Inspecting her hotel room carefully for listening devices as she’d been taught, she spent time opening the air vents, unscrewing light bulbs, opening the base of her telephone, and stripping the bed thoroughly. Wire taps, or bugs, could be small filaments, or the size of a coin. Last thing she wanted to do was say something that was overheard and could endanger her safety. Once satisfied, she flopped back onto the bed and flipped through the dossier one more time, looking for clues as how to start a conversation with Petrov if she spotted him.
Yawning several times, she realized jet lag was catching up with her fast. It was just after 7 PM here and she’d been travelling since yesterday with layovers in two airports. While it was only 10 AM back home, the fact that she’d been up most of the night was taking a toll on her. There would be no discovering Petrov this evening; she would take time to get some much-needed rest in order to be on top of her game tomorrow.
Galina awoke to sun streaming in her hotel window, and swallowed several times trying to wet her dry throat. She’d slept hard and was certain that her mouth had been wide-open all-night snoring. She felt raw and ached, but was inspired for what the day could possibly hold. Starting a pot of coffee in her room, she quickly hopped in the shower so she could focus.
She would begin her search and sight-seeing today, starting from her ‘home base’ of the hotel and fanning out slowly until she spotted Petrov. His condo was supposedly across the street from her hotel, just down the road from the cathedral. It was a bit alarming to discover that the intelligence agency was also within walking distance. She would avoid that direction if at all possible just in case they had her security badge photo or information regarding the fact that the United States was sending a spy in. No one knew what other information was taken from the hack; they only just knew there was a breach in the system and found traces of where they’d been. It was the unknown, where they thought the hackers hadn’t gone, that she had to plan for.
Rolling her hair in curlers, she carefully applied her makeup in the bathroom mirror. Galina normally never wore makeup, simply because she was too busy focusing on her career. Today, she wanted to look normal; sweet and unassuming, but she was also out to get Petrov’s attention. Messy bun- means no fun, she thought to herself as she ran mascara over her eyelashes sparingly.
Carefully brushing out her hair, she was pleased to see soft golden-brown waves cascade over her shoulder symmetrically. Usually her cowlick at the corner of her forehead gave her a big upside down ‘U’ right above her eyebrow that was hard to fight. Pale, shimmering peach lip-gloss completed the look. Attractive, approachable, yet nowhere near as easy as Dima would like her to be. She was happy with the results and comfortable in her own skin like this.
Dressing in layers, she prepared herself for a bit of sightseeing in the cool spring weather. April in Russia meant it would be chilly in the morning and tolerable in the afternoon. Today was supposed to reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, something she hadn’t expected when she first began researching for her trip. Stereotypical photos always showed snow, but this was going to be a lovely spring day. Chasing down her coffee, she grabbed her phone and Go-Pro, eager to get started on her search for Petrov.
Taking the stairs of the hotel, Galina was monitoring access points now that she had a clear mind. Last night was simply fuzzy because she’d been so exhausted, but today was a fresh start. She burst out of the glass hotel door with enthusiasm, eager to see the world ahead of her. St. Petersburg was stunning. A canal ran along the street with green wrought iron fencing along it. Each finial tip on the fence was gilt, making it shine- but nothing, absolutely nothing- compared to the cathedral soaring to the heavens ahead of her.
The Church of the Resurrection was magnificent. It was awe-inspiring as the sun touched the multiple onion domes that were brightly colored. Green studded swirls rose to a peak, as well as several swirled domes – each as breathtaking as the other. The exterior walls of the church were covered in paintings and mosaics. Colorful decorated walls, white stone trim and bursts of gold complimented the incredible architecture. To call it impressive was a severe understatement.
It was divine.
Galina felt a rush of internal patriotic pride as she realized that this location was part of her history. While her family might not have helped build it, this was the land her people came from. She blinked back tears as she felt overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the landmark. She bought a pamphlet from a street vendor, as well as a Pyshechnaya – or donut.
The sugary snack melted on her tongue, as she fanned her mouth from the heat. It was still steaming, from coming fresh out of the fryer. Taking a seat on the park bench near the canal, she stared at the cathedral in awe. Snapping several photos, she carefully swung around to snap photos of the building that supposedly housed Petrov.
The idea was to be inconspicuous.
She wanted to blend in, look like a local if needed – and if she needed to be a tourist, she needed to fit that part as well. Taking photos of the area, the church and the buildings surrounding it, was an easy way to be able to examine it at great length. Finishing her breakfast, she settled in for the long wait. Her goal was to simply try to spot Petrov today at some point, in order to better put herself directly in his path.
4
Nik was so tired of his yeti-sized bodyguard hovering over him all the time. Dmitri was simply always there. He felt like he couldn’t breathe on his own anymore. He’d been guarded for the last six months and while he was thankful for the protection, he simply needed space. If he went to the grocery, Dmitri was there. If he got a cup of coffee, Nik simply bought two because the second he turned around…Dmitri was waiting. He was honestly surprised that the big oaf didn’t sit on the toilet patiently while he showered in the condo he’d been assigned to with Dmitri.
