“Thank you. You’re a good man,” said Victor. “Take care of Anna. She had nothing to do with this. It was all me.”
Victor’s face seized up as the EMTs arrived and began preparing him for transport to the hospital.
“How’s my favorite crazy billionaire?” said Markus, standing next to Victor.
“Now am I off the hook?” grunted Victor, with his eyes closed.
“Not my call, but I’ll put in a good word for you,” said Markus, catching the eye of one of the paramedics with a quizzical thumbs-up and raised eyebrows. He got a reassuring nod back as they wheeled Victor towards the waiting ambulance.
"That was my fault. I should have anticipated that," said Markus, turning to Eddie and Peter.
"No one could have seen that coming," said Eddie. “Helen’s dark side or Victor's bravery."
"This isn't over until you two are on a plane," said Markus. "Let's get to the airport."
57
After Markus briefed the local police on the events in the train station, he left his two agents at the scene to clean up the details while he drove Eddie and Peter to the Helsinki airport. Even with the fatal delays, they could still make the last plane bound for London Heathrow that evening. Markus could speed them through security with his clearance and escort them to the gate.
As they entered Terminal 1, Peter froze at the door. He scanned the crowds of people passing in front of him, waiting for the next deadly surprise to appear. Markus and Eddie took a few more steps then looked back at Peter.
“You OK?” asked Eddie.
“No, not really,” said Peter, scanning the faces that appeared very similar to the ones back at the train station.
“I understand, Peter,” said Markus. “Here’s our route. We have to walk up to the secure area ahead, then on to the gate area. Obviously, nobody has weapons past the checkpoint, except airport security and me. I can stay with you the whole way.”
“It's just the three of us?” asked Peter.
“No, there’s more. See the man over there with the Adidas warm-ups on? He’s one of us. That woman talking on the phone in the red dress. She’s with us too. We have this covered. We have two others on the other side of the checkpoint. It will be OK.”
Peter took a deep breath and then stepped forward. Eddie put a hand on his shoulder while Markus stayed close. But they did not make it across unnoticed.
“My two favorite people in Finland!”
All three jerked their heads to the right to see Jack Issac walking towards them with a wave and a smile. Markus quickly stood in front of the other two, his right hand reaching inside his coat. The man in the Adidas outfit appeared behind Jack while the woman approached from the side.
“Whoa, quite a welcoming committee you have here!” said Jack, stopping ten feet from Markus.
“What do you want?” said Eddie, stepping forward.
“You know him?” asked Markus.
“Yeah, unfortunately,” said Eddie. “Jack Issac, slimeball.”
“And he was in St. Petersburg with Dmitry,” said Peter staying behind Markus.
Markus nodded for his associates to secure Jack while he removed his Supo ID from his coat and flashed it.
“Geez, after all, we've done for you guys, and this is what I get?” said Jack with a smirk.
“Stuart is dead. Victor is barely alive. And you almost killed Peter,” said Eddie with a dark stare.
“I’m going to have to stop you right there, mister washed-up soccer star. I had nothing to do with any of that. I’m just here to talk to Peter about coming back to Russia.”
The agents frisked Jack, coming up empty.
“Peter and Eddie are getting on a plane to London. I suggest you turn around and leave quietly,” said Markus.
“I’ll be happy to, Sheriff. But I think Pete might want to come with me.”
“And why would I do that?” said Peter.
Jack took a step forward, followed by both agents on either side of him.
“Because if you don’t, your Dad is going to prison,” said Jack, the smirk leaving his face.
Peter processed for a moment.
“For what?”
“For violating a whole bunch of international export control laws,” said Jack. “Just ask ol’ Victor when he wakes up. It’s quite a story.”
“That’s bullshit. My dad wouldn’t do that.”
“Yeah, he would. We’re not in St. Cloud anymore, Sparky. Your daddy and Victor Niemi planned to distribute Kognitio all around the world to make millions off of wannabe athletes like you and your coach here. In fact, he’s already come back with several purchase orders. So, either you leave with me now, quietly, or we make a phone call to the FBI with an anonymous tip and a shitload of evidence.”
