carrying the virus； but there hadn't been time to safely arrest him in London。 Maybe the British had refused to go along。 Maybe Smith was allowing him to get back home because he needed the time to establish a controlled situation at Dulles。 They would fall on him as soon as he disembarked。。。。
Treloar pulled the blanket up closer under his chin。 Back in the sunshine and safety of Houston； Reed's plan had sounded so easy； so perfect。 Yes； there was an element of danger； but it was infinitesimally small pared to the rewards he stood to reap。 And before the danger； there had been the delights of Moscow。
Treloar shook his head。 He had memorized what it was he was supposed to do upon arrival at Dulles。 Now； Smith's unexplained presence had turned a careful plan to ashes。 Guidance； explanations； reassuring words were needed。
Reaching out from under the blanket； Treloar pulled out the inflight phone。 At this point in the operation； munications were strictly forbidden。 But with Smith only a few feet away that rule no longer applied。 Treloar fumbled with his credit card and scanned it in the slot cut into the hand unit。 Seconds later； the transaction was approved and he was on…line。
The room next to Randi's office had been set up as a small conference center； plete with the latest audio…visual equipment； flatscreen monitors； and a professional video/DVD…editing unit that rivaled anything found in Disney's animation department。 On most Friday afternoons； the staff would get together； eat junk food； and watch the latest movies on DVD courtesy of Amazon。
Sitting next to Sasha Rublev； Randi watched as the gangly teenager used the editing and enhancement software to massage the blurred image of the face on the tape。 Sasha hadn't moved from the puter for hours。 Every now and again he stopped just long enough to chug down a Coke； then； fortified； he'd return to his task。
All the while Randi had been nothing more than a silent observer。 She was fascinated how Sasha coaxed pixel after pixel out of what appeared to be nothing more than a smudge。 Little by little the image of a man's face came into focus。
Sasha made one final pass at the keyboard； then rolled his head to work out the kinks in his neck。
〃That's it； Randi；〃 he said。 〃I can't get it any better。〃
Randi squeezed his shoulder。 〃You did great。〃
She stared at the picture of a fleshy face punctuated by puffy cheeks and thick lips。 The eyes were the most startling features： large and egg…shaped； they seemed to bulge from their sockets。
〃He's an ugly man。〃
Randi started at the sound of Sasha's voice。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃He looks like a troll。 There's something evil about him。〃 He paused。 〃The train station。。。？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Randi replied truthfully。 She gave Sasha a quick hug。 〃Thank you。 You've been a great help。 I need a couple minutes to finish up in here and then we'll go get us some Egg McMuffins。 Okay？〃
Sasha pointed to the laptop and the cell phone on the conference table。 〃What about those？〃
Randi smiled。 〃Maybe later。〃
As soon as she was alone； Randi established a secure E…link with the embassy's senior foreign service officer who was； in fact； the CIA station chief。 As soon as he acknowledged her； she fired off an urgent request for any and all information about the man whose photo would follow。
Randi fed a printout of the image into the fax machine and； checking her watch； thought that she should get a reply in about thirty minutes。 As she reached for her purse； she thought of Jon Smith and wondered why this 〃ugly〃 man was so important to him。
〃Stay calm； Adam。 Just stay calm。〃'
Adam Treloar sat jammed into the corner of his spacious window seat。 He was grateful for the privacy afforded in the first…class cabin and the drone of the engines。 Nonetheless he spoke in whispers。
〃What am I supposed to do； Price？〃 he demanded。 〃Smith is onboard this plane。 I saw him！〃
Anthony Price swiveled his chair to face the windows fitted with bulletproof； one…way glass。 He chose a random point in the sky and fixed his gaze on it。 Then he emptied his mind of everything except the issue at hand。
〃But he hasn't seen you； has he？〃 he said； trying to sound as reassuring as possible。 〃And he won't。 Not as long as you're careful。〃
〃But what's he doing here in the first place？〃
Price would have dearly loved to know that。
〃I'm not sure；〃 he said carefully。 〃As soon as we're through I'll start checking。 But remember： Smith is not your concern。 And there is absolutely no reason for him to be interested in you。〃
〃Don't lie to me！〃 Treloar hissed。 〃You think I don't know about Smith's role in the Hades horror？〃
〃Smith is no longer with USAMRIID；〃 Price replied。 〃And here's something you may not know： his fiancée was killed during Hades。 Her sister works in Moscow for a venture capital firm。〃
〃Are you saying Smith was there for personal reasons？〃
〃Could well be。〃
〃I don't know。。。〃 Treloar muttered。 〃I don't like coincidence。〃
〃But sometimes that's all it is；〃 Price said soothingly。 〃Adam； listen to me。 I have you flagged at Dulles。 You'll breeze through customs and immigration。 One of our people will be waiting for you with a car。 You're home free。 So just relax。〃
〃Just make sure nothing goes wrong。 If they find…〃
〃Adam！〃 Price said sharply。 〃We don't need to get into that。〃
〃Sorry。。。〃
〃Call me as soon as you're in the car。 And don't worry。〃
Price broke the connection。 Treloar had always been the weak link in the chain。 But also indispensable。 He was the only member of the pact who had established a reason for going to Russia on a regular basis。 He was also a scientist who knew how to handle smallpox。 But that didn't stop Price； who hated the weak； from despising him。
〃Just make it home； Adam；〃 he whispered to the sky。 〃Make it home and you will certainly get your just rewards。〃
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After leaving the Washington city limits； Nathaniel Klein drove along U。S。 15 until he reached Thurmont； Maryland。 There he took Route 77； slipped past Hagerstown； and followed Hunting Creek until he reached the Catoctin Mountain Park Visitors Center。 Skirting the forest ranger's station； he headed up two…lane blacktops until he came to a sign that read NO STOPPING； SLOWING； TURNING OR STANDING HERE。 To reinforce the message； an army Humvee rattled off the shoulder and into the middle of the road。
Klein pulled over his nondescript Buick sedan； lowered his window； and held out his ID。 The officer； who had been alerted to expect Klein； scanned the card。 Satisfied； he instructed Klein to proceed。 As soon as he was under way； the car phone sounded。
〃Klein here。〃
〃Kirov in Moscow。 How are you； sir？〃
By the sounds of it； better than you。 But all he said was； 〃Fine； General。〃
〃I have information。〃 There was a slight hesitation； as if the Russian was trying to find the right words。 Finally； they came out in a rush： 〃Beria made it to St。 Petersburg； just as you suspected。 Frankly； I am at a loss to understand how this is possible。〃
〃You're sure？〃 Klein demanded。
〃Positive。 A bus driver was stopped at a checkpoint on the Moscow…St。 Petersburg highway。 He was shown a photograph and identified Beria。〃
〃How far outside St。 Petersburg was this checkpoint？〃
〃A little bit of luck here： only an hour。 I immediately concentrated my resources in the city； particularly the airport。 No American carriers had left up to that point。〃
Klein breathed a little easier。 Wherever Beria was going； it wasn't here。
〃But there was a Finnair flight that left almost ten hours ago；〃 Kirov said。 〃It's carrying an American tour group。〃
Klein closed his eyes。 〃And？〃
〃The immigration officer remembers the tour leader giving him a stack of passports。 He took his time going through them。 One of the names caught his attention because it was a Russian name on an American passport。 Ivan Beria now calls himself John Strelnikov。 If the Finnair flight is on schedule； it will land at Dulles in fifteen minutes。〃
Klein stared through the windshield at the lodges ing into view。
〃General； I'll have to call you back。〃
〃I understand。 Godspeed to you； sir。〃
Klein drove past the rustic dwellings