Lying and Kissing(85)

“I fucked up,” I croaked. I hadn’t been ready for how hard it would hit me. Hearing a familiar voice was a reminder of everything I’d lost. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was back in the safe little languages department again.#p#分页标题#e#

“Where are you?!” Roberta said. Then, just as fast, “No! Wait!”

Seconds ticked by as she thought.

“Stay by the phone,” Roberta said. And hung up.

Thirty seconds later, the phone rang. “OK,” said Roberta. “This is one of my emergency cell phones. Bought it for cash so I’m pretty sure it’s not tapped. Now what the fuck is going on?”

She kept “burner” cell phones around, just for emergencies?! I’d always thought of Roberta as a mother hen, as comfortable in her safe little world of languages as I was. This was a reminder that she’d been a field agent, once.

“What do you know?” I asked. “What’s happening there?”

Roberta took a deep breath. “Adam says you switched sides and ran off with Luka. Everyone’s been told not to speak to you. I shouldn’t be speaking to you. Hell, I’ve been suspended while they investigate!”

“Roberta, that’s not what happened! Adam’s working with Luka’s rivals—I think he has been for years. He tried to get me to kill Luka’s dad. He’s going to have both of them killed.”

Roberta went very quiet. “Do you have any proof?” she asked at last.

I bit my lip. “No. None.”

Silence.

“Do you believe me?!” I begged.

Roberta sighed. “Yes. I knew you were in over your head, but I did’t think you’d betray us.” Her voice hardened. “Jesus...Adam. I always hated that prick.”

The tears started. I think it was hearing that she believed me. That someone out there was still on my side. “You were right all along,” I whispered. “You tried to tell me. You tried to persuade me not to come. I’m sorry, mom.”

I sniffed and then realized I’d called my boss mom. It hung in the air between us, but she was nice enough not to mention it.

“Roberta,” I said, “he’s going to have Luka killed. His dad, too. I have to save them.”

“No. The smartest thing you can do is get far, far away. Get outside Moscow and wait it out. I’ll wire you money—”

“I’m in love with him.”

When Roberta spoke again, her voice was soft. “Arianna—”

I cut her off. “I know it’s wrong, okay?! I know I haven’t known him long enough! I don’t care! I know how I feel and I have to save him! Now, are you going to help me or not?”

There was shocked silence for a moment.

“I may have underestimated you, Arianna,” she said, a hint of a smile in her voice. “Okay. What do you need from me?”



 



Roberta had been suspended, but she had enough loyal friends at the CIA that she could get me what I needed: satellite imagery of Vasiliy’s house, earlier that evening. I needed to know if Luka was still there. When she told me that he and Vasiliy had left an hour ago, my stomach contracted into a tight little knot. Vasiliy spent most of his time cooped up in that fortress of a house. Why would he leave it now?

And then it hit me. I’d told Luka that his life was in danger and he had responded with exactly the sort of arrogant swagger that made everyone fear him. He and Vasiliy weren’t going to hole up at home. They were going to go right out in public, where everyone could see them. And with most enemies maybe that bravery would have worked. The gangs kept most of their violence off the radar. Even Ralavich had taken us off to a warehouse to kill us.

But they didn’t realize how determined Adam was, or what levels he’d stoop to.#p#分页标题#e#

“Find out where they went,” I pleaded.

Minutes later, Roberta had followed the car to its destination. She said the name of the restaurant and started to give me the address, but I was already running to the cab driver and pleading with him to take me on one more trip. I knew the restaurant. It was where we’d had lunch, our first real date.

I was going to finish this at the same place we’d started it. And I knew there was a very good chance I wouldn’t come out alive.





I’d managed to clean my face up a little. But my dress was still soaking wet, my hair was a tangled mess and my face was almost as white as the snow outside. I saw the doormen hesitate as I walked up the steps to the restaurant.

“I’m with Luka Malakov,” I told them. One of them doubtfully showed me in. I’d told the cab driver to leave me there—however this worked out, it was going to be dangerous and he’d done enough for me.