by AK Leigh
With a hint of hesitation, she asked, ‘What did you say to the waiter just now?’
‘I told him the gingerbread looked like the real Tula kind.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He said it was made the traditional way and with a press that his grandmother brought over from Tula.’
She gave a polite nod, though she clearly didn’t understand what any of it meant.
He grinned and explained, ‘The modern recipes use jam instead of the traditional honey, and bakers outside of Tula use whatever press they can get their hands on to imprint on the chocolate coating. He was implying that this stamp …’ He pointed at the pattern on the biscuits then continued, ‘Is a genuine one originating from Tula. Making this the most genuine Tula gingerbread you can get outside of Tula.’
‘Ah, I see.’
Her eyes met his. He thought she was going to pull away, but she didn’t.
The gesture loosened his tongue and made him blurt, ‘I leave for China in six days.’
Her eyebrow lifted. Out of surprise that he’d volunteered information? Or that he was leaving so soon? He wasn’t sure.
‘Why so soon?’
‘I want to get acclimatised.’ He thought that was going to be the end of it, until he heard his voice add, ‘And I have some work to take care of over there.’
What are you doing? He wasn’t supposed to be telling her that. His tongue seemed to have developed its own mind since Nina had re-entered his life. It needed to stop. He was putting everything in jeopardy.
She blinked in a gesture that showed she was as shocked as he was by the admission. He understood the reaction. He’d never willingly offered information regarding his work to her before.
‘Will it take up much of your time?’
He shrugged, ‘I hope not. I want to get it over with as soon as possible, so I can focus on more important things.’
She nodded. ‘Training.’
‘Something like that.’
Silence stretched between them.
Not knowing what else to do, he pushed the plate of gingerbread towards her and said, ‘Would you like one?’
She took one. So did he.
He noticed she was about to pop it straight into her mouth.
‘Wait!’
Confusion rippled over her features, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘You can’t eat it like that.’
She glanced at the biscuit. ‘What do you mean?’
He demonstrated as he answered, ‘You have to dip it in the coffee first. That’s why the coffee must be black. The richness of the chocolate and the bitterness of the coffee blend together.’
He took a bite and exaggerated the pleasure the tastes gave him. ‘Mm.’
She laughed then did as he’d instructed and took a bite of coffee-dipped gingerbread. He watched her, and saw the moment she’d experienced the magic of the flavour combination.
Swallowing, she exclaimed, ‘Oh, lord. That is sinfully divine.’
He grinned, ‘Told you.’
As he finished off the rest of the biscuits in his hand, Nina smiled. It brightened up her face, like the sun on a cloud-free day lit up the sky, and sent a warm beam to his heart.
He swallowed, ‘What?’
She pointed at her mouth, ‘You have a little chocolate there.’
He lifted a hand to this mouth and wiped at the spot she’d indicated. ‘Did I get it?’
‘You did.’
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’
He glanced over at her as they continued to eat the gingerbread and dunk them in their coffees. The way her mouth curved at the edges from the obvious pleasure she was gaining from the experience lodged in his chest, warming it. He smiled. It had been so long since he’d seen Nina enjoying herself with him … and just as long since he’d felt this way. Content, happy, accepted for more than he appeared to be.
When there was only one biscuit left, he nodded towards it and said, ‘You have it.’
* * *
Nina smiled and accepted the biscuit. He’d always let her have the last of whatever they’d been sharing. The years had not changed that trait. Though clearly it had others. She scrutinised him as he finished off his coffee. Who was this man sitting in front of her? In some ways he was a stranger, in others, as familiar to her as her sisters.
The Andrei Strasinski she knew would never have brought up his work without her pushing. Yet he’d told her quite a bit. He told her he was going to China for work. It was a lead she could pass on to the AFP. Even if it was another lie.
He peered over at her and flashed the sweet, confident smile that had stolen her heart on that shuttle bus in Russia eight years earlier.
Nina, you are not doing this.
They were here to discuss getting along—and probing him for information—nothing more.
Refusing to look at him, as per her plan, she said, ‘Marcel said we needed to talk about the friction between us.’
‘He did. What do you need from me?’
The truth.
Knowing she wasn’t going to get that, she said instead, ‘To be honest, I feel a little weird about the other night.’
‘At the dorms?’
‘Mm.’
‘Weird over how I behaved?’
‘A little. But if I’m being completely honest, I’m ashamed of how I acted.’
It had been such a juvenile thing to do, trying to make Andrei jealous by kissing another man.
Andrei frowned, ‘Why? You did nothing wrong.’
She shook her head and opened her mouth to object but pressed her lips together when she realised she would have to admit the motives behind her actions if she continued. Instead, she closed her mouth.
He said, ‘Why don’t we forget it ever happened?’
‘I can do that.’
He smiled, ‘Me too.’
Chapter 23
On his way to training the next morning, Andrei walked past the manager of The Snow Globe. The woman was talking to a man he didn’t recognise. He smiled and gave them both a polite nod as he moved past them.
