Independence Day (26 page)

Dewey pivoted, ducking. The gunman lay on his back, a pistol at his side.

Dewey’s round had struck him in the stomach. His shirt was already drenched in blood. Groaning, the Russian reached for his weapon as Dewey moved toward him. Dewey watched as the bodyguard found the butt of the gun. Dewey stepped quickly toward the Russian, who now lay on the ground in a growing pool of crimson. Dewey had his gun out and he trained it on the killer’s head, saying nothing. Then Dewey fired. A slug ripped the Russian in the right eye.

Dewey heard the door to his right abruptly open, a curious hotel guest, then the sound of a chain. As the shocked occupant of the room screamed, Dewey booted his foot at the door, ripping the chain off, then lunging into the room.

Standing in a bathrobe was a man in his seventies. Dewey pointed at the bed, training his gun on him, holding a finger to his lips, telling him to be quiet.

Dewey stepped backward, gun fixed on the man. He opened the door and grabbed the ankle of the dead bodyguard. He dragged him into the room, keeping the muzzle of the Colt trained at all times on the old man’s head.

Dewey shut the door shut and left the dead thug just inside the room.

“Please don’t kill me,” the man stuttered.

Dewey said nothing. He came to the man, flipped him on his stomach. He removed his Gerber combat blade from his ankle sheath. He sliced apart a towel, ripping it into strips. He gagged the man tightly, then bound his arms and legs.

Dewey moved to the dead man. He had another gun—Walther PPK—and a pack of cigarettes. In a secret pocket in his left sock, Dewey found a plastic room key
.

Dewey looked in the bathroom. On the sink was a plug-in razor.

Dewey took the electric razor and shaved his beard, mustache, and hair. It took him five minutes, and was rough. His hair was now short, a quarter inch of stubble. He looked in the mirror, and for a second, he didn’t recognize himself.

He checked the old man to make sure he wasn’t tied too tightly. He went to the door and looked out the peephole. The corridor wall had a small arc of wet blood. The beige carpet was pancaked in scarlet.

He had to move.

He exited the room and moved methodically down the hallway, soundlessly inserting the key, watching, at each door, as the light turned red. He took the fire stairs to the fifth floor, repeating the sweep. Near the far corner, a door lock suddenly flashed green and the lock clicked. Dewey removed his gun. He opened the door, then kicked with all his strength. The door swung violently in, crashing against the wall. The other bodyguard was sitting, shirt off, on one of the beds, the TV on. Next to him on the bed was a small submachine gun.

He looked at Dewey. His eyes shot, inexplicably, reflexively, to the closet next to the door.

Dewey turned the gun and fired into the closet as the shirtless guard reached for the SMG.

Dewey swept the Colt and fired again, ripping a slug into the man’s chest.

He yanked the closet door open. On the floor was another man. His chest was oozing blood. A gun was at his feet. He looked up at Dewey, whispering something in Russian as blood drenched his chest.

Dewey shut the door. He stepped to the window. In front of the hotel, at least a dozen police cruisers had arrived, red lights flashing, along with a growing line of black sedans.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

He stepped to a door connecting to the next room. He knocked.

“
Da.
” A woman’s voice.

Dewey said nothing. He waited, then knocked again. The door opened. Standing in the door was Katya. She had on a white terry cloth bathrobe.

Dewey raised the weapon and aimed it at her head.

“Don’t say anything. Don’t scream. Don’t try to run. You do that and I won’t hurt you.”

Katya nodded. She looked as if she was about to cry.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

“Put on some clothing,” said Dewey.

He shut the connecting door and walked to the window. Flashing blue lights dotted the road surrounding the hotel. The sound of sirens came in through the window.

He kept his gun trained on Katya as he pulled out his cell. He dialed the number of the Navy SEAL, Jacobsson, who was in the harbor waiting.

“Jacobsson, go.”

“I have the girl,” said Dewey. “We need to move.”

“Who are you?” she asked again.

Dewey ignored her question.

“Where are you?” asked Jacobsson.

“Four Seasons.”

“Go out the front entrance,” said Jacobsson. “Right one block to the canal. I’ll be there, beneath the bridge.”

“How long?”

Above the sirens, a sharp, high-pitched beeping noise suddenly roared. The hotel fire alarm. The Four Seasons was being evacuated.

