The Forever Spy

by Jeffrey Layton

  CHAPTER 59

  Yuri paced the carpet in his office. His stomach broiled, a dull ache over his forehead was in its infancy, and he’d started limping earlier in the morning, the nerves in his lower left leg misfiring—remnant damage from the bends triggered by anxiety.

  He had outmaneuvered Wang. But at what cost?

  There was no sound print of a submerged U.S. submarine hidden within the background clatter of the underwater recordings, just a mishmash of static.

  Yuri had made it up.

  The thought had come to him in the morning back at the house while sipping coffee. He needed his own leverage if he was going to save Laura and Maddy. And now he had it, at least for a while.

  Just the hint of what Yuri had promised about the acoustic data would catapult Wang to superstar status in the People’s Liberation Army-Navy. An unambiguous recording of a submerged Ohio-class sub would represent the crown jewel in Red China’s program to suppress U.S. power in the Pacific. The recording would allow the PLAN to engineer methods to track and sink America’s most secret strategic weapon system.

  But it was all a lie.

  Yuri had one chance to pull it off. Elena was his key. Her role would make sense to Wang and his controllers. To succeed, however, Yuri needed help. Nick was on the way and two of his operatives were already on-site keeping tabs on Elena. But that wasn’t enough.

  Yuri walked to the window and peered at the parking lot. The Honda Accord remained parked in the same spot.

  He checked his wristwatch.

  Soon, he thought.

  The cavalry was five minutes out.

  * * *

  “He was adamant about you. He told Wang you are the only one he trusts.”

  “We did work together over a year ago, but we’re hardly friends.”

  “Nevertheless, he wants you to make the exchange.”

  Aboard the Yangzi at 1:25 P.M., Kwan Chi and Elena Krestyanova were in Kwan’s personal salon on the upper deck. They sat on leather sofas facing each other.

  “Where is this exchange supposed to take place?” Elena asked.

  “At the airport—Alaska Airlines check-in section.”

  “Very clever. That’s about as public a place as you can get.”

  “Yes, and it’s full of security.”

  “Trade Newman and her baby for this new underwater intel he has?”

  “Yes. We really need the data—and so do you, for your final payment.”

  That grabbed Elena’s attention. “I sense there is a new issue with Ms. Newman.”

  “There is. We can’t possibly let her free—she knows far too much now.”

  Elena’s eyebrows narrowed. She was unsure of where Kwan was leading her. “Then you—we have a problem. If there’s one thing I know about Kirov, it’s that he never gives up. And he is incredibly resourceful.”

  “He’s already told Wang that he’ll blow the operation if we turn on him.”

  “You should believe him, Chi. His life revolves around Newman. If she’s gone he has nothing to lose.”

  “I take his threat seriously. We must continue to maintain operational security at all costs.”

  “That’s fine, and like I’ve said before, I don’t want to know what your op is.”

  “Understood. But still, he has thrust you back into the fray.”

  “He will not release the data until Newman and the child are free, and you can’t let her go because she knows too much. Do I have it right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then it’s all a matter of timing. When will your op here be over?”

  “Two to three days, maybe four.”

  “All right. That gives me something to work with.”

  * * *

  Laura remained locked up in the holding cell but no longer shackled to the bedframe. She lay on her side on the bunk facing a bulkhead. Her ankles and wrists were still cuffed. Her watcher, another young Asian female, sat in a chair by the door. She held a tablet, reading.

  Earlier, Elena Krestyanova paid a visit, informing Laura that her release was imminent provided she cooperated.

  Laura’s few words with Yuri had boosted her spirits, but the euphoria soon eroded.

  Laura had never once trusted Elena. From her first encounter the year before, Laura’s radar penetrated the Russian’s veneer of charm and beauty, sensing an underlying core of ruthless deception. Yuri had eventually caught on and outmaneuvered Elena.

  But here they were again—mixed up with Medusa herself.

  Lord, please help us.

  CHAPTER 60

  “What did they do?” asked Yuri.

  “Took off like rabbits.”

  “Good.”

  Yuri was in his office at Northwest Subsea Dynamics. The African American sitting in the chair fronting his desk was mammoth—six-seven and a well-muscled 260. His all-black ensemble was military quality. Although no weapons were visible, Yuri was certain he was armed.

  “How long were they there?” asked the senior security consultant.

  “I spotted them when I drove to work this morning, just after ten o’clock. They’ve been parked there the whole time.”

  “Can you provide me with some additional background on the situation?”

  “It’s complicated. They’re associated with the people holding my partner and her child.”

  “What about Sarah Compton?”

  “I don’t know, but I suspect she’s also with Laura.”

  “You’ve spoken with your partner—today?”

  “Yes, a couple of hours ago.”

  “Ransom demand?”

  “I’m putting it together now.”

  “I know you have talked with my boss about this, but we still recommend that you notify the local police and the FBI. This is serious shit.”

  “I understand but I can’t—at least not yet.”

  “Okay, Mr. Kirkwood, I understand your situation.” The former U.S. Army Ranger shifted position in his chair. “I want to assure you that your case has highest priority.”

