4. Set-up
Jack was walking along the Palazzo Vecchio on his way to dinner in the Piazza della Signoria. His friend, Pietro Armannia, a member of Interpol, had recommended this restaurant as one of the best in the central city. He was musing on what had taken place the past week: his visit had turned into a shopping trip for a home and he’d been able to talk to Pietro before committing to anything.
Pietro found him an apartment home a few blocks from City Hall in one direction and the Duomo in another. It needed some painting and a little fixing of the bathroom and kitchen. However, some of the electrical wiring needed updating as he would have a couple of computers, but his friend told him he would oversee it while Jack returned to the States to close up his home and get his financials in order.
He was feeling good and thinking about her. He’d planned to retire, but not outside the States until…that night in LA. He’d thought he would never see his beautiful Irina again only to have her there…in his home. The thirteen or so hours they’d spent together was extraordinary and he found himself totally in love again or was it ‘still’? He’d mentioned retiring and she’d mentioned not coming to the U.S. to live again. He’d proposed that he retire to Paris or Rome. He had a feeling that Florence would also be acceptable.
A flash of someone approaching caught his eye and he glanced to his left. “Irina!” He gaped at the woman coming toward him from the Uffizi.
She stopped and looked at him with a broad smile on her face. “Jack? What are you doing here?” Irina kissed him on both cheeks.
“Retiring. I just bought an apartment/home here in the city.” She looked stunning, Jack thought, staring.
“Retiring? I thought Rome or Paris?” She fell into step with him taking his arm.
“Come to dinner with me?” He asked. “I’ll tell you everything then. A friend of mine, Pietro Armannia, is meeting me there. He helped me find the apartment.”
She put her hand under his arm. “So you really did it?”
“Yes!” His heart beat a little faster.
They walked in silence as he maneuvered her through the gathering crowds. It was early for some, but Pietro insisted they have an early meeting so he could go home to his family. Jack saw the restaurant and skillfully maneuvered Irina into the outside area. A few patrons sat drinking coffee and some whistled their approval of the slim, tall woman who preceded the man into the restaurant itself.
Pietro stood up from the seat at a table. “Jack!” His eyes swept over the woman with his friend in appreciation. “What a surprise.”
Jack grinned, helping Irina into a chair. “Pietro Armannia, my wife, Irina.”
“No merda!” Pietro’s expletive caught Jack and Irina in surprise. “You never told me about a wife. What a lucky man!”
Irina’s eyes twinkled as she held out her hand. Pietro bent over and kissed it. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Sorry about the…but you are a beautiful surprise. I didn’t think this old dog had it in him.”
“He definitely has it,” Irina jibed back laughing.
“How long have you been married?”
“Ummm well, we’ve been separated and only just recently got back together. Let’s order dinner and drinks.” Jack hoped his answer wasn’t too lame.
Pietro looked at his watch. “Listen Jack, you don’t want to spend too much time with me. Let me tell you the plan while you are gone.” He fished some cards out of his pocket. “These men will do a good job. They are not the fastest, but they are excellent at what they do.” He listed the items Jack needed fixing in the apartment he bought. “I will see to it that everything is done properly.”
“How long do you think it will take them?”
“A month, at best!”
Irina’s eyebrows shot up. “A month? Surely it could be done in a couple of weeks!”
Jack laughed lightly, “Darling, obviously you haven’t lived in Italy. After dinner, let me show you the place.”
“I’d love to see it.”
Pietro called the waiter over and ordered for Jack. “Something special and wine to go with a beautiful woman. Please be my guest tonight.”
“But…?”
“No buts…” He kissed Irina’s hand again. “Goodbye Signora, I hope to see you again…soon.”
“Absolutely,” she flashed him a brilliant smile. She watched him leave. Turning to Jack she asked, “How did you come to know him?”
“He’s with Interpol.” Jack watched the waiter return with a bottle of wine and a bottle of Pelligrino water. Turning to Irina, he asked, “Tell me, what are you doing in Florence?”
“Why don’t I wait until we are in your apartment.” She put her hand over his. “I’m sure there will be no one listening.” She took a sip of wine.
“As you wish. How is Sasha?” He picked up his wine glass which the waiter had filled moments ago.
“Fine, I think. I haven’t seen her in awhile. She’s busy working.”
“Doing what?”
Irina leaned back in her chair, a smile on her face. “Now Jack, that’s her business, not ours.”
“Is she all right? I mean she’s not in any danger?”
“She’s very good at what she does. I’ll tell you more when we’re in your apartment.”
An hour later, they were at the door to his apartment located over a dry goods store on the Via Anita, a short street between Via Ghibellina and Via Vigna Vecchia. They had to walk up a stone staircase which looked very old. The door was oak and looked massive. Jack had an antique key in his hand that he used to open the door. He stepped aside to allow Irina to enter first.
