Identity

by Nancy Ann Healy

  “You know this sounds like that crazy Duga radio tower that spooked the world for decades.”

  “Crazy? Maybe it was crazy. It served the purpose it was meant to serve. That invention wreaked havoc on the world, Claire. It pulled American and British focus away from the real threat. Russia made headway with ASA in medicine, computers, and weaponry in the seventies. They placed assets inside every intelligence agency still functioning today. You know that. While our intelligence operatives obsessed over rockets and radio towers, the KGB was infiltrating our banks, our markets, our corporations, and our media.”

  Claire ran a hand through her hair with frustration. Bombs could be dismantled. Military bases could be bombed. Weapons could be destroyed. The real playing field of espionage and politics was rooted in the world of finance. Money was power. Control the money, control the information, and you controlled the world. Control the world, and you were guaranteed wealth, comfort, and power. “I need to find out what’s there.”

  “Claire—”

  “El, we have to know. Come on, you know I’m right. It can’t be computer codes or a hacking facility. They can do that anywhere. What the hell could be stored there that is so earth-shattering?”

  Eleana shook her head. “Whatever it is, it originated at Biocon.”

  “The Romanians are involved?”

  “I don’t know about the Romanian government. Biocon, for certain,” Eleana said.

  “We both know that Biocon is funded by the Romanian government.”

  Eleana nodded.

  “You think Kapralov is commanding President Barbu?”

  The Romanian president remained a mystery to most of the world. He spoke of change, but all indications were that his policies would continue to align with President Kapralov’s government. He was a wildcard; a wildcard that Eleana expected could be turned in numerous directions with proper motivation. The question that had yet to be answered was what did motivate President Barbu. “I think the question that needs to be answered is what Barbu ultimately wants. I’m not sure anyone knows that answer,” Eleana replied. “Romania’s standing in the EU is shaky. They have the helm. Not everyone is comfortable with that fact.”

  Claire bit her lip.

  “What is it?” Eleana asked.

  “Gregorovich wants me to meet with someone in Suceava on Wednesday.”

  “He’s sending you to Romania?”

  Claire nodded. “Interesting; don’t you think?”

  “Who does he want you to meet?

  “Fyodor Popescu. All I know is he works for Biocon.”

  “It can’t be a coincidence.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, President Reid is scheduled to visit Romania next week.”

  Claire groaned. “I don’t like it.”

  “Claire—”

  “Whatever you are about to suggest—don’t.”

  “Listen, I have a friend in Poland.”

  “No.”

  “Listen. He’s an expert on the region,” Eleana explained. “He helped me many times when I was living in Belarus.”

  “Give me his name and I’ll—”

  “And, you’ll what? Claire, I can speak Polish.”

  “I’ll manage.”

  “I would love to go home right now,” Eleana admitted. “I can’t leave you here when I can help.”

  “What aren’t you telling me, El?”

  “Claire, please.”

  “No way. I don’t care how much time passes; I know you. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “Claire—”

  “El, if there’s something I need to know about this contact, something Illya told you—”

  “It’s nothing like that.”

  “What is it?”

  Eleana blurted out her news in one breath. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Krause let you come here?”

  “He doesn’t know.”

  “Your husband doesn’t know you’re pregnant?”

  “I just found out this morning,” Eleana explained.

  “Well, good. You get your wish. You’re going home—tomorrow.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Are you insane?” Claire barked.

  “Look, I’m not rappelling into danger. I’m not leaving you here, alone in the hornet’s nest when I can help you navigate it.”

  Claire stared at her former lover.

  “You know that I’m right.”

  “I don’t give a shit about who is right. I’m not taking any chances with you—not when—”

  “You wouldn’t want me here even if I hadn’t told you,” Eleana said. “You’re still pushing me away.”

  “I’m not pushing you away,” Claire said. “I let you go. Don’t ask me not to care because I did.”

