“Very James Bond,” Vanner replied, warily. “You’re the humint guy.”
“Spy works,” Jay said. “And I checked you out. You have a very good rep.”
“Thanks,” Vanner said. “Can I ask with whom?”
“Admiral Kinnison. We’ve got history.”
“How’s his dog?” Vanner said, nodding.
“Cat,” Jay replied. “Ginger tabby named Halsey. Died. Cancer. About six months ago. And JC was in a car-wreck with her kids. They all made it but she got really banged up. Grand-kids were okay. Well, Bobby broke his arm but I signed the cast and he was grinning at the time. Jim’s had a bad year. You should write him. I’ll give you his e-mail address.”
“Thanks,” Vanner said, blinking.
“We straight?”
“Straight.”
“Jim said you were good with micro. I’m a gadget guy when I can use them. Are you going to have time?”
“Some,” Vanner admitted. “If it’s really complicated, we might have to shop it. I’ve got two sources.”
“I’ve got more than two,” Jay said. “But I’d prefer to keep it in-house. We’ll manage. I ran across a new microwave design… ”
“I’ll just go tell Anastasia that we’re going to have a guest,” Mike said. “She’ll take care of your housekeeping arrangements. Daria handles budget, I’ll speak to her as well.”
“Thank you,” Jay replied. “What would you like me to do next?”
“Just hang out,” Mike said. “We’ve got a mission in the planning stages. Vanner’s going to be very busy. You’re going to have to develop and do most of you tasking in your own. But that’s why I hired you.”
“What about Katya?”
“Katya will be on the mission,” Mike replied. “I’d bring you in on it but it’s a snap-kick. I don’t see an insert point for you.”
“Understood,” Jay said. “Well, I’ll just pick Vanner’s brain for a bit until Anastasia’s up to speed and then start with my self-tasking. I’d like to talk to Katya about her mission, if you’re okay on the need to know.”
“Works,” Mike replied. “Just ensure she’s got her mission face on when she’s out the door. Vanner, as far as I’m concerned, Jay has choice on his need-to-know. If you have issues, bring them up with me.”
“You’re very trusting,” Jay said, frowning slightly.
“You were vetted by good people,” Mike replied. “I can’t, won’t unless something comes up, second-guess that. In for a penny and all that. So… if you are afraid something will be compromised, don’t ask.”
“Yes, Kildar,” Jay said. That smile again.
“Who’s the visitor,” Nielson asked as Mike was headed to his office. “The Mother Savina came in asking me who he was.”
“That was Jay,” Mike repiled. “You found him. I almost want to say ‘You keep him.’ The guy gives me the creeps. I’m pretty sure I still don’t know what he actually looks like. If he burns us, there’s nobody really there.”
“He’s as good as they come,” Nielson pointed out. “And very much a patriot. As long as we don’t screw the US… ”
“Let’s hope we never have to,” Mike said. “I’d prefer not to myself. You were just asking about him?”
“No,” the colonel said. “I just got word. A Colonel Erkin Chechnik, Russian Army, is on his way to see us. I was informed you know him.”
“I do,” Mike said, shaking his head. “Russian spook. Pretty good. Pretty much Pierson’s equivalent; briefs the President on Russian black-ops. He’s probably going to brief us on the Russian side.”
“More or less what I guessed,” Nielson said. “So… You wanna talk?”
“About what?” Mike asked.
“Gretchen,” Nielson said, raising an eyebrow. “And you. And Kiril.”
“How about just saying I didn’t like this entire Cardane thing from the beginning,” Mike said, shrugging. “I’ve got it handled. I’m not going to do a King David on Kiril, I’m not going to lay another hand on Gretchen.”
“And you are… where in there?” Nielson asked.
“How about ‘I’m not going to lay another hand on Gretchen, damnit to hell’?” Mike said, grimacing.
“Been there,” Nielson said. “Prior to my wife dying I had some… encounters with other ladies. All by agreement with my wife. The agreement was I could screw around as much as I liked, as long as I didn’t fall in love. And then… ”
“You fell in love,” Mike said, sitting down and listening.
“I did indeed, laddy,” Nielson said, leaning back in his chair. “Lady named Sharon. Very much a lady. I was her first. Very strange circumstances. I actually passed on the honor. She later found other men, none of them particularly good for her. We eventually lost touch, half by purpose. But… She’s still there in my heart. And Gretchen?”
“It fucking sucks,” Mike said. “I’ve been married but I never felt this way about a girl, ever. I never believed in love at first sight and it wasn’t even that. It… I don’t know. It just snuck up on me.”
“And clobbered you over the head,” Nielson said, nodding. “That is the reality far more than ‘love at first sight.’ A friend, a companion, someone you knew casually and then one day… Wham! All of a sudden, they’re something different. Any idea how Gretchen feels about the situation?”
“Not sure,” Mike admitted. “The Cardane girls… generally have a pretty good time. But it was an unusual enounter in both directions. I haven’t really spoken to her since and… ”
“And you’re the Kildar,” the colonel said. “Big attraction right there. It would be hard to be sure what she actually thinks. I’m not sure that even if she was as honest as she could be that it would be clear what she really thinks. For general Kildar’s Ears Only, I think that Cardane is a damned bad idea. I haven’t said anything but… you don’t screw the wives or girlfriends of your subordinates. Period. The Keldara take a different tack on that but… It’s just been a damned bad idea. This is only one of a dozen reasons why.”
“Thought of all that,” Mike said with a sigh. “But right now we have other things to think about. The whole thing with Gretchen, and the Cardane, needs to be tabled for the time being. Bigger fish to fry.”
“Such as the Russian,” Nielson said. “I’m surprised that he’s coming in person. No read at all on why?”
“Only that it can’t be good. I’ve never seen Chechnik turn up when things are going well.”
“Erkin, what a pleasant surprise.”
Mike hadn’t seen Colonel Chechnik in about a year, not since the Paris mission. But he hadn’t changed much. The Russian intel officer was short and broad as a house. He looked more like a member of the Olympic wrestling team than a highly qualified intel officer. Mike was sure that he’d used that to his advantage more than once.
“Mikhail,” the colonel boomed, clasping Mike close and kissing him on both cheeks. “Or should I call you Kildar, now?”
“Mike will do,” Mike replied, grinning. He’d arranged a formal reception line for the visiting Russian and now waved him further into the foyer of the serai. “May I introduce Colonel Nielson, my operations officer?”
“Colonel Nielson,” Chechnik said, shaking his hand. “I read your paper on IED patterning as they related to street crime incidences in Iraq. A very interesting premise.”
“I had to think of something,” Nielson said, nodding. “And my original paper was rejected.”
“And what was that on?” Chechnik asked, smiling quizzically.
“The utility of crucifiction as a means of control,” Nielson replied, smiling thinly.
“I think we need you in the Russian Army, colonel,” Chechnik said, smiling in much the same way. “We could use you in Chechnya.”