The Project 04 - Black Harvest

Project ran for many pages.
    Her interests coincided with his own. The irony of two secretive and opposed intelligence organizations cooperating in common cause did not escape him. She had been an enemy before. She would be again. What was she now?
    He thought about her conditions. He'd meet them, for now. With one addition. He wanted Korov involved. He wanted an unfiltered source on the scene. If Harker agreed, they could make a deal. It would show sincerity on her part. She wouldn't like it. If she didn't agree there were other options.
    Demeter had to be uncovered and stopped. Demeter was also a golden opportunity to get inside a key American unit, to find out how they thought, to measure their capabilities, probe for weakness. If there was a god of espionage, he must be smiling. If their positions were reversed, if he were in Harker's place, he would have little choice. Exposure of the plot to the Kremlin raised the specter of nuclear war. She would have to agree.
    He took out the number Harker had provided and picked up his phone.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

    "A Russian?" Nick was angry. "Come on, Director."
    "Calm down, Nick. It's part of the deal. Gives us a chance to learn something. This man isn't just any Russian." She passed Korov's file over. "He's Zaslon. We've never gotten close to them before."
    Lamont and Ronnie studied Korov's picture.
    "He reminds me of my DI." Ronnie passed it to Selena.
    "He's a professional. Just like the rest of you. Special Forces, lots of combat experience. He speaks English. He won't be a drag on the team."
    "He's not part of the team. He's an outsider. I don't give a shit if he's Superman, it's my team. We're a family. This guy's the enemy. We don't even have a mission, yet." Carter felt his blood pressure rising. "Why do we need him tagging along? We don't have time to work this guy in. He doesn't know how we do things."
    Harker's eyes tightened. "Make time, Nick. This isn't an option. As far as that goes, Major Korov is highly skilled. You might learn something."
    "God damn it..."
    "That's enough, Nick."
    He threw up his hands in surrender. "I don't like it."
    "You don't have to like it. I expect your full attention and cooperation."
    "He takes orders from me."
    "That's a given. For what it's worth, Korov is the one who showed up in Bulgaria. In the church."
    "Mmm."
    "Nick, I understand. It's unheard of. There's not much trust on either side. I have to make sure Vysotsky doesn't go to the Kremlin with that video. He has to make sure we're really going after Lodge. He's sticking his neck way out here. So am I. Korov is the deal maker."
    "Does Rice know about this?"
    "No."
    "When does Comrade Korov get here?"
    "They're not comrades anymore. Today. This evening. I booked him into the Marriott. I want you and Ronnie to meet him tomorrow and bring him here."
    "You put him in a hotel? Bring him here? For Christ's sake, Director."
    "Here." She gave him a hard look. "They already know where we are and who we are. He won't see anything he doesn't already know or suspect. I want you to get a sense of who he is. Bond with him."
    "You want me to buy him a beer while I'm at it?"
    "That's a good idea. He might prefer vodka."
    Harker smiled.
    "What's so funny?"
    They all laughed.
    "Bonding and togetherness with the Russian comrade. I'll remember this."
    "I'm sure you will."

CHAPTER FORTY

    Selena opened the door to her new condo. The place was empty and clean and smelled of new construction. She loved that smell. Ready for life, full of potential, a blank canvas for new possibilities. Sunlight streamed through the windows. It filled the empty rooms with light and spilled gold over the hardwood floors.
    She closed the door and stood for a moment looking at the space. The kitchen opened onto the living area across a curving expanse of polished granite. It was one of the things she loved about the design. She walked across the room. Her footsteps echoed in the silence. The floor was on top of the building. Somewhere a siren wound through the streets far below and faded into the distance.
    Her things from San Francisco would arrive in a few days. She hadn't had time to look for furniture yet. Selena pictured the Klee on the living room wall. Or maybe in the bedroom. She'd arranged to upgrade the alarms. A former CIA operative and friend of her uncle would take care of it.
    She toured the bedrooms, the baths, came back to the kitchen. She leaned against the counter. What would it be like, living