by Alex Lukeman
The map appeared on the monitor.
"Let's start with the obvious. You fly in as tourists, rent a vehicle at the airport and drive out to the site."
"Not a good idea," Nick said.
"Why not?"
"I understand that flying in is the easiest way. But every intelligence agency in the world knows who we are. The intelligence service in Croatia is pretty good. What would you think if you saw us coming through the gate? Do we look like your average Canadian tourists?"
"Well..."
"We could always say Lamont got that face running into a moose," Ronnie said.
"You always this funny in the morning?" Lamont said.
"Moose?" Valentina said.
"It's not important," Selena said.
"Go on, Nick," Elizabeth said.
"Since the Bosnian war the Croatians are paranoid. There's no love lost between them and the Muslims and they’re worried about extremists. They'll be watching the airport and the car rental agencies, looking for anything out of the ordinary. They'll spot us."
"You have a better suggestion?"
"Maybe. Freddie, expand the map to include Italy."
The map enlarged on the monitor.
"I know what you're thinking," Lamont said.
"Me too," Ronnie said.
"Freddie, what's the shortest distance between Italy and the island of Brac, going across the Adriatic?"
From what part of Italy?
"We need a harbor or seaport."
The closest harbor is Ancona. The distance from Ancona to Brac is approximately three hundred and five kilometers.
Nick touched the map as he spoke.
"We could leave by boat from Ancona and land on the beach below the ruin. We go in, find out what's under that floor, and get out again. We do it right, we can be in and out of there within a few hours."
"You're thinking we go in at night?" Lamont asked.
"Right. A lot less chance of being spotted. We do it this way, it keeps it simple. No problems bringing weapons and anything else we need. No passport checks or customs, none of that."
"The water could be rough this time of year," Lamont said. "Cold out there at night."
"Do you get seasick, Valentina?" Ronnie asked.
"I do not know. I have never traveled in a boat in rough weather."
"If we do it this way, you'll find out," Lamont said.
Elizabeth watched and thought Valentina was fitting in well. The others were treating her as part of the team, at least for now.
"We'll need a good boat," Lamont said. "Something fast."
"What kind of naval capabilities does Croatia have?" Ronnie asked. "They must have patrol boats."
"Freddie, does Croatia patrol the waters near Brac?"
Croatia's coastal waters are patrolled by their Coast Guard. Their primary mission is fishing control, environmental concerns, antiterrorism, and defense. The island of Brac falls within the jurisdiction of the 1st Coast Guard squadron stationed at Split.
"How many units?"
The 1st Coast Guard squadron consists of two older Mirna class patrol boats captured during the Croatian war of independence.
"There have to be regular patrols," Lamont said.
Nick nodded. "You can count on it."
Ronnie said, "We can't take a fishing boat or something like that, it would be too slow and obvious. Three hundred kilometers is a long way. If we want to get in and out, we need something fast."
"I might have a solution," Elizabeth said, "but I have to talk to Clarence first."
CHAPTER 25
Anasenko had taken a room in a cheap motel where nobody asked any questions. He was driving back to the room after eliminating Morozov when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled off the road and answered.
"Yes."
"I understand that the package has been shipped."
"Yes."
"Any complications?"
"No."
"I have another purchase order for you."
Anasenko listened to the instructions.
"Any questions?"
"Only one. Is there a deadline for the shipment?"
"We would prefer next day delivery."
"That may not be possible."
"It would be appreciated. We're willing to pay the extra charge."
"I'll see what I can do."
Anasenko disconnected and pulled the battery and sim card out of the phone. He got out of the car and smashed the phone under his foot, then dropped everything into a storm drain.
Back in the car, he decided to get some rest before taking on the next assignment. The weasel faced clerk at the hotel could provide a woman, of that he was certain. Anasenko was always restless after a kill. Experience had taught him that sex would help. He needed to be calm, relaxed, mentally prepared for this next job. It was the kind of job that could get messy. They wanted it done quickly, and that was always a risk. But it was why they used him for jobs like this. He was the best there was.
Buoyed by the thought of his professional reputation, he got back in the car and drove to the hotel.
The next afternoon he drove to Virginia to scout out the area of his assignment. He'd eliminated one of the men who'd gone after Antipova. That left the second, Vetrov. Moscow wanted him erased. It had been easy to kill Morozov in the hospital, but getting to Vetrov was a different matter. Vetrov was hiding in a CIA safe house.
Anasenko had a detailed description of the house, its location, and the number of men guarding his target. His instructions included information that the house had been hastily chosen and was not yet set up with electronic alarms or surveillance.
Stupid, he thought. A weakness. They will regret it.
Anasenko didn't concern himself with how his handlers had come up with the information, but he was pleased it was so specific. It was always good to know what you were up against. Just the same, he assumed something could go wrong, what the Americans called "Murphy's Law."
In the kind of business he was in it was sensible to think something would go wrong if it could. Anasenko thought that this Murphy must be an intelligent man.
