Jack heard someone cough, but he kept his attention on the major’s face. “Not at all, Major Redinger. Although, in the future…”
“Speak up, Sergeant. If you have a suggestion, I’d like to hear it.”
“It wouldn’t hurt the rest of team to learn the fundamentals of infant care, just in case this happens again.”
“That’s an excellent suggestion, Norton. We need to plan for every contingency. By the way, what’s that on your boots?”
He glanced at the crusty white splotches that covered his toes. The milk that Katya had spat up had dried like epoxy. “Friendly fire, sir.”
The major didn’t smile often. Many people who didn’t know him might suspect his craggy face had been carved from granite. Because of his rank, army protocol prevented him from fraternizing with the enlisted men who made up the team, yet there was no mistaking the sparkle of mirth in his steel-gray eyes. “Go get cleaned up and then get some rest. All of you.” He paused. “And by the way, well done, men.”
They saluted and picked up their gear. Jack shouldered his pack, but he didn’t head into the ship with the rest of the team. Eva and Katya were somewhere in this labyrinth. They had been whisked away by a pair of government people as soon as the helicopter had landed. He hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye.
It was what he’d expected. From this point on, what happened to Eva and her daughter was no longer Jack’s concern. His involvement in their lives was finished.
“Was there something you wanted, Sergeant?” Redinger asked.
“Yes, sir. I’m concerned about Dr. Petrova’s health. I’d like to make sure she’s getting medical attention.”
“I understand she was grazed by a bullet. Was it serious?”
“Not on its own. She appeared to be suffering from exhaustion as well.”
“I’ll ask her handlers to make sure she visits the infirmary.”
“I’d appreciate it if you tell them she’s in a fragile emotional state, too. Because of the stress.”
“They’ve had experience with this kind of situation before, Norton. They’ll know how to reassure her.”
“Thank you, sir. There’s one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“There are extra clothes and diapers for the baby in my pack. She’ll be needing them soon.”
“I’ll see that she gets them,” Redinger said, holding out his hand for the knapsack.
Jack realized he was on the brink of refusing. He wanted to deliver Katya’s things to Eva in person so he could be sure she was all right. The government people would be more interested in the information she brought than in her. They wouldn’t have been prepared to deal with her daughter, either. Eva might try to put up a good front at first with that ice-princess act of hers, but he knew how emotional she could get. He hated to think of her anxious and alone.
“Is there a problem, Sergeant?”
“I still have my gear in there.”
“I believe I’ll be able to tell what belongs to you and what belongs to the baby, Norton.”
He handed over the pack. “What’s going to happen to Dr. Petrova now, Major?”
“That’s not up to us. Your job’s over.” He regarded Jack more closely. “Or do I need to remind you?”
Jack assured him that he didn’t.
After seventeen years in the army, it was the first time he’d out-and-out lied to a commanding officer.
The shower had been bliss. So had been putting on clean clothes. Eva didn’t care that the T-shirt and pants were plain navy issue, or that the shower had been cramped and quick in the quarters that were on loan to her from one of the ship’s officers. After the past few days, simply having running water had been an incredible luxury.
Katya had been happy to get clean, too, though she’d had to be content with a sponge bath. She had clean clothes as well, thanks to a tall, distinguished-looking man in an army uniform who had brought her the baby supplies that Jack had been carrying in his pack. And if Eva had been disappointed that Jack hadn’t brought them himself, she’d done her best to get over it. She knew he would have other things to do now that his mission was over. He had other priorities, as did she.
Eva settled Katya more comfortably on her lap and focused her attention on the two other occupants of the windowless briefing room they’d been brought to. Meg Hurlbut was a small woman, with neat gray hair and the kind of energy that made her seem taller than she was. Tim Shires appeared several years younger than her and spoke little, though his eyes were sharply assessing. The pair were from the Central Intelligence Agency. They’d shown her their identification, and the fact that they were here and had the cooperation of the ship’s officers proved they must be who they said they were.
“How are you feeling now, Dr. Petrova?” Hurlbut asked.
It was more than a polite question, Eva thought. She’d been all but ordered to get checked out by one of the ship’s doctors shortly after they’d arrived. “Much better, thank you.”
“And your daughter?”
“She’s in excellent health.”
“She does appear to have come through her ordeal well.”
Eva curled her hand over Katya’s chest. “Yes, thanks to the men who helped us escape. They are outstanding soldiers.”
“Eagle Squadron is reputed to be among the best units of our Special Forces,” Hurlbut said. “Their commanding officer gave us a summary of the mission. It sounds as if they performed admirably.”
The room shook with a booming thud. Eva started, as did the others, although the noise had been occurring at regular intervals throughout the day. She’d been told it was the sound of one of the catapults on the flight deck as it flung another plane into the air. “I hope you can pass on my appreciation to the team,” she said. “I didn’t get the chance to thank them properly when we arrived on the ship this morning. Or have they left already?” she added.
“I’m not sure.” She glanced at Shires. “Any idea, Tim?”
“They keep their own schedule. My guess is they’re already gone.”
