OOOO
Part Two
Three weeks later, Harm, Mac, Bud and Harriet were on a plane, on their way to Moscow. Harm and Mac were posing as Garry and Christine Anderson, who were thirty-seven and thirty-three, respectively, while Bud and Harriet were Michael and Gemma Whitman, who were both thirty-one. Both couples had gone through treatment for infertility, artificial insemination and application for adoption in the States, without success. Both couples had been given the term, unexplained or 'idiopathic' infertility. They were now going to Russia, their last hopes of having a child pinned on this journey.
Despite his early difficulties, Bud had now mastered the art of calling Harm and Mac by their cover names and not as ma'am and sir, Harm or Mac.
Harriet, although jittery at first, was now adjusting well to leaving her children in the care of her Mother and Father, despite the fact that this was the first time she had been away from baby Jimmy.
For their part, Harm and Mac were actually enjoying the opportunity to act as husband and wife, although neither would have admitted it, not even to themselves.
By the time that they got to Moscow and checked into their hotel suites, both couples were exhausted and collapsed on the double bed for a few hours of sleep before Webb would come to brief them on what they would do next. Harm and Mac woke a couple of hours later, by the soft knock on the door. Mac woke herself up fully, while Harm went to answer the door. He came back through to the bedroom of the suite a few minutes later.
"That's just Mike and Gemma," he told Mac.
From then on, they had agreed to stick to their cover names. As well as being good for giving them all practice and keeping them in the right frame of mind, none of them had any idea about how secure the hotel suites were. Harm and Mac were all too aware that, despite the high price of the up-market hotel, the walls no doubt still had ears. Their fears were put to rest, a few minutes later, when Clayton Webb arrived with a forensic team, who searched the suites thoroughly. Once he was satisfied that the rooms were secure, he finally started his final brief. This was very extensive and intensive, as he explained, "This is the only time that I'm going to be able to meet with you four. We can't risk leaving any information with you in case any of our bad-guys get hold of it. All of this must be discussed and committed to memory, tonight."
It would be many hours later before they would be able to get any rest.
They started by going through the itinerary for the next day.
"Bud, Harriet, you both have the first appointment at the clinic, at three o'clock. Harm, Mac, your appointment is at four-fifteen. You're both booked into to see doctor Zebrovnik, the same doctor that the Sykes's saw. According to them, he's the one who is the adoption ringleader. We don't think that you'll have to wait too long for them to get back to you, maybe a couple of days. If you both just go through all of the information that you've been given in your brief, all of the treatment that you've been through in the past and all that. What you want to focus on most of all is the fact that you've been turned down for adoption in the US. Harm, Mac, this is due to age considerations, Bud, Harriet, because of the nature of your work in the military. Harm, Mac, I want you to stress the fact that you're running out of time to bring up children. Let him know, in no uncertain terms that you're looking for as quick an adoption as possible, with a minimum of red tape and paper work processing. Now, after your consultations tomorrow, I want you pairs to have as little interaction as possible. They may get suspicious if they see you together, interacting, when you're both coming to them to get involved in all of this shady activity."
"What about when they finally take us into this ring?" Harm spoke up.
"Yes," Clay noted, "We don't think that they will wait all that long before they come to transport you to where the children are living. The Sykes's told us that they were put into a dark coloured SUV, with black tinted windows and were blindfolded, before taken to the orphanage. They had no idea where they were going, couldn't even tell what direction the place was in, in relation to Moscow. They did note that the journey took about two to two-and-a-half hours, but the destination of the car could have been any multitude of places."
Mac knew that an orphanage wasn't a rare thing in that part of Russia, especially around Moscow.
"And when we get to the orphanage? What happens then?" Mac questioned.
"They'll probably take you around the compound, to take a look at the children."
"Are there any guidelines that we should be following, when we're deciding on a child?" Harm clarified, "There was no mention of it in the brief. Are we supposed to go for a boy or a girl? What sort of age are we going for?"