Thoughts of Murphy faded as he saw the safe house coming up on the right. It was a typical two-story American house, with nothing in particular to distinguish it from any other house. It was set back from the road on several acres of land, behind tall trees. A mailbox with a red flag stood by a long gravel driveway leading in. A black Suburban was parked at the end of the drive.
Anasenko slowed just a little and continued on past the house. He kept driving until he reached the next town, where he pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store. He let the engine idle and considered his next move. It would be full dark soon.
The men guarding Vetrov would know Morozov was dead. They would have been warned and told to be alert, but they were miles away from Washington in a place they believed to be safe. Human nature being what it was, Anasenko thought they might get careless. They wouldn't think he knew where they were.
When would they be most vulnerable? The answer was when they were occupied with something else. Eating dinner or watching television. In the bathroom, sitting on the toilet or taking a shower. In bed, asleep.
Vetrov and his guards were human, so they were vulnerable. It was the secret of his success. He always waited until his target was vulnerable before he chose to strike. In this case, Anasenko assumed he would have to kill everyone in the house.
Anasenko drove to the end of the parking lot and into the takeout lane of a fast food chain. He ordered a cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake. He loved American fast food. He also loved being just another drive-through customer without a name or face, someone who would not be remembered.
He parked in the far corner of the lot and ate the food, waiting for night fall and full dark. Then he drove out of the parking lot and back toward his target. He passed the safe house and turned into a park he'd spotted earlier. The parking lot was deserted. There was no one abo
ut. He parked the car among some trees, where it was less obvious from the road.
The moon was hidden behind a heavy overcast, but Anasenko's night vision was excellent. When he'd been training in Russia his classmates had nicknamed him 'The Cat,' because of his ability to see in the dark. He took out his Makarov, screwed on the suppressor, and chambered a round. He set the safety and set off for the house.
Five minutes later he was peering through a window on the side of the house. Vetrov and his three minders sat at a table playing cards.
Vulnerable.
Anasenko moved to the back of the building. The backdoor was locked, as he'd expected. He took a set of picks from his pocket. Thirty seconds later, the door was open and he was inside, standing in the kitchen. He closed the door softly behind him, took out his pistol, and released the safety. A murmur of voices came from the front of the house. One of the CIA men was speaking Russian, needling Vetrov about his skill with cards.
Quiet as his nickname, Anasenko moved down a hall. Light spilled from the doorway of the room where the men sat playing cards. He heard the slap of cards on the table and a curse from Vetrov. Somebody laughed, then he heard the ripple of cards being shuffled.
Vetrov was sitting across from the doorway. When he saw Anasenko, his face went white.
"Nyet." He held up his hand, as if to ward off what he knew was coming.
One of the CIA minders turned around in his chair.
"What..."
The American never finished his question. Anasenko's first shot knocked him out of the chair, sending the cards in his hand flying. The Makarov coughed a second and third time, killing the other two men before they could draw their weapons. Vetrov came up out of his chair and lunged across the table.
He almost made it.
Anasenko shot him in the chest, twice. Vetrov fell to the floor. Anasenko leaned down and shot him again in the head. Bone and brains and blood spattered over the floor.
"Dos'vydanya," he said.
The men had been playing poker. Vetrov's cards lay facedown on the table. Curious, Anasenko picked them up.
Two black aces and three eights. A good hand, but not for Vetrov.
Anasenko turned out the lights and left the house, whistling to himself.
CHAPTER 26
The next morning Elizabeth was in a bad mood. The team was meeting again in her home.
"You look angry, Elizabeth," Selena said. "What's the matter? Did something happen?"
"The second Russian who survived the attack on you is dead."
"What happened?" Nick asked.
"He was being held at a safe house in Virginia. He was killed last night, along with the three CIA officers who were watching him."
"Shit," Ronnie said.
"Moscow is cleaning up their mess," Nick said. "Playing hard ball and making sure no one tells us something they shouldn't."
"How did they know where he was?" Lamont asked.
"That's the question of the day at Langley," Elizabeth said. "It's beginning to look as if there's a traitor over there."
"If that's true, we're at risk of being compromised," Nick said. "Now that we work under Langley's umbrella, we don't have the same level of security we had before. Too many people know what we're doing."
"Access to our missions is top-secret, eyes only," Elizabeth said.
"That sounds great on the surface, but every time there's been a major scandal over there it's been caused by someone who had top secret access. Remember Aldrich Ames?"
"I've already talked with Clarence about this. He and Lucas are the only ones who are supposed to know what we're doing."
"Hood and Lucas aren't the problem. There has to be a leak."
"It's not our job to smoke out a possible traitor," Elizabeth said. "We can't allow this to influence our planning. We have to go ahead as if we have full operational security. You know that."
Valentina said, "When I was in SVR, General Vysotsky once mentioned that there was a mole in your CIA."
"There you go," Nick said.
"Did you hear any specific information about a mole?" Elizabeth asked.
"Only that there was one, codename JUPITER. He is probably run out of the embassy here."
