less than a year, but he’s already proving himself to be one of the best soldiers I’ve worked with.” He darted a glance at her. “But don’t tell him I said that. Rookies need to be kept humble.”
The trace of humor in his voice tempted her to relax, but she reminded herself not to let down her guard. “I hope this mission won’t require him to prove his expertise.”
“Don’t worry, Dr. Petrova. You and your daughter are under our protection now. We won’t let anything happen to either of you.”
He sounded sincere, yet she still suspected his real orders were to protect the disk that she’d brought. She looked at the bundles he’d dropped near the hearth and wondered if he or one of his colleagues had searched them before he’d brought them inside. They seemed intact, but that didn’t mean someone hadn’t felt them from the outside.
He followed her gaze. “You said you were careful not to raise anyone’s suspicions before you left.”
“That’s right.”
“And that it could be a day before anyone misses you.”
“Perhaps more.”
“I don’t understand that. Won’t you be expected to work?”
“I scheduled a few days in my quarters to catch up on my reading, which isn’t unusual for me. It’s unlikely anyone would have a reason to disturb me.”
“Wouldn’t they expect to see you around the complex?”
“No. I often fix my meals myself rather than go to the main cafeteria, especially when I’m immersed in a project. I was moved to a self-contained apartment after Katya’s birth so that her crying wouldn’t disturb my neighbors. The walls are well insulated, so no one would be able to hear whether or not we were inside.”
“Are there a lot of kids at the complex?”
“The facility is like a small university campus. It wasn’t designed with children in mind, although there are a few. Many of the researchers bring their spouses, but not many bring babies. They prefer to send their children to boarding schools when they’re old enough, because of the isolation.”
“What do you do with your baby when you work?”
“I bring her to my office with me. There is no organized day care, so no one will remark on her absence tomorrow.”
He got up to add a few sticks to the fire, then remained there and watched the flames. “What about her father?”
“He has his own responsibilities. He seldom has the time to see Katya.”
“So he lives at the complex?”
“Yes.”
“Is he a scientist, too?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t really a lie but only part of the truth.
“Won’t he notice you’re gone?”
“Not immediately. The research I do constitutes only one component of the overall project. My area of expertise is the theoretical side of biochemical engineering, such as mathematical modeling, so I work on a computer. That’s why I can bring Katya to my office. Her father works in the lab, which is in a separate area of the complex.”
“I meant, won’t he miss you when you’re not at work?”
“We no longer have a personal relationship. The last time I saw him was a few days ago at our regular staff meeting, but it’s not uncommon for weeks to go by without any contact between us.”
He appeared to digest that for a while. “And you didn’t want to say goodbye to him?”
“No. I already assured you that I told no one. As I said, I know what’s at stake, and it’s not only our individual safety. Were you told what’s on the disk I’m carrying?”
He poked at the fire with another stick. Flames flared from orange to yellow, highlighting the harsh planes of his face. “I heard you were developing a biological weapon. Some new kind of virus.”
She tried to read his expression. She couldn’t see any condemnation in it, yet how could she help but blame herself? “I regret more than you can imagine that my own work contributed to the Chameleon Virus program. I had believed we would unlock the secrets of prolonging human life, not destroying it. The very idea that I could have helped in the development of this…this evil is horrifying. The world has to learn the truth because only international pressure will ensure the research will be stopped.”
There was more silence. When he spoke again, his voice was thoughtful. “I understand why you made the deal with our government, Dr. Petrova, and I respect that. It took a lot of guts to admit you were wrong and try to fix it.” He tossed the stick into the fire. “But there’s one thing about your actions I don’t understand.”
“Yes?”
He brushed off his hands on his pants and turned to face her squarely. “Why did you hide the fact that you were bringing a child?”
Her pulse jumped. “I didn’t think it was relevant.”
“Now I’m just a simple soldier, and I don’t have the education of you scientists or the smarts of the diplomats you made your deal with, but it’s my guess you had to have a good reason for neglecting to mention your baby. I sure hope that reason doesn’t come back to bite us.”
Despite Sergeant Norton’s disclaimer, Eva wasn’t about to make the mistake of underestimating his intelligence. His questions were continuing to prove his perceptiveness. “I simply didn’t want to be delayed by issues of child custody,” she replied, giving another part-truth. “I couldn’t predict how your people would have reacted.”
“They’d still want your information. Once you’re in the States, they’ll get you a good lawyer.”
“I was willing to offer myself as a pawn but not my daughter. Bureaucrats and courts don’t always put the interests of the child first. I’ve seen how your justice system handles international custody cases, and I won’t risk—” Her voice broke. She cleared her throat, annoyed that she’d once again shown weakness in front of this man. She cupped her hand over Katya’s head. “She belongs with me.”
Sergeant Norton pulled his chair forward until it was even with the bench where she was sitting. He straddled the chair once more, folding his arms over the back. “I read in your file that your mother was American and your father was Russian. You went to live with him after she died.” He paused. “Is that why you’re so worried about your daughter? Because of what happened to you?”
She should have realized that he would know her background. The American government would have investigated her thoroughly before agreeing to her deal. “What else did the file tell you?”
“It said your mother was a translator at the UN, and your father was a diplomat.”
She moved her thumb over Katya’s cheek. “They had very little in common. After their marriage dissolved, my mother and I went to live with my grandmother, and my father took a position in Bolivia. He didn’t see me again until the day after my mother’s funeral. He was a complete stranger to me, yet the court allowed him to take me from the only home and family that I’d known.”
“That doesn’t sound right.”
“My father had many influential friends, including American politicians. My grandmother was just an ordinary woman and didn’t have the resources to fight him in court.”
He extended his arm to touch her knee. “I’m sorry. That must have been rough.”
She shook her head. “Don’t waste your sympathy on me. It’s Katya I’m concerned about. I didn’t want to deceive you about her, but I felt I had no choice.”
“I can see why you thought that, after what happened to you, but your situation’s different.