Silent Thunder

he'd left her a few hours ago. She could have gone for a walk or downstairs for a drink.

Yeah, sure. And taken her suitcase with her.

No note. No phone call.

Pavski?

Dammit, he'd been sure they hadn't been followed.

He moved toward the door. Go downstairs, check with the desk, and ask questions.

Christ, he was scared.

Keep calm. He'd find her.

He dialed Eugenia as he was striding down the hall toward the elevator. He had to warn her that any cover she might have thought she had was blown. He had enough to worry about here without having to fly to Moscow to try to keep Eugenia alive.

Eugenia's cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She stepped deeper into the vestibule of the bakery, pulled out her phone, and flipped it open. 'It's a bad time, Kirov.'

'Pavski knows you're in Moscow to try to get information.'

'Of course, he does. It was bound to be noised about when I started approaching people.'

'He knows, and you're a target. I don't want you taking chances.'

'That's the name of the game. You don't get anywhere if you-' She suddenly realized that Kirov's tone was oddly tense. 'What's wrong? Problems?'

'I don't know. Maybe. But I'll take care of it.'

And he wasn't going to confide in her, she realized. 'I'm sure you will.' She went back to the business at hand. 'I decided right away it was going to take too long to get the same information as Danzyl. I'm taking a shortcut.'

'What kind of shortcut?'

'I tapped both Danzyl's cell phone and his computer. That way anything he finds out and tells Pavski, I'll find out. So hang up. I may be missing something. I think he's on a trail.'

'Where are you?'

'Outside the university where Heiser taught. He took a path around the Lit building toward the rear campus. I'm going to follow him.' She hung up.

Move carefully, casually, and hope that Danzyl was so involved that he wouldn't spot her on his heels.

She shouldn't have worried. Danzyl was standing before a statue of an old bearded man draped in a toga that dominated the garden. He was squatting and taking a picture of the inscription on the base.

She faded behind a tree and waited.

Danzyl was pulling out his phone and dialing. 'I have it. I'm sending you the picture. Yes, it has the symbol but I can't-Judge for yourself. I think there may be another one.' He flinched as he listened to the reply. 'Of course, I'll check it out.' He muttered a curse as he hung up. He took one more picture and turned away from the statue. A moment later he was striding away.

She waited until he was around the side of the building before she moved toward the statue.

The statue was old, mortar crumbling, and the execution of the old man was only mediocre. The figure had his arm raised and he seemed to be fighting off two small, female, birdlike-creatures.

She looked at the inscription.

Look not for riches on the surface of life.

Below it was the numeral letter one.

And below that was the symbol Kirov had faxed her.

Yes.

She took a photo on her phone and sent it to Kirov. A minute later, when she was hurrying after Danzyl, she phoned Kirov back. 'Who's the old man in the statue?'

'Probably someone in Greek mythology. I'll look it up.'

'I'll do that myself. I thought you might know. That numeral one might mean this statue is one of two or three or whatever.' She frowned. 'Danzyl thought so too. I might have to move very fast from now on. Does the inscription mean anything to you?'

'No.'

'I'll hit the computer and see if I can bring up anything. I'll be in touch.' She hung up. She could either tag along with Danzyl or spend the time researching. She would bet Danzyl was going back to the GRU office and doing the same thing. She'd rather rely on herself than bugging antiquated GRU computer files and Internet connections. She sat down on a bench and reached for her computer. 'Okay,' she murmured. 'What do we know? That symbol-a cross within a circle. Heiser tells his father he wants to go back to the Rioni River, where he visited as a child. A statue set down in the middle of a garden at a university in Moscow. Old. Greek mythology. Let's see what we can do with it…'

BOSTON

COPLEY PLACE MALL

What the devil is happening, Cathy?' Hannah asked as she sat down beside her on the bench outside the Gap. 'That telephone call scared the life out of me.'

'I couldn't talk long. I tried to be careful, but I don't know how many bugs they have on me.' Cathy grimaced. 'Isn't it crazy? I sound completely paranoid, don't I?' She added soberly, 'I wish I was paranoid. The alternative sucks.'

'Why are we meeting in a mall? Why couldn't I come to your house?'

'Because that's what they want. Where's Kirov?'

'You told me not to bring him. I took a cab to the airport the minute I hung up.'

'Good.' She stood up. 'Come on, let's walk. I don't have much time.'

'Why not?' She fell into step with her. 'For God's sake, what's happening?'

'That slimeball, Pavski, wants you very badly. He wants Kirov's head, and he thinks he can manipulate you to get it for him. He planted a bug in my living room to see if he could trace you. It's a good thing you haven't been in touch lately.' She shot her a glance. 'Though I was ready to murder you myself when I thought you were leaving me out of the loop.'

'Things were… difficult.'

'Tell me about it. They haven't been too good here either.'

'How do you know he planted a bug?'

'George Preston told me he did it.' Her lips twisted. 'It was George who did the dirty work.'

Hannah stared at her in shock. 'What? Why?'

'Pavski had a hold over George. The NSA created a go-to list several years ago, and George's name was on it.'

'Go-to list?'

'A blackmail list. When a prominent figure got into trouble that might mean damage to his image, the NSA stepped in and did a cover-up. But that also meant they could go to that person when they needed help in any area. When he first came to Washington, George was drinking and in a car accident that seriously injured a bystander. It could have ruined his career. The NSA stepped in and took care of everything and sent George on his way.'

'And the NSA gave this info to Pavski?'

'No, four years ago the computer go-to list was stolen from the NSA data banks by a geek named Thomas Carwell. He now lives in a palace in Iran and sells information to the highest bidder. Anyone with the money can get whatever information they need.'

'And Pavski wanted to get a hold over us and found George Preston on the list.'

'That's what George told me.'

'Christ.'

'But Pavski read George wrong. George went along with him until he could figure out what to do, but when the chips were down, he told me what was happening.' Her voice was uneven. 'Pavski was talking about taking my