had never been in question; her breeding and selection had been very specific. Katherine’s mother was pre-ordained to be the beauty she had become. The training thereafter allowed her to become the seductress that would best serve her country. Katherine was not her only child. While still within the confines of Grebnevo, she had given birth to another daughter, just as beautiful as Katherine but world’s apart in looks. Katherine’s sister looked more at home in Moscow. Her blonde pale skin and beauty had made her the pin up girl of the moment, Yolana, the First Lady of Russia could do no wrong.
Leaving her daughter Yolana in the hands of Surkov and his team, Katherine’s mother had embarked on her ultimate mission. The trip to Cuba secured the man that would help her defect. Their low-key and legitimate entry ensured the unborn Katherine would inherit an American passport and citizenship. In the land of the free, it meant nothing would stand in her way. Born just eight months after they first met, the dark haired beauty captivated everyone whose eyes fell on her, none more so than her father. The more he stared at her beauty, the more he wondered how he had created such a beautiful creature. Katherine’s mother would look at him staring and lived in fear that one day he would realize she wasn’t his. Inseminated before leaving Russia, there had never been any doubt just how potent a weapon Katherine would become.
In less than twenty-four hours, Surkov would secure the final piece in his jigsaw and the work he had commenced a lifetime earlier would enter a new and exciting phase. A phase that would create a world Surkov wanted to be part of, a world he had known only too briefly many years before.
Chapter 74
Jane fussed alongside Vincent all the way to the Director’s office. Had he not stopped and insisted she wait for him outside of the office, she would have followed him in.
“Remember if you even feel the slightest unwell, just give me a call and we’ll get the doctor here,” she whispered in his ear as she handed him his file.
“Ah Vincent, you made it!” chastised the director of CIA, Vincent’s boss.
“Yes Charles, sorry I’m late,” he offered taking a seat next to the other directorate heads.
After a perfunctory run through of previous meeting action points, they moved on to new business. Each ran though their current areas of concern and issues they believed needed to be brought to the group. Vincent considered, as it neared his turn, alerting them to, if Mike were correct, the greatest risk to democracy since, well, ever. However, as the Director of the Intelligence Division took the floor, all hell broke loose. Yet another disaster in the pass-off of intelligence from the CIA to Homeland and the FBI had resulted in a terrorist cell fleeing the country. The CIA Director adjourned the meeting and headed for the phone. He’d spend the next few hours in heated debates with the Head of the FBI, Homeland and would no doubt involve the President. If nothing else, to cover his ass.
Jane stood and rushed over as Vincent exited the office. He threw her a look of don’t even think about it, as she was going to offer him her arm for support. He handed her his file to cover her action.
“Any news?”
“Sean called, they’re about to board the flight!” she replied.
“How did he manage that?” asked Vincent.
“He said he charmed him!” said Jane with a smile, believing Sean could charm anyone. Sean in her eyes could do no wrong.
“Bullshit, he bloody well told him!” replied Vincent.
Jane looked at him as though he was being unfair.
Vincent nodded to the clock on the wall. “They weren’t scheduled to leave 'til five. They’re leaving two hours early! He’s definitely told him,” he explained.
“What’s next?” he asked.
“Rest and the doctor!” she replied firmly.
“I don’t think so!” he replied. “There is far too much happening!”
She left his side and walked back to the Director of the CIA’s PA, a good friend of hers. “Hi Shirley, can I have a quick minute with Charles, please?”
“Of course,” she began to check his diary and eyed Vincent carefully.
Vincent caught her eye and accepted her terms. She won. If he didn’t, she would be in telling Charles about his minor heart attack and would be out the office for at least a month on doctor’s orders. He didn’t have time to be sick.
“Oh, it’s OK Shirley, he’s busy, another time,” she said with a smile.
“Are you sure, Dear, I’ll get you in there!” she promised throwing Vincent a look of disgust.
Jane caught the look and suddenly realized Shirley must have thought she wanted to complain about Vincent’s behavior. Why else would she be wanting a meeting with Charles?
“Good God, no!” she laughed patting Shirley’s arm before catching up with Vincent and leading him back to the office.
“Sean’s on an eleven hour flight and you are going to sleep for each and every one of them,” she ordered. Closing the blinds in his office as the doctor checked his heart rate and blood pressure.
As the fussing stopped, he closed his eyes and was rewarded with the sound of his office door closing. Peace at last he thought. Eleven hours to work out how he was going to keep Sean from prison. A prospect that was dwindling. An email had arrived from the US Attorney’s office, detailing the name of the prosecutor who would be leading the case and requesting a time and date for Sean to be arrested on his return from Moscow. The speed with which they were moving was stunning and added credence to the warning he had received earlier, to say his goodbyes to Sean. All of this was, of course, academic. Unless he succeeded in Moscow.
Chapter 75
The Boeing 747–800 VIP was Governor Rick Brown’s latest toy. As a man with more money than sense, the aircraft was the ultimate gadget for the billionaire and Sean tried his best to keep his cool. It was a truly amazing piece of equipment and should, as everyone expected, the Governor win the election, totally surplus to requirements. Despite being newer and far more luxurious than Air Force One, it had none of the hi-tech defensive or command structure capabilities that made Air Force One unique.
Sean jokingly offered to look after it for the governor for the four or eight years he wouldn’t be needing it. The governor thanked him but pointed out that leasing it while not in use actually made him a tidy profit and by tidy, he meant a few million.
Money did beget money thought Sean, it really was true.
As they settled in for the flight, the Governor caught Sean’s eye and nodded towards his private study. As they made their way towards the door, Katherine stood up to join them.
“Do you mind, Katherine?” asked the Governor, guiding Sean in. “This is rather personal,” before shutting the door on his Chief of Staff.
Personal, thought Katherine as she retook her seat. She had a few hours and a night flight to get to know Sean a lot better. She’d find out soon enough what was being discussed. She sat back and relaxed.
“Sean please take a seat,” suggested the Governor, the friendliness in his tone had become slightly more business like.
He handed Sean a sheet of paper and waited for Sean to read through it.
The header was not one Sean was overly pleased to see.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v’s MR SEAN FOX
Sean scrolled down the list of charges that had been leveled against him. Drug smuggling being possibly the only one he actually had any idea of the seriousness of.
“Quite a list!” said Sean.
“Indeed, is it true?” asked the Governor.
