“You know,” he continued, “we know so much about Levi Roth and his little group, that I’m having a hard time coming up with questions for you that I don’t already know the answer to. Four assets. All dead. Four handlers, all out of a job now, wouldn’t you say? From what I hear, Roth himself’s out of a job. Say what you will about the president, but the man’s not a complete idiot. What use does he have for a secret agency that’s been spread open wider than a virgin’s legs on her wedding night?”

He moved closer to the buttons and Laurel’s pulse increased.

“Hmm?” he said. “That’s right. None. None at all. All disbanded. All shut down. Roth’s rivals will be thrilled. I can tell you, we’re certainly thrilled here at the Kremlin. On the top floor, you know what they did? They opened champagne. I tell you all this just by the way, so you know that whatever you tell me, whatever you don’t tell me, it really doesn’t matter. It makes so little difference to us here in Moscow. I mean, it’s all academic now, isn’t it. Roth is finished. The assets are dead. The game is over.”

He reached up and put his finger on the red button. Laurel knew what was coming. The twisting ankles, the snapping shins, the broken knees.

“No,” she cried out.

Tears came to her eyes, and once they started, she couldn’t stop them.

“Hush, child,” Timokhin said, approaching her, lumbering over like a walrus. He was so large, so tall, that high as she was, he could almost look her in the face. “There’s no need to cry. We’re going to be friends, you and I.”

Laurel looked into his eyes. “You should know something,” she said.

“What’s that, my sweet?” he said, smiling at her like he expected her to profess her undying love.

“You’re looking at the person who’s going to end your life.”

Timokhin looked deadly serious for a second, like he’d just seen a ghost, then just as quickly, his face returned to its smiles.

Laurel shut her eyes in disgust, but swore to herself that what she’d just said was the truth. She’d make it the truth.

“You know,” Timokhin said, going back to the buttons, “as much fun as this has been, I do have a job to get back to.”

Laurel was so tired of this man and his games. She tried to clear her head and think what was going on. What did he want from her? What was he looking for? He hadn’t even asked her any questions. He’d spent all his time wearing her down without giving away a thing.

He was skilled.

If he was really good, she would never know what it was he wanted.