  “Thank you. You’ve already helped by getting rid of my tail. I don’t think they’ll be back, but I’d like some of your men to stay behind to protect my employees. The staff here has no idea what is going on, and I want to keep it that way.”

  “Certainly.”

  “Do you have the capability to locate transmitters?”

  “Electronic bugs?”

  “Yes.”

  “We sure do—I can have a debug team here within an hour.”

  “I’d like the entire office swept plus my vehicle—it’s the silver Highlander.” Yuri pointed at the nearby window and the parking lot beyond.

  “No problem. I’ll set it up right now.” He reached into a jacket pocket and removed a cell phone.

  “One other thing?” Yuri said, glancing at his wristwatch.

  “Sure.”

  “I need a ride to the airport—and a handgun.”

  * * *

  “Kirov’s taking precautions,” Wang said.

  “What?”

  “He has reinforcements—they compromised the surveillance team at his office. I just found out.”

  Wang called Kwan on the ship’s phone system. Wang was on the lower deck in the Yangzi’s garage. Kwan was three decks above on the bridge. Elena remained in the upper-deck salon.

  “The authorities?” asked Kwan, his voice strained.

  “No, private security with at least six operatives in three vehicles. Probably the same company he hired for Newman.”

  “Where is Kirov?”

  “My men believe he’s still at his office. They were forced to break off monitoring and no longer have eyes on the building, but his vehicle remains at the office. We have a GPS tracker on it, which means he’s probably there.”

  “He’s obviously up to something.”

  “Being careful, I suspect. He’s an intelligence officer and has the same skill sets we use.”

  “So, it would seem there is no way we can ge
t to him directly.”

  “No, sir. Not with the hired guns. It would be a bloodbath at the airport. There are local and federal police, plus cameras everywhere.”

  “He knows that—smart move on his part.”

  “I agree.”

  Kwan processed the new information, probing for a path out of the labyrinth he had created and Kirov now exploited.

  “We must postpone the exchange until our mission is complete,” Kwan said.

  “But, sir, Kirov is expecting to make the exchange tonight. I don’t know what he’ll do if I delay it.”

  “Commander, he will do nothing—we still have what he wants.”

  “You’re right.”

  “I will have Ms. Krestyanova make the call to Kirov. And about that other item we spoke about earlier, that, too, will need to be postponed. Understand?”

  “Krestyanova?”

  “Yes. Where are all of your people right now?”

  “I have two teams ashore—one attempting to reestablish surveillance of Kirov and the other casing the airport in case we need to follow through there.”

  “Recall them. Without this exchange business to deal with, we can depart early.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.”

  CHAPTER 61

  “This place is amazing,” Nicolai Orlov said as he Tstared through the SUV’s windshield.

  “It is.” Yuri sat behind the steering wheel of a Jeep Cherokee. They had just driven into the parking lot of the Elliott Bay Marina. Located north of downtown Seattle, the privately owned twelve-hundred-slip marina offered world-class moorage for boats ranging from thirty-foot sailboats to one-hundred-foot-plus mega yachts.

  Yuri pulled into a vacant stall near the center of the marina and switched off the engine. He had rented the Jeep at the airport after meeting Nick.

  “That must be it,” Yuri said, peering over the dashboard and gesturing toward the distant water.

  “Wow, that thing’s a monster.”

  The Yangzi remained moored to the marina’s guest dock along the eastern end of the moorage basin. Its football-field length and six deck levels overwhelmed the other craft in the marina.

  “Where are your men located?”

  Nick removed a small notebook from his coat jacket and opened it. “Near the gate that serves docks at the east end of the marina. The yacht is tied up to the seaward end of the last dock.”

  Yuri rested his hands on the steering wheel. “You need to talk to them without me present. I don’t want any more exposure, especially to SVR case officers. That could get complicated for both of us.”

  “Agreed. I’ll get an update and then turn ’em loose to find a hotel and crash. They’ve been on the go all day plus tracking her before that.”

  “What do they know about Elena?”

  “Just what I told them—monitor the subject’s movements and report only to me.”

  “You know these guys?”

  “They’re young but have been trained well. I have confidence in them.”

  “Good. Hopefully, we can pull this off without their help, but it’s encouraging to know they are close by.”

  “You’re still convinced that Laura’s aboard that boat?”

  “Yes, and we should know soon if I’m right or not.”

  “Okay, got it. I’m going to talk to them now. I’ll be back soon.” Nick opened his door and stepped out.

  Yuri watched Nick work his way through the sea of parked vehicles. He reached under his seat and extracted the handgun. The Colt Mark IV Series 80 fit comfortably in his hand. The compact semiautomatic’s magazine held six .45 ACP cartridges. Its aluminum alloy frame and short barrel resulted in a lightweight concealable weapon that delivered a round with persuasive killing power. After driving Yuri to Sea-Tac Airport, the security company’s supervisor lent him the pistol and spare magazine.

  Yuri studied the weapon before returning it to the hideaway.

  Overwhelmed by fatigue, Yuri yawned and leaned back in the bucket seat. He’d barely slept the previous evening. Within seconds his eyes closed against his will.

  Then he jolted awake.

