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“Yes. The woman said that Nik has been exemplary in his position as a mole. He’s gotten Kilmer and his men a lot of valuable intel over the past two years. It’s a go, Daria. And,” he chuckled a little, “given your reaction, I think there’s a little something between you and this medic?”
She placed her hand over her eyes, shutting them, pushing back tears of joy. “Yes… just a little.”
“You know,” Jack said, irony in his tone, “Alex said it would happen.”
“What would happen?”
“That you’d fall in love with Nik. He said it was inevitable. That Nik is the kind of man any woman in her right mind would fall for.”
She managed a choked laugh, wiping tears from her eyes. “He’s extraordinary, Jack. One of a kind.”
“Well, if he’s Alex’s stature, then I want to speak to him about offering him a job with us.”
She frowned. “He’s really exhausted, Jack. This undercover work has torn him apart. It’s been five years of unrelenting pressure and hell on him. I mean, I don’t know what he’ll do or say to you about a job offer. Please don’t push him right away on that angle? He needs serious decompression first.”
“Well, I kinda thought, given the circumstances, he could come home with you, live with you at your place and rest up. And, when he feels like it, if he’s interested in Shield Security, we might talk. I could use a Peru analyst in our planning section. He’d do well there.”
Daria knew Nik had his eyes set on getting his paramedic license once in the US. “We’ll see,” was all she’d say.
“Listen, I’ll be in touch as things fall into place. Don’t let down your guard. Valdez and Suero have spies in that city. Thepoliciain Cusco have been sent approvals by our State Department, asking that you and Nik be fully armed while you provide security for Korsak. They’ve given their permission and the Assistant Chief of Police will give you the identification and approval by the President of Peru to open carry while you are there in this country.”
“That is such good news. I was worried about that. I’m going over right now, as soon as we click off, to meet with Nik.”
“Yes, tell him everything. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry, I’ll stay on top of things. And we’ll work out an around-the-clock guard schedule regarding Korsak. We’re not leaving thepoliciato guard him. No way.”
A CIA representative,Jeffrey Luminos, was already in the mix when Daria walked into the surgery lobby. She saw the Peruvian case officer speaking with Nik. It made her smile a little to herself as Nik sensed her presence, stopped the conversation, and and walked over to her.
“Korsak is going to make it,” he told her, gripping her hand, smiling with relief.
“I know,” and she quickly explained some of Jack’s call to him. To say that Nik looked ten years younger was an understatement. Before, his eyes had been a turgid blue, shadowed and filled with anxiety. Now, they glistened with undeniable joy and Daria smiled with him. The tension he always carried dissolved away, his shoulders thrown back and proud once more. The weight this man had carried on his shoulders was something no one else could ever imagine. But Daria knew it.
“Luminos,” Nik said, turning toward the case officer, “is paving the way for us. He’s already spoken to hospital officials. The Assistant Police Chief was here earlier and handed us our identification badges, papers, and approval to open carry. We’re going to be granted a pistol each on our person while we stand guard over Korsak’s room, so we’re in good stead with the country’s laws.”
“Wonderful,” Daria said, shaking the case officer’s hand as she continued to look aside at Nik. “How are you doing?”
Nik grinned tiredly. “Right now, I feel numb inside, Daria. I’m afraid this isn’t real. That I’m imagining all of it.”
“You’ve been dreaming of this moment for the last five years,” she offered him gently, with a sympathetic look. There were shadows beneath his eyes, and his skin stretched tautly across his high cheekbones, telling her of the toll this had taken.
“And now that it’s here,” and he shrugged, “it doesn’t really seem possible, Kitten.” He leaned down, kissing her cheek. “Only you feel real to me.”
“It will slowly sink into you, Nik. You need time to decompress. Come on, introduce me to this case officer? I need to be brought up to speed.”
Daria listened intently to the forty-year-old Peruvian CIA contact. He actually turned out to be an American citizen, born in the USA, and had been tagged to work in Peru, his parents’ home country. Luminos was sharp, disciplined and organized. They sat huddled together at one end of the lobby waiting room, speaking in English in quiet tones. Luminos was going to continue on and coordinate everything further, now that their open carry approval was official. He’d already slipped them pistols, a Glock18 each, which they both hid down the back of their waistbands, along with three magazines filled with bullets which they stowed away in their rucks. Daria already felt safer just having the pistol on her. He gave them his cell phone number. Right now, he wanted them to use the CIA safe house in the city. Like her, Luminos didn’t trust the Russian safe house, thinking it could already be compromised by Valdez or Suero’s local spies. He gave them a key card and intel on the other safe house, telling them to go there to live, sleep, clean up and eat.
A nurse came into the lobby, calling for Nik. He excused himself and rose, walking over to the petite Peruvian nurse in her white uniform.
Daria turned to Luminos. “Does Korsak know what’s going to happen to him yet?”
“No, but I’ll be the one who lets him know. Right now, he’s coming out from under anesthesia and is in recovery. I’m going down there right now to remain with him. I want you two to decide who’s standing watch first. I don’t want you conversing with Korsak. You’re to stay outside his room at all times. I’ll be the one to answer his questions.”
“Will he even know we’re there?”
“Not if I can help it. I’ve got the hospital staff up on that floor already brought up to speed. They know he’s a political prisoner of the USA, but that’s all. And that you and Nik are the USA security guards at Korsak’s door. Thepoliciawill also be sending men.”
“What if the Cuscopoliciaare moles? What if Suero or Valdez has bought them off?” She saw the man’s face grow tight.
