The Red Herring

Chapter 12

Later that evening, John dropped Beth and Devin off before heading home. Devin walked through the door, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed on the couch.

"There's an extra bed," Beth said but Devin just motioned for her to be quiet. She turned off the lights and went in search of Mike.

"Hey," she said from the doorway of his workroom.

Mike looked up. "Hey. How's Jim?"

"Oh, you know. Tough as nails," she replied. "He's going to be fine. What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out what I missed," he said. "Wait a minute. Come here."

She crossed over to view the monitor Mike was looking at and frowned.

They watched the monitor in silence as Dmitry entered the interrogation room where Markov was seated. "What kind of game are you playing," Dmitry asked. "When you're in, you're in. Why do you have my passport and how did you get it?"

Markov studied Dmitry's face. "You're Katerina's kid, aren't you? I see her in you."

"Don't talk about my mother. How did you get my passport?"

Markov shrugged. "It was given to me."

Dmitry slammed his hands down onto the table and bent his tall body over so that he was eye to eye with Markov. "If you've truly abandoned the cause, they're coming after you. Vladimir will see to it."

"Oh, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"He cleaned up after the group split up. You're a dead man. You should have stayed hidden," Dmitry said and left the room.

Beth looked at Mike. "So help me God, if Dmitry is in on this I will put a bullet between his eyes myself."

"Beth," Mike said as she headed for the door. "Where are you going?!"

"To find Dmitry. I have to know."

Mike leapt from his chair and grabbed her arm. Beth turned around and Mike pushed her against the wall, his lips connecting with hers. When he pulled away, very calmly, she said, "What are you doing?"

"I know you're married. I know you have a family. I know you're happy but I heard something tonight and I had to do it. Just one more time in my life."

"You haven't kissed me in over twenty years," she told him.

"I know. But Irina called Markov tonight. Dmitry was here. He told me that Vladimir is going to kill the white dove."

"What?" Beth asked.

"I know we both agreed that we were better as friends and I respect the choices you've made but I've always loved you and I always will."

"No, I know you love me. What about Vladimir?"

Mike sighed. "Wait a second."

Beth stood against the wall as Mike left the room. He came back a moment later and plugged the digital recorder up to his computer. He copied the phone recording onto the computer's hard drive and opened up a translation program. After the file was translated to English, it began to play.

Voice: "Nicko, are you alone?"

Nicholai: "Yes, Irina. I want to help.

Irina: "Good to hear. We will need help. Vladimir has discovered that Paulina lied about being dead. He wants her to pay for betraying our country. After he kills her daughter and grandchildren, he's coming after Paulina."

N: "Why the children? What did they do?"

I: "Have you grown soft, old man?"

N: "I just thought we lived by a code."