Kozlov cursed loudly at Payne and tried to push him away, but he wasn’t strong enough to budge him very far. It was like trying to shove an oak tree.
The surrounding passengers stared with amusement.
Stuff like this rarely happened on the Metro.
Payne shook his head in mock disgust. He had no idea what the Russian had said to him but knew it wasn’t pleasant. “Fine! I can take a hint. You don’t want my help. But you didn’t have to be rude about it. What did I ever do to you?”
46
Despite being free of his shadow, Jones knew there was more work to be done. He and Allison were still several blocks away from their suite at the Palace Hotel, and there was always a chance that Kozlov wasn’t working alone. Jones also realized they had to steer clear of all the cops and soldiers who might want to chat with the black man and the gorgeous blonde.
Other than that, they were home free.
“Take this,” Jones whispered as he handed Allison her computer. “It will look better if we’re both carrying bags.”
She slung the thick strap over her shoulder. “Where to now?”
“Back to the hotel. You need to look through Byrd’s things.”
“What about Jon?” she asked, concerned.
“Don’t worry about Jon. He can take care of himself. My job is to worry about you.”
They turned down the central corridor, which was getting more and more crowded. Rush hour would be starting soon, and when it did, the Metro would be packed with people.
Moving through the crowds, Jones kept his head on a swivel, watching everyone around him. He searched for faces that looked the least bit familiar and stares that lasted a little too long. As they walked, he noticed several security cameras along the ceiling. He had seen the same thing in the lobby and near the train platform. But so far, no one had pestered him about his race. It was a pleasant surprise. He was expecting to be hassled everywhere he went.
Maybe Russia wasn’t so racist after all.
When they reached the escalators, Allison stepped on first, followed by Jones. For the next few minutes, he would have a chance to question her.
“When we were outside, did Jon point out my shadow?”
She nodded. “Back near the square.”
“Did the guy make any phone calls or talk to anyone on the street?”
“Not that I could see. He never stopped moving.”
“Good.”
Jones glanced over his shoulder, checking for eavesdroppers. The person behind him was listening to loud music through headphones. Farther back there was an older couple who didn’t look as if they could hear each other, let alone Jones.
“What did the soldiers want?”
She blushed slightly. “I think they wanted me.”
“You? What did they want with you?”
Her face turned even brighter.
“Ohhhhh!” he said in understanding. “They wanted you. I know exactly how you feel. Women constantly treat me like a piece of meat. It’s disgusting.”
She smiled at his claim. “It must get pretty hard for you.”
“See! That’s exactly what I mean. Raunchy comments like that.”
“Wait!” she blurted, realizing her double entendre. “I meant tough for you. Not hard.”
Jones laughed at her discomfort. “Relax, I’m just teasing. I knew what you meant. I just wanted to see how red I could make your face. It’s kind of fun. Like coloring without a crayon.”
She shrugged in resignation. “Don’t ask me why, but I’ve always been that way. Even as a little girl they used to tease me. I have fair skin, so the red comes shining through.”
Jones pointed to his face. “I have the exact same problem.”
She smiled, amazed that Jones was so relaxed despite his narrow escape.
His confidence gave her confidence.
“Back to my shadow for a moment. Did he look familiar to you?”
“Jon asked me the same thing.”
“And?”
“I honestly don’t know. He was too far away to see.”
“Not to worry. If he killed Richard, we’ll find out shortly.”
“We will?”
Jones nodded. “Of course we will. Jon is very good at his job.”
“What do you mean? Jon is talking to him?”
“Talking? I guess you could call it that.”
A look of discomfort crossed her face. One that Jones instantly recognized. He had seen it many times before when civilians listened to stories about life in the military. They freaked out over tales of brutality, not able to understand that violence was often done to ensure peace.
“Listen,” he said, “if we had simply wanted to lose my shadow, we would have handled things differently. But the truth is that we have to question him. The sooner, the better.”
“I don’t get it. Why do you have to talk to him?”
Jones groaned. “Do you want the truth, or do you want to stay calm?”
“To hell with calm. I want the truth.”
“Simply put, we’re doing it for your safety.”
“My safety?”
“Think about it. The guy knew where Richard was staying. How long would it take him to figure out that Richard paid for two rooms, not one? Hell, he probably knows already.”
“But I thought you cleaned my room?”
“I did. But I didn’t have a chance to erase the video surveillance from the lobby. For all we know, he bribed a security guard and has your picture in his pocket right now.”
She gulped at the thought.
“Hey, you wanted the truth.”
“I know I did, but . . .”
“Listen,” Jones said, trying to reassure her. “I swear to you, Jon is great at what he does. He’ll have a pleasant conversation with the guy and find out what he knows. After that, you won’t have to worry about him anymore.”
Concrete whizzed by as the train roared through the tunnels underneath Saint Petersburg. Every few minutes a recorded voice would make an announcement in Russian, and the train would slow to a stop. People would get on and people would get off, but Payne never moved. He kept staring out the window at the concrete, refusing to make eye contact with any of his fellow passengers-including the assassin at the other end of the car.
The initial plan was for Payne to block Kozlov’s path, trapping him on the train while Jones slipped away. That was how they had done the maneuver in the past, and it had always worked. But the more Payne thought about it on the long ride down the escalator, the more he realized that his current objective was different from the previous times. This wasn’t about escape. This was about leveling the playing field with an experienced professional.
That’s when Payne decided to run the bastard over.
Not only did it leave Kozlov dazed, it also left him defenseless.
When Payne was five years old, his grandfather bought him a deck of cards and showed him some simple tricks. Payne was so amazed that he became hooked for life. Over the years his grandfather encouraged him to read books about famous magicians. By the time Payne was a teenager, he had mastered the art of prestidigitation. He could pull coins out of thin air, make small objects disappear, and dazzle his toughest critics-including Jones.
One of Payne’s best skills was his ability to pick pockets.
He was smoother than a hungry Gypsy.
If he bumped into someone, he could steal just about anything he wanted. A watch. A ring. Or a set of keys. And the victim would be none the wiser.
That’s why Payne decided to get rough with Kozlov. He had to distract him for as long as possible while he took everything he could. His wallet, his badge, even his gun.