by Kenneth Eade
“All the more reason to go,” said Dave. “I hear the parties in St. Tropez are pretty intense.”
“Wouldn’t know about that,” said Seth.
“Do you speak French?” asked Natasha.
“Mais, oui,” said Dave. “Vous parlez français?”
“Me? No. ” Natasha laughed. “But George does.”
“Vraiment, George?”
“Well, ya know, I am from Canada.”
“You guys really have to come. France is the most romantic country in the world,” said Julia.
As the night went on, Seth wondered about Yuri’s progress. He figured he must be done by now. But this was a high stakes game in which nobody could be trusted, and, even though Seth trusted Yuri out of necessity and he was a great guy, he still was not sure if he would share all of his discoveries with him.
47
“What did you find out?”
“They are spying on you, Seth. They can’t be trusted,” said Yuri.
“But what do they want?”
“Whatever you have against the government. That’s what they want. You should give it to me, for safekeeping.”
Seth trusted Yuri, but what if he was captured, tortured? Would he give his life to protect Seth’s secret? The only one who could really make that leap of faith was Seth, and only in himself.
“I can’t give it to anyone Yuri. It’s the only thing keeping me alive. I trust you, but in anyone’s hands but my own, it’s worthless.”
“Just don’t have hands on it when they come for it. They have no problem chopping off hand to get report.”
“Did you find out what they have been authorized to do?”
“Only that they need to get report from you. Better reason to give to me so nobody can get it. Without that report, you are dead man.”
“Exactly. And what if they kill you? Once they get the report, there will be no reason to keep me alive.”
Seth hoped that Yuri was not offended. If he was, he didn’t show it. Yuri had been the only constant in this entire ordeal, except, of course, for Natasha, but she was not really involved in this story; only the hope of happiness that waited beyond the end of it.
After Yuri left, Seth began thinking of a new hiding place for his contraband. Carrying everything around in a briefcase, even if he kept duplicates elsewhere, was not going to insure his safety. His apartment would be searched. He would be searched. Eventually they would find the report and his life insurance policy will have expired. There had to be a place that was safe. He trudged all over the apartment, looking in every nook and cranny for a possible hiding place. Unfortunately, too many of them were cliché and he had already had experience with his apartment being ransacked.
Eventually, he settled on taking the cover off the electrical outlet. He unplugged the lamp and took off the cover. There was just enough space there in the wall to the side of the electrical outlet to hide the report if he rolled it up, and the corresponding disk as well. He rolled the report, tucked the valuables in the spot, screwed the cover back on, and plugged the lamp back in. The rest was up to fate.
48
Seth was restless in anticipation of his dinner date with Natasha. With all the “covert operations” that had been going on, they had hardly had any time together. The taxi dispatcher called and told Seth the taxi he ordered was a white taxi, with the numbers 234. Seth’s Russian was good enough at this point to order a taxi and get around the town without feeling like a complete fool. He looked at the window and saw the taxi waiting, so he quickly put on his boots, coat and hat and went out.
Seth opened the door and was surprised to find a man in the back seat and one in the front passenger seat, both dressed in suits, and both looked very American.
“Sorry, I thought this was my taxi,” he said to the driver in Russian.
“It is your taxi, get in,” said the man in the back seat, in perfect English with an American accent. He had cold steel-gray eyes and looked very serious.
“We just want to talk to you,” he said.
Seth’s followed his first instinct, which was to turn and run back into the apartment, and, as he did, another suited man stood face-to-face with him and said, “Get in the car please.” Seth reluctantly sat down in between the two men in the back. The gray eyed man did all the talking.
“We will drop you off at your destination. We just need to talk,” said Gray Eyes.
The taxi slowly pulled away.
“What would you like to talk about?”
“We know who you are,” said the man.
“That puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage because I don’t know who you are,” said Seth.
“You don’t need to know who we are, only what we can offer you.”
“And what would that be?”
“Safe passage back to the United States, and the guarantee of a fair deal,” said Gray Eyes.
“And why should I trust you?”
“Who do you think you should trust, Dave Salisbury?”
“What about him?”
“We know he’s FBI. You’re really better off with us.”
“Why is that?”
“Because we can keep you alive. That is your primary concern, is it not?”
“And what is it that you want?”
“You know what we want.”
“Well, maybe I do and maybe I don’t. Why don’t you humor me by spelling it out?”
“The classified report.”
“You’re assuming I have this report….” Gray Eyes interrupted Seth.
“We know you have it,” he said.
“I don’t know how you came about that information, because presently I do not have it, but, if I did, since I don’t know who you are, how would I feel comfortable giving it to you?”
“We represent the United States Government,” said Gray Eyes.
“So does Dave Salisbury,” said Seth.
“Yes, but he is operating outside the scope of his authority.”
Seth didn’t know why Salisbury was dogging him, but he needed some kind of leverage.
“What makes you think that your deal is any better than the deal that Salisbury offered me?”
