“Always.”
“Don’t tell me that, you Machiavellian Russian.”
“I think that’s a little confusing terminology. Machiavelli was an Italian, and he was—”
“Did you kill two men in Venice?”
“Yes,” he said with no hesitation.
She waited. “That’s it? No explanation?”
“What do you want to know? Those two men were working for Gadaire and were in the process of trying to murder a man.”
“So you were just being a Good Samaritan?” she asked sarcastically.
“Not at all. You know me better than that. This man, Debney, possessed some information I needed. Gadaire’s men were hunting for the same info, but they would have killed him before they got it.” He shrugged. “I did what I had to do. I don’t think anyone would dispute that the greater good was served by eliminating them.”
“The Venice police might dispute it.”
“Possibly. That’s why I didn’t stay around to discuss it.”
“What information?” she asked. “I want to know everything, Kirov. Don’t just give me bits and—”
“Ah, I see you’ve found each other.” Walsh was strolling toward them from the south-bank quay.
Kirov called out to Walsh, “I expect a discount on my order now. You’ve caused me a good deal of trouble.”
“You’ll get nothing of the kind.” Walsh waddled toward them, huffing and puffing from the exertion. “I expect a bonus for reuniting you with such a lovely lady.”
“A lovely lady you abducted.”
“At gunpoint,” Hannah added.
“A misunderstanding.” Walsh beamed. “I was merely looking after your interests and mine, Kirov. We’re having such a happy ending, let’s let bygones be bygones.” He turned. “Come along, I’ll walk with you to the pub on the quay, then I’ll disappear and let you have your reunion. This pub is one of my favorites, full of light and music.” He grimaced. “I really don’t like it here. All those starving statues on the quay . . . The thought of famine deeply depresses me . . .”
Charlie stood in the shadowy entrance of a closed photography shop on the south bank, watching Kirov on the bridge with the woman and the fat man. Kirov had called the man Walsh, he remembered. Although Kirov claimed he didn’t need help, Charlie knew better. Too much could go wrong. He had grown up on the streets of Dublin, and he knew that a human life—or two—meant nothing to thugs like Walsh over there.
Charlie braced himself against a brick wall and raised his handgun. He aimed at Walsh’s shock of white hair.
Make your move, fat boy. I’m ready for you.
He frowned, puzzled. Although he couldn’t hear them, the body language and mood between Kirov, Walsh, and the woman seemed almost . . . civilized.
Uh-oh. Walsh was going for something beneath his jacket. Why couldn’t Kirov see it?
Dammit, that’s why he needed to be here. Charlie took aim with his revolver, applied pressure on the trigger, and slowly . . .
A cold metal barrel was pressed to his temple.
He heard the chilling click above his ear.
His gaze flew to his right, and he saw a small, attractive woman holding a gun that seemed too large for her. Then he saw her eyes, and he knew that no weapon would be too big for her to handle.
“Friend of Kirov?” She smiled. “So am I. My name is Eugenia. They’re having such a delightful time. Let’s not spoil it for them.”
Kirov smiled at the waitress as he ordered two pints of Guinness. The waitress smiled back and patted his arm as she walked away.
“I’d almost forgotten,” Hannah said.
“Forgotten what?”
“How perfectly at home you are in almost any environment. We’ve been here two minutes, and two men have already nodded hello to you, and a group of women asked you to play darts. You said you’ve never been here before.”
“I haven’t.”
“And naturally you’ve never seen these people before.”
“No. The Irish are famous for being gregarious. And I guess I just have one of those approachable faces.”
Approachable when it suited him, she thought. He was wearing a casual cream-colored wool sweater and a gray-tweed jacket, and he looked completely at home in this pub. Kirov wasn’t a handsome man in the traditional sense, but his strong cheekbones, pronounced chin, and piercing blue eyes were arresting. It was the sheer force of his personality that increased his attractiveness to megawattage, an effect that took only a few moments to work on most people. She should know. She was angry and wary, and yet she was once more being enveloped in that force. She wanted to keep on looking at him, bask in that lazy confidence that was almost sensual in nature. Ignore it. Pull away.
Kirov tilted his head. “But I’m sure you didn’t come all the way to Ireland to discuss my irrepressible charm.”
“Damned straight. Did you think that I’d be less likely to tear into you if we were in a public place?”
“I know you better than that, Hannah. You would be perfectly willing to tear into me anytime, anyplace.” He glanced at the glowing fireplace across the pub. “But Walsh is right, this just seemed like a warmer place for two friends to share a drink.”
“Dial down the charisma, please. I’m not in the mood right now. I have some questions I need answered.”
“Ask away. What would you like to know?”
“What would I like to know?” She stared at him in disbelief. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Why don’t we start with why I didn’t join you at Marinth?”
“That’s your own business.” And it hurt too much. “You changed your mind about wanting to go with me. That’s okay. I never asked you to go. There are more important things to talk about.”
“Actually, it’s all related. I assume you’ve made the acquaintance of Elijah Baker, the agent of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency?”
