of blocks away. We’ll find a parking lot and abandon the car. It shouldn’t be hard to find something else to steal. No one’ll notice it’s gone until the morning.”
“ Sounds like a plan.”
Andrei pointed at twinkling lights on houses they passed. “Where I grew up, there wasn’t any such thing as Christmas. After the Soviet Union collapsed and I snuck into the United States, I was amazed by all the decorations.”
“ Only the decorations? What about the Christmas spirit?”
“ Since you appear to have developed a conscience, maybe you can teach me.”
“ You already have a conscience,” Kagan said.
“ Don’t make me regret it.”
Andrei reached for something under his ski jacket. For a moment, Kagan feared that Andrei had fooled him and was drawing a gun. He almost lunged to defend himself. But then he realized that Andrei was turning on the radio transmitter that was hooked to his belt.
“ This is Melchior,” Andrei said to the microphone on his coat. “I have the package.” He paused, listening to his earbud as he drove through the slow-moving traffic. “It’s safe and ready for delivery. The mudak is no longer in business.”
Andrei listened some more.
“ Yes, it was a pathetic attempt to persuade me to join his corporation. In the end, I made sure he realized what a fool he was. The only person I’m loyal to is you.” Again, Andrei listened. “The main thing is, I corrected my mistake. Tell the clients I meant what I said. When I deliver the package, I want an apology, along with a bonus. We’ll be there in half an hour. Oh, and tell room service to deliver vodka for us.”
Andrei pressed a button on the transmitter, turning it off.
“ A half hour. That gives us time to prepare.”
“ Mudak. That’s a tough thing to call me,” Kagan said.
“ It’s better than what the Pakhan called me. Is your name truly Paul?”
“ I’m trusting you with it.”
“ Paul.” Andrei tested the name. “No, it won’t do. Pyotyr, after you help me defect, perhaps you can spend next Christmas with me and my family.”
“ It’ll be a pleasure to see them again.”
The baby’s safe, Kagan kept thinking. Nothing else matters. I saved the baby. I can bear sitting here, trying to make jokes with Andrei, while we drive to a gunfight. I can tolerate helping him whatever way he wants. As long as the baby’s safe.
“ Perhaps here in Santa Fe. Perhaps this is where Anna and the girls would enjoy living,” Andrei said.
“ A little too close to business, don’t you think?”
“ I know how to blend.”
“ You do indeed,” Kagan admitted.
“ The mountains. The light. The quiet. There are many things here they’d enjoy.”
“ Quiet’s a good thing,” Kagan agreed.
Thank God the baby’s safe, he kept thinking. His ears recovered sufficiently that he could now hear the cathedral bells.
“ Do you have enough ammunition?” Andrei asked.
“ My Glock’s empty. I have a partially full magazine in Mikhail’s pistol.”
“ Here’s a spare magazine for the Glock.”
Kagan watched warily as Andrei reached into his ski jacket. But when his hand came out, it held only the magazine he’d promised.
“ Pyotyr, maybe you can explain something to me.”
“ Whatever you want to know. I told you that from now on, I’ll be completely honest.”
“ Have you seen the movie It’s a Wonderful Life?”
Kagan overcame his confusion and answered, “Many times. My parents watched it every year.”
“ I’m surprised you could watch it even once. It mystifies me. Why do people like it so much? Don’t you think that fat angel looks stupid? And what’s with James Stewart? He’s too skinny. He should have stuffed himself with more Christmas dinners.”
“ If he stuffed himself, he’d look just like the angel,” Kagan said.
“ I didn’t say he should stuff himself that much. But the character he played was so trusting, it’s a wonder he wasn’t cheated out of everything he owned.”
“ Someone needs to make sure that doesn’t happen to people,” Kagan said.
The bells rang louder.
“ Merry Christmas, Andrei.”
“ Whatever that means.” Andrei thought about it. “The same to you, Pyotyr. Merry Christmas.”
