Chapter Text
— αʹ —
A STRANGE ENCOUNTER
Nadine Ross had always been wary of assignments that seemed too easy. Of course, sometimes they were. Simple, smooth sailing, ‘thank you, goodbye’ and on to the next one. Not exactly common in her former profession, but it could happen. That didn’t stop Nadine from always preparing for the worst and anticipating any potential surprises as much as possible. She had been raised that way and, on top of that, she hated anything that disrupted the need for control that had been ingrained in her for so long.
The Ross never let their guard down.
It was a motto that had been instilled in her from an early age and had always served as her guiding principle. At least, that’s what she believed until recently. New facts had come to light and the jury was still deliberating on the current validity of this mantra.
In any case, her guard was currently up. With measured, agile steps, Nadine moved slowly across the room, her gaze fixed on her opponent, watching for the slightest movement. She could feel the light breeze blowing at her back, coming in through the French window that opened onto the large balcony, which was lazily basking in the last rays of the sun. Having served as an access point, it would also make a perfectly respectable escape route if things got out of hand, especially since the large swimming pool below would cushion the fall.
Nadine didn’t have an ego big enough to prevent her from retreating if necessary; that being said, she had come for a specific job and still intended to see it through, even if things had become somewhat complicated with the arrival of the woman standing in front of her.
“The villa will be deserted at this time of day,” her partner had told her after checking the information provided by their client the day before. “You go in, get the document, then meet me behind the side gate. I’ll have the car ready to go and champagne waiting for us at the hotel. Easy-peasy.”
Her eyes still fixed on the stranger, Nadine made a mental note to pour champagne up the nose of the nice organizer who couldn’t even confirm the reliability of their information.
You should have anticipated this, a little voice reproached her. That’s what happens when you trust others too much. The Ross never let their guard down.
Nadine couldn’t help but let a smirk distort her lips, which made the stranger raise an eyebrow. Since arriving in the room a few moments earlier, the woman had remained in the same position, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. She didn’t seem particularly surprised to find an intruder on the premises, and everything about her exuded serenity. This attitude only increased Nadine’s vigilance. That, and the fact that she could make out the powerful musculature that the woman’s white linen suit couldn’t completely hide.
An expert in hand-to-hand combat, Nadine instinctively recognized her peers, and this stranger was undoubtedly one of them.
The silence in the room was briefly broken by the cry of a bird flying over the villa. A white-tailed eagle, Nadine guessed, as she loved studying flora and fauna since childhood and had always taken care to enrich her knowledge as she grew up. The bird of prey let out another cry, further away, then silence returned for a moment before being broken once again, this time by the stranger, who sighed before uncrossing her arms and straightening up.
Nadine stopped in her tracks, still standing guard with her arms raised.
“And now?”
The voice was calm and melodious.
“Now what?” Nadine replied in a much more abrupt tone, which, for reasons she didn’t understand, irritated her.
The woman smiled slightly.
“Although you were not formally invited, the duty of hospitality requires me to welcome anyone who enters my home. That is why I am asking you how you would like us to proceed. I would not want to anger the gods by being a bad hostess.”
She spoke in impeccable English, but it was easy enough to recognize the local accent that colored her words with a bright, sing-song tone. Nadine had trouble determining whether her interlocutor was pulling her leg or whether she had unwittingly stumbled into a play whose title and plot she knew nothing about.
“What are you playing at?” she finally said.
“Hosting, if possible. And you?”
“I...”
Nadine didn’t finish her sentence. Speaking of surprises, she had her fill. Worse, she had been expecting a direct confrontation, but now found herself immersed in a particularly strange atmosphere where mystery was gradually creeping in and time seemed to slow down. It was unsettling. And Nadine hated being unsettled like this.
She thought of her partner waiting for her in the car outside the villa, who would undoubtedly have known how to handle this type of situation better with a witty retort. But Nadine wasn’t like that. She shook her head, hoping to clear her thoughts and shake off the strange feeling that was enveloping her in a foggy cloak.
“I’m here for the papyrus.”
Why did you tell her that? the little voice scolded her. Pull yourself together, Ross!
The mistress of the house smiled slightly again, then, without taking her eyes off Nadine, gestured toward the large display case at the back of the room.
“So you’ve come to admire the writings of Herodotus.”
“Let’s say that.”
“It’s always a pleasure to talk to other history buffs. Although I’m surprised you know about this document, and even more surprised you know where it is. The speed and accuracy with which some information circulate these days never ceases to amaze me.”
“I don’t know about the speed of this particular piece of information, but as for its accuracy, I still have some doubts. The villa should have been empty.”
