Trifecta (52 page)

S
abrina and Eve were dressed in shorts and tee
shirts, like they were going for a lunchtime jog in Beverly Hills.  It was a cool
day and Sabrina shivered as the sun appeared intermittently and then was covered
with clouds.  The jogging path, which ran parallel to Santa Monica Boulevard, was
well kept with grass around the hard packed dirt path, various flower gardens on
every block and drinking fountains along the way.  One was really in the city, but
it seemed more like a park.

They crunched on red and golden leaves and Sabrina jogged
in place to keep warm.  There were quite a few people on the footpath.  A few dog
owners were walking their animals, all visibly carrying pooper-scoopers as the laws
in Beverly Hills were strict about creating a 'nuisance' someone might step in.

The Steinbrenner's van pulled up and circled the park entrance,
off Doheny Drive.  When they saw Stephan emerging from the side door in his wheel
chair, the two women turned and jogged away.  They kept an easy pace, but one which
would be hard for the brothers to keep up with. 

Stephan could make pretty good time in the motorized chair. 
Alexander was obviously having a hard time moving rapidly on crutches. 

After a few blocks, Sabrina and Eve turned right, up Maple
Street.  About twenty feet up Maple was the alley that ran behind the houses, where
trash was surreptitiously collected, suitably out of sight of the posh homes in
the area.  The alleys in Beverly Hills were a labyrinth maze.  If she and Eve wanted
to leave quickly the two brothers would not be able to find them, or catch them. 

Heavy, loud breathing along with little labored whistles
indicated when Alexander, on his crutches, was near.  Sabrina peeked around the
bend in the alley so that the men could see her.

When the two men were close enough to hear her, Sabrina
said, "The person with a computer can be killed with a gun.  If you're carrying,
please use restraint." 

Both men lifted their arms up innocently, but Sabrina was
not convinced.  They were wearing suits and carried overcoats.  They could easily
conceal a weapon.

The two women and men moved hesitantly toward each other. 
Sabrina thought all the precautions and her fear might have been unnecessary.  The
brothers were probably afraid of the violence an extremely strong computer without
any moral restraints could do in their vulnerable states, also.  It was a standoff. 
They probably did have a gun, but they were facing an adversary who was the most
intelligent person in the world, with the strength to injure them badly and without
an ounce of remorse.

When Alexander could resume breathing normally after his
exertions, he began to tell Eve and Sabrina about a wonderful Japanese firm he had
worked with in the past.  He went on and on about a man named Sato Hashimoto.  Alexander
tried to impress them with the amount of real estate the man had acquired here in
California for his Japanese corporation, which also had subsidiaries in Hong Kong,
Singapore and Australia as well as the United States.

Alexander's pitch was that Eve would be paid to go and
work in Tokyo.  He cited a salary for her in the hundreds of thousands each year,
but said he could not be specific until Mr.  Hashimoto met with her.  He acted like
she should be impressed with the fact that this man, the head of a multi-national
corporation, would actually speak to her himself.  Glancing around surreptitiously,
Alexander said that because the government seemed to be interested in all of them,
the computer's departure might be a good thing for all concerned. 

Sabrina was very insulted.  Alexander was talking to them
as if they could not comprehend that the technology to make Eve was worth billions. 
A salary of a million a year was laughable. 

Eve was thinking of pagodas, cherry blossoms, Mount Fugi,
rice paddies, jade Buddhas and small, polite and violent people with slanted eyes
and beautiful black hair.  She didn't need a silly job offer to see Japan, she planned
on seeing the whole world.  But she would go and meet with this Hashimoto.  It might
be interesting.  She said that a meeting would be agreeable, but there was very
little chance that the computer would agree to work for a salary. 

Sabrina wondered aloud what Alexander would get from the
negotiations.  After hemming and hawing, Alexander said that of course he would
get a 'finders fee.'

"We need the photograph to make up the ID papers," 
Stephen said.  He tried to show restraint and did not grab at the picture, but Sabrina
knew he could hardly wait to see either black or red hair.  When he took hold of
it he glanced at the photograph and then showed the blond picture of Sabrina to
his brother. 

W
illard Modert, Burgess Whitcomb's assistant, had added
a third person to the team now searching for Sabrina, Eve and the Steinbrenner brothers
in the vicinity of the jogging path in Beverly Hills.

Ivar knew Sergi Malcovich was undercover KGB.  He was upset
that Sergi was being passed off as another CIA agent. 

The three had been following the progress of the women
as they jogged along the path in Beverly Hills, but had lost them when they turned
up Maple.  The agents were in a car, which meant that they had to use the streets
in Beverly Hills, one of which ran parallel and a block away from the jogging path. 
Ivar was worried because he was sure the Steinbrenners would be carrying the gun
he had seen last night. 

