American Assassin

“You’re welcome,” Stansfield said as he stood. “Just do me a favor, Yevgeny. Let’s stick to the old rules. You stay away from my guys, and I’ll stay away from yours.”

Stansfield walked away with his other bodyguard close behind. He stopped at the first sedan to check on the Schnoz, and then got into the backseat of the second car. The bodyguard closed the door and then went around the other side and climbed in the backseat. As soon as they were out of the park the bodyguard took off his sunglasses and asked, “Did he buy it, sir?”

Stansfield looked at over at Mitch Rapp and said, “One hundred percent.”

Rapp looked out the window, thinking that Hurley had truly lived up to his reputation as the biggest SOB on the block. It had been pure evil genius to pay Ivanov’s money back into his accounts and have Shvets inform on him. “So what’s going to happen to Ivanov?”

Stansfield looked down and straightened his tie. “I think Mikhail Ivanov is going to spend the next few months being thoroughly interrogated by the SVR’s goon squad.”

“And then what?”

“He won’t be able to deny the money, will he?”

“No.”

Stansfield nodded. “You’re a smart kid. Fill in the blanks.”

“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.” Rapp shrugged as if he didn’t care. “What about Sayyed?”

“Some questions are better off not asked.”

Rapp frowned. He didn’t like not knowing.

“Listen,” Stansfield said, “I can’t release a guy like Sayyed. He’ll just go back and torture more of our people.” Stansfield shook his head. “The man will get what he deserves.”

“Sir, I hope you know I don’t give a crap what happens to him.”

“Good.”

“What about Shvets?”

“Shvets will be fine as long as he continues to cooperate. In a few years we’ll cut him loose and let him start a life of his own.”

They drove in silence for a while, and then Rapp finally asked, “Sir, why did you want me to come along for this? Being your bodyguard is not exactly my area of expertise.”

Stansfield had been wondering when the rookie was going to get around to asking the question. He gri

“The biggest one I’ve ever met, sir.”

Stansfield laughed. “Now you know he’s not big on compliments?”

Rapp nodded.

“Well, he had some pretty amazing things to say about you when you got back from Beirut. Ridley as well. Irene has been telling me for close to two years that she thought you might have the goods, and I guess you proved to all of us last week that you most certainly do.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“So I guess I wanted to have a closer look at you … and show you that despite what you may have thought in Beirut, I will go to great lengths to get my people back.”

Rapp nodded. He supposed Ridley had passed on his blistering critique. “I know that now, sir.”

“Good. Now I think you should take a week off. You’ve earned it. I don’t care where you go as long as it’s west of here. Seven days from now report to Stan. I’ve got something else I want you two to work on.”

Rapp was tempted to ask, but decided he didn’t want it weighing on him while he was trying to recharge.

“Any idea where you’re going to go?” Stansfield asked. “In case we need to get hold of you?”

Rapp looked at the snow-capped mountains and thought of Greta. With a smile on his face he said, “I think I’m going to stay right here in Zurich.”