“Moya boje,” she whispered.
The main room was large, almost thirty-five feet long with a window at the left wall, overlooking the street below. There was a sofa on her left and at that end of the room, a large fireplace. Two leather chairs sat on either side of the fireplace and a companion loveseat faced the wall beyond on which there was a flat plasma television. It was the only modern piece of furniture she saw. Evidently Jack had done very little decorating. The ceilings were at least ten feet high with an old intricate decorative molding placed about a foot from the top.
To her right was a small entryway table with a very old fashioned lamp on it, which he’d turned on as they entered. Beyond it was a large ornate oak desk with a chair. Beyond it, a dining table with five chairs that matched the one in front of the desk. The table was oak also as were the chairs. Behind the table was a long wall filled with books in the middle of which was a door. At one end of the table, behind the chair was another bookcase. Behind the other end of the table was the entry into the kitchen.
Irina glanced inside it and saw that it was filled with cupboards, large stove, refrigerator with a freezer, and several kitchen aides including a toaster and coffee maker. She suspected there was a full compliment of utensils and the cupboards would be filled with food, dishes and glasses. Jack liked his comforts, especially the kitchen to be complete first. She also bet he had his private bar set up on a nearby shelf.
“How long have you owned this?”
“A couple of weeks.”
Her eyes gleamed, “Enough time,” she commented, confirming in her mind what was behind the closed cupboards.
“Come let me show you the bedroom,” he said. He opened the door beside the bookcase, allowing her to precede him inside.
She stopped, astonished by the sight of an old four-posted bed on the right, including canopy. It sat on a raised dais. The posts and headboard were filled with ornate carvings. The bed was made up and a rich tapestry-like coverlet. Matching tapestry covered pillows sat decoratively against the coverlet which was pulled up.
“Jack, it is…krasiveyshe.” She stepped further inside and looked around to see matching armoires, a chest and a door, which looked like it led to a closet. There was an open door which probably was the bathroom. Again the ceilings were the same as in the front part of his home. “This is old, very old, Jack.”
“Heating might be a problem, but a couple of sweaters will make it warm enough.” He put his arm around her narrow waist. “I’m having it re-painted and new fixtures for the bathroom, a new toilet and maybe later on, lowering the ceilings.
“Don’t – they are too beautiful.”
Jack had already decided that he would leave them, but he wanted to see what Irina would say. He turned her to face him. “Stay with me tonight?”
“Um hum, I think I’d like that,” and she leaned up to kiss him.
Their love-making had been done as a slow dance, but ended satisfactorily for both of them. They had fallen asleep for a few hours. Then Irina awakened, laying on her side, and looking at Jack who was also awake, asked “Tell me, are you really retired…full time?”
He opened his eyes, nodded, and yawned. “Yes, sweetheart, completely. I’m not even telling them where I moved to, because, knowing them if something came up involving Italy, they’d want me to look into it. My money will be deposited in a bank in New York and from there travels to several banks, before it ends up here.” He stretched languidly, his eyes taking in all of her.
“So they will know nothing about…us?”
“Not a thing…”
“Jack, I’ve been thinking about helping the CIA get rid of Alliance and SD-6.” Her hand touched him on the cheek.
“You? How could you help?” He turned onto his side, resting his left hand on her hip.
“I have contacts and…people who work for me.” She leaned over and holding his chin, kissed him. “Create dissension among the members, many of whom I know, and cause a creeping distrust among them. I think Arvin Sloane may be the key here to start the beginning of end. Alexandra could help.”
“I’d like to keep her out of it.”
“Jack,” she moved her hand to his right breast and played with his nipple. “You’ve got to be realistic. She’s in a perfect position to help us.” She leaned in and kissed with a deepening desire exploring his mouth, teeth, gums—every part of it. She thrust her tongue down his throat, growling.
Jack felt the desire and emotion rise up in him again. Her tongue danced inside his mouth as a fire started in his loins. He pushed her away slightly. “Damn it, Irina, I can’t think if you keep doing that. I…” He gasped as her hand gathered his balls in its palm, her fingers massaging them at first gently, then with increasing intensity.
“I want you again,” she panted, all thought of the conversation’s purpose disappearing. She pushed him back down, feeling the hardness of his penis growing.
Straddling him, she stared down at him. She felt herself oozing and knew she was almost ready. She touched him and knew he was too. Irina lifted herself and settled down, feeling the stiffening penis slide easily inside. She groaned. Desire to being fulfilled was her only thought as she kneeled forward slowly feeling him come out a couple of inches. She moved back again, sitting slowly down feeling him enter all the way. He was still growing.