"That is completely up to you; you can decide on the gender of the child. However, when we're considering the age of the child, it would be more helpful to us if you chose an older child. A baby wouldn't be able to give any information about what goes on inside the orphanage. We want to get a time-scale and frequency on just how this has been happening. I'd say any child above the age of three would be most helpful to us, because they are pretty articulate from that age onwards. Other than that, the decision will be up to you. You could agree upon a set of guidelines beforehand, or you can just wait until you get there. But guys, I'd advise that although you are acting as if you're becoming parents for the first time, don't get personally involved. This is a terrible thing and it's all too easy for you to get swallowed up in it. Act like the new Mommy and Daddy, but don't invest your heart in it. It's liable to get broken in a situation like this."
They went on like this for hours, clearing up any detail that was left unresolved. Not only did they have to be able to do all of this, they had to do it without hesitation. By the time that they were finished, they knew their new personas back to front and inside out.
OOOO
Once their briefing had finished, Harm, Bud, Mac and Harriet went downstairs to get dinner in the hotel restaurant. After an uneventful dinner, they all retired for the night.
OOOO
As Bud and Harriet were curled up in bed later, they began to discuss exactly what they were getting themselves into.
"Do you think we're going to be able to remain objective about this?" Harriet asked her husband.
"It's not going to be an easy thing," he pointed out, "We never thought it would be. But at least we know that these children aren't going to be put into a home that isn't good enough for them. We'll be making sure that they end up in good homes, homes where they're going to get everything a child needs."
"If they end up in a home at all," Harriet pointed out, "Some of the children might end up spending the rest of their childhood in the orphanage. What if we're taking away the chance of a happy childhood, with the parents that the children had given up on having?"
"It's all a matter of a greater good," Bud pointed out, but still understanding what Harriet was worrying about, "Sure, maybe we might be obstructing a couple of children going into good homes, by illegal means. But we'll never know how many of the children staying at the orphanage we've saved from an unhappy, even uncertain future."
They went to sleep, both still going over the moral arguments in their heads.
OOOO
Harm and Mac stayed up in the living room of their suite later that night, watching late night TV. Neither of them thought that they'd be able to sleep, even though they were feeling the effects of the time difference between Moscow and D.C.
This mission had unsettled them both more than they were willing to admit out-loud. Both of their minds were fixed on the discussion, nearly five years beforehand. Their baby deal. The issue hung on the silent air between them for a minute, before anything was said. Then, after a minute, Harm looked over to Mac and joked, "So what do you say? Should he have your looks and my brains or should she have my looks and your brains?"
Mac just smiled and commented, "I don't know how anything is going to fold out, once we get to the orphanage… I think we'll have a better idea when we actually see the children."
After a long pause on Mac's part, Harm began to worry.
"What is it, Mac?" He asked, concerned.
"I…this is just going to be so difficult. These aren't faraway stories or characters in a plot line that we're talking about. These are real children, children who think that we're going to become their new Mommy and Daddy after a few weeks. How do we go through all of this, knowing that we're gong to turn our back on them when this is all over with?"
"Yeah, I know, Mac," Harm sympathised, "But think about what we could be saving them from. This way, they'll have a better chance of going to a proper home, one that's going to provide them with everything they need. Like Clay said, we can't think into it too much. It'll just get in the way of us doing our job. As hard as it's going to be, we're going to have to check our feelings at the door."
Mac nodded, knowing that this was what her job required. However, she knew that she'd have a hard time forcing her feelings down. Her feelings on her own motherhood were ones that had been growing increasingly strong over the past year or so. Would she still be able to separate her work and personal life any more?
OOOO
It was not long past three o'clock, that morning when Mac jolted asleep from a vivid dream. In her head, she still heard the crying and forgetting where she was; she quickly sat up in bed, thinking, "The baby…"
"I'll go," she spoke aloud, directed to Harm, who was curled up on the other side of the bed, still asleep, "Just stay where you are, I'll get her back to sleep."
Mac had only taken a step away from the bed when reality seemingly slapped her hard in the face and she stood in disbelief, looking at the room around her.
"Huh?" she thought to herself, "What am I doing? We're in Russia…that was all a dream…just a dream."
Shaking her head in disbelief, Mac got back into bed. This case must be affecting her more than she was willing to admit.
