Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Initiative (Jason Bourne series)(99)

“There are a couple of other things I need, stat.”

“Name them.” Morgana did. “You’ll have them.” Then Soraya’s tone altered. “And Morgana?”

“Yes?”

“I won’t forget this.”

“Is that good or bad?” Morgana asked, but Soraya Moore had already disconnected.

—



“I am to use Dima Orlov’s name with you, Mr. Bourne.”

Bourne sat forward. “Why?”

“He and I are working together.”

The Angelmaker laughed. “Dima Orlov working with the first minister?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“I’m not here as first minister,” Savasin said. “I did not seek out Dima as first minister, but as the brother of Konstantin, who has plans to capture you, Mr. Bourne. Capture you, torture you, then kill you.”

“Many have tried,” Bourne said.

“Konstantin is a snake. He’s ruthless and devious. He lives to create diabolical traps. I beg you not to underestimate him.”

“More people have died underestimating their enemy than I care to count.” Bourne waved the Strizh back and forth. “I wouldn’t concern myself with that.”

“But I do, Mr. Bourne. Very much so. Your safety, your knowledge is critical, Dima believes, to finding the codes for the Initiative, for keeping them out of the hands of maniacs like Konstantin.”

“Of course my help is critical,” Bourne said. “According to General MacQuerrie, Dima Orlov is the one who stole the Initiative right after Boris was murdered.”

“What? But that’s impossible.”

“Why?” Bourne said. “Why is it impossible, Timur?”

“Katya said that he and General Karpov were good friends.”

“Maybe that’s true,” Bourne said, “but the Angelmaker here knows that Boris’s death set the two remaining partners against each other. You see, Boris was the peacemaker. Both Dima and MacQuerrie trusted him, but it seems they didn’t trust each other. Now only Dima is left, and Dima has the Initiative.”

“Then why did he rope me in?” Savasin shook his head. “What does he need me for?”

“Did he contact you, Timur?”

“No. I went to him.”

“Why would you do that?” Bourne asked.

“Because my brother…” Savasin’s voice trailed off as his thoughts transferred onto another track.

“Konstantin, yes. Dima needs you as protection against the threat your brother presents to him. Konstantin is a threat to you; that’s how he roped you in.”

“And you,” Savasin said. “Why did he send me to find you?”

“Friends close,” Bourne said. “Enemies closer.”

Bourne lowered the pistol, set it down between him and Mala. He gestured. “Take a pew, Timur. It’s true confession time.”

—



And so for the first time in his life, including when he was a little boy, Timur Savasin sat down and spoke honestly. He could not remember when he had learned to lie about everything—the moment, or time, was too distant for him to dredge up. But he knew the habit was formed as a response to Konstantin, a kind of protection from the malefic entity his parents had given life to.

And in talking honestly he experienced an enormous sense of relief, as of a terrible weight being lifted from his shoulders, as if his brother had consigned him to the role of Atlas, the weight of the world crushing him every waking moment, from which he had finally freed himself.

“The ironic thing,” he said, after he had recounted his meeting with Dima and Katya in great detail, “is after having spent so many years hating and fearing Boris Karpov, I now feel as if I’m moving into his orbit. Konstantin covets General Karpov’s position and power, and I know I must do everything in my power to stop him. Karpov was a humanist, Dima and Katya have opened my eyes to that. And now I am eager for the opportunity to understand his friendship with you, Mr. Bourne. Perhaps that is the one good thing that will come out of the dire straits we all find ourselves in, sparked by General Karpov’s cyber Initiative, which has come to be known by both the Americans and us as the Bourne Initiative.

“Dima and Katya believe that you are the key to retrieving the codes. They are convinced that Karpov must have left some clue for you that will lead you to it, because it’s clear to me that none of the original three partners, two of whom are dead, know what happened to it.”

“If, as MacQuerrie believed, Dima hijacked the Initiative, then there is something—some key element—missing from it, and they think I have it,” Bourne said.

“Do you?”

“No,” Bourne said. “Boris left me his boat, which was sunk by the Americans. That’s it.”

“Well, that’s disappointing.”

“When it comes to Boris, people have gotten everything wrong. He would never have created a cyber weapon aimed at the United States. Knowing Boris as I did, I never believed that bit of fiction. What was his aim, then? MacQuerrie said that the code was meant to freeze the security systems of the largest international banks, allowing the three of them access to all the banks’ accounts. MacQuerrie believed they were on the cusp of pulling off an electronic theft of unprecedented proportions.”