The Asset

by Saul Herzog

  It was Roth’s dog that alerted her to his arrival. She heard the barking inside the house and got up. From the porch, she could see through some sliding doors to the kitchen. She waited, watching through the glass. She didn’t even put out her cigarette.

  The light came on and Roth entered the kitchen. Just him and the dog. He went to a cupboard and took out a can, which he opened by the counter.

  “Good girl,” he said, scratching the dog’s ears as he put down her bowl.

  Then he went to the refrigerator and took out a half-empty bottle of white wine. He poured himself a glass.

  Tatyana let him enjoy the first sip before reaching up and tapping on the glass.

  Instantly, Roth froze.

  The dog started barking and ran to the window.

  Tatyana tapped again and when he looked up at her, she gave him a little wave, like a neighbor who’d come to borrow sugar.

  Roth didn’t move. Instinctively, he waited.

  He waited to see if she’d pull a gun and blow his brains out.

  Then he glanced around the room to see if anyone else was there.

  “It’s just me,” she said through the window.

  He stepped toward the dog and pulled her back by the collar.

  Then he opened the sliding door and the dog ran to her. Tatyana wasn’t much of a dog person but let her sniff her hands.

  “Come on, Rosy,” Roth said.

  The dog went back to her meal and Roth said, “How did you get past my security?”

  Tatyana smiled and stubbed out her cigarette.

  “You’re lucky no one knows who you are,” she said. “Getting to you is as easy as climbing a fence.”

  She brushed her way past him into the kitchen.

  “They told me that system was state of the art,” he said.

  She raised an eyebrow at that.

  Roth looked at her. It was like he didn’t know where to start. “Tatyana Aleksandrova,” he said.

  “And you’re director Levi Roth of the Special Operations Group.”

  “I might as well get a billboard announcing the fact,” he said.

  She nodded.

  He stared at her, like he couldn’t believe she was actually there, in his kitchen.

  “You sent us the vial,” he said.

  “And I hope your scientists are working on it,” she said. “Because it’s the real deal.”

  “I know it is,” Roth said.

  Tatyana looked at the wine on the counter.

  “How rude of me,” he said, getting her a glass.

  He handed it to her and led her into the living room. The room was very elegant, everything classic, everything tasteful. It was clear he’d used a decorator.

  He flipped a switch and a gas fireplace came to life.

  “Please, sit,” he said.

  She took the couch and he sat on a leather armchair facing her.

  “This is a very nice house,” she said.

  “Thank you.”

  “You have good taste.”

  “I keep to the basics.”

  She looked around. “It can’t have been cheap,” she said, running her hand along the leather arm of the sofa.

  He smiled. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “My father bought it.”

  “Fair enough,” she said.

  Roth looked around. “He always thought a house like this would buy him acceptance.”

  “And he was wrong?”

  Roth nodded. “But enough about that. What about you?”

  “What about me?” she said, sipping her wine.

  “You took an awfully big risk trying to reach Lance Spector.”

  “Yes I did.”

  “And it cost you dearly.”

  “Yes it did.”

  “It almost cost you your life,” he said.

  “I’ll recover.”

  “Your own side is after you.”

  “Yes they are.”

  “Why didn’t you come in to us sooner? We could have helped you.”

  “Because you, Mr. Roth, have a leak.”

  Roth looked at her.

  “That wasn’t from our side,” he said. “You were followed to the meet with Laurel.”

  “I’m not talking about the meet with Laurel.”

  Roth shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

  “This isn’t a trap, Roth. You know you have a leak. I know you have a leak. Your four dead assets know you have a leak.”

  Roth was very uncomfortable now.

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “The question isn’t how I know. The question is, how did it happen?”

  “And you’re going to help me find out?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Why?”

  “Because your leak almost got me killed, Mr. Roth.”

  Roth nodded. That was true.

  “We thought you were dead,” he said.

  Tatyana shrugged.

  “You fell in front of a moving train.”

  “I was lucky,” she said.

  Roth saw that her glass was empty. He drained his and stood up. “A refill?” he said.

  She nodded and he went to the kitchen for the bottle. While he was gone, she looked around the room. There was nothing personal about it. No photos. No personal effects. On the walls were some modern paintings. No doubt expensive, but they said nothing to her about the man who’d purchased them. There were books on the shelves but they seemed to be for show only, decorative objects with fine leather covers, the titles embossed in gold leaf.

  “I think we need to be frank,” Roth said when he returned.

  She looked up at him. He had a gun in his hand.

  “All right,” she said.

  He came closer and she saw that the gun was her gun, the Browning Lance had given her years earlier in the hotel in Damascus. It will save your life one day, he’d said.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Roth said.

  She knew what he was going to ask. “Of course.”

  “Why did you ask for Lance Spector?”

  She suddenly felt embarrassed. She took a sip of her wine to buy herself a moment.

  “I met him once,” she said.

