<div style="text-align: justify;">Mariya couldn't help but smile, her eyes lighting up, when Vitali showed that he knew that she was just teasing him. That made her feel a bit as though they had gone back to their time together as children. Of course, it had been a long time and things had changed greatly. But right now, it didn't matter.<br/><br/>If she could only tell her old friend. For a moment, Mariya's mind played with the idea. What if she told Vitali the truth? Would he help her? Would he tell the authorities? With a sigh, Mariya came to the conclusion that the second option was much more likely. And, of course, her employers had told her very clearly that she was not to tell anyone about her mission. And it was just obvious that Vitali would be the last person she could ever tell about the mission. And last, but certainly not least, Mariya feared what her employers could do in case she was found out. A cold fear invaded her heart. They would probably kill her with very little regard for her, since she would have lost her utility. <br/><br/>Coming to the conclusion that she could never tell Vitali about anything, Mariya focused back in their current conversation and tried to enjoy the moment while she could. Making good memories, she thought to herself, before she inevitably lost her friend because of her mission. <span style="font-style: italic">It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people</span>, she thought bitterly to herself.<br/><br/>"You are surely stuck with this name from now on", she replied to his words. "I really enjoy calling you Viti. It makes me feel as though nothing has changed", Mariya explained quietly.<br/><br/>Vitali's surprise at her words on not having played chess in years made Mariya's eyes grow wide. It wasn't that surprising for her, as she hadn't really had the chance back in England. At least not often. "I haven't, Viti. It's not as popular back in England as it is here", she explained. "People there enjoy card games, or word games. I can teach you some later if you'd like".<br/><br/>When he asked how one could cheat at chess, Mariya laughed. "If I tell you, it defeats the purpose", she joked. "But you might think I have forgotten all about the rules and try to do something funny", Mariya completed, shaking her head the way she always did when laughing.<br/><br/>"Come on, now. Let's go some place where we can play so I can beat you", she joked, playing at an overconfidence that surely wasn't one of her flaws.</div>