The Hero

by Donna Grant

  “Come, Orrin. Your sons will be spared.”

  He released a long breath. “I have your word, right?”

  “Da.”

  He swallowed hard, then let a lengthy pause stretch between them. Finally, he said, “I sent the vial to Mitch Hewett at the Pentagon.”

  Yuri’s smile was tight. “See? That was not so hard.”

  “What now?”

  “Now I check what you have told me.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  If Natalie had felt helpless at the ranch, it was worse while they waited at the lab. Though Owen didn’t pace, his impatience filled the room like a dark cloud waiting to unleash its fury.

  He walked from the windows to the door every few minutes, checking to make sure the men after her weren’t there.

  Her thoughts shifted just as quickly from wondering what Simon might be discovering about Ragnarok to how Orrin fared to Owen.

  Each time, her mind halted at Owen. Despite telling herself not to, she thought of the future—a future with him. And one without.

  She observed him when he wasn’t looking, trying to picture what life would’ve been like as his wife while he joined the Navy and became a SEAL.

  She tried to envision all the missions he’d been sent on. Then she wondered if he’d been injured, and if so, how badly. Natalie saw firsthand what life as a SEAL had done to his soul.

  It had changed him, but not the core of him. Not yet, anyway. Orrin had managed to have a wife and children while a SEAL, but for some reason, Owen felt differently.

  She rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn. The quiet of the lab was driving her insane. And the hard stool wasn’t making things any better. She didn’t even have her cell phone to play games. All she could do was stare at the walls, trying to think of anything other than Owen.

  And failing epically.

  It was an hour later when Emily finally returned. Natalie almost hugged her she was so glad to have a distraction. The stress of the current situation was giving her a headache at the base of her skull.

  “Well,” Emily said. “I was able to get some intel on Irina Matveev.”

  Owen’s strides ate up the distance until he stood beside Natalie. “And?”

  Emily placed a stack of papers before them. “See for yourselves.”

  Natalie scooted the pages out one by one. That’s when she spotted a foreign seal on one of the papers. “Did your friend hack into the Kremlin?”

  “It appears so,” Emily replied with a grin.

  Natalie saw a picture of Irina Matveev. The woman was in her mid-fifties with black hair beginning to show signs of silver.

  The woman wasn’t smiling. Nor were her eyes. She looked like a soldier with her hard stare and the rigid set of her jaw. Irina was attractive, and Natalie imagined she was quite a beauty when she was younger.

  A look through her financials showed that Irina was wealthy, with strong ties in Russia. She was active in the Dallas community, serving on the council of her church, and volunteering for several charities.

  Everything looked normal until Natalie reached the papers with Russian seals. She read one after the other. When she finished, she lifted her gaze to find Owen watching her.

  Owen jerked his chin to the papers. “What is it?”

  “Irina Matveev,” Natalie said. “She was a low-ranking KGB agent.”

  He shrugged as he set aside the papers he was looking at. “I’m not surprised.”

  She put her hands atop her stack. “I’m not an expert on the military, much less one from another country, but it says Irina was low ranking. However, with all her credentials, the missions she was sent on—including a stint in East Germany before the wall came down—and her accommodations, shouldn’t she have been ranked higher.”

  “She’s a woman. That likely explains the discrepancies.”

  “Except she suddenly vanished for a short period when the KGB was dismantled.”

  Owen frowned deeply as he took the paper and studied it. “Vanished? The KGB retired many of their operatives in an effort to put their best face forward when they put the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation—or FSB—in place.”

  “Did the FSB take on any KGB?”

  “I’m sure they did, but I’d wager there weren’t many. Let me guess. Irina was one of them.”

  “She was,” Natalie said, impressed. “Irina went from a low-ranking KGB agent to a very high-ranked FSB officer.” She handed the papers to Owen so he could see the evidence.

  Owen rubbed a hand over his lower face. “After ten years with the FSB, she abruptly quit and moved to Texas.”

  “Odd, isn’t it?”

  He gave a nod. “Very. Especially with all her commendations and her advancement. There’s something strange, for sure. Makes me curious.”

  “We need more information.”

  Emily motioned to the set of papers. “My friend found all there was. Whatever happened in Irina Matveev’s life, it’s not on record anywhere.”

  While Owen continued to reread the papers, Natalie couldn’t stop thinking that there was a connection with Irina somehow. Whatever the former KGB and FSB agent was hiding, the only way to get it was by talking to her.

  It was a risky gamble, one that might be Natalie’s last stop. But it wasn’t as if they could call up one of Irina’s friends to find out what they wanted to know.

  “I think we need to question her.”

  “We have no authority. She has no reason to talk to us. I certainly wouldn’t in her shoes.”

  That was a point Natalie hadn’t considered. She rotated her shoulders, trying to work out the kinks in her neck.

  “There is one avenue I can try. An acquaintance at the CIA,” Owen said.

  She widened her eyes. “An acquaintance?”

  He made a face. “I wouldn’t exactly call him a friend. I helped him out a few years ago. He said he’d do me a favor in return. I’d forgotten all about it until now.”

  “If you were ever going to use that favor, now seems the time,” Emily stated.

