He made the wrongchoice.
Click.
21
EKSKURSIYA
(FIELDTRIP)
Ray White immediatelyredialed Skipper’s number and listened for an answer.
“We’re sorry, butthe number you have called has been disconnected or is no longer inservice. If you feel you have reached this recording in error, pleasehang up and try your call again.”
White slammed the phoneback into its cradle, sending the handset and base careening off hisdesk.
Special Agent GwynnDavis, who’d been holding on the second line, heard the commotionan instant before the line fell silent. Gwynn looked up at herpartner. “I think Agent White just threw his phone across theroom.”
Anya smiled. “Skipperhas this effect on some people.”
Gwynn dialed White’soffice extension and heard only a long series of tones. She hung upand dialed his cell.
He snatched the phonefrom his pocket. “What!”
“Agent White, it’sDavis. Is everything okay?”
“No, everything isnot okay. Put the Russian on the phone, and turn off the damnedspeaker!”
Gwynn clicked offspeaker and handed the phone to Anya.
She said, “Hello?”
“Your cocky littleanalyst cut me off. You and Davis better have your butts on the trainto D.C. tonight.”
“This is notpossible.”
White roared, “Youdon’t tell me what is and isn’t possible. You follow orders.”
“Yes,” Anya began,“and my orders are to infiltrate Viktor Volkov’s operation. Thisis exactly what I am doing. I must be in my office matching diamondstomorrow morning.”
“Fine,” White said.“You can ride the train back to New York tomorrow morning, or youcan twitch your little nose and teleport back for all I care, but youand Davis will be in my office before the sun goes down. Otherwise,you can get accustomed to a six-by-nine prison cell. It’s up toyou.”
Anya protested, butWhite had already hung up. She tossed the phone back to Gwynn. “Itappears we are going back to Washington.”
Gwynn reeled indisbelief. “What?”
“Agent White hasordered us back to Washington on the next train. He says it is up tome to get back in time for tomorrow’s work.”
* * *
Five hours later, Anyaand Gwynn stepped from the train at Union Station and spotted RayWhite leaning against a corner of aged brick. He acknowledged theirarrival with only a single nod and then turned for the street. Thetwo women gave chase, determined not to lose him in the crowd. Whenthey finally caught up with him, he was waiting behind the wheel ofhis black government Suburban. Gwynn slid into the front while Anyamade her way into the back seat.
Agent White eyed thetwo women. “No. Anya rides up front with me.”
His tone left littleroom for misunderstanding, and the women didn’t hesitate toexchange seats. He pulled from the curb without checking traffic andaccelerated through sixty-five miles per hour.
White turned hisattention to Anya. “We’ll be in Silver Spring in twenty-fiveminutes, and you’re going to tell me where to find Skipper.”
Anya froze. “But I donot know where she lives or where she works. I have never been toSilver Spring, and I have no way to know if she is there.”
White shrugged. “You’dbetter figure something out.”
Anya turned to Gwynn,but she stared back in frightened uncertainty.
Anya spun in her seatand faced directly toward White. “Why are you doing this? What doyou want from me?”
White quickly checkedthe mirror and stood on the brake pedal. To the blare of horns andscreeching tires, he slid to a stop in the middle of North CapitalStreet Northwest. Cars flew by in both directions, but White neverflinched.
He faced the Russianwith steely-eyed resolve. “What I want from you is for you to proveyou meant what you said to her.” He jabbed an index finger directlyat Gwynn. “I want you to do whatever the job requires, torpedoes bedamned. I don’t care who you kill or how many laws you break to getit done. I want to see you do it, just like you did it when you wereSVR. Remember those days?”
Anya’s anger rose,but she maintained the calm demeanor that made her so terrifying.“Yes, I remember when I was SVR officer. I was without limits. Iworked alone, and I cut out the hearts of men like you. Is this whatyou want from me?”
“You’re damnedright, that’s what I want from you! Quit asking permission, andstart getting results. You told Davis you’d do this job evenwithout the threat of prison hanging over your head. I think you’rea liar, and you are the only person on Earth who can prove me wrong.”
She leaned to withininches of his face and stared into his soul. “You do not understandthis thing you are asking. You cannot stop the animal you are aboutto uncage.”
He placed his hand inthe center of her chest and shoved her back onto her side of theSuburban. “I don’t believe that animal exists anymore.”
As the steam inside theRussian continued to rise, a car pulled alongside, and two men hurledverbal volleys of profanity toward the Suburban. Anya narrowed hereyes, set her jaw, and grabbed the barrel of the shotgun locked inits bracket beside her left knee. The key to the locked bracketrested deep inside Ray White’s pocket, but Anya had no need for akey. She sent a thundering elbow shot to the mechanism as she yankedthe barrel to the side. The bracket gave way, and the weapon landedin Anya’s waiting hand. She kicked open the door and stepped fromthe SUV, rage burning in her eyes.
The driver of thestopped car yanked the shifter into drive at the same instant Anyadrove the butt of the shotgun through the car’s window. Recoiling,she raised the weapon over her shoulder and sent the butt into thedriver’s face, spraying blood in every direction. She spun theweapon, racked the slide, and shoved the barrel into the man’s neckjust beneath his ear. The passenger panicked, threw open his door,and sprinted from the car. With trembling hands, the driverunfastened his seatbelt and followed his passenger across the frontseat and into the street. Still in drive, the car rolled forward at asnail’s pace. Anya opened the door then turned back to thegovernment SUV. With two perfectly delivered rounds, she annihilatedthe passenger side tires of Ray’s Suburban before leaping into thesedan and speeding northward.
At Kansas Avenue, sheyanked the wheel hard over and slid the car onto the westbound lanes.Seconds