  “I’m not. I’m asking you to let me in, Claire. Let me help. I know things have changed for both of us. One thing never changes.”

  Claire covered her eyes. “I can’t risk it,” she muttered.

  “What can’t you risk?”

  “Me, causing you pain.”

  “Claire—”

  “Eleana, please go back home. Please. Let me do what I do.”

  “I think you forget sometimes; this is also what I do. That didn’t change when I became a mother. Just like it didn’t change for our fathers or—”

  “Maybe it should.”

  “And, how do I live with that decision?” Eleana asked. “I’m supposed to look at my children and tell them I let evil happen when I could stop it?”

  “You can’t stop it,” Claire said. “Slow it down, maybe.”

  “You are so frustrating,” Eleana griped. “You don’t believe that. You don’t. Why are you here, if that’s what you think?”

  “Because I have to try,” Claire said. “Even if all I can do is slow it down. I have to try. You haven’t done the things that I have. How am I supposed to look at you?”

  “Claire—”

  “I can’t,” Claire said. “I can’t risk losing you again. I can’t risk Alex, or Cass. What about JD?”

  “Jameson Reid?”

  “Yeah. What do I tell JD? Sorry, maybe I could’ve kept your wife out of the crosshairs, but I was too busy. I have to be here. You don’t.”

  “Neither of us has to be here. We’re both here because maybe, just maybe we can keep Candace out of the crosshairs. Maybe we can slow it down. We have a better chance of doing that together. Stop fighting with me, and let me help you—for once, Claire, please—stop pushing me away. We can be a great team.”

  “I don’t like it, El.”

  “Sometimes, the things that are best for you aren’t the things you like,” she said. She kissed Claire on the cheek. “How about I get us some dinner and we can make a plan?”

  “I’m not going to win, am I?”

  “Not likely.”

  “I wish you would reconsider.”

  Eleana smiled. “I’ll get dinner.”

  Claire watched Eleana leave the room and shook her head. I don’t like this. At all.

  WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT

  Alex pulled into the driveway, turned off the engine of her Ford Explorer, and sat silently. She looked ahead at her home; the home she and Cassidy had shared since shortly after they met. They had brought four children into the world here. They’d watched Dylan grow and leave for the Naval Academy. They’d mourned friends, and they had faced demons from the past. This place was Alex’s refuge. It reminded her why her career mattered. There were moments when coming home challenged her resolve. Inside the walls, comfort, love, compassion, and purpose awaited her. Was anything worth risking the security of Cassidy’s arms, hearing their children’s laughter and squabbles? Someone had to accept the risks associated with deconstructing evil. Alex sighed. Cassidy would argue that evil was a convenient word. The evil that men do is a choice, not a forgone conclusion. People have the power to change, to grow, and to create something new. It was Cassidy’s honest and compassionate perspe
ctive on life that made Alex fall in love with her. No matter how dark the world appeared, Cassidy had always been able to see the light. Alex closed her eyes and held her breath. There was evil in the world. People chose selfishness, egotism, and despotism over charity, mercy, and grace. What did people hope to gain by cruelty? The answer remained elusive. She was startled by the blare of her cell phone.

  “Claire?”

  “Last I checked.”

  “Cute. Are you still in Belarus?”

  “Until morning.”

  “What did Eleana’s contact say?” Alex asked.

  “Nothing as specific as we’d hoped. I don’t like it, Alex. Biocon is involved. That means that Kapralov’s influence is wider than we realized.”

  “Does Eleana think that President Barbu is in Kapralov’s pocket?”

  “Her contact couldn’t say for certain. El is leaning that way. She has a contact in Poland that she thinks might be able to shed some light. She insists that she should go with me.”

  “And, you don’t think that’s wise?”

  “Do you think a mom should be traipsing around Europe with me?”

  “I’m a mom.”

  “I’m serious, Alex. I don’t want her in danger.”

  “Because she’s a mother?”

  “Of course!”

