CHAPTER 98
Anacostia, Washington, DC
It was a dangerous place to live. It was a perfect place for a safe house.
When Natasha arrived that morning, Yuri had complimented her on her efforts to help apprehend the enemy, Alexander Egorov.
While she waited to be recalled to Moscow for her next assignment, KGB agent Natasha took refuge in the ground-floor apartment.
The bars over the windows provided security from a street-level break-in.
The front door was made of reinforced steel, with a dead bolt and hinges that had been drilled into several inches of solid cement.
Egorov had used and abused his power and privilege to gain unfathomable wealth. Many had suffered because of him. His corruption was witnessed at the highest levels of government; once enough evidence had been gathered against him, the security services would take action.
Several years ago, Yuri had explained that perhaps a nurse could be assigned to treat a mysterious ailment diagnosed by doctors—actually fellow agents—who would show Egorov phony X-rays to persuade him he had inoperable cancer.
Natasha was indeed a trained nurse, but the crippling symptoms of Alexander Egorov’s “illness” were induced by the chemicals she administered as his daily “medicine.” Stay close—stay closer—Yuri demanded, instructing her to feed him information about Egorov’s business associates and travels while treating him—as well as sharing the arms dealer’s bed.
Through Natasha’s sacrifice, she was told, she would uncover information beneficial to the state.
Natasha’s thoughts were interrupted by the coded knock on the door.
She looked at her watch. Yuri had said he would bring food and wine in celebration of her first successful operation.
She tapped her response code—one-two-three-one-two, in rapid succession—on the inside of the door and waited for the confirmation.
The dead bolt slipped easily, but as she turned the doorknob the steel door slammed into her face, knocking her back several steps.
Slightly dazed, she blinked her eyes to focus.
Before she could, the first 9mm bullet entered her left eye and exited just behind her left ear.
The second bullet hit her in the throat center mass, and the third turned her heart to Jell-O.