“Five. By the time you get there I’ll be in position.”

“See you soon,” said Dewey calmly.

44

FOUR SEASONS LION PALACE

SAINT PETERSBURG

Dewey pocketed Katya’s cell phone. He ransacked her suitcases, purse, handbags, coat pockets, and anything else he could find. He went into the bathroom and dug into her toiletries kit, keeping the muzzle of his gun aimed out the open door at Katya.

“What are you looking for?” she asked. “Do you know who I am?”

Dewey returned to the living room of the luxurious suite, then stepped into the bedroom, the gun always aimed at Katya through the open door. He looked in the drawers of the bureaus, lifting up clothing. He went to a mahogany desk in front of the window and opened the drawers, finding nothing. He returned to the living room.

“Get dressed,” said Dewey. “Get some shoes on. Now.”

“Why are you doing this?” Katya asked, her voice trembling.

Dewey pulled out a sheet of paper and unfolded it. On it were photos of Cloud. He handed it to her.

Katya’s hand went to her mouth, covering it.

“Is that your boyfriend?” asked Dewey.

She nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“He’s a terrorist,” said Dewey. “He’s planning an attack on the United States.”

Katya wiped her cheeks, staring at the paper, then let it fall to the floor.

“He killed five Americans tonight. Lured them into a trap, then killed them. They never had a chance. Now get dressed.”

Katya burst into tears.

“Pyotr,” she said. “He’s not a terrorist.”

“What’s his last name?”

“Vargarin.”

Dewey took out his cell and hit Speed Dial.

“Control. Identify.”

“Andreas, put me through to Bill Polk.”

As Dewey waited, he nodded to Katya.

“Get dressed,” he said again. “
Now.
”

Polk came on the line.

“Dewey?”

Dewey stepped to the window, out of earshot, then spoke in a low voice, all the while keeping his gun trained at Katya.

“I have her,” he whispered.

“Where?”

“The hotel.”

“That would explain why Metro police is going haywire.”

“Yeah, I know. I need to get going, but you need to know something: His name is Pyotr Vargarin.”

“She told you that?”

“She seemed genuinely shocked that he’s a terrorist. She’s either a very good liar or is unaware of this guy’s true identity.”

“Does she have a cell phone?”

“Hold on.”

Dewey took out Katya’s cell phone, then dictated the number to Polk.

Polk cleared his throat.

“One more thing,” Polk said. “You need to stay inside Russia. We just received word that the nuke is through the Strait of Gibraltar. Katya Basaeyev is now our only link to Cloud. Get her out, then stay in-theater and wait for further orders. You got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Get going.”

“Where are you taking me? Please, I ask you sincerely.”

“You’re the only connection we have to Cloud,” said Dewey. “I’m taking you out of Russia.”

“You’re kidnapping me,” she sobbed.

“Yes,” said Dewey, “I am. Kidnapping. Abducting. Whatever you want to call it. We will do whatever we need to do to stop this attack on the United States. I don’t want to hurt you, Katya. But that’s up to you. Do you understand?”

She stared at him in silence. He looked back, trying not to look too long into her eyes, trying not to get to know her in any way, trying not to think about anything other than the mission. His eyes went to the window and peered down at the chaotic mess in front of the hotel.

“Please get dressed,” he repeated.

In the reflection in the glass, Dewey watched as Katya removed her bathrobe and allowed it to fall to the ground. He stopped looking, even at the blurry reflection, until she had pulled on a pair of white jeans and a sweater. He saw her take a small object from the table, something that was beneath her shirt, and tuck it under a book.

“What was it?” he asked, pointing to the book.

“Nothing.”

“Give it to me.”

Katya picked up the object and stepped toward Dewey, staring daggers as she handed him a small leather object the size of a wallet. Dewey opened it up. It was a traveling photo album, with slots for just a few photos. There were only two. One was a color photo of a pair of teenagers, a girl and a boy. They were seated at a restaurant. In front of the girl was a piece of cake with a single candle lit on top of it. They were holding hands. The girl had pigtails and a big smile on her face. The boy had short, curly blond hair. He was smiling too.

Dewey stared at it for several moments, then looked at Katya.

“My fifteenth birthday,” she said.

