necklace probably cost more than his car, the cab driver didn’t grumble too much about handing over the equivalent of fifty dollars. He even took me to the taxi company and let me use the phone there and bought me a cup of coffee. It was scalding hot and strong and the best thing I’d ever tasted.
I knew it was no good going through the CIA switchboard—I didn’t exist anymore, to them. But I’d called her at home before and I only need to see a phone number once to memorize it.
“Hello?” said Roberta.
It was the middle of the day, there, and she was at home. That was good for me and almost certainly bad for her.
“I fucked up,” I croaked. I hadn’t been ready for how hard it would hit me. Hearing a familiar voice was a reminder of everything I’d lost. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was back in the safe little languages department again.
“ Where are you?!” Roberta said. Then, just as fast, “No! Wait!”
Seconds ticked by as she thought.
“Stay by the phone,” Roberta said. And hung up.
Thirty seconds later, the phone rang. “OK,” said Roberta. “This is one of my emergency cell phones. Bought it for cash so I’m pretty sure it’s not tapped. Now what the fuck is going on?”
She kept “burner” cell phones around, just for emergencies?! I’d always thought of Roberta as a mother hen, as comfortable in her safe little world of languages as I was. This was a reminder that she’d been a field agent, once.
“What do you know?” I asked. “What’s happening there?”
Roberta took a deep breath. “Adam says you switched sides and ran off with Luka. Everyone’s been told not to speak to you. I shouldn’t be speaking to you. Hell, I’ve been suspended while they investigate!”
“Roberta, that’s not what happened! Adam’s working with Luka’s rivals—I think he has been for years. He tried to get me to kill Luka’s dad. He’s going to have both of them killed.”
Roberta went very quiet. “Do you have any proof?” she asked at last.
I bit my lip. “No. None.”
Silence.
“Do you believe me?!” I begged.
Roberta sighed. “Yes. I knew you were in over your head, but I did’t think you’d betray us.” Her voice hardened. “Jesus... Adam. I always hated that prick.”
The tears started. I think it was hearing that she believed me. That someone out there was still on my side. “You were right all along,” I whispered. “You tried to tell me. You tried to persuade me not to come. I’m sorry, mom.”
I sniffed and then realized I’d called my boss mom. It hung in the air between us, but she was nice enough not to mention it.
“Roberta,” I said, “he’s going to have Luka killed. His dad, too. I have to save them.”
“No. The smartest thing you can do is get far, far away. Get outside Moscow and wait it out. I’ll wire you money—”
“I’m in love with him.”
When Roberta spoke again, her voice was soft. “Arianna—”
I cut her off. “I know it’s wrong, okay?! I know I haven’t known him long enough! I don’t care! I know how I feel and I have to save him! Now, are you going to help me or not?”
There was shocked silence for a moment.
“I may have underestimated you, Arianna,” she said, a hint of a smile in her voice. “Okay. What do you need from me?”
***
Roberta had been suspended, but she had enough loyal friends at the CIA that she could get me what I needed: satellite imagery of Vasiliy’s house, earlier that evening. I needed to know if Luka was still there. When she told me that he and Vasiliy had left an hour ago, my stomach contracted into a tight little knot. Vasiliy spent most of his time cooped up in that fortress of a house. Why would he leave it now?
And then it hit me. I’d told Luka that his life was in danger and he had responded with exactly the sort of arrogant swagger that made everyone fear him. He and Vasiliy weren’t going to hole up at home. They were going to go right out
I knew it was no good going through the CIA switchboard—I didn’t exist anymore, to them. But I’d called her at home before and I only need to see a phone number once to memorize it.
“Hello?” said Roberta.
It was the middle of the day, there, and she was at home. That was good for me and almost certainly bad for her.
“I fucked up,” I croaked. I hadn’t been ready for how hard it would hit me. Hearing a familiar voice was a reminder of everything I’d lost. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was back in the safe little languages department again.
“ Where are you?!” Roberta said. Then, just as fast, “No! Wait!”
Seconds ticked by as she thought.
“Stay by the phone,” Roberta said. And hung up.
Thirty seconds later, the phone rang. “OK,” said Roberta. “This is one of my emergency cell phones. Bought it for cash so I’m pretty sure it’s not tapped. Now what the fuck is going on?”
She kept “burner” cell phones around, just for emergencies?! I’d always thought of Roberta as a mother hen, as comfortable in her safe little world of languages as I was. This was a reminder that she’d been a field agent, once.
“What do you know?” I asked. “What’s happening there?”
Roberta took a deep breath. “Adam says you switched sides and ran off with Luka. Everyone’s been told not to speak to you. I shouldn’t be speaking to you. Hell, I’ve been suspended while they investigate!”
“Roberta, that’s not what happened! Adam’s working with Luka’s rivals—I think he has been for years. He tried to get me to kill Luka’s dad. He’s going to have both of them killed.”
Roberta went very quiet. “Do you have any proof?” she asked at last.
I bit my lip. “No. None.”
Silence.
“Do you believe me?!” I begged.
Roberta sighed. “Yes. I knew you were in over your head, but I did’t think you’d betray us.” Her voice hardened. “Jesus... Adam. I always hated that prick.”
The tears started. I think it was hearing that she believed me. That someone out there was still on my side. “You were right all along,” I whispered. “You tried to tell me. You tried to persuade me not to come. I’m sorry, mom.”
I sniffed and then realized I’d called my boss mom. It hung in the air between us, but she was nice enough not to mention it.
“Roberta,” I said, “he’s going to have Luka killed. His dad, too. I have to save them.”
“No. The smartest thing you can do is get far, far away. Get outside Moscow and wait it out. I’ll wire you money—”
“I’m in love with him.”
When Roberta spoke again, her voice was soft. “Arianna—”
I cut her off. “I know it’s wrong, okay?! I know I haven’t known him long enough! I don’t care! I know how I feel and I have to save him! Now, are you going to help me or not?”
There was shocked silence for a moment.
“I may have underestimated you, Arianna,” she said, a hint of a smile in her voice. “Okay. What do you need from me?”
***
Roberta had been suspended, but she had enough loyal friends at the CIA that she could get me what I needed: satellite imagery of Vasiliy’s house, earlier that evening. I needed to know if Luka was still there. When she told me that he and Vasiliy had left an hour ago, my stomach contracted into a tight little knot. Vasiliy spent most of his time cooped up in that fortress of a house. Why would he leave it now?
And then it hit me. I’d told Luka that his life was in danger and he had responded with exactly the sort of arrogant swagger that made everyone fear him. He and Vasiliy weren’t going to hole up at home. They were going to go right out
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