“Isabella.” It was Bisch. He’d called her by her name.
She stopped at the door.
“You should rest,” he said. “You have been awake for—I do not even know how long. The work can wait.”
Something passed between them. Just when I was sure she would wave him off, she nodded and said, “Yes, I believe you are right.”
Without another word, she strode out of the kitchen, down the hall, and closed her bedroom door behind her.
38
Will
The day passed in a blur.
Thomas and I had just eaten a late lunch when the telephone rang. Everyone froze and stared at the machine as though it might leap off the table and bite one of us.
The doctor chuckled as he stepped forward and placed a hand on the receiver. “I do live here, and people occasionally call me. Would you all please just relax?”
“Hallo,” he said into the phone.
We waited as he listened to whatever the caller said. His eyes flicked from the phone to Thomas and me, then away again. A moment later, his hand extended with the receiver. “It is for you. Washington.”
“Well, shit,” Thomas muttered. “Think they just remembered my birthday?”
I rolled my eyes. “Your birthday is in June.”
“Theyarethe government.” He shrugged. Then his hand found the small of my back and he shoved me forward. “You should take it. Manakin likes you better.”
This actually earned a laugh. “Fuck you.”
“After the call,” he said.
“Whoa,” Danny said, holding up his hands in the universal “I surrender” pose. “That’swaymore than we need to know.”
Thomas turned and winked at the beefy man.
I reached out and took the phone from the doctor, then reluctantly held it to my ear. “This is Emu.”
“Emu, Manakin,” came through a static-filled line.
“Yes, sir,” I said, then turned and mouthed “Manakin” to Thomas.
“I’ll be quick. I’m calling from the White House. The Director and I are briefing the President in fifteen minutes.” I could hear the bustle of serious people in the background. “You two saved lives. You may have saved Switzerland and the international banking system, too.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t fucking thank me yet,” he growled, then lowered his voice. “You ignored direct orders. You put the CIA and, by extension, the United States, at risk. Had things gone sideways, we would’ve had a shitstorm to clean up while the Soviets celebrated. You two were wholly reckless and insubordinate.”
“We . . . uh . . . did what we thought was right, sir.”
“I get that, and I don’t care. You didn’t just violate the chain of command, you brokemytrust. Get back to Paris. Then I want you and Condor on a plane to Washington. I warned you there would be consequences if you went rogue. The bill’s come due.”
I blinked, unable to speak.
“Emu?”
“Sorry, sir. I understand.”
