The crowing of a rooster announced the crack of dawn and Joan was already awake waiting for the early morning light to drift into her room so she could get a better look at her new surroundings. The only window was partly open and the chilled morning air was refreshing as she lay under a goose-down quilt and warmth. White lace curtains gently moving with the breeze giving a homely effect, a known tactic to make prisoners feel at ease, non-life threaten environment. But she was a prisoner with hands and feet bound. A small bedroom with a wooden rocking chair and chest, whitewashed walls and one picture of a meadow with yellow flowers was her cell.

Twisting her head to look out the window, she saw tree tops meaning the room is on the second floor. Wasn't long before light filled the room and noise of clinging metal was heard. A slight sound of a woman's voice sing and a dog barking. Her best guess, a working farm of sorts, hiding in plain sight. She could hope that Stanislav Ostrovsky was nearby. Even Joan didn't know the real identity of her target only he was very important to the CIA.

A light knock came at the door before it opened, a show of respect for a woman prisoner, another tactic use so many times and very effective. "Good morning." Two men entered the room, one carrying a tray of food, breakfast.

Joan nodded.

"We are going to give you a bit of freedom." One man unlocking her bonds only to rebound one hand at the wrist to a long chain attached to a steel hook embedded in the wall. This would let her move about a little but not reach the door.

The other man with the tray placed a stool near the bed and the tray on top, "Breakfast. I hope you are hungry." Both men speaking in English.

Swinging her legs around so her bare feet would rest on the floor, Joan begin to eat, a typical Polish breakfast of eggs, cold cut ham, cheese and bread with jelly. She was very hungry and the meal was welcomed. One of the men left while the other set in the rocking chair saying nothing, letting Joan eat in silence.

After she finished her meal, she moved back on the bed, resting her back against the wall and folded her arms onto her lap, in a restful relax pose. A deliberate sign of being open to conversation, she was as good as any Russian integrator at extracting answers although she was at a disadvantage, it was his playing field and she still being the prisoner.

"Like you breakfast? You must have been famished." He was moving the tray of empty dishes to the chest.

"Yes, very good."

He returns to take a set on the stool, pushing it a bit further from Joan and the bed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Leonid and we shall be having rather few talks together."

No response from Joan.

"Let start with who you are. What is your name?"

Still no response from Joan.

"Well no need. I already know the answer, Joan Campbell, an American and CIA."

All of Joan's doubts were answered in one simple phase. They were indeed SVR and after Stanislav Ostrovsky and she being with the CIA was the bonus. They would also know her ranking within Langley so the questing would for the time being is nonproductive, simple routine questions and each answer would be evasive. If her guess was right, this type of treatment would go on for a few days but the bigger question, what about Stanislav Ostrovsky. Being a political bureaucrat would he fold to him quickly or clam up tight, either way, his treatment would not be as kind as hers.

"My feet are chilly, may I have a pair of socks?" Joan only remark.

And that is how the day went, a couple of hours of Leonid asking questions and Joan being vague. There were hours of solitude, left alone in the room and Joan spending time looking out the window at a small barn yard, chickens, goats, a few cats and one sleepily dog. The barn was rather small and built of stone, well kept and the barn doors were freshly painted dark green. Without a doubt a very homely environment.

After the evening meal, Joan was watching the setting sun when Leonid and another man came into her room. "We are leaving tonight."

Once more bound Joan hands and leg shackles, Leonid is leading her down the stairs and to a small van with side opening door. As she climbed in there is a man on the very back seat, unconsciousness and partly covered with a blanket. She knew it wouldn't be long before she too would be asleep and once they had fasten the hands to the hook attached to the side of the van, she was given the injection and quickly darkness fell on her.

"Now tell me once again, Joan went on a mission to escort a Russian VIP and now both are missing."

"Right Neshama, a very hush, hush top-level pickup that was compromised and a mole found at Langley on the Russian desk. Have to say, CIA headquarters is just about in shut down mode right now and we are only reporting to King Arthur. You are off grid and the only commutation we have is with Eric or Auggie is through encrypted text code."