  Alex sighed. Eleana could handle herself in almost any situation. Claire never wanted Eleana to meander into the world of espionage. Claire loved Hawk, but Eleana still held a part of Claire’s heart that no one else ever would. Alex knew that too. Eleana would never walk into unnecessary danger. She would take risks if she thought they were sensible. And, no matter how much Claire protested, Eleana Baros would always feel a need to protect Claire. “She can help,” Alex said. “How long has it been since you’ve had to speak Russian or Polish on the fly?”

  “I can manage.”

  “Manage, maybe. Eleana can understand and speak the language without searching her memory for the words,” Alex said.

  “So, can you,” Claire pointed out.

  “Miss me already?” Alex teased.

  “You wish.”

  “Let her help. She won’t put herself in unnecessary danger.”

  “She’s already in danger just by being here.”

  “Just make sure no one knows she’s with you.”

  “That’s not as easy as it sounds.”

  “If anyone can do it, it’s you,” Alex said. “You’re thinking of heading to Kaliningrad, aren’t you?”

  “Makes sense, doesn’t it? Gregorovich’s flunky in Romania isn’t going to give up the goods on Kaliningrad. Maybe El’s contact can help. If we want to make any actual headway, we need to know what they have there. There’s only one way to find that out.”

  Alex agreed. “Then you need El.”

  “You sound like her.”

  “Why don’t you listen to one of us for a change?”

  “She’s pregnant, Alex.”

  “No shit! Pip didn’t say anything when I saw him.”

  “Yeah, because he doesn’t know yet. She just found out this morning.” Claire sighed. “I don’t like it. Her being here.”

  “Neither do I,” Alex admitted. “I don’t think we have much choice, and I don’t think El is about to give you a choice either.”

  “What am I supposed to do with a pregnant woman?”

  Alex laughed. “Not what you’d usually do.”

  “Ha-ha.”

  “Feed her and don’t piss her off.” Alex said.

  “That’s it?”

  “Trust me.”

  “Alex?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Make sure Tate knows about Biocon.”

  “I will. I’ll work things at my end.”

  “Jonathan?” Claire asked.

  “I was thinking someone a little closer to home.” Alex looked back at the house.

  “McCollum.”

  “Couldn’t hurt.”

  “Be careful,” Claire said.

  “I don’t think my father-in-law will hurt me,” Alex cracked.

  “I didn’t mean him,” Claire replied.

  “Yeah. You too,” Alex said. “And, whatever you do, don’t piss El off.”

  “Speaking from experience? Does Cassidy turn into a demon or something when she’s knocked-up?”

  “Classy, Brackett.”

  Claire sniggered. “I got it. I’ll be in touch.”

  “I’ll be here.” Alex grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and opened her car door. “It never ends.”

  ***

  “You could just ask me your questions,” Jim McCollum said. “You don’t have to bribe me with dinner or beer.”

  “What do you know about Kaliningrad?” Alex asked.

  “Exclave between Poland and Lithuania.”

  “I don’t need a geography lesson.”

  “Then ask a question.”

  “What would Kapralov’s government hide there that involves ASA and Biocon?”

  “Good question. I don’t know. ASA has always maintained a presence there. They are Russia’s primary technology entity. Kaliningrad is of strategic importance.”

  “Militarily?”

  McCollum shrugged. “Sure. I’d reason that Kapralov’s interest is economic.”

  “Why all the military build-up?”

  “Money, Alex. It’s always about money—every military action at some level is always about someone’s pocketbook.”

  “Lynx was about money?” Alex asked.

  McCollum studied her for a moment. “The intention of Project Lynx was to ensure that assets could not be compromised. If a person believes the story they tell, even if we crafted it for them, others will believe it. They will defend their truth under the most brutal scrutiny. Lynx does more than secure an agent’s safety, Alexis. It makes that person authentic. It’s invaluable. Programming agents from childhood would allow us to penetrate established lines—to infiltrate any corporation or government—believably. We could extract agents only when we were ready or when it became necessary. And, still, it likely would appear that the asset was loyal to the opposition. You’re still thinking too small. You managed Carecom.”

