3-Recruitment

“Jonas honey, you have to lighten up. You can’t keep staring people down like that," Elayna whispered to her husband. They had just walked past a man exiting the restaurant they just entered. Jonas glanced at his wife.

"I wasn’t staring," he replied. "I was just observing."

"Your observations are about as subtle as a jackhammer," Elayna responded, giving her husband a penetrating look.

Jason grimaced. "I am sorry, but I come by it honestly. Some habits are hard to break."

Elayna reached for Jonas’ hand and gave it an understanding squeeze. She was keenly aware of who she married. If she were being honest, she secretly liked the fact his military background and training heightened his sense of awareness to his surroundings. It gave her an unexpected sense of comfort and security. However, she doubted those on the receiving end of his “observations” felt the same way.

Once inside, they found an empty table for two directly across from the front entrance. Jonas was holding a chair out for Elayna to sit when he noticed two men in casual summer attire and sporting dark glasses enter the room. One man was taller than the other by two or three inches, but they were a mirror image in movement as they both efficiently scanned the room. As if on cue, they centred their focus on the table he and Elayna had just acquired.

Elayna had just sat down when Jonas, who was still standing, gently placed his left hand on her shoulder, signalling her not to move. She then noticed the two men who now started to move toward them.

"Can I help you?" Jonas asked before they came within three feet of the table.

The two men stopped and exchanged a quick glance before the taller one spoke.

“Colonel Seigle, Ms. Lovarin, I am Agent David McCallum, and this is my partner Agent Yves Charest. We’re with CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.” The taller of the two spoke, his voice calm yet authoritative as both men produced their identification.

Jonas pointed to the ID’s in their hands and waved them forward. He and Elayna inspected the IDs, noting their official appearance, though neither had seen CSIS credentials before. Still, the fact that these men knew their names kept Jonas on edge, as he was not sure how to validate their claims.

McCallum was quick to get to the point. “We need your help with a matter of utmost importance.”

Jonas stiffened, his military training making him wary of unsolicited requests, especially from a foreign intelligence service. He wasn’t about to be drawn into anything without a clear understanding of what was at stake.

Elayna, sensing the shift in her husband’s demeanour, reached up and placed her hand over his, offering a calming presence. “What’s this all about?” she asked, her voice steady but tinged with curiosity.

Agent Charest, the quieter of the two, spoke next. “It would be best to have this conversation somewhere more private.”

Jonas looked around the near-empty restaurant, his sharp eyes taking in every detail—the waitress putting money into the cash register she was standing behind—the distant clatter from the kitchen where a cook was busy. “This is private enough,” he said firmly. “We’re not going anywhere. Besides, we’re hungry.”

There was a brief pause as the agents considered their options. Glancing around the restaurant McCallum eventually nodded, recognizing the couple weren’t about to be strong-armed into anything.

“Fair enough,” he said. “May we sit?” Receiving a nod from Jonas, they each pulled a chair from another table and sat down across from the couple. Jonas, still wary, sat to the right of Elayna still holding her hand.

Agent McCallum leaned in. “Folks, first off, let me assure you, there is no cause for alarm. I understand how unusual all of this may seem, but we do need your help.” McCallum paused briefly and continued, lowering his voice.

“We're aware of your backgrounds. Your expertise is exactly what we need for a joint operation.”

Jonas shifted slightly. The fact that they knew their names, his rank and where to find them, lent some credence to who  they claimed to be. He and Elayna had been very careful not to reference their backgrounds to anyone since being married. Although anyone with an advanced enough technical skill could probably find information on them. Elayna more-so; given her previous public civilian position. Her digital footprint would have been more accessible than his military version.

“What would your security agency possibly want with a couple of retirees?” Jonas demanded.

Agent Charest responded. "Your military and aviation backgrounds make you uniquely qualified. Plus, your current  retirement status provides a natural cover for the operation in question."

“That’s precisely the point!” Elena interjected. “We are not operatives.”

Everyone fell silent as the waitress wondered over and began handing out lunch menus. She asked if anyone wanted coffee, but everyone shook their heads saying no thank you. She nodded and said she would be back later to take their orders.

As the waitress moved out of earshot, Agent McCallum started speaking again.

“Colonel…”, but Jonas cut him off.

“Please. It’s just Jonas”, he replied. “I would prefer not to advertise my rank or background in public”.

“Understood,” Agent McCallum replied, nodding slightly. “Jonas and Elayna, what we are about to discuss is classified. We’re involving you because your skill sets and security clearance match precisely what we need. This is a matter of national security.”

