The Man From U.N.C.L.E. When in Rome

Chapter 8: Nasty Business

The American Embassy

The dossier he had on Natalia "The Cat" Povlovsky was thick. Thanks to his man at INTERPOL, Waverly was thoroughly versed on his most recent recruit. The arrangement was temporary, but she was one of his for the moment. As much as he would have liked to keep Natalia for the team, INTERPOL had been tracking her for some years. Thanks to Solo, they had finally captured the elusive cat burglar who managed to escape them at every turn. Sometimes it takes a thief to catch a thief, he thought to himself. Waverly studied the woman with weary eyes. They were confined to his temporary office at the American Embassy for over an hour. She barely uttered two words to him. He didn't blame her. She was going to go to prison for a very long time. He looked down at the dossier again. There were enough charges to put her under the jail.

Grand Larceny
Conspiracy to commit larceny
Money laundering
Racketeering (all lesser charges included)
Reckless endangerment
Public endangerment
Conspiracy to aid a foreign government
Accessory to terrorism
Aiding and abetting
Obstruction of Justice

Some of the charges were decades old. Despite her mile-long rap sheet, Waverly felt compassion toward the woman. Growing up in Stravopol, Russia in the 30s couldn't have been easy. Natalia Mishka Povlovsky was born in 1931 in one of the most impoverished cities in the country. Her mother died just five years later of consumption. Natalia's father, Sergei Povlovsky was a hard-working man, but he never seemed to make enough to sustain his family. As a result, Natalia began her criminal career at the tender age of seven. She started off as a petty thief. It began with Pick pocketing and shoplifting until she graduated to breaking entries. At nine years old, her uncle Otto Povlovsky took her under his tutelage and began teaching her the art of lapidary. Natalia became quite accomplished at recognizing gemstones. There were rumors that she could spot a fake with the naked eye. Otto used his nieces special set of skills to increase his business by re-cutting and selling her fenced jewels.

Uncle Otto taught her well and soon Natalia branched out on her own. Although she wasn't born rich, the thief became adept at insinuating herself in the glittering social circles of the ultra-rich. Over the years she amassed quite a bit of wealth on her own and moved her ailing father from the bitter poverty he faced in Russia, to the sandy shores of Cuba. Sergei felt right at home in communist Cuba and Natalia was content enough to try her hand at retirement. Her retreat from a life of crime was short lived. When Cuba acquired the plans for the most powerful weapon in the world with no way of using it, Sergei found himself in a Cuban prison. And Natalia was forced out of retirement.

"These are very serious charges, Ms. Povlovsky," Waverly said in his soothing British accent. Perhaps if he tried another approach he might get some results. Waverly found the need for freedom proved to be a good motivator. "The racketeering charges alone are enough to put you away for a terribly long time."

Natalia jerked her head away from him. She already thought of ten different ways she could escape. Waverly wasn't an old man, but he was no spring chicken. She could take him. The air vent was the most plausible means of escape. But then she could find herself in the men's restroom on the third floor.

"I've managed to avoid jail this entire time, Mr. Waverly," Natalia said. Her voice was tense. "I think I can manage."

"Then I understand seeing your father again isn't very important to you?"

Of course it was! The only reason she got caught up in this nonsense was to save her father from rotting in one of Castro's dungeons. He was innocent in all of this. Natalia's shoulders sagged and she shifted in her chair, avoiding eye contact with him.

"And what about your uncle? Otto, is it?" Waverly pretended to glance down at her file again. "I understand he has a very lucrative diamond exchange that you help with."