ras picked up。
〃What do you have？〃 Kirov demanded。
The security director pointed to one of the monitors。 The black…and…white picture showed two men sitting at a refreshment counter。
〃The image is poor；〃 he conceded。 〃But that appears to be your man。
Kirov moved in for a closer look。 〃That's him all right。〃 He turned to Smith。 〃What do you think？ You saw him at close distance。〃
Smith studied the image。 〃It's him。 Do you think he's talking to the man beside him？〃
Kirov turned to the director。 〃Can you enhance the image？〃
The director shook his head。 〃I've done as much as possible with the equipment I have。〃
〃Do you have any other shots of them together？〃 Smith asked。
〃That's the only one。 The cameras are on timers。 They captured only that one shot of Beria before moving to another sector。〃
Smith took Kirov aside。 〃General； I realize that Beria is our principal target； but we need to know who that guy is。 What if your service were to scan the tape？〃
Kirov pointed to the blurred faces on the screen。 〃Look at how the light falls。 And that column there… there's nothing we can do to improve the photograph。 We don't have the software。〃
Smith tried another tack： 〃You know Beria better than anyone else。 Has he ever worked with a partner？〃
〃Never。 Beria has always been a solo operator。 That is one of the reasons he has eluded capture： he leaves no one we can connect him to。 I think he's using the other man for cover。〃
Something about the picture refused to let Smith go。
〃General； I may be able to get the tape enhanced。〃
〃At your embassy？〃 Kirov asked。
Smith shrugged。 〃What do you say？〃
Kirov considered。 〃Very well。〃
〃Telegin… did she have a laptop or a cell phone？〃
〃Both。〃
〃I can check them too。〃
Kirov nodded。 〃I'll have a security officer escort you to my building。 Both items are in the kitchen。〃
〃Which brings me to my last question；〃 Smith said。 〃What if Beria isn't in the terminal？〃
Kirov's eyes widened as he grasped the implications of Smith's words。 〃I need the designations and destinations of the last three flights that left before shutdown；〃 he told the director。
Smith looked at the time imprinted on the videotape； then at the screen where the security director was pulling up the departures schedule。
〃Swissair 101； Air France 612； American 1710。 Beria could have made it onboard any one of them。〃
〃Get me the tapes of the cameras that cover the jetways to those flights；〃 Kirov snapped。 〃And the passenger manifests。〃
As the director hurried away； Kirov turned to Smith。 〃It's possible Beria made those flights； Jon； but unlikely。 The odds are that he got out of the airport but is still in the city。〃
Smith knew what Kirov was intimating。 There were three airliners； with a bined load of over a thousand people； headed into Western Europe。 Was Smith prepared to create a series of international incidents on the possibility that Beria was onboard one of those planes？
〃And if the situation were reversed； General？〃 Smith asked。 〃If the destination wasn't Zurich； Paris； or London； but Moscow？ Wouldn't you want to know？ Or would you be okay with the 'odds'？ 〃
Kirov stared at him； nodded； then reached for the phone。
Kirov was closer to the truth than he realized： Beria had gotten out of the airport； and he was still in Moscow。 But not for much longer。
Beria had left the airport the way he'd arrived… by shuttle bus。 Except this one took him directly to Moscow's central bus depot。
Entering the chilly； dilapidated building； Beria went directly to the counter and purchased a one…way ticket to St。 Petersburg。 With twenty minutes to spare； he went into a washroom that smelled of urine and industrial cleaner and splashed water on his face。 When he came out； he bought several greasy pastries from a woman behind a stall and wolfed them down with a glass of tea。 Fortified； he joined the line of passengers waiting at the departure bay。
Beria scanned the faces around him。 They belonged mainly to older people； some of whom； he guessed； were traveling with all their worldly possessions packed into cardboard suitcases or taped…up packages。 Beaten down by circumstances； invisible to the new moneyed class； they were less than anonymous。 No militia would ever bother checking their papers； no cameras would record their departure。 Best of all； everyone would keep to themselves； not wanting to borrow from their neighbor's hardship。
Beria slipped to the back of the bus； to the long seat that ran the width of the vehicle。 He huddled in the corner and listened to the grinding of the transmission as the driver backed out。 Soon afterward； the roar of the engine diminished； the traffic beyond the window stilled； and at last； he slept。
It took Smith and Kirov thirty minutes to review the jetway tapes of the passengers who'd boarded the three flights to Europe。
〃Four possibles；〃 Smith said。 〃That's what I e up with。〃
Kirov nodded。 〃No distinct resemblance to Beria； just faces we couldn't quite define。〃
Smith checked the clock in the security mand post。 〃The first plane； Swissair 101； will reach Zurich in two hours。〃
〃Let's make the calls；〃 Kirov said heavily。
Ever since the golden age of terrorism in the early 1980s； plans have been in place to deal not only with aerial hijackers carrying explosives but with those armed with chemical…biological weapons。 Kirov got on the line to his counterparts in Swiss Internal Security； the French Deuxieme； and England's MI5。 When representatives of the three agencies were ready； he motioned to Smith； who was talking to Nathaniel Klein on a separate line。 He then patched Klein into the conference call without informing the others that the American was listening in。
〃Gentlemen；〃 he opened。 〃We have a developing problem。〃
Kirov did not dwell on the background of the crisis； he told his listeners what they needed to know at that moment。 Every minute that passed meant that much less time to prepare。
〃You say that it's possible； but by no means certain； that this Beria character is onboard our flight；〃 the Frenchman said。 〃Is there any way you can confirm this？〃
〃I wish that were possible；〃 Kirov replied。 〃But unless I find Beria in the next two hours； we must work on the assumption that he made it onboard one of those aircraft。〃
〃What about his file？〃 the deputy director of MI5 asked。 〃I'm told that we； for one； have precious little on this creature。〃
〃Everything we have is being shipped via secure E…mail；〃 Kirov responded。
〃Does Beria know you followed him to the airport？〃 the Swiss asked。 〃Is it possible that he already suspects that he might be apprehended？ I ask because it is imperative we know what we're dealing with： does Beria have any reason to unleash this bioweapon in midair？〃
〃Beria is acting as a courier； not as a terrorist；〃 Kirov told him。 〃It is in his financial interest to deliver what was stolen from Bioaparat。 He is not an ideologue or a martyr。〃
The three Europeans on the line began to discuss how best to react to the crisis hurtling toward them。 Their options were few； the choice predictable。
〃Since the first flight lands on our soil； it begins with us；〃 the Swiss said。 〃We will treat this as a potential terrorist threat and take appropriate measures。 If Beria is on that plane； he will be rendered harmless by all available means。 We will have personnel and equipment ready to secure the smallpox。〃 He paused。 〃Or to deal with it as best we can should contamination occur。 If； on the other hand； we find that Beria is not onboard； we will let everyone know immediately。〃
〃Even sooner than that； mon vieux；〃 the Frenchman said。 〃Air France arrives in Paris seventy…five minutes after the Zurich flight。〃
〃I remend that an open line be established to monitor events as they develop；〃 the Englishman interjected。 〃That way； we can follow the process of elimination… if there is one。〃
〃I'd like to remind you of one thing； London；〃 Kirov spoke up。 〃The flight is headed for your capital； but it's an American crew and plane。 I have an obligation to inform the ambassador。〃
〃As long as that doesn't result in a jurisdictional squabble here；〃 London replied。
〃I'm sure it won't；〃