Chapter Seven
Matt checked his watch, which he had switched to Almaty time after leaving Frankfurt. It was almost time to land. He stared out the window. Before sunset, the Kazakh steppe had appeared barren. Now he could make out the vague outline of moonlit mountains and the lights of the city as they circled around to their landing approach.
He looked across the aisle as Lee gently shook Amanda to wake her. She lifted her head from his shoulder just as the flight attendant made the landing announcement. He thought back to their departure from D.C. over twenty hours earlier.
Sarah had been quiet. She had taken the day off and come to his apartment to help him pack. Since most of the work had been done the night before, they finished quickly. Neither one had felt like doing much more than sitting on the couch together, just holding one another and talking. They went through the motions of having lunch. Finally, Sarah seemed to shake her doldrums.
"This is terrible. We're moping around, when we should have a happy goodbye to remember."
They played a few rounds of cards, and Sarah insisted that Matt pack the deck in his carry-on. "Trust me, you'll be glad for the diversion. My parents will play with you or you can play solitaire." While Matt was finding a spot for the cards in his carry-on bag, Sarah spoke again. "You know, I've been thinking a lot about what the pastor said in church yesterday."
"Oh?"
"I've prayed before, but not really the way the pastor was talking about. I wish I had thought about it when Mom was taken hostage. He was saying that when we feel panic or worry to just stop and pray. I guess that seems so obvious, but I have to admit I haven't ever thought that way before."
"You have to practice thinking that way—even then, I forget to pray sometimes. I can let worry get the best of me. Sarah, I know you've had a hard time dealing with being the one to stay home, wondering what we'll be doing…"
"The pastor's sermon really helped. I need to make sure I don't keep having pity parties."
Matt stepped over to Sarah and took her in his arms. "And don't forget to pray, right?" He leaned back to he could look in her face.
She smiled up at him. "Right."
Finally, it was time to meet Lee and Amanda at the house so Sarah could take them all to the airport. Lee drove Amanda's SUV. Sarah and Matt sat in the backseat together, his arm resting on her shoulders. They stayed there and kissed when Lee and Amanda got out at the terminal.
"You'd better go. This is nice, but I have those kisses at your apartment to remember, too. I should hug my parents goodbye."
Matt smiled, and then grew serious. He looked into her eyes one last time before getting out of the car.
In the aircraft approaching what used to be the capital city of Kazakhstan, Matt watched the lights of Almaty as they grew nearer. He closed his eyes and envisioned Sarah's face before him. He had wanted to remember her beautiful eyes most of all. She would probably be shocked at his appearance now. Sarah had complained about his unshaven face on Sunday, but she had not seen the new hairstyle he had adopted in the men's room at the Frankfurt airport. His beard was even longer now. He pulled the sunglasses from his pocket and put them on. No more daydreaming, Granger. It's time to become an agent again.
Amanda glanced over at Matt, and then whispered in Lee's ear. "It's going to take me a while to get used to this thug look. I can't believe Jamie thought of it."
Lee glanced back, then over at Amanda. "It's a great disguise. It looks like Matt is ready for this. Are you?"
Amanda patted his arm and nodded.
Customs went smoothly, but all three were on edge as they were forced to separate and move in different lines. Matt kept his sunglasses on the entire time, except for when he was speaking to the agent. He felt ridiculous wearing the sunglasses in the middle of the night, inside the building. It took some time to get their luggage, but they were finally able to meet with their local contact at two o'clock. Lee greeted him enthusiastically with a handshake while Amanda and Matt stood by wearily.
"Arman! It has been years, my friend."
"Lee! So good to see you." He turned to Amanda. "It is my pleasure to welcome you to our country once again, Amanda."
Amanda forced herself to smile cheerfully. She extended her hand and nodded her head. "It is so good to see you again, Arman. We so appreciate your willingness to help us."
"It is always my pleasure to help the infamous Scarecrow—and the woman who tamed him."
Amanda ducked her head a little. "That was many years ago."
Lee put his hand in the small of Amanda's back. "Amanda is a modest person. She is my right arm, as the saying goes."
Arman was uncertain at Matt's appearance as he moved to greet him.
"Arman, don't worry. He isn't Russian. This is our American bodyguard." Lee smiled knowingly at Arman as he reached out for Matt's hand.
Matt took off his glasses. "Pleased to meet you, sir."
At Matt's polite demeanor, Arman relaxed. "Ah, he is just what you call an all-American boy under those glasses and whiskers. More polite than a certain young agent I met thirty years ago."