“He didn’t offer you any deal,” said Gray Eyes.
“Oh, but he did.” That raised Gray Eyes’s eyebrows.
“But he can’t guarantee your safety. Only we can.”
“How do you know that, since I don’t even know you work for the government? You haven’t even shown me any ID.”
“Salisbury didn’t give you any, either.”
“On the contrary, he presented me with his FBI identification,” said Seth.
“What are you talking about? You don’t even know his real name.”
“Brian Jenkins,” said Seth.
This surprised all three G-Men, and Gray Eyes seemed a little taken aback, like he had just taken a bite of a hot chili pepper.
“Then are we to assume that you have accepted his offer?”
“I haven’t decided. What makes you think that your offer would be more palatable to me?”
“Mr. Jenkins cannot keep you safe,” said Gray Eyes. “Listen carefully, because we are not going to negotiate this. Get the report, and all copies of it, and meet us in the lobby of the Parus Hotel tomorrow at 8 p.m. Come alone.”
“And if I don’t show up?
“The consequences of non-compliance will be met with strict enforcement action. You do know about shock and awe, don’t you?”
Seth was all too familiar with the trigger happy antics of the current government, and the consequences did not require any further explanation.
The taxi pulled up to the restaurant and stopped. The man next to Seth got out and Seth exited after him. As quickly as they had appeared, they were gone.
49
All through dinner with Natasha, Seth was not at ease. He glanced around nervously, looking at the entrance and the kitchen door.
“Seth, what’s wrong?” asked Natasha.
<
br /> “Nothing really. I guess I’ve just been a little jumpy lately.”
“I’ll say you are. Calm down, relax.”
“I’m fine.”
After finishing dinner, Seth was still uneasy. He excused himself to go the restroom, and there he flipped out his cell phone and called Yuri.
“Yuri, I was ambushed by three guys tonight.”
“I know.”
“You know? And you let them get me?”
“CIA, Seth. Remember I told you not to go out of town? First they send Salisbury and now they send these guys. They aren’t going to mess around. Their first visit is always where they give the ultimatum. You don’t want second visit, believe me. We have to take measures.”
“What measures?”
“Let’s talk about that in person. I meet you at apartment in one hour.”
50
When Seth got back to the apartment, the door was ajar and looked like it had been jimmied open. The door frame was bent. He called Yuri on the cell phone.
“I’m on my way,” said Yuri. “Don’t go in until I get there.”
Seth trusted Yuri, but he had to check and make sure his hiding place had not been touched. If the report had already fallen into the wrong hands, he was as good as dead.”
He looked through the crack of the half-opened door and listened for any sounds of movement. It was as still inside as a meadow at midnight. He carefully slipped in at once, remembering the time his apartment in St. Louis had been ransacked. This time nobody struck him on the head – yet.
What greeted Seth was what was becoming too familiar of a scene. Food was dumped all over the kitchen floor, the contents of the refrigerator mixed with spices, pasta, rice, cereal and broken glass; every drawer was stretched out like a tongue at a doctor’s office; every cabinet door was gaping open. All the contents of Seth’s entire apartment now covered the floor like a badly sewn quilt. But, thank God, the cover plate was intact. Seth reached into his pocket for his keys to unscrew the plate, and, as he bent over to do it, Yuri walked in and Seth immediately stopped.
“What you are doing? I thought I told you to wait outside,” he admonished.
“Uh, just looking around.”
“Did they get it?”
“What?”
“What they were looking for, did they get it?”
“No, no, it’s not, it’s not even here.”
“Where is it? You can’t fuck around anymore. This is only thing between you and cut throat. You have to give it to me for safekeeping or you are as good as dead.”
“I told you, it’s not here. It’s safe.”
“Safe?”
Seth looked around at the torn cushions of the couch and stuffing all over the living room. He knew Yuri was right.
“Yes.”
“Look, Seth, we already know your shitty skills as a spy. You got three CIA guys after you. What they say to you?”
“To give them the report and I will be safe.”
“We have to get you out of here right away. And first thing you need to do is to give me report. Stop fucking around. By tomorrow you have to be ten thousand kilometers from here.”
“I think we should talk to Dave first.”
“Talk to Dave? Are you out of your mind?”
“Look, if Dave was supposed to get me, then why would these guys be after me? I think they’re working two different sides.”
“What, I duck your head into car for high speed chase and gun battle and now you think you are expert detective? Man, you are way, way out of your league.”
“Maybe so, but it’s logical.”
“Seth, for smart guy, sometimes you can be so fucking stupid. There is no logical in spy business. Instincts defy logic. You have to be quick or you are dead. And there is always some guy out there who is quicker than you. The only logic is how not to meet that quicker guy.”
Seth knew Yuri was right. But he had to talk to Dave first. It was the only piece of the puzzle that did not fit. Neither Dave nor Julia had threatened him or asked him for the report. He knew the CIA’s agenda. He knew he didn’t dare meet with them. And he knew he needed Yuri’s protection. But he had to find out what Dave was up to.