  Natalie gave Owen a nod of agreement. He wasted no time pulling out his phone and dialing a number as he turned and moved out of earshot.

  This was just another example of how clandestine and dangerous Owen’s life was. She had a feeling the image she had of missions from watching movies was nothing compared to the real thing.

  And that frightened her. While she was stressed to the max about her predicament, the bioweapon, and Orrin, Owen was able to look at it all objectively. It was how he’d been trained, and how he saw the world.

  More proof that they lived vastly different lives. He was right earlier. She hated anything that upset her order. She detested anything scary.

  Yet, she had walked right into the situation because she’d known deep in her soul that it was the right thing to do. She hadn’t known a hit would be taken out on her, or that Orrin would be kidnapped.

  She hadn’t known that a group of assassins would come after her. Or that she would have to run for her life with Owen protecting her.

  She hadn’t known she would be thrown into a world of intrigue, secrecy, and deception that made her question everything.

  But she’d never felt more alive.

  There was no doubt she was terrified of dying, but there was a bigger picture she saw. Ragnarok. That bioweapon—regardless of what it did—could be used against another nation. That blood would be on her hands if she didn’t do all that was possible to keep it hidden.

  Emily’s hand rested on her shoulder. “This is some shit storm you’ve gotten into, Natalie.”

  “I know,” she replied with a wrinkle of her nose.

  “But if anyone can keep you safe, it’s him,” Emily said as she looked toward Owen.

  “He already has.”

  Owen turned back to them as he lowered his phone, the call obviously over. “I suspected the CIA might be watching Irina. The former agent still has contact with the FSB, though she’s not technically
working for them anymore.”

  “How is that possible?” Emily asked.

  He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “My contact was able to tell me that Irina left the FSB right after her husband died in mysterious circumstances. That’s also when she left Russia.”

  “They obviously didn’t try to stop her,” Natalie said.

  “That’s the thing, after her husband was buried, Irina went into hiding. No one saw her for a month. The next time she appeared, she was in the States.”

  Emily’s eyes widened. “Lots of secrecy involved.”

  “Though my contact didn’t confirm it, there is a suspicion that the CIA helped her escape. He was hesitant to give me too much, which means Irina might be working for them in some capacity.”

  “It would explain why the Russians didn’t send someone to kill her,” Natalie said.

  “Or it could all be a trick and Irina still works for the FSB,” Owen pointed out.

  Natalie looked down at the picture of Irina Matveev and wondered if she was the one controlling the Russians who’d tried to kill her. Could she face the woman who—potentially—wanted her dead?

  “I still think we need to talk to Irina,” she said.

  Owen blew out a breath and walked to her. “I think you’re right. Though, I don’t like the idea of any of this.”

  “If it’s her, she’ll know my face,” Natalie pointed out.

  “There’s no doubt it’ll be dangerous. If it is her, she’ll know all our faces.”

  Emily pointed to a piece of paper on the top of the stack. “Her address is here, as well as her itinerary for the next week.”

  Natalie looked over Irina’s schedule. The woman was on the move constantly. But there was a lunch in two days that Irina had planned, right after a meeting downtown.

  “I know this place,” she told Owen. “I know the route she’ll take. The building for her appointment is only a block from the restaurant.”

  “So she’ll walk,” Owen said with a nod.

  Natalie glanced at the papers. “We could try to catch her on the way to her lunch appointment and have a little chat.”

  “If you speak Russian, she’ll talk to you.”

  “And possibly kill her,” Emily pointed out.

  Owen’s gaze narrowed. “She can try.”

  * * *

  Hours of nothing. At least the last hour had been filled with something to do. Owen focused on Irina’s file. There was something about her going from KGB to FSB and the missing years.

  He flipped to the pages that listed her KBG file and looked at Natalie. “Something is missing. Her KGB file doesn’t start at her recruitment as it should. It picks up in the middle after she’s already been on several assignments. There’s a reason some of her file is missing.”

  “What would cause something like that?” Natalie asked.

  His gaze slid to Emily before it returned to Natalie. “It means someone wanted to hide something. I’ve done something similar for one of my men. He changed his name, and I helped the Navy bury any documents with his old identity so he could go undercover.”

  “Then Irina has something to hide,” Nat said.

  He shrugged. “She or the government. Her recruitment into the FSB and her rank tells me she was in the thick of things for many years.”

  “Why move to Texas?” Emily asked.

  Natalie held up Irina’s picture. “That’s a question I’d like answered.”

  The more he thought of Natalie talking to Irina Matveev, the more he felt it was a bad idea. “Say Irina is running the Russians. You won’t be able to change her mind about calling off the hit.”

  “The hit?” Emily repeated, her voice pitched higher. “Natalie?”

  Natalie put a hand on Emily’s arm. “Look who I’m with, Em. A SEAL. Like you said, he will keep me safe.”

  Emily didn’t say more, but she wasn’t as convinced as Natalie. At least Nat believed he’d keep her alive, and that’s exactly what he planned.

  “What if it isn’t Irina?” Natalie asked. “What if she knows something that could help us?”