The catapult thudded again. The noise didn’t appear to upset Katya. It shouldn’t bother Eva, either, even though it meant another plane was leaving. Jack and the team could have been on any of them.
“Your escort must have been, ah, surprised to discover you had a baby with you,” Hurlbut said.
“They adapted to the circumstances very well.”
“It would have been easier for everyone if you’d alerted us to her existence beforehand,” Shires said.
Eva held Katya more tightly. “It shouldn’t make any difference to our bargain.”
“It doesn’t. We reached our agreement on the strength of the data that you sent your initial contact. It’s been thoroughly analyzed, and your credibility is beyond doubt. Have you brought the proof you promised?”
“Yes. Are you prepared to provide asylum for both of us?”
“Certainly,” Shires said.
“I personally guarantee it,” Hurlbut added.
“What about possible custody issues that might arise with my daughter?”
“You were born in America, Dr. Petrova. Regardless of where your daughter was born, that makes her an American, as well. I will bring all the power of my agency to ensure she remains with her mother.”
This was what she wanted to hear. Still, spoken promises were easily broken. “I don’t mean to offend you, Ms. Hurlbut, but you’re asking me to risk my daughter’s future on the strength of your word alone.”
Hurlbut nodded to Shires, who withdrew a folded sheaf of papers from inside his jacket. He spread them on the table so that they faced Eva. “These documents detail everything we have discussed concerning our obligations to you,” he said. “We acknowledge that our country is in your debt. We fully intend to honor our agreement, Dr. Petrova. You don’t have only our word as individuals, you have the guarantee of the United States Government.”
It was more than she’d expected. Her hand sho
ok as she drew the documents toward her. The print kept blurring, but she made herself read everything. It was as Shires had said. They’d committed their promises to paper. They’d even taken the time to add extra clauses that included Katya.
She looked at Hurlbut and then at Shires. They accepted her scrutiny without flinching. Having the promises in writing was no guarantee, either, yet could anything in life be one hundred percent certain? She’d been wrong to trust Burian, but she’d been right to trust Jack. Every instinct was telling her she could trust these people, too.
And being suspicious all the time was exhausting. Eva had done everything she could possibly do. She had anticipated this moment for weeks. Now that it was here, there was no turning back. It was the last bridge to cross. She took a few steadying breaths. Then she slipped her hand into the pocket of the pants she’d been given, withdrew the case with the disk and placed it on the table.
“The material I sent my contact was only preliminary research,” she said. “This compact disk contains every detail that was on Burian Ryazan’s computer as of three days ago concerning the biological weapon that the complex is developing. He’s named it the Chameleon Virus.”
“Why chameleon?” Hurlbut asked.
“Because it’s a hybrid of a poison and a pathogen, part chemical agent and part biological, and thus exhibits properties of both. It also has the ability to adapt itself to its environment. It was developed on the framework of the virus that causes AIDS, but it manifests far more quickly. Its incubation period is days rather than months or years. Upon infection, it tailors itself to the host’s DNA and begins to attack the body from within. The result is similar to congestive heart failure. The mortality rate of the Chameleon Virus is one hundred percent.”
“How close to completion is the Chameleon program?” Hurlbut asked.
“If progress continues at its present rate, Burian will be able to mass produce the virus within sixty days.”
They looked at her in silence for a moment. Eva was grateful for that. She needed time to let the taste of the words she’d spoken fade from her mouth.
It was Shires who was the first to move. He leaned forward and extended his arm across the table. “We appreciate your cooperation, Dr. Petrova.”
Eva steepled her fingers over the case before he could take it. “When will my daughter and I be able to travel to America?”
“We’ll start our trip home first thing tomorrow. However, we’d like to begin uploading the information from your disk as soon as possible.”
Tomorrow. Less than twenty-four hours. Home. The farm, the apple orchard…
No, her home was gone. She would make a new one, just her and Katya.
“Dr. Petrova?”
The room was spinning. Eva jerked her head up and forced herself to focus. “I didn’t have the time to review the data after I gathered it. It may be difficult to interpret.”
“We have our country’s top scientists standing by to analyze it,” Hurlbut said. “We understand the urgency of the situation, and the captain is allowing us to use their secure uplink while we’re on the ship. Time is of the essence if we want to prevent a tragedy.”
“Furthermore, we need to leave our allies with no doubts as to the accuracy of our information,” Shires put in. “They will want to be as certain as we are that our intelligence isn’t flawed. It’s the only way to get the international consensus we need.”
“I would be willing to assist you in any way I can,” Eva said. “I feel responsible for much of this. I had believed by unlocking the secrets of DNA production that we would find the key to conquering diseases like cancer that reprogram our DNA. During my first few years at the complex, we did produce drugs that are currently being used in cancer treatments.”
Shires nodded. “It’s why Ryazan’s complex wasn’t on anyone’s watch list. And no doubt the income from those drug patents helped fund the Chameleon program.”
Eva rubbed her forehead. “I had no clue I was contributing to the development of something that would kill.”
“You’ve more than remedied that by coming forward.”
“I only want the program to be stopped.”