Hannah nodded. “That’s why I’m here. He told me you were roaming the European continent, killing people and making inquiries about Marinth.”
Kirov smiled at the waitress, who was approaching with a tray. He waited until she set down their mugs and left before answering. “I suppose that’s technically true. Did Baker tell you that he wanted to hire me?”
“For what?”
“Marinth.”
“No, he left that part out.”
“Of course he did. It wouldn’t suit his purpose to tell you that. As you know, I spent a few years working with the CIA on projects in which we shared a common purpose. They wanted to continue the relationship, and I declined. But when Baker heard I was going to Marinth, he wanted my help in a case he was working on. He knew Gadaire was interested in Marinth, and for someone in Gadaire’s business, that usually means the possibility of a weapon.”
“Baker told us that.”
“But to truly understand, you have to go a little further back. To a man named Samuel Debney.”
“Debney. Baker said that you saved him when you killed those men in Venice.”
“Well, sort of.”
“He also said that you didn’t do it out of the kindness of your heart.”
“True. Did he tell you who Debney was or where he came from?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think he’d want to share to that extent. Debney is a botanist who was working with a major pharmaceutical company in France. They were studying some of the marine life brought up from previous Marinth expeditions. They knew about your upcoming expedition, and the lab was preparing to request more samples to be brought up. Organic material that might be worthy of further study.”
“There’s nothing unusual about that. I’m sure Melis was in touch with several labs to find out if they needed more samples for their work.”
“Of course. But those other labs didn’t make the discovery that Debney and his boss, Raoul Lastree, made. They were studying a new subspecies of alga that had been designated as TK44 by the marine biologis
ts with the Marinth expedition that apparently doesn’t exist anywhere else but in the waters near Marinth. While they were experimenting, they discovered that this alga is capable of leaching all oxygen from the surrounding seawater. It’s been harmless on the seafloor for centuries, but if properly activated, it could spread and lay waste to all sea life along large areas of coastline.” He lifted his pint to his lips. “Imagine if someone could control such a destructive force.”
She shivered at the thought. The seas were constantly under attack from the advance of civilization with all its carelessness and greed. She had witnessed the results on many of her expeditions, and it had sickened her. But a deliberate threat of devastation was a greater horror. “I’m sure Gadaire has imagined it.”
“Yes. And before that, Debney and Lastree did, too. They had cracked the riddle that had plagued historians and scientists for years—the secret of what had ended the Marinthian civilization. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for Debney. He saw the discovery’s potential as a weapon that might be worth tens of millions of dollars. It was a lot of temptation for a weak man. Debney cut the brakes on his partner’s Mercedes and Lastree ran off a mountain road into a valley two hundred feet below. Debney took the activated sample of TK44 alga and he was in business.”
Hannah shook her head. She had seen enough ugliness and horror that she shouldn’t have been surprised. “No one else knew about it?”
“Apparently not. It was such a momentous discovery that they were trying to keep it quiet until they were ready to publish. Debney tried peddling his sample along with the know-how necessary to unleash its destructive properties.”
“Enter Gadaire.”
“And a few other players as well. Debney was out of his element. He wasn’t ready for the hell that rained down on him. I knew that if I didn’t find him fast, he wouldn’t be alive for very long. Fortunately, I caught up with him in Venice, just as Gadaire’s men were about to finish him off.”
“So you got him to talk?”
“Not enough. I was most interested in the location of the sample packet of TK44, but he lost consciousness before I could get that bit of information from him. He was trying to use it as a bargaining chip with the authorities, but he eventually managed to slip out of the hospital. Ironically, he contacted Gadaire again and eventually managed to strike a deal with him for the packet. You’d think he’d have avoided him like the plague. I guess he realized that Gadaire really wanted that packet if he was willing to kill for it.”
“So why the hell did Gadaire still go after that artifact?”
“I think something happened before Debney could impart the information needed to activate the alga’s special properties.”
“You don’t know what happened to him?”
He shook his head. “He disappeared. I can’t find a trace of him. He may be dead. Even if he was cautious in dealing with Gadaire a second time, there’s no guarantee he survived. Or he may have taken his first payment and left the country. Or maybe it was his partner who had the activation process, and Debney decided to bluff his way into the big bucks. In any case, Gadaire is desperate to discover how to make it work. He’s looking for any clue that can help him make that happen.”
“A clue like our stolen artifact?”
He nodded. “That would fit the description of the type of thing he was looking for. Anything that would document the end of Marinth.” He gazed at her inquiringly. “Which I assume is what you found?”
“We don’t know if it goes into that kind of detail. If this alga devastated their food supply and killed them off, they may not have even known the cause.”
Kirov shrugged. “They may not have. But as your friend Melis has shown the world, the Marinthians were very clever and technologically advanced. And when Gadaire sets his mind on something, he exhausts every possibility.”
“So I’m beginning to understand. But what brought you here to Ireland?”
“Did you know that Ireland has the best lamb stew in the world?”
“Kirov.”
