New Beginnings (Pervaya Liniya Security)

[Zhenya]

A smile touched Zhenya’s lips for his answer. Physical qualification aside – and indeed, they only ever hired the best – she was always interested in the answer to that question. She knew each one of her operators on a personal level, some better than others of course, but Pervaya had a distinct air of family to those accepted into its halls. It was this overly familiar attitude that caused her problems sometimes, though she’d never actually crossed the line Lorcán suspected she had. More, it was a deeply rooted pride and loyalty that tied her here. She protected her own fiercely, including bending the law when she needed to. They protected the clients, and Zhenya protected them.

It was why she conducted the interviews herself, when it could have been delegated to any number of capable staff. Because she wanted to make her own judgments – because she wanted to be the first face to welcome into the fold. And because she wanted to know they would do what needed to be done when required – whether the law permitted it or not.

The interview continued in the same vein, in part directed by pre-decided questions, and in part conducted less formally, meandering down different parts according to the answers he gave. It was quite clear that she was interested in the person Edwin was as much as his past record and his qualifying skills for the work. Discovering his willingness to break the rules was a more delicate discovery of course – not the sort of thing that could simply be asked outright. But Zhenya’s touch was light and charming.

They spoke for the better part of an hour. She was always thorough, though it never actually took her long to make a decision, in part because when candidates made it this far there was a certain amount of surety in their suitability. By the time they met with Zhenya it was more about fit.

By the interview’s conclusion, she regarded Edwin with a smile. It was a warm one, not evasive. “Thank you for your time, Edwin. I shall not beat around the bush – I would like to offer you a position with us. You are quite welcome to take the time to consider it and peruse the contract first if you wish.”