The sad thing was that he couldn’t shake the silent man, nor should he. While the attempts on him had practically disappeared, Nik knew that he was still recognized. There were no other billionaires in St. Petersburg. The man had money coming out of every nook and cranny yet spent none of it anymore. He was simply existing, hiding and trying to suppress any more threats to himself.
Unfortunately, the seclusion was overwhelming. Dmitri never talked, even when engaged. He simply grunted or stepped in front of Nik bodily if there was an issue. The discussions Nik tried to engage him in often fell flat or were very one-sided. For someone that thrived on living online and building programs, he found himself craving interaction with someone – anyone.
He’d even gone as far to limit calls to his mother because he felt like he was intruding and didn’t understand. She had a new beau in her life that took her dancing every Sunday evening like clockwork. Nik had checked up on the guy and found out he was a widower that had been a banker for the last twenty years. His mother had found a friend, someone to be with… now Nik was the lonely one.
Peering out of the window, Nik felt the sun on his face and smiled. He was so glad it was spring. Winter had been a tough one with them getting several feet of snow at one point. That much snow had only served to seclude them even more in the tiny condo. Nik craved sunshine, fresh air and freedom.
“Dmitri, you want some Pyshechnayas? The vendor is out there frying in front of the church,” Nik asked suddenly, seeking an escape. “Grunt once for yes, twice for no, buddy.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Dmitri look up from the game controller in his hand and stare at him. Bless him, Dmitri was a gamer – that much they had in common. He was currently hooked on Spyro and played it all the time. Sure enough, Dmitri grunted two times making Nik smile at the irony.
“Mid-game, huh? You know, he’s literally fifty feet from the building and you can see me from the window. I will get some and be back within ten minutes. It’ll be our little secret,” Nik said quickly and hurried out the front door before the giant could stop his game and follow him. He half expected to see Dmitri come charging out of the building as Nik hurried into the
sun.
Stopping, he took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt a breeze brush across him like a caress. It was gorgeous outside and he could smell the hot dough from here. Picking up the pace like a kid playing hooky from school, he jogged lightly across the open square in front of the cathedral. Standing in line, he glanced around feeling exposed… and spotted the most gorgeous creature he’d ever seen in his life sitting on a park bench nearby, looking at a map.
The woman was breathtaking.
Soft waves of golden-brown hair cascaded around her shoulders, causing her to pick up a lock almost in an annoyed fashion as she tucked it behind her ear. Her delicate skin was pinkened from the cool breeze, bringing a slight flush to her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Her lips looked enchanting and Nik noticed that she was suddenly smiling – at him.
She raised her hand ever so slightly as to not lose her grip on the map that was fluttering in the wind and waved lightly in a silent, hesitant hello. Flustered, Nik immediately felt embarrassed to have been caught staring at her and glanced around looking for a boyfriend or husband ready to pummel him. He’d been beat up before for screwing around with someone’s website or bank accounts, but never for admiring an angel here on earth.
“One or two?” Nik heard the vendor holler, breaking his reverie as he suddenly remembered that Dmitri would be following him any moment. Was she alone touring the city or was she waiting for someone? Perhaps she’d mistaken him for someone else.
“Two.” Fishing out rubles from his pocket, he quickly paid and bought two coffees as well, deciding to boldly say hello to the enchantress that had him spellbound. Taking a deep breath, he walked over only to see her looking at the map again. As she looked up, he felt his stomach do a somersault that would rival anything in the Olympics as her hazel eyes met his own blue ones.
“Hello, is this seat taken?” he said and winced. The map she held in her hand was that of a tourist and he realized she probably spoke little Russian. Her beautiful face blossomed into a warm, welcoming smile.
“No, you are welcome to it,” she said flawlessly, startling him as he took a seat.
“I assumed you were a tourist?”
“I am,” she smiled. “This is my first time here to St. Petersburg. Is it that obvious that I am on vacation?”
“Only because of that map,” he said honestly. “Your Russian is perfect, where are you from? Oh, excuse my manners – would you like a coffee and some Pyshechnayas? They are little fried donuts that are served everywhere in town.”
“I shouldn’t take things from a stranger,” she told him, looking shyly down at the map in her lap that she was folding. Was she planning on leaving and where was she going?
“I’m Nik – and if you tell me your name, then we aren’t strangers anymore, are we?” he said smoothly, impressing himself at how calm he seemed to be talking with the young woman. He was normally quick online behind a screen but hesitant in person. Something in the way she looked made him want to reach out right away with this lady.
“Nik, it’s nice to meet you,” she told him, her lovely lips curling merrily. “I’m Galina.”
“Galina – that’s a lovely name, and also quite Russian,” he teased, handing her the coffee and one bag of the tiny fried donuts sprinkled with sugar.
“It’s also a very bland grey rock,” she quipped, taking a sip. “A type of mineral or ore but spelled a little differently. Yes, my family is originally from Russia. That’s why I can understand you. We speak it at home so I’m familiar as long as you don’t use any slang terms.”
“Do you need me to speak English instead,” he asked, switching easily.
“Oh no, I’m fine.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Galina. So, if you aren’t from Russia, where are you from?” he asked, intrigued.
