by Saul Herzog
She opened her purse and pulled out a package of dark hair dye and a bottle of water. The ingredients were in separate containers and had to be mixed. She put them in the bottle and waited for the chemical process to take effect. While she waited, she removed her shirt and bra and wet her armpits.
When she was done, she went back to the car and found Lance leaning on the hood, smoking a cigarette and drinking from a pop can.
“All yours,” she said, nodding toward the washroom.
“Wow,” he said. “You look…”
“What?”
“Different.”
“That’s the idea, isn’t it.”
He walked past her to the washroom, and she went into the store to stock up. The pickings were slim. She ended up with chips, some jerky, and a granola bar. She also bought a carton of milk and drank directly from it.
“You got coffee?” she said to the old man behind the counter.
“You dyed your hair,” he said.
She nodded.
The bell above the door chimed as Lance entered, and the old man said, “Coffee’s in the back.”
“I’ll get it,” Laurel said before the man could leave their sight.
She went to the back office and found the coffee where he’d said it would be. She poured two cups and listened to the conversation in the store.
“It isn’t true,” Lance said to the man.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Lance said.
“I ain’t thinking nothing.”
“You’re thinking we’re on the run, me and her.”
“I don’t think nothing about no one,” the man said.
There was a pause, then Lance said, “You a veteran?”
“Yes, sir,” the old man said.
“Then you know,” Lance said.
“Know what?”
“Not everything the government says is true.”
Laurel came back with two cups of coffee. Lance and the old man looked at her.
“We’re not bad people,” Laurel said. “At least give us time to get across the border.”
The man looked from her to Lance. She could tell by the way he was standing he had a gun beneath the counter. She prayed he didn’t reach for it.
Lance broke the silence.
“How much do I owe you for the gas?”
The man rang everything up, and Lance paid. He handed Lance the change. Lance took it, and they walked out of the store.
Laurel looked back at him.
He nodded at her as they left.
When they got to the car, Lance started the engine, and they pulled out of the place.
“What if he calls someone?” Laurel said.
“He’s not calling anyone.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I’m sure,” Lance said.
They drove on toward the border, and Lance said, “I’ll take one of them smokes now.”
She put a cigarette in his mouth and held the lighter in front of him.
“You look good clean-shaven,” she said.
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Book 3 in the Lance Spector Series!
Author’s Note
First off, I want to thank you for reading my book. As a reader, you might not realize how important a person like you is to a person like me.
I’ve been a writer for fifty years, and despite the upheavals my industry has faced, the ups and downs, the highs and lows, one thing remains constant.
You.
The reader.
And at the end of each book, I like to take a moment to acknowledge that fact.
To thank you.
Not just on my own behalf, but on behalf of all fiction writers.
Because without you, these books simply would not exist.
You’re the reason they’re written. Your support is what makes them possible. And your reviews and recommendations are what spreads the word.
So, thanks for that. I really do mean it.
While I have your attention, I’d like to give you a little bit of background into my opinion on the events portrayed in this book.
Writing about politics is not easy, and I hope none of my personal thoughts and opinions managed to find their way into this story. I never intend to raise political points in my writing, and I never intend to take a stand. I’m one of those guys who stays out of politics as much as possible, and I would hate to think that any political ideas raised in my book hampered your ability to enjoy the story or relate to the characters.
Because really, this is your story.
These characters are your characters.
When you read the book, no one knows what the characters look like, what they sound like, or what they truly think and feel, but you. It’s your story, written for you, and the experience of it is created by you when you read the words and flip the pages.
I write about people who work for the federal government. The nature of their work brings them up against issues of national security and politics, but apart from that, I truly do try to keep any views I might have to myself. So please, don’t let any of my words offend you, and if you spot anything in my writing that you feel is unfair, or biased, or off-color in any way, feel free to let me know.
My email address is below, and if you send a message, while I might not get back to you immediately, I will receive it, and I will read it.
[email protected]
Likewise, if you spot simpler errors, like typos and misspellings, let me know about those too. We writers have a saying:
To err is human. To edit, divine.
And we live by it.
I’m going to talk a little about some of the true facts that this book is based on, but before I do, I’d like to ask for a favor.
I know you’re a busy person, I know you just finished this book and you’re eager to get on to whatever is in store next, but if you could find it in your heart to leave me a review, I’d be truly humbled.
I’m not a rich man. I’m not a powerful man. There’s really nothing I can offer you in return for the kindness.
But what I will say is that it is a kindness.
If you leave me a review, it will help my career. It will help my series to flourish and find new readers. It will make a difference to one guy, one stranger, you’ve never met and likely will never meet, and I’ll appreciate that fact.
Review link for The Russian
Now that those formalities are out of the way, let’s talk about US embassy security in Moscow. Because, believe it or not, that part of the book is based on real events. In 2017, the Russian president ordered US diplomatic missions to reduce their staffing level by over seven hundred people. One of the ways the US complied with the order was by axing its own security guards and hiring a private security firm owned by a former KGB officer. The officer maintains close ties with the Russian president and worked for years as a spy against Western interests.
While marines still protect the embassy, many security tasks, such as screening visitors, are now performed by employees of the private security firm. The incident has been well-documented, and you can read about it online.
The other part of the story that stems from real life is the depiction of the orphanage Medvedev grew up in. A number of western governments, as well as international aid agencies, have documented the cases of severe neglect that were often experienced in such institutions.
A 1998 Human Rights Watch report outlined 252 Baby Houses, or Dom Rebyonka, which housed children up to four years old. When western observers first arrived, the staff at the orphanages were open about telling mothers of disabled children not to bother visiting, as the children understood nothing anyway.
Strong sedatives and tranquilizers were often used routinely to keep children quiet. Despite the risk of liver damage, the use of the tranquilizer aminazine was widespread.
You can read more about these institutions, and the harrowing details of how children were
housed and cared for, by conducting an online search. One report entitled, “The Gilded Cage of the Dom Rebyonka,” was used extensively when researching the chapters on Medvedev’s childhood.
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that Book Three in the Lance Spector series, The Target, is now available for pre-order.
So grab your copy now. I promise, if you enjoyed the first two, you’re only going to be drawn into these characters more deeply!
God bless and happy reading,
Saul Herzog
Afterword
Thank you for reading this book.
If you’d like to be notified of future releases in this series, please add your name to the Advance Notice list below.
Saul Herzog Notifications
If you have any concerns at all about this story, if you spotted any typos or errors, or if you’d just like to get in touch to say hello, please feel free to contact me at any time.
I can always be reached by email at:
[email protected]
I am always thrilled to hear from readers so please stop by, say hello, let me know what you think of Lance Spector and the world he inhabits.
God bless and happy reading,
Saul Herzog