Part 20 (2/2)
”No.”
Kalinin was shocked, confused, but asking for a reason hardly mattered for now. ”Then, what happens next?” He put the gun in his front waistband.
Grant finally stood. ”There's probably a s.h.i.+tload of folks looking for you. The best we can do is take you to the emba.s.sy.”
”Which one?” Kalinin asked with somewhat of a smile.
”Don't think you wanna come to ours.” Grant started walking the room with his head down, hands thrust into his pockets. ”We can't hold off until dark. We've gotta get you to the emba.s.sy, without your being seen.”
”Or us,” Adler quipped.
”Right, Joe.” He swiveled his head, searching the room with his eyes. ”Is there a scrambler installed?”
”There was, but that was the first thing I looked for. The phone's been disconnected. Everything was removed.”
”Everything?” Grant said with a slight smile.
”Everything, but I can't figure out why.”
Grant turned away, rubbing his chin. ”The parking garage on L Street.”
”You know about that, too?!”
Grant continued his train of thought. ”We'll take you there, then you can call the emba.s.sy to have someone pick you up.”
”Uh, Skipper. What about the plane? You know?”
Grant looked directly at Kalinin. ”Hate to tell you, but there was some kind of accident. The Antonov went down in the North Sea.”
Kalinin sucked in a lungful of air, shocked. ”Any survivors?”
”Last we heard, no.”
The Russian ran his hands over his disheveled hair. ”They think I'm dead, don't they?”
”Afraid so.”
He looked around the room. ”That's why the equipment was removed.” He was quiet for a brief moment. ”Guess when I make that call it'll have to be brief.” He planned on using his code name: Antares.
”And you'll probably want to use your code name,” Grant said.
”I'd like to know you better, Grant Stevens!”
”Wish we had the time. Are you ready?”
”Let's go.”
”Joe, get the car, bring it behind the garage.” Adler left.
Twenty-five minutes later they were in the parking garage, on the top level. Cars were coming and going, doors were slamming, people were rus.h.i.+ng to and from elevators. Exhaust fumes permeated the air.
Adler drove slowly down the outer aisle. ”There,” Grant pointed. ”A phone booth.”
Adler pulled behind a parked vehicle. Grant got out then Kalinin. Grant reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. Sorting through the coins, he gave Kalinin a quarter. ”I know it's not secured, but you've got no choice. We'll wait.”
Grant leaned against the car, with a hand resting on the handle of his .45. Keeping an eye on Kalinin, he questioned what he and Adler had just done. Aiding and abetting a foreign spy. A Russian. ”Christ!” he whispered between clenched teeth. His motives were unclear. Maybe this was finally the time when his instincts would be his demise.
”Someone will be here shortly,” Kalinin said.
Everyone turned as a white Pontiac LeMans drove past them, heading for the down ramp.
”We'll pull over there until you're safe.” Grant pointed toward a darkened area at the end of the aisle.
Kalinin leaned toward the open window, giving a slight wave to Adler. ”Thanks.”
Then he extended a hand to Grant, who latched onto it firmly. The two just looked at one another.
Kalinin said, ”This sure is . . .”
”Strange?” Grant asked.
”Yeah. Strange. Listen, saying thanks just doesn't seem to be enough,” Kalinin finally said.
”It's enough. Do svidaniya, Nick.”
”Do svidaniya, Grant.”
Grant got in the car, and Adler drove to the far end of the aisle, then pulled into a hatch-marked, no-parking s.p.a.ce. They both turned sideways, watching out the rearview window.
Headlights appeared, and a black Mercedes pulled in front of Kalinin. He got in the front seat, closed the door, and the Mercedes immediately headed for the exit.
”Well, Skipper, another fine ending, except, I wonder what Leavenworth's like this time of year?” He backed the Mustang up, then s.h.i.+fted into first.
As Adler turned left onto L Street, he asked, ”What about Nick? Do you think he'll let the 'cat outta the bag' that it was us who helped him?”
”My gut?”
”What else?”
”Don't think so. C'mon. Let's head back to Eagle 8. We've gotta report to the guys, and I'll have to call Scott.”
”Maybe I shouldn't ask, but what about the President? Think he should know?”
”That's the tough one, Joe. Really tough.”
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