“I don’t understand?’ offered Borodin shaking his head.
Surkov smiled. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”
With that, Borodin jumped up from the sofa. He had had enough of the smart mouthed obsequious scientist. However, before he could cover the distance between the two sofas, Surkov moved with a speed somewhat belying his age and managed to avoid the mass of the General landing on him.
“You misunderstand me, I was not bating you comrade. I wouldn’t expect you to understand because you do not know what we do here at Grebnevo.”
Borodin picked himself up and looked Surkov in the eye for any sign of mischief. None existed, nor however was there any sign of fear. Borodin was a large man, far larger than the diminutive and aged Surkov. Throughout his career he had instilled fear in all before him, even presidents of Russia feared him and he would never throw himself in anger towards them. The more time Borodin spent with Surkov, the less he understood him and the more Borodin feared him.
“So what do you do here?” asked Borodin, retaking his original seat and mustering all of his composure.
“We will come to that. First, let us finish discussing the details of our Mr Fox.”
“Why is he a risk?”
“Now, General, you are beginning to ask the right question! We don’t know that he is but there’s a chance he may be.”
Borodin began to realize the chance of anything resembling a straight answer or explanation was unlikely.
Surkov could see the frustration building in Borodin and continued. He had already pushed him over the brink and was very close to alienating him. Something which he would rather avoid. The General was, after all, a useful ally but one that he wanted an upper-hand with.
“You were right when you mentioned we train spies here at Grebnevo. It’s just that is not all we do here. However let’s consider Sean Fox.”
“Sean Fox was a star even before he was born, his father’s career ensured Sean Fox would have the world at his feet!”
Surkov stopped talking and looked at Borodin, waiting for a reaction to what he had just said as if he had just solved the answer to life, the universe and pretty much everything that remained unanswered.
Borodin’s head tilted to the side, his mind was racing trying desperately to work out if he had missed something or if that was Surkov’s revelation. Sean Fox was destined to be a star!
“You don’t understand!” scoffed Surkov.
“What’s to understand? You haven’t said anything!” replied Borodin, even more confused.
Surkov’s eye’s raised to the ceiling in frustration. He had been informed Borodin had a superb mind. From all he had seen and what Surkov had told him, Borodin should have been able to understand Grebnevo. He was going to have to give him the foolproof tour.
“Come with me General and I will blow your mind!” offered Surkov, rising from the sofa.
Borodin followed and exactly two hours later was picking up Vasiliy from the coffee shop where he had been deposited earlier.
“General!” offered Vasiliy as he stepped into the Zil.
“Vasiliy,” replied Borodin. As Surkov had promised, Borodin was in a far better mood than he had been when Vasiliy had been left.
For the duration of their short trip back to the helicopter, neither spoke a word.
As they boarded the chopper and took off, Vasiliy waited for Borodin to unload but after a further ten minutes of silence could wait no longer, concerns of drugging his boss began to creep into his mind.
“Well?” asked Vasiliy breaking the silence.
“I’m still digesting what I have just witnessed!” explained Borodin the smile still affixed to his face.
“And?” prompted Vasiliy.
“Genius, utter and complete genius!” exclaimed Borodin.
Vasiliy waited for more, it wasn’t forthcoming. “What is?”
“Surkov, Grebnevo, Russia,” he said almost wistfully.
“General, are you OK?”
The concern in Vasiliy’s voice snapped Borodin out of his trance. “Of course, I am,” he said in his more usual gruff tone.
“Get me the Head of Spetsnaz team heading to Texas on the radio, I need to speak with him.”
“Whatever has happened?” asked Vasiliy trying to understand what was happening.
“He needs to understand his mission is the most important mission in a generation!”