The Blacklist (sequel to The Reluctant Spy)

Coming Clean

By the time Lucas and Nyssa exited the pods, two security guards flanked Nyssa and escorted her to one of the interrogation rooms. Lucas tried to object and block one of the guards from touching Nyssa, but Nyssa placed her hands on his shoulder to reassure him that she was fine. Nyssa followed the guards without question while Lucas headed straight for Harry's office.

“Harry, what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” Lucas demanded as he charged inside.

Connie was standing in front of Harry, who was seated behind his desk. Ros occupied one of the two chairs across from the desk. Harry closed a file on his desk and handed it to Connie. He motioned for Connie to close the door as she left them.

Once Connie had left the room, Harry pointed at the empty chair next to Ros. He suspected that he would get this type of reaction from Lucas knowing how he felt about Nyssa. He prepared his explanation before his officer arrived. He also made a mental note that he would throw in a lecture about insubordination as well.

“Lucas, I know what you’re about to say…,” Harry began.

“She came in willingly, Harry. This is not necessary,” interrupted Lucas rather heatedly.

“If she continues to go off on her own and keep vital intel from us, it was very necessary,” said Ros.

“Malcolm finished analyzing the transmitter that was found in Marilyn’s home,” said Harry before Lucas could lose his temper with Ros. “It is a Russian device quite commonly used by the FSB. If the Russians are involved then Nyssa may be in real danger.”

Lucas calmed down and focused on what Harry was saying. So many thoughts suddenly came to mind at the mention of the FSB. Could those men that Nyssa said were at the house be FSB? Or, maybe Elizabeta unwittingly alerted them to Nyssa residing in London. Either way, a wave of fear for Nyssa was building inside him.

“I have a meeting with Elizabeta in the morning. She's supposed to tell me what the FSB knows about Nyssa,” said Lucas.

“Do you trust Elizabeta?” asked Harry. Lucas nodded.

“I trust that she told them exactly what I told her to say, but that alone may have alerted them, Harry.”

The worry began to show on Lucas' face. Ros and Harry exchanged looks, and Ros thought it was best to proceed to the next question with caution.

“Did Nyssa tell you anything about why she switched places with her sister this morning?” asked Ros.

“She was going to meet with Bakari Essam. He's an old friend with CIA connections. She wants him to obtain a copy of the memo authorizing her blacklist. She thinks it might lead her to the name of the person who blacklisted her.”

“And, do you believe her? Considering she has disobeyed orders and lied to us repeatedly,” said Ros. Her dislike of Nyssa was evident in her tone.

“This time, she is telling the truth,” Lucas said in frustration. “She's beginning to trust me, Harry. As long as we work together on this operation, she will share any intelligence that she uncovers. This way, I can keep an eye on her.”

But, Harry was not convinced. Lucas' name was also on that list that they retrieved from Marlin's memory stick. He would be putting them both at risk if he sent Lucas into the field with Nyssa to dig further into this blacklist. He just could not agree to such a deal, no matter how better it would be to have an ex-CIA operative working with them. Nyssa had resources that even he could not fathom.

“For now, let her believe that you are working with her until she gets that memo, but do not tell her what we know,” ordered Harry.

Lucas did not like lying to her again after working so hard to gain her trust, but he had very little choice in the matter. At least, he and Nyssa had a lead of their own. Marilyn met those men who bugged her house. They could trace who was behind all of this through them.

Lucas reluctantly agreed to Harry's decision before the three of them left the office. Lucas was ordered to stay behind while Harry and Ros spoke to Nyssa on their own. If she told them what she told Lucas, Harry would release her but have a surveillance team watch her every move.

Nyssa was taken to a room with grey walls and a white tile floor. There was a metal table in the center with three metal chairs, two on one side and a third facing the opposite. The room was dark except for a single florescent ceiling light illuminating the table and chairs.

Nyssa was ordered to sit in the single chair and wait until her interviewer, the security officer called him, arrived. Nyssa smiled to herself and sat down without resistance.

It was at least twenty minutes of staring at the four darkened walls until the door opened, and Harry and Ros walked in. They took the empty chairs at the table facing Nyssa. Harry had a single file folder in his hand.

“Nyssa, you’ve been very busy this morning,” said Ros in a smirking tone.

“Ever the charmer, Ros,” said Nyssa sarcastically. “You seem stressed out. You need to relax, maybe get a boyfriend and get laid once in a while.”

Ros' face went from a smirking smile to a hard stare as Harry intervened before these two mountains cats started scratching at each other. Nyssa leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms waiting for the lecture to begin.

“Where were you this morning?” Harry asked in a low voice.

Nyssa thought about lying but decided against it. She knew that Lucas told them what she said while she was locked in the interrogation room. How much he told them was the mystery. She would have to be careful what details she left out.

“I went to see an old friend,” she answered.

Harry opened the folder and produced a photograph whereas he slid it on the table toward Nyssa. It was a close up of Bakari Essam standing in front of the Savoy.

“Do you know this man?” Harry asked.

Nyssa looked at the photo but stayed composed. She gave nothing away to Harry and Ros.

