“Claire,” Eleana warned.
“El, that’s the choice, okay?”
“She’s right,” Alex said.
“I don’t like it,” Eleana commented.
“Since when does anyone care what we like?” Claire replied.
“Are you armed?” Alex asked.
“Of course, I’m armed.” Claire retrieved one of the jackets and a hard hat. Can’t hurt. “I have an idea.”
“Watch your back,” Alex said.
“I thought that was your job,” Claire quipped.
“Be,” Alex began to speak.
“Do. Not. Say. Be. Careful.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Alex said. “Be smart.”
“That’s my motto.”
Alex sniggered. Only you, Claire.
WASHINGTON DC
Alex’s call took Candace by surprise. “Joshua is here with me.”
“Good. Am I on the speaker?” Alex asked.
“You are.”
“Tate.”
“Alex, where’s Claire?” Tate wanted to know.
“Inside some maze of tunnels than run under Rosgarten Gate. Tate, why would B-Helix have a presence in Kaliningrad?”
“I don’t know. What makes you think they do?” he asked.
“Claire found some things that suggest B-Helix is part of whatever is going on down there.”
“B-Helix is a DNA test provider,” Candace said.
“Yes, but they have international partners—everywhere,” Tate said.
“Russia?” Candace asked.
“Not on the books,” Tate replied.
“What about Finland?” Alex asked.
“I think so, why?”
“The only people Claire has heard down there are speaking Finnish,” Alex said.
Tate groaned.
“What does that mean?” Candace asked.
“It could mean nothing,” Alex said. “It’s not like Finland is far from Kaliningrad.”
“I doubt that’s the reason,” Candace said.
“Claire’s still looking. Jonathan is looking into some things as we speak.”
“Alex, what does your brother have to do with this?” Candace asked.
“Specifically, nothing. When I oversaw Carecom, we acquired a company called Myogen.”
“I recall.”
“That caused a lot of splintering, people peeled off and started new bioengineering companies. One of those was B-Helix.”
“I see.”
“Jonathan can get more information on B-Helix through Carecom’s channels than anyone in Tate’s circle,” Alex explained.
“What else do you need?” Tate asked.
“Jonathan did find something interesting. See what your sources know about Hotel Bismarck in Kaliningrad,” Alex said.
“A hotel?” Tate questioned.
“Yeah. One that offers free, electronic, expedited Visas for travelers,” she told him.
“That is interesting,” he agreed.
“Jonathan managed to get passport documentation. Getting the Visa applications is another story.”
“I’m on it,” Tate said.
“We are running out of time,” Candace reminded them both.
“I know,” Alex conceded. “Claire will find something. She will, Candace.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for what that might be.”
“I’m not sure any of us are.”
KALININGRAD, RUSSIA
Claire eyed a woman who wore a similar jacket about ten yards in the distance. “Opportunity knocks,” Claire said. “Alex? How do you say hello in Finnish?”
“Hei,” Alex replied.
“Hey? That’s it? Hey?”
“You’d better hope that’s all you need,” Alex said.
“How do you say, can I interest you in a visit to the closet?”
Eleana chuckled.
“Cute,” Alex said.
“She is—in a scientist kind of way,” Claire replied.
Alex rolled her eyes. When she first worked with Claire, she feared Claire’s humor denoted a lack of concentration. Humor was neither a defense nor a distraction for Claire. She could employ it as either when warranted. Keeping things light steadied Claire’s nerves. Although she hated to admit it, Claire’s banter often diffused Alex’s tension as well. “I don’t think you have time to conduct any experiments today,” Alex replied dryly.
“See? I told you Alex had a personality,” Claire commented for Eleana’s benefit. She walked purposely toward the woman until the woman turned. “Hey,” Claire greeted the woman.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen you here,” the woman replied in Russian.
Thank God. “No. I’m usually in Bucharest,” Claire replied confidently.
The woman nodded.
“I seem to have lost my way,” Claire said. “I’ve only been here twice. I’m supposed to check on the latest shipment from Dyula.”
The woman nodded. “It should be in Cataloguing now. It’s easy to lose your way down here,” she said.
Claire followed the woman thirty to forty yards before they reached another door. To her surprise, the woman swiped her card and opened the door.
“Try not to lose your way back. Take a right down the first tunnel, and then the next left. It’s much faster than making your way to the King’s Gate exit.”
“Got it. Thank you.” Claire let the door close and looked into the room. “Well, I’m in Cataloguing. Don’t know what that means,” she said.
“What do you see?” Eleana asked.
“Shelves. Lots of them. Lots of—it kind of looks like binders. Thick binders, but binders.” Claire moved closer and studied a shelf. The inscriptions were in Cyrillic. “Georgia,” she said.
“As in the country?” Eleana asked.
Claire opened the binder. “What in the hell?”
“Claire, what is it?” Eleana urged.
“Jesus Christ.”
“What is it?” Alex asked.
“If I’m not mistaken, it’s a book full of biological samples. Catalogue room,” Claire muttered.