"That would fit," Elizabeth said. "The Russian resident here is Lavrov. His official position at the embassy is coordinator of public relations."
"Yevgeny Lavrov?" Valentina asked.
"Yes."
"I know him. He is an ambitious man, intelligent. If there is a traitor in your CIA, he would be the person who controls him."
"He has diplomatic immunity. We can't touch him."
"Maybe Hood can keep an eye on him," Nick said. "Sooner or later these guys always make a mistake."
"We'll let Clarence handle it," Elizabeth said. "Let's move on to the mission. It took some persuading, but I've got a vessel to take you from Italy to Croatia. I think you're going to like it. It's called the Ghost."
Lamont looked at her as if she were crazy. "Ghost? You arranged a boat for us called the Ghost?"
"Must be some kind of super stealthy boat," Ronnie said.
"That's exactly what it is."
Elizabeth took a sip of her coffee.
"The Ghost is one of the Navy's latest toys. There aren't very many of them yet. I won't go into all the details, but it's capable of making thirty knots through waves ten feet high. The radar profile is almost invisible. It's perfect for what you need. There's more than enough room for all of you, plus the crew. She'll be waiting for you in Ancona. It's the best way to get you to Croatia."
"Sounds cool," Lamont said.
"Clarence is putting himself on the line here. This ship is not exactly secret, but our enemies would give their eyeteeth to get hold of it. If anything bad happens to that vessel, there will be hell to pay. For once, try to stay out of trouble and not get everybody upset."
"I don't think it's a problem, Director. It will be night and the place is deserted. If this ship lives up to its name, we should be able to go in, do what we have to do, and get out again without anybody knowing we were there."
"All right. I just wanted to remind you. I have more news. We need something better than your loft or my living room for our meetings. Clarence has offered to let us use a building in Virginia. It used to be a storage facility for Langley."
"Used to be?"
"They moved out of it some time ago. It will need some work, but we can put in a range and there's plenty of office space. There's room for an armory as well."
"You're re-creating the Project," Selena said. "I thought we weren't going to do that."
"Maybe in a new form," Elizabeth said. "But it really isn't the same. We're in a transition now. In time, we'll be a legitimate consulting service."
"You sound like Michael Corleone in the Godfather," Lamont said. "We all know how that worked out."
"Who is this Michael Corleone, please?" Valentina asked.
"He's a character in a film," Selena said. "I'll tell you about it later. It's a little hard to explain, but the film is iconic in American culture."
"What are we going to do about Dubois?" Elizabeth asked.
"We need to cut him out of the loop," Nick said.
"You have to tell him something."
"I'll call him," Selena said. "I'll tell him I'm upset by the attack in the bell tower and don't want to risk leaving my children without a mother. He knows money isn't an issue for me. He'll believe it."
"Do you think he'll go after the treasure himself?"
"Not in person. He doesn't strike me as adventurous. But his employer might have a different idea."
"I wish we knew who it was," Nick said.
"I'll get Freddie on it," Stephanie said. "I should've done it before now."
Elizabeth said, "Selena, when will you call Dubois?"
"How about right now?"
The others waited while Selena brought out her phone and called the number Dubois had given her. She turned on the speaker.
/> "Ah, Doctor Connor. Good morning."
"Good morning, Alan. I've come to a decision, and I wanted to talk with you about it."
"Oh?"
"I've decided to withdraw from my involvement with your project. What happened in Portugal was unsettling. I could have been injured or killed. Those thugs were determined to rob us."
Nick gave her a thumbs up. No mention of treasure or anything but being the victim of casual criminality.
"Yes, that must've been terrible," Dubois said. "Thank goodness you weren't injured. I can tell you that my employer is very happy with your work so far. He's authorized me to offer you an additional one million dollar bonus."
Lamont rolled his eyes.
"That's very generous of him, Alan," Selena said. "I appreciate it, but I've made up my mind. I'll send the money you've already paid back to your account."
"That won't be necessary. You fulfilled your part of the bargain. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"
"I have to think about my children. They're much more important to me than chasing down a treasure that probably doesn't exist. If you find any additional material that needs translation, I'll be happy to assist you for no charge."
"Well. If you should change your mind you'll let me know, won't you?"
"Of course. I don't think that's going to happen, though."
"Well," Dubois said again. "It has been nice to reconnect with you."
"You too, Alan. I need to go now. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Doctor Connor."
Selena broke the connection.
"That takes care of that," Nick said.
As soon as he was through talking with Selena, Dubois called Payne.
"I just talked to Connor. She's decided she no longer wants to be involved."
"You offered money as we had agreed?"
"I did. She was adamant that she had no further interest in looking for the treasure."
"She said nothing about the relic?"
"No. She doesn't know anything about it. How could she?"
"Did she give you a reason why she is no longer interested?"
"It was because of the incident with our men in Portugal. She has two new children to look after. She doesn't need the money, even as much as we offered. I don't think there's more to it than that."