  Nick pulled open the Jeep’s passenger door and reclaimed his seat.

  “Elena’s still on the boat,” he announced.

  Yuri said, “You’re certain?”

  “Yes. The only way in or out of the dock is from the access pier. It has a gated entrance. They’ve had eyes on it the entire time. Someone let her in in the morning. That’s the last time they saw her.”

  “Could she have left on another boat?”

  “It’s possible, but unlikely. They’ve been watching for boat traffic around the yacht, too. But I didn’t notice anything like that.”

  “Okay, that’s good news. Laura must still be on board, too.”

  “That’s my take.”

  “Where are your men now?”

  “Still watching. I told to ’em to wait until I called to relieve them.”

  Yuri checked his watch: 4:50 P.M. He’d scheduled the exchange for 7:00 P.M. Four operatives from the security company were already at the airport, waiting.

  “Elena and her goons should be leaving soon to get to the airport with Laura. Go ahead and turn your men loose and we’ll take over.” Yuri’s plan was to follow Elena and Laura to the airport and then make the exchange. The portable drive with bogus data was in the backseat inside a cardboard box.

  “Okay, sounds good.” Nick reached into a jacket pocket and removed his phone. Before he could dial, however, Yuri’s disposable cell rang. It was stored in the Jeep’s center console.

  Yuri retrieved the phone and checked the screen. “It’s Elena,” he said.

  “Were you expecting a call this early?”

  “No. Something’s up.”

  Yuri hit the speakerphone key. “Hello,” he said in English.

  “Yuri, Elena here.”

  “Yes.”

  “A problem has come up—not related to you, but it concerns what’s planned for tonight. We need to reschedule.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t have any details, only that they can’t make the exchange tonight.”

  “I want to speak to Wang. Put him on the line.”

  “I don’t know where he is.”

  “If you are double-crossing me I’m going to—”

  “Back off, Yuri! This is out of my control. I only know what I’ve been told—the principals are not available tonight.”

  “When, then?”

  “Maybe tomorrow. I’ll call you.”

  “I want to speak with Laura right now.”

  “Just a moment.”

  Frowning, Yuri faced Nick.

  Nick also grimaced.

  “Yuri, is that you?” Laura announced over the speaker.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m all right—what’s going on?”

  “There’s some kind of delay.”

  “That’s what Elena said.”

  “Is she with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And Maddy?”

  “She’s with me.”

  “Have they—”

  Elena interrupted Yuri. “Sorry, but we need to end this conversation. As you heard, she and Madelyn are fine. I will call you tomorrow for a new time.”

  The call ended with a click.

  Yuri tossed the phone back into the console. “What the hell are they doing?”

  “Maybe they suspect something.”

  “What?”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s the airport—a brilliant location for your end of the bargain but dangerous for them.”

  “Not if they’re upfront and make the—” Yuri stopped, the revelation striking like an avalanche. “They have no intention of honoring the deal.”

  “That’s the way I see it,” Nick agreed. “You’re the target, but there’s no way they can get to you at the airport. They probably had operators there this afternoon trying to figure out how but r
ealized it wasn’t going to work.”

  “Shit, what have I done?” Yuri’s threats to blow the operation now haunted him.

  “You’ve still got leverage, but when Elena or Wang or whoever calls back to reschedule, there’s going to be a new venue, one that’s much more favorable for their goals.”

  Yuri reached under the seat and grabbed the Colt. He racked the slide, chambering a round. He slipped the pistol into a coat pocket and reached for the door release.

  “Hang on, Yuri Ivanovich. Not yet.”

  “I know they’re aboard that thing. I can’t wait any longer.”

  Nick placed his hand on Yuri’s right wrist. “We need to think this through. Remember now, we’ve been through a lot more than this. We’re going to get them back.”

  Yuri closed his eyes and inhaled. “You’re right. We need a new plan.”

  “Good. First we need to figure out how to get past the gate on the dock and then—”

  Nick stopped when his cell phone chimed. He retrieved the phone and checked the screen. “It’s my guys.” After listening, Nick announced, “Elena just walked through the gate and is heading for her car.”

  “My God—are Laura and Maddy with her?”

  “No, she’s alone.”

  Yuri started the engine and reached for the gearshift.

  “What are you doing?”

  “We’re going to have a little chat with that bitch.”

  “Stop. You could blow everything. My guys will follow her.”

  “But she’s going to get away.”

  “That’s not going to happen—I guarantee you that.”

  “I don’t care. I’ve got to get to her now.” He shifted into drive.

  “No, Yuri. Think about the situation. What did we just find out?”

  “What?”

  “Calm down, get your head back in order.”

  Yuri followed Nick’s advice, switching off the Jeep’s engine. And then it registered. “They really are on that boat!”

  CHAPTER 62

  The sun sank behind the Olympics. Yuri and Nick were on the guest dock about a hundred feet from the Yangzi. They stood in the shadows, avoiding the dock lights. A friendly boater exiting the dock had let them through the gate.

  “Do you see any sentries?” Yuri asked as he studied the superyacht’s stern. The Yangzi radiated with a dazzling display of shipboard lighting, including underwater hull illumination.