Deep Cover, page 30
She leaned down and placed her hand under Shelby's chin urging it up, then brought her lips down to meet her partner's mouth - savoring the feel, wondering if it would be the last one she would ever share with Shelby, and memorizing each sensation.
Shelby relished the feelings suffusing her body, and conveyed her own love for Kris through the simple contact that had started as a gentle kiss and became so much more.
All of each woman's hopes and fears and doubts were conveyed to the other, neither wishing to relinquish the contact until taking a breath ceased to be a choice.
Kris rested her chin on Shelby's head, enjoying the feel her partner's face resting against her breasts. She could feel their hearts beating in unison, and once their breathing slowed, she greedily bent her head down seeking the sensuous lips for another stolen moment.
Parting again, they gazed into each other's eyes. Words weren't necessary. Their body language spoke volumes as they leaned against each other.
When the doorbell sounded, Kris reluctantly released Shelby and let the two agents in. The moment Shelby had been dreading had arrived. She tried unsuccessfully to stop the tears from filling her eyes, and her voice catching, she said, "Be careful."
Kris tried to quirk a half smile, but failed miserably. Her own heart heavy, she just nodded and walked down the steps to whatever destiny fate had in store for her.
* * *
Sergei sat on one of the comfortable couches in the living room of the safe house. Blue had called him late that morning and said she had the password, but she insisted on seeing her mother when she gave it to him. The Russian had readily agreed to let her see her mother at the time of the exchange. What she didn't know was she'd get the added benefit of watching her mother die before he killed her. It would be a satisfying evening and a great victory for his homeland, because the password would allow them access to even the most sensitive information.
Sergei thought over the conversation. Of course, he'd agreed to all of her terms and arranged for Markov and Gregor to pick her up and bring her here. He wanted to ensure that she came alone and had warned Markov to be especially alert for any tails.
Fully appreciating his opponent's skill, Sergei considered his defense again. He had six of his best men in place. Only two of them would be visible. The other four were hidden in the house - two assigned to windows on opposite sides of the house to watch for suspicious vehicles approaching from either direction, one guarding Blue's mother, and the other in the adjoining room. He didn't expect Blue to launch an attack with her mother in the house, but Sergei knew overconfidence was the biggest downfall of people in his line of work and he didn't intend to be caught unprepared.
* * *
Earl had put two teams on alert, and they had been in place within 30 minutes of receiving the address from Blue. He put a pair of binoculars to his eyes, carefully searching the windows of the safe house for any activity. His vigilance paid off when a curtain moved minutely on an upstairs window.
Blue had relayed Gregor's report that in addition to himself and a driver, at least five more Russian agents and Sergei would be present at the safe house.
Earl's options were limited because he had to wait until Blue gave the signal, but he had four agents out of sight on the roof of the target structure. When he gave the order, they would rappel through the upstairs windows, taking out the guards on that level. He planned a simultaneous entry at both doors, with snipers covering the windows.
Earl tensed as a blue Ford Taurus pulled into the driveway and the three passengers disembarked. Poised for action, he relayed their arrival to his team.
* * *
Blue walked into the house between Gregor and Markov, and saw Sergei sitting on the couch smiling.
"I'm so glad we've come to an understanding. I really didn't want to kill your mother after your nice reunion."
Keeping her voice expressionless, Blue asked, "Where is she?"
"She'll be joining us once you give me the password." Sergei smiled coldly, knowing the agent wouldn't agree, but having fun at her expense.
Blue refused to be baited, and shrugged. "That isn't the deal."
Sergei eyes turned cold. "You still don't understand who's in charge here, do you?"
Meeting the cold eyes with a glare, she said, "What are you going to do? Try and beat it out of me. Did you forget the lessons you taught me?" Having made her point, Blue crossed her arms. "Let's cut the shit and get down to business."
The Russian smiled, imagining the slow, torturous death he had planned for his one time protégé. He glanced at Markov and nodded. "Get her."
