“The same type of lunatic who would order the massacre of a NUMA crew, Mr. President. Mikhail Razov.”

The vice president leaned forward in his chair as if he were using his body mass to intimidate. “Mikhail Razov is a prominent figure in his country,” he said, his smile belied by the fierce expression in his eyes. “You're talking about the man who might be the next leader of Russia. What evidence do you have that he's involved in any of this business?”

Austin leaned forward as well, emphasizing his broad shoulders. “The best kind of evidence. An eyewitness.”

“I read the report on the Sea Hunter attack. The ravings of a hysterical woman,” Sparkman said, with a snort.

Austin felt the bile rising in his throat. “Hysterical, yes; ravings, no. Razov's man Boris made sure we knew the attack was retribution for trespassing on the old Soviet sub pens.”

“I'm glad you used the word trespass, because that's what it was, an illegal violation of another country's national sovereignty.”

Austin's mouth widened in a grin, but his gaze had the look of a lion regarding a wounded wildebeest. Sandecker saw Kurt ready himself to unsheathe his claws and deflected the attack. “What's done is done, I'm afraid. We've got more to worry about now, gentlemen. The prospect of a plot against the United States. With all due respect, Mr. Vice President, we believe that the man behind this threat is Mikhail Razov.”

“That's ridiculous - ” the vice president said. The president silenced him with his hand.

“Razov expects to rise on the crest of a neo-Cossack revolution,” explained Austin. “Claiming to be descended from the Romanovs gives him legitimacy in the eyes of his fanatical supporters, who will follow him to the death.”

“Any truth to his claims?”

“We don't know, Mr. President. We do have evidence that the Grand Duchess Maria, one of the tsar's daughters, survived the Russian Revolution and went on to marry and have children.”

“Maria? The only one I've ever heard of was Anastasia,” the president said. “Saw that Walt Disney picture.” He toyed with a pen on his desk. “Fascinating. Does Razov have any proof to back up his bloodline?”

“I wouldn't be surprised if he had a birth certificate. The Russians have decades of experience forging documents under communist rule. We believe he will buttress his claim with the crown of Ivan the Terrible. The crown is said to bestow mystical power upon its wearer. Razov will say that only the rightful ruler of Russia would have the crown. Once he's in power, I doubt if anyone would bother him for a DNA sample.”

“He has this crown?”

Unknown

“Maybe. We found a jewelry box containing a list of the tsarist treasures being carried on the Odessa Sta1: The crown was not included.”

“What about DNA?”

“Once Razov is in power, he could fabricate any DNA evidence he needed. It would be a simple thing.”