A Spy in Exile

“You’re out of your mind,” Aslan said.

”Maybe,” Ya’ara responded. “But we have no alternative.”

“Taking six cadets whose names we barely know and throwing them headfirst into an affair that may be connected to terrorism or Russian espionage, with the German intelligence service unknowingly providing you with the leads to follow, leads that the Germans themselves may subsequently take an interest in and then very soon be onto you . . .” Aslan sighed. “Ya’ara, creative thinking is not another word for suicide.”

“Look, Aslan, this is an amazing opportunity. We’re not in the charity business here. Regardless of my fondness for Matthias, you and I have already agreed to throw them into the deep end and to conduct the training overseas from day one. So this is it—the deep end.”

“Yes, the deep end . . . but there’s a difference between conducting the training gradually, in a structured manner, with drills, drills, and more drills, and safety margins that allow for error, and an orderly process of debriefing and drawing conclusions and learning lessons, and what you’re proposing now. You’re taking a group of skilled individuals—some of whom, by the way, are pretty deeply scarred—and you’re asking them to fly an F-16 before they’ve even learned the fundamental principles of flight.”

“That’s not entirely accurate. We’ll be there, and Matthias will be somewhere in the background, too. That’s three professionals. You and I will oversee their activities, provide real-time instruction, carry out debriefings on street corners or cafés, and send them out to press ahead with their missions and tasks with the two of us right there, with them. Paradoxically, it gives us something of an advantage, too. They’re so green, they truly have no clue what they’re doing, so they won’t be operating conventionally. If anyone’s on the lookout, they may not even notice them at all, since they won’t be following all the familiar patterns.”

“Amateurism is never an advantage. It doesn’t do the job.”

“I know, but there is something to it nevertheless. We’re breaking the mold. That’s why we’re setting up this unit. To be different. Besides, we need to begin establishing ties with people like Matthias—outsiders—who can serve as our angels in the future. Our secret guardians. And despite what I said earlier, Matthias is a friend. Period. Let’s try for a chance to do something out of friendship rather than just our own self-interest.”

“The only good thing that could possibly come out of this is for this entire crazy project of ours to blow up in our faces at the very start. And then, with time off for good behavior, we may be released sooner than expected.”

“Don’t be so morbid. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m always up for trying new things,” Aslan said, his eyes glinting with a smile. “How can I put it? I’m game for anything humanly possible.” Ya’ara looked at him in surprise, but the narrowed eyes that looked back at her suggested that he could be teasing her. She relaxed.