"Russian intelligence?" Sean asked.
"Spetsnaz, actually. I have been tracking your movements for some time. I was sent here by my president to retrieve something that belongs to us, something that was lost a long time ago."
Tommy and Sean exchanged confused looks.
"What?" they said simultaneously.
"May I put my hands down?"
The two friends nodded, and Yuri dropped his arms.
"Thank you." He took a cautious step away from the steaming SUV and assessed the damage.
"I suppose we should thank you, as you suggested," Sean said. "Why'd you help us just now?"
"Because those men are also after what I seek. You and your friend are looking for something else. Both things, however, are in the same place."
Sean and Tommy were more confused than ever.
"I'd say we could discuss it on the plane," Yuri said, "but I feel like you wouldn't let me on board unless I gave you a good enough reason."
"You'd be right," Sean said.
"Very well. Time is short, so I'll speak fast and frank." He crossed his arms as he addressed the two Americans.
"When the United States purchased Alaska from the czar of Russia, they promised to pay a sum just over $7 million American dollars. The payment was sent in the form of gold bullion, collected in several chests, and sent west to be shipped via boat."
Tommy and Sean nodded. They knew about the history surrounding the Alaska Purchase. What they didn't know was where this guy was going with his tale.
Yuri went on. "That payment never arrived."
"It didn't arrive?" Tommy asked. "I never read anything about that."
"And you never will. It's a part of the history books that was mysteriously omitted. The czar went back and forth with your government over the issue. The United States claimed the payment was sent. The czar claimed it didn't arrive."
Sean and Tommy were dubious. They'd heard about shipments of gold disappearing throughout history. This one was new to them both.
"So, what did the two sides do?" Sean asked.
"What could we do? The czar wasn't interested in going to war with the United States. He had his own problems to deal with. For a long time, no one mentioned the missing gold or the deal with America.
"Now there is a strong sentiment in Russia to try to take back Alaska. Our previous leader already made a move on Ukraine to take back a part of former Soviet land. The current president has no interest in taking such measures, especially with the United States. It would result in all-out war. No one wants that. All he wants is what is due to the Russian government."
"He sent you here to find the gold?" Tommy asked, incredulous.
"Yes. I am to find the bullion and bring it back to the Russian Federation. Then my country will have what it was due, and we will have closure to the issue of Alaska."
Tommy snorted derisively. "He sent you here to find $7 million dollars' worth of gold?"
"No, Mr. Schultz. That bullion is worth over $120 million in today's money. Possibly more. Honestly, it isn't even the financial worth of the treasure that my president is interested in. It's the point. He wants to make a name for himself as the leader who got the Russian people what they deserve. His plan is to use that money for schools and infrastructure. It may seem insignificant to a country with $15 trillion in debt, but to us it's important."
The two Americans couldn't argue that point. Still, it seemed a lot of trouble to go through to get a few treasure chests of gold that may or may not be at the bottom of the ocean.
"How do you know the ships didn't sink on the way to Russia?" Sean asked. "The ones carrying the gold, I mean."
"As far as we can tell, those ships never left. We've learned that they were boarded by what appeared to be pirates. We have reason to believe those pirates were actually KGC operatives. They hijacked the gold transport vessels and took them somewhere secret."
Sean and Tommy were dubious, and they didn't try to hide it.
"You're telling me this assignment from your president is entirely based on the theory that the KGC took Russia's gold and hid it somewhere?" Tommy asked.
"It isn't a theory, Mr. Schultz. I would not be here if that was all we had."
He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a picture. The image was a black-and-white photo. From the resolution, the two Americans figured it was probably taken around the turn of the twentieth century. Possibly earlier.
In the middle of the image were two steamships sitting in a bay surrounded by enormous mountains in the background.
"Is that Anchorage?" Sean said while looking over his friend's shoulder.
"Yes. The very early days of Anchorage," Yuri said. "This image was taken by one of Russia's sailors who survived the attack on the ships. He and another of his crew tracked down the ships and took this picture."
"With the limited abilities of the cameras back then, that must have taken some doing," Tommy said.
"Not to mention how bulky they were."
"I don't understand. If the KGC took your gold, surely they'd know that could incite a war with Russia."
Yuri nodded in agreement. "Yes, they probably did. Our theory is that was what they were hoping."
"It would make sense," Sean said. "Even though the KGC was more interested in profits than politics, their history of allegiance to the Confederacy was deeply rooted. It's plausible that they may have hoped a war with Russia could further weaken the Union."
"And with a powerful new ally like Russia, the South could have resumed military operations against the North," Tommy added.
"But that didn't happen."
"No," Yuri said. "It didn't. Russia had its own military concerns at the time, and a war with the United States would have been catastrophic, no matter who the allies might have been."
"So, here you are, looking for the lost gold from the Alaska Purchase."
"Correct. I have been following you, Mr. Wyatt, since you began your search. I knew that you and your friend were the only two people who could figure out the secret in the Seward letter. That's why I had one of my people infiltrate the White House and put it somewhere your president would find it."
Infiltrate the White House? The two Americans wondered how he'd pulled that off considering the intense vetting process required to even visit the historic mansion. Was this person a part of the president's team of advisers, an intern, or something else?
Sean had a feeling he wouldn't get an answer to that question. There was one, however, that was at the top of his list. And he had to press it.
"Were you the one behind the assassination attempt on President Dawkins?"
Yuri raised a finger. "I thought you might ask that. No, we were not behind the attempt on your leader's life. That was the KGC. They must have found out what you were up to and that Dawkins was involved. No doubt the man that was killed by the police outside the hotel was a sacrificial lamb. He may not have even been the one who put the weapon in place, though he certainly assisted in getting it through security."
The three men stood awkwardly on the tarmac for a moment, unsure of what they should do next.
"Based on your sudden appearance and the fact that you're telling us all this, I'm going to guess you'd like a lift up to Alaska."
Yuri's stoic expression never changed. "I can secure my own means of transportation; however, it would save me a good deal of time if I could come along. All I ask is that if we find the stolen gold, you allow me to take that back to my country. I give you my word, I will take no more than what is owed. If we find anything above what was the agreed payment to Russia, that belongs to the United States."
It was an interesting offer. While allowing Yuri to tag along could be troublesome if the young man was lying, it was also possible that he could be useful. He'd already bailed Sean and Tommy out of a mess a few minutes before.