Lee cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should get to your car."
"It is right at the curb. I have friends—they let me park the car for a few moments there." Arman picked up two of the suitcases and headed to his vehicle.
Amanda was surprised at its newness. "I am impressed, Arman."
Arman smiled bashfully. "Things have improved here in the last several years. You won't see quite as many of the tin cans as you once would have. The old Lada was a reliable vehicle, but oh so ugly compared to my Mercedes. There are a few Lada drivers out there who still will stop and act as a taxi if needed, but they are a vanishing breed."
They pulled away from the curb and Lee joined in on the conversation. "I can remember jumping in one Lada 'taxi' that had no seat cushions, no handle on the stick shift, and a jerry-rigged steering wheel. But, I got where I needed to go in no time. Of course, we drove on the opposite side of the road part of the way." Lee laughed at the recollection.
Amanda's eyes widened and she wrapped her arms around her purse. Lee didn't miss her reaction. He whispered in her ear. "Don't worry. Arman is a sensible driver."
Amanda smiled uncertainly while Matt fought to keep his eyes open. From his place in the front seat, he tried to track their route, but he was having difficulty. The airport was quite a distance from their hotel. As they entered the center of the city, he noticed an increase in activity, despite the lateness of the hour on a Tuesday night—or rather early Wednesday morning. The ad posters on the bus stops and the shops reminded him of Europe. Apparently the oil industry had changed life in Almaty, at least for those who frequented downtown.
Arman explained that their hotel was new and relatively posh compared to what had been available even a few years before. Matt tried to be polite, but he was grateful to finally be alone in his room. He sent a quick text to Sarah, brushed his teeth and stripped off his outer clothing before laying down on the bed. He was too tired to notice the upscale décor.
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Sarah hurried to the Metro stop. She had worked later than usual. Christina would be waiting for her at the gym. As she jumped onto the train just before the doors closed, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. Someone had been following her. Through the windows of the car, she saw the man on the platform come to a stop and clench his fists in frustration.
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Sunlight streamed in under the curtains of the hotel room, eventually waking Amanda from her dreamless sleep. Lee lay with arm draped across her. He did not awaken as she carefully removed his arm, got up stiffly, and headed to the bathroom. She was fiddling with the valve, trying to shut off the water, when Lee poked his head around the shower curtain.
"Good morning, beautiful."
Amanda jumped at the sudden intrusion. "Oh Lee. I don't know how you can still get away with that, after all these years." She frowned a little at the unfamiliar bathroom fixture. "Could you please help me with this?"
Lee turned off the water and handed Amanda her towel. As she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in the towel, she looked up at him and chuckled. He was waiting there expectantly. "I'm sorry. I didn't say good morning to you." She reached up to kiss him.
He kissed her back, letting one hand wander inside the towel. "You were out like a light last night."
"I don't know where you got that energy from. Matt and I were swaying on our feet, and you were happily chatting with Arman."
"I guess I had a second wind or something. I'm kind of excited to be in the field again." He kissed Amanda again and pulled away. "Meanwhile, I had better get in the shower. I ordered room service and told Matt to do the same. We're all meeting Arman in the lobby in a little over an hour."
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Matt sat near the doors, his phone in his hand. Rene's text reply had not been what he had hoped for. No information on the cartel members. No arrests. Matt texted him back. "Please shadow Sarah. They probably saw her with me."
He read Sarah's text message one more time while he kept an eye on the activities in the lobby. As he had coached her, it was short and to the point. "Working late this week. So glad you're safe. Miss you." Hoping it would reach her before she went to bed, he sent his reply, and then put his phone away, rising to join Lee and Amanda when they emerged from the elevators.
"Good morning, Matt. Did you sleep well?" Amanda hung onto Lee's arm as part of her cover.
"Yes, Ma'am." Matt was artificially formal with her.
Lee gestured to the door with his free hand. "Our ride is waiting outside. Come, darling."
Matt tried not to smile at their old-fashioned affectations. I guess it's worked in the past. Playing the part of the dutiful bodyguard, he made sure his scan of their surroundings was obvious as they emerged from the hotel.
Lee was all business as Arman pulled out into traffic. "You all remember the plan. After we do a little sightseeing, we're heading to the neighborhood where our Kazakh 'friends' live. We have a couple of days to try to find out more about them. Various relatives run a restaurant, a couple of shops… I'm hoping we'll spot one or two of the group members here. I wish we had more time to work our covers, but perhaps one of us can become friendly with a family member—you know, the confused tourist, needing help, making friends. Arman, you're to drop us off, then tail us. You can 'conveniently' step up to help if we need you."