“Or we could arrest you right now for extortion,” said Markus.
“Maybe. Of course, I could just be making all of this up. Remember, we have the evidence, not you,” said Jack. “It’s not so bad, is it Pete? Come back to Leningrad, get paid millions to be a soccer star. And your Dad stays out of jail.”
Peter looked at Markus for advice.
“Peter, you can’t go with them. This is blackmail,” said Markus. “They’ll just turn your father in anyway once you get back to Russia.
“He’s right, Peter. We could be bluffing. You have to decide if your Dad’s freedom is worth the risk,” said Jack.
Peter checked with Eddie, who glared at Jack.
“We need to make some phone calls,” said Eddie.
“Peter, you have five seconds to come with me,” said Jack, ignoring Eddie. “If I turn around without you, we call the FBI.”
Peter looked up to the ceiling. Then he hugged Eddie.
“I don’t have a choice," said Peter, his chin on Eddie's shoulder. "I can’t send my Dad to prison.”
“Your dad sent himself to prison. You had nothing to do with it,” said Eddie.
Peter pulled back from Eddie.
“But I can’t just turn my back on him,” said Peter.
“No, but you can turn around and tell him yourself," said Eddie with a smile.
Peter’s eyes grew wide. He spun around.
“Hello Pete,” said Sam Borg, in a hushed voice.
Next to Sam was Anna and Benny, along with two more Supo agents.
Peter sprung at his Dad to give him a bone-crushing hug. Then he picked Benny up in the air and squealed in delight. Finally, he hesitated, then gave Anna a gentle but enthusiastic embrace.
“Hate to break-up the happy family reunion but you’re still going to jail, Borg,” said Jack.
“Yes, I am,” said Sam. “Maybe I’ll see you there, Jack.”
Jack gave everyone the finger then walked away.
“Dad, really? You’re involved in all this?” said Peter.
Sam looked at his shoes, collected himself, then looked into Peter’s eyes.
“Yes, I am,” he said with tears welling up. “But Mr. Niemi and I never intended for all of this to happen. We were only interested in Kognitio for athletes. But then Bogdanov got involved and it all went south in a hurry. And the worst of it is that I sent you here to be part of this madness.”
Peter stepped back.
“Wait, you arranged for me to go to Kotka?”
“Pete, I thought it would be the best of both worlds. You could be the soccer star that you wanted to be, and I could be the star of my company. It just all got out of control.”
“You mean I could be the soccer star that you wanted me to be,” said Peter.
Sam lowered his head and nodded.
“Does Mom know?”
“No, not yet. I needed to get you out of here first.”
“So, you confessed?”
“Only because of him,” said Sam, looking at Eddie. “Thank God, he figured it out and called me. It took a tough bit to drill through my hard head, but he reminded me how much I love you and your mother. Once I turned myself in, the FBI got in touch with Supo. I just w
anted to be here today to see you before I head back with them.”
“And your Dad has promised to help our investigation against Dmitry,” said Markus.
“So now what?” asked Peter.
“Now, you can go home to see Mom and figure out exactly what you want from life. I’ll be doing the same, although mine is well overdue,” said Sam.
“Where will you be, and for how long?”
Sam looked at Markus.
“That is still to be decided based on your Dad’s cooperation and the rest of our investigation,” said Markus. “Which, by the way, is strictly confidential. For the record for anyone outside of this group and Mrs. Borg, your Dad is away on business and cannot be reached.”
“So, I don’t know when we’ll see each other again, Pete. But I wanted to make this right. And make sure you’re safe,” said Sam, wiping his eyes and reaching out to Peter.
Peter hesitated then fell into his Dad’s arms.
"Aw, I love happy endings," said Benny, joining in on the group hug.
“OK, we still need to get all four of you on that plane, but we have to hurry,” said Markus, pulling away.
