"I think those devices are really expensive," I blurted, startling Leo.
"What devices?"
"The kind Hal Prentice's clone had attached to his neck. That's why none of the others had one that day. The enemy placed that one where it would do the most good."
"What brought that up? Just curious-I'm very interested in what you have to say about that-Colonel Hunter will be as well."
"I was just thinking about that day, what happened, what I saw in Hal's clone, why he didn't die-what it felt like to almost die a second time."
"Corinne, it was barely two seconds after you said that wasn't a light burden. You shifted gears really fast."
"Sorry-I know it's confusing," I said. "But all of it raced through my mind that fast."
"Is this another change?" he asked.
"Maybe, although things always tend to run through my mind-it's part of being a writer."
"Then let's talk about Sarah Fox and Carol Dane," he said. "Do you feel like three people?"
"No. The other two are façades. Just names I use to keep from losing all my work and income, in case I have to change identities again."
"That's important to you?"
"Very important to me," I nodded.
"Are you willing to tell me who you were before?"
I knew he wanted to know before, and hinted at it several times, but this time, he'd come right out and asked. "That's a complicated story," I sighed. "And one I'd prefer to only tell once. Can we wait until Rafe and Auggie are here and I'm in a better place emotionally? That way you can all hear it at the same time and ask all your questions during the session."
"I'll arrange it whenever you're ready," Leo nodded. "How do you feel, now? Shaky? Have bouts of depression or anxiety?"
"In some ways, yes, but I think I'm better equipped to handle those things this time."
"Are you sure?"
"I think so."
"I'll let you go for two weeks with no medication, but at the first sign of those symptoms returning, we'll consider prescribing something."
"That sounds fine. I hope you won't have to make the effort."
"While it would please me greatly to know you don't need it, I have reservations," he said.
"I know you do," I agreed. "I hope they prove to be unfounded."
"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"
"Marcus," I said.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He's an ambitious overachiever," I said. "While most people would see that as a strength, it sort of sours when he's trying to please Auggie by pushing me into the ground. His priority, as I see it, should be his patient and not necessarily his boss or his desire for an important promotion."
"I'll have a word with Colonel Hunter. Perhaps he should tell Marcus exactly what he needs to do where you're concerned, instead of having thoughts of pushing you too hard in order to complete his assignment early and move up."
"Thank you. I just want his focus to be on the right things, for the right reasons," I said.
"As do I, but if it's August he wants to please, instead of me, then the word needs to come from Colonel Hunter."
"Tell Auggie I'll take the blame for this, as long as Marcus doesn't try to take it out on me afterward."
"I imagine that Rafe may have something to say about it, if that happens."
"Just tell Marcus that it's for his own good, and I can fight my own battles, thank you."
"I see," Leo focused his gaze on me. "You're not threatening him, are you?"
"I sure hope not," I said. "But he either needs to get his priorities straight, or he needs to find another way to kiss Auggie's ass."
"I'll give that some thought before going to Colonel Hunter," Leo said.
"Thank you."
* * *
"I hear you don't like Marcus," Auggie stormed into the suite while Rafe and I were having dinner later.
"I like Marcus fine. He just has no sense of humor and he wants your job," I pointed out as tactfully as I could. "Want dinner?"
"What?" Auggie stopped in mid-stride. That was a shame; he had a really good walking snit going when he burst into our kitchen.
"You can see it, can't you?" Auggie took a seat at the kitchen island, where we'd sat down to eat. Rafe didn't say a word, but I could tell he was somewhat amused.
"Yeah, I see it, all right," I mumbled before cutting into my tomato and cheese omelet. Auggie pulled a bowl from the cabinet and dipped beef stew out of the slow cooker.
"I can rough him up," Rafe offered.
"No. That's not a good idea," I said. "I just think Auggie needs to talk with Marcus and let him know that in his line of work, it's the quality and not the speed of recovery that matters."
"What should I say about his grasping for a higher position?"
"Tell him how long it took to get where you are, and you didn't do it by cutting corners or trying to impress people. You worked to get the job done right," I pointed out.
Auggie stared at me for a moment before shaking his head and pulling crackers from a sleeve Rafe placed in front of him. The paper crackled as he extracted six crackers and set them beside his bowl while he considered what to say.
"I should have known you can see that stuff," Auggie said. "I always did that because it was the right thing to do and not because of what anybody else thought or said."
"And that's why I love you," I said. "Not like Laci does-but as a good friend."
"Cori, she knows that. She said it was stupid of her to even consider you any kind of rival."
"I know." I hunched my shoulders. It had taken her more than six years to realize I wasn't competing for her husband. I'm sure she thought I took up too much of his time, but that couldn't be helped. He liked his work and I'd done my best to take as little of his time as possible.
There wasn't anything I could do about the hours of research and investigation he did when he wasn't herding me around. Now, he was Secretary of Defense and Director of the Program. That only complicated his life further, in my estimation. Auggie was a workaholic; that was a well-known fact.
Laci still hadn't realized that it didn't mean he didn't love her, or intended to ignore her. It was just the way he was made. Where he needed to improve, I think, was the quality of the time he spent with his wife.
