Tommy wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Was she interested in him or in the job? Or both? He set the ingredients on the island and turned on the grill, the scent of marinated steak filling the air.
“Good,” Thorn said, his tone even as he took over like they’d planned. “Then let us talk about your background and what exactly you are looking for.”
Tommy smiled faintly to himself as he focused on the stove, letting Thorn handle the interview, but listening carefully all the same.
“You are currently with Shin Bet and were previously Mossad?” Thorn asked, pulling the tablet he’d left on the island toward him and opening a document. Nissa nodded, confirming what she’d told Tommy at the conference.
“Could you explain how you went from one to the other? Obviously, I understand you cannot give details, I am just trying to get a sense of your background and skills.”
“As I’m sure you know, Israel has mandatory military service at eighteen,” she began, and Thorn nodded for her to continue. “I was a priority recruit for theModi’in Shiur Kravi- the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps. My father was a diplomatic ambassador, so I grew up all over the world. I have a solid understanding of international politics and diplomacy, I’m fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, French, English, and Russian, and I was a gymnast from the age of five until eighteen.”
Thorn set the tablet down and regarded her thoughtfully before murmuring, “Ah. That explains why they recruited you into Mossad.”
“Yes.” Nissa nodded, a small, knowing smile touching her lips. “I also have a particular aptitude for gathering intelligence. For whatever reason, people tend to spill their secrets to me.” She shrugged lightly, resting her chin in her hand while watching Tommy chop vegetables for the Greek salad he was making to go with their steaks. “Obviously, I can’t tell you what I did for Mossad, but it was along those lines.”
“Why the switch to Shin Bet?” Thorn asked, his tone neutral. Tommy stayed silent, trusting his judgment despite feeling like his curiosity about her role with Mossad might kill him.
“I married another Mossad agent who was caught selling secrets,” she said evenly. “Even though I was eventually cleared, they encouraged me to transfer for a ‘fresh start.’” She rolled her eyes, the bitterness in her tone undercut by practiced composure. “I was allowed to keep my rank, pension, and record, so I agreed and moved to Shin Bet’s Protective Security Division.”
“Your rank?” Tommy asked, glancing up from the cucumber he was slicing. “As in, military rank?”
“Ah, no, not exactly.” She furrowed her brow, lips pursed in thought. “It doesn’t have quite the same meaning as it does in the military. Technically, I was aSeren- a Captain - but it just meant I oversaw my own detail.”
Huh.” Tommy looked mildly impressed and turned to Thorn, curious now about how high he’d climbed during his military years. “You know, I don’t think I ever asked what your rank was.”
Thorn shrugged. “It is irrelevant now that I am no longer enlisted, we do not keep our ranks when we are discharged, but I was aPorucnik- roughly a Lieutenant here, I believe.” Heshifted in his seat, looking slightly uncomfortable, then cleared his throat and turned back to Nissa. “Have you started the process of leaving Shin Bet?”
Nissa didn’t seem at all fazed by the change in topic. She nodded. “Yes, I’m almost finished. This was my last protective detail, which is why I was able to stay in New York when the politician’s son went back to Israel. My replacement took over at the airport.”
Thorn nodded, a pleased smile curving his lips. “Is there a particular reason you are leaving?”
“No, not one in particular.” She sighed, tilting her head slightly in his direction. “Just a lot of small ones. Boredom, mostly. I don’t like the direction the country’s heading, and I’ve never agreed with how the conflict in Gaza has been handled. I don’t see it improving anytime soon. And since I didn’t spend most of my formative years in Israel, only returning permanently when I was eighteen, my views aren’t always met with… open-mindedness.”
Tommy felt she was being honest. When he met Thorn’s gaze, the man gave a subtle nod as he stood, signaling that he hadn’t detected any deceit either. Thorn had already reached out to some of his international contacts at Tommy’s request and received verbal confirmation that Nissa was indeed in the process of leaving. They were confident Mossad hadn’t caught wind of Sloane’s contracting division and that she wasn’t being sent in to gather information.
“Those are all my questions.” Thorn smiled at Nissa and offered his hand once more. “I will leave you and Tommy to your lunch date. If you decide to come on board, I will look forward to working with you.”
“That’s it?” Nissa raised an eyebrow, glancing between them. “No questions about security clearance or combat skills?”
“Given your background, I think we can safely assume you are more than qualified,” Thorn said, a faint smile tugging at his mouth as he gathered his things. He nodded to Tommy, who was chuckling softly as he tipped the chopped vegetables into a large bowl.
“Yeah, we weren’t worried about that,” Tommy echoed as the Serbian left the room. “We just wanted a general idea of what you’re capable of. Thorn’s an excellent judge of character, and if he thinks you’re a good fit, I trust him.”
He held up a tub of feta cheese. “I wasn’t sure how closely you keep kosher. I got the steaks from a kosher butcher just in case. Do you mix meat and dairy?”
A look of pure delight crossed Nissa’s face as she shook her head. “I don’t, more out of habit than actually following the rules, but thank you for thinking of it. It means a lot.”
“Of course.” The warmth in her eyes made the two hours he’d spent researching kosher guidelines completely worth it. “I wanted you to enjoy your meal.” He handed her a plate with her steak and gestured toward the salad bowl. “Go ahead. I’ll add cheese to mine.”
After they’d plated their food and moved to the table, Tommy set his napkin in his lap and took a sip of sparkling water before looking across at her with an easy grin. “So,” he said, his tone turning playful, “do you want to talk about the job or spend a little time getting to know each other?”
Chapter Twelve: First Operative
Thorn
The following year passed in a whirlwind of emotional and professional ups and downs, long nights with little sleep and plenty of one-step-forward, two-steps-back moments. Sloane Security Services was up and running under Thorn’s careful, pragmatic guidance, and combined with Tommy’s business sense and connections, they managed to break even by the end of the second quarter, with early projections suggested they’d see a substantial profit by year’s end.
Nissa had been impressed by Tommy’s business plan when he first shared it with her and, to his surprise, made several suggestions that helped him streamline how the company offered its services. They kept in touch while she was finishing her debrief period with Shin Bet, and once she received clearance in July, Tommy had Sloane Tech’s immigration lawyer draft the paperwork for an O-1 “extraordinary ability” visa under Sloane Enterprises. She spent Hanukkah with her parents and, after one last Sylvester celebration with friends in Tel Aviv, packed up her apartment and returned to New York. By January 3, she was set up in her apartment Tommy helped her find near Sloane Tower and ready to start work.
