Page 37 of Shadow of Doubt

“An opportunity to repair an oversight.”

“What oversight?”

“When you took revenge for the murder of your wife, you went straight to the top,” the Russian stated. “You inflicted maximum pain on President Peshkov via his son, Misha. You also killed the head of the GRU’s special missions group, the man who masterminded your kidnapping and the death of your wife and colleagues, General Konstantin Minayev.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Peshkov’s son died of a drug overdose and General Minayev by autoerotic asphyxiation. If memory serves, he was found to be in possession of some very disturbing pornography.”

“Quite,” Grechko agreed. “These were good and, dare I say, righteous acts that you committed. But while they went a long way to evening the score, I imagine nothing would ever make you feel as if the debt had been completely paid.”

Harvath was beginning to dislike this conversation,intensely.He could feel the heat and the anger he kept locked away inside himself starting to seep out. “If you’ve got a point to make, make it,” he stated.

“You didn’t finish the job. You missed one.”

“And who was that?”

“Someone who worked for Minayev. This person helped assemble, coordinate, and dispatch the team that killed your wife and your colleagues and took you hostage.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” Harvath replied, “I might think you were referring to a certain GRU colonel named Josef Kozak. But shortly after being admitted to Moscow City Hospital Number 67 for complicated spinal surgery, that colonel died in his bed of a heart attack.”

Grechko smiled wryly. “Yes, all of those unfortunate incidents. Back-to-back-to-back. All of them befalling prominent Russians directly or indirectly connected to what happened to you. But as I said, you missed one—someone between Minayev the planner and Kozak the team leader who carried out the operation. So, here’s my proposition. Get me to Inessa Surkova and I will not only give you the missing man’s name, but I’ll also tell you how to find him.”

CHAPTER 17

CIA HEADQUARTERS

LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

Conroy had multiple international news stations playing quietly on the TV monitors in his office. Almost all of them were relaying footage of the aftermath of the attack in Oslo.

“Tell me you’ve got good news for me,” he said as Maggie Thomas arrived for an impromptu meeting.

“Unfortunately, no,” she said, joining him at the conference table and taking her seat.

“Have we heard anything from Holidae Hayes regarding what took place in Oslo?”

Maggie glanced at her notes. “So far, it’s pretty thin. What she has been able to uncover is that the Norwegians are treating it as a terrorist attack. They’re saying multiple drone-borne explosive devices.”

“How about the target? That part of Oslo is mixed-use—commercial and residential. Any insights there?”

“If the Norwegians have identified the target, they’re not saying. Ditto for who may have been behind the attack. Hayes was able to learn that there are multiple fatalities, both in the apartment building, which she believes was the primary target, and in the underground parking garage where some sort of protracted shoot-out happened.”

“I have to ask,” said Conroy. “Any chance this is related to their Russian defector, Grechko?”

“Good question. I asked the same thing. Hayes isn’t sure. She hasreached out to Harvath, but he hasn’t responded yet. She’s hoping to speak with him shortly.”

The DDO poured himself a glass of water from the carafe on the table. “The minute she does, I want an update.”

“Understood.”

“What did you need to see me about?”

Maggie turned to her next page of notes. “According to sources in Ankara, forty-five minutes ago the Russian defense minister reached out to his Turkish counterpart to express concerns over an alleged plot by Ukraine to detonate a dirty bomb.”

Conroy couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you kidding me?”

“No, and apparently the Turks didn’t believe it either.”

“Where are the Russians getting their alleged information?”

---