“Come on. You go to hotel tonight. Not safe here.”
Seth saw his briefcase on the floor amongst the debris, open and empty, of course. He picked it up and closed it.
“Yuri, I…Okay, let me get some stuff.”
“Seth, you know there is cat and there is mouse, right?”
“Yes.”
“Mouse smells piece of cheese, he runs to it, bites into it without looking and BAM! – he is smashed to pieces by mousetrap. But cat is different. Cat sees mouse and becomes very, very still. He looks at every move of mouse, creeps up on mouse without mouse seeing him, and is very, very patient. Cat crouches low and stays there like statue, as long as it takes. Every one of cat’s muscles is tensed, ready to strike at the right moment, and cat waits until that very moment, then BAM! - mouse is in cat’s claws. Mouse never saw him coming.”
“And?”
“Simple. Be cat, not mouse. Cat lives longer.”
51
Seth kept rolling around in the little hotel bed. He couldn’t possibly sleep. He kept thinking, staring up at the ceiling, then closing his eyes to try to force himself to sleep. He turned to one side, then another. It seemed like every part of his body itched. He scratched, then turned to the other side. Ridiculous lyrics to the same song, Heard it through the Grapevine, bounced around in his brain, refusing to be evicted. Finally, he called Dave.
“Dave, it’s George.”
“George, how are you?”
“I’m good – look, I’m sorry it’s late, but we have to talk.”
“George, I’m not much of a phone guy. If you want to get together, let’s get together and we can talk then.”
“When?”
“Well, how about right now?”
“Okay. Where?”
“Remember that hotel we went to with those two chicks. Just say yes or no.”
“Yes.”
“Meet me there.”
“Okay.”
“But be careful, Seth. It’s late and there’s a lot of low-lifes out there. Don’t trust anyone at this time of night.”
The phone went dead. Seth looked out the grimy window of his tiny room. He thought he understood Dave’s cryptic code speech. If he tried to walk there, he would freeze after a few long blocks. If he called a taxi, he may have uninvited company again. He decided to slip out and hail a cab on the street.
Seth went by the cloak room in the lobby bar, and grabbed a stranger’s coat and hat from the coat rack. He waited for a couple of drunks to leave, then staggered out the front entrance with them, slushing his boots randomly through the snow, and followed the drunks into a mini mart, where they bought cigarettes and some beers for the road. Seth bought a pack of cigarettes and some matches, and exited the mini mart, lighting one. A taxi was waiting outside the mini mart, and Seth asked the driver in Russian if he was free. He hopped in the cab and was whisked within a block of Hollywood Palace, then got out and walked the rest of the way on foot.
Dave was waiting, in the same suite. Seth knocked on the door and Dave opened it. As Seth entered the suite, he could see that Dave was not alone. Julia was also there.
“Have a seat, George,” said Dave.
“Thanks.”
Seth sat in one of the two chairs opposite the large couch, with Dave on the left side, closest to him, and Julia on the right.
“Who else knows you’re here?”
“Nobody.”
“Were you followed?”
“No. I took precautions.”
“Good.”
“Dave, I was confronted tonight by three American guys.”
“CIA. We knew they were in town.”
“Yes, and they made me an offer.”
“What did they offer you?”
“Before that, I’d like to know you
r offer.”
“My offer?”
“Yes.”
Seth looked over at Julia, sitting on the couch. She seemed to be trying to read his mind. She scooted closer, opposite Seth.
“We came here to Russia as a result of your request,” said Julia.
“My request?”
“Yes, you said you wanted a Congressional investigation. Several members of the Senate are in agreement with you. These are very powerful people, with very specific requirements.”
“Before we get into their requirements, what are they offering to me?”
“We’re here on their behalf because you said you wanted an investigation,” said Dave. “That means, if you accept, you testify before Senate hearings and you receive immunity for your testimony, so long as you turn over all classified information to the Committee and let them deal with it as they see fit.”
“This means all copies of everything you have,” said Julia. “Anything shows up on the street or in the press and there is no deal. No immunity.”
“What about the other stuff? The FDA and EPA reports about GMO food?”
“The Senate hearing is about government corruption. Since you’ve already made those reports public, they are known, but they still have to be presented to the Committee.”
“And how do I know I can trust you?”
“You have no choice,” said Julia. “The CIA has made an appointment with you to deliver the report, right?”
“Right.”
“If you don’t make the appointment, they will come after you. I think you know that you are in better hands with us, or you wouldn’t be here.”
“When is the appointment?” asked Dave.
“Tomorrow. Eight o’clock. Look, the FSB has also been asking me for the report also.”
“George,” said Dave. “Are you American or Russian?”
“Well, actually I’m Canadian right now.”
“Right, sure you are. Well, you can’t turn over this information to the Russians. First of all, it does you no good. It won’t get you any closer to a Congressional investigation, and isn’t this why you put your ass into hot water in the first place? To try to change things?”