Now Ivar had to deal with Sergi, who was insisting he wanted
to go after the four on foot.  Ivar didn't know if he could trust Sergi, he had
just met with him that morning, but his impression was that Sergi was stupid, and
therefore extremely dangerous.  He even had a pronounced Russian accent.  Maybe
Sergi's family had some kind of pull in the Party, but Ivar didn't like the situation
at all.  He could tell that Malcolm was also suspicious of the new man.

Sergi was infuriated, obviously believing his competence
in undercover surveillance was being questioned.  As Sergi argued that he could
do the surveillance just fine on foot, Malcolm rolled his eyes at Ivar, as if to
say, Who is this Schmuck? Unfortunately, Sergi saw the silent pantomime.  When the
car stopped to turn on Maple Street, Sergi jumped out and started furiously walking
down the street alone.  From the back he looked like a big, insulted bully.

Ivar saw Sergi turn into the only place the four could
have gone, the alley, and pull out his gun.  Ivar told Malcolm to drive him around
the block.  He exited the car and went after Sergi from the opposite end of the
alley. 

Sabrina and Eve were still talking to the Steinbrenner
brothers.  Sabrina didn't know why she looked up, maybe something in her peripheral
vision, but she saw a man turning the corner of the alley.  Sabrina flinched.  The
man had a gun held straight out in front of him.

Stephan, using his newly acquired expertise in the wheelchair,
turned around to see what had caused Sabrina's reaction.  When he saw a man coming
toward them with a gun, he pulled out his own gun, which was under the coat he had
been carrying on his lap.

Evidently the man who entered the alley thought Stephan
was going to shoot him.  He fired first and hit Stephan in the shoulder. 

All Sabrina heard was a muffled clap, no louder than the
bird chirps from the trees.  Then a geyser of blood and flesh exploded from a spot
on Stephan's shoulder and upper arm.  There was a red raw mess where his shirt and
suit jacket had been torn away.  Then there was a second shot.  The man fired again
at Stephan, the bullet ricocheted off of the metal side of the wheel chair. 

Alexander forgot he was on crutches.  He tried to pull
Stephan's wheel chair around to get him out of the line of fire.  Alexander fell
down. 

Sabrina felt Eve pulling her away.  As they were turning
to run she saw an enormous blond man enter the opposite side of the alley and shoot
the man attacking Stephan.

Then Sabrina felt Eve yanking her arm and she stumbled
after her.  They sprinted down the alley and out to the jogging path.  Eve was running
very fast, holding her arm.  Sabrina had no choice but to run.

"He shot Stephan!"

"Ivar will take care of him,"  Eve said, still
holding her arm.

"Ivar!"

"Ivar shot the man who shot Stephan." 

Sabrina could not believe what she had just witnessed. 
A man had shot another man in a wheelchair! Then he had been shot by the man who
had taken Eve out on a date last night.

"Ivar was trying to protect us.  But it's obvious
I've put you in far too much danger.  Alexander and Stephan are right.  I have to
leave."

They were practically flying down the jogging path, jumping
over curbs because the path bisected the streets, and then jumping back on the path. 
Sabrina thought it must appear like they were running for their lives, as well they
might be.  People were willing to kill for Eve, now.  It was getting out of hand. 
They had to get some protection. 

"I don't want you to leave,"  Sabrina said. 
"We have to come out in the open about you.  Even if we hurt Dr. Steinbrenner. 
People can't just shoot...other people."

"I would rather be anonymous."  Eve let go of
Sabrina's arm, but did not decrease her speed.  The two women were running in perfect
harmony, matching each other stride for stride.

"I know,"  Sabrina said.  "But if everyone
knows, we have choices.  We can keep scientists from experimenting on you.  The
government can't use you if the public knows.  It will be uncomfortable, but it's
the only choice we have."

Sabrina stopped talking because she was out of breath. 
She felt awful at the thought of Eve leaving.  It would be painful to lose the person
who had become like a sister. 

"There are several governments involved, now," 
Eve said.  "Agents don't shoot each other.  They cover up for each other. 
Unless they're from different countries.  And the Japanese know about me, too. 
And want me.  They all want to keep me a secret from each other."

"Our trump is that they don't know which is which," 
Sabrina said, as they reached the car.  She pulled her key out of her shoe laces
to unlock the car.  "So you should stay with me, at least until all of this
is public knowledge."

Eve nodded.  She was not really agreeing.  She did have
to leave Sabrina.  The problem was, she could protect Sabrina better than anyone
else.  She would not leave until she was sure that Sabrina was safe.

