“I'm a tough old Yankee, and don't you forget it I think we should be on our way the first thing in the morning.”

“I'm sorry you have to leave so soon. Are you sure?”

“It might be best for everyone if we go.”

They talked until the professor's weariness caught up with him and he drifted off to sleep. The Trouts and Yuri split the rest of the night into shifts, so at least one person would stand watch while the others caught some sleep in the bunk beds. The morning dawned without incident, and after a quick breakfast of coffee and rolls, the Trouts said their good-byes, vowing to get together in a few months, and squeezed into the same taxi that had dropped them off.

As the Lada bumped down the road, Gamay looked out the back window at the charred remains of the cottage. Smoke still hung in the air. “We'll have a lot to tell Kurt when we get back,” she said.

Paul's eyes blinked with amusement. “If I know Kurt, he'll have even more to tell us.”

NUMA 3 - Fire Ice

-17-

THE MAN AUSTIN knew only as Ivan gazed around in wonder at the shrine to the Romanovs. Austin had just given him a demonstration of the chanting chair. “This is really quite extraordinary,” he said, letting his eyes wander around the room. “You have made quite a find.”

Austin responded with a lopsided grin. “Then all is forgiven for corning in with six-guns blazing?”

“On the contrary. It's exactly what I wanted to happen.”

“You're a strange man, Ivan,” Austin said, with a shake of his head.

“That may be, but in this case my actions were purely logical.” He spread his forefinger and thumb apart. “Don't forget that I have a dossier this thick on you, as well as my personal experience with your methods. I knew warning you off would be the surest way to bring you here.”

“Why be so Machiavellian? Why not simply invite me to your party? I'm an agreeable guy.”

“You're not naïve in these matters. If I had said back in Istanbul that I needed your help, what would you have replied, given the stormy history of our relationship?”

“I don't know,” Austin said with a shrug.

“I do. You might have regarded it as a trap, an ingenious way of getting back at you for this souvenir of past encounters.” He touched the scar on his cheek.

“The Russians are famous for their chess skills. And you must admit revenge can be a potent motivator.”

“I've learned to control my passions and exploit those of others to defeat them. There's another reason I held back. I suspect that if I had asked for your help, you would have gone to your higher-ups. Your government would have discouraged this mission.”

“What makes you so sure of that?”

“Some of your countrymen are supporting the dark forces gathering in Russia.”