The Spy Who Came for Christmas (21 page)

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^{"THE MICROPHONE
has a pin on the back," Andrei said. "I attached it under your coat collar. It's set so you're broadcasting all the time. I'll hear everything you say and most of what's said around you. On occasion, I'll give you instructions through this earbud."}

^{Andrei placed the device in Brody's left ear.}

^{"But won't the gunman see it?" Brody's voice was unsteady, from more than just the cold.}

^{"Keep your hat on and your earflaps down as long as possible. Eventually, you'll need to take the hat off, but the ear- bud's small and flesh-colored: hard to see, even in the daytime. He's got the lights off. I guarantee he won't turn them on."}

^{"Even the Christmastree lights and the television are off now," Mikhail said, watching the house from the cover of the fir tree.}

^{"The microphone and the earbud have tiny batteries," Andrei told Brody. "They're boosted by this transmitter/ receiver you'd normally wear on your belt. But if the suspect searches you--which I assume he will--he's bound to find it, even in the dark, so we need to hide it on you. The best place is in one of your gloves. Take them off as you approach the house. Set them someplace as soon as you're inside.}

^{"I dialed your equipment to its own channel. That way, you won't be distracted when I talk to headquarters. Now, let's find out if everything works. Detective Grant, walk down the lane and say something into your microphone."}

^{As Yakov left them, Andrei heard a voice through his own earbud, but it didn't belong to Yakov.}

^{The Pakhan's voice was sharp. "Our clients believe I took their money without any intention of delivering the package! They insist I'm lying! They claim I'm planning to sell the baby to someone else!"}

^{In the background, something crashed. A man with an Arab accent shouted, "Would you like me to cut off your thumbs? Your ears?"}

^{"Your balls!" another accented voice threatened. "We'll make you eat them! That's what we do to people who cheat us!"}

^{Andrei looked at Brody but gave no sign of what he was hearing. "I have a call coming through. Excuse me."}

^{Because Brody knew about the microphones, it wasn't necessary to go through the charade of pretending to talk to a cell phone, as Andrei had done earlier among the crowd on Canyon Road. But now he had a different reason for pretending to use his cell phone.}

^{He took it from a pocket and opened it. At once, he intentionally fumbled with it and let it fall into the snow.}

^"Damn."

^{Continuing the pretense, he pawed in the snow. His thin leather glove barely protected his fingers from the cold. When he found the phone, it was covered with flakes. He wiped them off, made a show of pressing a button, and frowned at the screen.}

^{"Something's wrong."}

^{"Your phone doesn't work?" Brody asked.}

^{"Snow must have got into it. Here, lend me yours."}

^{When Brody handed it over, Andrei pressed numbers and walked a short distance away, pretending to talk on the phone while he actually spoke to the microphone on his ski jacket.}

^{"Did you just try to call me?"}

^{"What was
that
about?" the Pakhan demanded through Andrei's earbud. He sounded furious.}

^{"Something I needed to do. I'll explain later."}

^{"Did you hear what I said? Our clients claim I cheated them! But I won't take the blame because you screwed up! I'll make sure they know who to punish!"}

^{Andrei barely held his anger in check. "Tell them they'll get the package before midnight."}

^{"You guarantee that?"}

^{"When we deliver, demand a bonus."}

^{"Answer me!
Do you guarantee delivery?"}

^{In the cold, Andrei's cheeks felt hot. Somehow he managed to keep his voice low and maintain control. Almost.}

^{"Damn it, yes. Now let me do my work."}

^{With that, he pretended to shut off the phone.}

^{'What's the matter?" Brody asked.}

^{"You've got family problems. So do I."}

^{Down the lane, Andrei heard Yakov murmur, "Testing. One, two, three, four."}

^{In response, Brody pressed a finger to the object in his left ear. "I hear him."}

^{When Yakov returned, Andrei asked, "Detective Grant, is Mr. Brody's microphone working? Did his voice come through your earbud?"}

^"Clearly."