That was his business, though, and none of mine. I sighed again at life's complexities. "When will the pool be filled?" I asked, changing subjects.
"In three weeks. I'll have James keep you informed. The water is piped up the mountain, and the pipes are small, because they were installed more than half a century ago. It'll take time," he shrugged.
"Is the water source protected?" Rafe asked.
"As much as it can be. Nobody wants another Montana."
"Or another Georgia," I said. "At least those directly responsible are dead. We just don't need somebody stepping into their shoes."
"On another note," Auggie said, "Madam President wants secret feeds of some of her meetings to come to you, Cori, so you can tell her if anyone at the meeting needs to be watched."
I knew what he didn't say-the President wanted to know if any of them needed to be dead, too. She expected me to take care of it, if the case were severe enough. I'm sure she expected to be informed if any of them wore an apparatus like Hal's clone did. She thought someone else would have to be sent after those.
That remained to be seen.
"She isn't worried that I might hear sensitive information?"
Auggie snorted at my question. After a moment, I could see his point. I could see just about anything I wanted to know by looking at someone. The only one I couldn't see-or find-was the enemy.
"Do you suppose there are clones of Mary Evans?" I asked. That also weighed on my mind, and I was very worried that the answer was yes. She was too good at what she did for the enemy; I couldn't imagine that he'd let her be caught so easily if he didn't have a replacement for her.
"Why do you ask? And that sent a chill u
p my spine, just so you know," Auggie said.
"Well, look at it this way-all those Becker clones? They were smarter and more determined than the original ever was. What if it's the same with the Mary Evans clones? That they're better than the original?"
"Fuck." Auggie buried his face in his hands. "We've had a report. I didn't know whether to take it seriously or not," he said.
"Now it's my turn to say fuck," I grumbled. "There's another one out there already, probably reassuring the enemy's clients that all is well in murder and mayhem land."
"Do you think he could be funding the Iraqi insurgency?" Auggie asked, letting his hands drop. His dark eyes reflected his concern.
"I wouldn't be surprised," I said. "What's the latest estimate? Half a billion? A billion, maybe, pumped into that organization? That money has to come from somewhere. It may be funneled through other sources, but it could ultimately come from a single source. Where was the sighting of the Mary clone?"
"Greece, near the Bulgarian border."
I felt Rafe tense beside me, but he didn't say anything. Baikov likely figured in this somewhere, and Mary Evans' clone had probably arranged a meeting there. "What do you suppose Baikov is cooking up?" I asked Auggie.
"No idea. It makes me wonder what he's trading for what he's getting," Auggie said.
Rafe snorted; it wasn't a happy sound. "Does that mean that the Russian crown jewels are next? Or something better?" Auggie turned his attention on Rafe.
"It could be almost anything, but bear in mind, the Russians have their hands on the drug-I'm sure you've figured that out already. Perhaps Baikov is trading that for whatever he wants."
"Where the hell did he get it?" Auggie snapped.
"Ask Corinne. She was far ahead of me on that." With that statement, he rose from his seat and stalked out of the kitchen.
"You know where the drug came from," Auggie accused, his eyes narrowing as he rapped his knuckles against the granite island.
"I have very good guesses," I said. "And I don't think they're wrong."
"We need a meeting," Auggie rose abruptly. "With Farrell and the President."
* * *
The meeting was scheduled in a week, and it wasn't just Dr. Farrell and the President who were involved. Eventually the Directors of the FBI, CIA and the Joint NSA-Homeland Security Department were included.
At least Leo was invited, too, even if Marcus fell into a snit because he wasn't. He had no idea what it was about, but wanted to be included anyway. He was a prime example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.
Meanwhile, Auggie had given permission for an evening trip to Seattle, so Rafe and I could have dinner out. James, of course, was going, as were Auggie, Leo and Laci. At the last minute, Maye, Nick and Jeff were added, then Marcus included himself. We had reservations at a nice restaurant downtown, in a private room with a view of the bay.
"I intend to make love when we get back," Ilya murmured against the nape of my neck before we left our suite.
"I missed you," I sighed and leaned against him.
"I have missed my cabbage in my arms, calling out my name," his lips wandered down my neck.
"Honey, you may have to stop or we won't get to dinner."
"You want me that badly?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"I can't think of any woman who wouldn't want that. I'm first in line," I added.
"You are the only one I allow in line," he turned me in his arms before covering my mouth with his.
You say the best things, I sent to him.
I mean all of them, he returned.
* * *
Ilya
"You hear me?" I asked as we stepped off the electric vehicle and walked toward the back end of a large barn. That's where our tunnel ended and the farm property began. Another vehicle waited there for us, ready to transport us to Seattle.
"I do," Corinne said. "I heard you before I woke this time. That's what brought me back."
"Good enough. I assume you do not hear all my thoughts?"
"Only those you send in my direction."
"Good. Very good."
"You can keep your mystery," she looped her arm in mine. I watched her smile and couldn't help smiling in return.
* * *
Corinne
Mushroom ravioli was my choice for dinner. It was delicious. I just wished I'd gotten to eat as much as I wanted.
