Anya tilted her head.“Did this person get death penalty for killing FBI policeman?”
“No, he pled down thecharge as I remember, but I can’t recall exactly how the caseended.”
Anya pressed the mutebutton again, opening the line. “I will go back inside business ofVolkov and Sascha, but I will have federal badge when I do. You arepowerful man, and this is simple thing for you to do. He will try tohave me killed as soon as he finds someone else who can do what I cando. You would call this his business model.”
“That’s notsomething that I can make happen overnight, and I don’t thinkyou’re in any position to start making demands.”
“I am not makingdemands. I am giving to you a federal crime Volkov will commit. Iwill give back to you badge and credentials when you release me frommy imprisonment with DOJ. Also, I am being patient. You do not haveto do this thing overnight. I will wait as long as it takes. Goodbye,Agent White.”
He blurted out thestart of an argument, but Anya hung up before he could finish. “Hewill do this for me, yes?”
Gwynn smiled. “Yeah,he’ll do it, but I have to tell you something. You’re the firstperson I’ve ever seen who can manipulate Agent White. I’ve neverseen anybody push him around like you do.”
“I am trained to dothis,” she said. “But even if I was not, I am important piece ofinvestigation. Without me, this would be much more difficult. AgentWhite is intelligent man, but I am maybe a little smarter. I amlearning exactly how far I can push him and still have what I want. Ithink this time I may have pushed one meter too far.”
Gwynn laughed. “No, Idon’t think you pushed it too far. You’ll have your badge andcredentials, but I think you should give it a little time before youpush for anything else.”
“This, I think, isgood advice.”
Gwynn motioned towardthe empty glass beside Anya’s hand. “I thought you didn’t drinkvodka.”
The Russian tilted theglass toward herself and peered inside. “I did not say I do notdrink it. I said I do not like it. I had excellent reason fordrinking it tonight.”
“Yeah, I’d say youdid. Watching a woman get thrown out of an airplane is enough todrive anyone to drinking.”
Anya shook her head.“No, this is not why I had vodka tonight. I have seen many peoplekilled in terrible ways. Veronica was unconscious, so it was, forher, peaceful death.”
“Then what’s thegood reason for drinking vodka tonight?”
Anya took Gwynn’shand and led her to the window. “All of this, and also you, arereasons.”
“I don’t get it,”she said. “What are you talking about?”
“With you insidebeautiful city like this one, it is easy for me to forget what I amand begin believing I am American girl. This will never be. I neededvodka to make my brain remember I am Russian killer.”
“But, Anya, you arean American now.”
“No, this is onlytrue because of passport. You know how I became what I am. You knowhow I was trained and how I was treated. I was nothing except machinefor them. This is what I am told for first twenty years of my life. Iam only machine for Mother Russia. I am still this machine. Only flagunder which I live has changed.”
28
PODDERZHKAI ZASHCHITA
(SUPPORT AND DEFEND)
Gwynn’s phonechirped and yanked her from perfect sleep. “Yeah, hello.”
“Davis, it’s AgentWhite. Get up, and get your little girlfriend down to the TreasuryDepartment at the corner of Broadway and Reade Street. Do you knowwhere that is?”
Gwynn wiped the sleepfrom her eyes and yawned. “Yes, that’s Federal Plaza at FoleySquare, right?”
“That’s right. Gether down there, and make it quick. Badge the security guy, and tellhim who you are. He’ll know what to do.”
“Okay, fine. But whythe rush?”
“Because Anya’sride to work always arrives at eight thirty, and today is not thebest day for her to be late.”
“Okay, I’ll let youknow when it’s done.”
She threw her legs overthe edge of the bed and knocked on Anya’s door. “Hey, wake up.Agent White says I have to take you to the Treasury Building beforeyour ride gets here.”
“Come in.”
Gwynn opened the doorto find Anya sitting on the floor and doing stretching exercises. Sheblinked several times and checked her watch. “It’s four o’clockin the morning, and you’re doing stretches?”
“Yes, my sleeping isfinished. Why are we going to Treasury Building? Are we gettingpaid?”
“I don’t know,”Gwynn said. “But put on something other than yoga pants, and let’sgo.”
The cab ride put Gwynnback to sleep, but Anya watched the city flash by the windows like asilent movie reel.
“That’ll bethirty-two fifty.”
The shrill voice of thecabbie yanked Gwynn awake for the second time. She slid two twentiesthrough the glass and stepped from the taxi.
Just as she’d beeninstructed, Gwynn showed her credential pack to the uniformedsecurity guard beside the metal detector. “Supervisory SpecialAgent Ray White told me to—”
“Yeah, I got it,”the guard said. “Follow me.”
He stood from his stooland pointed toward his machine. “Hey, Wilson, watch this for me,will you? I’ll be right back.”
“Yeah, sure,whatever, but don’t leave me stranded down here.”
The guard led them to abank of elevators and up to the seventh floor. He pushed his waythrough a heavy oak door and into a conference room where threepeople sat near the end of an enormous table.
No one rose, but Gwynnproduced her cred-pack. “I’m Special Agent Gwynn Davis, and . ..”
A white-haired man in acheap suit and loosened necktie waved her off. “We don’t careabout you, Agent Davis. We’re here for her. That is, if her name isAna Fulton.”
Anya and Gwynnexchanged looks. “Yes, I am Ana Fulton.”
Gwynn was surprised howmuch of the accent was missing.
“Ms. Fulton, I’mJudge Carpenter. Come down here to this end of the room, raise yourright hand, and repeat after me.”
She moved to within afew feet of the judge, raised her right hand, and waited for him tospeak.
He gave her theonce-over. “Repeat after me. I, Ana Fulton, do solemnly swear thatI will support and defend the Constitution of the United Statesagainst all enemies, foreign and domestic;
