Rules of Vengeance

“Why’s that?” asked Graves.

“Emma knew that Division would come after her. She had to hide. I only found out that she was in London last night. I was at a reception in my hotel for the conference and Emma sent someone to tell me she was here. She arranged for us to meet at an apartment on Edgware Road.”

Kate Ford asked for the address, then shared a look with Graves. “And why did she wish to see you?”

“To say goodbye. She wanted to let me know that it was getting too dangerous for her. She couldn’t risk making contact with me in the future. She came to my hotel at four this morning. She got a call before she left my room. I sensed something wasn’t right. You know, that she was up to something. I asked her why she was really here and she told me to mind my own business. I didn’t know it was an operation, or that it had anything to do with any Russians. I thought it was something to do with her keeping safe. Staying one step ahead of them. Anyway, it didn’t matter one way or the other. All I cared about was that she was leaving. I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing her again. When she left the room this morning, I followed her. She went to a house in Hampstead and picked up the car there.”

“Do you have an address?” asked Ford.

“No, but if you take me there, I can probably find the place.”

Graves shot Ford a disbelieving glance. “Go on,” he said.

“After that I followed her to Storey’s Gate. She stayed in the car for a while, and that confused me. But as soon as I saw the motorcade I knew. With Emma there aren’t any maybes. That’s why I was shouting at her. I didn’t want her to go through with it.”

“So it’s your word that you didn’t know anything about her plan to assassinate Igor Ivanov until you reached Storey’s Gate?” Ford pressed.

“Of course I didn’t know,” said Jonathan more confidently, now that the truth was in the open.

“I think I’ve heard enough,” said Graves, snorting as if he wasn’t having any of it. “The Americans have never heard of your wife. We checked with Langley first thing. We wanted to give them a chance to ’fess up, as it were. You being an American. They denied it absolutely. Never heard of Emma Ransom. Don’t know a thing about a plot to kill Ivanov. Shocked. Angered. Offered their help, and I believe them. They’d never even consider carrying out that kind of an attack on our soil. I’ve got contacts at the FBI, too. Your wife’s name drew a blank again. The only vaguely truthful thing you’ve told us so far is that she was in Switzerland last February, but you want to know something? The British passport she was traveling on was a phony. And now you want me to believe that she worked for some secret spy shop you called…” Graves prompted Jonathan for the name.

“Division,” said Jonathan.

“Division,” repeated Graves, “that either is or isn’t a part of the United States Department of Defense. And that she was some sort of operative traipsing around Europe and pulling jobs. I’m sorry, Dr. Ransom, but we have a word over here for that kind of story. Bollocks.”

“Believe what you want,” said Jonathan. “I’m sick of this.”

Graves shook his head in disgust. “I don’t know why I shouldn’t throw you to the wolves.”

Jonathan sat up, ignoring his pounding head. “Because I am not involved. Can you get that through your thick head?”

Graves stepped closer to the bed. “We put that shirt you were wearing through one of our fancy machines. It said that there was enough explosives residue on it to set off a dozen sca

“That’s impossible.” But even as Jonathan said the words he knew that it was possible-that somehow it was Emma’s doing.

Graves went on. “As it stands, you’re an accomplice to murder and guilty of conspiracy to commit a terrorist act. You’ve admitted that it was your wife we saw on the tape. We have pictures of you at the scene moments before the attack. Add to that the explosives residue on your shirt and you won’t last a morning at the Old Bailey. The only pity is that we don’t execute scum like you anymore. We just let them rot in prison. Now tell us where we can find your wife.”

“I can’t.”

“You can’t or you won’t?”

“I don’t know any more than you.”

Jonathan sank back onto the bed. It was over. He was going to jail for a very long time.

The policemen came back into the room an hour later. It was evident from the start that their demeanor had changed. Not the woman. She was as stiff and upright as ever. But Graves appeared more relaxed, determined as ever, but looser, as if he’d come upon a new and guaranteed way to make Jonathan talk.

“Listen closely,” said the man from MI5. “I’m not saying I believe one word of what you told us. However, I made it a point to speak with a man you might know. Actually, he’s an old friend of mine. Marcus von Daniken, from the Swiss Service of Analysis and Prevention. I see the name rings a bell. Anyhow, seeing as how he and I both do more or less the same job, I gave him a shout and asked if he knew anything about your wife. Told him she was involved in today’s business and that I had you in custody. He might have let slip a few things that I’m fairly certain others wouldn’t want to get out. I’m not saying I know anything about an attack on an El Al jetliner or an organization called Division. For the record, I don’t, and that will never change. But von Daniken did tell me one thing. Do you know what that is?”

Jonathan shook his head.

“He told me that you were a tenacious SOB. And that you moved hell and high water to discover what your wife was up to. Given those facts, and given some other complexities that we are not at liberty to reveal, I’m going to ask you to do something for us.”

“What’s that?”

Graves sat down on the edge of the bed and took his time crossing his arms and getting comfortable. “There’s a reason that we’re out here in the country at Hereford instead of downtown at Scotland Yard,” he said. “Once you’re named as a suspect, I can’t come within a mile of you. A criminal act has taken place. I

Jonathan stared into Graves ’s eyes. He was capable and smart and more than a little ruthless. Jonathan knew better than to trust him. “So what is it exactly that you want?”

“You’re going to lead us to her,” said Graves with a valedictory smile. “You’re going to help us find your wife.”