“Claire!” Alex yelled for her attention.
“What?” Claire snapped.
“What is in the binder?” Eleana asked.
“It’s a catalogue all right. If I’m not mistaken, of people’s DNA, tests,” she said.
Alex felt sick. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Claire replied. “Complete with profile. And, this isn’t from the country of Georgia.” She read one of the tabs. “Bradley Michaels. Age: thirty-five. 33 Sloan Road, Browndale, Georgia. Jesus. There’s got to be tens of thousands of these in here.”
“Do you see anything else?” Alex asked.
“Not really. Some computers. Alex, they’re cataloguing people.”
“I need to call Candace,” Alex said.
“Kind of makes me wonder about that endless boiler room,” Claire commented.
“What are you talking about?” Alex asked.
“I passed through a massive boiler room on my way here,” Claire explained. “Alex, it’s heating more than the tunnels I’ve seen. There has to be more down here. A lot more.”
“I agree. Don’t wear out your invitation,” Alex said. “Get what you can and get out. We’ll find a way back inside. Something tells me it might be easier than we thought. You’re not the best candidate, Claire. We can’t afford to tip our hand to Gregorovich. Make your way out as soon as you can.”
“I just want to check something.”
“Make it quick,” Alex said. “Call me when you’re out.” She turned to Jonathan. “You heard that?”
“I heard it. Claire’s right. There is more to this complex than people’s DNA kits.”
“Think it’s related to SEED?” Alex asked.
“I think its applications are endless,” Jonathan replied. “Profiling for any and every reason.”
“I think I might’ve preferred a weapon.”
“Alex, what Clai
re just found is the ultimate weapon.”
“We need to know everything there is to know about B-Helix.”
“Already on it.”
“Shit.”
WASHINGTON DC.
5:00 A.M. EST.
“This is what Biocon has been transporting,” Candace said. “The DNA they collect from Europeans for ancestry tests?”
“Not just Biocon,” Alex said. “And not just from Europeans. B-Helix is involved in this too. I don’t know how yet.”
“If they acquired this without consent,” Tate began.
“People gave this freely,” Alex replied. “At least, what Claire found. They signed on the dotted line, and likely never read the fine print that gives over their rights to their privacy. People don’t pay attention. People give license to a company to have access to information about far more than where your ancestors lived. They have a medical profile, they have your date of birth, your address, your profession—the opportunities are endless, and frankly, have a wider reach than any bomb I know about.”
“What do you suggest?” Candace said.
Alex sighed. “I don’t suggest you make any moves in Ukraine. That’s pointless.”
“We can’t leave this unaddressed,” Candace said.
“Did you get anything at all on that Visa loophole?” Alex asked.
“Lots of visitors affiliated with Illumina and Energia.”
“What does that mean to us?” Candace asked.
“Illumina is headquartered in Finland,” Alex said. “Explains one thing. They also have ties to both B-Helix and Biocon.”
“How?” Candace wanted to know.
“They design and manufacture lab equipment,” Alex explained. “Everything from water purification systems to extraction systems. In other words, everything companies like B-Helix and Biocon need to do their work.”
“That doesn’t exactly fit with Energia,” Tate commented.
“Maybe not on the surface. I’ll bet Energia also has ties to Atomen. There’s more going on here than meets the eye,” Alex said. “Claire is due to meet someone from Energia this week. There is no way this is all a coincidence.”
“In the meantime, I have less than an hour before I give my decision,” Candace said.
“I told you; I have a few ideas,” Alex said.
“I’m listening.”
“Tate?” Alex addressed him.
Joshua Tate looked at the president. “We need to disclose that we have some idea what is in Kaliningrad—not that we have seen it. But it has to be a false narrative. Go with Rodgers assessment. We have reason to believe that biological material is being transported out of Ukraine to Russia with the purpose of being weaponized. We tell the cabinet that we have an asset on the ground in Ukraine who’s provided intel that the warehouse is already being cleared. We’re too late for any intervention to succeed. They know what we we’re planning.”
“How will that work when it’s not true?” Candace asked.
“It will be true if we have it moved.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
“Do you want that answer?” Tate asked.
“No, but I need the answer.”
“Claire.”
“Claire?”
“Tate’s right,” Alex said. “Claire is on the inside with Gregorovich. He’s testing her to see what she reports to you. We’ll have her tell Gregorovich what Rollins and Rodgers proposed. They’ll clear out and shut off that supply line within hours,” she said. “Believe me.”
“And, Claire?” Candace inquired.
“This is what Claire and Alex are best at doing. Let them do it, Candace,” Tate said.
Candace nodded. “I want details, Joshua. I want to know what Claire is doing and I want to know what the response is—everything. I mean it. If I say we pull the plug, you and Alex pull it. Understood?”
“Loud and clear, Madame President.”
“Get the ball rolling.”
Tate nodded.
“Alex, are you sure that Claire has Gregorovich’s trust?” Candace asked.
“No. She has his ear. It will work.”
“I hope you’re right—for all our sakes.”
