'It's a tough job,' his boss said. 'Different than straight fieldwork, more hours and responsibilities, less downtime.' He thought for a moment, then added, 'And the pay is better.'
'Why?' Jason asked.
'I admit it was my idea,' Kate said. 'It solves several problems at once.'
'Which are?'
'First, if you're a prime, it means that other than field assignments — once or twice a year, usually — you'd be working pretty regular hours. Our training schedule is rigorous, but a prime trains the trainers. You won't be on banker's hours, but it will be close.'
'And?'
'Second,' Kate continued, 'we need a new prime for the U.S. region. Our last one permanently moved to taking over one of the midnight teams last month.'
'That's a promotion?' he asked. 'Sounds more like a permanent mission.'
'It is,' Denny said. 'They have the worst job in our agency. Hands down.'
'Other than get me out of the field, what does this do for me?'
'If you decided to continue your relationship with Tina, being a prime would make that more…comfortable for us. And it would undoubtedly make it more comfortable for the two of you. We could bring her back here, and your relationship could continue unhindered, provided both of you observed the usual rules about classified information.'
'I see,' he said, considering the implications of the idea. 'It's an interesting proposition.'
'What do you think?' Denny asked.
'I'd like to think it over,' Jason said. 'Can you give me a little time?'
Kate and Denny both nodded. 'Of course,' she said. 'Take a few days and consider it.'
'You'd make an excellent prime, Jason,' Denny said. 'But this isn't a one-way ticket, either. If you don't want to do it, or you don't like it, we'll respect that, too.'
'Thanks,' Jason said. 'I was sort of wondering about that.'
'It's hard to leave the field,' he said. 'I know I struggled with it at first, too. But there are some benefits to it, as well — not the least of which is a longer life expectancy.'
'I'll give it serious thought,' he said, getting to his feet. 'Thank you for the offer.'
'You've earned it,' Denny replied. 'Anyone who can kill Feng Li deserves a promotion. Especially since I thought he was dead myself.'
'If I hadn't looked through the wreckage, he'd have probably survived again,' Jason said. He thanked Kate again and left Denny's office, then made his way back out, and logged out of the system.
Jason spent days recovering physically and considering his options. Was it time for him to give up being in the field? To become a teacher of future assassins, rather than be one himself? Would this allow him to be with Tina?
He didn't know the answers, but at the least, he knew where to direct the questions.
Jason stood up, went to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Staring out the window into the Minnesota autumn, he thought of all the things Tanuk had told him about family, the things he'd learned about family during his mission.
What was it the old man had said while he was getting ready to get on the plane to Nome?
He thought about it for a moment, then it came to him. 'The ties that bind a family together are more complex than love, son. Having a family, a real family, means knowing that for the rest of your life, there is nothing you will have to face alone, no mountain or challenge you must conquer on your own. It means being there for others before yourself, because someone else is doing the same for you. Home is always where they are, where you are. It's not the place, my boy — it's the people that count. That, son, is a family.'
'I don't know how to be that,' Jason had told him. 'I never have.'
Tanuk had put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. 'We're never too old to learn, son. Not even me.'
Jason thought of the old man fondly, then reached for the phone.
There was a beautiful woman in a little village in Alaska. She spoke flawless Russian. She was tough and smart and had already sent him a message by asking to return to Room 59.
He dialed the number and waited as the connection was made. He heard Tina's voice and she sounded so very far away. In his heart, he knew that wasn't right.
'Tina Kanut,' she said.
'Tina? It's Jason,' he said.
'It's good to hear from you,' she said, after a long silence. 'What can I do for you?'
'I heard you want to come back. Work as an analyst again.'
'Yes,' she said. 'I don't know why, but I think I can make a difference now. Be better than I was before. So I want to come back.'
'I don't want you to come back,' he said quietly. 'I want you to come home.'
'Home?' she said, a hitch in her voice. 'What do you mean?'
'If we both try,' he said, 'I think maybe we can be a family. It will take a lot of work, and a lot of time, but we can go slow, you know? There's no rush.' He suddenly realized that the silence on the other end of the line was because she wasn't there anymore. He felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. Didn't love start with caring, with commonalities? How was he ever going to get this right?
Suddenly, Tanuk's voice came on the line. 'Jason?' he said. 'Are you still there?'
'Yes,' he said. 'Yes, I'm here. What's going on? What happened to Tina?'
'She's on her way,' Tanuk said. 'Welcome to the family.'
