Davno ne videlis’  (Long time, no see!)

Kak dela? (How are you?)

“Do you two know each other?” both Director Vance and my colleague asked at the same time. “We met many years ago”, replied Special Agent Gibbs.  We excused ourselves for a moment.  We walked to an empty corner in the room and simply looked at each other not believing that after all these years we have met again.  

So you work for the CIA?

So you work for NCIS?

Where have you been all of these years?

I could ask the same of you.

Well this certainly is not the place for such a conversation so how about we meet later somewhere?

Sounds like a good idea.  How about the Grill on the Green?  Do you know where it is?  Terrace restaurant, great views and great steaks.

I’ll find it.  How about Friday evening at 8?

Will see you there.  We better return to the meet and greet.

After we met at the Grill on the Green for our reacquainting meeting it seems that we fell into a routine of sorts.  We talked at least once every other day. We met for breakfast once a month at some diner he frequented near an overpass.  We had other dinners at other restaurants. Our jobs kept us both busy and even though I had reduced my fieldwork I still, on occasion, had to travel for assignments.

Several months into our reacquainting period, Ace invited me to his home for dinner.  I liked his home.  It looked lived in as opposed to my condo, which simply “looked” since I didn’t spend much time there.  My fieldwork kept me away from home for long periods of time. Ace asked me what kind of fieldwork did I do.  I explained that my job entailed acting as a liaison between the various intelligence gathering agencies around the world such as Interpol, MI-6, etc. I have contacts in China, Russia, Germany, Japan, and India, to name a few.  

“What I do is highly classified.  You know the old saying, ‘if I told you, I would have to kill you’?  Well if I told you I would literally have to kill you because I would not only violate my oath of service but the national security as well.”

“Have to ever been injured or captured?”

“Yes to both but I survived them all.”

“Were you on assignment when we met those years ago?”

“No more questions!  It is safer for the both of us if we do not discuss this any more or discuss this again.”

The mood changed after that and I did not want to end the evening on that somber note so I asked an innocuous question.  

“Jethro, would you have interest in accompanying me to an upcoming race event?  I will participate in the Quantico Triathlon next week  and the Marine Corps Marathon 2 months later.  You choose which one you want to attend and come to cheer me on.  I could always use one more in my cheering section.”  

He did not say anything.  He stared at me.  That was the first time that I had called him by his name, Jethro.  I usually called him Ace.  “Prosti.” (I’m sorry), I said.  “It’s probably best if I leave now.  Thank you for dinner.”  I rose to leave and he said, “I will try to call you at lunch time tomorrow for our regular every other day phone call.”  I turned and looked at him dumbfounded.  I thought for sure that this was the end of our “friendship”.  He smiled and said, “I do not give up that easily.  I have always enjoyed our time together and this one conversation has not changed my opinion on that.” He walked me to my car and I had a smile on my face all the way home.