“ That’s good.”
“ I don’t understand.”
“ It’ll remind me of what I almost lost.” Ted turned toward Meredith and Cole.
Kagan did the same. “Meredith, did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are?”
She glanced down in embarrassment. If the lights had been on, Kagan was sure he’d have seen her blushing.
“ Ted, don’t you think she’s beautiful?”
“ Very much.”
“ Tell her every day.”
Kagan went into the kitchen and pulled on his parka, concealing Mikhail’s blood that covered his shirt. He shoved Mikhail’s gun and his own Glock into the right pocket of the coat. He picked up Yakov’s gun and reloaded it with a remaining magazine he found on the corpse.
“ Meredith, tell the police everything that happened. Don’t hold anything back. You don’t know anything that can harm me. Just say the truth. And Cole, don’t forget the story about the Magi.”
“ The spy’s version of Christmas.” The boy sounded dazed.
“ What story is that?” Ted asked.
“ Your son will tell you.”
“ Pyotyr!” Andrei’s voice warned from outside. “The police! We don’t have much time!”
“ Ted, walk with me.” They moved to the front door.
“ When I fought with the second man, I felt something crash against him. Did you hit him from behind?” Kagan asked.
“ With a lamp.” Blood dripped from Ted’s cheek.
“ There might be hope for you yet. Have you ever fired a gun?”
“ No.”
“ You point the barrel and pull the trigger. There are refinements, but basically that’s it.”
“ Is there a reason you want me to know this?”
“ Take this gun. The man you spoke to, the one with the creased face and the thick eyebrows, if he tries to come inside the house, don’t let him.”
“ You think he might break his word? You think you might be walking into a trap?”
“ It’s been known to happen.” Kagan looked behind him. “Cole, what’s a major rule of being a spy?”
Cole spoke numbly. “Don’t take anything for granted.”
“ What’s another rule?”
“ Always have a backup plan.”
“ I’m proud of you.” Kagan studied the boy’s father. “Ted, can I rely on you to stop that man if he tries to get inside?”
“ Anything to protect my family.”
“ Keep remembering that. To protect your family.”
“ You have my word.”
“ If you ever forget, if you ever hurt your wife and son, one day I’ll come back and remind you of this conversation.”
“ You won’t need to.”
Ted held out his hand.
Kagan shook it, noting that, despite everything that had happened, Ted’s grip was firm.
“ I believe you.”
At the front door, he looked back at the baby snuggling contentedly in Meredith’s arms.
Are you sending me another sign? he wondered. That everything’s going to be okay?
“ Enjoy your roses, Meredith.”
“ Thank you for saving our lives.”
“ No need to thank me. I’m the one who put you in danger. We wouldn’t be alive if all of you hadn’t been strong.” Kagan pointed toward Cole. “I’ve known some professionals who aren’t as dependable.”
“ Well, thank you anyway,” she said, “for keeping your promise.” She looked at Ted and then back at Kagan. “You gave me a Christmas present.”
As Kagan gathered his resolve and reached for the doorknob, she added, “You never told me your name. The man outside called you ‘Pyotyr.’ Does that mean ‘Peter’? Is that your name?”
“ That’s what he calls me.”
Meredith thought about it and nodded. “I understand. Whoever you are,” she replied, “Merry Christmas.”
Kagan opened the door and exposed himself to the overhead lights. If Andrei meant to shoot him, this was his chance.
But nothing happened.
Everything’s an act of faith, he thought. Shivering, he stepped from the house and walked through the falling snow toward the gate. He heard the faint rumble of an engine. As he reached the lane, he saw the dark shape of a Range Rover.
When I open the door, that’s when it’ll happen, Kagan thought, snow pelting him.
The passenger window descended.
“ Pyotyr, you promised you’d help! I can’t defect if the clients and the Pakhan are hunting me and my family. The last time they’ll be together is tonight! This is my only chance.”
It might be a trick, Kagan thought. But at least I saved the child.
“ From now on, there won’t be any lies,” he said, hanging back. “My real name isn’t Pyotyr.”
“ Imagine that. What a surprise.”
“ It’s Paul.” Kagan stepped toward the door. He hoped that his tone made Andrei realize he was telling the truth.
“ I’ll never get used to calling you that.”
“ Then keep calling me ‘Pyotyr.’”
“ Are you thinking about shooting me through the window?” Andrei asked.
“ Actually, I was thinking about you and me doing some good,” Kagan replied.
His hearing had improved sufficiently for him to realize that the sirens were nearer than he liked.
“ Doing some good?” Andrei thought about it and shrugged. “Why not? It’s better than stealing babies.
When Kagan opened the passenger door, he saw that both of Andrei’s hands were placed firmly on the steering wheel.
“ Now’s the time, if you want to shoot me,” Andrei said. “I’m helpless.”
Kagan got in from the cold.
“ I can’t imagine you ever being helpless.” Kagan shut the door.
Andrei put the Range Rover in gear and drove along the lane. The deep snow crunched under the high vehicle’s tires. A short time later, he turned right onto Canyon Road, where a few cars were now in motion.
“ Do you hear that?” Andrei asked.
Kagan strained to listen.
“ The sirens?”
“ The cathedral bells,” Andrei said. “It’s midnight.”
“ Christmas.”
The word made Kagan think of his dead parents and the Christmases he would never spend with them.
“ Look behind us,” Andrei said.
Kagan turned. The Range Rover’s window had a heating element that melted the snow landing on it. In the distance, he saw the hazy red and blue flashing lights of police cars doing their best to move up Canyon Road. The flashes reminded him of lights on a Christmas tree. Then the snowfall strengthened, obscuring them.
When Andrei steered left onto another road, the Range Rover’s tire tracks blended with others. He drove over a small bridge, reached a stop sign, waited for the lights of a car to go past, and followed it to the left. A few seconds later, the lights of another car came along the street behind them.
Andrei peered into the rearview mirror. “They’ll be looking for a blue Range Rover. Downtown’s only a couple