"Do you know who Joan was escorting out of Poland?"

"I do and Arthur would rather I keep it to myself." Eyal turning to face Annie. "And that is where he and I disagree. If an agent is out in the field on a high level mission risking their lives than they should know why. When he call me to go after Joan I declined until I knew the real ID of the Russian defector."

"You stood up to Arthur."

"In a way, I guess I did. He approached me about a working relationship with him and now he is learning how I work. He may not like it, but when I have a mission I give it my all."

"How well I know."

"The Russian we are also going after beside Joan is Nicholai Bolshakov..."

"Oh my god, not the Deputy Director of External Counter-Intelligence for the SVR. Arthur's counter-part." Annie in total shock.

"One in the same. That's way this is such a top-secret mission." Eyal turning back to finishing dressing. "Another little quirk in the mix."

"What or should I say whom?"

"Grigori Lermontov in all probability leading point for the Russians to bring both Joan and Nicholai to Russia."

Sarcastically, "That's just great." Annie holding up an all black habit for her to wear. "Good thing it isn't floor length, I would be tripping all over myself."

"Modern day wear for your order. I like the full skirt and jumper or whatever it's called. Can hide a few guns under all that black." Eyal checking the pistols he had stashed in a satchel. "Hiding the color of your blonde hair and wearing these." Eyal had handed her a nondescript pair of clear lens glasses. "No makeup and you blend in perfectly."

"I should know the reasoning behind the priest and nun cover but I'm not sure." Annie slipping on her long black tights and flat, lace-up comfy shoes.

"Easy, Poland has the highest population of Catholics with priest and nun by the numbers walking the streets at any given time. We will not stand out." Eyal adjust his white tab collar. "You are Sister Anna Margot from Marseille, France with the Catholic order, Sisters of Charity. Your French is so perfect that's why you are from Marseille."

"And you, Father Paolo. Where are you from?"

"Jesuit Father Paolo Benedetto from the Church of the Gesu in Roman, Italy. We are in Poland to learn the successful ways the church operates the different charities. Giving us wide range to drift about and ask questions." Eyal picking up a large metal tone crucifix on a chain for her to wear around her neck. "Here this will come in handy. Just press Jesus' feet and it will activate a short range tracking device, I have the receiver."

Annie looking at the crucifix, turning it over in her hands, "Neat." Annie continuing her process of dressing, lot of clothing to put on. "Do we have intel to start our search."

"Eric is a genius on intel gathering. He has identified a prisoner transporter with ambulance markings leaving the old chapel at Lublin Royal Castle and heading east into the country side. Bet your last dollar Joan and Nicholai were onboard."

"Does he have a final destination?"

"No but no need. I have studied Grigori Lermontov for years. Know the old saying, know your enemy. The nearest border crossing would be into the Ukraine and I seriously doubt they entered that country. With all the uprising against Russia, not a real safe place to try to hid two prisoners. My bet is he hold up for a bit in Chelm and doubled back. The man always double back before launching his last move."

"You sure?"

"Grigori Lermontov is an exceptionally smart man but his one flaw, when he finds something that works, it is repeated time and time again. His cargo this time is way too valuable for risking a fail mission, which could mean his neck."

"So you think he is bringing Joan and Nicholai back to Lublin."

"Affirmative, to wait until this abduction cools down a bit, hoping CIA believes they have made it out of Poland. Trying to get out of Poland with a small army and two prisoners can prove dreadfully problematical. Their borders are tightly closed to the east."

Annie couldn't help it, one last chance to hold Eyal before they were on their way to Lublin. Stepping behind him and reaching her arms around his waist. "Never slept with a priest."

"Well Neshama we could do it again, maybe another thirty minutes wouldn't hurt our mission."

"You think."

"I know." Eyal turning to take her in his arms and all the black clothing now flung across the floor. Thirty minutes turned into forty-five.