Fires of Kiev Read online

  “They’re right here,” Ben said as he distributed them to everyone as they took their places around the table. “We’ve got a lot to cover, and Meredith and Kostya need to get to the airport for their red-eye.”

  “I don’t think Kostya needs the flight to get his red-eyes,” Ethan quipped. “He looks tired enough already.”

  “I’m okay. I’ll be able to sleep better after this is done,” Kostya said.

  “Meredith, on the other hand, is radiant after her performance at the Senator’s office today,” Ethan announced.

  Meredith blushed at the group’s comments and chuckles. “I wasn’t the one performing,” she said sarcastically.

  “Doubt he was either,” Ethan called out, prompting a groan from the team.

  Kostya seemed unaware of the events at the Senator’s office and turned to her, concerned. “What happened?” he asked quietly.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell you later.” Meredith shook him off.

  Kostya looked puzzled but focused on Ben.

  “Obviously things are going to depend a lot on what we find in the Ukraine, but we’ve set up the basics.” Ben brought up a slide on the projector. “Kostya and Meredith are going to be traveling as medical aid workers with ‘Humanitarian Relief International,’ an organization of our creation, that, thanks to Ethan, now has an impressive website, virtual call center, Facebook and Twitter feeds dating back several years, and bank account records to back up their mission.” He clicked through each page showing Ethan’s work.

  “Impressive,” Will teased Ethan, patting him on the back. “Too bad you can’t use these skills to make a girlfriend.”

  The group laughed at the good-natured ribbing, but focused back to Ben. “Meredith and Kostya will be traveling as doctors, but also as a married couple.”

  Meredith arched an eyebrow at Ben. “Married?” She glanced at Kostya, who also seemed surprised, and Will, who watched with amusement.

  “It was the best way to get your papers approved together, and Fire of Dawn is not looking for a married couple traveling, so you might have an easier time slipping through.” The corners of Ben’s mouth arched upward.

  “It’s just your names, Meredith, and even those are fake,” Will said. “Believe me, Kostya would have to do a lot more if he had to convince you to marry him for real.”

  “Except for when you are traveling, you won’t have to worry about it.” Dr. Nichols chimed in on the videoconference feed. “Really, it’s the best way to get Kostya back into the Ukraine without raising any questions.”

  “Well, if it works best for the mission,” Meredith muttered.

  “Good,” Ben said. “Meredith and Kostya will be Katya and Ivan Jovanovich, both Americans born to Ukrainian immigrants. George, how are the papers coming?”

  Meredith turned her attention to George Hannigan, Kostya’s agent at Immigration. “I had no problems with the immigration papers for Kostya, giving him freedom to travel back, but getting the passports and visas for the medical “team” has been tough. This morning I got a call from the State Department, and they walked the appropriate papers through the process in a rush job. Apparently, the senior senator from Louisiana called and threatened some ball-bashing if it didn’t get done.” He smiled at Will and Meredith. “So papers are done, and the appropriate flags should come up so they are not stopped going out or coming into this country. I cannot promise the same for going in and out of the Ukraine, however.”

  “Well done,” Ben said. “We were biting our nails waiting on those. Now, equipment. Dr. Singh?”

  “Yes, I have worked closely with Ethan on this as well. We have two standard size aluminum medical aid cases that appear to be full of medical supplies, and have packed in a great deal, but underneath has all the technical equipment Kostya might need. Tools, a soldering iron, voltmeter, and so on. There are also communication devices: a satellite phone, audio surveillance devices, and recorders. Everything will make it through checked security, and a hand search will not find anything but the medical supplies.”

  “Ethan, you’ve got your hands in everything,” Will stated drily. “Too bad you can’t get those hands on a girlfriend.”

  Everyone goaded Ethan again. Meredith observed the interactions with amusement. Dr. Nichols’ voice brought focus again. “I have an itinerary of friendly places to stay near the missile sites. It is very important for Kostya to stay away from anyone he knows. This will be difficult in some of the areas where he grew up, but it is crucial to their safety.” Meredith glanced at Kostya, encouraged by his composure.

