Foreign Influence

He would have given his eye teeth for a sniper providing overwatch for him. There was a chance that this quarry had night vision as well and had observed Harvath’s entire approach. He could be inside at this very moment waiting for Harvath to step out into the open, waiting for him to get close enough to mow him down.

Harvath pushed the thought from his mind as he drew his Glock and prepared to run. Counting to three, he was about to charge the house when he heard the scatter of gravel behind him.

He spun just in time to see what looked like two enormous wolves barreling down on top of him. He leapt out of the way as Argos and Draco sped past. He recognized the lump clinging to the bizarre harness on Draco’s back. It was Nicholas; he had jumped the gun and was going to screw everything up.

With nothing he could do to stop him, short of shouting, which would tip Tsui off, Harvath had no choice but to take off after them.

Owning a Caucasian Ovcharka of his own, he knew how fast the breed was, but Nicholas’s dogs were amazing. He was still at least fifty yards behind them when the front door burst open and the shooting began.

CHAPTER 32

Tsui was an idiot. He opened the door and silhouetted himself against the light from inside. As Nicholas and his two dogs barreled down upon him, he raised his shotgun and fired.

The odd thing was, the gunfire didn’t come from Tsui. It came from somewhere to his right. There were sharp cracks as rounds splintered the doorframe around Tsui’s head. He ducked just as Argos leapt into the air.

The enormous animal landed right on top of the man and knocked him backward into the chalet. Right behind came Draco and Nicholas.

Harvath hit the side of the structure and pulled up short. He pulled out his night vision device and was just able to catch a flash of a person taking cover nearby. Tsui must have had a sentry of some sort. Whoever it was, he had done a very good job of remaining hidden while Harvath had been doing his surveillance of the chalet. He had never seen the man.

Harvath snuck around the back of the chalet and over some rocks behind it. He tried to make as little noise as possible. He used his night vision device to guide him.

Finally, he located the outline of the shooter, taking cover behind a large store of firewood. Creeping up behind him, Harvath leveled his Glock and said, “Don’t move,” and then repeated himself in French just in case.

Turning his head, the figure replied, “It’s me.”

Harvath recognized the voice immediately. It was Peio.

There was no time to say anything as a scream was raised inside the chalet. It was Tsui, and Harvath knew what was happening. Nicholas was exacting his revenge.

“The balls! The balls!” the Troll was yelling at Argos in Russian. “Bite his balls!”

Tsui was kicking wildly at the dog trying to get him off. His pants were shredded, and the man was bleeding badly.

“Nicholas,” Harvath yelled as he burst into the chalet. “Enough!”

On top of the kitchen table was a terrified Yorkshire terrier with a rhinestone collar and a ridiculous blue bow atop its head yipping wildly. Draco circled the table growling, holding the smaller animal at bay.

The Troll ignored Harvath and taunted his victim as Argos tore into him. “Look at my face, you motherfucker. Look! Look what you have done to me.”

Tsui was screaming for help, the tears streaming down his face as he continued kicking at the dog and thrashed to get away.

Harvath grabbed for Argos and the animal turned and tried to bite him, his snout covered in blood.

“Call him off or I’ll kill him,” Harvath ordered.

The dwarf didn’t comply, so Harvath lifted his pistol and put a round through the wall.

Reluctantly, Nicholas complied. He stepped away from Tsui and called his dogs to him. From the top of the table, the tiny Yorkie jumped down and ran to its injured master.

Peio stepped through the doorway. Harvath spun and leveled his pistol at the man’s head before recognizing it was him again. “Jesus, Padre.”

The priest let the remark slide. He tucked his pistol into his waistband and picked up Tsui’s shotgun from the floor. He checked the breech and then turned it around for Harvath to see. “Empty.”

In the corner, Tsui was crying and writhing in pain. Harvath grabbed a couple of dish towels sitting near the sink and threw them to Peio. “Make sure he doesn’t have any other weapons on him and then see if you can stop the bleeding.”

Harvath turned to Nicholas. “You were going to kill him.”

“More like maim, actually.”

“You told Argos to bite his balls off. He could have bled to death.”

“If he lives long enough to tell us what we need to know, who cares?”

Harvath shook his head. He was going to have it out with both Nicholas and Peio, but now wasn’t the time.

The Yorkie had started barking again and was trying to bite Peio as he attended to Tsui. Harvath was getting a headache. Walking over to Peio, Harvath reached down and grabbed the dog by the back of the neck. Gently, he picked it up along with its water bowl, moved it to the furthest room in the chalet, and locked it inside.

When he came back, the priest was helping Tsui into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Nicholas stood off to the side with his two dogs, both of which were growling.

Harvath leaned up against the sink and set his pistol on the counter next to him. “This is either going to be fast and easy or it’s going to be long and very painful.”

“I’m going to wait outside,” said Peio as he wiped off his hands and stepped away.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Tsui sobbed, his crying begi

“Look at my face!” the Troll yelled again. “You did this to me.”

“No I didn’t! I didn’t!”

The man was hysterical. Harvath studied his face for any indication he was lying, but there was nothing. “What’s your name?”

“Please, I need a doctor.”

“What is your name?”

“Michael Lee. I need a doctor. Please get me to a doctor,” he begged.

“Tell me about Tony Tsui,” said Harvath.

“I don’t know anyone named Tsui.”

“You’re a liar,” spat Nicholas.

Harvath waved him off. “We know you were washing your Internet traffic through Lars Jagland’s computer lab at the University of Geneva. We know about everything.”

“Washing my traffic? What traffic?”

“Just kill him and let’s get this over with,” said Nicholas.

“Shut up,” replied Harvath.

Lee looked at him and pleaded. “I need to see a doctor. Please.”

“Not until you answer our questions.”

Lee was whimpering. “You’re not asking me anything I know the answers to.”

“Why wasn’t your gun loaded?”

“I don’t know,” he said emphatically. “It belonged to Lars.”

“You were expecting us, weren’t you?”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone. When Sugar started barking, I looked outside and saw someone coming toward the house. I just wanted to scare you away.”

“How long have you known Gaston Leveque?”

“I don’t know anyone named Gaston Leveque.”

“Why did you hire him to contact Dominique Fournier?”

“I don’t know any of these people,” stated Lee. “Please, you have to call an ambulance for me.”

Harvath had continued to watch for any sign that Lee was lying. There wasn’t any; not one single tic, tell, or facial cue. He had a very bad feeling that they had the wrong person.

“How long have you known Lars Jagland?”

“I am in a lot of pain.”

“Answer the question.”

“Six years, okay? I was a graduate student of his before I became his TA.”

“When did you start hacking?” asked Harvath.

Lee didn’t respond.