Silent Thunder

started another.

Wavy line, rectangle with three circles inside…

Finished.

The image disappeared as the movie in her mind continued. She looked from the plate to Conner's bewildered expression.

So what do we do with it? Turn it over to the museum? Conner placed the other two plates on the floor.

As they caught the light, she could read most of the markings on the other two plates. She mentally froze the images and scribbled quickly, filling three more sheets of stationery.

She finally threw down the pencil. 'That's all. It's all I can make out.'

Kirov gently brushed her cheek, wiping away the tears she hadn't realized were there. 'Thank you, Hannah.'

She couldn't bear the gentleness. She was too near breaking. She leaned forward to pick up the pages. 'So what do these tell you?'

He studied the coordinates. 'That Silent Thunder spent some time in or near the Black Sea.' He frowned as he pointed at a symbol at the end of the third plate. 'This symbol isn't Samsovian. I don't recognize it.' He looked up at her. 'And the final piece appears to be missing. Are you sure there wasn't more?'

'Not that I saw.' Her eyes widened. 'You thought that if I went over what happened that night, I might remember something else?' She shook her head, and said shakily, 'Sorry to disappoint you. I can't remember something that wasn't there. All I could tell you was what happened that night. And none of it was good, damn you.'

'I had to know.'

'I know. I know.' She looked away from him. 'I didn't do it for you. We have to find that cradle before Pavski does. He killed Conner to get it. I won't let that bastard get his hands on it. I would have done it anyway.'

'But you wouldn't have done it now, when the pain is still so fresh.'

'Maybe not.' She wiped her cheeks with the backs of her hand. Why couldn't she keep these damn tears from flowing? 'But I did it. Are you happy?'

'No.' He said haltingly, 'I'm hurting because you're hurting. I didn't expect this. I don't like it.'

'Tough.'

'I… want to make it right.'

'You can't make me stop hurting. It was my choice. I knew what would happen when I tried to pull up those memories.'

'And so did I. I made you open the past and remember.' He paused. 'Would it help if I let you do the same to me?'

Her gaze swung back to him. 'What?'

'I can't relive it, the way I made you do, but I'll answer anything you ask of me.'

She stared at him warily. 'Anything?'

'Anything.'

'You're not Ivanov, are you?'

He slowly shook his head. 'It's pretty obvious you suspected that. Bradworth?'

'He warned Cathy you were probably lying to all of us. That the real Ivanov was dead.'

'It took him a long time to find that out.' He grimaced. 'It's inconvenient that he managed to put it together at this particular time. Did he tell you who I am?'

'I don't think he knows.' She stared him in the eye. 'Who are you?'

'My name is Andre Kocineyv.'

'And?'

'I was captain of Silent Thunder.'

She shook her head.

'You don't believe me?'

'I've seen pictures of the captain. I've seen his file.'

'Complete fabrications.'

She made a rude sound.

He smiled. 'You're not making this easy for me. I'm baring my soul, and you're being very disrespectful.'

'This is the fourth identity you've come up with since I met you. You remind me of that old Cary Grant movie where he played a CIA man who changed identities every other scene. What do you do? Pick them out of a hat? This one is completely bizarre.'

'As you know, the Russian Navy has always been fond of renaming its submarines in order to hide the true numbers and location of its fleet. They also took great pains to hide the identities of their senior commanders. I understand the U.S. Navy does the same thing.'

Hannah slowly nodded. 'I know the U.S. fighter pilots' identities are often kept secret.'

'Of course. Otherwise, a country's enemies could cripple it with just a few strike teams to assassinate the most critical personnel. Vladzar was a name that was on the Silent Thunder command logs for years, but he never existed. I'm surprised they bothered to create a biography and history for him, but that may have been a late addition for the benefit of your museumgoers. The last thing they'd want to reveal is that the sub's real commander left in such disgrace.'

'In disgrace?'

'Everything else I told you is the truth. But Pavski had the GRU on my heels from the moment I escaped. I managed to stage my death in a boating accident trying to escape the Shore Patrol in Belarus.' He made a face. 'Naturally, my body was never recovered.'

'Ivanov,' she prompted.

'I wanted to try to get my stepbrother out of Russia and tracked him down. He was wounded by GRU agents while we were on the run and later died. Later I took his identity. I don't know how the hell they found out that the real Ivanov was dead.' His gaze narrowed. 'Or maybe I do. Pavski may have tipped them. It would make sense that he'd want to stir up as much trouble for me with the CIA as he could.'

'He knows who you are?'

'He didn't know right away, but I did a good job of cleaving my way through a number of his associates and goon squad. He might have gotten a description of me at some point and put two and two together. He probably did. I'm good, but I'm not the invisible man.' He smiled. 'And I'm sorry I'm not the father figure you imagined.'

There was no one who looked less phantomlike than the man standing before her, and he was definitely not fatherly. 'It's true? You're not bullshitting me?'

'I'm not bullshitting.' He looked down at the navigational drawings. 'You gave to me. I gave to you.' He turned to leave. 'Good night, Hannah.'

'Wait.' She paused. 'All those books in the cabin. They were your books, right? That wasn't a lie.'

'They were my books.' He lifted his brows. 'Why?'

'I just wondered. Good night, Kirov.'

He didn't move, his gaze on her face. 'Ah, you're still trying to identify me with the type of captain you wanted to command Silent Thunder.'

'Perhaps. I found a photo of a woman in one of those books. Mira?'

He nodded. 'She gave me a new photo every time I put to sea. She said if I was going to go off with her greatest rival, she needed to show me a face of infinite variety.'

'She was beautiful.'

'Inside and out. I didn't deserve her.' He opened the door. 'And for an arrogant bastard like me to admit that is a tribute in itself.'

She sat there staring thoughtfully at the door after it had closed behind him. He probably was as arrogant as he claimed. Command required a certain amount of ego and arrogance, and Kirov would have been a great leader. He had drive and intelligence and the ability to make smart decisions quickly.

And his ego hadn't gotten in the way when she'd designated him to support status on the