  “There is at least one assassin after you guys,” Ben said. “And Fire of Dawn is a heavily armed, dangerous group. The less attention you bring to yourselves, the better.” Meredith nodded, and flipped through the information they had received.

  After a few more items for discussion, the meeting broke up. Hannigan and Singh left first, both men hugging Meredith and wishing her luck. Next, Will walked Meredith and Kostya around the control center, the room set up for the operation. “Someone will be monitoring this station twenty-four seven. You can call, email, text, Facebook, Tweet, use any other method of communication and we’ll get it.” He scanned the room. “We’ve got access to anything the CIA or FBI can access. If you need any information, just let us know.”

  Kostya took Will’s hand and shook it firmly, placing his hand on his elbow. “You have been a true friend. I am proud to call you a brother in arms.”

  Meredith felt her eyes tearing up as she watched her brother and Kostya, unlikely allies in an amazing situation. Then Will gathered her into his arms. “Mer, be careful out there.”

  “I will try to be careful, but I’m also going to try to save the world. I may not be able to do both.” They laughed, Meredith breathing into his shoulder. “I love you, Will.”

  “I love you, too, Mer.”

  “Dushen’ka, we need to go if we are to catch our plane.” Kostya nudged her gently.

  She stood back from Will and looked at Ben and Ethan, still busy preparing for the mission. “We’ll see you on the flip side, boys.”

  The group called out, wishing them luck, and Kostya took her bag and headed to the car already loaded with the medical cases and his backpack.

  “Ready, Mrs. Jovanovich?”

  She wrinkled her nose and stepped into the car. “Not sure if I’m ready for that.”

  Chapter 24

  Singh and Hannigan proved their worth as far as getting through the airport was concerned. Meredith and Kostya checked themselves and their bags in without a hitch, although for a moment they worried something had gone wrong when the attendant called over her shoulder for a supervisor. Her mind panicking, Meredith debated whether they should cut and run, but Kostya remained completely calm. Eventually the supervisor looked up, flashing them a huge smile.

  “It appears that an anonymous benefactor of Humanitarian Relief International has donated his airline miles to upgrade any volunteers traveling for them. We’ll upgrade your flights to first-class right away,” she told them.

  “Do you think our benefactor is named Ethan?” Kostya’s lips twitched into a crooked smile.

  “It certainly sounds like something he’d do.” Meredith let out a shaky laugh, still shuddering. “And I’d imagine the bill is going straight to the State Department.”

  Flying first-class, they had flat-lying seats for the international flight from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam. Each seat, set at an angle for privacy, gave each passenger aisle access and the ability to lie down to sleep. Although very nice for comfort, it really wasn’t set up for talking. Kostya didn’t ask about Scott, and Meredith didn’t volunteer. He had to have heard about the scene in the Senator’s office by now. Surprisingly, the end of the year-long relationship wasn’t upsetting her. With Scott caught in the act, she should have felt betrayed, angry, or deceived. Instead, all she felt was relief. In some ways, her reaction was troubling, but in other ways it made the split easier to handle emo
tionally.

  Yet, if anyone had asked her whether she thought they would break up a week ago, she would have said no. Now, it seemed like it was inevitable. She never loved Scott, and Scott only loved himself.

  Her relationship with Scott did keep pressures to date and find a significant other at a minimum. Now that she and Scott were over, it was just a matter of time before the press, her parents, and everyone else was asking what was wrong with her.

  Maybe she just didn’t want to find someone.

  Maybe she had already found him.

  She peeked at Kostya in the pod in front of her. He had finally succumbed to sleep. The last time she had watched him sleep was five years ago lying on the soft, white sheets in the hotel in Kiev. Overheated from their lovemaking, they had kicked off the thick comforter and faced each other on their sides, talking and kissing until sleep came.

  The memory of that night comforted her as she tried to cozy into the too-small blanket provided on the plane. She dropped off thinking of Kostya’s touch that night in Kiev: hands and fingers falling through her hair, pulling at her waist, cupping her jaw, and brushing her lips.