What are you talking about? Just give her the client’s name while you’re at it!
Nadine shook her head again, wondering why she was getting caught up in this strange conversation that the other woman seemed to be enjoying.
“I plead guilty,” said this peculiar hostess. “Usually, the villa is deserted at this time of day, as the caretaker is in the village getting supplies. I’m rarely there myself, and I probably don’t pay as much attention to this home as it deserves. But, by chance, I decided to come and visit today.”
“Chance...”
“Or fate. It all depends on your beliefs.”
“I believe in reliable information.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. However, to help you get over your disappointment, I can offer you a drink on the balcony where we can enjoy the sunset while discussing Herodotus and history. Unless you would prefer a little wrestling match right here, but I readily admit that I would like to avoid messing up the layout of the room if possible.”
A few weeks ago, Nadine would undoubtedly have dismissed all these subtleties and opted for combat, to see if the woman was as tough an opponent as her physique and attitude suggested.
But a lot had happened in recent weeks, things that had had a deeper impact on her than she was willing to admit. No doubt it was linked to her brand-new profession, the new start she had made after spending almost her entire life in a job that had shaped the Nadine she thought was immutable.
But in this new profession, everything seemed to be in constant motion. The old Nadine didn’t fit in, and the new Nadine didn’t yet know who she really was. She could have jokingly called it a classic midlife crisis. But it wasn’t really a laughing matter, especially since humor had never been her strong suit, although that too was slowly changing.
Too many changes too fast.
Yes, Nadine hated anything that disrupted her eternal need for control, but it seemed that she was increasingly putting herself in situations that challenged it. What was she really looking for? Who was she really looking for?
She could see the old Nadine take a step forward and launch a devastating attack to test the reflexes and defenses of the woman standing before her. Feinting with a right jab to the pit of her stomach while unleashing a lightning-fast left hook, she would wipe away that mysterious little smile that was starting to get on her nerves. It wasn’t an unpleasant sight. Yet the new Nadine relaxed her shoulders, loosened her fists, and lowered her guard.
You’re getting soft, Ross.
“Let’s talk,” she said.
The mistress of the house nodded, visibly pleased with the turn of events, then walked over to a medium-sized wooden cabinet, which she opened, taking care not to hide any of her movements, thus signifying that her intentions, like her words before, were peaceful. The cabinet turned out to be a minibar containing a nice assortment of bottles and a small refrigerator that hummed silently.
“What would you like?”
“The same as you.”
The other woman nodded again. Still taking care to keep her hands on sight, she took two tall, thin glasses and filled them three-quarters full with ouzo before taking two large ice cubes from the mini-fridge and dropping one into each glass.
“If you’d like,” she said to Nadine, gesturing with her chin toward the balcony.
“After you.”
“Honor to the guest.”
“I insist.”
With both glasses in her hands and still walking calmly, the woman passed Nadine, who stepped aside slightly to give her better access to the balcony through the French window. The breeze was still gentle and pleasant, and time seemed to slow down a little more. Even the last rays of the sun seemed to stretch out in slow motion across the sky.
When Nadine had walked this way a few minutes earlier, her attention had been focused solely on her target. She hadn’t bothered to glance at the large corner sofa on the left side of the balcony, where the woman now settled comfortably after placing one of the glasses on a small side table nearby.
Nadine picked it up, sat down at the other end of the sofa, and waited for her hostess to take a sip before dipping her lips into the aniseed-flavored drink tinged with coriander and cinnamon. Delicious. It tasted of sunshine and holidays, so much so that it would have been easy to forget why she was here. But Nadine was, above all, a professional, even when she was engaging in what could be described as a parley.
“Although Greek hospitality is praised all over the world,” she said after taking a second sip, “I suppose that’s not the only reason for this invitation to a chat.”
“I’d like to argue otherwise, but no, indeed.”
“So?”
The woman looked at Nadine thoughtfully, absentmindedly playing with the long, thick braid that rested delicately over her left shoulder, before deciding to answer.
“Herodotus’ papyrus. I wanted to know if you came to ‘borrow’ it for your own pleasure or for someone else’s.”
“Does that make a difference?”
“Depending on the answer, yes.”
“Why?”
“Let’s assume that you’ve been sent to retrieve this document. Without wishing to offend you, I assume that you are not involved in volunteer work, and even though enjoying the natural magic that envelops the island we are on is a reward in itself, you probably have more materialistic demands. And therefore a price.”
Nadine stiffened slightly. She could see where the conversation was going, and she didn’t particularly like it. Her reaction, which she thought she had kept under control, did not go unnoticed.