Instead, Baikov chose to make his presence known, and while it offered Rafe the gift of revenge, it effectively killed the one possible link I had with the enemy.
Sure-ask how I got us to Crimea. Auggie sure did afterward, and he was there, the rat.
It started, I'm sure, as an attempt to make Ukraine into the enemy. Somehow, Baikov arranged for Russian missiles to fall into the hands of those posing as Ukrainian rebels, who then arranged to fire those same missiles into Crimea.
I was only two bites into my meal when the images flashed across my brain. Baikov should have stayed at home, that day. I transported everybody at the table (including Laci) to an underground bunker southeast of Ivanivka. Computer consoles surrounded us and Russian troops disguised as Ukrainian civilians were seated at those consoles, preparing to launch missiles from a site just outside the Crimean border.
The resulting deaths and destruction would be catastrophic, and all of it blamed on Ukraine. That would cause immense problems down the road, from economic sanctions to an outright takeover by Russia, with nobody willing to stand in the way.
Baikov was there, barking out orders in Russian, which, surprising even to me, I understood. He was telling them to fire the missiles.
I'll never forget the next few minutes as long as I live.
Ilya shouted at the three men sitting at computer consoles to stand down. When they didn't, Auggie, Maye and Nick made sure of it. Baikov pulled a gun and fired at Ilya. It turned out to be the wrong thing to do.
Baikov had the strangest expression on his face as he died, Ilya's eyes boring into his while his neck snapped audibly in Ilya's hands.
Laci, who'd grabbed my arm, stared at the mayhem-and the dead Russian General-in alarm.
"It's okay, they were trying to blow up Crimea," I told her before rubbing her back. The other three were still alive, and I didn't think it was a good idea to kill them in front of Laci. Leo came to Laci and pulled her away while James helped restrain the prisoners.
"I'm assuming you can get them back with us?" Auggie lifted an autocratic eyebrow in my direction, daring me to argue.
"Where do you want to take them?" I asked, ignoring his anger.
"I'd like to take them to Matt Michaels. As soon as possible," he snapped.
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. Matt Michaels wasn't the name the Director of the Joint NSA/Homeland Security Department was born with, but that was his secret, not mine. "If that's what you want," I agreed. "Are you ready now?"
"I wish I could destroy this site," Ilya interrupted with a snarl.
"Let me do it," I shrugged.
"You can do this?" Ilya wasn't buying it. He muttered something in Russian, and it made me mad. He thought I was delusional for thinking I could destroy the thing.
At that moment, I almost let him see what I might do. I reined in that impulse and did it the safe and effective way.
I turned the whole thing into sand, computers and missiles included.
Yes, they'd called me a witch the last time. I knew they were right-in a way.
This time, nothing could be farther from the truth.
"What the fuck?" Nick muttered as computer consoles became white sand that puddled about his ankles, much like a dry sand castle pounded by a shovel.
"So much for my delusions, huh?" I snapped at Ilya, before transporting everybody, prisoners and Baikov's body included, to Matt Michael's office in Silver Spring.
* * *
"What the hell?" Matt Michaels stood and stared as all of us appeared in his office. "Auggie, I'm assuming you can get yourself home fro
m here?" I gave him a look that said I was pissed.
"Laci," I added, "I can leave you here with Auggie, or I can take you to Seattle. Your choice."
"I'll, uh, stay here," she quavered.
I didn't blame her-if I'd been at the mercy of someone else who'd just done all the things I had, I'd be shaky, too.
"Corinne, stay here," Auggie demanded.
"Now see, I'm this close to telling you to fuck off," I said, holding a thumb and forefinger half an inch apart. "Bye."
I disappeared.
No, I didn't go back to my suite in the side of a mountain outside Seattle. At least not right away. I wanted a sunny beach somewhere, and I found it in Australia.
* * *
Notes-Colonel Hunter
"I don't know what the hell just happened," I said, drinking coffee from the cup one of Matt Michael's assistants brought to me. "She knew, somehow, and she went, only she took all of us with her. I still can't explain how she did that. Baikov was with three men disguised as Ukrainian rebels inside a bunker. They were about to fire missiles into Crimea. They had enough firepower to cause a lot of damage."
"So Ukraine would be blamed for starting a war while leaving the country ripe for a Russian invasion, after which the country would be taken over and added back into Russia with no qualms or quibbles from anyone else. Right?"
"It seems that way," I muttered. "I have no idea what Rafe said to her, but it set her off. She turned the whole bunker, computers and missiles included, to sand. I saw it. Still don't believe it, but that's what happened."
"Sand? Interesting choice," Matt leaned back in his chair. The leather squeaked softly as he shifted his body into a more comfortable position.
"You're taking this surprisingly well," I observed.
"Do you need something stronger to drink?" Matt lifted a bottle of bourbon from a desk drawer and offered it to me.
"Hell, add it to the coffee," I held out my cup.
* * *
Ilya
"What did you say to her?" Dr. Shaw asked quietly. We waited in a room down the hall from Director Michael's office, where there were chairs, sofas, a coffee machine and a small refrigerator filled with soft drinks.
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