“Four of us?” asked Eddie.
“Mind if I tag along?" said Anna. "I hear Minnesota is beautiful this time of year."
“Dog, you were right!” said Benny, shoving Peter’s shoulder.
“Right about what?” said Eddie.
Peter looked at Eddie then at Anna then back at Eddie with a shoulder shrug and a sheepish grin.
Eddie blushed, taking the opportunity to see Anna this time in a new light. She returned his gaze with sparkling eyes and a warm smile.
58
Barney trotted down the gravel driveway to greet the visitors. His paws swished through the fallen leaves as he let out warning barks. His tail wagged slowly until he could confirm the identity of the vehicle's occupants. Something looked familiar about the black Jeep that stopped at the edge of the concrete pad just below the steps to the front door. He took one look at the driver and doubled his wag rate. He jumped up on the door with his two front paws on the window.
"Barney, you big ol' dog!" said the driver as he slowly opened the door.
The golden retriever started a dance of spins and whimpers. The front screen door squeaked open.
"Still keeping the farm safe!" said Eddie, waving to his Mom with one hand while fending off Barney with the other.
"That's what he's here for," she said.
Barney heard the front passenger door open.
"Who is that, Barn? Go see!" said Eddie.
Barney raced around the back of the car and tackled the unsuspecting visitor.
"Oh, Barney, that's no way to treat our guest," said Jean. "I'm so sorry."
Anna kneeled to hug Barney.
"I don't mind, he's adorable," said Anna standing. “Hello, I'm Anna Lehtinen."
"Jean Alonso. So very nice to meet you. Welcome to Minnesota!"
Anna held out her hand, but Jean went in for a hearty embrace. Anna looked over Jean's shoulder and across the hood of the Jeep to give Eddie a smile.
"And it's nice to meet you too, Barney," said Anna, bending down again to appease the dog's attention.
The screen door opened again.
"Pops! What are you doing home?" said Eddie.
"I'm told that I live here now," said Jorge Alonso, with a sheepish grin towards his wife.
"It's the second week of what he calls retirement, and he's a fish out of water," said Jean.
"And what exactly is this version of retirement?" said Eddie.
"Only in the shop three days a week," said Jorge, holding up three fingers.
"Well, that's progress," said Eddie, looking at his Mom.
"But on those three days, he's there for fifteen hours," said Jean, shaking her index finger at her husband.
Jean put her hand on Anna's back and ushered her towards the house.
"Please come in. I've got dinner on the stove. We need to hear all about this adventure in Finland or Russia or wherever you two were."
Eddie climbed to the top of the steps and held the door open. As Anna passed, he gave her a wink. She returned a raised eyebrow, then the smile that, to Eddie, burst like a sunrise. Barney tried to sneak into the party but was quickly shooed away by Jorge, who tossed him a handful of biscuit treats out into the yard.
Eddie and Anna had agreed not to divulge all the details of the last few months as the investigation was ongoing. Besides, it was best not to make parents worry. So, as they settled around the big oak kitchen table with Dad at his usual spot at the end and Mom next to him, they started with the easiest updates.
"I saw Karen Borg at the store two days ago," said Jean. "She seemed a bit preoccupied, but I'm not one to snoop. She said the boys were back."
"Yep, they are. And they're both off to Carleton College. The coach there was excited to add them to his roster," said Eddie, seated next to Anna.
"It's a good school," said Jorge, sipping his coffee that was too hot for anyone else.
"So, the Finland soccer thing didn't work out?" asked Jean.
Eddie glanced at Anna as he put his arm around the back of her chair.
"No, it just wasn't a great fit for them," said Eddie. "But they learned a lot."
"So, Anna, Eddie tells us you are a neuroscientist?" asked Jean, getting up to check the meatballs in the oven. “How exciting!”
"Yes, I am," said Anna. "In fact, I have taken a research position at Mayo Clinic down in Rochester."