“I apologize if my last words offended you. We meet many people in your profession for whom the question of remuneration is paramount, which sometimes leads to... ‘betrayal’ is a nasty word, so I’ll say ‘loyalty issues’ instead.”
“All work deserves to be paid for. But once that has been agreed with the client, there are other things that are just as important. Even more important, in my opinion.”
The slight, mysterious smile that Nadine was beginning to get to know reappeared on the woman’s lips.
“I see,” she said. “So I won’t insult you by asking you to give me the name of the person who is really interested in Herodotus’ papyrus in exchange for financial compensation. Or by suggesting that you will reveal it to me for free.”
“That would not be very wise, and would contravene the rules of hospitality to which you seem attached.”
Great, you’re starting to talk like her...
Nadine thought she saw a new gleam in her interlocutor’s beautiful amber eyes. It was hard to say what it meant, but she had the feeling that her attitude and words were answering a silent question, and that the answer was to the other woman’s liking.
“I won’t hide that it pleases me to hear that,” she admitted, confirming Nadine’s impression.
Nadine raised her eyebrows questioningly and, sensing that the mood had changed again, waited for her hostess to continue.
“Before talking about Herodotus and one of his stories in particular, I’d like to tell you a more recent story. I’ll just ask you, if you don’t mind, to listen to it all the way through, even if some of the details towards the end seem familiar to you.”
She paused, watching Nadine’s reaction, who simply nodded silently, before continuing.
“It all began in 1837, when King Otto decided to create the Archaeological Society of Athens. Eight years had passed since the end of the Greek War of Independence, which had seen the country liberated from The Ottoman Empire, and the monarch wanted to promote and explore the heritage of ancient Greece. A vast archaeological program was therefore launched. However, despite fruitful excavation campaigns, it was all very costly. So Kyriákos Pittákis, one of the founders of the Society, began to unofficially seek capital contributions. Here, the facts become more unclear. Some sources say that Pittákis approached a wealthy family, one of whose members had fought with him during the Greek War of Independence, while others mention the appearance of a mysterious patron. In both cases, the name ‘Aetofóros’ comes up repeatedly. The problem is that no documents from the period can confirm the veracity of these facts, whether it be the existence of this family or this patron, or even the name itself. Nevertheless, after a short break in its work, and with a miraculous influx of funds, the Society relaunched its excavation program and gained even more importance by negotiating concessions for various Greek archaeological sites with foreign institutes.”
The woman paused again to take off her jacket. Underneath, she was wearing a simple light blue short-sleeved T-shirt, which, as Nadine had guessed, revealed a nicely developed and obviously well-maintained physique.
Okay, talking instead of fighting was probably the wisest decision, the little voice conceded.
Nadine was confident in her abilities, yet she couldn’t help thinking that there was something about her hostess that went beyond mere physical threat. After spending almost her entire life training and fighting, she had developed a sharp sixth sense for recognizing dangers that had to be avoided at all costs. It was just a feeling, but she was convinced that this woman was one of them.
“Let’s jump forward in time,” the woman suggested. “In the aftermath of World War II, which saw Greece occupied by German, Italian, and Bulgarian armies, a civil war broke out. It pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Greece against those of the government. When the latter finally prevailed in 1949, the country was in ruins and had to try to recover with all possible aid, particularly from foreign nations. I won’t go into geopolitical history here, but it’s worth noting that at that time, the state was much less concerned with the Archaeological Society of Athens, which nevertheless continued its work, thanks in particular to the emergence of the Myrrine Foundation.”
This name was certainly not unknown to Nadine, but she remained silent and let her hostess continue.
“The primary purpose of this private organization is to provide material and financial support for any project involving research, conservation, and promotion of ancient Greek culture. Given the country’s crisis at that time, the Foundation also helped with developing a humanitarian division. Needless to say, its emergence was a blessing, but also a source of curiosity, because although its organizational chart was known, it was impossible to know who was really behind Myrrine’s funding. Once again, theories circulated, but as the secret was never revealed, these theories eventually withered away and vanished. People often enjoy mystery more for the fantasies it inspires than for the truths it might reveal. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that some of these theories revolved around the idea of a wealthy benefactor operating in the shadows and mentioned the name ‘Aetofóros’ once again. As the years went by, the Myrrine Foundation became increasingly prominent in the world of archaeology. At the dawn of the 21st century, it had developed divisions dedicated to projects with a broader scope than those focused solely on Greece, and had forged strong partnerships with public and private organizations around the world.”
The cry of a bird flying over the villa once again rang out, as if to announce the beginning of the evening. The woman took advantage of this brief interruption to take a sip of ouzo before resuming her story.
