“Dead,” Tatiana said. “We know. But before his unfortunate run-in with the other end of your weapon, he was… How do you say it?” She looked at Viktor.
“Double-crossing?” he said.
“That’s it. Double-crossing Rolfe for money.”
“The courier bag?” Sam said.
“Exactly. When we learned that he’d possibly found it, we approached him and offered double what Rolfe was paying for it. Unfortunately, your friend Zakaria was kidnapped, and we lost the bag.” She turned, nodding toward her partner. “That’s where Viktor’s expertise comes in. He’s worked extensively with Interpol in recovering stolen art. When my agency found out that there was a possibility of the Romanov Ransom actually being found, we brought Viktor on board to pose as my personal bodyguard.”
Sam eyed the man. “Interpol?”
He nodded.
“His connections,” Tatiana said, “allow us access to some less-than-orthodox methods, such as the one we used this afternoon, turning my rank into a commander who has need of a private hangar.”
“Interesting,” Sam said. “I have a friend who did a lot of work with Interpol back when he was in the FBI. Runs a security firm these days.”
“Donovan Archer?” Viktor said.
“You know him?”
“Very well.”
“Then you won’t mind if I verify your story with him?”
44
Viktor didn’t answer Sam right away. He seemed to think about it, then said, “You want to contact Donovan? I don’t mind, but it’s up to Tatiana.”
She made a dismissive gesture. “As long as he doesn’t make any law enforcement inquiries, I have no objections.”
Sam slid his phone across the table to Remi. “See if you can get Donny on a video call.”
Remi found his number in the contacts and called. “Donovan, sorry to wake you.”
“Remi? Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” she said, handing the phone to Sam.
Donovan, his blond hair sticking up on one side, stared back at Sam on the screen. “Fargo. Some reason I have to look at your ugly mug at this hour?”
“Quick question,” Sam said. “Someone here says he knows you. I need to know if I can trust him.”
“Who is it?”
“One second.” Sam turned the camera toward Viktor.
“Donovan,” Viktor said. “Good to see you.”
“Whoa. And here I thought Fargo’s mug was bad to wake up to.”
“You’re looking… somewhat awake.”
“You realize what time it is here? Put Fargo on again.”
“Well?” Sam asked.
“Viktor Surkov,” Donovan said, stifling a yawn. “Worked a few art theft cases with me at the Bureau in conjunction with Interpol. Good investigator, terrible poker player. You can trust him.”
“Thanks. Get some sleep. You look terrible.”
Sam ended the call, then looked at Tatiana and Viktor. “I trust Donovan. Therefore, you have our cooperation. What do you want from us?”
Tatiana’s glance strayed to his pack. “Preferably, what you found in the tunnels.”
“We’d like to get a few photos first, but they’re yours.” Sam unzipped his pack, removing the key and tin from it. “Any idea what they’re used for?”
She picked up the tin, turning it over in her hands. “According to Rolfe, the tins have something to do with finding the location of the Romanov Ransom. But he needs all three of them.”
“This one makes number two,” Sam said. “We were on our way to Münster, following up a lead — we hoped — on the third. You’re welcome to what we have.”
“Perfect. But I’ll need to come back for them. Preferably, tonight.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“What I need to do is steal them from you.”
Definitely not what he was expecting to hear. “How will that help?”
“Buy Rolfe’s trust. He’d be suspicious if I suddenly showed up with whatever this is.” She returned the tin to the table, her smile apologetic. “In order to make this real, I’ll have to bring along Rolfe, or someone in his entourage, and I’d rather not have either of you present. Is there any chance you can leave this in your hotel room and go out for a while? A late dinner?”
Sam thought about it for a moment, weighing the risks. “What sort of security can you guarantee? We’ve already had one midnight visit from this group.”
“So I heard. I didn’t find out until afterward. There’ll be four of us. Viktor, the two agents you met in Kaliningrad, and I.”
Sam and Remi glanced out the jet’s window at the pair standing near their flight crew.
“Those two?” Remi said, the tone of her voice echoing how he felt. “You’re kidding.”
“Believe it or not,” Viktor said, “Nika Karaulina and Felix Moryakov are actually very capable. The problem was, they were under the mistaken assumption that the two of you were not.”
Sam watched the agents a moment longer. “We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “So where do you want to do this? We’ve already checked out of our hotel room in Wałbrzych. A good thing, since the security there was lacking.”
Tatiana nodded at Viktor, who pulled a card from his pocket. “I’d recommend this place,” he said. “It’s high-end enough to not raise suspicion, but more secure than the last place you stayed. More important, you can disappear into any number of restaurants literally right outside the door. We’ll make sure that Felix and Nika are shadowing you the entire time.”
Sam took the card, showing it to Remi. “Feel like going out tonight?”
“Date night in Wrocław?” She smiled. “I always have my Jimmy Choos on standby.”
45
Rolfe stared at the text from Tatiana a moment longer. “Why,” he asked Leopold, “am I paying you when that Russian is doing your work?”
Leopold, who’d just finished disassembling and cleaning his Glock and was now using a cloth to wipe the oil from each piece, barely spared him a glance. “What is it she’s saying?”
“She tells me that she has a location on the Fargos.”
This caught his attention, and he looked up. “I’m curious as to how she managed that. We had every road leading out of that forest blockaded.”
“And yet still they somehow slipped past you. At least she has a solid lead.”
Leopold’s jaw clenched. The man hadn’t liked Tatiana to begin with, and Rolfe suspected he was liking her less and less. He tossed the oilcloth onto the table, then began to reassemble his weapon. “Where are they, then?”
“That’s what I’m asking now.” Rolfe sent the text, then waited for a response. It took a long time coming, but when it did, he smiled. “She saw them walking into a hotel in Wrocław.”
“Ask how she found them.”
“You don’t trust her?”
“Why should I?”
Rolfe texted her. A moment later, he received the response. “Apparently, the Fargos have been in touch with that old man in Kaliningrad. She has someone monitoring his cell phone.”
“Convenient.”
“Or smart,” Rolfe replied. But Leopold had planted the seed of suspicion, and Rolfe couldn’t let it go. He decided to call her. “Tatiana,” he said when she answered. “Where is this hotel?”
“I’m checking into it now. Easier to break in when I’m a guest.”
“Is that wise?”
“They’ve never seen me,” she said. “How can it hurt?”
“I’ll meet you there. Where is it?”
“Seriously?” She gave a cynical laugh. “You must take me for a fool to give out that information. All so your trigger-happy Wolfmen can come through here, shoot up the place, and bring in the authorities? We aren’t in the middle of the woods. We’re in the center of town. This calls for subtlety.”