The Dead Hand was the reason the CIA needed people like Roth. It was the reason assets like Lance were permitted to exist.

Groups like the Dead Hand didn’t play by the rules. They didn’t play by any rules. While they were tightly connected to the Kremlin, and took their orders from the Russian president, they acted more like terrorist organizations than members of the Russian intelligence community. They didn’t take their orders through ordinary political channels, and they didn’t seek normal Russian state objectives. The Dead Hand came into play when the situation called for something more drastic. It was known to pursue terrorist and anarchic outcomes when ordinary outcomes were insufficient to meet the needs of the ruling regime.

If they were involved, it meant the hacking of Roth’s network, and the capture of one of his agents, just became a whole lot more critical. Roth had been in a life and death struggle with the group for years. So had Lance. They knew all too well how slippery an opponent they made. And how dangerous.

“Something very bad is about to happen,” Lance said.

Roth nodded. “And we’re in disarray.”

“We’ve got to get Laurel back.”

“I’m tracking every source I’ve got,” Roth said.

“The guy in New Jersey said he put her on a jet at Teterboro.”

“Where was the plane headed?”

“He assumed Moscow.”

Roth nodded.

“They’re going to skin her alive, Levi.”

“I know what they’re going to do to her.”

“I’m going to Moscow. I’ve got to get her back. It’s my fault she was captured. If I’d come when she asked, this never would have happened.”

“Slow down, cowboy. I’ll fly the other assets to Moscow too. We’re going to have all hands on deck.”

“I can’t let Davidov get ahead of me a second time,” Lance said.

“And he won’t. I’ll get the other assets to fly in immediately. To get to Davidov, you’ll need all the help you can get.”

“Agreed,” Lance said.

“And don’t let your personal history with Davidov cloud your judgment,” Roth said.

Lance looked at him. “This isn’t about personal history, Roth. Davidov is the one man I can think of who might actually release an uncontrollable virus. He wouldn’t think twice about it if he thought it would increase his power. No matter how many people it killed.”

Roth nodded. “Trouble is coming, Lance. I can feel it. Every bone in my body says he’s going to make a move. Something devastating.”

“What could he be thinking? A bioweapon is going to cause outrage. It will lead to war. How will that help them?”

“They’ve got an election coming up. The president’s reached his constitutional term limits. They’ve got protests in the streets. Students fighting the police.”