  “Now is not the time to be coy,” Roth said. “What happened between you?”

  “What does it matter?”

  “You mean, now that he’s dead?”

  She looked at him. Those words were still a shock to her. She barely knew Lance Spector, but he’d been more important to her than he ever could have known. She’d met him on her very first real operation. He’d protected her when no one else would. He’d done something she didn’t think anyone had done for her since her mother’s death. He’d cared about her.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “You know,” Roth said, “I’m not in the habit of trusting Russian agents.”

  “I came to you with the vial,” she said. “I didn’t have to do that.”

  “You could have been sent.”

  “I was almost killed by my own side when I tried to meet your agent.”

  “I know,” Roth said. “Almost killed. By a speeding train, no less. And yet miraculously, here you are.”

  “This isn’t a set up, Roth.”

  Roth turned over the gun and showed it to her. “You see that marking?” he said.

  She nodded. She’d looked at it a thousand times. She’d wondered about it. A star carved into the base of the gun.

  “My father made that mark,” Roth said. “In Europe. During the war.”

  “Your father?” Tatyana said, suddenly realizing what he was saying.

  “He gave me this gun. It saved his life many times. He told me it would save my life too, one day.”

  “And you gave it to Spector?” Tatyana said.

  Roth nodded. “I have no sons,” he said.

  She nodded.

  “I don’t know what the two of you had together,” he said, “but I
know Lance wouldn’t have given you this gun for no reason.”

  He handed it to her. The moment it was back in her hand she felt safe.

  “It’s good for both of us that you trust me, Roth,” she said.

  He sat back down and poured their wine. “And why is that?”

  “Because I know how to find your leak.”

  62

  Sofia and Olga crouched in the scrub and watched.

  Lance was at the front of the building, and when no soldiers were looking, ran the distance to the closest truck. He took cover behind it, rounded it, and snuck up behind a soldier.

  He rose up behind the soldier and grabbed him, jerking his head to the side. It looked to Sofia like he’d snapped the man’s neck in a single motion. She looked at Olga.

  “Who is this guy?” Olga said.

  “I don’t know,” Sofia said.

  “Then why are we helping him?”

  Sofia shook her head. “I have no choice, Olga. I created this thing. This is my only chance to make it right.”

  They watched Lance slide under the transport truck. He was attaching plastic explosive to the undercarriage.

  “That’s the administrative building,” Sofia said, pointing to a gray office building. There were a few lights on in the windows but most of them were dark. “It’s low security. You could go there. Wait until morning.”

  “I’m not abandoning you, Sofia,” Olga said. “You were there for me when no one else was.”

  Sofia looked at her friend. “That was different. My life wasn’t on the line.”

  “But mine was,” Olga said.

  Sofia was about to protest when Lance returned.

  “All right,” he said. “The explosives are ready.”

  The women looked at each other.

  “Once this thing blows,” Lance said, “there are going to be soldiers everywhere.”

  They nodded.

  “Someone should go back to the vehicle now,” he said. “Make sure it’s ready for us to get away.”

  “Olga will go,” Sofia said.

  Lance looked at Olga. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key.

  “You need to keep the car ready,” he said.

  Olga nodded. She still had the CZ 75 and suppressor and handed it back to Lance.

  “You know the way back?” Sofia said.

  “Yes,” Olga said, taking the key.

  “Wait in the parking lot,” Lance said. “If anyone comes, run.”

  “All right,” she said. She hugged Sofia before leaving.

  They watched her go, then Lance looked at Sofia.

  “You ready for this?”

  She nodded.

  The went back around to the east loading bay and found a good place to wait. He took the electronic detonator from his pack and held it out to her.

  “You want to do the honors?”

  She looked at him. Somehow, even now, he managed to make her feel like she might get out of this alive.

  She pushed the button and a moment later, there was a massive explosion. They saw the glow of it from the front of the building, followed by a cloud of billowing, black smoke.

  “That will take care of whatever they’d loaded so far,” Sofia said.

  Lance nodded. “Now, let’s hope your friend shows up.”

  They had to wait quite a few minutes. Sofia got nervous that Vasily wouldn’t show. There was a lot of commotion everywhere as the soldiers tried to figure out what was going on.

  Lance looked at her. “Is there another way in?”

  “He’ll show. Just give him another minute.”

  “This is our only window,” Lance said. “It won’t be long before they regroup.”

  But then they heard the sliding metal of the loading bay opening.

  Sofia was about to get up but Lance put his hand on her shoulder. They waited until the door was completely open and Vasily stepped out.

  “Okay,” Lance said.

  She got up and ran to him.

  “Sofia,” Vasily said.

  “What took you so long?”

  He shook his head.

  He took Lance and Sofia straight to the changing room so they could put on protective suits and masks.

  “What’s the plan?” he said as they dressed.

  “We’re going to burn it all down, Vasily.”

  “All of it?”

  “Every last test tube.”