“Oh, aside from the lamb stew?”
She had to clench her hands to keep from hitting him. “Yeah, aside from that.”
“Gadaire has been spending quite a bit of time here recently. I’ve been keeping watch on him, and I’m certain he has Debney’s sample here with him.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“He’s been spending a lot of time with a botanist, Dr. Simon Lampman, from Trinity College, which happens to be his alma mater. I believe Gadaire has hired Lampman to find out what activates the destructive properties of the Marinth alga. I’ve seen Lampman come and go several times from Gadaire’s office in Aviva Stadium, each time carrying a small cooler. I think Gadaire is keeping Debney’s original sample in his office and doling out portions as Lampman needs them.”
“If that’s true, Gadaire really is leaving no stone unturned.”
He nodded. “And think about the scenarios if he manages to get what he wants.”
“I haven’t been doing anything else.” It could be a nightmare, she thought, chilled. “There are hundreds of nations that rely on their waters for their food, their very livelihoods. If this is what destroyed Marinth, then whoever controlled it could hold entire countries, maybe even continents, hostage.”
“And anyone who paid Gadaire’s price would have that same power over their enemies.” His lips twisted. “I don’t think I want to live in that world.”
“Do you think I do? You have to report this to someone.”
Kirov’s brows rose. “Really? To Baker?”
“I know you’re suspicious of government types. Hell, so am I. But you can’t screw around here. You can’t let Gadaire get what he wants.”
He took another swallow of his beer. “I don’t intend to.”
“Your intentions might not be good enough.”
“Intentions seldom are unless followed by effective action.”
“What action?”
He didn’t answer.
Her hand tightened on her mug. “Dammit, tell me you have something in mind.”
“Oh, I do.” He met her gaze. “I’m just not sure you want to hear it.”
“Try me. I came a long way to hunt you down. I’m not leaving without answers.”
“Answers can be dangerous. If we end our time together right now, you’ll have no idea of any action that could possibly cause you megatrouble later. It falls under the category of prior knowledge.”
“Prior knowledge of what?”
“You’re not going to give up, are you?” He stared at her for a long moment, weighing his options. He finally smiled. “I’m going to steal the sample from Gadaire.”
She had been afraid he was heading in that direction. “According to both you and Baker, Gadaire is a criminal heavyweight with all the manpower that implies. Are you insane?”
“No, insane would be to just hand this over to a government man. Even if he claimed to have your country’s best interests at heart.”
“What do you intend to do with it? Hide it under a rock?”
“It’s tempting. That alga stayed down at the bottom of the sea for centuries without disturbing the balance of power.” He held up his hand as she opened her lips to protest. “No, I know it’s too late. But wouldn’t you like to know what we’re dealing with? If it turns out to have the weapon potential Gadaire believes, I’m not entirely opposed to eventually turning it over to someone for safekeeping, but I’d never give it to just one person or even one government. That’s entirely too much power. Marinth, of course, is Melis Nemid’s passion, and I think she should have a say in the matter.”
“Of course she should.”
“How much input do you think the Defense Intelligence Agency would give her? How much input would it give any of us? I’m not inclined to bring in the police or any government authority. That would be the quickest way to lose control of the situation.”
“And you can’t stand not to be in control, ca
n you? You were sole authority on that submarine for too long.”
“Practically all my adult life. It was a necessity that I learned to trust my own judgment.”
“And you never made a mistake?”
“I made mistakes, but I never tried to cover them up, and I never made the same mistake twice. As captain of a nuclear submarine, I was too visible to get away with that shit. But government agencies are different. They can hide their corruption or inefficiencies in a thousand tiny cubbyholes. I’d rather depend on myself.” He leaned back in his chair, and added softly, “Like you, Hannah. I’m not the only one who is a control freak. You’re getting over the first shock and feeling the same dread I am of letting Baker come in and run the show.”
Hannah stared down at the tabletop. “What makes you think you can just waltz into Gadaire’s office and walk out with the sample?”
Kirov smiled.
Hannah knew that smile. She was starting to waver, and he knew it. Damn him.
“I got a little outside help. Martin Driscoll, a man who has made a career of waltzing in and out of supposedly secure places. I’ll introduce you to him tonight.”
Hannah stared at him. Was she actually considering this?
Kirov pointed to her mug. “Drink up. Contrary to what most Americans believe, the beer here is served cold. You don’t want it to get warm.”
“You’re pretty damn sure I’ll go along with this. Otherwise, you never would have told me about your plans.”
He shrugged. “You and I look at things very much the same way. I could be wrong, of course. In any case, I’m now at your mercy. It’s whatever you say, whatever you want.”
“You’d never allow yourself to be at anyone’s mercy, Kirov.”
“Oh, but I would,” he said quietly. “It just has to be under very special circumstances. It would be my pleasure to be at your mercy in any number of situations, Hannah.”
Look away from him. She mustn’t feel like this. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks but finally managed to pull her gaze away. “I don’t believe you’re capable of giving up power to anyone. I may call your bluff someday.”
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