  When she woke, Kostya was already awake, his seat was up, and he was reading. She blinked her eyes.

  “What time is it?”

  Kostya rotated in his seat. “Washington time, it’s about four-thirty in the morning. Local time in Amsterdam, it’s ten-thirty. We’re about an hour from landing.”

  “Hmm,” she breathed out as she sat up and stretched her arms. “Could you reach my purse?” She pointed to the overhead compartment.

  Kostya stood, opened the compartment, and retrieved her purse. She thanked him and scooted past to go to the restroom. A few minutes later, she emerged with her hair combed and fresh make-up applied. As she passed Kostya, he looked up at her. His blue eyes ignited into hers, sending heat through her. She stopped and stared for a moment, melting in the warmth the reaction between them created.

  “Excuse me, miss,” a too-cheery voice said. “Please take your seat. We will be arriving in Amsterdam in just a few minutes.”

  Meredith stepped aside into her seat’s pod. Adjusting her seat upright, she sat and buckled her seatbelt. Sighing, she leaned her head back and waited for the plane to land, trying not to think about Kiev.

  The layover and flight from Amsterdam was quiet. Both Kostya and Meredith knew that the biggest hurdle for their false identities would be arriving in Kiev, and the possibility of the credentials failing or someone recognizing Kostya weighed heavily on their minds. As the plane began descending, Kostya took Meredith’s hand and entwined his fingers into hers.

  “It will be all right, you know.”

  She looked at him, trying to smile. “I wish I could be as sure as you are, Kostya.”

  As they left the plane and headed for baggage claims and customs, he continued to hold her hand, looking back at her with encouragement. Stepping up to the line for customs, they were silent, only speaking when they were asked questions. Kostya, being the native speaker, spoke for both of them when possible, but Meredith’s Ukrainian was passable when she needed to speak.

  A few hours after landing, Katya and Ivan Jovonvich had been cleared to enter Kiev. As they wheeled their bags out to the taxi stand, Meredith sighed in relief.

  “I think I held my breath the entire time we were in Customs.”

  “Have faith in Mr. Hannigan,” Kostya said. “TRUST is doing all they can to help us. We should be fine.”

  “I hope so,” she said, attempting to convince herself.

  ****

  In the morning, they were to take the train to Cherkasy, so Meredith and Kostya were on their own tonight in Kiev. Just being in this city again created a palpable tension between them, a feeling that neither one of them wanted to lay claim to but swirled all around them. The weather turned stormy, making outside activities uncomfortable, but the snow and cold brought them closer as they huddled together on the way to their hotel. They checked into the hotel and spent an hour or so freshening up. They didn’t want to wander too far, due to the storm, and decided to eat at the hotel’s restaurant for dinner.

  The hostess led them to a table close to the huge two-sided fireplace set in the center of the dining room. The large stone hearth stretched out at least eight feet across, and the stones arced into the chimney, leaving a tall space for the fire. Meredith could see the other patrons on the other side of the fireplace, but their faces were indistinct, blurred by the smoke and flames rising to the chimney. Kostya didn’t seem as affected by the cold, but Meredith relished the warm fire as it melted the cold that had ached in her bones since they stepped outside in Kiev.

  They sat at a square table set at a diagonal, so that both Meredith and Kostya could face the fire. Snow had made scheduled food deliveries impossible, the hostess explained, so dinner would be a selection of rustic comfort dishes made with their pantry items. She handed them paper menus printed just for the night that offered a selection of soups and stews, a few pasta dishes, and a variety of breads to accompany their selection.

  “This menu is just right for a cold night,” Meredith said in slightly accented Ukrainian, pleasing the hostess, who curtseyed slightly and left.

  After a few minutes, the waiter came to take their orders, and they both ordered the goulash, a dish of noodles covered by meat braised for hours in a rich sauce, and vodkas as an aperitif.

  “The weather is different than the last time we were here together,” Kostya said.

  “There’s a big difference between November and July,” Meredith responded. “I don’t mind the cold if I can curl up by a fire, though.” The waiter put down their drinks. “And a few strong spirits don’t hurt.”