  “The servers too?”

  Sofia nodded.

  “Good,” Vasily said.

  Sofia looked at him. Something wasn’t right.

  “What’s wrong?” she said.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Vasily.”

  He looked at her. “They killed Anna,” he said.

  Anna was Vasily’s research assistant. Sofia suspected the relationship was more than just professional.

  “Why?”

  “She refused to show them the live samples.”

  “She was brave,” Lance said. “She died fighting.”

  “She died for nothing,” Vasily said. “They just got someone else to show them.”

  “She didn’t die for nothing,” Sofia said. “We’ll make sure of that.”

  Vasily nodded. Lance and Sofia finished suiting up and Vasily said, “We should start with the servers. The lab’s crawling with the new team from Moscow.”

  “Do they know what they’re doing?” Sofia said.

  “I hope so,” Vasily said. “If they fuck up, we’re going to have the mother of all outbreaks.”

  “All right,” Lance said. “We’ll get the computers first. We can deal with the lab after.”

  Vasily led the way down. He knew where the soldiers were and how to avoid them. They climbed a back staircase to the fifth floor and stopped outside the door.

  “I haven’t been on this floor,” Vasily said. “I don’t know what we’ll find.”

  Lance took the lead, opening the door slowly. It led to a corridor with vinyl flooring. There were labs on either side with observation windows and he could see they were deserted.

  “What are these labs?” he whispered.

  “They’re for isolating strains,” Sofia said. “But we don’t need to worry about them. The live strains are in the main lab.”

  “All right,” Lance said, entering the corridor.

  Sofia and Vasily stayed close behind.

  “The servers are around the corner on the right,” Vasily said.

  They crept silently down the corridor, staying low and stopping at each window to check for soldiers. Inside the last lab, they saw the bodies of two researchers on the ground, blood all over their white lab coats.

  “Monsters,” Sofia said.

  “Come on,” Lance whispered.

  He reached the corner and carefully peered around it. There were two soldiers standing there, talking to each other and smoking.

  “Wait here,” Lance said, pulling a knife from a holster at his waist.

  Silently, he crept up to the first man, staying very low. He rose up behind him and in a single motion, slid the blade over his throat. The man jerked, letting out a barely audible gasp. The second soldier reached for the gun at his waist but only in time for the knife to spin twice and strike him in the eye.

  Lance crouched back down and scanned the corridor.

  Everything remained silent.

  “Come on,” he whispered, reclaiming his knife from the soldier’s eye socket.

  They stopped outside the server room and carefully opened the door. The room was empty.

  “Watch the corridor,” Lance said to Vasily.

  Lance went inside and placed the explosives. When he came back out he said, “Is this all the computer data?”

  Sofia nodded. “All our research is locked down here. The servers are completely isolated. Impossible to hack.”

  “There’s someone coming,” Vasily said.

  Lance drew his gun. Another two guards were rounding the corner from the direction of
the elevator. They saw the bodies on the ground and were about to raise the alarm when a silenced bullet hit each of them in the head.

  63

  “What floor is the virus on?” Lance said.

  Sofia answered. “Second floor, main lab.”

  Lance turned to Vasily. “Are any of your team still on that floor?”

  “None,” he said. “They rounded us up and brought us to the office as soon as they arrived. They thought we would sabotage the strains.”

  “So what will we find there?”

  “All the live strains of the virus,” Sofia said. “They’re in special isolation pods. We have to destroy them or all of this is for nothing.”

  “How can we destroy them? I can’t just blow them up.”

  “No,” Sofia gasped. “Each pod is equipped with its own incinerator. If you can get me to the pods, I can trigger them manually.”

  Vasily nodded. “The science team from Moscow has been examining the isolation pods since they got here. They’re extremely wary of opening them.”

  “They’re better trained than Yevchenko’s previous team then,” Sofia said.

  Vasily nodded. “From what I could gather, they haven’t removed any of the live strains yet.”

  “What about soldiers?” Lance said.

  “Yes, they’re being watched by soldiers.”

  “Like we always were,” Sofia said.

  Vasily nodded.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do,” Lance said. “You two are going to go join Olga. I’ll trigger the incinerators myself.”

  “What?” Vasily said. “We can’t leave you here.”

  “We should stay together,” Sofia said.

  Lance shook his head. “It’s not going to be easy to get out of here,” he said. “Once they realize we’re in the lab, it’s going to be a shit show.”

  “We’re not leaving you here,” Vasily said. “I want to fight these bastards.”

  Lance looked at him. “You ever fired a gun?”

  Vasily smiled. He took the silenced pistol from Lance and pointed it at one of the dead soldiers and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the man in the chest.

  “All right,” Lance said.

  Both men looked at Sofia.

  She snatched the pistol from Vasily and put a bullet in one of the other soldiers, right in the center of the man’s face.

  Lance and Vasily looked at each other. Neither knew if she’d done it on purpose.