He overheard the manager say, ‘Make sure it’s ready for the weekend edition … wait, Andrei!’
He turned around, ‘Yes?’
She was beaming when she approached him. ‘You’re a biathlete, right?’
‘That’s right.’
‘You wouldn’t happen to be free after the Olympics, would you?’
He raised an eyebrow. Was she asking him out?
She seemed to guess where his thoughts had gone, because she chuckled and explained, ‘I only mean because a position has come up for a ski instructor position here at The Globe. It would only be part-time, and doesn’t start until May, but you could continue staying in your accommodation free of charge. What do you say?’
The words took a moment to settle over him. She was offering him a job … and a place to stay. Had he heard right? To check, he muttered, ‘You want me to work for you? Here?’
‘Of course. I can’t think of anyone better qualified, and an ex-Russian Olympian is sure to draw the crowds. It’s a win-win for both of us.’
He started to shake his head, to say he couldn’t … when it dawned on him that he could. His contract with the FSB was over; he held dual citizenship with Australia, meaning there was no reason he couldn’t live here. Yet hadn’t be been saying himself that there was no other work option for him? He had no valid employment history.
He voiced his concern, ‘I don’t have any references.’
She chuckled, ‘I think your career is reference enough.’
Still, he would have to quit the FSB. How would they react? Would they let him go? Sure, they were legally bound to, didn’t mean they couldn’t find some loophole to stop him. He didn’t know any other life. Would he be able to adjust to a simpler life in Cairns? What about Nina? He was bound to bump into her if he worked here. This had been everything she’d wanted for them as a couple and it was b
eing offered to him. But they would not be together. He would never be able to tell her the truth. Could he handle that? What about when she started dating someone, which she inevitably would?
She smiled, as if sensing his tug of war, and said, ‘Have a think about it. Get back to me after the Olympics. That’s as long as I’ll hold the position open for you. Fair enough?’
He nodded, ‘Fair enough. Thank you.’
‘Not a problem.’
She gave him one final understanding smile then returned to the man she’d been talking to. As he turned to get to training, he heard her say, ‘Change of plans!’
The rest of the words trailed off as his questions, hopes, and anxiety clashed in his brain. Could he really have this life? Did he want it if it meant he couldn’t share it with Nina? Was it better for everyone involved if he stuck to what he knew?
* * *
Nina’s chest felt like it was about to explode and she was sure her legs were about to fall off as she came around the final bend on the makeshift ski slope. She turned and skidded to a stop at the bottom, panting to ease the strain to her lungs.
Marcel shouted, ‘Fantastique!’
She peered over, smiled, and gave a breathless, ‘Merci.’
He proceeded toward her. In a low voice, he said, ‘The other competitors should be afraid. They’ll be eating snow.’
She laughed, ‘I appreciate the faith you have in me.’
‘You deserve it.’
He was about to walk away, when she stopped him by saying, ‘Coach?’
He looked over his shoulder, ‘Oui?’
‘I want to apologise again for my behaviour the other night.’
He grinned and waved a dismissive hand at her, ‘Already forgotten.’
‘What about Evangeline?’
His smile faltered. ‘She will get over it, my star.’
He hadn’t called her Farris all morning. It seemed he really had forgiven her.
She couldn’t help asking, ‘I’m your star again?’
He chuckled, ‘Always.’
A recollection came to her, making her say, ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Sure.’
‘You don’t like Andrei much, do you?’
He scoffed, ‘About as much as you pretend not to.’
She had to chuckle at that. ‘Do you mind me asking why?’
‘He’s hiding something.’
Yes, he is.
‘What makes you say that?’
He shrugged, ‘A feeling.’
She knew exactly what he meant. She couldn’t admit that though. If she did, and he happened to mention it to another team member, it could cause problems with the terrorist. Whether that was Andrei or somebody else.
She gave a noncommittal, ‘I see.’
‘Why are you interested?’
The glint in his eyes told her he thought it was a romantically motivated interest. It was a convenient reason.
She played up to it with a flirty, ‘Never you mind.’
He laughed, ‘Get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow. Both individual and mixed relay training.’
She nodded, ‘I will.’
As she made her way to her dorm, she grinned, and could feel it getter wider with each step. Her times had improved, she and her sisters had narrowed down their lists and had a plan of attack for Beijing, Marcel had forgiven her, and she and Andrei had managed to come to a truce. Was it possible that things were finally looking up?
* * *
Were things finally looking up? He had a job offer, Nina seemed to be happy to chat to him again, Marcel hadn’t thrown him off the team, and his list of suspects was considerably narrowed. Which reminds me. The email about Amber Cransen.
He logged into his encrypted email account. The expected email was waiting there. He skimmed the introductory parts until he got to the line he was after: ‘At this stage, we cannot find anything compromising on her. We will continue to keep an eye on her as well as the other suspects on the list once you’ve sent it to us.’
