Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 Irina Spasky's thumb hovered over the SEND button on her phone. She couldn't seem to bring herself to make the call. She took a deep breath and put the phone back in the pocket of her thin black coat. The Kabras can wait, she thought, turning away from Alexander Palace. Irina began to walk, alone as usual, toward the pond at the other side of the palace grounds. She had watched Dan and Amy enter the palace, seen them run out toward that wreck of a car they'd purchased. They had been laughing. That bothered her. They were happy, these two. They would get into their tiny automobile and continue on until, eventually, they would lead Irina to trouble of the worst kind. A Lucian double agent. Perhaps a Madrigal. They'd found something in the palace, this much was obvious. They were in deeper trouble

than they realized. It doesn't have to end badly, she tried to convince herself. Another child flashed before her eyes, younger, blonder. Why do I remember him best as a toddler? She remembered little of the last days, and almost nothing about the funeral. Almost everything had faded away but the weather. She would never forget the low, oppressive clouds and soft snow as they lowered the casket into the ground. Since then, there had been too many days and nights alone, too much time to think, and far too much compromised. Lose a child, and you lose your soul. Irina took the phone in her hand again and this time she didn't hesitate to press the button. "Finally," snapped Ian Kabra. "Have we got anything to worry about?" "Yes," said Irina. She'd arrived at the pond and stood staring into the algae-covered water. "Someone helps them. Someone high up in the Lucian branch. It must be." "What makes you think so?" Ian asked. "They've just left Alexei's Playroom. They must

know about the Lucian connection to the Romanovs." "Make sure they don't find themselves in possession of sensitive material. You know what's at stake. One step closer and you'll have to remove them." "I know." Irina paused, but the temptation to goad was too strong. "It won't be just me your father punishes," she warned softly, and clicked off her phone. At least she wasn't being asked to do anything too drastic to the children yet. She took a device out of her pocket and turned it on. A small screen came to life. "Where are you off to now, Dan and Amy Cahill?" she said. Irina had already placed the coordinates from the parking lot into the device. A distant satellite beamed images onto her screen, zooming in closer and closer until the top of a blue car came into view. "Not bad," Irina said, pleased with the clever device the Lucians had only recently put into use

in the field. The car was blurry and lacking detail on the screen, but the tiny blue top was unmistakable. This will be easier than I thought. Irina got in her own car, keeping the blue on- screen as she took chase. Two minutes later, the small car turned right. "Off the main road," she mumbled, seeing Dan and Amy turn off the highway. "You two are full of surprises." A few minutes later, Irina had unexpectedly caught up, finding herself on a one-lane dirt road. She no longer needed the satellite viewer because she was quickly overtaking the small car. She hadn't intended to get so close to Amy and Dan, and she certainly didn't want them spotting her. But the road was narrow, with plowed-over fields on both sides, and she had a big car. What was worse, the blue car had stopped and was turning around. This will be complicated, thought Irina as the little car zoomed closer. It was going way too fast, as if the driver was planning to slam right into her front grill. Irina threw her car into reverse and

began backing down the dirt road. "Stop, you maniacs!" she screamed. Her car fishtailed violently, caught the edge of a big rock, and spun out into the thick, tilled farmland. The blue car buzzed up to Irina and screeched to a halt. Its driver was a gray-bearded man whose smile revealed a missing front tooth. "Who gave you this car? Where did they go?" Irina screeched in Russian, rolling down her window. The man nodded with some enthusiasm, which made Irina wonder if he had understood her questions. She peered into the empty backseat. "Tell me, you idiot!" Irina screamed. The name-calling seemed to upset the driver and his smile evaporated. "Americans," he began. "Gave me ten thousand rubles plus the car in exchange." "Exchange for what?" yelled Irina. "My truck," said the man. "What color was the truck? Which way did they go? Skazhi!" Irina should have known better than to hound an old Russian farmer. He was not amused by her

angry tone, and he stared into the farmland as if he were made of iron. Irina reached into her pocket and pulled out a small revolver. Her eye was twitching furiously, but when she turned back to the car it widened in shock. The old farmer had slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, shooting a plume of dust and mud through her open window. Chunks of farm road flew into Irina's face. She threw her car into gear and hit the gas, but the soft tilled earth she'd backed into gave way and her rear wheels dug in. She was stuck. Irina coughed and spit, trying to clear all the mud from her mouth. The gunk in her eyes and mouth wasn't nearly as bad as the awful truth. I've lost them. "Do you think we've lost her for good?" asked Dan. It had been his idea to enlist the help of the farmer walking along the dirt road. Dan's backpack full of money was coming in handy in more ways than he could have imagined. "I have no idea, but I don't think I can stay in