“Of course, all these information can be found quite easily. What is unknown to the general public, however, is that the Foundation also has a special division dedicated to acquiring and recovering historical documents and relics through far less legitimate procedures. The goal remains noble, but the methods are much more questionable. To use a well-worn saying: the end justifies the means. This special, secret division, code-named ’Ikaros’ calls on people outside Myrrine for these unofficial missions. And even though these freelance agents may have loose ethical codes, the Foundation always makes it a point of honor not to hire just anyone and therefore scrupulously checks profiles and backgrounds.”
The woman paused briefly to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, as it took advantage of the light breeze to play across her forehead.
“For example,” she continued, “the Foundation recently learned through one of its contacts in the Indian Ministry of Culture about the exploits of two adventurers who have uncovered a famous relic from the Hoysala Empire. The discovery is expected to be made public soon, and the world will then be able to marvel at an ancient treasure that was thought to be lost. This obviously aligns with the Foundation’s objectives, but what most interested its special division was that the two adventurers turned to a public organization to deliver the precious artifact instead of selling it on the black market.”
The story sounded increasingly familiar to Nadine but, true to her tacit commitment, she did not interrupt her hostess.
“A thorough investigation was conducted by the Ikaros division,” the woman continued, “and some rather intriguing things came to light. Such as the fact that the leader of the rebel faction that was threatening to plunge the southwestern part of the country into civil war disappeared at the same time and in roughly the same area where the relic was discovered. Or that the last known activity of a paramilitary group called Shoreline, which appears to have since been dismantled, was also reported there. Interestingly, less than fifteen months earlier, this group was led by one of the two adventurers before one of her lieutenants seized leadership. Needless to say, the head of the Ikaros division wanted to meet this duo. The meeting took place three days ago in Athens, during which the following mission was proposed: to travel to Kefalonia Island and retrieve, from the villa of a private collector, a papyrus attributed to the famous historian Herodotus. Following this, a rendez-vous was set for the next Saturday, again in Athens, at the top of Mount Lycabettus, to exchange the document for payment with another member of Ikaros. To confirm their identities, each party would carry a silver coin stamped with an eagle on one side and a spearhead on the other.”
The woman retrieved her jacket, which she had placed next to her on the sofa, and handed it to Nadine.
“You’ll find the coin in the inside pocket. And I assume you already have yours.”
Nadine took the coin. It was indeed the same one she had received when she accepted the job. She finally understood what was going on here. It had all been a staged event designed to test her. A final convoluted test to decide whether she was a good fit for the profiles sought by this mysterious Ikaros division before she was offered a real job.
“There’s also a sentence,” she said, just for the sake of it.
“Haste in every business brings failures.”
“Lucky I’m patient.”
The woman smiled. It was a genuine, appreciative smile, and Nadine knew she had passed the test. She thought of her partner and wondered how things would have turned out if she had accompanied her or if they had swapped roles.
“You use funny tricks to hire your freelance agents,” she remarked with a hint of irony in her voice.
“To be honest, if your partner already has a reputation, you are new to this business, and given your previous activity, I wanted to meet you in person. Believe me, this is a rare occurrence. However, I sincerely apologize if you were offended by this staging.”
As surprising as it may seem, Nadine wasn’t even angry about what she could easily have taken as a tasteless joke. It was hard to say whether it was the atmosphere or the other woman’s words, but she was intrigued and really wanted to know why her services were required.
“I thought the person my partner and I met in Athens three days ago was the head of the Ikaros division.”
“He is.”
“Having studied the Foundation’s organizational chart, I don’t think I saw anyone who looks like you.”
“Let’s just say I don’t have an official title.”
The woman was in her thirties at most, yet her amber eyes conveyed a deep sense of experience and wisdom.
“If I were to subscribe to some of the theories you mentioned earlier,” Nadine said, “I would think you are a descendant of that wealthy and mysterious family of patrons who have been running the Foundation from behind the scenes since its creation. Aetorófos, is that right?”
“Aetofóros,” corrected her hostess. “As I told you, the truth of these theories and this name has never been established. We Greeks love myths and legends. That said, I can confirm that Myrrine is particularly dear to my heart.”
“I see. So no Aetofóros?”
“No. But you can call me Kassandra.”
The woman had uttered these last words as she rose from the sofa, a warm smile on her lips, her right hand extended toward Nadine. Nadine stood up in turn and was about to shake this hand when a bird’s cry rang out beneath the balcony, followed closely by a person’s cry and the characteristic sound of a body falling into the water.