“Compliments of Petrova?” Anna asked.
“Right. So Petrova is the only one who knows about this through the years. We believe the pilot never knew either mission, nobody at the KGB knew, nor did anyone else in the government. Petrova floated the cover story — the man had tried to defect with a MiG and crashed in the Arctic.”
Anna shook her head side to side. “That’s amazing. But what about Colonel Reed? How was he involved?”
The jury was still out on the colonel, but Jake would find out that for sure soon. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll have to ask him that question.”
Kjersti asked the obvious question. “What now?”
Jake shrugged. “Like I said. We split up. The two of you head to Oslo. The NIS and Agency are working together there. Meet up with them across the runway at Gardermoen Air Station. The scientists will be there, but of course they aren’t needed now. Explain what happened, just as I’ve told you.”
Anna put her hand on Jake’s leg. “I don’t want you to leave me, Jake.”
“Listen,” he said, his eyes concentrating on Anna. “There’s no need for you to get shot at again. Petrova will stop at nothing to get this box of gems. I can’t even imagine how much they’re worth, assuming this box is full.”
“What about you?” Anna asked, squeezing down on his leg, a tear coming to her left eye and rolling down her cheek.
He wiped away her tear. He can’t remember her ever crying. She had always been as tough as steel.
“I’m not sure,” Jake said. “I don’t want you to know. Either of you. It’s better if you don’t know.”
Jake got out and put his backpack in the trunk. He thought about all the guns and ammo he had inside the packs, and decided he would have to keep them. The two of them couldn’t fly with them. He slammed the trunk and got back behind the wheel.
“We’re going with you,” Anna said defiantly.
He turned to Kjersti.
“That’s right.”
He didn’t say a word. He simply shook his head and drove away. In a couple miles he turned into the airport, which was a small, regional terminal with commuter flights to Stockholm, Goteborg and a few other smaller Swedish cities. Jake pulled to the curb but kept the engine running.
“We’re going with you, Jake,” Anna reiterated.
“No, you’re not. Get the fuck out. Now.” He had never raised his voice to Anna. Not even during the last three months while he was drinking himself to sleep each night. They had argued quietly and respectfully. Part of that was due to not seeing each other much, Jake knew. The anger in his voice even surprised him somewhat. But he had to at least appear pissed off.
“You have no standing at all,” Anna said to him, her jaw tight. But another tear appeared now.
Kjersti was quiet in the back, her disposition uncertain.
“You too,” Jake yelled, his eyes cast on Kjersti in the rearview mirror. “Get the fuck out.”
Reluctantly, they both opened their doors almost simultaneously. Kjersti slammed her door and crossed her arms over her chest.
Anna leaned back inside the car for a second, tears in both eyes. “Why are you being such a dick?”
“Maybe this is me without alcohol,” he said. “Close the door.” He felt like a monster dick now.
She hesitated. “I’ll wait for you in Oslo. The same hotel.”
Jake gazed straight ahead. “Are you sure you still want me?”
“Now you’re being a royal dick.” She slammed the door as hard as she could and went away toward the terminal.
As he drove away, his eyes drifted to the right and he saw Kjersti with her arm around Anna. Maybe he had been too rough on them. But he didn’t think so. He knew Victor Petrova. The man was relentless and would not stop coming until Jake stopped him. And that’s exactly what he planned to do.
22
Victor Petrova, still in his Elvis pajamas in the posh hotel, slammed his cell phone shut and threw it over his shoulder onto the bed. He had just gotten off the phone with one of his men in Sweden, who had explained what happened to he and his partner on the train the night before. Somehow Jake Adams and the two women had gotten the best of them, killing one of them and beating and humiliating the other. Shoved a Coke bottle up his ass? Jake had gone off the edge farther than he had realized. And the second crew waiting for them at the Mora train station had monitored everyone coming off the train, not seeing the women or Jake.
He scurried back to get his phone and punched in a number, then waited for his people at his Norwegian mountain estate to answer.
“Yes, sir?” came the response on the other end.
“Where do you have our friends right now?” Petrova asked.
“You must be a mind reader, sir. I was just going to call you. We have them almost to Stockholm. Looks like on a train, according to the couple of stops they made.”
Petrova did the math in his head and said, “Almost two hours since they changed direction, and you were just going to call me now?” He’d pay the price for that. But not right now.
Let’s see. They weren’t in Mora and the GPS had them near Stockholm. Jake Adams was better than he thought. They got off the train in Falun and somehow put the SAT phone on the Stockholm train. Good idea. Especially with incompetent fools working for him, those who couldn’t see a feign move to save their ass.
His man on the other end didn’t even try to explain his actions, he just remained silent. His best move in weeks, Petrova was sure.
“Forget tracking the SAT phone,” Petrova ordered. “Get the word out to all our friends. Operation Huldra.”
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”
Yes. You’re ugly. “No. What else is there?” He snapped his phone shut. Time for a bath and a drive. He guessed Huldra wouldn’t come for another few hours, perhaps a day. Jake Adams had forced his move much quicker, which meant he knew. He knew what was really in the box. Jake would now eschew any federal responsibility and come directly for him. He cackled with glee at that thought, stripping his silk Elvis pajamas from his body and shuffling to the bathroom, his naked pendulous structure sloshing side to side.
Toni had barely slept all night, and now her cell phone woke her, jarring her to her side. The room was still dark, but the clock read zero nine ten.
She checked the incoming number and said, “Yeah.”
“You sound asleep.” It was Kurt Jenkins calling from Camp Springs.
“I’m awake. What’s up?”
“Our friends have changed directions. Looks like they switched trains in Falun, Sweden and are almost to Stockholm.”
“Maybe they’ll catch a flight from Stockholm to Oslo,” Toni said, sitting up in bed and running a hand through her long, dark hair.
“With the virus?”
He had a point, she realized. “Something you’re not telling me?”
Hesitation. “They found a man stabbed to death on the train when it came into Mora.”
Her heart skipped a beat and then almost stopped. “Jake,” she muttered.
“A Swede from Stockholm. Criminal background. Another man was found bound, gagged and drugged. Looks like someone worked the man over with great enthusiasm.”
Now that sounded like the new Jake Adams. “You think that was Jake.”
“I’m guessing. But whatever information this man had, Jake now has as well. Which probably sent him to Stockholm.”
Toni got out of bed and peered out the window at a solemn, damp Oslo morning. The sun had risen, but the clouds and rain kept it hidden behind a shroud. She thought about Jake and how he would react under those circumstances. He had to know they were monitoring the SAT phone by GPS. In fact, he had counted on it. But he also must have guessed that someone else had tracked them the same way, and was trying to throw them off his track for a few hours — until they realized, like her, that he was nowhere near Stockholm. No, Jake had something else in mind. But why?