dangling strings in his mind began to weave a story.
“When did I leave?”
“Thirteen days ago.”
“Okay, one day to fly to Moscow. But, why would I go to Russia if my assignment was in Syria?” He heaved a sigh. “I would have flown into Incirlik Air Force base in Turkey, then crossed the border into Syria. I’d have no reason to go to Moscow.”
“Do you remember landing at Incirlik?”
“No, I never got there.”
“Did your plane have a layover before arriving in Turkey?”
“Yes, I had a stop in Cairo.”
“Did you leave the airport?”
Tony stood and walked across the room. Head down, he brushed his hair back. He pointed his finger at Abby. “You were there.”
Abby’s eyes widened and she sat up. “I was there? Where?”
“In Cairo.”
Abby stood and held out her hands. “Tony, I have been in Washington the last month, covering the Libya thing. Four days ago, I flew to Moscow on another assignment. I wasn’t in Cairo.” She looked concerned and innocent.
“You were with a Middle Eastern man . A man who introduced himself to me as Mohammad el Gensez.”
She shook her heard. “Frank can verify everything I’ve done recently, and I wasn’t in Cairo.”
***
That news upset Tony. It revealed he couldn’t trust his own mind. That nothing made sense. Maybe none of this was real. Perhaps his imagination played tricks on him. What if he never regained his memory?
Mac walked over and touched his shoulder. “Sit down. Let’s try to figure out what happened to you. I’m no psychologist or anything close, but we’re all pretty smart people. We can figure this out.”
A.J. handed Tony a cold soda from the small refrigerator. He popped the top and took a gulp. He wanted scotch. Johnny Walker Red to be exact.
A.J. squatted in front of him. “This morning Abby broke you out of Lubyanka , and you drove to the safe house. Right?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s how you ended up here?”
Tony nodded, not sure where A.J.’s questions were going. He knew all this already.
“Now, before Abby came this morning, what happened?”
Tony strained to recall anything, even a single memory.
“I woke up in a cell.”
“Alone, on a cot, was it dark?
“No, I wasn’t alone. Four others shared the cell with me.”
“Cot?”
“I slept on the cold floor.”
“Why? Tony , why would you sleep on the floor? Wasn’t there a cot for you?”
“There was a cot , but it made my head hurt.”
“Okay, so laying on the cot gave you a headache. When did you first notice the headache?”
“Days before.”
“Days before Abby showed up?”
“Yes, when I was in the basement.”
“Okay, you were in a basement . Then they brought you to the cell?”
“Yes.”
“How long were you in the basement?”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed his forehead. “Days, weeks. I’m not sure. They kept the room well lit all the time. It was so bright the lights hurt my eyes.”
“Were you in a cell in the basement?”
“No.” Tony closed his eyes and struggled to see past the light. He strained to make out those unknown faces that mocked him in the shadows. Slowly, the clouds faded away and the face staring down at him belonged to… “Viktor Pertinolf.”
CHAPTER NINE
Abby sat on the arm of the chair and fought against the urge to bolt from the room. Until now, she hadn’t understood the degree of instability Tony suffered. If he actually thought he saw her in Cairo, what else would his damaged mind come up with? Just how safe could she be with him?
Shaking her head, she wondered why she ’d allowed herself to be drawn into all this espionage stuff. Perhaps the thrill of the chase? Well, if she’d done it for that reason, their drive here had cured that.
More likely it was her uncontrollable desire to see Tony one more time. That was closer to the truth than anything as honorable as saving her country.
Shame burned her cheeks. Who wouldn’t consider being a loyal American and doing
“When did I leave?”
“Thirteen days ago.”
“Okay, one day to fly to Moscow. But, why would I go to Russia if my assignment was in Syria?” He heaved a sigh. “I would have flown into Incirlik Air Force base in Turkey, then crossed the border into Syria. I’d have no reason to go to Moscow.”
“Do you remember landing at Incirlik?”
“No, I never got there.”
“Did your plane have a layover before arriving in Turkey?”
“Yes, I had a stop in Cairo.”
“Did you leave the airport?”
Tony stood and walked across the room. Head down, he brushed his hair back. He pointed his finger at Abby. “You were there.”
Abby’s eyes widened and she sat up. “I was there? Where?”
“In Cairo.”
Abby stood and held out her hands. “Tony, I have been in Washington the last month, covering the Libya thing. Four days ago, I flew to Moscow on another assignment. I wasn’t in Cairo.” She looked concerned and innocent.
“You were with a Middle Eastern man . A man who introduced himself to me as Mohammad el Gensez.”
She shook her heard. “Frank can verify everything I’ve done recently, and I wasn’t in Cairo.”
***
That news upset Tony. It revealed he couldn’t trust his own mind. That nothing made sense. Maybe none of this was real. Perhaps his imagination played tricks on him. What if he never regained his memory?
Mac walked over and touched his shoulder. “Sit down. Let’s try to figure out what happened to you. I’m no psychologist or anything close, but we’re all pretty smart people. We can figure this out.”
A.J. handed Tony a cold soda from the small refrigerator. He popped the top and took a gulp. He wanted scotch. Johnny Walker Red to be exact.
A.J. squatted in front of him. “This morning Abby broke you out of Lubyanka , and you drove to the safe house. Right?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s how you ended up here?”
Tony nodded, not sure where A.J.’s questions were going. He knew all this already.
“Now, before Abby came this morning, what happened?”
Tony strained to recall anything, even a single memory.
“I woke up in a cell.”
“Alone, on a cot, was it dark?
“No, I wasn’t alone. Four others shared the cell with me.”
“Cot?”
“I slept on the cold floor.”
“Why? Tony , why would you sleep on the floor? Wasn’t there a cot for you?”
“There was a cot , but it made my head hurt.”
“Okay, so laying on the cot gave you a headache. When did you first notice the headache?”
“Days before.”
“Days before Abby showed up?”
“Yes, when I was in the basement.”
“Okay, you were in a basement . Then they brought you to the cell?”
“Yes.”
“How long were you in the basement?”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed his forehead. “Days, weeks. I’m not sure. They kept the room well lit all the time. It was so bright the lights hurt my eyes.”
“Were you in a cell in the basement?”
“No.” Tony closed his eyes and struggled to see past the light. He strained to make out those unknown faces that mocked him in the shadows. Slowly, the clouds faded away and the face staring down at him belonged to… “Viktor Pertinolf.”
CHAPTER NINE
Abby sat on the arm of the chair and fought against the urge to bolt from the room. Until now, she hadn’t understood the degree of instability Tony suffered. If he actually thought he saw her in Cairo, what else would his damaged mind come up with? Just how safe could she be with him?
Shaking her head, she wondered why she ’d allowed herself to be drawn into all this espionage stuff. Perhaps the thrill of the chase? Well, if she’d done it for that reason, their drive here had cured that.
More likely it was her uncontrollable desire to see Tony one more time. That was closer to the truth than anything as honorable as saving her country.
Shame burned her cheeks. Who wouldn’t consider being a loyal American and doing
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