Blue's demeanor was calm, but every muscle was tense, alerted by the adrenaline surging through her body. Her mother appeared a short time later, flanked by Markov and another agent.
Her only weapon was a small .38 tucked into her waistband, just out of sight, beneath her jacket. She had to get closer to her mother. Ignoring Sergei, she asked, "Are you okay?" and began walking toward her mother.
Sergei stood and blocked her way. "Oh no. First the password."
The operative narrowed her eyes and spat, "Leprechaun." Then pushing past the Russian, she approached her mother drawing her into a hug while activating the transmitter she'd installed on her cell phone. Markov and the other agent glanced at their boss, awaiting orders.
Sergei watched the reunion with interest. It never failed to amaze him how family could render otherwise effective operatives helpless. This was going to be an enjoyable killing. Deciding the reunion had lasted long enough, he said, "One more thing." Waiting for Blue to turn around, he began pulling out his weapon as the front door crashed open.
Blue swept Masha's feet from beneath her and threw her weight against the older woman, drawing her weapon as they fell to the floor, and ignoring her mother's grunt at the hard landing. The sounds of gunfire echoed through the room, and the operative targeted the agent nearest her mother, inflicting a leg wound that dropped him to the floor in agony.
She quickly located Sergei behind the couch, vaguely aware of shots being fired in the upper levels of the house. Unwilling to leave her mother, she carefully aimed for his arm, hoping to incapacitate him and end the gun battle. Before she could squeeze off a shot, Blue watched in horror as the Russian's head exploded, splattering the couch and floor around him with blood and gray matter.
She heard her mother gasp, and felt the older woman's heart thundering in her ears at the carnage in front of them. Tracking the direction of the shot with her own weapon, she saw Gregor drop his gun as one of Earl's agents fired a round into his bicep.
Her heart sank, knowing she'd just lost her biggest bargaining chip.
CHAPTER 18
SHELBY ALMOST TRIPPED over Stormy on her way to the door. Glancing out the peephole, she opened the door to admit Earl and a statuesque woman who was obviously Kris' mother.
Walking into the apartment, Earl turned to the woman standing next to him, and said, "This is Shelby. You'll be staying here." He glanced at Shelby. "This is Masha, Kris' mother."
Shelby smiled briefly at the stranger before meeting Earl's eyes. "Kris?"
"She's on her way to Langley..."
"Is she okay?"
Earl nodded. "She's fine. I've got to get down there for the debriefing." He nodded dismissively at the two agents that had been assigned to protect Shelby. "I've got a new team outside."
Turning back to Shelby, he said, "You and Masha will be under constant surveillance. He handed her a cell phone. Just press the number one if you need anything at all."
Shelby shook her head, sensing Earl was holding something back. "Wait! What's going to happen now?"
Meeting the analyst's worried eyes, Earl answered honestly, "I don't know." He raised a hand to forestall her when Shelby started to ask another question. "I'm not at liberty to discuss anything further."
Frustrated, Shelby curtailed her questions, understanding Earl's position. At least Kris' request that Masha stay with her had been honored.
"I'll be in touch." Earl stood in the entranceway, hesitated a moment, then met the analyst's gaze. "Your debriefing will be at 10:00 tomorrow morning."
Shelby nodded, locked the door behind Earl, then turned her full attention to Masha noticing how tense and pale her face was. Her heart went out to the older woman, knowing how traumatic all of this had to be to the Russian.
Not sure what her guest could understand, she pointed to herself and said, "I'm Shelby." She then gestured toward the couch. "Let's go sit down."
Once Masha was sitting, Shelby said, "Can I get you something to drink?" She accompanied her words with hand gestures and smiled when Masha nodded.
She returned with a glass of iced tea for each of them and handed one to Kris' mother. "Do you understand any English?"
Masha gazed at the worried, friendly woman speaking to her. "Little." She raised her hand, pantomimed writing, and smiled when Shelby got up and returned a moment later with a tablet and pen.