  Kostya nodded in agreement. “The Ukraine can be a harsh country, but she is always beautiful.” Kostya stared into the fire. “She has suffered, yet she always sustains.”

  “To the Ukraine. May our efforts sustain her.” Meredith held her glass up.

  Kostya clinked his glass against hers, and they both drank. “Another?” he asked quietly. When Meredith nodded, Kostya signaled the waiter for another round.

  “I hope you’re not going to try to get me drunk to have your way with me,” Meredith teased. “I’m not that easy, you know.”

  “It only took me three days last time.” Kostya grinned proudly.

  Meredith blushed slightly but leaned in toward him. “Or did it take me three days to win my way with you?”

  Now Kostya’s face reddened as the waiter interrupted to deliver their dinners and fresh drinks. Kostya immediately sipped his and ordered another round. Meredith smirked at him as she took a bite of her goulash.

  “It’s really good,” she said, licking some sauce off her lips. He leaned into her and cupped her jaw in his hands. With his thumb he rubbed some of the sauce off her chin, just below her lip.

  Meredith melted into his hand, wanting his touch, wanting his kiss. She looked into him expectantly, but with a sparkle in his eye he dropped his hand to eat his own goulash. Meredith swallowed from her drink and ate.

  By the time their meals were done and Meredith and Kostya both had too much to drink, accidental touches and vague flirtations had led to purposeful gazes and little doubt of what they wanted next. Kostya signed for the bill, took Meredith’s hand, and headed to the elevator.

  Standing and leaning against the walls opposite from each other, Meredith bit her lip thinking about sharing the night with Kostya again. Would it live up to her memories? Would it change anything? Her mind was fuzzy and she was warm and her stomach was all fluttery and Kostya was taking her to their room.

  They stepped out of the elevator and Kostya took her hand. Meredith followed, giggling in her mind. The door to their room opened and Kostya pulled her inside. Falling into his arms, she brushed her lips on his.

  “I’ve wanted to do that for days.”

  “Then do it again. You have a lot of catching up to do.” He grinned.

  With each step
through the room, they discarded the barriers to their act of love. By the time they reached the bed, there was nothing between them. Kostya pulled back the covers on the bed, and his hands guided Meredith’s head to the pillow while his body pressed his hardness against her.

  “Mmm—Kostya.” Meredith hummed his name as he ran his hands up her side around to her back. She molded to his body, opening herself to him and mirroring him caress for caress, kiss for kiss. The alcohol had relaxed her, and her muscles were completely pliable to his will. She pressed into his warmth as his lips traveled under her chin and down her neck leaving her dazed and dizzy.

  “Oh,” she moaned, and her head spun as her pulse accelerated. The dimmed lights shot rainbows across the room, so she shut her vodka-weighted eyelids. “Kostya—”

  “Meri.” She heard Kostya’s voice, filtered through her drunken haze. Her arms held him limply, and she nuzzled into his shoulder, breathing deeply. “Meri?”

  “Mmm—”

  ****

  Awareness came in stages for Meredith. Turning on the bed, she felt warmth and instinctively nuzzled into the embrace. Yet, something wasn’t right. And she needed coffee. Strong coffee.

  Opening her eyes, she observed the unfamiliar surroundings. Kiev. I’m in a hotel in Kiev. She was satisfied by the realization, then puzzled at the feeling around her.

  Someone else is in this bed, and I think I am naked. Through vodka-fogged memories, she deducted that there was only one person who could be next to her.

  “Kostya?” she spoke gently.

  “Mm-hmm,” he answered.

  “We…we slept together last night?”

  He sat up on one elbow looking at her. “Are you asking a question or making a statement?”

  “Oh,” she ventured. Looking on the nightstand, she saw a three-pack of unopened condoms. Her eyes widened. “We didn’t, um… We didn’t use protection?”

  He rolled onto his back. “No. I didn’t think it was necessary.”

  Didn’t think it was necessary! What the hell! She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

  “I guess I shouldn’t worry until there’s something to worry about.” Her voice shook.