‘Will you look at that, Mosley. First this Yank of yours bungles up my operation and now we find him impersonating an officer in Her Majesty’s marines. You could get twenty years for that, Kilkenny.’
Kilkenny grasped Axton’s hand and returned the man’s warm smile. ‘And here I thought they looked rather good on me. Compliments of the base commander.’
‘They look damn good on you,’ Mosley admitted while happily shaking Kilkenny’s hand. ‘After what you did today, I’m sure they’re proud to have you wear their uniform. I do have one question for you, though. Why the hell did you run off with Yakushev? Axton’s people are on the warpath-they’ve been trying to find him all week.’ Axton’s eyes rolled as Mosley asked this question, a gesture that spoke volumes about the frustrating chase that Yakushev had put British Intelligence through. ‘For all you knew, Yakushev might have been working for the other side.’
‘I don’t know. Instincts, I guess. Something told me I could trust him, and from what he told me, I think he once worked for both sides.’
Axton glowered for a moment. Kilkenny couldn’t have known that his remark about Yakushev’s past was considered a serious breach of the Official Secrets Act. Knowledge of Andrei Yakushev was one of many things that Kilkenny would have to be sworn to secrecy about before he left Britain.
Mosley just shook his head with a smile at the young man he’d come to admire over the past few weeks. ‘Well, given the way things turned out, I’m kind of glad you followed your gut.’
‘Thanks,’ Kilkenny replied. ‘How are Stone and Yakushev?’
‘I received word that both are doing fine,’ Axton replied with great satisfaction. ‘Stone is in surgery right now and expected to recover completely. Yakushev, that stubborn old bastard, came through with nothing more serious than a bad case of the chills.’
‘What about the others?’
‘Those who survived this afternoon are in custody. Roe and Kang are both under guard in the prison wing of the base hospital. Parnell is still missing and presumed drowned. We’re dragging the river for his body.’
‘Best of all,’ Mosley added, ‘we got the whole transaction from Chicago to London covered and verified, right down to the computer in Parnell’s office. The case against them is airtight. Thanks to you, we’ve just shut down a major player in the world of industrial espionage.’
‘I’m just glad I could help,’ Kilkenny replied modestly. ‘Say, when can I get out of here?’
‘Your doctors have informed me that you can leave the base hospital now. If you like, we can have a car come around to take you back to your hotel.’ Axton’s demeanor subtly became more official. ‘We would like to take your statement regarding today’s activities.’
‘No problem,’ Kilkenny replied with an understanding nod of the head. ‘My plane doesn’t leave until Sunday.’
News of Kilkenny’s heroics on the Thames was spread across the front pages of London’s Saturday-morning papers, with eyewitness accounts and dramatic action photos of the flaming boat wreck and the helicopter rescue to titillate the readers. A few patrons in the hotel recognized Kilkenny as he entered the restaurant for breakfast and congratulated him on a job well done. Kilkenny blushed with embarrassment at his sudden notoriety and took the praise politely. Nothing like this had ever happened after a SEAL mission.
His waiter brought over complimentary copies of the morning papers and even asked for an autograph after Kilkenny had ordered. Though different in style, both papers told essentially the same story about Parnell’s industrial-espionage activities and the investigation that had ended with a fiery boat race down the Thames. Neither paper mentioned Kang Fa and the U.S. ciphers, nor did either report anything about Yakushev and Roe. Only Parnell and Kilkenny were mentioned by name, with Kilkenny being portrayed as a consultant to British security forces who had bravely jumped into action when duty called and aided SAS officers in preventing Parnell’s escape.
A car arrived at ten o’clock to escort Kilkenny to the American embassy, where he would make his official statement. His story, from beginning to end, took the better part of two hours, followed up by another hour of questions to double-check details surrounding his involvement with the whole affair.
‘Ready to go home?’ Mosley asked as Kilkenny emerged from the conference room where he’d given his deposition.
‘I thought I was finished with debriefings like that when I left the navy.’
Mosley gave Kilkenny a sympathetic nod. ‘I’ve been on both sides of these question-and-answer sessions, and it never gets any easier. As long as you’re involved with these kinds of situations, there will be questions when it’s over.’
‘I’ve got a couple of questions of my own.’
‘Shoot. I’ll answer them, if I can, but anything I say is off the record.’