^{"Excellent." Amid the distraction, Andrei slipped Brody's cell phone into his pocket.}

^{Brody didn't notice.}

^{"Okay," Andrei said. "Now, let's practice what you're going to do."}

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^{SNOW CLUNG
to their coats as they lef the stairwell, passed the elevator, and walked along a hotel corridor to the security door.}

^{There were five of them--Andrei, Kagan, Yakov, Mikhail, and Viktor, a lanky man Kagan had met only a half-dozen times, newly arrived from Russia. Andrei slid a credit-card-shaped hotel key into a slot. Making a slight metallic sound, the lock electronically opened.}

^{Andrei wore his leather shooter's gloves so he wouldn't leave fingerprints when he turned the doorknob. Coordinating their movements via their earbuds and hidden microphones, he and the others had gone into the hotel through separate entrances to avoid attracting attention. They'd lowered their heads when passing security cameras. They did the same now as they stepped under the last camera they needed to be concerned about.}

^{Closing the door, they entered a continuation of the corridor. Numbered rooms stretched along the wall to the left. In this exclusive part of the hotel, an attractive, well-dressed female receptionist smiled at them from a desk and pointed toward the melting flakes on their coats. "I see it hasn't stopped snowing."}

^{"A picturesque night for a walk," Andrei replied.}

^{"Have you been to Canyon Road?" the red-haired woman asked.}

^{"Very impressive."}

^{"It's the big attraction on Christmas Eve. All year-round, in fact. I'm glad you didn't miss it. Is there anything I can get you?"}

^{"Thank you, no."}

^{"You must have checked into the hotel when I wasn't on duty. I don't recall seeing you before."}

^{"I don't recall seeing you,, either. We only came back to our rooms to pick up some presents we're taking to a party."}

^{"Have a good time."}

^{"We intend to."}

^{As expected on Christmas Eve, no sounds came from any of the rooms, the guests having gone out to dinner, to enjoy the sights, or perhaps to attend mass in the nearby cathedral. But even though there was virtually no risk of being interrupted, speed was essential.}

^{While Andrei spoke to the receptionist, Mikhail stepped behind her and stuck a hypodermic into her neck, pushing its plunger.}

^{"Hey! What do you,-- "}

^{The fast-acting poison made the woman shudder. Five seconds later, she slumped across her desk.}

^{The other men took off their outdoor gloves, revealing latex ones. In a carefully rehearsed sequence, Mikhail grabbed the receptionist's pass key off the desk, returned to the start of the corridor, and used the key to open a door to a custodial area. Kagan and Yakov picked up the dead woman and carried her through the open door, setting the corpse inside. When they returned to the corridor, they pulled the door shut, automatically locking it.}

^{Meanwhile, Andrei and Viktor went up a curved staircase and faced the three doors that led to the target's suite.}

^{The others joined them.}

^{Andrei looked at his watch and nodded. Everything was proceeding as planned. Six minutes earlier, at 8:00 P.M., they'd stood amid the snowfall on the tourist-crowded Plaza, watching Hassan, his wife, and four protective escorts get into a limousine bound for a reception at the New Mexico governor's mansion. At 9:00, Hassan was scheduled to step before television cameras and deliver the first of many rousing speeches about his newborn child of peace and his hopes for the Middle East.}

^{But just before the speech, Hassan's wife would receive a call on her cell phone. She would answer because the number displayed on the phone belonged to her baby's nursemaid.}

^{The voice would belong to a man, however. It would explain in vivid detail what had happened to the baby. It would emphasize that if Hassan loved his child, he would cancel the speech. And never make another one.}

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^{KAGAN STARED
through the window, straining to distinguish shadows from illusions in the falling snow.}

^{One of them will try to distract me in the front,
he thought.
Probably Andrei. I set up enough ambushes with him,. That's how he thinks. Meanwhile, Mikhail and Yakov will attack from the sides.}

^{But wouldn't they have made their move by now?
Kagan wondered.
Maybe I
did
fool them. It's been a while. Maybe nothing's going to happen. Maybe they're back on Canyon Road.}

^{The baby whimpered.}

^{"Meredith," Kagan said.}

^{"He's just restless. Probably having another dream."}

^{"Doesn't sound like a happy one."}

^{"I put my little finger to his lips. He's sucking on it. He's quiet now."}