OOOO
The next morning, Harm, Mac, Bud and Harriet had breakfast together, making the most of the last day they would be able to do this. After their consultation at the clinic today, they would have to avoid each other, so as not to arouse the suspicions of the people who were involved in the adoption ring. Harm and Mac knew from their last trip to Russia together that information had an uncanny way of spreading around quickly.
At three o'clock Bud and Harriet left for their consultation, at the clinic across town.
Once they were done, they spent the afternoon shopping, to take their minds off the situation.
Harm and Mac arrived at the clinic for their consultation at ten to four. Mac couldn't help shifting around nervously in the chair she had taken while they waited for their appointment. Harm looked over from his seat next to her and smiled reassuringly, taking her hand in her and giving it a supportive squeeze.
"Boy," Mac thought to herself, "I could just get used to all of this support and comfort!"
She didn't realise that Harm was thinking the same thing.
After another twelve minutes, a nurse told them that Dr. Zebrovnik was waiting for them in office no. three.
Harm and Mac were surprised to find that Dr. Zebrovnik was a small, mild-looking man, with a wispy grey beard and fluttering eyelids.
"Colonel and Mrs. Anderson?" he asked them, inviting them to take seats at the desk in front of him.
"Please, just call us Garry and Chris," Harm told him.
After going through their treatment history, contained in a medical file that Harm had brought with them, Dr. Zebrovnik concluded, "So adoption is the only avenue that is now open to you?"
Harm and Mac nodded gravely.
"Can I ask, if I may, why you have come to Russia to take such steps? Why not simply try back in the States?"
"I'm above the age that they accept for adopting children," Harm told him, "Chris and I have tried that option, but combined with our highly demanding jobs, they feel that we aren't suitable. Chris and I feel very differently, however. We've got plenty of love to offer a child and no parent has a guarantee about how long they're going to have with their child. It wouldn't even be an issue, if we were able to have our own children. There are plenty of teenage parents, single parents who manage to raise their children well, so that they become great people. I don't see why we shouldn't be given the same chance, too. As we were sitting around, waiting for all of the paperwork to be processed and decisions to be made, we were losing so much valuable time. Time is not on our side, unfortunately. "
"Yes, yes of course," Dr. Zebrovnik nodded in sympathy, "I, better than anyone, understand what you are saying. We have so many children in Russia who are born into poverty or other circumstances which necessitate their removal from their natural home. It is my life's mission to make sure that these children grow up in a loving home. To me you seem like a wonderful couple. However, before we're able to proceed any further, it is necessary that we make a few background checks. Believe me, I know how long the two of you have been waiting for a child who you can call your own and I'm sorry to send you away to wait some more…"
"We understand, Doctor," Mac told him, "Although we have been so tremendously excited during our journey, we understand that this is all in the child's best interests. We care just as much about any child whom we may get a chance to adopt."
Dr. Zebrovnik smiled, pleased. To him, these people seemed like intensely good people.
He pictured making a call to his new 'business partner', tonight, to get arrangements made for a little visit, later in the week. Two families in one day, things looked to be working out very well.
OOOO
It was only two days later when the call came through to the hotel suite in which Harm and Mac were staying.
"Hello?" Harm answered the phone, "Garry Anderson speaking…Yes, Dr. Zebrovnik, hello. We didn't expect to be hearing from you so soon…Tomorrow? Just to go through a couple of things? Sure, eight-fifteen would be fine. Yes, we'll see you then."
Mac emerged from the bathroom in a crisp white hotel robe. Her hair was still wet from the shower she had just emerged from. Harm stared at her dumbfounded, for a second.
"Was that Dr. Zebrovnik?" she asked.
Harm snapped to and blurted, "Huh? Oh, yeah! He just wanted to arrange another meeting for tomorrow. Seems there are a couple of things he just wants to clear up with us, before he tells us about the options that we have ahead of us…"
"Do you think things will start rolling, tomorrow?"
"Yeah…it seemed strange that he'd be calling us at this time of night. And such a sudden appointment…"
"A personal call, too," Mac added, "Funny how he didn't leave it to his secretary."
"Yeah, I was thinking that myself," Harm nodded, "I suspect that Dr. Zebrovnik is going to give us the option of speeding our adoption along, by omitting some vital paperwork."