Lee looked at Amanda, and then reached to the front seat to touch Matt's shoulder. "Besetti and Cartwright are at the Caspian Sea with the container, ready to sail. We only have a couple of days before we need to leave for Atyrau."
Matt turned to speak to Lee. "Did you hear anything about them joining up with us?"
"I told Francine it would blow our covers. How do we explain two additional bodyguards for one couple in a relatively safe country? One bodyguard is barely workable."
"Maybe we can meet with them covertly, and they can keep an eye on us somehow…"
"Maybe. For now, we are planning to keep our distance from them in Atyrau. That should be interesting, given it is not a large town."
The little group toured the city before heading to the target neighborhood. Amanda never failed to be impressed with the towering Tien Shan mountains. A spur of the Himalayas, they rose high above the city to the southeast. She took a photo of Matt with the mountains in the background so he could show it to Sarah.
"At least you took off your sunglasses. Maybe she won't notice your hair."
"She hates the whiskers."
"Oh, well. They don't show up too much."
They drove to Panfilov Park, where they walked around Zenkov Cathedral and stepped inside briefly. He bought a small framed print of the cathedral for Sarah at the gift shop. The tall wooden building, with its bright yellow paint, ornate craftsmanship, and onion domes, dominated the park. Trees lined the pathways as they strolled on to the memorial of Panfilov's Twenty-Eight Guardsman. Matt was intrigued with the immense sculpture of the soldiers moving together as one. He turned to Lee and Amanda.
"Sarah told me about this. It was a group of Kyrgyz and Kazakh soldiers who helped to defend Moscow against the Nazis during World War II." He spoke quietly, as Arman wandered away from them. "Although she said the story was exaggerated. The battle took many more men."
Lee gestured to the imposing structure stretching across the park behind them. Offices sat upon arches that towered above them, nearly dwarfing a museum housed in a relatively small wooden structure. "As you can see from these former Soviet military offices, the Russians and her former republics are fond of showing off their might—and of telling good stories. But as an Army man, I'm sure you've heard your share."
"From what I've heard, you both have some of your own experiences..."
Lee only raised his eyebrows and looked back at the structure before placing his hand in the small of Amanda's back. "Let's move along. I hate standing in the shadow of this thing. Brings back some unpleasant memories."
Amanda laughed softly at the irony of Lee's statement as Matt followed them to where Arman was waiting. They went back to the car and drove to a neighborhood near the Green Bazaar. Along the way, they passed Soviet-era apartment structures. Matt studied the buildings. Many of them had balconies, each of which displayed the unique personality of the apartment's occupants.
Arman noticed Matt's interest. "After the Soviet era, Kazakh families were allowed to make the apartments their own. They added windows and enclosures to create sunrooms on the balconies. Many purchased washing machines and hooked them up to the sinks in their bathrooms. It seems a very primitive life to you Americans, but to the Kazakhs, it is progress. Personally, I am grateful to be in a new building. We may even get a dryer soon."
Matt stood near the entrance of each business as Amanda pretended to lead a supposedly reluctant husband on a shopping trip. Shops faced onto tree-lined streets, where the occasional street vendor offered fresh watermelon, cucumbers, early apples, and other local produce. They stopped for a late lunch in a small restaurant reminiscent of a family-owned Asian restaurant in the United States. The traditional Kazakh fare consisted of noodle dishes made with meat and vegetables and was served with warm soda. Matt was grateful for his experiences in other countries where ice was not readily available. The waiter had insisted that the meat was beef, but Matt wondered if it was horse meat. He had spent the meal trying to identify the young woman who was cleaning tables and running the register. She looked familiar. She had greeted them in a friendly way and smiled again at them each time she came near their table.
Matt whispered to Amanda. "Does she look familiar to you?"
"You noticed her, too? I think she's Popovich's sister—she was in a couple of the photos Jamie found. If we're right, her name would be Yana."
Lee overheard the remark and shook his head slightly at them. He went to pay the bill.
At Lee's signal, all four met at Arman's car, parked several blocks away. "If that is Yana Popovich, I don't want to make a move, yet. She seems comfortable now. If we go back again tomorrow, she will be even more friendly and perhaps let her guard down with us. Let's go to the Green Bazaar. See if we're followed, or if we can spot anyone else from the photographs Jamie sent us."
