"General Volkov has been telling me an interesting story," Orlov said. "He says Major Antipov killed Major Rostov. That her actions led to the failure of the mission."
"He is lying, Mister President. He wishes to cover up the results of his orders. Major Rostov is the one responsible for the destruction of the archive. She tried to kill Major Antipov and was going to kill the Americans."
"He is the one who is lying," Volkov said. "Antipov took every opportunity to prevent Major Rostov from succeeding. She was protecting the American spy, her sister."
Orlov held up his hand. "Stop. I will not sit here and listen to this bickering. One of you is lying. I am going to find out who it is. General Vysotsky."
"Yes, Mister President."
"I saw Major Antipov outside. Bring her in."
Volkov said, "She doesn't belong here."
"Be quiet, General."
Alexei went to the doors and pushed one open. "Major Antipov. Come."
Valentina rose and limped into Orlov's office. She came to attention in front of his desk and saluted.
"At ease, Major. You are wounded?"
"Yes, Mister President. It's nothing."
"Sit."
"Sir."
Valentina sat down.
"Tell me what happened in Egypt."
"Yes, sir. Where would you like me to begin?"
"I have read the reports of General Volkov and General Vysotsky. Begin on the night you entered the pyramid. What were your instructions?"
"I was instructed to observe the actions of the American spies and to avoid intervention unless absolutely necessary."
"Your instructions were only to observe and gather information?"
"Yes, sir. If possible, I was to locate the records of the Atlantis civilization. The Americans had more information than we did. It made sense to follow them. Major Rostov and I observed them enter the pyramid in the afternoon during the regular tourist hours. That evening they returned. The guide they had employed earlier opened the gate to the entrance and let them in."
"What time was that?"
"About ten that night. The complex was deserted. Major Rostov and I followed them into the pyramid. The Americans had discovered and opened a hidden entrance to a system of tunnels. The tunnels led to a large chamber filled with the records we were seeking."
"Then what happened?"
"We disarmed them. Rostov told them to stand against a wall. I asked her what she intended to do. She was going to kill them. I asked her how she was going to explain the bodies. That is when she shot me."
"You are lying!" Volkov said.
Orlov looked at him. His voice was hard and cold as the frozen steppes of Siberia. "Be quiet. I will not ask you again."
He turned back to Valentina. "Continue, Major."
"It gets confusing after that. I was on the floor. Rostov started shooting at the Americans. One of her bullets struck the chemical lighting in the room. That's what started the fire. Rostov shot at them and they fired back. She was hit. As she went down her gun set off a trap that fell and killed her."
"General Volkov says Major Rostov told him you were obstructing her investigation. That you were doing it because your sister was part of the American team and that you were in contact with her."
"If she said that, she lied."
"You are a disgrace to your uniform," Volkov said. "You are a traitor. I will see you broken for what you just said."
Valentina flushed. "You don't scare me, General. You are a pedophile and a liar. I know about the little girls you take out to your dacha. Although I suspect President Orlov is unaware of your sexual preferences."
Alexei was surprised. He knew Volkov's dirty secret but he hadn't thought that Valentina did. He'd held back from using it against his rival except as a last resort. Now it was unnecessary. If Orlov believed her, Valentina had just sealed Volkov's fate. Whatever else he was, Orlov was a man who did not tolerate sexual deviancy.
"General Vysotsky. Is this true?"
"I hesitated to bring this to you without firm proof, Mister President. Yes, I believe it is true."
"General Volkov? Do you deny the accusation?"
"Of course I deny it. It's another one of her lies."
Orlov had been watching Volkov as he responded. Now he touched a button on his desk. The doors swung open. The two guards entered the room.
"Arrest General Volkov. Take him to Lefortovo. Put him in isolation."
Volkov's voice rose, a note of desperation creeping in. "Mister President, she is lying."
"Is she?" Orlov gestured to the guards. "Take him away."
They dragged Volkov out of the room, protesting. The doors closed behind them.
"I am sorry you had to go through this unpleasant experience, Valentina. May I call you Valentina?"
"Of course, Mister President." She smiled at him. "It's an honor."
"Your wound is healing?"
"Yes, sir."
"Others besides yourself observed Major Rostov's hostility toward you. I have a report from the captain of the Tolstoy. He has no love for the Americans but lays the blame for the damages to his ship primarily on Rostov."
"She provoked them by sabotaging their undersea vehicle."
"So he says. You have been very brave, my dear."
"I was only doing my duty."
Valentina cast her eyes down as she spoke. If Vysotsky hadn't known better, he would have thought her humility was real.
CHAPTER 55
In Virginia, Elizabeth eyed Nick and the others. The long flight from Egypt had left them looking like something Burps had dragged in from outside.
"You're certain nothing is left?"
"Not a chance," Nick said. "I've never seen anything burn as fast or as hot as that. Karimi said the heat brought down the roof. Everything is buried under tons of stone."
"Do we have any other leads we can follow? Selena?"
"There's nothing, Elizabeth. There might have been a clue in the undersea ruins but they're gone too. I had the stone in my hands but now it's gone. Whatever the secret was, it's lost."
"The French succeeded in translating the writing on the museum tablet. They're calling it a hoax."
"That doesn't surprise me," Selena said. "Anytime something new shows up challenging accepted dogma, people attack it. The French and everyone else will always resist any idea of an earlier civilization."
"General Karimi knows what happened," Nick said.
Elizabeth said, "He blamed the damage to the pyramid and the Sphinx on ISIS. The government is throwing money at him to protect what he calls 'Egypt's sacred history.' It's not to his advantage to say anything."
"No one would believe him anyway."
"There's been some interesting fallout in Russia," Elizabeth said. "Rostov's boss has been arrested. He's being accused of crimes against the state, whatever that means."
"It means Orlov blames him for what happened."
"That's my reading," Elizabeth said.
"Who's going to replace him?"
"No one knows. There are rumors Orlov may reconstitute the KGB and bring foreign and domestic security back under one roof. If he does, General Vysotsky could be the new director."
"Nothing ever changes, does it?" Lamont said.
"The Russians are consistent, if nothing else. In a way, it makes it easier to know what we're up against. Orlov is a throwback to the days of the Soviet Union. People don't want to admit it, but we're in a new Cold War."
"As long as it doesn't get hot," Ronnie said.
"It might get hot around here," Elizabeth said. "I've been subpoenaed."
"What? Why?" Nick asked.
"Congress is after DCI Hood. It's political. They're doing everything they can to discredit President Rice and his party before the election. Clarence is a sideshow that will play well in the media."
"Why you?"
"Because of this."
She passed over the picture from the tabloid.