Jonas took a deep breath, his mind racing. He had been out of the military for a while, and the last thing he wanted was to be dragged back into some covert operation. His life with Elayna was just beginning and he didn’t want to jeopardize that. He glanced at Elayna, whose face mirrored a mix of curiosity and concern.

“Before you go any further,” Jonas began, his voice firm but measured, “you obviously know we are retired. Our life now is peaceful, and we intend to keep it that way. Whatever this is, surely there are active operatives better suited for it.”

Agent Charest leaned forward, his demeanour calm yet earnest. “We wouldn’t be here if this was something we could handle with current operatives. Both of you have experience which is unmatched, particularly in high-stakes situations. We’ve looked into your background, service records, your roles in crisis management, and your ability to operate under extreme pressure. We need those skills.”

Elayna frowned, her mind ticking over the details. “And what exactly is this operation? You’ve yet to tell us what’s going on.”

McCallum exchanged a brief look with Charest before speaking. “There’s a situation developing on the international stage that has serious implications for Canada’s security. All I can say at this point is that a foreign entity, with access to highly classified aviation technology, has gone rogue. They’ve developed a prototype of a new kind of unmanned aerial vehicle—one that could be used for covert operations over Canadian territory.”

Elayna’s eyes widened slightly. “And you believe we can help you… how?”

“We need to intercept and neutralize this threat before it reaches critical mass,” McCallum explained. “This isn’t just any UAV; it’s an advanced stealth drone with capabilities that far surpass anything currently in the field. It’s been developed with technology that’s not supposed to exist yet—technology that you Jonas, are familiar with from your previous work.”

Jonas felt a cold knot forming in his stomach. He knew all too well what McCallum was hinting at. During his time in the military, there had been whispers of advanced UAV projects—machines that could operate autonomously, blend into the environment, and carry out complex missions without human intervention. He had never been directly involved, but he had heard enough to know that if something like this had fallen into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous.

“Look, since you know so much about my background, you should be well aware I only had very limited peripheral knowledge about that project. “And you want us to… what? Track it down? Disable it?” Jonas asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

“Precisely,” Charest responded. “Your respective combined expertise in both military strategy and aviation logistics  make you the perfect team to lead this operation. We’ve already assembled a task force, but we need someone with hands-on experience to guide them.”

Elayna’s mind raced as she considered the implications. She had spent years in aviation, working her way up to head of flight operations, dealing with everything from commercial aircraft to complex flight systems. She knew how to handle high-pressure situations, but this was different. This was stepping into a world she had no familiarity with — a world of danger, espionage and secrecy.

“I don’t like this,” Elayna said finally. “We’re just building a life together, and I don’t want to risk that. There must be someone else who can do this.”

“There isn’t,” McCallum said bluntly. “If there were, we wouldn’t be here. This drone has the potential to cause mass casualties if it falls into the wrong hands, and right now, it’s unaccounted for. We’re running out of time.”

Jonas looked at Elayna, their eyes locking in silent communication. They had faced challenges before, but this was different. These stakes were high—too high to ignore.

Elayna sighed, squeezing Jonas’s hand. “If we agree to help, what exactly would we be doing?”

“We need you to coordinate with the task force leader,” McCallum said. “You’ll be working with a select team of specialists—people who are experts in their fields, but who lack your operational experience. We’ll provide you with everything you need—resources, intelligence, and support. Your mission will be to locate the drone, determine its capabilities, and ensure it doesn’t pose a threat.”

Jonas leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Part of him wanted to walk away, to leave this mess to someone else. But another part of him—the part that had spent decades in the military, the part that couldn’t ignore a threat, or a challenge when he saw one—knew that he couldn’t just turn his back on this. But he could not be unanimous in his decision. He had Ilana to think about.

“We’ll need time to discuss this—and more information,” Jonas said finally. “Full briefing, intel, everything you’ve got on this drone and the people behind it. And more importantly, we need to speak with our respective country’s embassies. Since we have been approached by you - by all intents and purposes - a foreign intelligence agency, we are obligated to contact our governments about this. We want to ensure there is not even a whiff of misunderstanding, or talk of any collusion taking place.”

McCallum nodded, “Absolutely. We wouldn’t have it any other way. We have already been in contact with your respective governments. We would not have approached you without their knowledge. The German and Czech consular representatives are waiting to meet with you at a time of your choosing at their  respective Embassies.”

Jonas looked each of the agents in the eye intently. The situation must be serious if they have already coordinated with their respective countries.

“Subject to everything being cleared with our governments and our review and acceptance of the planning details…only then we will consider joining,” Jonas said. “But there are conditions. We maintain operational autonomy, and our involvement stays off the record.”

Elayna added, “We also want to meet the other pilots you’ve recruited. If we’re going to help coordinate this operation, we need to know who we’re working with.”

