Chapter 76

Catarina lay snuggled to John’s side. Sheila was cooking breakfast in the small kitchen. Catarina marveled at her powers of recovery.

After she launched herself at John the night before he had carried her in his arms into the bedroom. They had both made the most tender, sweet love she had ever known with her. She did not understand. But she knew she could trust these people. They were not like Sergei had told her they were. They were the sweetest, kindest people on earth.

If she had to die for her actions. She would go knowing that she had finally experienced true, honest love. The way it should be ... for everybody; Self-less, deep and abiding.

She lay in John’s arms waiting for word of her and her sister’s fate. It came in the form of a beeping from his laptop.

John stirred, feeling Catarina snuggled to him. He lifted his head to gaze into her pensive eyes.

He kissed her on the cheek and sat up, reaching for his laptop. Sheila came in and handed each of them a cup of coffee, stooping to kiss each of them good morning.

“Breakfast is ready when you are.” she said.

She slipped out and retrieved her own cup and returned and slid onto the bed. Setting her coffee down on the headboard shelf she leaned against it and pulled Catarina to her. She snuggled to her side while John read the reply.

He read for quite some time. Catarina growing more pensive by the moment.

“Well don’t keep the poor girl in suspense.” Sheila chided.

John looked up.

“Oh, sorry. You are to make connection with your contact. Tell them that we have asked you to travel with us. Tell them that you are going to do so because you were not able to obtain the information as yet, but you are confident that you will. Ask him to meet you in Salt Lake City in a week. That you intend to have the information by then and that you would like Sergei to meet you at the Mormon Temple with your sister.

For your cooperation, you will be given immunity from prosecution. Both you and your sister will be given political asylum and protection. Your sister -and you, if you desire it- will be given counseling to help her deal with your ordeal. The government would very much like your assistance in putting Sergei into one of our prisons.” John summarized.

Catarina had begun to weep with joy.

“Of course. I will gladly cooperate fully. I would do anything to see that asshole put away.” she said, tears running down her cheeks.

“Unfortunately, our prisons are probably more humane, but not all that humane. I could almost guarantee that he would become somebody’s love toy. Probably for a bunch of weight lifters with self applied tattoos.” John chuckled.

“That would give me a great deal of satisfaction ... but mainly I just want my sister safe and away from him.” she said, wiping at her tears.

Sheila had her own leakage problem.

“You are a great man, John Stevens. You are kind and generous and I love you very much. May I show a portion of my gratitude to you by making love to you?” Catarina asked.

“No, not as thanks ... but if you would like to make love with us as an equal, of your own free choice, then I would be delighted.” John said.

“You know, they have a great deal of respect for the Cowboy, but I think even so they have greatly underestimated you.” Catarina said.

“Cowboy?” John asked.

“That is what they call you. Your code name. Sergei told me of an episode where you outgunned a man. You shot his barn or something.” she replied.

John busted out laughing. So did Sheila.

“Cowboy ... I can live with that.” he chuckled, “What time do you need to make your contact?” he asked.

“No set time. I was to try to make contact by three this afternoon.” she said, catching the jovial mood.

“Three huh? I think we can have you talking again by then.” John said, moving to her.

She moved into his arms and her lips met his hungrily. Sheila moved up behind her, caressing her body.

She was barely talking when she made her phone call. Her contact wasn’t at all happy that she didn’t have the film yet. He agreed that she should travel with them. She passed her message about her sister. Her contact said he would relay the message. For her to call back the next day between noon and three for the reply to her demands.

While she was out making her call Sheila turned to John.

“Are you going to ask her, or should I?” she asked.

He grinned at her.

“Hold off for a bit. I want to get this thing with her sister cleaned up first. I don’t want her saying yes because she feels indebted to us.” he said.

“All the more reason to ask her before.” she said.

“No. When she’s free to make her own decisions. Really free. Then we can ask her together. Okay?” he said.

“Okay. But I want you to know that I’m fully addicted already.” she said.

“Ditto, babe. Now about that bet...” he said.

“You cheated... “ Sheila said, sinking to her knees, grinning.

They solved the problem of Catarina’s vehicle by dropping it off at the next car rental. She would rent another one in Salt Lake City. They transferred the luggage from the car. To deal with the bags containing the bugs, John simply stowed them into the compact car towed behind.

