrow is a work day and today is not." He waited again. "I didn't realize my leisure activities were of such vast importance to the United States government. I'm having breakfast with my daughter, if you must know. And my food is getting cold. So unless you have something important to say...No? Goodbye, then." He sighed as he hung up the phone. "I think Campbell may suspect something, and they had more than enough time during that call to determine our location."
"Damn," Irina said. "Well, we'd better go, then."
Tatiana waved to Nicolae, and he came over. "Can we get two boxes, please? And the check for our two meals," she said, gesturing to Irina.
"Ah, leaving so soon? And just the two of you?" Nicolae looked perplexed.
"Alexandra and I are going to go visit an old friend while Regina catches up with her father," Irina said smoothly. "Our visit is far too short, I'm afraid."
"Of course. I'll be right back."
Sydney raised her eyebrows. "The food is that good?"
"Well, it is," Tatiana said. "Plus I thought you'd rather not have to explain why the two of you ordered four meals."
Nicolae was back in record time with two boxes; Tatiana handed him a pair of twenties. "Could you clear our glasses and dishes away, too? And if any friends of Papa's should stop by, you shouldn't need to talk to them."
Nicolae nodded, a knowing look in his eye. "I had my suspicions about you, my dear. But I see it's a family business, so you will take care of each other, yes? In any case, you can count on my discretion. And you're welcome to use the back entrance if you wish."
"Thank you, Nicolae," Tatiana said with a smile. Nicolae quickly cleared Irina and Tatiana's dishes and disappeared, and she looked at her stunned family members. "His father and two brothers were KGB agents," she said. "This restaurant is known in the Russian underground as a good place for a meet, because he's very discreet. Doesn't take sides. Sergei and I figured he'd probably realized we were spies—we had quite a few meetings here ourselves—but he's never said anything." She spoke quickly while boxing up her food, then stood.
Irina finished as well, then pulled a cell phone from her bag and handed it to Jack. "Secure, encrypted line," she said. "My number and Sydney's are in there." She kissed him quickly. "Love you." She turned to Sydney. "Goodbye, sweetheart."
"Bye," Tatiana said. Jack and Sydney each said goodbye, then watched as Irina and Tatiana disappeared into the kitchen.
"You're right, these are really good," Sydney said after trying her syrniki.
"Told you," Tatiana said as she enjoyed her own syrniki.
"These really are very good," Irina said. "You should all try my sister Elena's syrniki sometime. She's a fabulous cook."
Jack's phone rang, and everyone grew silent while he answered it. "Bristow." He listened for a moment. "Agent Campbell, is there an emergency?" After a brief pause, he said, "Well, if there's no emergency, surely it can wait until tomorrow, since tomorrow is a work day and today is not." He waited again. "I didn't realize my leisure activities were of such vast importance to the United States government. I'm having breakfast with my daughter, if you must know. And my food is getting cold. So unless you have something important to say...No? Goodbye, then." He sighed as he hung up the phone. "I think Campbell may suspect something, and they had more than enough time during that call to determine our location."
"Damn," Irina said. "Well, we'd better go, then."
Tatiana waved to Nicolae, and he came over. "Can we get two boxes, please? And the check for our two meals," she said, gesturing to Irina.
"Ah, leaving so soon? And just the two of you?" Nicolae looked perplexed.
"Alexandra and I are going to go visit an old friend while Regina catches up with her father," Irina said smoothly. "Our visit is far too short, I'm afraid."
"Of course. I'll be right back."
Sydney raised her eyebrows. "The food is that good?"
"Well, it is," Tatiana said. "Plus I thought you'd rather not have to explain why the two of you ordered four meals."
Nicolae was back in record time with two boxes; Tatiana handed him a pair of twenties. "Could you clear our glasses and dishes away, too? And if any friends of Papa's should stop by, you shouldn't need to talk to them."
Nicolae nodded, a knowing look in his eye. "I had my suspicions about you, my dear. But I see it's a family business, so you will take care of each other, yes? In any case, you can count on my discretion. And you're welcome to use the back entrance if you wish."
"Thank you, Nicolae," Tatiana said with a smile. Nicolae quickly cleared Irina and Tatiana's dishes and disappeared, and she looked at her stunned family members. "His father and two brothers were KGB agents," she said. "This restaurant is known in the Russian underground as a good place for a meet, because he's very discreet. Doesn't take sides. Sergei and I figured he'd probably realized we were spies—we had quite a few meetings here ourselves—but he's never said anything." She spoke quickly while boxing up her food, then stood.
Irina finished as well, then pulled a cell phone from her bag and handed it to Jack. "Secure, encrypted line," she said. "My number and Sydney's are in there." She kissed him quickly. "Love you." She turned to Sydney. "Goodbye, sweetheart."
"Bye," Tatiana said. Jack and Sydney each said goodbye, then watched as Irina and Tatiana disappeared into the kitchen.