porch."
"Why are you scowling, Andrei? Is something wrong? I swear I wasn't complaining."
"Hah--got you. I just wanted to make you worry so your surprise would be all the greater. I have very good news, my friend. You're being promoted."
"Promoted?"
"The Pakhan likes what I say about you,, and what he's seen. He likes the intensity you bring to your work. He likes the results. Don't make plans for Christmas. You and I and some others, including the Pakhan, are going to Santa Fe."
"Where's that?"
"New Mexico."
"The desert? Good. I wouldn't mind a warm Christmas, drinking rum and Coke next to a swimming pool."
"It's not the kind of desert you're thinking of, Pyotyr. This is high desert. Pine trees. Cold and probably snow. It's near a ski area in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains."
"Sangre de Cristo?"
"I Googled the name. It's Spanish. It means 'Blood of Christ.' Apparently, that's what the explorers thought the sunset on the snow looked like."
"Andrei, I don't understand why the Pakhan wants to go on a holiday where it's cold."
"We're not going therefor a holiday. We're going for a baby."
* * *
"A SPY?" Meredith's voice rose. "I should never have brought you into the house. Leave. Get out."
"The baby It's the baby you wanted to help."
"I made a terrible mistake. Go. If my husband finds you here when he comes back--"
"Is your husband the man who beat you?"
The question caught Meredith off guard.
Kagan turned toward Cole. "Is your father the man you wanted to hit with the baseball bat?"
In the glow of the night-light, Cole pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "I wasn't going to let him inside so he could hurt my mom again. The snow landed on my glasses. You were blurred. I didn't think anyone else would be coming."
"But you stopped when you realized I was a stranger."
"If you'd been him, I'd have used the baseball bat. I swear I'd have used the bat."
"I believe you would have." Kagan put his hand reassuringly on the boy's thin shoulder.
The baby started crying, rooting its mouth against Meredith's chest.
"Please," Kagan told Meredith, "do something. If the men outside hear him--"
"How do I know you're not the one who's dangerous?" she demanded.
Even though her attention was directed toward Kagan, she instinctively rocked the baby. Her raised voice made its tiny hands jerk with agitation.
"Do I look like I want to hurt you?" Kagan felt blood dripping from his arm onto the brick floor. He needed to take care of it soon before he lost so much blood that his strength was gone. "Do I look like I'm even capable of hurting you?"
"So much is happening. My husband ..."
"Won't hit you again," Kagan said. "I promise."
That made an impression. Meredith became very still. Fixing her gaze on him, she no longer averted her face. Even in the dim light, it was obvious that her cheek was more purple,
her eye more swollen than when Kagan had first seen her. The split at the side of her lip was larger than it had first appeared. But despite everything, he had a sense that she'd once been an attractive woman.
She's that thin because she's nervous, he realized.
"Won't hit me again?" Meredith's voice dropped. "I wish I could believe that."
"Hey, it's Christmas. Wishing will make it come true."
"If you do something to Ted, he'll only take it out on me later."
"That's his name? Ted? Don't worry. I won't do anything that would make him want to hurt you."
"Then how would you get him to stop?"
"Hey, don't you like surprise presents? Help the baby, and I promise Ted won't hit you again."
Kagan couldn't remember anyone staring at him harder.
"Somehow," she said, "you make me believe you."
The baby cried, kicking against Meredith's arms.
She reached under its blanket. "The diaper's soaked. But I don't have anything to ... A dish towel," she realized. She held the baby with one hand and pulled two towels from a drawer. "Let's see if I remember how to do this."
She spread one of the towels on a counter and
"Why are you scowling, Andrei? Is something wrong? I swear I wasn't complaining."
"Hah--got you. I just wanted to make you worry so your surprise would be all the greater. I have very good news, my friend. You're being promoted."
"Promoted?"
"The Pakhan likes what I say about you,, and what he's seen. He likes the intensity you bring to your work. He likes the results. Don't make plans for Christmas. You and I and some others, including the Pakhan, are going to Santa Fe."
"Where's that?"
"New Mexico."
"The desert? Good. I wouldn't mind a warm Christmas, drinking rum and Coke next to a swimming pool."
"It's not the kind of desert you're thinking of, Pyotyr. This is high desert. Pine trees. Cold and probably snow. It's near a ski area in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains."
"Sangre de Cristo?"
"I Googled the name. It's Spanish. It means 'Blood of Christ.' Apparently, that's what the explorers thought the sunset on the snow looked like."
"Andrei, I don't understand why the Pakhan wants to go on a holiday where it's cold."
"We're not going therefor a holiday. We're going for a baby."
* * *
"A SPY?" Meredith's voice rose. "I should never have brought you into the house. Leave. Get out."
"The baby It's the baby you wanted to help."
"I made a terrible mistake. Go. If my husband finds you here when he comes back--"
"Is your husband the man who beat you?"
The question caught Meredith off guard.
Kagan turned toward Cole. "Is your father the man you wanted to hit with the baseball bat?"
In the glow of the night-light, Cole pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "I wasn't going to let him inside so he could hurt my mom again. The snow landed on my glasses. You were blurred. I didn't think anyone else would be coming."
"But you stopped when you realized I was a stranger."
"If you'd been him, I'd have used the baseball bat. I swear I'd have used the bat."
"I believe you would have." Kagan put his hand reassuringly on the boy's thin shoulder.
The baby started crying, rooting its mouth against Meredith's chest.
"Please," Kagan told Meredith, "do something. If the men outside hear him--"
"How do I know you're not the one who's dangerous?" she demanded.
Even though her attention was directed toward Kagan, she instinctively rocked the baby. Her raised voice made its tiny hands jerk with agitation.
"Do I look like I want to hurt you?" Kagan felt blood dripping from his arm onto the brick floor. He needed to take care of it soon before he lost so much blood that his strength was gone. "Do I look like I'm even capable of hurting you?"
"So much is happening. My husband ..."
"Won't hit you again," Kagan said. "I promise."
That made an impression. Meredith became very still. Fixing her gaze on him, she no longer averted her face. Even in the dim light, it was obvious that her cheek was more purple,
her eye more swollen than when Kagan had first seen her. The split at the side of her lip was larger than it had first appeared. But despite everything, he had a sense that she'd once been an attractive woman.
She's that thin because she's nervous, he realized.
"Won't hit me again?" Meredith's voice dropped. "I wish I could believe that."
"Hey, it's Christmas. Wishing will make it come true."
"If you do something to Ted, he'll only take it out on me later."
"That's his name? Ted? Don't worry. I won't do anything that would make him want to hurt you."
"Then how would you get him to stop?"
"Hey, don't you like surprise presents? Help the baby, and I promise Ted won't hit you again."
Kagan couldn't remember anyone staring at him harder.
"Somehow," she said, "you make me believe you."
The baby cried, kicking against Meredith's arms.
She reached under its blanket. "The diaper's soaked. But I don't have anything to ... A dish towel," she realized. She held the baby with one hand and pulled two towels from a drawer. "Let's see if I remember how to do this."
She spread one of the towels on a counter and
Similar Books
