Finally, the Polish intelligence officer spoke. “I think we may have found the upgrade kits for your illegal missiles.”
CHAPTER 24
* * *
She didn’t like that Kopec had used the word “illegal,” nor did she like the way he had said it. He was setting her up for something; she could sense it, but she didn’t let on. “What did you find?” she asked.
Taking out his phone, he opened a folder, and then slid the device across the table to her. “Feel free to scroll through.”
Ryan did. There were multiple still photos, beginning with the CCTV footage of the theft. Though the thieves’ faces were not visible, their robbery was. The cameras had made it all possible. The van the thieves were driving, as well as its license plate, could be seen as clear as day.
“This is terrific,” she remarked. “Were you able to trace the vehicle?”
“It turns out that it was stolen, but keep going.”
Ryan scrolled through the pictures of a barn that followed. Inside was the van. “Oh, my God, you found it.”
He shook his head. “It had been abandoned. They hid it inside the barn, hoping to delay its discovery. Keep going.”
Ryan did, and in the next series of photos saw a stack of empty U.S. Army crates that had been left behind.
“I had my people go over everything—the van and the crates,” said Kopec. “They wiped everything down. They couldn’t find any clues.”
“How did they find the barn in the first place?”
“I had put a flag on the stolen vehicle. When a local reported finding it, my team was alerted and they stepped in.”
Ryan lowered her voice. “Have you told anyone what was in those crates?”
“No, but we had to pay the local police to forget they had ever been called to the barn.”
“Money well spent,” she replied
“Indeed,” said the Pole, nodding as he poured himself another shot.
“So what do you think happened?” Ryan asked.
“I think they had another vehicle waiting. I think they transferred the upgrade kits and took off.”
“For where?”
Kopec shook his head and raised his hands, palms up. “Who knows? It could be anywhere.”
“Come on, Artur. You must have some idea.”
“All I have are guesses.”
“So guess,” she encouraged.
“Belarus.”
Ryan looked at him. “You think they left Poland?”
“The spot where the van was discovered is near a known smuggling area. It’s not as bad as parts of your border with Mexico, but we have some of the same problems—drugs, sex trafficking, those kinds of things.”
“Damn it,” she replied. “If those upgrade kits were taken into Belarus, they might as well have been taken into Russia.”
“I agree. It’s not good. But it’s also not hopeless.”
“What do you mean?”
“There may be something we can do,” said Kopec.
“In Belarus?”
The Pole nodded. “It won’t be cheap, though.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’m going to need ten times the money.”
Ryan didn’t bat an eye. “I’m still listening.”
“And I’m going to need a piece of insurance.”
“What kind of insurance?”
As he had done when identifying his luxury caviar, Kopec leaned forward and lowered his voice. “You’re going to need to give me Matterhorn.”
CHAPTER 25
* * *
Ryan quickly glanced around the lounge to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.
She then focused back on Kopec and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The man laughed. “Which is why your entire body tensed at the mention of his name and you quickly looked around the room.”
“Are you crazy? We can’t talk about this out in the open.”
“We don’t have a choice. Not if you want to prevent those upgrade kits from finding their way to the Russians.”
Ryan fixed him with an icy stare. “This is blackmail.”
“This is business.”
“You know what, Artur? I thought we had a better relationship than this.”
“Our business is built on favors, Lydia. You are asking me for one and in return, I am asking one of you.”
“Certainly. But Matterhorn? I can’t trade favors for that.”
“You have asked me not to tell my government what I am doing for you. Further, I now need to send my people into Belarus and very carefully exploit my network there. And let me tell you, it will not be easy. If word gets out, the Russians will outbid, outmuscle, and outdestroy anyone who stands between them and proof that the United States has reintroduced cruise missiles into Europe in violation of the INF treaty. That alone could kick off World War III. But couple it with the fact that an untold number of your missiles are nuclear-tipped? That could very well be game over.”
“Pick something else, Artur. Anything else. You’ve said this will cost one hundred grand. Make it five hundred. We won’t care where the money goes. Do with it as you see fit.”
The Polish intelligence officer shook his head as he loaded another blini. “You can’t put a price on an asset like Matterhorn, especially for Poland.”
“I understand,” replied Ryan. “But Matterhorn is not mine to give.”
Popping the blini into his mouth, he let her words hang in the air above the table, as he took his time chewing and then swallowing.
“There has to be another arrangement we can come to,” she said, breaking the number one rule about not rushing to fill uncomfortable silences.
“The missiles are your insurance policy against the Russians,” Kopec insisted. “Matterhorn will be ours.”
Ryan began to argue, but the Pole held up his hand. “Think about what you are asking me to do. Matterhorn is one asset, Lydia. That’s all, but he could be the difference between life and death for Poland.”
“I can’t bargain with you over Matterhorn because we don’t know who the hell Matterhorn is.”
Kopec, who was normally quite good at playing his cards close to his vest, appeared genuinely startled. “That’s impossible.”
“Well, welcome to my new world,” she said, as she decided that she wouldn’t go straight back to the office. Turning her glass over, she pushed it forward.
Slowly, he poured a vodka for her, but perhaps thinking better of it, chose not to pour one for himself and set the bottle back down on the table. “Walk me through this,” he said.
Tossing back the shot, Ryan took another look around the room and then leaned forward. “As you know, Matterhorn was recruited and run by Carlton.”
Kopec nodded. “That’s how he explained it.”
“Only a handful of people were ever aware of his existence,” she continued. “The Russians thought Matterhorn was spying for them, and he was. But in addition to legitimate intelligence, he was also feeding them a lot of misinformation as well, specifically about NATO.”