The Russian's Greed, Cap Daniels [free children's online books txt] 📗

the edge ofthe adjacent bed and pulled off her shoes. “First, you must tell mewhat you learned.”

Gwynn sat up andgathered the sheet around her. “I guess you already know what’sgoing on in this place, but Sascha is creating diamonds. It’s themost incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t even bake a cake,and this guy’s baking diamonds.”

“Yes, it is amazing.I cannot understand the science.”

“Nobody canunderstand the science. Otherwise, the whole world would be cookingdiamonds instead of crystal meth. It’s clearly Sascha’s baby. Ithink he may be the actual father of the process. If not, he’s atleast its fairy godmother. He says nobody can do it in the sizes hecan. He may have just been bragging, but if he’s telling the truth,this place is a gold mine. Well, I guess it’s actually a diamondmine.”

Anya shivered. “It iscold in here. I must get beneath covers.” She undressed and slidinto the bed, then adjusted to see her partner beyond the nightstandseparating the two beds. “I have been with Shel. He is theirdiamond cutter.”

“Is he as cute asSascha?”

“Perhaps he was sixtyyears ago.”

“Oh, I see. So, whatdid you learn from this Shel guy?”

Anya surrendered to thecoming yawn. “He is not only diamond cutter. He is master of thiscraft. He made perfect recreations of the six diamonds I memorizedfrom yesterday morning.”

“How do you do that?”

“How do I do what?”

“Remember everydetail of a diamond you’ve only seen once.”

Anya turned fromenthusiastic undercover cop to a tortured little girl in an instant.“It is skill I was forced to learn as child. You know everythingabout my training at Sparrow School, as you call it.”

“Yes, that’s wherethey taught you to get anything you wanted from a man by using, we’llsay, your charms.”

“Our bodies. Not ourcharms.”

“Yes, but I wastrying to be polite.”

“It is three o’clockin morning. Time for polite ended hours ago. Anyway, when a manbegins to talk after tasting our charms, it is not possible to pressrecord button or take notes. We must remember every detail and reciteexactly what we are told to analysts. Sometimes, also, we arerequired to make mental photograph of documents and recreate thesepapers later. I excelled in this part of training. Perhaps it isbecause I was so happy to no longer be inside whore school. Using mybrain is better than other.”

Gwynn sat up straight,her interest piqued. “So, you can remember every detail ofeverything you see?”

“Not everything, butif I choose to remember every detail of one thing, I can focus onthis thing, and it will stay inside my mind for a very long time.”

“Can you teach me todo that?”

Anya smiled. “Youmust first go to Sparrow School. Obviously, you are not very good atthis because you are in hotel room with me and not in Sascha’sbed.”

Gwynn threw a pillow atAnya’s head. “Cut it out. I think he may be gay, or maybe heprefers blondes. He kept telling me how he doesn’t mix work withplay.”

Anya sat up andreturned the pillow with much better accuracy than Gwynn’s effort.“This is exactly same thing Viktor tells me.”

Gwynn shrugged. “Whoknows? Maybe they’re more than just business partners.”

Anya turned off thelamp. “I need to get some sleep. We will fly home later today withnew diamonds.”

She breathed in slow,rhythmic breaths in no time while Gwynn lay awake, piecing togetherthe puzzle of Volkov’s operation.

* * *

The sun filteredthrough the east-facing window of the small hotel room and drew Anyafrom her sleep.

Gwynn came from thebathroom with her hair in a towel. “Good morning.”

Anya rubbed at hereyes. “What time is it?”

“A quarter to nine,sleepyhead. I talked with the boys already. They’re picking us upon their way to the airport. They’ll be here around nine thirty.”

“That means I cansleep for another half hour. Try to be quiet.”

Gwynn turned on thelights and the TV. The French-speaking anchor was reading the morningnews.

Two minutes later, Anyathrew back the cover and stomped to the bathroom. She returned with atoothbrush clamped in her grip. “Do you see this?”

Gwynn looked at thebrush. “What are you going to do, brush my teeth for me?”

“No, I’m going tostab you with it as soon as I can find a way to sharpen it.”

Gwynn slapped away theweapon and stepped close to Anya. She whispered, “I was thinkingthis morning while you were sleeping. If they’re paranoid enough tokeep our passports and refuse our charms, they’re probably paranoidenough to bug this room. The TV will help mask our voices.”

“Okay, maybe I willnot stab you. Did we say anything incriminating when I came in earlythis morning?”

“How should I know? Iwas barely awake, and you’re the one with the eidetic memory.”

“Is not eidetic. Isselective photographic.”

“Whatever. Just getready to go. There’s a restaurant in the hotel. We can grab somebreakfast before they pick us up.”

* * *

Breakfast was coffee,Danishes, and fruit.

“You don’t thinkthey suspect us of being feds, do you?”

Anya thought about thequestion. “I do not think so. We would not be here if this is whatthey believe. I think they are cautious, especially Sascha.”

Gwynn wiped her mouthwith a paper napkin. “Speak of the devil . . . They’re here.”

They left therestaurant and climbed into the Land Rover for the ride back to theairport.

“Good morning,”Volkov said. “Did you get some rest after your long night at thelab?”

“Yes, but Gwynn wasvery rude this morning and turned on French television.”

He said, “You can getsome sleep on the plane.”

Gwynn tried not to lether fear of Anya sleeping on the plane show on her face. There was noway she’d let her sleep, especially if they had a second“pressurization issue” over the ocean. She laid a hand acrossSascha’s shoulder. “Are you coming back to New York with us?”

“Yes, I have somethings to do in the city. I’ll be there for a few days.”

Gwynn smiled. “Maybewe can spend a little time away from work while you’re there.”

He met her eyes in themirror. “I’d like that. We all need an escape from work from timeto time.”

Compared to Sascha’slab, security at the Yarmouth Airport was nonexistent. Anya recordedevery detail of the scene as Volkov handed a metallic change purse tothe bulky pilot, who nodded and pocketed the bag that lookedminuscule in his enormous hand.

A