“I have a question for you,” she said changing the subject. “What were you doing this morning? I thought the surveillance on Nyssa McBride had ended when I signed your Secrets Act.”

“You and your sister violated our agreement. Our deal changed the moment you began keeping secrets from me,” said Harry. His anger became clear in his tone. “Now, I will ask you again, and for your sake, you had better tell me the truth. Do you know this man?”

Without looking at the photo again, Nyssa chose to stare directly into Harry's eyes. She kept calm, even though her own temper was slipping.

“Yes.” She took a breath. “He is an old friend of mine.”

After she answered his question, Harry also took a long breath and leaned back in his chair. He dropped his eyes for a moment before he resumed his questioning. He felt like he was finally getting somewhere with her.

“What was your business with him? Take great care how you answer that question. My patience is wearing thin,” he said.

“What I do in my personal life is my business, not yours, Harry,” she said defiantly.

“Everything you do, Nyssa, is our business. I am giving you this one chance to be honest and work with us. I promise you, it will not come around again.”

Nyssa was stoic for a moment before speaking again. She stared defiantly at Ros and Harry deciding what to do. She hated being ordered around and really detested being threatened, but she was not the only one they would go after if she did not cooperate. She had Lucy to think about.

“If you are meddling into your blacklist case, it has to stop now, or I will have you arrested along with your sister,” said Harry.

“Why are you trying to stop me, Harry? What are keeping from me?” she demanded as she leaned forward across the table.

“We’re done!” Harry said to Ros as he gathered up the photograph and stood from his chair with Ros following behind. He turned back toward Nyssa before walking away from the table.

“When we find your sister, the two of you will be escorted to a cell where you will wait for your American authorities to extradite you back to your country to face charges.”

He turned and headed for the door with Ros taking one last look at Nyssa before following her boss. When Harry got to the door, Nyssa called him back. The pair stopped and turned toward her.

“I'm sure Lucas already told you what I was doing this morning, or you wouldn’t give up so easily,” she said, still seated in her chair with her arms crossed.

“Why do you think I have given up?” Harry slowly walked back into the light.

“You know me too well to know that a simple threat like that might work on cop shows but not on me. You still need me because whatever it is that you aren’t telling me is still out there. I am the key to your little puzzle, and you won’t let me go without using me to help you solve it.”

There was a moment of silence between them before she continued.

“Okay, you win this one. I was looking into my blacklist by asking Bakari to get some information for me. That's all I have at the moment, so call off your hunting party and leave Lucy alone.”

“Stop looking into this case, and I will consider it. The surveillance stays until I feel I can trust you. Do not make any attempts to escape them again.”

With that, Harry turned on his heels and both of them left the room. Harry wanted to let Nyssa sit in there for at least a few more hours before he released her. He wanted her where he could watch her until the surveillance team was in place.

“An arrogant little pain in the ass,” said Ros as she and Harry headed down the hallway toward Harry's office.

“Maybe, Ros, but she’s right. The only way we can find anything on this shadow faction is by using her to draw them out.”

“Then, why not let her follow her own leads?”

“Her actions might provoke them too early. Remember that Lucas’ name was on that list too. Whatever plans they have, I want to try and stay one step ahead of them. Make them come to us.”

“And, Lucas? Given his relationship with Nyssa, do you still trust him?” asked Ros.

Harry knew where this was going, and he knew that Ros had a problem trusting Lucas to do his job when it came to Nyssa. She felt he had a blind spot.

Ros' issues were not directed at Lucas personally but at Nyssa. She feared that Nyssa was corrupting their officer. She could see it in his eyes every time he looked at Nyssa. It was the same look she saw in herself when she looked at Adam.

Ros knew Lucas was falling for Nyssa, but did Nyssa feel the same way? Or, was Nyssa using him, playing him for a fool?

“Lucas may have emotional ties to this woman, but I trust his loyalty to the service. He is right about her trusting him. Whatever intel he gets from her, he will tell us. That is how we can control her,” said Harry.

Lucas was uncomfortable with the idea of Harry and Ros interrogating Nyssa like a criminal. He hoped that given the state that his boss and section chief were in, Nyssa would finally cooperate and tell them what they wanted to know. Yet, given what he knew of Nyssa’s stubborn personality, that was a shot in the dark.

When Harry and Ros came back from the interrogation room, Lucas confronted them about what was to happen to Nyssa. Harry told him that the round-the-clock surveillance would resume as a punishment for sending them on a wild chase that morning. In addition, Lucas was to remain by her side to find out the name on the blacklist memo and any other secrets she might be keeping from them.

For now, Nyssa was to stay as their ‘guest’ for the remainder of the afternoon while the surveillance team was setting up. At least, Lucas felt somewhat relieved that she would be safe. With Nyssa under the watchful eye of the service, Lucas was free to put the plan regarding Zach, the con artist, in motion.

Lucas left Harry's office and pulled his mobile from his pocket to dial Jack's number. He would go back to his flat and redress into his rich playboy character to meet with Zach at the club.

“Jack, it's Lucas... Nyssa is fine and safe...... I'm phoning about another matter. Are you up for a drink at a club?”