Manhunt (Michael Bennett 10.50)

He just sat there watching the water with me for about half a minute. Neither of us said a word.

Finally, I said, “How did your interview with Darya go?”

Santos said, “About how you’d expect. She claims she followed you from the restaurant to help you catch Marat. She picked up a pistol from the floor of the restaurant that came from one of the people trying to kill our suspect. When she found you facing Marat, she thought he was about to shoot you so she fired first.”

“But did she say anything about Marat’s motive or who he worked for?”

“C’mon, Bennett, give the FBI some credit. As soon as we figured out how hawqala had been used in other bombings, and consulted some counterparts at the CIA, we had a pretty good idea what was going on.”

“Did you suspect what Darya was up to while she was working with us? I mean, she never intended for us to get our hands on Marat.”

Santos smiled and said, “Did you ever see me do, or say, anything classified in front of her?”

I said, “Maybe you’re not the dumbass prick I thought you were.”

Santos laughed and said, “Once again you’re underestimating the FBI. I’m not a dumbass, but I am a prick. Sometimes you have to be in this line of work. Especially when you deal with the NYPD every day.”

The only answer I had to that was, “Touché.”

Chapter 33

I’ll admit to being a little uncomfortable when Darya asked me to grab a cup of coffee after we were released from the shooting scene. But curiosity got the better of me and I agreed to slip into a coffee shop right at the edge of the financial district.

We sat in silence as I made a show of stirring my coffee until she finally said, “I have no idea why it is important to me that you know I had nothing to do with the attack.”

I just nodded. My grandfather had taught me that running your mouth without thought is always a bad idea. When I was a kid I believed he followed all of his own advice.

Darya said, “There is nothing about this incident that I agreed with. I shouldn’t even have to say that I’m against terrorism. I’m against any government trying to trick other governments. And I was against the way my government chose to handle the whole situation. And if you repeat anything I say here, I’ll simply deny it. I just felt like you had earned an explanation.”

“And you didn’t want me to think you were a cold-blo

oded killer.”

She shrugged and said, “Frankly, I prefer you think I’m a killer than a liar.”

I stared at her, trying to get a feel for her sincerity. She really was striking with those deep-blue eyes and high cheekbones. No matter how I focused, I couldn’t get a clear read on her.

Darya said, “I’m pretty certain Dan Santos will never deal with me again, but I would love to hear who hired the two Russian mobsters and tipped them off that I had arranged a meeting with Temir through a mutual acquaintance. If you were able to talk to the woman who survived, is that something you might be able to find out for me?”

I just smiled. There was no way I was going to commit to helping her on anything until I knew more about what had happened during the investigation. I was in a weird no-man’s land between the FBI and an official envoy from Russia.

I drank about half my coffee as we sat there and watched the few people on the streets at this time of the night.

Finally, I asked the one question that had been on my mind. “Will the US see any other fake attacks?”

“Not from Russia. Who knows what others have in mind. It’s too easy to bend public opinion. Why should a government make a good-faith effort to do the right thing about terrorism or any other hot-button issue, when one incident like the attack on the parade will galvanize the population?”

“What about you? Are you going to stay in New York?”

“For a while. I like it here. I’m starting to understand American police politics and I am certain there will be more incidents where we all have to cooperate.”

“I’m afraid of the same thing.”

Darya surprised me when she reached across the small table and grasped both of my hands. “I am your friend, Michael. In time, I hope you learn to trust me. I think we could each help the other in a number of ways.”

I couldn’t deny the logic, but wasn’t sure I grasped her entire meaning.

She released my hands and stood up. I immediately stood as well. She stepped toward me, rose up on her tiptoes, and kissed me on the cheek. Then she whispered in my ear, “We’ll meet again.”