"If we go public, they will try to persuade Ferd to
make another one of me."

Sabrina was silent, knowing Eve was right.

I
var had aimed his shot at Sergi's thigh and had hit him
in the fleshy outside part of his leg.  It was a superficial hit and it just knocked
Sergi down for a few moments.  Sergi looked at Ivar with such an angry expression
that Ivar knew if looks could kill he would be dead.  But Ivar was appalled at Sergi's
behavior, which confirmed his distrust of the Russian KGB agent.  He was stupid
and dangerous.  He watched as Sergi limped away to the jogging path.  He thought
that eventually, when he had cooled down, Sergi would go back to the car.  He couldn't
nurse-maid a stupid Russian now.  Ivar had to tend to the two brothers. 

Ivar watched as Stephan glanced at his wounded shoulder
with disbelief, then doubled over in his chair and threw up all over his shoes. 
Ivar put his gun away and started slowly walking toward the two men, holding both
arms out to show he was not threatening them. 

Now his cover might be blown, and that was a shame, Ivar
thought.  All because of that stupid jerk Sergi.  Ivar hoped he wasn't going after
the women, but he couldn't possibly catch them with his leg wound.

Ivar walked over to Alexander, helped him up and brushed
him off.  Then Ivar examined Stephan's shoulder.  A big chunk of flesh was missing,
but the wound was not mortally dangerous, just very painful.  Still, Ivar had to
get Stephan to a doctor right away. 

Ivar explained that he could call an ambulance, but then
the police would become involved and would have to make reports.  Or, he could take
them to a private doctor, which would probably be better, because the police wouldn't
be involved.  He watched Alexander thinking it over. 

Ivar didn't want the police.  A gun shot wound would cause
an extensive investigation.  It would, of course, be covered up by his organization,
but reports would mean that more people would get involved. 

Alexander agreed that he did not want a police investigation. 

Ivar asked Alexander to give him the keys to the van. 
He would drive it over here for them.  Alexander handed him the keys without comment. 
Then Ivar started jogging himself, down the path to get the van. 

Ivar hoped that Malcolm had been close enough to get an
idea of what had happened here.  Shooting a fellow agent was not exactly company
policy.  And he was going to be in deep shit with the KGB. 

S
ergi Malcovich didn't give a damn if Ivar was not to be
trusted after his many years in the United States, and was not to be told of the
abduction until after it had taken place.  Sergi had his directive and he planned
on executing it expeditiously.  Wounded or not.  Willard Modert had told Sergi precisely
what to do.  Now that the opportunity had presented itself, Sergi was supremely
confident of his abilities.  He had not had time to be corrupted, like the despicable
Ivar Cousin.

Sergi hurried after the women in his hard leather shoes
with a burning hole in his right thigh and watched the women fly toward the end
of the jogging path on Doheny Avenue.  He didn't know if he could catch them, but
he would make a valiant try.  Blood was trickling down his thigh, soaking his sock
and making his shoe a sticky mess.  He thought he must look a little foolish among
the California exercise freaks who made jogging a spectator's sport, with their
trendy exercise cloths.  He was dressed in a heavy business suit, but he didn't
care.  Anything was tolerated here in Los Angeles. 

The focus of the KGB had been to find out about a new American
weapon breakthrough in computer technology.  Sergi was to get the computer to a
safe house with all due haste, as the Americans did not yet have it in their possession. 
Sergi Malcovich was not considered a highly intelligent man, but he was unquestioningly
loyal, obeyed without objection and spoke reasonable American English.  Anyway,
his operative, Willard Modert, was running him personally.

As he hurried along Sergi cursed Ivar Cousin and vowed
eternal vengeance on him for daring to shoot a fellow comrade.  Once this was over
he promised himself a blood match. 

He watched as the red haired women took her car key out
of her shoe lace and unlocked the door.  The women was tired and leaned against
the top of the car.  He hoped they would stop and chat for a while and they did
so, over the top of the yellow Mustang, regaining their breath after running so
briskly.  Sergi slowed down so that he was just another man taking a stroll along
the grassy side of the jogging path.  Luckily he was wearing dark pants, shoes and
socks, so the blood dripping down his leg was not visible. 

Sergi's goal was to drive the women at gun point to the
first rendezvous point.  Modert would take over with the drugs.  Later, arrangements
would be made to transport the women out of the country.  It was a very unusual
for any government agency to seriously attempt to kidnap American citizens, but
the intelligence report had stated that the computer-woman was to be used as a new
type of weapon, which had convinced the KGB that it was a worthwhile risk.  The
Americans still thought the whole investigation might be a hoax.