“My goodness- aren’t you a curious one?” she asked, taking a sip of her coffee and looking up at him through her lashes. Nik couldn’t help but smile at the innocent flirting between the two of them.
“Very curious. It’s not every day that I see a beautiful lady outside of my window all alone. Are you alone?”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t be?” she asked softly, her face growing cautious. “You do ask a lot of questions. Maybe I should cut my self-guided tour short…” she began and Nik jumped in.
“No, I am sorry to have bothered you but I find myself intrigued and think you are lovely. Maybe instead of a self-guided tour, you’d allow me to show you some sights. It’s been a long time since I have seen some of them and for you, it would be a first.”
“I don’t know,” she hesitated, as she finished folding up the map. “I mean, it’s very nice to meet you and talk with you but we are strangers. You don’t know me and I certainly don’t know you. This is craziness.”
“It is,” Nik admitted honestly. “I never pick up women sitting on park benches or offer to show them around St. Petersburg, but I find myself drawn to you.”
“Maybe we start small and see where that takes us,” she countered. “Tell me about yourself.”
Galina listened intently to Nik as he began to tell her all about himself. She almost felt guilty listening because part of her was trying to fish out any clues or secrets he might give away- but she also found she truly enjoyed speaking with him. He seemed to be wonderfully light-hearted and teased her when she would stay quiet too long. Fascinated, she found that Nik, as he called himself, was not only handsome but quite charismatic as well.
Only speaking of himself personally, she noticed that Nik didn’t discuss his work whatsoever. There was no mention of his software, apps or his money – things most people would brag or boast about. Yet, here she was sitting on a park bench eating (now cold) donuts with the most gorgeous man she’d ever met.
A man she was supposed to be spying on.
“Tell me about yourself,” he suddenly said, making Galina cough as she took a sip of her lukewarm coffee. “All I have done is talk about myself and that makes for poor conversation if it’s one-sided. So, lovely Galina – tell me all about you. What makes you tick?”
“Well,” she hedged suddenly nervous. “There’s not much to tell.”
“Sure there is,” he said, not giving up. “Beautiful single woman, incredibly accurate dialect practically at my doorstep. You aren’t after me, are you?”
“WHAT? No!” she barked in alarm and saw that he was teasing, his eyes dancing with mirth.
“I’m kidding,” he teased, “if you are after me- I might let you catch me… with as pretty as you are.”
“You should reel it back in, Romeo. I am here for vacation, not to get hit on.”
“Oh, I’m wounded,” he retorted, putting his hand over his chest mockingly.
“Seriously. My family is from here originally and I had some vacation time so I thought I would see the motherland,” she said exaggeratingly.
“Where are you from then?”
“America.”
“Ah, an American,” he said slyly. “No wonder you are so attractive. Beautiful, foreign, and from a country I’ve always wanted to visit.”
“You should someday,”
“Is that an invitation?”
“Not to see me – but my country.”
“Your country is here too, little Galina.”
“It’s a country I don’t know.”
“And one I’d like to show you,” he said immediately and she knew she’d been cornered. Apparently Nikodim Petrov was going to be her self-appointed tour guide for the next few days.
“I’d like that,” she admitted and felt horrible using the man, but maybe she would find he was innocent of whatever the CIA was looking for. He stood up quickly and extended his hand, a warm inviting smile on his face. Galina placed her hand in his, feeling almost regal and treasured. She got to her feet and noticed that he was several inches taller than her. Her heart gave a little lurch; she really liked a tall guy, and he had an aura of unbridled heat to him, making her ticker beat just a bit quicker!
“Are you ready, moy amerikanskly turist?” Nik asked affectionately, his voice dropping to a husky timbre, almost as if him calling her his American tourist was romantic. Goodness, he could have called her a bowl of sugar peas and she would have melted.
“Where are we going?” she whispered, staring at his bright blue eyes.
“I thought we’d begin our tour at the cathedral,” he got a sudden frown on his face. “Wait here a moment.” Shocked, Galina watched Nik walk off towards the biggest man she’d ever seen. He looked like the leader of a scary biker gang or perhaps some mafia hit man. She stepped forward only to see that Nik was turning back towards her. He quickly returned to her side and held out his arm.
“Who was that? Is something wrong?”
“My…uh, roommate,” Nik said quickly, causing her to glance at him. He’d lied! This shocked her and she wanted to ask more, but they were quickly walking up to the massive gilt doors of the cathedral. Holding open the door for her, Galena was taken aback and completely speechless.
The inside was almost more beautiful than the outside of the building. There wasn’t one inch that wasn’t covered in some sort of intricate décor or mosaic. The interior had massive chandeliers but was mostly illuminated from the natural lighting from skylights and windows from above. Lattice work was found in the arches and you could see mosaics of Christ under the domes in the ceilings. The floors were roped off to prevent the intricate mosaics in the marble from getting damaged. Walls of apostles and saints were painted in the old style called medieval Russian or romantic nationalism. Their heads were surrounded with gilt halos against walls of every hue. The colors were brilliant, alive and made her feel so insignificant, unworthy to lay eyes upon their greatness.
Spying on the Billionaire Page 3
