The Eighth Sister (Charles Jenkins #1)(42)

She found the Metropol Hotel’s website and called the number. The phone in Moscow rang several times before a man answered, speaking accented English, the clerk probably alerted by the international number.

“I’m trying to reach Charles Jenkins. He’s a guest at your hotel.”

“One moment, please.”

The clerk put her on hold and she suffered to hotel music for several minutes. Anxious, she stood from the desk and looked out the windows to the beat-up RVs and trailers in the lot across the street.

The desk clerk returned. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have a guest by that name registered at the hotel.”

“Did he check out?”

“I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. We have no record of anyone by that name having stayed at the hotel.”

Alex provided the clerk with the reservation dates for the trip in December, along with the confirmation number.

“Yes, a Mr. Jenkins was here on those dates,” the clerk said.

“But nothing more recently?” she asked.

“I’m afraid there is no other record,” the desk clerk said, rushing her now. “Can I be of any further service?”

“No, thank you.” Alex hung up just as Sloane walked into his office.

“Hey,” Sloane said. He set down a notepad and stack of documents on the round table and greeted her with a hug. “Is everything okay?”

Alex grimaced from a cramp.

“Are you all right?” Sloane asked.

“Give me a second.” When the pain passed, she said, “I’m worried about Charlie. He’s in some kind of trouble.”

“How do you know he’s in trouble?”

“He called me and, in short, he told me to get out of the house, pick up CJ from school, and come here. He also told me to arm myself. It’s a protocol we have if something goes wrong.”

“He didn’t say why?”

“No, which means he’s worried our calls could be monitored. He also isn’t in London, as he told me.”

“Where is he?”

“Moscow.”

“Russia?” Sloane said, sounding surprised. “Why?”

“I don’t know why, but he has airline reservations, a hotel reservation, and credit card expenses in Moscow for December, and a second airline reservation to Moscow just a couple days ago. I called the hotel; they said they had a record of him staying there in December, but nothing more recent.”

“Another hotel?”

“Maybe, but I didn’t see any other credit card charges coinciding with this second trip.”

“You’re certain he took the second flight?”

“I’m not certain of anything yet, but we have a code in case any one of us is ever in trouble. He was definitely telling me to get out of the house. Charlie’s also a creature of habit. He would have stayed at the same hotel.”

“But the hotel has no record?”

“That’s what they told me. I also know that without a record, it’s easier to say the person was never there.” She grimaced when she felt another pain.

“Take it easy, Alex. We’ll get this figured out. You have no idea where he is now?”

She shook her head. “Not at the moment, and I can’t call his cell until I find out what is going on. I don’t know for certain, but this smells very much like a CIA operation.”

Sloane blanched. “Charlie would never do that. He walked away years ago.”

“I know,” she said. “And I know he’d never do it for himself, but he might for me and CJ.”

“What do you mean?”

Alex explained CJ Security’s financial situation. Then she said, “I’m worried, David. If he’s somehow involved again and he’s in trouble . . .”

“We don’t know that,” Sloane said.

They didn’t, but Alex also knew Charlie had spent his time in the CIA running operations in Mexico City against the KGB, and that the Russians had long memories and were very patient when it came to getting what they wanted.





22



After nearly twenty hours of continuous driving, Jenkins drove the Hyundai into the town of Vishnevka on the Black Sea coast. They’d stopped only to pay tolls, to change drivers, fill the car with gas, and use the restroom. By midmorning, the snow and wind had given way to rain and fog, but at least they were no longer being pushed all over the road or driving blind. The better weather had allowed them to make up time. Anna explained they would not stay in Vishnevka, but only stop for food, water, and other supplies.

Vishnevka sat on a slope above the Black Sea and, from first appearances, looked to Jenkins to be a beach town largely deserted in the winter. Anna said the population in the beach towns tripled during the busy summer months.

The diminished population was a problem. Jenkins still wanted to ditch the car for another, but with fewer people, there were fewer cars, and a stolen car would be quickly noted. He looked at the gas gauge, which was below a quarter of a tank, and said, “We should get gas while we’re here, just in case. How much farther do we have to go?”

“Not far.”

“When we get there we should look for someplace to hide the car.”

He pulled into a Lukoil station and they both got out—Jenkins to fill the car, Anna to walk across the street to a small market to buy food and supplies.