"Good hospital," said Jorge. "Are you on the medical staff too?"
"Well, no, just research for now," said Anna, not volunteering that her medical license had been suspended for one year because of her involvement with FC Kotka.
"But she is starting a new program there funded by Sterling Laboratories on brain-computer interfaces," said Eddie with a look of admiration.
"Sterling? Isn't that where Sam Borg works?" asked Jean as she loaded the meatballs into a serving dish.
"Yes, I believe it is," said Anna.
Jorge noticed the subtle glance from Anna to Eddie.
"They must keep him busy. I haven't seen him around town lately," said Jorge.
"Kinda’ like you, Pops," said Eddie.
Jorge gave a shrug and took another sip of coffee.
Jean brought the meatballs and mashed potatoes to the table. Anna jumped up to bring the gravy boat and sliced bread from the counter.
"I hope you like meat and potatoes, dear. It's all we eat around here," said Jean, giving Anna a squeeze on her slender arm and a smile to Eddie. "And you could use a little meat on your bones."
Eddie tilted his head and gave a frown to his Mom.
"Actually, I love this. My mother prepared it all the time when I was growing up. And I couldn't help but notice that beautiful apple pie sitting over there," said Anna.
"Oh, you and I will get along just fine," said Jean as they both gleamed at each other.
After saying grace, they began to eat.
"So, one other update," said Eddie. "I'm also heading down to Rochester to start a neuroscience PhD program at Mayo College. On a scholarship from Sterling Labs."
Jean and Jorge looked at each other quizzically.
"Is there something you two aren't telling us" said Jean.
"Let's just say it's a story for another day," said Eddie squeezing Anna's knee under the table. "But our research will be especially for folks with brain injuries, trying to get them back to a normal life."
Jean sat back down and looked at Eddie.
"Starting with anyone we know?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
"Maybe, but not to get back on the field. Those days are over. There's just so much potential for this technology to help people," said Eddie. "And Anna is leading it."
"Well, I think it's wonderful what both of you are doing," she said. "Like I always say—"
"If you can help just one person —" Eddie interjected.
"Then i
t makes it all worthwhile," said Anna, finishing his sentence.
"Well, that sounded like you could read each other's minds," said Jorge, devouring his first meatball.
Simultaneously, Eddie and Anna both smiled, tapping their index fingers to their temple.
Acknowledgments
“To me, the great joy of writing is discovering. Most writers are told to write about what they know, but I still love the adventure of going out and reporting on things I don't know about.” -Tom Wolfe
I have to agree with Mr. Wolfe. Learning is the great byproduct of writing. For over three decades, I have been fascinated with the brain. And when our three sons marched onto the battlefield of youth sports, I used my time in the bleachers studying the mysteries of how some of those little people moved so effortlessly while others waited for a bit more mental and physical maturity.
So, after writing a nonfiction book on the subject, with my good friend Dr. Leonard Zaichkowsky, I knew my next challenge would be to create a fictitious world where tomorrow’s technology meets people who want to exploit it today.
On this journey, I not only learned about my subject matter but also the incredibly nuanced methods of writing fiction. As every successful author tells novice writers, the only way to mastery is to read and write. I voraciously read the great ones, gone too soon; Michael Crichton, Robert Ludlum and Clive Cussler. Luckily, we still have the modern masters; Daniel Silva, Harlan Coben and my Milwaukee neighbor, Nick Petrie.
Thank you to my editor, Tim Storm, for his calm, polite and vital critique of my early manuscript.
Without a doubt, I thank the most important person in my life, my beautiful wife, Shirley. Her steadfast belief in me is what made this dream possible. My debt to her is overwhelming.
And thanks to my three boys, Kyle, Matt and Steve, who have grown to be fine young men, out in the world creating their own journeys. I hope you guys enjoy the ride!
-DP
Also by Daniel Peterson
The Playmaker’s Advantage
http://getbook.at/ThePlaymakersAdvantage
The Playmaker Project Page 28