She began laboriously writing in English, struggling to describe what had happened in the foreign language. Finishing a short time later, she handed the paper to Shelby.
"I was brought from my room to where Natasha was waiting for me. We hugged. My daughter knocked me down. Many guns. Sergei is dead, shot in the head by another Russian who I saw before at the house. Natasha went with the Americans. I was brought here."
Shelby felt her stomach tighten as she read. Her voice sounding hollow, she asked in disbelief, "Sergei is dead?"
Masha nodded, instinctively reaching for the younger woman's hand. In halting English, she said, "Natasha..." breaking off frustrated when she couldn't find the words to assure her companion that her daughter hadn't been hurt.
Understanding what Masha was trying to say, Shelby said, "Natasha is okay." She was devastated at the news of Sergei's death. He had been Kris' ace in the hole and his murder threw her partner's deal into jeopardy. Her fears for the operative escalated rapidly, as did the throbbing in her head at all the unanswered questions.
"Shelby?"
Her name sounding strange with the Russian inflection, Shelby squeezed Masha's hand, determined to be strong for Kris' mother's sake, even as she resolved to insist on some answers the next day.
Knowing there was nothing she could do that night, she gestured for Masha to follow her. She gave her a towel and washcloth and showed her where the bathroom was. Then, she led her to the bedroom and gestured toward the bed.
Masha shook her head. "No." She pointed at Shelby, then at the bed.
Shelby couldn't bear the thought of sleeping in her bed alone and her voice pleasant, but firm, she said, "Masha."
The Russian didn't understand why the American would give up her bed to a stranger, but she understood Shelby's message and nodded. She watched curiously as Shelby walked over and picked up a large unicorn before leaving the room.
Shelby made up the couch and sat down, placing the unicorn on the floor by the couch. She was too worried to fall asleep. When Shelby finally did doze, her rest was fitful; and she found herself pacing the floor long into the night, setting up a pattern that would become repetitious in the nights to follow.
Even Stormy fled to the refuge of the bedroom, unwilling to share the couch with her unhappy, restless owner.
The next morning, Shelby made breakfast for Masha and herself, but only picked at her own. Showing the Russian how to turn on the TV, she explained in writing that she had to go to work, but would return in a few hours. She intended to take a few days off to get Kris' mother settled and into some sort of a routine before returning to work full time. Hopefully, her partner would be released shortly and help with Masha's transition to American life.
Later that morning, frustrated, Shelby walked out of Earl's office. The brief, superficial questions Earl had asked her about everything that had happened hadn't made sense. Of even more concern was his refusal to answer any of her questions about Kris.
Suddenly, the cursory nature of the questioning became crystal clear. When Kris had been debriefed, she'd protected her and made sure she wasn't considered culpable in any way. Unbidden tears came to her eyes as Shelby realized that Kris was still looking after her, while she couldn't do anything to help the woman she loved.
In the week that followed, neither Shelby nor Masha were allowed any contact with Kris. And somehow, the CIA had managed to keep the entire incident quiet. There had been absolutely no mention in the news media other than a small blurb about an accidental shooting at the Russian embassy resulting in the death of a high embassy official.
The only progress at all was the arrival in the mail of an immigration packet addressed to Masha. Shelby explained each form to the Russian and helped her fill out the paperwork. The brief flare of hope that the packet had signified as part of Kris' deal, soon died with the continuing silence about her partner's whereabouts or status.
Shelby glanced over at the Russian as she drove to her mother's house. Lisa and Masha planned to visit while Shelby went grocery shopping. The two older women had met earlier in the week when she'd visited and her mother had suggested she drop Masha off while she went to the store.
After Shelby left, Lisa smiled at Masha and invited her to sit at the table, fetching them both a cup of coffee. Shelby had been teaching Masha to speak English and Lisa was amazed at how quickly the Russian was learning to speak the words she could write.