“Ohhhh,” she moaned, the desire causing her to shake slightly. “How I’ve missed you, you son of a bitch!”
Jack reached up with his hands, putting them around her waist and thrust upward, his own excitement beginning to peak. “Fuk you, you felgercarb-assed whore, I’ll teach you who is the boss.” He moved her up and down slowly, seeing the glazed look in her eyes growing with their every movement.
“Gad!” She breathed, sitting back and now feeling every inch of him.
“Pizda,” he snarled. He gripped her breasts and squeezed them as she moved up and down, gasping with each downward motion trying to capture more of him.
Their bodies glistened with sweat as their movements went faster. Irina felt the fire inside her explode, hurtling her into a thousand tiny pieces. She gasped, crying, “Zaebat’.”
“My pleasure!” He said. “Ty troop” From somewhere outside his body, Jack kept his hands firmly on her breasts, pumping her as she cried out screaming again and again.
She toppled off him finally, falling beside him, fulfilled and exhausted. Her chest heaved and she could feel herself come again and again each one decreasing in length. She groaned with the pleasurable heat that ran from her toes to her throat. Irina closed her eyes, sighing. “You will never leave me again, Jack, even if I have to shackle you to the bed.”
He laughed and kissed her. He was sated completely. At his age, two mind-blowing fuks in less than five hours was his limit, if he’d ever thought about it. Irina was his woman. He wanted her with him more than anything else in the world. “Ya tebya lyublyu, moya milochka. Ya tebya lyublyu.” Jack took a hand in his and kissed the palm softly.
“Ya nahozhusy v vlyublennosti s vami, Ivan.”
“Jack,” he reminded and then kissed her.
“I know,” she sighed, “but I am used to you as Ivan. Sometimes, like now, after we’ve made love, I remember you as my husband—you know, in Moscow.”
“Irina, I…” He sighed. “That was another lifetime, darling. I’d like to think that we’re just finding each other…as though we’re discovering love for the first time.” He reached down and pulled the sheet over the lower half of their bodies.
“As much as I love you, I still hate what you did—leaving us.” She whispered.
“Irina, I had to or else you and Sasha would have been killed. There was an assassin in place. If I didn’t leave, he had orders to kill us all.” His voice was earnest wanting her to believe him.
She stared at him. “They would sanction that—your country…the one that professes to be so pure?”
“Yes, but that is politics, moya milochka!” He reached out with his right hand and caressed her thigh. “My government is no different than yours, especially during the Cold War and it was a very cold war.”
She turned over on her stomach and nodded. “Da.”
“And,” he paused, “it would have been done as an accident: car crash, fire, or something like that. No bullets or knives since that would have fueled more ‘war’ games between our two nations. It was leave or die here…with you and Sasha. I couldn’t let that happen.”
She turned her head and looked at him. “Da. Spasibo.” She knew that the spies sent to the United States were also under such threats. She’d even received a communication once from an assassin who confirmed the death of an entire family because the mother who was Russian refused to leave.
“Now you mentioned you would tell me why you were in Florence…how about it?”
“I’d like you to un-retire!”
“My God, why?”
“I told you, I plan to help the CIA bring down Arvin Sloane and The Alliance. I will turn myself into the CIA next week. I want you to be the only person I will talk to there.”
“Irina, that’s dangerous. You could be kept in prison. I looked over the data we had on The Man earlier and you’ve been very busy building your reputation over the past…”
“Ten years.”
“Yes and now the CIA is looking into your activities regarding the blackmail of certain high government officials in the U.S. My guess is that they could charge you with all sorts of felonies and more.”
She laughed and played with his nipple. She looked him slyly, “You’re saying you retired early because of me?”
“No sweetheart, I really don’t care at this point what you’re involved in. I’m not a CIA agent any longer. However, I do know the people who are still working for the Company and it might be stickier than you think.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “I will have to take my chances, won’t I?”
He stared at her, “You really aren’t afraid?”
“No,” she said shaking her head. “Sweetheart, I know exactly who and what we are up against and, again, no I have no fear as long as you are there. We must be careful and not let our feelings be revealed.” She laid back against his shoulder, pulling up the sheet over the both of them. “And now…” she continued, “I want to sleep.”
“I may have something that will give us better odds.”
“Later. Let me sleep.”
TBC
ITALIAN TRANSLATION
Merda - felgercarb
RUSSIAN TRANSLATIONS
Krasiveyshe – beautiful
Gad – asshole
Pizda – cunt
Zaebat’ – to fuk someone until they are exhausted
Ya tebya lyublyu – I love you
Moya milochka – My darling
Ya nahozhusy v vlyublennosti s vami - - I am in love with you
Ty troop – You are dead!