‘What’s the story with Kang Fa? It’s as if his whole part in this mess has conveniently disappeared.’
‘It has. Kang will never stand trial because our government won’t allow the cipher files to be admitted as evidence. In a secondary development, Kang Fa has been officially disowned by the government of the People’s Republic of China; he’s a man without a country. For the next few years, Kang will reside in a maximumsecurity facility while discreet negotiations for his return to China drag on. He’s a blue chip, so our people and the Brits are going to want quite a lot in trade. I assume that your next question has to do with Yakushev and Roe.’
‘Yes.’
Mosley cracked the knuckles on his right hand and shook the fingers out. ‘Officially, Andrei Yakushev died back in 1991. He was murdered by order of the KGB chairman, and you never met him. There is, however, an elderly gentleman with an Eastern European accent currently enjoying his retirement in the English countryside. As for Ms Roe, both the U.S. and British governments had no choice but to grant her immunity from prosecution; she simply can’t be put on trial in connection with the theft of the Spyder, Cole’s murder, or anything involving Kang Fa’s intelligence operation. However, this immunity does not come without a price, and it’s a steep one. Roe must provide a thorough and accurate report on all her activities as a spy, both working for the Russians and on her own. She must also assist us in dismantling Parnell’s organization. This is going to take her out of circulation for a number of years.’
‘So no charges will come out of all this?’
‘A lot of Parnell’s clients and associates will end up in jail on industrial-espionage charges, but no one will be tried for crimes specifically tied to the cipher files or the Spyder. But don’t be too disappointed. On a different level, justice has been served.’
Epilogue
May 17
Sean Kilkenny leaned back against his Ford Explorer, crossed his arms, and shook his head the way fathers do when their children get out of line. ‘I see you just couldn’t stay out of trouble.’
Nolan reached the curb and dropped his carry-on bag at his father’s feet. ‘You know me, once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker. Mom always said it had something to do with the Kilkenny side of the family.’
‘And she was probably right. Welcome home.’ Sean embraced Nolan warmly, his fatherly concern eased with Nolan’s safe return.
Nolan ran through the events in London during the half-hour drive to the family farm west of Ann Arbor, omitting only those details that Cal Mosley had asked him to ‘forget.’ As they approached the road leading to the Kilkenny farm, they saw a Chrysler New Yorker limousine heading toward them.
‘Must be a prom tonight,’ Sean commented as he eased his Explorer onto the shoulder of the narrow road, letting the long, dark car move past.
They thought nothing more of the limo until they pulled up beside the barn and saw Martin Kilkenny standing beside a gleaming red Dodge Viper.
‘New toy, Dad?’ Nolan asked as he got out of the truck.
‘Not mine. Let’s see what your grandfather has to say about this.’
Martin Kilkenny stood next to the car with a devious grin on his face as Sean and Nolan approached. The car bore manufacturer’s plates, and, with a careful look at the body, Nolan realized that this car’s styling was different from the production Vipers of the past few years.
‘Grandpa, whose car is this?’
Martin Kilkenny’s smile widened as he dangled a key from his hand. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the key toward his grandson. ‘It’s yours-at least that’s what the man said.’
Nolan glanced at the key in his hand and then stared for a long moment at the sleek red sports car. ‘You’re joking.’
‘I know how you and your father are about cars, so I wouldn’t joke about something like this.’ Martin’s thick Irish brogue was filled with sincerity. ‘Did you pass a long, dark car on your way up the road?’
‘Yes?’
‘Well, the gentleman riding in the back of that fine automobile left this car for you, along with a note.’ Martin pulled an envelope from the pocket of his overalls. ‘He said it would explain everything.’
Nolan tore open the envelope with the edge of the Viper key and extracted the letter inside. The stationery bore the embossed penta-star emblem of the Chrysler Corporation. Nolan unfolded the sheet and read the handwritten letter aloud.