Matt was reminded of his experiences in Afghanistan as he ambled after Lee and Amanda in the Green Bazaar. A large complex of tents and permanent structures near the city's famous chocolate factory, it was located on a traditional site of commerce for the ancient silk route that snaked from China to the Middle East. The modern fair's stalls offered a mixture of practical items and native crafts. They passed by the butcher's market, where the heat of the afternoon had brought flies to the warm meat. Few buyers occupied the tent structure, which still held various types of flesh, such as horse meat and beef, as well as cuts of liver and other internal organs. The noxious smell had them all rushing to the fresh air of the open stalls.
Stopping at one of the merchandise-laden displays, Amanda made Lee try on a traditional hat and robe of the male nobility, the aiyr kalpak and shapan, while she modeled a vest elaborately embroidered with beads and silk thread. They haggled over prices with the vendor. At some point during the bargaining Amanda managed to talk the seller into including similar hats for Jamie, Phillip, and Matt's father, a purse for his mother, and a traditional fur hat for Matt.
Matt tried to protest, but Amanda wouldn't hear of it. "It may be hot at the moment, but you'll be glad to have it when you're on surveillance in January."
"You have a good point. I can pose as a Russian operative, too."
Amanda wasn't sure if Matt was teasing her until he laughed. She gave him a motherly look and laughed, too. She leaned in conspiratorially. "I can't believe it. I've been trying to buy Lee a shapan since we first visited here years ago."
They took their purchases with them as they continued down the narrow walk towards the porcelain exhibits. There Amanda bought small, traditionally crafted dishes for Sarah, Amy, and Jennifer.
Matt was weary. He was ready to give up. It was hot, and he was exhausted from the lack of sleep he'd had over the last few days. He had removed his suit jacket and thrown it over his shoulder. The loud techno music was grating on his nerves as he watched for Amanda and Lee to emerge from the building which held the restrooms. Every few minutes a bus would pull up to the stop near him, sending a cloud of exhaust in its wake.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted her again. The girl from the restaurant was watching him. He had seen her once earlier in the open stalls, while Lee and Amanda had been trying on their clothing. After choosing a vest similar to Amanda's for Sarah, he had selected an embroidered purse for her and two more for his sisters, pretending to ignore the young woman while he bargained for the final price.
He cursed to himself. The girl had seen him notice her and was coming near. Oh, why me? Why not Amanda? Just stick to your cover, Granger. She seems like a nice girl. She can't be interested in a thug from the U.S.—you hope. He remembered being burned by a supposedly fresh-faced girl while on assignment in the Netherlands.
Soon she was by his side. Attractive beneath her somewhat heavy makeup, her blonde hair was cut short and teased in the back, making her look more European than Kazakh. Taller than the native Kazakh women, she had easily stood out in the crowd. She touched his elbow. "I saw you at the restaurant. You are American, nyet?" Her accent was thick.
"Yes." Matt did not look in her face, but stared at the doors, willing Lee and Amanda to come out. He thought he could see them watching him from inside the building. Great, I'm on my own, here.
"What brings you to Almaty?"
Finally he turned to her. She was watching his face, trying to see beyond his sunglasses. He raised them up and looked into her eyes to better gauge her reactions, but he missed the initial effect the gesture had had on her.
"I go where I am asked. My employers had business here."
The girl seemed a little unnerved by the intensity of Matt's gaze. She swallowed visibly before responding. "I would guess the oil industry. Everyone from America comes here for that."
"Yes." Another bus pulled up near Matt, bringing a fresh blast of warm exhaust.
The girl suddenly grew bold. "Oh, that's my bus coming. My name is Yana. Come to our restaurant tomorrow. On Thursdays we make fresh monti. It is delicious. You will like it."
Matt stared after her as she ran to the bus and jumped aboard. Great, she's flirting with me.
Matt gave up waiting for Lee and Amanda to come to him. He knew Arman probably had suggested an alternative exit, in case someone had seen his interaction with Yana. As he entered the building, they were watching him, as he had expected. Amanda gave him an encouraging smile, while Lee ignored him. Unsure what to make of their reactions, he followed them as Arman led them on a serpentine route to the car.
Amanda barely waited until the car left the parking lot before grilling Matt about his encounter. "So it is Yana. That went great, Matt. It looked like you kept your cover perfectly. We will need to give you a wire and bring along some of our equipment so we can monitor you."
