Zero Day_ A Novel - Mark Russinovich [96]
Manfield’s mind had not been on any of the movies that played across the screen, though. Instead, he’d relived the experiences of the previous night. Extracting the information from them had not been difficult. Threat alone had been sufficient to learn everything they knew. Once satisfied, he’d slit both their throats before taking a shower.
They were long dead as he dressed, making certain no blood was on his clothes. The hallway had been clear when he’d left the room, and there was no security camera to avoid. A clerk had been at the front desk, but Manfield had turned his face and was on the street within a moment.
He finished his third hot dog of the day and wondered what they put in them. They had to be unhealthy, but he didn’t care. Wonderful. He glanced at his watch. It was time.
Outside, the city was beginning to slow from the bustle of the day. He walked eight blocks to the Hotel Luxor, glad to stretch and get the exercise, then positioned himself in the shadows of the alley across the street, checking first to make certain he had the alley to himself. Removing the pistol, he screwed the silencer onto it, then slipped it into his right jacket pocket. He had a good description, but it could apply to any number of men. He’d need to be certain first. From here he could cover both directions to the hotel. He hoped the man would be back soon.
There was much to do and, as always, little time in which to do it.
48
MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
DMITROSVSKY ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
6:38 P.M.
The two-bedroom apartment was spacious and well lit, with a southern exposure. It was new, and empty of all furniture, which only heightened the sense of size. It was everything Boris had promised.
“It will be like living in a gymnasium,” Ivana said.
The building manager who was showing it to them smiled agreeably.
From his wheelchair, Vladimir said, “It will fill up fast. My stuff will take up an entire bedroom.”
“Everything is to European standards,” the building manager said. “High-speed cable in every room. It’s all very modern.” He was a short, unshaven man, the kind of “new” Russian who’d secretly become rich in the last decade.
Down a hallway they heard laughter. “It seems a bit noisy,” Ivana said.
The man shrugged. “Not so much. We do have a few lighthearted types, but it is not an issue. They are reasonable. You will find this as quiet as any such building in Moscow.”
“When is it available?” Vladimir asked. If he wanted silence, they would have to move to a dacha in the country.
“Now, of course. Today. I will need your decision and the deposit if you decide to take it, before you leave. I have others scheduled to see the apartment later.”
“Perhaps we could have a moment to talk in private?” Ivana said.
“Of course. I’ll return in ten minutes.”
Ivana walked about the open space, stepping briefly into each room. “What do you think?” she asked her husband, who was sitting in the middle of the living room in his wheelchair.
“It will do. It’s expensive, though.”
“You said you wanted more room. You said you have the money. I can keep looking, but this is the first suitable place I’ve found in six months.”
Vladimir said nothing as he fumbled a cigarette out of a package and lit it. “I’d like to take it. I don’t think I can stand our place any longer. I feel like I’m suffocating there.”
Ivana thought of the rent, more than she made in an entire month. She couldn’t possibly make the payment on her own. “Can we afford it? Really?” She still wasn’t certain her husband was telling her the truth.
“Yes,” Vladimir said irritably. “I wouldn’t say take it otherwise. Why don’t you listen to me?”
“And what if State Security comes crashing in some night? What then?” Her grandfather had vanished in that very way. It had been the worst night of her life, one that came back to her again and again in her nightmares. She’d watched her grandmother wither away and die the following year.
“That won’t happen. I’m not working for the Mafia. How many times must I tell you? I’m not breaking laws.