Over Kung Po chicken, hot and sour soup, steamed rice and green tea, Jack, Kathy and Anita reviewed their plan to deal with Yuri. During the discussion Jack asked Kathy what she knew about Yuri. Kathy closed her eyes for a minute and said, “Yuri’s BMW is registered to his address on Westmoreland Boulevard. A Google search did not turn up anything. He has no Social Security number recorded. No one visited his house in the limited time I watched Yuri. He has no hangouts. He is very careful about anyone following him and drives always within the speed limit. I have no doubts this man is an experienced professional.”

Anita said, “This guy is not coming to this meeting alone. He’ll bring a shooter to cover him with instructions to kill whoever he is meeting. There will probably be an ‘okay shoot’ signal. Kathy and I will be able to handle the hidden shooter. I’ll take the high position on the hillside with Kathy lower on the slope and closer to you. And Kathy, remember if in doubt, shoot.”

Kathy said, “Thanks Anita. I know this is my first time shooting from ambush but with radio contact between us, I’ll be okay.”

Kathy showed Jack the note she had drafted to lure Yuri to a meeting. Jack read the note aloud:

Hello Yuri,

I know who you are and what you are doing. I haven’t told anyone yet. I just want some of the money. I’ll be calling you in a few days to tell you where to meet me. Come alone. No second chances.

An old friend.

Anita said, “Good note. I don’t see how he can ignore it.”

Jack said, “Nice job, Kathy. Put it in his mailbox.”

The next morning Yuri left his house at 9:30. Kathy, dressed in casual winter clothes, began delivering made up flyers on global warming to houses along the street. At Yuri’s house the envelope was put in the mail box along with the flyer. Kathy continued delivering the flyers along the street. If Yuri asked his neighbors if anyone had been seen delivering anything to his mailbox, they might say nobody except the young woman delivering the Global Warming notice. In fact, the consensus was Yuri would not ask any of his neighbors about how the note got into his box.

From her position a full block down the street, Kathy saw Yuri pull into his driveway. Fifteen minutes later, she saw Yuri’s car coming out of his driveway. She thought, he’s seen the note and is now going for help.

As he drove down M Street, Yuri’s heart was pounding. Who possibly could write that note? He had killed the only person who seemed to be interested in him. He was sure the man was his Kalin, the renegade KGB terrorist specialist. No one from his past knew his name or address. Not even the key members of his network knew how to get in touch with him. To contact him they had to place a personal ad in the New York Times. No way could it be traced to him. No, it had to be Kalin’s people. Could they be part of a Russian or American counter-intelligence group?

It didn’t seem as though the American authorities were involved. They would have simply arrested him and searched his house. Was he being followed? He didn’t think so. But he was long retired from street work, and some kinds of surveillance were very difficult to spot. Yes, it pained him to admit it, but he could have been followed by someone who was quite good. This had to be a singleton operation. Nothing about it smacked of organizations. He began to refocus. First, concentrate on making sure no one is following him. Then, get Jason here immediately. He had to eliminate this threat. There wasn’t enough money to share with anyone. One more year and he was done with these high-risk operations.

Forget it, focus on the present. His old operational training directed him to place calls from different public call boxes. They were getting harder and harder to find. He had to break the rules and use the same phone more than once. He liked the phone booths in the Four Seasons Hotel. They were downstairs from the lobby and virtually out of sight.

Turning his car over to valet parking, Yuri headed for the downstairs phone booths. He dialed Jason’s cell and held his breath while the phone rang. On the fifth ring Jason picked up. Yuri identified himself by a code name, he changed with the month. He had to make the call short. Yuri told Jason, “Drop everything and come immediately to Tysons Corner. Check into the Holiday Inn at Tysons Corner under the same name you used at the last hotel meeting. Bring your tools, put your motorcycle in the van and park in the hotel garage.”

Yuri hung up with a sense of relief. Jason was a very resourceful asset. He seldom made mistakes and was totally loyal. Now to go back to his house and get ready for the promised telephone call.

At 2:15 Jack picked up a pay phone in Tysons Mall and dialed Yuri’s AKA William Armstead’s number. Kathy was listening beside him. Yuri picked up the phone on the second ring. Jack said, “Mr. Armstead?”

Yuri said, “Yes. Who is calling?”

Jack said, “Yuri, you got my note. Listen carefully. Be in the parking lot of the Fisherman’s Inn on MacArthur Boulevard today at 4:30. Come alone. I will only wait for five minutes. I will be in a white Jeep Cherokee.”

Yuri broke in and Jack heard him saying, “Wait, who are you?” as he hung up.

Kathy said, “He bought the scam. Nicely done. Let’s go!”

Jack dropped Anita and Kathy in a wooded area near the restaurant’s parking lot. As they got out of the Cherokee, Anita said, “I’ll contact you when I see you arrive in the parking lot. We’ll be in position long before you get here. Good luck!”

Jack’s plan had several options, depending on how the meeting with Yuri played out. If any of Yuri’s shooters turned up to cover the site, Anita and Kathy would kill them. No one expected they could capture Yuri. Even if they could, they could not hold him. Yuri and any of his people who showed up would be dead a few minutes after 4:30. They would be left with their weapons on the brush covered hillside. If anyone saw the action, they would have to adjust to the circumstances.

Jack returned to the apartment where Kathy had laid out the materials he needed to age himself. He grayed his hair, put shadows under his eyes and donned rimless glasses. His father’s one remaining suit that had survived the fire by being in the cleaners and one of Jack’s fighting canes completed his disguise. He was sure Yuri would be thrown off balance by seeing his father back from the dead. With Yuri, he could use every edge.