The second he closed out of the email, it disappeared from his inbox. The special software that had been installed on his computer made sure there would never be a trace of it again. It was as if the email had never been sent.
In the silence, his mind returned to the job offer. His new possible future. He chuckled at the absurdity. Not once had he ever thought about his future. He’d long ago resigned himself to the fact that he would be an FSB agent until he died.
Just as he was starting to imagine what a life in Australia could offer him, thoughts of Nina invaded. Along with all the questions and doubts that had surfaced earlier.
He frowned. This was something that could wait until after the Olympics. Until then, he had a list of five competitors to short list and a medal to win.
Chapter 24
The following night, Andrei rubbed at his arms and groaned: I’m getting too old for this. His bones felt like they were aching in sympathy with his muscles. The training had been as hard as he’d been used to in Russia. He switched on the television and flicked to a news channel.
He caught a report midway through. His ears pricked up when he heard the reporter say, ‘With only one five more days until Nina Farris’s alleged departure for the Winter Olympics …’
The woman’s voice trailed off from his notice as footage of Nina competing in previous Olympics flashed across the screen. He grinned at the sight of her skiing up a snow-covered slope, positioning her gun against her shoulder, and firing at a target.
I remember that. A warmth hit his chest at the same time as his stomach clenched. I remember that too. It was the exact same reaction he’d had that day. The first time he’d seen her.
He’d been transfixed by her precision and grace.
The more he’d gotten to know her, the more he’d realised she was a natural. He’d had to train, hard, to get to an Olympic standard, but she’d always had an inborn gift. He’d admired that about her. If anyone was going to win a gold for Australia in biathlon this year, it would be Nina.
* * *
She frowned at the three names staring back at her: Liu Yang, Chenguang Mu, Maggie Chu. The three women had been close acquaintances with her in the previous Olympics. There was no possible way it could be any of them. They all had a motive, but she knew them. They couldn’t do something like this.
Could they?
She wrinkled her mouth from the uncertainty, then moved on to the list of male names. Wang Wei, Ju Chan, Li Jie Jin, Zhang Tao Mu. The men, she didn’t really know. Made it easier to believe one of them were the terrorist. She doubted making their acquaintance would be hard. What man minded a little flirtation?
She sighed. ‘I am never going undercover ever again.’
In the silence of her dorm, her thoughts went to the phone call she’d had with the detective superintendent two days earlier. He had not seemed convinced about her intel that they were looking at a Chinese suspect. Though he hadn’t said that in so many words, the condescending way he’d remarked, ‘I’ll look into it’, had signalled to her that he was not going to look into it at all.
She frowned then forced it away.
The AFP might still be focusing on the full list of suspects, but that was fine. She would do her investigation, as they’d recruited her to do, and they could do theirs. Time would tell whose approach was right.
Chapter 25
Nina blinked to make sure she was seeing right. The morning news played out on her television screen. Scenes of grey and black smoke billowed out from a building close to the Olympic Village.
Moments earlier, an explosion had destroyed a section of the lower level of the building. Thankfully, nobody had been hurt. The reports were saying it had been caused by an electrical fault and/or gas. No mention of a bomb or terrorist had been made. No connection to the Olympics.
This couldn’t be a coincidence, surely?
It had to be a bomb.
She reached for her phone to make
a call at the same time as it rang.
Answering her boss Jack Priestley’s voice asking, ‘Have you seen the news?’
‘I have. What aren’t they reporting?’
Confirming her instincts, he said, ‘It was a terrorist attack.’
‘I knew it. Why are they keeping it under wraps?’
‘The Chinese authorities don’t want to cause mass panic … and they are worried about the effect on their economy if all the athletes pull out.’
In a sarcastic tone, she said, ‘Because the lives of people aren’t as important as money.’
Jack ignored her remark. ‘The terrorist sent a message to local police within seconds of the blast.’
‘What did the note say?’
‘Just a minute … it said, “This is a warning. The next one won’t be so benign. Release all foreign detainees by Sunday, or another bomb goes off”.’
‘Whoa, that’s not good.’
‘No, it’s not.’
‘What are we going to do?’
‘Officials have already gathered for an emergency meeting—’
‘That’s not going to achieve anything. All the bureaucracy—’
She realised her voice had risen when Jack cut in, saying, ‘Calm down, Nina. We’re on the same side.’
She exhaled. ‘I know. I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated and worried.’
‘We all are. The AFP are working on it. They wanted me to call to let you know that they want you on the earliest flight to China as possible. They feel having you on the ground will help, especially since it is now obvious the terrorist is there.’
‘When do I leave?’
‘Tomorrow.’
‘All right, but I’m going to have to do a press conference to help manage any gossip.’
There’d been so much already, the media were bound to swoop on this.
‘Do what you have to, but be ready to go.’
‘I will.’
She thought that was going to be the end of it, until Jack said, ‘There’s more.’
She rolled her eyes, ‘Isn’t there always?’
‘Chinese officials have inspected the bomb and something unusual was found … the materials came from Russia.’