This pool has an automated cleaning system that releases chlorine into the pool from several dozen injection points along the bottom of the pool for more rapid and even distribution of the chemicals.
Snazzy, she commented wryly.
Did someone forget to turn the system off? Torsten asked.
Avi nodded. Thats what Olympic officials are saying.
Rebel frowned. If the chemical was supposed to be distributed evenly, then why werent the American women athletes affected much? Why were athletes on one side of the pool hit worse than the rest?
Could be your athletes were in a part of the pool where the water wasnt being churned up as actively, Avi offered.
She didnt argue, but the explanation didnt sit right with her.
I dont know about you, Avi commented, but Im hungry. I havent eaten since noon, and its been an active evening for me. He threw her a significant look.
She got the message. Chasing her had been part of that activity. Rolling her eyes at him, she remarked, Gee. My teammates and I have been trained, in a crisis, to ignore simple bodily urges like hunger. I would have thought a big, macho guy like you would know how to do that, too.
Torsten grinned and slapped Avi on the shoulder. Score one for the lady.
Yes, but the crisis is over, Avi retorted. Now is the time to attend to my bodys needs.
Well, hell. There went her stomach jumping around like an excited puppy again. She was not interested in his bodys needshunger or otherwise.
How about that supper you and I were going to have? Avi asked her.
Panic flitted through her belly. Are you hungry, sir? she asked Torsten. Do you want to join us?
Nah. Ill have a pile of incident reports to fill out after this mess. Im going to head back to the office and get started on that. You two go eat.
Her and the hot Israeli alone? Together? She didnt know whether to be delighted or terrified... Definitely terrified. Shed never dated anyone in remotely the same realm of hotnessnot a date, dammit. It would be a working supper. No more.
He glanced at Avi. Can I give you two a ride somewhere?
Sure. Drop us off at the north gate.
He wanted to leave the village, did he? Shed assumed they would just go to the huge, inflatable tent that was the village dining hall. The white tent would easily hold two football fields and was ringed with food stations offering literally any kind of food a person could imagine, from every corner of the world. Chefs and food were shipped in to meet the wants and needs of each delegation present.
They arrived at the gated checkpoint, and Torsten stopped the cart. Avi hopped off and held out a hand to help her out of the backseat. More hesitantly than she wanted to let on, she laid her hand in his palm. His hand was big and warm and gentle, encompassing hers lightly as his fingers wrapped around her hand.
She had no doubt that hand could crush her windpipe. Casually. Hence the gentleness of Avis grip was striking.
Drat. There went her stomach again.
He released her hand, but her stomach didnt go back to normal.
Sheesh. He was just being polite. And she appreciated the gentlemanly gesture. It was always a bit of a balancing act being around menshe didnt mind being treated like a lady as long as they understood that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, too.
Although truth be told, she doubted Avi actually took her the least bit seriously. The good news: it wasnt her job to convince him of anything. She was merely here to trade information on Mahmoud Akhtar and then get on with her regularly scheduled life.
Avi, however, seemed inclined to go for a stroll and enjoy the sights. To that end, he led her away from the gate and wound into the blocked-off streets still impressively jammed with partying pedestrians. With the games starting tomorrow, everybody who planned to attend the Olympics was pretty much in town by now.
Have you gotten an opportunity to get out and see Sydney, yet? he asked her, leaning in close to be heard without shouting.
Gosh dog it, she really did need to eat, if for no other reason than to weigh down her stomach and keep it from hopping around like a bunny in her belly.
I havent done any sightseeing, she confessed. We hit the ground running when we got here and dived right into helping with our delegations security requirements.
You Americans. Always in such a hurry.
We get more done that way, she retorted.
Whats the point, though, if you miss the beauty of life along the way?
Philosopher, are you?
He shrugged. I enjoy every moment as much as I can. And I try not to take anything for granted before I die. Lifes short, after all.
Thats a pretty dark view of the world, she responded.
