The old man shrugged. “You know how game is played. I make recommendations, but sometimes is not enough. We’ve done good job, you and I. Together we kept our countries from madness. Because of this, world still exists. The people? They go about their lives with no idea how close we came.”
Smith nodded and took another bite of toast. “Some might say you’ve not held up your end.”
Vasilii glared at him. “Who says this? The man I risked everything for? Because of you, my country was overrun by oligarchs, our economy collapsed. We never recovered.”
He waited calmly for Vasilii to stop, then said, “This bomb? It is the work of a powerful group or nation. Are you saying you’re not involved?”
“Involved?” Vasilii sputtered. “After all I’ve done, why would I allow this?” He shook his head, face splotched red. “I promise you, we have nothing to do with it.”
“You speak for everyone?”
That stopped Vasilii. “You think me old? Lost touch with my people? No,” he spat out. “I would know. I am not feeble old man who lost his way.”
“That’s what this is about?”
Vasilii placed his coffee cup on the table, and the cup clinked as his hand trembled. “I am not one who crossed line. You knew better.”
“You’re never going to find her. Even I don’t know where she is.”
The old Russian eyed him shrewdly. “I will never stop looking. Is my duty.”
“And what would you do if you found her?” he asked. “Torture her? Kill her? How can you claim to be my friend when you would kill the woman I love?”
“Love?” Vasilii scoffed. “For love, she committed treason?”
“Remember the old Russian proverb? My neighbor has a cow, and I have no cow. I hope my neighbor’s cow dies.”
Vasilii’s eyes narrowed. “You believe me jealous? I warned Alexandra. I warned you. We are not meant to have relationships. To have children. Is understood.”
“You know we didn’t plan for it.”
“So you claim. But, it did happen.” Vasilii shook his head sadly. “I will never stop looking for her. I cannot.”
He watched the old Russian carefully. “Can’t you let it go?” he asked softly. “You already look the other way.”
“The sins of the father and mother do not translate to child. I violated my oath and let your daughter live. Is understood within my organization that your daughter remain safe.”
“We are old men. I would like to see my wife, while there’s still time.”
“Is not to be,” Vasilii said. “Is not enough that you have daughter?”
No, he wanted to scream, it is not enough. The absence of Nancy’s mother had wounded her in a way he could not heal. “This is your final decision?”
Vasilii stared at the table between them. “Where is rest of breakfast? We should have eggs. Sausage. Good rye bread. Porridge.”
“I cannot change your mind.” He’d known Vasilii still resented Alexandra Batalova’s betrayal, that the woman the Russians sent to spy on him would suddenly have an affair, get pregnant, and forsake her country to give birth.
Vasilii slowly shook his head. “What is your American expression? Is not in the cards.”
He sighed. In the twenty nine years since Nancy’s birth, he had never been so forthright with the old Russian. His time was running out, and it didn’t appear that his wife would ever see her daughter again. He thought about ordering Vasilii’s execution, but it pained him to think of killing the old man, not to mention the plans Vasilii had in place if he met an untimely demise.
No, he couldn’t just kill Vasilii. The OTM and the Russian organization had reached an equilibrium after decades of covert operations. There was a soft knock at the door. “I’m sorry to say that breakfast will be scrambled egg whites with turkey sausage.”
“Turkey sausage? What has world come to?” Vasilii bemoaned. “Better we let world burn than forced to eat like this.”
His driver, Robert, entered with a small cart and placed it next to their table, then left, carefully closing the door behind him.
He lifted the elegant silver domes from the plates to reveal their breakfast. Vasilii frowned in disgust but took his plate and began eating.
“This device the North Koreans sold,” Vasilii said between mouthfuls. “I will inquire. Perhaps I find something.”
“I would be terribly grateful,” he said. “I just wish I could change your mind on the other matter.”
“You are never content,” Vasilii grumbled. “Always looking for more. Eat your breakfast, old friend, and let us be about our business, before your country suffers an attack that undoes our hard work.”
The C130J Hercules refueled twenty thousand feet over Saudi Arabia, just south of Prince Sultan Air Base, before flying over Yemen and on to Somalia. John watched the others through his VISOR. The vibration from the ship’s airframe had rattled his teeth for the entire trip, and he felt his jaw muscles clenching. A pounding in his head, behind his eyes, made it impossible for him to catch any sleep.
They hadn’t begun pre-breathing, but would have to start soon or risk suffering hypoxia. Deion was talking to Redman at the front of the cargo bay, while Stratello and Young sat with Taylor and Mark, checking their gear with practiced ease.
His VISOR’s coms dinged. “John?” It was Eric’s voice. “How are you feeling?”
He checked the com signal and found it was a personal satellite call, directed just to him. “Not one hundred percent, but I’ll push through,” he said.
“I don’t have to tell you how important this mission is. You know what that device could do.”
He knew. He could see it in his mind as the bomb detonated in New York City, turning downtown Manhattan into a cinder in the blink of an eye. He shuddered. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Remember, your mission is to recover that device. Nothing else matters. Not the Operators. Not Deion. You kill anyone that gets in your way, without hesitation, you understand? Above all, recover that device.”
“Jesus, Eric, I got it. After all I’ve done for the OTM, you think I can’t handle it?”
There was a long pause, then Eric said, “I’m proud of you, John. You’re a good man, better than most I’ve served with. The past is history. You can’t forget it, but you can live for today. Do your job and save the world.”
John bit his lip. “No pressure or anything.”
Eric finally laughed. “Make me proud, John. Hey, I have something for you. Consider it a present. I’m transferring communications. You’ve got five minutes.”
“John?” It was a husky woman’s voice. “Are you okay?”
He checked the signal. He was now speaking directly to Kara. “Hey.”
“We’ve reviewed the records from the doctors in Turkey. You responded well to treatment. How bad does it hurt?”
He absently stroked his arm. It was less than sixteen hours since his injury, but the drugs in the gel had done their job. “Feels a little sore.”
“Doctor Elliot thinks you need at least forty eight hours of downtime before redeployment.”
“I’ll be fine. We’re dropping soon.”
There was a long pause. “John? I like you. Take care of yourself.”
For a moment, his heart soared. For all he had done, Kara had forgiven him. “Kara? I like you, too.”
John’s VISOR blazed with colored dots in constant flux as the different drones, planes, and helicopters screamed through the night on their way to Ely. He marveled at Eric’s ability to plan and implement the complex mission in a short time frame. The logistics were daunting.