They drove down through Montana, crossing into Wyoming. Driving through Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Catarina got a big kick out of the bears in Yellowstone. Most of the time she traveled up front with them. Sometimes her and Sheila would slip back into the bedroom for an hour or so. Once, John had Sheila spell him off at the wheel while he slipped back for an extended session. She would only do it on an easy driving section. She’d never driven anything that big before.

Each night they all made love and then snuggled together blissfully happy as they caressed each other to sleep.

Catarina made a German style breakfast for them one morning. With sliced tomatoes, cheeses and cold cuts to go with the eggs and potato pancakes.

In Jackson Hole John purchased an out of state fishing license. Not far away he parked the motor home and made his way along a small stream with his fly casting gear. Working his way along the river, pretending he knew what he was doing. He wasn’t a very proficient fly fisherman, but he looked forward to becoming one. He seemed to yank the fly away from the fish the moment it went to take it.

He worked his way along the stream. Encountering another fisherman. He stopped and chatted with him. The fisherman showing him his catch for the day.

“Nice mustache. I’ll bet the triplets would like it.” John chuckled.

“It comes off, what happened to yours?” Howdy asked.

“It came off. Part of a draw bet. It’ll grow back soon.” John said, absently feeling his lip.

“Well -as usual- you stirred up a whole bunch of shit. We’ve been dying to get our hands on this Nickolov fellow for years now. He’s one cagey mother and one bad son of a bitch.” Howdy told him, dropping his fly in the perfect spot.

A moment later a trout rolled up and he snagged him in the lip.

“How the hell do you do that?” John asked, as Howdy reeled him in.

“Practice. Every summer for at least two weeks since I was a kid. My therapy from work.” he said, landing the fish.

He removed the hook and let the fish go.

“Catch and release?” John asked.

“Not always. But I’m near my limit and he wasn’t very big.” Howdy said.

He cleaned his fly and treated it with a light fly oil. Then fluffed it and went back to his casting.

“How come you never took this Sergei asshole out before?” John asked, trying to duplicate Howdy’s actions.

“Never had more than a general description of him before. That’s one reason why we want to jump at this chance.” Howdy said.

“Nail him cold with the goods, huh?” John asked, managing a decent cast but again removing the fly an instant before the fish came up.

“Don’t be in such a dag blamed hurry. You just lost a nice one.” Howdy chuckled, “Yeah, we nail him good. Don’t even have to go into a hostile environment for him.”

“You’ve never been to Temple Square then.” John chuckled.

Howdy grinned: “Yes I have. My ex-wife was a Mormon ... About that; We’ll take him as he leaves. But once he’s inside, and Catarina identifies him and makes the pass, then we’ve got him.”

“You promise that her and her sister’s safety comes first?” John asked.

“Of course. But I won’t lie to you and tell you there is no risk. Sergei is a slippery little fucker. He’s in the position he’s in for a reason. But that’s why we take him as he goes to leave. He has to pass through the security gates. Gives us a chance to separate him from Bianca.” Howdy said.

“So you expect him to double cross Catarina too.” John said.

Howdy glanced at him.

“Of course. I’m in the position I am in, for a reason too. Underestimating my opponents isn’t one of them. Assets like Catarina are too valuable to them to let slip away, just because they do as they are supposed to.” Howdy said.

“Well, that makes me feel better. Got something for me?” John asked.

“On the second bend up. Behind the logical rock to sit and rest on. Take care.” Howdy said.

“You said a whole bunch of shit. What’s the other part?” John asked.

Howdy frowned a bit.

“Nothing much, just the GAO, the Attorney General’s office, the IRS and both houses of Congress crawling up our ass with a microscope. Undoubtedly the end of the project. Perhaps the end of this President’s career. Certainly the end of mine. You see, this whole thing is black budgeted. Even my position. It will have been well worth it.

We did serious damage to the espionage aimed at this country. God, if you only knew how many people are watching you folks now. You’ve got agents from Uganda watching you, for Christ’s sake.

But when we pop old Sergei, all that’s going to blow up in our faces. It’s going to swing all those eyes in our direction, as well as the national and international press. One very big shit-load of people are going to start asking questions. Questions we can’t answer to their legal expectations.” Howdy said.

“So why not treat it as a simple sting. Why involve the silo at all. You’ve said yourself that the government has wanted Sergei for some time. Why not nail him on some other charge?” John asked.