“Is that him?”

Katya nodded.

The other photo was black and white, its edges frayed with age. This photo showed a child. He was standing dead center in the middle of the photo. Other children were gathered to his side, all eyes looking at him. He was in front of a table, upon which was a large trophy. An adult, presumably a teacher, was presenting the trophy to the boy. Behind him, a plain-looking, slightly rotund woman was standing next to a tall, bearded man with glasses and curly brown hair. The woman had a blank, serious expression on her face. The man was smiling proudly.

Dewey studied the black-and-white photo. Cloud was very young. He wore a button-down shirt and tie. His hair sprouted up from his head in big, wavy curls.

“What is this?”

“The only photo he has of his parents,” she answered. “They’re both dead.”

“How old is he?”

Katya shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Even he doesn’t know.”

Dewey pulled the black-and-white photo from the leather case, folded it in half, then stuck it in his pocket.

Katya watched him do it, a look of disbelief on her face.

“It was the only photograph Pyotr—”

“Pyotr isn’t going to be alive much longer,” said Dewey. “I don’t think he’ll miss the photo.”

“He would never have anything to do with terrorism,” she said. “He’s a kind man. I’ve known him since age thirteen. He’s gentle. Please, you must believe me.”

“It doesn’t matter what I believe,” said Dewey, scanning the street in front of the Four Seasons, which was now a pandemonium of police cars. “Besides, there are about a hundred cops outside. They all have guns. I don’t think they’re very happy with me at the moment.”

“Perhaps they will shoot you, like you shot my guards.”

Dewey looked at her.

“At least I’m not wearing white pants.”

Katya looked down at her white jeans.

“What’s wrong with white pants?”

“It’s an easy target for a marksman. Especially at night. They’ll probably be shooting at me, but if they miss, it’s going to hit you.”

“Why are you trying to scare me?”

Dewey walked to Katya and stood in front of her.

“Because I need you to be scared. If you’re scared, maybe you’ll listen to me. There’s only one way out of here. But you need to do exactly what I say.”

Katya became quiet.

“Where will you take me?” she asked.

“I don’t know the answer to that question.”

“Please tell me your name. I have the right to know.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“To me it does.”

Katya’s English wasn’t flawless. And yet the aristocratic softness of her accent made the imperfections somehow charming.

Dewey held the curtain to the side. A cordon of police were stretched across the road in front of the hotel.

“My name is Dewey Andreas.”

“What did he do?”

“He acquired a nuclear bomb. He put the bomb in a boat that right now is on its way to the United States. He intends to detonate it there.”

She stared at him, a look of utter shock at his words. She walked to one of the couches and sat down.

“He would never do this,” she said. “It’s a mistake.”

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know much,” said Dewey. “And yet you have, let’s see, one, two, three bodyguards? Why would anyone need so much protection?”

“Are you implying that I’m involved?”

“I just find it strange that you have three operatives guarding you. Ex-military. Spetsnaz, if I had to guess.”

She stared.

“They’re provided to me. I’ve had guards as long as I can remember.”

Dewey stared out the window.

“The first one followed me upstairs and tried to kill me,” said Dewey.

He turned and their eyes met.

“Why would I kill you?” she asked softly. “There is already too much misery in this world. I would not kill you. I would never kill anybody.”

She stood up. She walked to the window, next to him, and looked out.

“Let’s go,” said Dewey.

She pointed at the police cordon.

“Are you insane?”

“We’re going to walk out the front door. I’m one of your guards.”

“That will not work,” Katya said, shaking her head.

“You’re probably right. They’ll kill me and you can go back and hang out with a terrorist and jump around in a bird costume. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to give it the old college try, though.”

Katya smiled.

“College try? What does this mean?”

Dewey took her wrist and lightly clutched it, pushing her toward the door. At the door, he turned.

“I’m going to explain how this works,” he said quietly. “I’ve stood where those guys we’re gonna walk by are standing, and right now they’re looking for a killer. You alone can convince them I’m not the one they’re looking for. It’s like a play, and you’re the star, and your role is to be the pissed-off ballerina who doesn’t like gunshots and sirens and wants to move to a different hotel. I’m the goon who’s supposed to protect you. Got it? Sell that and we both live. Don’t sell it and we both die.”