Page 77 of Near Miss

“Is Gromyko in jail?” she asked.

“I’m still waiting for that call. In the meantime, there’s another threat to deal with.”

“Now what?”

“Lance Cabot.”

“The head of the CIA?”

“That’s the one.”

“What’s the problem with him?”

“He’s taken an interest in you.”

“What sort of interest are we talking about? Sex?”

“No, nobody’s sure whether Lance does that. He wants to recruit you for the Agency.”

“Well, that’s flattering. Does he always do that personally? I thought he had a nationwide network of recruiters at such places as Ivy League universities.”

“Oh, he does, but he always has an eye out for talent, and when he spots it, he wants it. And he’s spotted you.”

“Is he so hard to say no to?”

“He is, and there’s an element of danger in that.”

“How so?”

“Here’s how it works,” Stone said. “First, he’ll take you to a very good dinner, and he’ll talk the whole time. You won’t even have a chance to ask questions, until he’s finished.”

“Okay, I can handle a good dinner. What then?”

“Then he’ll take you down to a place called the Farm, in Virginia.”

“I’ve read about that; it sounds interesting.”

“Lance thinks you’ll think that, especially when he tells you about the kind of training you’ll get there.”

“For how long?”

“The standard is about twelve weeks, but he would likely pull you out before that.”

“Why?”

“Because he’ll have a special assignment that your training has shaped you for, and it will sound enticing.”

“Okay, then what?”

“From then on, Lance will keep you very busy. You’ll visit exotic places and do work that you feel might just save the planet.”

“Sounds like a dream job.”

“It is, in its way, but it’s dangerous. Survival is a very important part of the work.”

“Why do you know all of this?”

“Because I have attended the Farm, albeit briefly, and I know others who have done so under Lance’s watchful eye.”

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