Natalia’s Game. Крейг Т. Бушар

see. Have you ever visited the United States?”

      “No, sir.”

      “Then how did you learn such perfect Americanized English?”

      She pauses and lowers her tone. “I studied in a place much like this school.”

      “The outfit you’re wearing doesn’t seem like a standard issue.”

      I change the topic. “How many women have risen to major in the SRI?”

      “One, sir.”

      “By the way, Major Balan, I’m retired. You can call me Crew, if you like.”

      She extends her hand, her blue eyes blazing, “I intend to. Can we have dinner?”

      The reception elevator bell rings, and the door opens. The guest of the next session exits the elevator, and it is Ofifcer Natalia Net.

      I am surprised but try not to show it. Balan still holds my hand. Natalia will understand; it’s just a business handshake.

* * *

      Riding up a slow elevator gives me time to collect myself. My invitation arrived sometime before I returned to my cottage. Do they know or not? I prepare for both scenarios.

      The elevator door opens to a scenario I hadn’t considered. I slowly exit. That bitch Alina Balan is holding the hand of my man. And he is holding hers. She is giving him her trademark flirtatious laugh. What the hell? Did last night not mean anything to him? I look away, fixing my gaze beyond. I will not give them satisfaction as I walk right past them into the boardroom.

      Let me be clear about Alina; I neither respect nor like her. We are the same age and were in the same class at the University Politehnica of Bucharest, our top technical university. I studied physics and Alina, computer sciences. Neither of us received a grade less than an A, and we completed our undergraduate work tied with one male student for our class’s Romanian equivalent of valedictorian. I took the most demanding advanced courses and should have won. Computers are easy.

      Men find Alina stunning. I don’t understand why. But Alina gets what she wants, whether an introduction, a drink, a man, a promotion, or help on a test. Very rarely does anyone say no to Alina. I liked a couple of guys at the university; Alina selected one of them and slept with him. So much for the girl code. I’m not about to let that happen again.

      The SRI followed our progress and paid for our graduate degrees. After graduating, I went directly into covert operations, learning the skills required to be a spy. Alina went in another direction, becoming a systems analyst in covert intelligence.

      I learned warfare and how to kill.

      Alina learned how to become a common cyber hacker. She got close with guys inside Anonymous, the Chaos Computer Club, and the Legion of Doom – collectively the most influential group of hackers in world history. Knowing Alina, I’m sure she entered without exposing her true self. Or maybe I should say she got in because she exposed herself. Because that’s what she does with men. Just like she’s doing right now with my Thomas! Thomas, who is holding her dirty hand.

      I will admit Alina’s achieved a high level of programming skills. She gets credit for that. But she’s a manipulator, opening private chats with guys in these clubs. Later, she shares code, leading to suggestive photos of her body, no doubt not much later. That is Alina.