  “And?”

  “Why did you acquire Myogen when you ran the company?”

  Alex didn’t reply.

  “Access,” McCollum answered for her. “It gave you access to more.” He paused. “Be honest, Alexis, you and Jonathan—your children will never have a financial worry. Does Cassie even know what Carecom is worth? What you could have if you chose to—”

  “Cassidy knows why I went to Carecom. I don’t take profits from the company. I took a salary. I don’t need the profits, and I don’t want them,” Alex said.

  McCollum nodded. “You are the exception,” he said. “Look at Technologie Applique. Eleana sits atop a nice nest-egg.”

  “None of us are in this for money,” Alex said. “Is that why you took over Lynx? To make money? For what? For Cassidy’s future?”

  “No. That doesn’t change anything. Everything that the Collaborative does, everything the government does, that the SVR or MI6 implements comes down to liquidity. It is either to grease the wheels of the machine the agents serve, or to line their own pockets. Doesn’t matter. It’s always about money, Alexis. Ask yourself what can be gained by waging war? Safety?” McCollum chortled. “Money,” he said. “Do you honestly believe the nuclear arms race has been about saving anything? Protecting anything? Do you? Do you truly believe we must have nuclear power to survive? It’s a commodity. Someone wants to buy it, Alexis. Someone needs it. They believe they need it because we’ve programmed them to believe that they require it. And, then what do we do? We sell it to them—Just like the Russians, the French, the British—and we do it strategically. How do we choose where to do business?”

  Alex massaged her temples.

  “Stop looking for the obvious,” he advised her. “I don’t know what Kapralov has in play in Kaliningrad. I can’t tell you why
he is starving villages. I can tell you that when you get to the end of it all, you will find dollars and cents. That’s the ideology that drives governments. That’s why instability in parts of the world has everyone on edge,” he said. “It’s why religious and political ideology scares them. Those ideologies are unrestrained.”

  “I would hardly call what I have seen over the years restrained,” Alex commented.

  “No? It is restrained. We are given limits.”

  “Limits? We must walk in different worlds, Jim.”

  “You think about it. I don’t know what is in Kaliningrad. I can tell you that anyone who limits Kapralov’s economic interests will become a target. Think money, Alexis. That’s why you went to Carecom. You followed the money. Stay on that track.”

  “Claire is determined to head to Kaliningrad.”

  McCollum snapped to attention.

  “What should she look for?”

  “I don’t know the what, Alexis. The where—look beneath the city. It’s part of the reason the Russians were determined to hold on to that enclave after the war. Look below. If she is headed to Kaliningrad, tell her to start at Rosgarten Gate. That’s the best I can give you.” He took a sip from his water glass. “Now, tell me what is going on with Dylan.”

  WASHINGTON DC

  THE NEXT DAY

  “Alex,” Joshua Tate closed the door to his office. “Who can I thank for the pleasure of your company?”

  “Jesus, Tate, you’ve spent too much time in this building.”

  He laughed. “Probably so. Seriously, why the visit?”

  “I didn’t want to call.”

  “And you thought my office was the best place to show up unannounced?”

  “I was in town.”

  “New case?”

  “I wouldn’t call anything I’ve been assigned this last year a case.”

  “Still stonewalled at the FBI?”

  “Doesn’t matter. I could close this case today.”

  “But you’re dragging it out.”

  “Gives me a reason to visit,” Alex said.

  “Sit down. Coffee?”

  “No, thanks. Listen, I think you need to take a look at Kaliningrad with fresh eyes.”

  “That was savvy,” he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee and taking a seat behind his desk. “Effective tactic—you and Claire dropping subtle differences in information to Candace’s cabinet members.”