"Have you heard from Natasha?" Lisa had learned from Shelby that Natasha was Kris' real name and Masha had spoken of their long-term separation when she'd first met the Russian.
Masha turned worried blue eyes toward Lisa. "No. I am worried for her."
Lisa said reassuringly, "She's just busy on a case. Sometimes, I don't see Shelby for weeks at a time."
The Russian nodded. She understood that Lisa was trying to make her feel better, but she was distressed. It had already been a week, and even though she'd written a letter that Shelby had taken to work to be delivered, her daughter had not responded.
When she and Shelby had visited Lisa earlier in the week, the discussion had turned to Jonathan, and Lisa's hope that he would not contact her again.
Turning the conversation to her new friend, Masha asked, "Have you heard from Jonathan?"
Lisa shook her head, then smiled when Masha said, "Good! He bad man."
"He needs help." Lisa shook her head. "I still can't believe he hurt Shelby."
"Shelby good daughter. I like her."
The simple comment brought tears to Lisa's eyes. Yes, Shelby was a good daughter. She wished she had been a better mother.
Lisa looked at Masha, and asked the question Shelby had refused to answer. "Is Natasha American?" She was still trying to make sense of why Kris' mother was here and the operative wasn't.
Masha gazed into the kind eyes, sensing only friendliness. "Yes. She Russian, too."
"Why did she change her name?"
"Kris spy. She do what she think good."
Lisa's eyes narrowed. "Is she a Russian spy?"
Masha answered emphatically, "No. She American." Shelby had explained what Kris had done, and she was very proud of Natasha for standing up for what she believed was right.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
The Russian reached over and laid her hand on Lisa's, smiling. "Okay."
When Shelby returned to pick Masha up an hour later, the older women were deep in a cheerful, if slightly one-sided conversation. As they left, she promised her mother they'd return for a visit over the weekend.
* * *
Shelby anxiously walked into Earl's office. He had called and requested to see her. "You asked to see me."
"Yes. There have been some developments on the case and we're pulling the agents off of surveillance. We found out Michael was responsible for all the attacks against you, including the shooting at the mall. He's in custody now and no longer a threat to you or Kris' mother."
"What about Kris? Where is she?"
Earl adopted an intimidating stance, looking pointedly into the worried green eyes. "That is not your concern. I want you to quit asking everyone up the chain of command about her. Just drop it."
Shelby stared at Earl. "What do you mean drop it?" Knowing Earl was aware of just how close they'd become, she voiced a more business-like argument. "She was my partner. Her mother is staying with me. Surely her mother has a right to know."
Earl empathized with Shelby's concern. In truth, he didn't even know the details of Kris' status or how long she would be held, but his superiors had insisted he curtail the analyst's queries. "You don't have a choice. We can always place Masha in custody while her paperwork is processing."
Shelby pursed her lips, glaring at Earl, and biting off a retort. She didn't want to do anything to jeopardize Kris' mother.
"You did a good job on this case. Michael was the assassin. It was your astute observation that was the catalyst in breaking this case. Congratulations."
Any other time, Shelby would've been thrilled to receive such high praise from a Director, but it was meaningless now. Still angry, she said curtly, "Thank you."
Earl sighed, his hands tied. "Do you have any other questions?"
Knowing they wouldn't be answered, Shelby said, "No," and left the office, unshed tears of frustration springing to her eyes. She knew she should feel some satisfaction that Michael had been apprehended, but it was diminished because her partner remained in custody as well.
* * *
Irritated, Shelby tossed down the newspaper. She stood up and started pacing, ending up in the dining room in front of her cabinet of mythical figures. She glanced over at Masha who was watching TV.
It was Saturday, a full two weeks since she'd last seen Kris, and her patience had run out. Reviewing her limited options, she decided to request a meeting with Earl and Dennis on Monday and threaten to leak the case to the newspapers. Silence was not helping her partner's cause, and considering the CIA's fear of bad publicity, threatening to go public just might.