I live in a country where every time you step out of your house you knowingly put your life at risk. And I dont exactly have a boring, routine job.
Still. I try not to dwell on death. I would rather focus on being and staying alive.
On that we are in complete accord, he murmured, ushering her across a blocked-off street crowded with pedestrians. They slipped into a dark little restaurant called The Adler, and the sudden silence was a relief from the noisy party outside.
The bay window of the restaurant held a large, carved wooden mountain with little wooden skiers mounted on its painted slopes, and a collection of cuckoo clocks hanging above it. She was going to go with this being a Swiss-themed joint.
They had no trouble getting a table and sat down in a booth in a back corner. A tea candle in a glass globe gave out most of the light, and the table had an odd well cut into the middle about a foot deep.
What is this place? she asked curiously.
Fondue joint, Avi replied. Best cheese fondue this side of Zermatt, Switzerland.
Huh. I took you for a steak and potatoes kind of guy.
He leaned back and grinned. Perhaps youre guilty of misjudging me as badly as I initially misjudged you.
What did you initially take me for, then?
A groupie who managed to sneak into the village to pick up hot athletes, he answered frankly.
Gee, thanks, she replied sarcastically.
He shrugged unapologetically. You wouldnt be the first one.
He wasnt wrong of course. Just yesterday, the American delegation had chased out a half-dozen drunk Polish guys from the American athlete building. Theyd claimed to be looking for an American high jumper who was also a high-fashion model and on the covers of all the fashion magazines these days.
If youre not a steak and potatoes guy, then how would you describe yourself? she challenged.
A waitress came and Avi ordered quickly in German: some sort of meal package for two, and then Rebels limited German gave out as he and the waitress conversed in the tongue quickly and fluently, ending on a laugh. Rebel had to stop herself from glaring off the flirting waitress, which privately stunned her. She had never been the jealous type before, and it wasnt like she had any claim on Avi Bronson, thank you very much.
The waitress brought a fondue pot filled with a creamy cheese sauce, a platter of bread cubes and a handful of long dipping forks.
Its hot, Avi warned her. Dont burn your mouth.
She nodded and dipped a bread cube in the smooth sauce that smelled lightly of wine and Emmentaler cheese. She blew on the bite and popped it in her mouth. Oh my God, she groaned. Thats fantastic.
Told you.
I will never question your culinary recommendations again.
He smiled a little as he dipped a cube of his own. I take my food very seriously.
What else do you take seriously? You never answered my question of how youd describe yourself.
He shrugged as he swirled a bread cube in the pot. I would like to think Im on my way to becoming a Renaissance man. You know what I do for my work. In my free time, I enjoy art, music, reading and good food.
What kind of art? she asked.
Modern interactive art is my passion, but I enjoy a good Rembrandt as much as the next person.
Music?
Every kind. Except Nazi-metalhead.
Books?
Thats a bit tricky. I prefer history or dead poets, but I make myself read literature and pop fiction.
Why?
To be well-rounded.
That all sounds terribly intellectual and dry. What do you do for fun?
He leaned forward, and a boyish smile hovered on his lips. I kill people.
Oh, puh-lease. She rolled her eyes at him. You must suck at your job if you have to whack people often. The idea is to get in and get out without being spotted and without ending up in a fight. Or didnt they teach you that part in Israel?
He laughed outright at her pithy observation. Well, damn. Most women are unbearably turned on by knowing I can kill.
Sorry. Its just an unpleasant part of the job to me.
The waitress removed their cheese fondue, which theyd mostly polished off between them, and replaced it with a bubbling pot of hot oil and a platter of meats and vegetables.
What makes you happy? Avi asked when theyd demolished most of the main course.
Happy? she echoed. I dont believe in happiness.
Why ever not? he exclaimed.
Because its a lie. People confuse pleasure with happiness, and most humans only want pleasure. Which is transient, fleeting and passes quickly. Its not worth ruining my life in pursuit of a few moments here and there that constitute mere pleasure.