“Of course,” Charest replied. “We’ve set up a secure location where you can meet the rest of the team and go over the details. Concerning operational autonomy, you will have to speak with the head of the task force overseeing the operation to work out those details. That is outside of my jurisdiction to authorize.”

With that said, McCallum and Charest both visibly relaxed, as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. “Thank you,” McCallum said. “You won’t regret this.”

“I hope not,” Jonas muttered under his breath.

Elayna shot him a look. “We’ll need to make some arrangements,” she said. “Our affairs, our home…our aircraft. If we’re going to do this, we need to make sure everything is in order.”

“Understood,” Charest replied. “We’ll give you time to take care of personal matters. Also, concerning your aircraft, depending on the Task Force leader’s discretion, you can either arrange to use it in the operation, given your familiarity with it, or it can be securely stored at Canadian Forces Base Comox here on the island. But in either case, subject to your respective governments’  approval, and your agreement, we’ll need you on-site in Ketchikan Alaska within 48 to 72 hours.”

Jonas and Elayna nodded as the agents stood to leave, Jonas and Elayna remained seated, the gravity of their decision settling over them like a heavy cloud. They were considering stepping into a world they had never imagined while in retirement.

Once the agents were gone, Elayna turned to Jonas. “Are we really doing this?”

Jonas looked into her eyes, seeing the mixture of fear and determination reflected there. “If given clearance by our governments and only if you are 100% comfortable with everything,” he said softly. “Regardless, we are going to have to be careful, Elayna. This isn’t just another random adventure. This has the potential to alter our lives as we know it.”

Elayna nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. “ I know, but we’ve been through worse, haven’t we?”

“Yeah,” Jonas agreed, though he couldn’t shake the feeling this time around the stakes would be much higher.

The waitress returned to their table, smiling brightly as if nothing had happened. “Ready to order?”

Jonas looked at Elayna, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, I think we’re ready.”

They ordered their lunch, trying to push the weight of their decision to the back of their minds, if only for a little while. But as they ate, the reality of what lay ahead lingered in the air between them, unspoken but undeniable.

After they finished their meal and left the restaurant, Jonas and Elayna walked hand in hand out  to their waiting aircraft. While the aircraft exterior looked like an ordinary Piaggio P180 Avanti, the interior was completely renovated to a high standard of comfort not normally reserved for this aircraft type. In the rear of the plane, it had been retrofitted with a separate bedroom with a queen sized bed with an adjoining single shower ensuite. In the mid section was a comfortable area with a three-seat sofa and two opposing large reclining leather chairs. The forward section just aft of the entrance was laid out as an office with a folding table with two leather seats on either side and another seat on the other side of the aisle. A small galley took up the remaining space just outside of the cockpit area.

As they entered the aircraft, they both settled into the two mid-section leather chairs. Jonas couldn’t help but think about what the next few days would bring. Their natural desire was to help, but they still had no idea what to expect.  The thought of lending coordination to a task force on a mission with such high stakes made his stomach churn, but he knew it felt like the right thing to do.

“Elayna,” he began, breaking the silence, “if we do agree to this, at any point this gets too dangerous, I want you to promise me something.”

Elayna turned to him, her brow furrowed. “What is it?”

“I want you to promise me you’ll walk away if it comes to that. No questions, no hesitation.”

Elayna faced him fully, her expression serious. “Jonas, I’m not going to leave you in the middle of this. We go in together, or we don’t go in at all.”

Jonas sighed, knowing arguing with her would be futile. “I know. Just… be careful, okay?”

Elayna smiled, reaching over and gently placing her hand on his cheek. “I will. And you need to do the same.”

They sat in companionable silence, contemplating what was to come. They had pretty much made their decision, and soon, their may be no turning back. Well, unless they weren’t cleared by their governments. The next 48 hours would be crucial—preparing, planning, and mentally bracing themselves for the task at hand.

Getting up, Jonas headed for the cockpit. “I am going to make a call to the German consulate before filing a flight plan. It's best to find out where exactly we're supposed to go recruitment”

“I will contact my Czech representative also,” replied Elayna, reaching for her cell phone. “ If both of the Honorary Consulates in Vancouver can deal with….whatever this is, it will save us from having to fly all the way to Ottawa.”

Jonas stopped before entering the cockpit and turned; his eyes seeking his wife. “I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but we are not obligated to go through with any of this. You know that right?”

Elayna glanced up and saw the anxiety and conviction in his eyes. “Sweetheart, we are either in this together, or we are both out together. Regardless of what our respective governments say, I will stand with whatever you decide.”

Jonas smiled and nodded. Feeling simultaneously tense and comforted, he turned and entered the cockpit.