Zero Day, стр. 23

Chapter 20

Standing trial in a foreign country had crossed Kelvin’s mind once or twice after the FSB dropped him off in Prague. Left to die, so to speak. Even Russia didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore.

Dying hadn’t been in his time in Prague. He was convinced of that when nobody came to kill him in the months he had been hiding in the abandoned building.

Don’t everybody come at once!

Mossad and the CIA came at the same time, along with Aspasia.

Kelvin wondered what Aspasia was doing these days. Had she found Ulysses? Had both of them been arrested?

Kelvin smiled to no one in his jail cell in Prague, awaiting trial for knowingly working for terrorists. Well, he hadn’t known it at first, and when he realized who Molyneux was, he had no way to get out of the situation.

The US Embassy had appointed him a bilingual lawyer who could argue his case in court. He was familiar with some of the projects that CIA informants did in Europe, so he tried to paint Kelvin as someone who worked undercover for the CIA, got caught in a bad deal, and then tried to worm his way out of the mess with various malware, hidden codes, backdoors, and whatever else he could throw at the enemy’s network.

It could all work out in the end.

He wondered why the CIA had handed him over to the Prague Police. Perhaps there was political pressure. Perhaps they wanted to protect CIA assets on the ground and in the surrounding countries.

Kelvin knew that his jail time would decrease if he could deliver Aspasia and Ulysses to the International Criminal Court.

However, they might lie, and that wouldn’t help.

The proof was in the pudding.

According to his attorney, the CIA and Mossad had taken apart the basement computer room. Kelvin had given them the root password so that they could take over the system.

He still didn’t believe that Ulysses had given up the network so easily.

Something was amiss.

But he couldn’t put his finger on it.

All he could do now was pray that God would help him through this, no matter what he deserved.

I ask that You’ll be with me wherever I go, Lord.

Right now, he was stuck here for the fourth week. He had asked for an English Bible, pen, and paper. Most of the time, the pen remained unused and the paper blank.

Throughout the first week, he spent time reading Paul’s epistles.

In the second week behind bars, he started reading Genesis. He thought that maybe he could read through the Bible and see how far along in jail he would be when he reached the last chapter of the Book of Revelation.

He might get out of jail sooner if…

A thought crossed his mind.

“Why didn’t I think of that sooner?” He started scribbling on the paper they gave him.

When his attorney visited him that afternoon, he handed the paper over to him for delivery.

And he prayed with all his heart that he was right.

Chapter 21

Dmitri walked with a cane that looked like it could be a weapon. Yona didn’t want to find out, but he kept brandishing it like a sword. He probably didn’t need the cane.

They had just come out of a meeting, and going into another meeting.

Yona felt like she was being recruited into some clandestine operation beyond what Mossad usually did. She hadn’t decided if she would work for Dmitri, but the free flight from Prague to Vienna, a safe place for her to stay and rest, and a high-paying job all enticed her to no end.

“You remind me of someone’s daughter,” he had said for the last two weeks since Yona arrived in Vienna.

Yet the elderly gentleman hadn’t disclosed who she reminded him of.

The hallway was opulently decorated in an old world baroque style. The calm colors belied the fact that this was Dmitri’s operational center in their mission to destroy all traces of MedusaNet, also known as Telemachus.

“You’d want to know that Kelvin is doing well in prison.” Dmitri opened a door that led to another hallway. “His trial is in two days.”

Yona noticed that Dmitri was wearing medical gloves. Not leaving fingerprints?

“Thank you for the information.” Yona was appreciative, but she didn’t think it was anyone’s business whom she was interested in.

Besides, he could be incarcerated for a very long time.

Nothing would come of it.

“I’ve sent him my best lawyers,” Dmitri added.

“Thank you.”

They entered a meeting room. They were alone.

“When he comes out, I want him to work for me in Europe.”

“Why are you telling me any of this?” Yona asked.

“I don’t want you to lose hope.”

“I have God. Jesus is my hope. With Him, I never lose hope.” Yona knew she was coming on strong with her statement, but there it was.

“God is my hope too.” Dmitri motioned for her to pick any seat she wanted.

Yona sat down away from the door.

Dmitri followed her. “Kelvin asked about you. He was concerned.”

“About what?” Yona hadn’t spoken to Kelvin since they were both at Reuel’s castle.

“He thinks you’re going after Ulysses to get Reuel back.”

“You are too,” Yona said. “So are Dario and Leland.”

“Leland’s in the machine room with Cayson back in Atlanta, but yes, we’re all going after Aspasia and Ulysses.”

Yona heard voices outside the conference room. Someone laughing alone.

She turned to Dmitri. “If you see Kelvin again, please tell him not to worry, but pray to God instead.”

Dmitri nodded.

Yona did not recognize the woman entering the room as she put away her phone. She was carrying a tablet in her other hand.

“Espy, come meet Yona Epstein.” Dmitri got up from his seat to retrieve a remote control from a side cabinet.

The woman came around the table to shake Yona’s hand. “Esperanza Diaz-Mendenhall. Nice to meet you.”

“Same.”

“Espy runs Mendenhall Security. Today we’re going to test a joint operation,” Dmitri said. “If it works out, I’m selling my security company to her.”

Yona raised her eyebrows.

“I’m retiring. My farm animals need me.”