Wow. Cynical much? he murmured.
She shrugged. Dont get me wrong. I enjoy my work. I take deep satisfaction from it, in fact. But thats because Im doing something important that will improve the quality of the world... I hope.
Avi shuddered. What a dreadful way to go through life.
Whats dreadful about being committed to my career?
Nothing. Im committed to mine, as well. Passionately.
Why passionately? she followed up.
Because I live in a small country surrounded by larger enemies. Israels ongoing survival is always an open question. Unlike your country with oceans on either side of it and no enemies on Earth who can match your power, my country is tiny and imminently crushable. It takes many people of passion to keep her safe.
Just because the United States is big and powerful doesnt mean we can stop working at staying safe. We have lots of enemies, and our size and power makes us a prime target. Hence, the need for people like me.
He nodded. We have a point of agreement, then. Both of our countries need robust security forces to ensure their safety.
Speaking of which, when do you expect to hear from your people about our friend? Im dying to know what they have to say about him.
One corner of his mouth turned up sardonically. Are you in such a big hurry to jump in bed with him, then?
She frowned across the table at them. They might have to speak elliptically about Mahmoud Akhtar in public, but she wasnt loving the sleeping with Akhtar analogy.
Avi grinned unrepentantly. Lighten up a little, Rebel. It was a joke.
Again, you didnt answer my question.
He sighed. You need to learn how to slow down. Relax a little. Like now. Enjoy the good food and exceptional company. There will be time later for business.
Great. He was clearly determined to torture her.
Except when the dessert course camea rich, silky, dark chocolate fondue and a platter of succulent fresh fruit, berries and delicate ladyfinger cookiesshe forgot her impatience and lost herself in savoring the delicious sweets.
Be careful, Rebel. Youre looking suspiciously close to happy over there.
I didnt say I dont like pleasure. Just that I dont live for it.
I fear, mademoiselle, that you are missing out on most of the best things in life with that grim philosophy of yours.
I am who I am, she retorted. She refrained from reminding him she didnt owe him a blessed thing. After all, she was supposed to work with this guy and trade information. No sense in antagonizing him outright.
Thats a rather Socratic take on life, he commented. How does the saying goI know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.
She retorted, I know Im intelligent, because I know better than to read people like Socrates and let them put my mind all in a twist.
Avi laughed warmly. Touché. He signaled for the bill and handed over a credit card before Rebel even had a chance to grab for the bill.
Next meals on me, she declared.
If it makes you feel better, Ill let you buy me supper sometime, he said evenly as he signed the check and tucked the receipt in his pocket. But its not necessary. I wont think any less of you as an independent woman because you do or dont insist on paying your own way.
Its a matter of principle for me, she admitted.
How so? Dont you like being taken care of?
More like I dont like being smothered.
He paused in the act of standing up to study her intently. After a moment, he finished straightening to his full height and gestured for her to precede him from the restaurant.
Dammit. Too revealing a comment. She shouldnt have said that. She slid out of the booth and headed for the front door.
The Adler was a narrow space, and as they slipped past a group of loud drunks at the bar, Avi placed a protective hand in the middle of her back. The touch was light, impersonal even, but it also declared clearly to all the men they sidled past to leave her the hell alone.
Lord knew, she could break in half most any man who groped her. But for some reason, she took comfort in Avi removing the need for her to be defensive for a change. Sometimes it got damned fatiguing having to be on guard against drunks, lechers and general idiots.
Theyd left the restaurant and were strolling back toward the village through still shockingly crowded streets before Avi murmured quietly, Who smothered you, Rebel?
She opened her mouth to declare it none of his business, but surprised herself by saying, Basically all the men in my life.
Even Gunnar Torsten?
You have to admit hes an intimidating man. Hard to know. Demanding. While I wouldnt say he smothers any of us, he is challenging to work with. But at least he believes women have a place in the...community. She omitted the words Special Forces, but Avi would know what shed meant.