CHAPTER 20

Prague, eleven-thirty p.m.

Eytan and Elena checked into their hotel, motorcycle helmets in hand. The receptionist, a short, plump young man, left his desk in the office behind the counter, where he had been watching a TV show on his laptop, to accommodate them. Seconds after he placed their suite’s magnetic key card on the counter, Elena snatched it up and darted toward the elevators. Like a shadow, Eytan followed close behind. She fidgeted as she waited for the doors to close and then compulsively pushed the button to their floor several times. She was more tightly wound than a Jack-in-the-box. Eytan thought it best to keep his mouth shut.

She rushed into their suite, threw her jacket on the floor, and spouted icily, “I’m taking a shower.” She disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Eytan dropped his bag with a heavy, tired sigh. He was no stranger to the fatigue that accompanied his work or the stamina and exceptional skills that it required. But he hadn’t been prepared for a fellow assassin’s mood swings and what appeared to be hurt feelings. At least he’d have the next few moments all to himself. He took off his jacket and hung it meticulously on the back of a chair. He picked up Elena’s carelessly strewn article of clothing, folded it, and placed it neatly on the couch.

He rummaged through the minibar and found a sugary soda, then sat down in an armchair and stretched out his legs. It was a rare moment of peace and quiet. He could now assess the situation What he had learned during their nighttime adventure hardly inspired optimism. If anything, it had reinforced his opinion that the days to come would be full of harsh realities. He hadn’t quite figured out why Cypher had enlisted his help and forced him into this partnership with Elena. Several theories were starting to percolate. Still, it was too soon to know for sure.

Eytan had to admit that the Amazon was a worthy ally and an impressive enemy. During their time together, he had gotten a better grasp of her personality. She was antagonistic and conniving, yes, but she was certainly more complicated than that. If she learned to manage her anger and acquired some humility, she could probably surpass him. Yet he doubted there was hope for this woman. Their collaboration would certainly meet a brutal end.

Elena appeared in the doorway. She was wearing a white cotton bathrobe, and her hair was wrapped in a blue towel. As he looked her up and down, he acknowledged a new and puzzling piece of information. He had been so consumed with the mission, he hadn’t assimilated the fact that she was a knockout.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“What’s it to you?” she snapped.

No charm. No surprise there. He stood up and eyed her scornfully.

“Let’s call Cypher. I’m beyond excited for this to be over.”

“Same,” she muttered, drying her hair with the towel.

Eytan sat down at the table, punched the number provided by the Consortium, and put the cell phone on speaker. Three rings later, he heard Cypher’s nauseatingly sweet voice.

“Hello, Mr. Morg. What’s the latest from Prague?”

“I want to hear Eli.”

After a few moments, his friend’s lively voice confirmed that he was okay. “I’m fine, Eytan. Don’t worry.”

Cypher returned. “Good, now that we’ve taken care of the formalities, shall we get back to business?”

“We know the nature of the attack but not how it was carried out,” Eytan began. “Autopsies were still underway when we intervened, but the ones that had already been completed indicated that the victims’ airways were practically liquefied. And the blood vessels in their eyes had burst.”

“Were there blisters or burn marks on the skin?”

“No. I also thought it could be mustard gas, but that doesn’t fit. According to my source, the weapon was not chemical, but viral. However, the type of virus was still undetermined. Does this imply a link to the research conducted in your lab, Cypher?” It was more of an accusation than a question.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“I had no reason to divulge the nature of the stolen strains without knowing for sure that they were involved in the Czech and Russian attacks.”

“Now you know, so I suggest that you spill everything.”

“First, you need to understand that these operations were organized by the former leadership and that I do not approve of them.”

“I don’t give a shit about your guilt trip. I want reliable information!”

Eytan was yelling, and now even Elena looked startled. She had never seen him lose control.

“The lab was working on an improved version of the Crimean-Congo virus.”

“Improved? How so?”

“Ten times more aggressive, a new method of diffusion via aerosol cans, a limited lifespan to prevent epidemics, and several other enhancements. I’ll skip the details for the sake of brevity. The goal was to create a viral weapon that could be carried in a container.”

“You’re a bunch of madmen! You make me sick.”

“That’s one of the symptoms.”

Eytan swiveled his chair to face Elena.

“Wow, the man’s got a sense of humor too!”

She shook her head. He threw up his hands and turned back to the phone.

“Developing this kind of weaponry using the stolen strains would require various resources: appropriate facilities, specific materials, a high level of expertise, and thus considerable funds. This gives us lots of new leads to work with. We’ll use your ties to the pharmaceutical industry to dig deeper.”

“I’ll take care of that, if 302 allows it,” Elena jumped in, as she leaned over the phone next to Eytan.

She questioned him with her eyes. He couldn’t help noticing an intoxicating fragrance was radiating from her skin. He caught himself inhaling. Was he crazy? Eytan collected himself and pulled away. He silently approved Elena’s proposition.

“I’m delighted to see the two of you collaborating so effectively.”

“There’s more,” Eytan responded. “We made another discovery at the scene. There was a strange motif in one of the photos. From far away, it looked like graffiti. But actually, it’s a series of ideograms, or characters. I’ll send you the photos.”

“Hmm, characters. That’s surprising, indeed. And intriguing.”

“It is, as is the rest of this story. Translate the characters as fast as possible. I’m anxious to learn what they mean. And here’s another crucial tidbit: we have every reason to believe that the Pardubice victims were not chosen by accident. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but there could be a connection between them and the studies led by the Czech laboratories. I’ve acquired a list. If you could take a look—”

“Send me the names. I’ll check. Is that all?”

“For now, yes.”

“You’ve both done great work, but we still have a lot on our plate. Get some rest. I’ll contact you as soon as I have more information.”

Cypher ended the call.

Elena went back into the bathroom.

Eytan proceeded to send the files, as he had promised. The task took a good fifteen minutes, much to his annoyance. Most things technological gave him a massive headache, and this computer was no exception. Silver lining: he wouldn’t be spending yet another night on a plane.

Elena opened the bedroom door. Eytan looked up instinctively. She had slipped out of her robe and into a white T-shirt and jeans.

“Hey, 302, how about we get a bite to eat?”

Eytan looked at her for a moment. What the hell? His whole routine—getting missions from Eli, carrying them out, and starting over again—had been shot to hell in a handbasket over the past couple of days. Eli had been kidnapped, and to save him, he had to work with this trigger-happy dragon lady. A cold beer and some sustenance, even with a woman out to kill him, was just what he needed.

“Sure, I’d like that,” he said, stretching his arms and legs.

“What do you want, 302?” she asked, scanning the room service menu.

He closed the laptop and got up from the chair.

“Call me Eytan or any other damn name that pops into your head. Just quit it with the 302.”

“Is Superman losing his legendary cool?” Elena asked, still examining the hotel’s dinner selection.

He grabbed his jacket, threw it on, and started walking toward the door. “First, to hell with my cool. And second, Superman is too hungry to fight you right now. Come on, let go for once. I’m taking you out to a real restaurant. I could use some fresh air.”

Elena let out what sounded like a sincere, delightful little laugh. Eytan was surprised at how captivating it sounded. Then she smiled. There was no trace of scorn or sarcasm. It looked genuine. Elena took a deep breath and exhaled, as though she were finally releasing all her pent-up stress and anger.

“I’m in!” she declared.

The knockout had just blown Eytan away.