He gives a grim, mirthless smile when he can feel that he has Ginovaef. Hook, line, but not yet sinker.
A little hiss of air clouds the line, a trace of bitter amusement in the undercurrent as Nicholai deflected his choice of words. HUNK concedes, "More or less. Less fodder, anyway. You knew what went down in Raccoon. You were there, you were appraised of its status."
He knew how the Russian operated six years ago, and his earlier doubts about how much he'd changed were quelled. And even as he gave Nicholai what little information he can, his mouth briefly twitches in the right corner when the Russian seems beside himself with the idea of seeing his rival broken.
"You know, I'm surprised you haven't put a bullet in your brain yet." There a more human, almost conversational quality in the agent's tone now. He can't be ushering in a half-crazed gun-toting former employee, after all. He's got to be more certain of his mental state.
Aside for, of course, his inebriation. Which was never anything really new, anyway.