Glen Allen - The shadow war

"I thought you were dead, " Benjamin said with some pique. "Why couldn't you let me know you weren't?"

Wolfe leaned back in his chair. "I know you're not military, Benjamin, but let me explain it this way. The best way for a fighter pilot to shoot down his adversary is from behind, on his tail. And the best way to get on his enemy's tail is while that enemy is chasing somebody else's tail, focusing his attention forward."

"So I was a decoy?" Benjamin said, with obvious distaste.

"Not at all," Wolfe said. "Everything you did was vitally necessary. And something I couldn't have done myself. They never would have let me get this far. Hauser would have been unchained a lot sooner. As I told you at the Foundation, they were letting us serve as the hounds, to chase out the fox. The fox being Leverotov's journal, if it existed. I'm not sure they believed it did. But with me out of the picture, they gave you your head, let you pursue the leads." He tossed off his vodka, absentmindedly held out his glass for Nikolai to refill it. "And while they were pursuing you, I could pursue them. "

"You mean, you were following me the whole time?"

"I knew you would go to D.C. and look up either Anton or Natalya, or both. And I knew you would visit the library. Meanwhile I could keep a watchful eye on you, make sure they didn't press too close. But you were a shade too clever and nearly fouled that up."

"What do you mean?"

"A friend of mine was keeping tabs on you in the Library of Congress. That was a nice trick you did, giving him the slip."

"That was your friend?" Benjamin said with alarm.

Wolfe nodded. "That panicked me for a while, when he called and said you'd disappeared. I thought maybe Hauser had reeled you in after all. But that didn't make sense; you hadn't made contact with Ms. Orlova yet."

"Then you didn't know about Nikolai's 'relics'?"

Wolfe shook his head. "No, nobody did. Not even Fletcher. They were the key nobody knew existed. Except Nikolai."

"And I didn't know what lock they are key for," Nikolai said. "Each of us has piece of puzzle, but nobody has whole puzzle."

"A puzzle leading to that box you so heroically retrieved," Wolfe said. "A box of great interest to a great many people- if it existed."

Benjamin saw his glass was full again. The throbbing in his shoulder had stopped, so he drank off the vodka. This time it didn't burn at all. Perhaps, he thought, he was acclimating to vodka the same way he had to scotch.

"So that man on St. Honorat who gave us the passports," Benjamin said. "That friend of Guy's. He was really sent by you?"

Wolfe looked askance at Anton, who ignored him, then back at Benjamin. "Uh, no, he wasn't one of mine… but I imagine he wasn't one of Hauser's, either. Right, Anton?"

Anton looked at him, huffed, and said only one word. "Obvious."

Benjamin thought back, looked at Anton suspiciously. "Hauser said they had Dr. Fletcher's computer back. You didn't give it to them?"

Anton wiggled his hand. "Sort of," he said. "I explain. Samuel calls me, while you driving to D.C., tells me everything, figures maybe I can finish TEACUP program. But without knowing what diary and Stzenariy 55 are, only get little closer. Samuel decide, make copy of program, let them have computer, then they leave me alone, follow you."

"And how did you do that?" asked Benjamin.

"Well," said Wolfe, "they didn't want to inform the authorities you'd skipped from the Foundation with sensitive information, not unless they could control who found you. But a well-placed phone call, the police show up, find Anton gone, the computer there with the Foundation's name on it…" Wolfe opened his arms as if to say "problem solved."

Now Benjamin actually was beginning to get angry.

"Then why didn't you contact us in Dubna? Why didn't you get to Nikolai, explain what was going on?"

"Ah," said Wolfe. "The best-laid plans. I never imagined Ms. Orlova would be so resourceful." He saluted her with his glass. "It took us a while to track you to Nice, and then Anton came up with her connection to Dubna, and Nikolai, from Myorkin's letter. We got to Dubna, yes, and went to Nikolai's. But he'd already left."

"And that's how I almost betray you," said Nikolai. "In Moscow, when I'm changing planes for Krasnoyarsk, two guys appear, one with FSB badge, beard, dark skin, other very tall, blond hair…"

"Hauser," said Benjamin.

"Exactly so," answered Nikolai. "They told me they have my daughter, and unless I tell them what I told you, they will kill her. Like a fool, I believe them. They bring me here, hide me in Uzhur when you and Natalya arrive."

"So Hauser bribed Boris," Benjamin said. "That betrayal I understand." He turned and glared at Natalya. "But yours?"

Natalya looked as though she might start cursing again, but Nikolai interrupted her.

"You do not understand. They tell Natalya the same thing. I am here, and unless she helps them get the treasure of shakhta thirty-four, they will kill me. "

He turned to Natalya. "I heard you and Boris talking that night. That's what he told you? That they had your father?"

Natalya nodded. "Boris promised they only wanted what was in the silo, and everyone would be safe. Like a fool," she shook tears from her eyes, "I believed them. But when I heard that shot…" She lowered her head, then raised it again. "I am very sorry, Benjamin. I…"

Benjamin held out his good arm and Natalya came to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her head against his.

After a moment, Benjamin turned to Wolfe. "And Boris?"

"We haven't had a chance to… discuss things with Boris. Hauser's shot grazed his head-"

"Lucky bastard," said Natalya with some heat.

"-and he's been unconscious since. Perhaps an overenthusiastic dose of painkiller." Wolfe frowned. "Anyway, all arrows pointed here, where it all began forty years ago."

" Shakhta thirty-four," said Nikolai.

"Then you were the one who shot Hauser?" Benjamin asked Wolfe.

Wolfe nodded. "Sorry it took two shots. I'm a bit rusty. If you hadn't wounded him in the arm…" Benjamin could see that Wolfe had, for the moment anyway, shed his cynical grin. He looked suddenly quite serious-and quite relieved. "I'm very glad you're alive, young man. That was a very brave thing you did."

Either due to the vodka or the medication, Benjamin was feeling light-headed again. He started to stand up, weaved, and fell back into the chair.

"Enough," Natalya said. "You need to rest." And she helped him to stand, walked him toward the bedroom door.

Benjamin stopped her at the door, turned around.

"Oh, by the way," he said, "I've figured out what that is." He pointed toward the metal box with LEVEROTOV stenciled on the cover that was sitting, open, on the wood plank table. "What Scenario 55 is all about."

Wolfe looked up at him. "Have you," he said. He sounded skeptical.

"From what Nikolai told us." But he was feeling weaker, and he could barely get out the rest of his thought. "It was a first-strike plan, so they could seize power… But something went wrong."

Wolfe and Anton looked at each other, smiled. Anton turned around in his chair.

"Exact opposite," he said.

"What?" Benjamin started to walk back into the room.

"Nyet," said Natalya, steering him back into the bedroom. "Later."

Once in the bedroom, she helped him to lie down on the bed, checked his bandage again, pulled the covers over him. "First you sleep, then we'll explain everything."

"Explain… what," Benjamin said. He could barely keep his eyes open.

She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

"Only the biggest fraud in history," she said.

Or that's what he thought she said. He couldn't be sure. Everything was going fuzzy and black… and then the warmth of unconsciousness closed over him.