Traffic along Arlington Boulevard continued moving at a brisk pace, although, compared to rush hour, it had thinned considerably.
Grant exited off the boulevard then drove to the U.S. Marine Memorial Circle, pulling into a parking space along the circle. Even though the memorial is open twenty-four hours, for the lateness of the hour there was still one other car parked five spaces away from the Vette. The convertible top was down on a ‘68 white, two door Chevy Impala. Maine license plates were due to expire in July.
Grant lifted his ball cap off the console and got out as Adler was gulping down the last mouthful of Coke.
The two men followed one of the paths that led to the memorial. A young couple, holding hands, passed them, heading toward the parking area, hardly giving them any notice.
Staring up at the statue of six U.S. Marines and the American flag, Grant and Adler climbed the steps, walked closer to the memorial, then snapped a quick salute. They stayed briefly, thinking of the sacrifice made by those men.
Turning around to face the park, Grant smoothed his hair and put on his cap. His eyes scanned the darkness, looking for any sign of Mullins. “Tony should be here any time now,” he commented, giving his watch a brief check.
“Any idea what’s on his mind?” Adler asked as he stepped next to Grant. He pulled a piece of gum from his side pocket, offering it to Grant, who shook his head. He stripped off the paper, then popped the gum in his mouth.
A gust of wind nearly took Grant’s cap, and he grabbed the brim, screwing it down tighter. “Only thing I can think of is my comment on helping Grigori.”
“Christ, skipper! Do you really think the colonel wants to ‘come over’?”
Grant shoved his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker, lowered his head, and stared at the asphalt walkway. “Hard to imagine, Joe. I mean, Grigori loves Russia, plus he’s got Alexandra to think about, too.”
In the distance they saw headlights and heard a rumbling engine. A black ’77 Pontiac Trans Am came into view briefly as it traveled down the circle, before disappearing behind a row of trees.
“Gotta be Tony,” Adler laughed.
Grant jogged down the steps, with Adler following. They walked closer to a group of cherry trees toward the end of the circular path, trying to get more cover for their meeting, away from lights, just in case.
A car door slammed. There was a sound of someone jogging, feet slapping against pavement. Mullins came into view, giving a brief wave as he continued toward them.
Handshakes went around, as Mullins said, “Sorry, guys.”
“Not a problem, Tony.” Grant asked, “Are we okay here, or do we need to be more secure?”
“We’re good. Look, I just wanted to get away from the office just in case there were any ‘ears’ listening.”
“Understand,” Grant responded with a slight grin. “Understand completely. Now, what do you want to know? My comment about Grigori?”
“Yeah, we can start with that. So, you really think he wants to ‘come over’?”
Grant shrugged his shoulders. “When we were at the AFN facility, he was worried about his involvement with us, mainly because of the two Russian comrades there with him. He asked, and I quote: ‘How is Washington this time of year?’ That’s when I told him I’d help him if that day ever came.”
“What’s your gut feeling?” Mullins asked.
“Too soon to tell. Need to talk with him. Might find out more when he calls Friday. Like I said to Joe, Grigori’s got to think about Alexandra, too.”
“So, we wait till Friday,” Mullins confirmed.
Grant was about to put Mullins on the spot. “Listen, Tony, I know this might be jumping the gun a little, but what’s the possibility of getting Grigori and Alexandra ‘new’ papers?”
“‘New’ papers?”
“Yeah. Don’t know if they’ll even need them, but we’ve gotta be prepared. If we have to get them out of the country, it’d be best if they no longer had the name ‘Moshenko.’ Guess I’m more concerned about Alexandra right now. I know you’ve got dossiers on them. Think you can do it?”
“That’s one helluva tall order, Grant,” Mullins responded, scratching the back of his head.
“I know. I know,” Grant answered. He shoved his hands into his windbreaker pockets, resisting the urge to cross his fingers. “Think you can?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Feeling some relief, Grant managed a slight smile then said, “Now, I know there’s something else you’ve got on your mind. Are you gonna tell us what it is?”
“Listen, I know you haven’t had time to plan anything, probably haven’t even talked with Torrinson.”
“Yeah, you’re right on both counts,” Grant answered. Abruptly, he took a step in front of Mullins. “Hold on! You’re not thinking of trying to make the trip with us, are you? Hell! We don’t even know if we’ll get authorization to go!”
“Christ, Grant! Where’d you get a stupid idea like that?”
Grant leaned closer. “Maybe stupid, but I’m right, aren’t I?”
Mullins poked a finger into Grant’s chest. “You know I can get you anything you need, at just about any time. Weapons… anything.”
“Yeah, I know you can, but you can do it without leaving home either.”
Adler stepped between the two, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Okay, boys. Play nice now.”
With his thumb, Grant pushed the brim of his cap farther back off his forehead, while he scrutinized Mullins’ face. He took a deep breath, before saying, “Look, Tony, how the hell could you pull that off? You think the Agency would send you with us? Or do you have unused vacation time?” He finally cracked a smile. “So, which is it?”
“Haven’t decided,” Mullins responded. He turned and took a couple of steps away from the two, with his head hanging.
Grant walked over to him and tugged on his sleeve. “Hey, Tony. What’s goin’ on?”
“I’ve got a cousin who was declared MIA nearly six years ago, and… ”
“Jesus! I didn’t know. I’m really sorry to hear that. It’s gotta be tough for you and your family. Wait! You don’t think he’s one of those men, do you?”
Mullins shook his head. “No. Those odds would be astronomical. No. I just feel like I’ve gotta try to help those guys, ya know?” Tears welled up in his eyes, and he quickly wiped them away with the back of his hands.
Grant remained quiet. He had experienced the same sadness, the heartbreak, three years ago. Grabbing Mullins’ shoulders, he looked at him dead-on. “Listen, Tony, don’t fuck up your career, and possibly your life. If this is something you feel strongly about, your best option is to talk it over with your boss. You’ve worked with us before, so maybe that’ll be in your favor. If you want, I’d be willing to feel out the admiral… ”
“Thanks, buddy, but I guess I’d better think this out a little more, huh?”
Grant gave an understanding nod. Then, with hands on his hips, and a shit-eatin’ grin, he asked, “So, can we still get that gear?”
Chapter 3
With sunrise having been over two hours ago, the temperature’s already hovering at fifteen degrees Celsius. By the time the sun sets at 2200 hours, it’s expected to reach twenty Celsius.
June weather in Moscow is surprisingly warm. Residents take advantage of every warm moment, every daylight hour, glad to be rid of snow, ice, freezing temperatures, and darkness. The Moskva River, once locked in ice, is again flowing freely, following its serpentine route through the city.