“You just say you were never here. Tell your handler the guy wasn’t interested. No one’s going to think you killed him.”

“All right.”

“Do you have somewhere you can go?”

I have a room at the Royal.”

“Go back there. Act like this never happened.”

Tatyana got up, but as she was putting on her coat, she started to cry again. The American looked at her for a few seconds, and when she didn’t stop, he stood up and held her. She leaned into him and cried into his neck.

“I can stay here,” she said to him.

“What?”

“With you,” she said.

She started to kiss his neck.

When he didn’t respond, she stopped.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“It’s all right.”

“I thought you’d want me to stay.”

He shook his head. Then he said, “You’ve got to look after yourself. Don’t tell your handler everything. Only tell them what they ask. And always carry a weapon when you work. Even hookers carry weapons.”

She nodded.

“That’s what I am, isn’t it?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“No,” she said. “I understand. You’re right.”

“I wasn’t judging you.”

She put on her coat. She was embarrassed.

“You’re a soldier,” she said.

He nodded.

“What’s your name?” she said.

He paused for a moment, then said, “Lance Spector.”

She looked at him. “Is that your real name?”

He said nothing.

“If I ever wanted to contact you, if I needed help, I could use that name?”

“Sure you could.”

“And a message would get to you?”

“If you gave it to the right person.”

“And who would the right person be?”

“The military. Delta Force.”

She nodded and went to the door. She opened it and then looked back. “Thank you for the help. If I can ever return the favor, my name is Tatyana Aleksandrova.”

The video ended there. Igor could see why Tatyana had been put on a watch list because of it. That American was a priority. She’d formed a connection with him.

A real connection.

All they had to do was watch her and wait. Eventually, she’d contact Spector, or he’d contact her.

They knew enough about human nature to know that was inevitable.

Everyone in the GRU wanted to have a way out, a plan B. Something they could comfort themselves with when they fell asleep at night.

Tatyana’s was this American.

Igor didn’t take it personally. It was only natural. The work they did took a toll. She’d just been through a terrible ordeal. This man helped her and asked nothing from her in return.

The question Igor needed to answer wasn’t why Tatyana wanted Spector. That much he understood perfectly.

What he wanted to know was who’d been watching the Hotel Europa?

Who’d placed Agniya?

And how much power did they have?