  He conceded that she had a point, but it wasn’t worth putting her so close to danger. “That’s a lot of ‘what ifs.’”

  “The sooner we learn who is controlling the group, the more leverage we have. And right now, we need some of that. We’re flying blind, and while I might not be a SEAL, even I know that’s not good,” Natalie said.

  They needed to know who was in charge of the Russian assassins. She was right, leverage was something they required in order to retrieve Orrin. He just didn’t like the fact that Nat was going to talk to a woman who could’ve decided to end her life.

  “If we’re going to do this, we need to have a plan and several escape routes.

  She smiled. “Of course.”

  He went back to examining Irina Matveev’s life on paper. She appeared to be a normal citizen, but looks could be deceiving.

  He caught Natalie staring at him. When he met her gaze, there was something in her deep green eyes. He felt her observing him often, and he wished he knew what she was thinking.

  Natalie always cloaked her feelings, and time had only made her a master of it. She’d shut him down quickly enough earlier, but the memory of their kiss still lingered on his tongue.

  If only he knew what to say to break past the walls she’d erected to keep him out. At times, he felt he was close, but mainly it seemed as if she would never be his again.

  He knew what he asked. At least, he thought he did. He desired her. There was no denying it, even if he wanted to. Seeing her, touching her, inhaling her intoxicating scent were all reminders of why he’d fallen head over heels for her in the first place.

  He didn’t care what he had to do, but he wanted Natalie with him. Always. Owen wasn’t sure how it would work with his part in the SEALs or her work, but he was willing to find out.

  He looked away from Nat and through the glass toward Simon, while making a mental list of everything he needed to do to get ready for Natalie to speak to Irina—as well as get away.

  To his surprise, Natalie came to stand beside him. She fidgeted, showing her nervousness.

  “We could screw this up.”

  He nodded. “But we won’t.”

  “Irina could be the key.”

  “I hope she is. I also hope that she’ll give us something, but in all likelihood, she won’t.”

  “Thanks for bursting my bubble,” she said as she faced him, smiling.

  He grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Do you want to know why I think this will work?”

  “That would be very helpful, because I’m beginning to second-guess myself.”

  “You have a kindness about you, Nat. An openness that people gravitate toward without even realizing it. We can use it to our advantage.”

  A small frown formed on her brow. “Openness?”

  “If Irina is controlling things, you’ll surprise her with a visit. If she isn’t, we might learn some information. Either way, I’ll be watching. Nothing is going to happen. That I swear.”

  “Where will you be?”

  He grinned, unable to help himself. “Somewhere I can get a clear shot off at any target who looks as if they’re coming for you, and somewhere I can get out of quickly to get to your side.”

  She paused, considering his words. “That sounds like a good plan.”

  “This is what I do.” He wondered if she realized she’d moved closer to him. He gently rubbed his thumbs in circles on her arms.

  Her guard was lowered. He didn’t know why, nor did he question it. He forgot Emily was in the room as he tilted his head. He’d been craving another kiss ever since the first. The hunger to taste her again was driving him mad with desire.

  Natalie’s lids slowly lowered and her head leaned to the side. His heart leapt as she leaned into him. Their lips were about to touch when Simon banged open the door to the lab.

  Natalie jerked out of his arms. He gritted
his teeth and faced Dr. Moore, whose hair was no longer tidy. It hung loosely about his shoulders in waves.

  “I think I’ve discovered what’s in the vial,” he announced.

  Owen faced him. “What is it?”

  “It’s new,” Simon said. He ran a hand through his hair.

  Emily shrugged, her arms crossed over her middle. “I thought it might be, based on what Natalie told me.”

  “Normally, we in the science community hear through the grapevine when someone is working on a new bioweapon, but I’ve heard nothing.” Simon shook his head as he looked at the floor in obvious distress.

  Owen crossed his arms over his chest. “We told you it wasn’t from this country.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Simon ran his hand through his hair again as he lifted his head to look at them. “No matter how secret the endeavor is, it leaks. Nothing stays quiet. It takes years to develop a weapon of this magnitude, and nothing has been said. That’s not normal.”

  Natalie moved toward Simon. “Are some countries more secretive than others?”

  Simon gave her a wry look. “None want it leaked, but scientists talk. They like to tout their findings and creations. It’s hard to keep us quiet.”

  “A government should be able to,” Emily replied.

  Simon shrugged indifferently. “Not necessarily.”

  Owen tucked that bit of information away. “So, what is it?”

  “Biological agents are made up of microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Along with their toxins. I’ve tested the liquid in the vial against all known agents such as anthrax, Ebola, ricin, and even the plague. It matches nothing in the CDC database.”

  Natalie exchanged a glance with Owen. “What does that mean?”

  “It means, Ms. Dixon, that whatever was created is entirely new.” He paused and gave a shake of his head. “I have no way of knowing what this weapon might do if used.”

  That wasn’t good news at all. Owen had hoped they would discover what Ragnarok did. Instead, they were leaving just as they’d come in regards to the weapon.

  At least they had something, though—Irina Matveev.

  “What about a cure?” Natalie asked Simon.

  “I’d have to know what it did first,” he replied.