“We all do.” Hurlbut scraped back her chair and rounded the table. The businesslike demeanor she’d maintained until now fell away as she leaned over to stroke Katya’s hair. “I have a daughter, too,” she said quietly. “And she has three children of her own. I don’t want them to inherit a world where scientific breakthroughs are perverted to serve the ends of a handful of power-hungry men.”
Shires shifted in his seat. “Meg, it’s not only men—”
“Sorry, Tim, but it usually is.” She smiled at Eva. “You’re a courageous woman, Dr. Petrova. Someday your daughter is going to be very proud of what you’ve done.”
Eva was uncomfortable with the praise. “All I want is for her to be safe.”
“She already is,” Shires said. “You both are.” He swept his arm in a gesture meant to encompass more than the windowless room. “Though you’re not yet on American soil, this vessel more than qualifies as American jurisdiction. It’s a floating city, powered by two nuclear reactors, guarded by its own group of support ships, equipped with the most sophisticated detection and defense measures that are available. You are surrounded by thousands of trained sailors and aviators. I promise that you are perfectly safe.”
“But if you wish to hold on to the disk until we get home,” Hurlbut added, “that’s your prerogative. We’ve arranged accommodation for you in Washington and will provide you with protection until this situation is resolved.”
Eva laid her palm flat on the disk case as Hurlbut and Shires went on to detail their plans, both for the information she carried and for her and Katya. They had obviously given far more thought to what would come after her escape than Eva had. They hoped to have Burian’s research stopped and the complex shut down through diplomatic pressure on the Russian government, but if that failed, they were prepared to take their case to the UN. Eva could be required to testify. After that, though, she would have the freedom of any other American citizen. She could live where she wanted, work where she chose and raise Katya in an environment without fear.
Gradually, what they’d said began to sink in. This terrible knowledge was no longer Eva’s burden alone to bear. It was theirs. She and Katya were indeed well beyond Burian’s reach. His guards wouldn’t be capable of getting to either of them now. With the help of the American government, Burian was going to be exposed as the evil man he was. His reputation was going to be ruined. No reputable scientist would be duped by him again.
Nor would an innocent, vulnerable young woman, fresh from a sheltered existence in academia and still grieving for her father…
How could she have believed that she’d once loved that monster?
Eva didn’t want to keep this reminder of her mistake a moment longer. She shoved the disk across the table to Shires, wiped her hand on her pant leg and stood.
The meeting was over. The final bridge was burned.
It was time to get on with her life.
Chapter 9
Eva was feeling light-headed when she walked back to her quarters from dinner. She hadn’t been able to eat more than a few bites. Whether her lack of appetite was from relief or fatigue, she didn’t have the chance to figure out because the moment she turned down the final corridor she spotted Jack leaning against her door.
She had to blink to make sure she wasn’t imagining him. She had been sure that he’d already left the ship, yet here he was, large as life, his arms folded on his chest and one ankle crossed comfortably over the other, as if he’d been waiting for some time. He turned his head at the sound of her footsteps, then straightened and smiled. “Hello, Eva.”
She had to stifle the urge to run to him. She would have thought her emotions would be stabilizing by now. The effect that Jack had on her should be fading, too. She had no excuse to seek his arms. His mission was over.
But t
hat didn’t mean she couldn’t drink in the sight of him as she walked closer. Oh, he looked better than any man should. He’d shaved, so there was no longer any beard stubble to blur the strong lines of his jaw. The clothes he’d worn for the past three days were gone, and he wore a clean set of fatigues. As she drew nearer, she caught the faint tang of soap and shampoo. His smile was making the laugh lines crinkle around his eyes and a dimple peek out beside his mouth.
Images flashed through her mind. Jack watching her in the moonlight, tense and unsmiling. Jack running down the road toward her with Katya strapped to his chest. And Jack cradling her face in his hands as he leaned down to kiss her.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Fine, thanks. And you?”
“Okay. Did you get something to eat?”
She looked at his mouth, and she remembered how he had tasted. She wasn’t in danger any longer. Her accelerating pulse wasn’t due to adrenaline. Yet she still wanted to feel his lips on hers. “Yes. The CIA agents saw to that.”
“So the feds are treating you all right?”
“They’re going through with our deal. I gave them the disk.”
He studied her. “And you feel okay about it?”
“Definitely. They seem like decent people.” She pressed her cheek to Katya’s head. “We’re leaving for Washington tomorrow.”
“That’s great.”
“Yes, it’s the start of our new life. What about you, Jack? Where do you go from here?”
He lifted one shoulder. “We’re hitching a ride to the nearest base tonight. From there we’ll work our way back to Bragg.”
“Where’s that?”
“Fort Bragg’s in North Carolina. It’s not that far from DC. Maybe we can keep in touch.”
Oh, yes. Please. Touch me. Eva saw his eyes darken. God, could she have said that aloud? He was just being polite. They were back in the real world, and this was a normal conversation. She had to control her emotions. “Yes, perhaps we could.”
He leaned to the side so he could see Katya’s face. “Looks like the squirt’s asleep.”
Her Baby’s Bodyguard Page 12