‘Dear Mr Kilkenny, ‘I read about your exploits in London over the weekend. Bravo! Your name sounded familiar, so I made a few calls. I discovered that your name had come to my attention a few months ago, during the investigation that dealt with an attempt to break into Chrysler’s computer network. The FBI said that you prevented the thieves from doing any real damage, and for that I and everyone in Auburn Hills thank you. If our corporate financial records had been damaged, or our engineering research stolen…well, I don’t want to think about what that would have cost us. You’ve saved Chrysler a lot of money and we owe you, so I’ll get to the point. ‘Your efforts to catch the people responsible for these crimes cost you a Mustang. She was a classic, and I ought to know because I built enough of them. The Mustang holds a special place in my heart. By way of a thank-you, I’d like you to have one of our new Vipers. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.’
Nolan stared at the signature of Chrysler’s chairman emeritus boldly scrawled across the bottom of the letter, still not believing what he’d read. ‘You mean that was…’
Martin grinned from ear to ear now that the surprise was out. ‘Aye, big as life, cigar and all. Drove this little beauty out here himself, he did. He hopes that you’ll like it.’
After only a few years of production, the Viper had already earned an honored place in the American musclecar pantheon.
‘I think I can live with it,’ Nolan replied. ‘You want to try her out, Dad?’
Sean was already opening the passenger door. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’
Nolan and his father put the Viper through a rigorous test-drive on the highways and side roads between Dexter and Chelsea, turning heads and gathering envious looks wherever they went. Almost two hours later, they returned to the Kilkenny farm grinning like a pair of juvenile delinquents. It was the kind of car that made a definite impression.
‘Should we set a plate for you?’ Sean asked as they pulled up to the farm’s main house.
‘No. Kelsey got out of the hospital yesterday, and I’m taking her out to dinner to celebrate her recovery.’ Nolan noticed a slightly arched eyebrow on his father’s face. ‘What?’
‘Nothing.’ Sean’s voice lowered to a sly tone. ‘I was just thinking about the bounty.’
The Newton and Kilkenny families had been close even before Nolan and Kelsey had been born. Once their combined children reached marrying age, the parents began thinking about grandchildren. To encourage those who were already married to have kids, the respective fathers offered a one-thousand-dollar bounty for the first grandchild in each family.
In an effort to create a marital bond between the two families, Meghan Kilkenny and Anna Newton had upped the ante with a five-thousand-dollar prize for the first child from a Kilkenny-Newton union. With most of the Kilkenny and Newton children now married, Nolan and Kelsey were the only candidates left for the big prize.
‘For the moment, Dad, your money’s still safe.’
Nolan parked the Viper beside the old Egan barn, where he now lived. It wasn’t until the hot water struck his body that he realized how gritty he felt from the long flight. As he showered, he went over his plans for the evening, preparing himself as if he was going on a mission. He realized that in many ways, he was on the most critical mission of his life. The water refreshed him and brought clarity to his mind. The events of the past few days were forgotten and only the next few hours were important.
Once out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and studied the fading scars on his face. The gash on his forehead was healing nicely and was mostly hidden by his thick red hair. Nolan wasn’t an unusually vain person, but pride in one’s appearance was a virtue drilled in by the military, and Nolan felt that tonight required attention to every detail.
He completed the shaving ritual with a light splash of a cologne. With his grooming preparations complete, Nolan dressed in the medium weight blue-gray wool suit he’d bought from a reputable London tailor. From the outside, Nolan was as ready as he would ever be. Inside, it was a completely different story. He felt as nervous as a high school boy on his first date.
Nolan rang the bell and Kelsey’s father welcomed him inside and offered him a drink, which he declined. He stood in the foyer making polite small talk while waiting for Kelsey to appear. Kelsey was with her mother upstairs and still getting dressed. Both men waited, half-listening to the evening news while talking about Nolan’s new car.
Ten minutes after Nolan arrived, Kelsey appeared on the balcony overlooking the foyer. Her hair was drawn back in a French braid accented with her new gold and lapis hair clasp, and she seemed to glow as she slowly descended the staircase, carefully taking each step one at a time. The shimmering lapis silk dress looked more stunning on her than Nolan ever imagined, flattering every sensuous curve of her body. Nolan’s heart began to race as Kelsey approached; she was a radiant vision. In his mind’s eye, Kelsey Newton had completely evolved from longtime friend and confidante into something more profound. She now held a place in Nolan’s heart that no one had ever occupied before, a vague, empty space that he’d dismissed until the day he thought he’d lost her. The transformation of Kelsey in Nolan’s mind, of how he thought and felt about her, was now complete.