brother,” Raife offered, scanning the distant tree line. “Remember what your dad used to tell us?”
“Trust your instincts,” Reece recalled.
“After everything you’ve been through, don’t let the past ruin your today,” Raife said wisely, nodding toward the main room, where Katie sat with the rest of the family.
“Remember what your dad used to tell us?” Reece responded in kind, nodding toward the weathered old Selous Scout.
“He’s always full of what he thinks is good advice.”
Reece’s eyes narrowed and his head turned back toward the shadows.
“He said, ‘It’s not paranoia if they’re really hunting you.’ ”
PART TWO THE STALK
“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.”
—Robert E. Howard, The Tower of the Elephant
CHAPTER 34
Saint Petersburg, Russia
THE STRAIN WAS BEGINNING to wear on Grey, who had scarcely left his desk in days. The plan was contingent upon Reece leaving the ranch yet he hadn’t left the property in seventy-two hours. Changing the operation at this stage was a recipe for disaster and would require breaking his self-imposed ban on active electronic communications. Remembering what the duo had done to his mentor and handler with an RPG-32, Grey was beginning to worry.
Svetlana made her nightly visit before her departure, tea in hand. This time, however, she carried a cup for herself, which was a first. She set a cup down in front of Grey, who sat at his desk staring intently at both computer screens before him. He looked up at her with exhausted eyes and snapped his laptop shut. There was something different about her tonight.
“I brought you some tea, Oliver.”
“Thank you. I see you have some for yourself. May I offer you a touch?” Grey lifted the vodka bottle from his drawer.
“That would be wonderful, Oliver.”
He poured a finger of the clear liquid into her cup and filled his own to the brim, sipping tentatively to test the temperature.
“Why do you work so hard? What is it that can’t wait until tomorrow?”
“Something very important, something that will make them fear me.”
“Anyone who knows how smart you are should fear you.”
“The Americans think that they are so powerful that they fear no one.”
“Ah, you will show them, Oliver.” She took a long pull from her own cup and set it down, rising from the chair and walking behind the small man. Her scent filled his nostrils as she began to massage his shoulders with her powerful hands, releasing the tension that had built up over the preceding days. Her hands worked their way up the back of his neck and onto his head, where her fingers made tiny circles on his temples. He let his head fall back with a sigh and closed his eyes. Svetlana leaned forward, pushing her ample bosom into contact with his head, and began rubbing his chest. She smiled as she saw the front of his trousers rise.
Grey opened his eyes when she swiveled the desk chair so that he was facing her, his body tensing as she ran her hand to his groin.
“Such a big, strong boy.”
“No, Svetlana, I can’t… I…”
“Shh, Svetlana will take care of everything. You be a good boy.” She pulled open her blouse, exposing her breasts, which Grey immediately began to grope and kiss. She pulled her skirt up and sat on his lap, breathing heavily in his ear as she ground herself into him. He gasped audibly and his body quivered and lurched forward, nearly knocking Svetlana from the chair.
“I’m sorry, I…” He pushed her from his lap, a dark stain visible on the leg of his tailored slacks. Unable to look at her, Grey stood uncomfortably for a moment before hurrying from the room.
Svetlana did not hesitate. She pulled a USB drive from the pocket of her skirt and quickly inserted it into the port on his laptop. She walked to the office door and stole a look down the hallway.
A small LED on the drive flashed red as the device downloaded the contents of the computer’s hard drive. Svetlana walked out to her own desk and shuffled around as she kept an eye toward the restrooms. Picking up her phone, she sent a text message before dropping it back into her purse. When she heard footsteps in the hallway, she returned to Grey’s office and palmed the USB drive. She was straightening his chair when he returned, his eyes averted. She wrapped him in a warm hug, holding his face to her chest.