“And mine. I felt very bad. I ask them to let me bring her to America but they say no. Our relationship, it was secret, so they say, ‘She is safe.’ I left for her safety too. I could never risk contacting her again in Moscow in case it led Kremlin to her. If I knew the American would recruit her too—I read this in your book and I’m like ‘Whoa, what?’”
“Carter? Did he know your death was staged?”
“Carter? Yes, this is his name. I see it in newspaper today. He went by different name then. And no, I don’t think he knew. When I find out Nika is in America, and dying… After all that time,in America,same as me. Not even very far from where I live. We dreamed of coming here together. For so long I try to forget her. But if you know Nika, you know that’s impossible. And here she was, dying in America.”
“How did you track her down to the hospital?”
He glanced at the driver. “We were contacted. I know someone discreet who works at Russian Embassy—that is all I can say to you. I got there straightaway, but it was too late.” He waved a hand. “But you know this. I held her hand. Her skin wasso thin, like piece of paper with veins. But she recognized me. I don’t know if that was good thing. She clutch my hand. She tell me ‘Drop dead,’ over and over. Her last words. ‘Drop dead. Drop dead.’”
“Her mind was wandering all over the place by then, so she wouldn’t have meant it. I’m surprised she had the strength to talk at all.”
“It was more whisper. But very clear what she said.”
“And that was you, at my school, in the Daisy Sparkles van?”
“We came to warn you that you are in danger, to offer to help. The FBI was watching you, so we had to be invisible. Not safe to call on phone. I read your book—good book, by the way, very exciting. Many people are talking about it. Many people want to know what more Nika knew. What more you know. Many people don’t want more information getting out.”
“‘We?’ Who’s ‘we’? What side are you even on?”
“We?” He indicated the driver. “A small group of patriots.”
“Patriotic to which country—Russia or the U.S.?”
“Ha. Both, in a way. Is complicated. We want proper democracy in Russia, like many Americans do. We want people who need to be brought to justice to be brought to justice. We want people who need to be protected to be protected.”
“You work with the CIA?”
“Oh my God, no. Too many spies for Russia in CIA. You cannot trust anyone. We have spies, they have spies, we have spies among their spies, they have spies among our spies. Is confusing. Better to work from darkness. We run sign-making business. Legit. You need a sign, you let me know. Maybe for your school?”
“Hence the ‘Daisy Sparkles.’”
“Yes, on their website, it says school is client, so we made copy of logo on magnet and stuck it to van. Easy peasy. Couple ofminutes. Security guard at school is like, ‘Yeah, whatever, go on in.’”
“Do you know what’s happened to Carter?”
“He was taken by FBI. Does he have the list—Nika’s list? Does he have her kompromat?”
“Uh.”
“We must know how much danger he is in. And how much you are in.”
“You just said no one can be trusted.”
“Except me, obviously. If he is carrying the only copy of these materials, it could be the last anyone sees of them. And him.”
“What makes you think they even exist? Or that Nika had them?”
“Rumors. But good rumors. I am hoping. Many people are hoping. Oh, and remind me to give your laptop back. We borrowed it from your classroom. There is nothing of interest on it. Good lesson plans though. I would like to be teacher. Influencing young minds. So important. Is hard when my English is so crap.”
“That’s my work laptop. I’m guessing the FBI now has my personal one.”
“Is that where kompromat is—on your own computer? And the list?”
“What do you want with this list? Isn’t it better off destroyed?”
“Destroy the only known record—outside Kremlin—of the people who are undermining everything America has done to protect itself from Russia? And you ask ifIam patriot?”
“The people who are undermining… But it’s a list of CIA personnel and agents. The people whose job it is toprotectAmerican interests—and half of the names aren’t even undercover. It might not be as valuable as you think it is—as anybody thinks it is.”
