Chapter 34
Lauren Reed tapped her fingers on her thigh under the table. It was Sunday morning; she'd much rather be home relaxing than here at Joint Task Force headquarters sifting through the utter lack of clues in the continued search for Robert Lindsey's murderer. But Ralph Campbell was her direct superior at the NSC, and he wasn't giving her a choice. Nothing much was happening at the moment; they were waiting for reports from all the airports in the Los Angeles area. Reports of what, she didn't know; they still had no idea who they were looking for.
Lauren's cell phone rang, and she answered. "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" a male voice said in accented Russian.
Lauren went completely still for a moment, but then her programming clicked into place. "I'm sorry, Mum, I can't talk now. I'm at work," she said quite calmly.
"Meet me at the Westin Bonaventure hotel, room 447, as soon as possible," the man said.
"Sure, I'll call you as soon as I can. Bye." As the brainwashed part of her that was in control calmly hung up and apologized to Campbell for the interruption, that tiny piece of herself that remembered what had been done to her pictured Kresniev, whose voice she'd recognized, and thought of how much she hated him.
A young FBI agent entered the room, looking nervous. "You've got something?" Campbell prodded when the man didn't immediately speak.
"Well, it can't be Lindsey's murderer, because she was arriving after the murder—but Irina Derevko was spotted on a security camera at Ontario on Friday afternoon.
"What the hell?" Jack said, confused. "Irina, what's going on?"
"We've got about half an hour to get out of the house and lose the tail. I'll explain in the car. You'd better get dressed," she said as she finished dressing, then disappeared into the bathroom.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Jack called distractedly.
Sydney, wearing her pajamas, opened the door. "Dad...um, Tatiana's acting really weird, but she says she and Mom have to leave..."
"She did?" Irina said, coming back out of the bathroom with a small bag containing her toiletries. "I wondered if she might..." She shook her head, then leaned forward and gave Jack a kiss. "Jack, please get dressed. I promise I'll explain, but we've got to move." She picked up her bag and went into the hall, shutting the door behind her. "Tatiana?" she called.
Tatiana came out of the guest room, also dressed and packed. "Mama, we have to go..." She stopped and looked confused when she saw her mother quite ready.
"I know," Irina said with a small smile. "Do you have the dreams, too?"
"You have them? I thought I was the only one," said Tatiana.
"What dreams?" Sydney looked thoroughly bewildered.
Irina didn't answer; she was digging in her pack. She pulled out a cell phone. "Here. This line is encrypted and completely secure; my number and the number for the phone I'm giving your father are already in the menu. I'll have Tatiana text message you once I get her a phone." She pulled Sydney into a hug and kissed her forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."
Sydney's smile was tinged with confusion, but she hugged her mother back, then looked over at Tatiana as they broke apart. "I wish you didn't have to leave so soon..." She and Tatiana looked at each other awkwardly for a moment; then Sydney held out her arms and Tatiana stepped in for a hug.
Jack came out of the master bedroom. "Ok, I guess I'm ready...where am I taking you?"
Irina shrugged. "Anywhere's fine, just as long as we evade your watchers."
Jack nodded. "Sydney, I'll bring back some donuts," he said. She nodded and watched as her family went down the stairs.
Lauren Reed tapped her fingers on her thigh under the table. It was Sunday morning; she'd much rather be home relaxing than here at Joint Task Force headquarters sifting through the utter lack of clues in the continued search for Robert Lindsey's murderer. But Ralph Campbell was her direct superior at the NSC, and he wasn't giving her a choice. Nothing much was happening at the moment; they were waiting for reports from all the airports in the Los Angeles area. Reports of what, she didn't know; they still had no idea who they were looking for.
Lauren's cell phone rang, and she answered. "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" a male voice said in accented Russian.
Lauren went completely still for a moment, but then her programming clicked into place. "I'm sorry, Mum, I can't talk now. I'm at work," she said quite calmly.
"Meet me at the Westin Bonaventure hotel, room 447, as soon as possible," the man said.
"Sure, I'll call you as soon as I can. Bye." As the brainwashed part of her that was in control calmly hung up and apologized to Campbell for the interruption, that tiny piece of herself that remembered what had been done to her pictured Kresniev, whose voice she'd recognized, and thought of how much she hated him.
A young FBI agent entered the room, looking nervous. "You've got something?" Campbell prodded when the man didn't immediately speak.
"Well, it can't be Lindsey's murderer, because she was arriving after the murder—but Irina Derevko was spotted on a security camera at Ontario on Friday afternoon.
"What the hell?" Jack said, confused. "Irina, what's going on?"
"We've got about half an hour to get out of the house and lose the tail. I'll explain in the car. You'd better get dressed," she said as she finished dressing, then disappeared into the bathroom.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Jack called distractedly.
Sydney, wearing her pajamas, opened the door. "Dad...um, Tatiana's acting really weird, but she says she and Mom have to leave..."
"She did?" Irina said, coming back out of the bathroom with a small bag containing her toiletries. "I wondered if she might..." She shook her head, then leaned forward and gave Jack a kiss. "Jack, please get dressed. I promise I'll explain, but we've got to move." She picked up her bag and went into the hall, shutting the door behind her. "Tatiana?" she called.
Tatiana came out of the guest room, also dressed and packed. "Mama, we have to go..." She stopped and looked confused when she saw her mother quite ready.
"I know," Irina said with a small smile. "Do you have the dreams, too?"
"You have them? I thought I was the only one," said Tatiana.
"What dreams?" Sydney looked thoroughly bewildered.
Irina didn't answer; she was digging in her pack. She pulled out a cell phone. "Here. This line is encrypted and completely secure; my number and the number for the phone I'm giving your father are already in the menu. I'll have Tatiana text message you once I get her a phone." She pulled Sydney into a hug and kissed her forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."
Sydney's smile was tinged with confusion, but she hugged her mother back, then looked over at Tatiana as they broke apart. "I wish you didn't have to leave so soon..." She and Tatiana looked at each other awkwardly for a moment; then Sydney held out her arms and Tatiana stepped in for a hug.
Jack came out of the master bedroom. "Ok, I guess I'm ready...where am I taking you?"
Irina shrugged. "Anywhere's fine, just as long as we evade your watchers."
Jack nodded. "Sydney, I'll bring back some donuts," he said. She nodded and watched as her family went down the stairs.