KALININGRAD, RUSSIA
“There’s nothing else, El. Nothing that I have time to look at. This place is massive. There are doors all along this hallway.”
“Get out of there. We have what we need for now.”
“Not empty-handed.”
“Claire—”
“Trust me. I’ll see you on the other side,” Claire promised. “I didn’t come all this way to leave with nothing.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
KALININGRAD, RUSSIA
5:15 A.M. EST
Three doors. “Great. The Russian version of The Price is Right,” Claire griped. “Let’s see. I choose—” She pointed a finger back and forth between the doors. “Door number—three!”
***
“Any world from Claire yet?” Alex asked Jonathan.
“Not yet.”
“Come on, Claire.”
***
“Guess I picked the right room,” Claire congratulated herself. She wondered what lurked behind doors number one and two. Door number three housed an enormous databank. Claire guessed by the number of towering processors, system redundancies, boxes, switches, and cooling pipes that more than the DNA profiles she found were running through the system.
She listened closely for any signs of life. It was eerily quiet. No facility with this much equipment would be left unattended by human eyes or ears. The last thing Claire could afford was someone to discover her presence—live or on camera. She’d been careful to avoid any security camera’s catching more than a glimpse of a female profile. The hard hat obscured her features, an unexpected and welcome gift. This room had hidden security. Claire had mapped out similar facilities in the past. Cameras were tucked away in unlikely places. Motion sensors were set to activate in varying locations on timers. Workers had a strict schedule. Preparation was essential for any agent on a mission to infiltrate this level of data center. She guessed that the only reason internal security appeared lax was that few people knew this place existed. Claire also knew that appearances could be deceiving. She needed to get something—anything and get out. Time was not her ally. Approaching footsteps caught her attention. She stayed close to the door.
“Claire?” Eleana called.
“Can’t talk now.”
“Claire, where are you?”
Claire removed the earpiece and placed it in her pocket. Sorry, El. She ducked behind a large processing tower and watched as a man paced down the wide aisle in front of it. Her eyes scanned for any blinking lights. Bingo. He trudged forward, stopped suddenly, and recorded something in a notebook. When he turned to leave, Claire made her move. She would give him a short lead. She would need to pursue his footsteps quickly. God, I hope this works.
***
“Where is Claire?” Alex asked Eleana.
“She’s still inside.”
“Shit. Has she made contact recently?”
“I tried to find out where she is,” Eleana said.
“She didn’t answer?”
“She said, and I quote: can’t talk now.”
“Jesus Christ!”
“You know Claire. She’s not one to leave empty-handed, Alex.”
“She’ll be missing a lot more if she gets caught.”
“She won’t.”
“Damnit. Why can’t she stick to a plan?”
“She’s right this time, Alex. We don’t know when we will have another opportunity like this. Hopefully, she’s managed to avoid detection—at least, any detection that proves it is her. That doesn’t mean she couldn’t be compromised already. You have to know that.”
“That’s why she needs to get out of there,” Alex snapped. “Every minute she stays in that place increases the chance that someone will find out she’s been there.”
“She knows that,” Eleana rem
inded Alex.
“I hope whatever she’s doing is worth it.”
“It will be.”
NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS
Relief washed over Alex when Claire called. “Thank God.”
“Were you worried about me?” Claire teased.
“Where were you?”
“How about, thank you?” Claire asked.
“What am I thanking you for?”
“Not sure yet,” Claire admitted. “Downloaded a few thousand files before I had to leave.”
“You what?”
“I played The Price is Right and hit the jackpot. I hope,” Claire said.
“What are you talking about?”
“On my way down the tunnel I found a few more doors to open.”
“Let me guess. You opened them.”
“Only one. Didn’t have time to play Dora the Explorer. Had to stick with game shows.”
“Get to the point. Please,” Alex said.
“Well, you know how the top tier of data centers is a five?”
“Yes?”
“Door number three has a tier fifty. Closest I’ve ever seen is NSA,” Claire told her.
“Jesus, Claire. There have to be cameras everywhere in there.”
“Yeah. Let’s hope I was as camera shy as I am at the holidays.”
“I hope so because I need you to do something,” Alex replied. “And, I needed it an hour ago.”
“Pushy much? What now? Want me to break into the Kremlin or something?”
“I need you to call Gregorovich.”
“Pray-tell, why? To tell him I just penetrated a facility he likely owns?”
“No. To tell him that Candace is ready to sign off on destroying that warehouse in Ukraine.”
“Why would she do that now?”
“She wouldn’t. He doesn’t know that,” Alex explained. “It accomplishes two things we need.”
“Builds his trust in me and gets Candace off the hook,” Claire replied.
“Exactly. Let’s hope you were as camera shy as you think. We can’t afford for him to have any idea you were in Kaliningrad. With any luck, it might help us flush out the mole in her circle.”
“I’m on it,” Claire said.
“Good. Call me when it’s done.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.”
“Cute. And, Claire?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
Claire found herself at a loss for words. She cleared her throat. “I’ll give Pyotr your regards.”
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