[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.”“You’ve been suspended.This has nothing to do with you.”“You’re watching Aleksei Kusmin and Katya Mazarov?”“Give the dog a bone.”Ethan glanced around the interior of the vehicle.One guy listened on headphones.“We should be sharing information, not working against each other,” Ethan said.A door opened and another man put his head in.“The car’s here.”“Let’s go for a drive,” Kelso said.Ethan and Kelso got out of the limo and into the back of the new car which immediately pulled away.“Who’s wearing the wire?” Ethan asked.“No comment.”“How did you know about this meeting?”“Again, no comment.”“Are you aware of the meeting at two in the Vizcaya Museum?”“No.” Kelso glanced at him.“It’s a set-up.I just wondered if you were part of it.Who do you have wired?”“We have a room wired.What were you doing in the parking lot?” Kelso asked.“Following Katya.”“Why? You’re off the case.”“I’m worried about her.”“Why?”“She’s my CI.I feel responsible for her safety.”“You develop a conscience after you fucked her or did you have it before?”Shit.“I’m worried she’s going to get hurt.”“Why didn’t you pull her out?”“What’s going on?”Kelso stayed silent.Ethan took a deep breath.“I’m beginning to wonder if we aren’t all being set up here.Katya heard Kusmin and Petrenko talking about enriched uranium but maybe it doesn’t exist.Do you have someone pretending to be a buyer?”“Kusmin is ours.”Ethan’s jaw dropped.“He’s working for you?”“He’s been offered immunity from prosecution in return for information.I’m telling you this because I need you to back off.Leave Katya Mazarov alone.”Ethan’s cell phone rang in his pocket.“Answer it,” Kelso said.Ethan took it out.“Hi, Tom.”“Do you want the good news or the I-really-don’t-want-to-hear-that news?”“I’ll have the good first.”“I brought Luisa in to talk to Frank and she’s dropped all allegations.She’s out and you’re in.She’s in custody.Frank says you can collect your gun and shield anytime.”Ethan had so much else to worry about he hardly felt relieved.“The bad news is you were right to be suspicious of Revnik.I’ve just been talking to your friend Eric Ford in Moscow.He says that Revnik’s family is in St Petersburg and under the protection of the Pecherskaya.”The weight slammed back on Ethan’s shoulders.He knew the gang.He’d had dealings with them before.“Did he say whether that was voluntary or not?”“Eric didn’t know.He’s still working on it.”Ethan went quiet.“Are you okay?” Tom asked.“Yeah, I’ll call you later.” He ended the call.Kelso glanced at him.“I have my shield back.”“Good for you.”Ethan glared.“Now you can turn around and drive me to the hotel because I have as much right to be in that parking lot as you.” Anxiety made his head pound.“We’re already tripping over each other.I don’t want you around Kusmin.”“You can have the case but I want Katya out now.”“What’s the hurry?”“She’s in danger.”Kelso gave a short laugh.“Right.From who?”“Petr Revnik, an FSB Colonel who’s on a placement here.” He ran through what Revnik told him only a few hours before, and what Tom had just said.“He’s working for Petrenko?” Kelso asked.“No.”It was the first time the CIA man looked surprised.“The Pecherskaya are not Petrenko’s gang.Petrenko was part of the Derzhimordovskaya while he was in Moscow.We’re not sure of his connection with them now.It could have continued in which case he’s arranging this uranium deal with their blessing and help or he could be trying to do it alone.The Pecherskaya are a rival gang, competing in neighboring suburbs.If Revnik’s family is under their protection, it means one of two things.Either he’s working for them against Petrenko voluntarily or he’s working for them because if he doesn’t his wife and kids will be killed.”“Maybe the uranium was under the control of the Pecherskaya and Petrenko stole it,” Kelso suggested.“There are multiple permutations of this.We could guess until we find her dead.I’m not prepared to wait.”“Why would this guy betray her? He wants the deal to go ahead.He wants to know what happens and he’s relying on her telling you.Leave her where she is.She’s keeping Kusmin in check.We’ll be following the guys he’s talking to.We can pick up flotsam each side of the deal.”As Kelso had intended, by the time they arrived back at the hotel, it was too late.Everything was over and Katya had gone.* * * * *Aleksei kept quiet until he’d driven away.Katya’s head reeled with information.“I should have let them strip you.That might have kept you quiet.”“You didn’t tell me I couldn’t say anything.”He rolled his eyes.“Would it have made any difference?”“Were you tempted to include me in the deal?”He laughed.“I wonder how much he’d have paid.How much would you accept to spend a night with him?”“How much would you?” she retorted.“What if he’d wanted you? Or both of us? Would you have taken your clothes off and let him fuck you?”“Interesting question.No, I wouldn’t and there is no price I’d have accepted for you.None.I want to look after you, not let you get hurt.I want to understand you.”“You think you’re even close to that?”“Yes.”His confidence surprised her.“I’ve watched your eyes.The first time I saw you in the restaurant I knew you’d been hurt, that you had secrets.When I uncovered some of them, I recognized vulnerability too though you were trying hard to repress it.You also tried hard not to feel anything, but sometimes you did and those moments made me believe you could be mended.Then Max fucking Hastings killed something inside you and I was arrogant and disappointed enough to think it might be your love for me.”He glanced at her and she saw something in his eyes then, his own vulnerability, his hope.“We’re not mended, either of us, but I haven’t given up,” he said.“We’ll get out of this.”“What I want is not to be involved at all.Where were they from? They sounded like Arabs.”“I have no idea.I don’t care.”“Al-Qaeda?”“Probably.”Katya’s heart lurched.“Oh God, don’t do this deal with them.Don’t provide them with the means to hurt people.You’d go to prison for life if you were caught.You should tell the authorities.Cut a deal.Please, Aleksei.This is wrong.I can’t believe you’d do this.”He looked away from the road and stared at her for too long before turning his gaze back to the traffic.Katya was afraid she’d gone too far.She was supposed to be encouraging him, but she couldn’t.“Don’t worry,” he said quietly.“I know what I’m doing.”55Beth opened the door.She scowled at Aleksei and smiled at Katya.“He’s in the den,” she said.Katya felt as though she’d walked into a lion’s cage.Petrenko sat in a recliner, watching football on a flat screen TV.He switched it off when they came in and rose to his feet.“Ah, the lovely Katya.Oh dear, not so lovely.Been arguing with Aleksei’s fist?”“He’s never hit me,” Katya said.The TV, yes, me no.And that was when he thought I was dead.The awareness that Aleksei really did care for her swamped her with remorse.Despite her pleas to the FBI, he’d go down with Viktor unless she warned him.“Beth, get us something to drink.Should I be opening champagne?”Aleksei nodded.“The Cristal, Beth.”She handed the bottle to Petrenko, brought over a tray of glasses and slipped out of the room.He opened it with a flourish and poured.Aleksei passed a glass to Katya and waited.Beth returned rubbing her nose, Revnik behind her
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]