“Nothing is so urgent you have to steal our babies,” said Petra, putting as much venom into her voice as she could.

“See?” said Rackham. “Arguing instead of coming with me.”

They followed him then, through back passages and out to a private jet. Petra protested as they went. “Nobody knows where we are. They’ll think we ran out on them. They’ll think we were kidnapped.”

Rackham just ignored her. He moved very quickly for a man so old.

The babies were on the plane, each one being cared for by a separate nurse. They were fine. Only Ramón was still nursing, because the two with Bean’s syndrome were eating more-or-less solid food now. So Petra sat down and fed him, while Rackham sat down opposite them in the luxury jet and, as the plane took off, began his explanation.

“We had to get you out of there now,” he said, “because the airport at Yerevan is going to be blown to bits in an hour or two, and we need to be out over the Black Sea before it happens.”

“How do you know?” demanded Petra.

“We have it from the man who planned the attack.”

“Alai?”

“It’s a Russian attack,” said Rackham.

Bean blew up. “Then what was all that kuso about distracting the Turks!”

“It all still applies. As soon as we see the attack planes take off from southern Russia, I’ll let you know and you can give the word to launch your attack on Iran.”

“This is Vlad’s plan,” said Petra. “A sudden preemptive strike to keep the FPE from doing anything. To neutralize me and Bean.”

“Vlad wants you to know he’s very sorry. He’s used to none of his plans actually being used.”

“You’ve been talking to him?”

“We got him out of Moscow about three hours ago and debriefed him as quickly as possible. We think they don’t know he’s gone. Even if they do know, it’s no reason for them not to go ahead with their plan.”

The telephone beside Rackham’s seat beeped once. He picked it up. Listened. Pressed a button and handed it over to Petra. “All right, the rockets have launched.”

“I assume I need the country code?”

“No. Put in the number as if you were still in Yerevan. As far as they’ll know, you are. Tell them that you’re conferring with Peter and you’ll rejoin them with the attack in progress.”

“Will we?”

“And then call your mother and tell her you’re all right and not to talk about what happened.”

“Oh, that’s about an hour too late.”

“My men told her that if she called anyone but you until she heard from you again, she’d be very sorry.”

“Thank you for terrifying her even more. Do you have any idea what this woman has been through in her life?”

“It always turns out all right, though. So she’s better off than some.”

“Thanks for your cheery optimism.”

A few minutes later, the strike force was launched and a warning was given to evacuate the airport, reroute all incoming flights, evacuate the parts of Yerevan nearest the airport, and alert the men at all possible military targets inside Armenia.