"Don't you intend to come to the restaurant, too?"
"She waited to talk with you until you were alone. Clearly we slow things down."
"What do you suppose she means by being so friendly? I thought people here formed friendships carefully."
"The younger people are more relaxed. But it's true. She has no way of knowing you. One would think she'd be cautious." Amanda turned to Lee, who had said nothing since they had left the Green Bazaar.
His irritation was obvious once he did speak. "She's obviously coming on to him and I don't like it. Amanda, I see no reason why we can't all go. We can leave Matt in the restaurant on the pretense of doing some shopping. This could be a set up. He wears a wire, and a GPS chip. I'm not trusting them to let him keep his phone if something happens."
Matt noticed that Lee directed his remarks to Amanda and not to him. But he was glad to hear Lee's take on the situation. He knew Amanda was usually better at reading people, but he did not want to be alone with the girl. Not only was he thinking of Sarah, but he was a bit concerned about that talk of "something happening."
Amanda turned back to him. "This is our chance, Matt. Give her reason to hope. Sometimes the women here are looking for an easy way to get to the U.S.—or perhaps she may be trying to separate you from us. It's risky, but this may our only chance."
Lee finally looked at Matt. "We have to play this right. Time may be of the essence once the arms arrive in Atyrau."
Matt felt his skin crawl as he thought of flirting with the woman. "I think you should know I'm not happy about this."
Lee was taken aback at this uncharacteristic protest. "Why?"
"It's not that I don't want to follow orders. I just don't like doing this to Sarah."
Lee snorted. "You didn't seem to hesitate to come on to Yana at the market."
Matt bristled at the remark. "How did I come on to her? I barely spoke with her."
Amanda tried to put a hand on Matt's shoulder, but he shrugged it off. She succeeded in keeping her hand on Lee's arm. "I don't think you realize how you looked when you spoke with her, Matt. I know you didn't intend anything."
"What she's trying to say is that you looked 'hot' out there, and Yana seemed taken with you."
It was Matt's turn to snort. "I did look hot. I was sweating, the bus exhaust smelled foul, and the music was irritating." He glowered and turned to the window.
Matt's comment was enough to break the tension in the car. Arman started to laugh, and Lee and Amanda joined in. Matt finally turned back to them and spoke. "Look, I know what you meant. I have to tell you that I hate it when people say things like that. I'm trying to look menacing, and you tell me I look 'hot.'" Matt frowned.
Lee relented and smiled at him, trying to encourage him to relax. "Whatever you looked like, it worked. I'm sorry, but you're the one who will talk to Yana." His smile faded into a grimace. "Let's just hope she doesn't lead you into a peacock dance."
"What? What's a peacock dance?" Matt didn't like the sound of it.
"Never mind, Matt. Lee, you're getting carried away. It can't possibly go that far." She frowned at Lee.
He tried to ignore her, but could not. Once his eyes met hers, his expression became businesslike. "We just need to establish who the players are in this group and see if we can figure out what they are doing."
Arman spoke up. "Matt, if it is of any comfort, she looks like a normal Kazakh-Russian girl. They usually are not, how you do you say this, uh, loose. She will flirt with you, and nothing more. You are expected to make the first move."
Matt relaxed again. He couldn't wait until this assignment was over.
They had reached the restaurant they had chosen for dinner. As Amanda followed Arman inside the open air café, Lee held Matt back for a moment. "I shouldn't have been ticked at your behavior earlier. I'm sorry I misjudged you, Matt. I should have known better."
"I have no intention of betraying your daughter's trust—or yours."
"I know that, and I was being hot-headed. Please forgive me."
"Apology accepted." Matt nodded at Amanda. "I think someone is waiting to talk with you. I'll meet you inside."
Lee walked up to Amanda, who put her arm around Lee and smiled up at him. "I see you two made up. Still my hot-headed Scarecrow."
"Yeah. I was wrong, and I knew it all along. I don't know what came over me."
Amanda smiled knowingly. "You do, too. You're jealous."
"Yeah, I guess I am. There's something between those two that I've never seen Sarah have before. This might be it, and it scares me." A sudden thought came to Lee. "God, Amanda, what if something happens to Matt tomorrow?"
"Don't think that way. We'll watch out for him, just like we've always watched out for each other."
Lee badly wanted to kiss Amanda just then, but he knew it would be unseemly to the Kazakhs around them. He gave her a squeeze instead and guided her into the restaurant.