suffered from alcoholism and cataracts, and had a two-pack-a-day smoking habit, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and symptoms indicative of the onset of diabetes.
The only reason the Polish government didn’t know this was that he was bribing a doctor to keep all of it out of his official file and away from the attention of his supervisors.
Artur Kopec was a man with many secrets—exactly the kind of target Nicholas liked. Secrets were vulnerabilities, points upon which pressure could be applied and, if necessary, into which blades could be thrust.
For the moment, though, they wanted Kopec to believe that despite the manner in which he had been picked up, he was safe, among friends.
“I don’t understand,” said the Pole as he was shown into Lydia’s office. Nicholas then commanded the dogs to lie down, and the guards were dismissed.
“Neither do we,” the little man responded, walking over to the bar cart. “Vodka?”
Kopec nodded. “Neat.”
Nicholas prepared their drinks and, as he had done with McGee, handed both to his guest as he leaped up onto the couch to join him.
“I’m sorry for the drama,” said the little man as he reached out and accepted his glass. “You were being watched.”
“I was? By whom?”
“By whom? Everybody. Do you not know what has happened?”
Kopec looked at Nicholas, completely clueless. “I have no idea.”
This time, the little man believed him. “Reed and Lydia are dead.”
“Dead?” he replied, shock written across his face. “What happened?”
“We don’t have all the details yet. I understand you went to visit Reed not too long ago?”
“Is that why I’m here?”
Nicholas took a sip of his drink and nodded. “There’s video of you leaving his cottage in New Hampshire shortly before the murders took place.”
“Murders?” he replied, even more agitated.
“Along with his nurse and Harvath’s wife.”
“Harvath was married?”
Nicholas nodded. “They had gotten married earlier that day, before you arrived. Harvath wanted to do it before Reed had fully slipped away.”
“He didn’t mention it.”
The little man smiled. It was good to have Kopec on record as having been there. “Harvath isn’t much of a talker,” he replied. “More of a doer.”
Kopec sat expressionless, drink in hand. “What happened to him? To his wife?”
“The wife is dead. Reed’s nurse is also dead.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry. What about Harvath?”
“We don’t know. That’s what I was hoping you could tell us.”
The Pole looked at him, confused. “Me?”
“Like I said, everybody is looking for you, Artur—the FBI, CIA, DSS, all of them. But they didn’t find you. I did.”
“Is that good?”
Nicholas smiled again. “I think you can end up being the hero in all of this. There could even be a White House visit and possibly a Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
It was an attractive offer, and one that appealed to his vanity, but it would take a lot more than a medal and a visit with the American President to pay for the villa he wanted in the south of France.
That required cash, and lots of it—which was where the Russians came in. As long as he continued to do what he was told, they would continue to keep the money flowing.
Those payments were his retirement plan. He had no intention of taking a flamethrower to the goose that laid the golden eggs.
“There’s no need for a medal,” he replied. “All I want to do is help.”
For an intelligence operative, Kopec was a terrible liar. Nevertheless, Nicholas played along. “Who knew you were going up to New Hampshire?”
The Pole pretended to think for a moment. “Everything was coordinated through Lydia. I assumed she and Harvath were the only ones who knew.”
“Did you tell anyone else about the trip?”
“No,” Kopec replied with a shake of his head. “Not a soul.”
More lies.
Nicholas wanted to put a bullet in him. Or, better yet, he wanted to set the dogs on him, wait for his confession, and then put a bullet in him.
But that wasn’t what he and McGee had agreed to. If nothing else, Nicholas was a man of his word. It was time to stop playing games.
Removing a folder from behind one of the cushions, he handed it to Kopec and said, “There’s something we need to talk about.”
CHAPTER 24
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ALAKURTTI AIR BASE
MURMANSK OBLAST
The Alakurtti Air Base was located near the southern boundary of the Murmansk Oblast, fifty kilometers from the Finnish border. It was home to Russia’s Fourth Naval Bomber Regiment and the 485th Independent Helicopter Regiment.
General Minayev was already waiting for Teplov when his enormous cargo plane from Ukraine touched down