"I wonder if Mike and Gemma got that call, too," Mac wondered aloud.
Bud and Harriet had gotten back to their room, half-an-hour earlier, after a trip out to Red Square when their call came. Their appointment was scheduled for a little before Harm and Mac's. They were having similar inklings to those of Harm and Mac. They decided to spend the night in, going over what they were going to do the next day.
Harm and Mac went across town to a Romany restaurant. They settled their nerves with good food and sparkling grape juice, preparing for the day that lay ahead of them, the next morning.
They toasted to meal, "to baby Anderson."
Both were thinking how they would like to be making that "to baby MacKenzie-Rabb."
OOOO
The next morning went much as they had expected. Harm and Mac arrived at the clinic about ten minutes before Bud and Harriet went into Doctor Zebrovnik's office. Because they didn't want to clue anyone in the clinic into the fact that they knew each other, they sat at opposite ends of the waiting room, both quietly talking in pairs. When Bud and Harriet went into the office, a few minutes later, Harm and Mac couldn't resist talking about what could be going on inside.
"Do you think Harriet's going to be okay?" Mac asked Harm, worriedly.
"Bud's going to make sure she is," Harm assured her, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure Harriet will be able to cope. She and Bud are incredibly strong, especially together."
"You'd have to be, to come through what they have. I don't think I could ever be as strong as they've been," Mac added
"You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for," Harm, looking straight on at her, "You're an amazing person."
Mac just smiled and took Harm's hand in her own.
After a minute, the door to Dr. Zebrovnik's office opened and Bud and Harriet walked out. Behind his back, as they left through the door to their right, Bud gave Harm and Mac a discrete thumbs up.
When Harm and Mac got into the office, Dr. Zebrovnik seemed somehow altered from how he had been at the previous consultation. He seemed more efficient, seemed to skip around the subject less. After a few minutes, he ploughed ahead with his true intentions.
"Mr and Mrs. Anderson. I've no doubt you will probably find what I have to say next surprising, but I truly understand just how much you are both running against time in you bid to become parents. What I have in mind for you would cut out an extraordinary amount of time."
"It is possible to do that?" Harm spoke up, then encouraged, "Christine and I would be so pleased if that were the case, we really are eager to get all of this underway."
"Yes, yes, indeed," the doctor enthused, "What I propose would be, of course, less than orthodox, at least in official channels. But the plight of the Russian orphans is an urgent one and my sole concern is that as many get placed in stable homes, as quickly as possible. This country's government go on about how official procedure needs to be followed, procedure that will take an extensive amount of time. At the same time, they are content to sit around and watch the children, the future of this nation, starve and live in squalor. I see no reason why desperate couples like yourselves and these poor, lonely children cannot realise your dreams together, sooner than has ever been thought possible."
"Dr. Zebrovnik, thank you!" Mac grabbed the man's hands in her own, putting some tears in for effect, "We never expected to find our saviour, our guardian angel when we came here to Moscow. Thank you so much for making our dream come true!"
She and Harm played the part of the ecstatic couple for a few minutes.
Both looked at each other and shot a meaningful glance.
Bingo!
They were into the ring.
OOOO
Dr. Zebrovnik sent them on their way that day, with instructions to go to the car park of a nearby shopping mall. There, he told them, they would meet another couple like themselves and the people who would be taking them to a nearby orphanage. This orphanage, he explained, was one of the biggest in most of Russia; their best chance of finding the child for them would lie inside this orphanage.
As they were walking to the meeting point, Harm and Mac went over the morning's events in their heads. This was unbelievable! They hadn't been in the country for even five days, yet here they were, about to infiltrate an illegal adoption ring. They both supposed that Bud and Harriet would be the other couple waiting for the meeting in the car park, they had both left as speedily as they had had to do. They both caught sight of the parking lot from across the street. It was large and virtually deserted, the ideal meeting place for rackets of illegal activity. The few cars that were there seemed to be parked for the day, evidenced by the parking stubs displayed on their dashboards. Harm and Mac slowed down as they caught sight of a dark-grey SUV, with black tinted windows. Standing on the other side were two men, talking to Bud and Harriet. The men turned as they heard Harm and Mac approach.
OOOO