Ice Islands, page 28
Stephanie broke his thoughts, saying, ‘Carrie wanted me to tell you something.’
‘Sure.’ Why didn’t Carrie tell him herself, he thought.
‘Harry’s asked her to work for him. She wants to know what you think, and felt it better if I asked you.’
Good call, Carrie. And that’s why Lucas had told her about Moscow. The idea gave him a warm feeling. He didn’t want to lose Carrie. He liked her in his life. They ended up working together so often it wouldn’t make much difference. Then again, with another new President, Rake could be assigned somewhere else, away from Harry Lucas. ‘It’s good,’ he answered. ‘Tell her to go for it.’
‘That’s it?’ Stephanie looked around at him, her brow creased, offering a smile to coax him to say more.
‘What’s there to think?’ Rake watched chaotic traffic, hunched people in thick coats around bus stops, shopping malls, and churches with gold domes. ‘That’s it. It is as it is.’
‘You are a strange one, Rake,’ laughed Stephanie. ‘No wonder you drive Carrie crazy.’
They drove off the road, down a snow-packed lane and into the driveway of a church with a blue dome and a gold cross. There was security everywhere. Sergey Grizlov walked toward them. Doors opened, and he and Stephanie got out. There was no wind, no snow or rain, just a freezing stillness under a blue sky. Choral chanting came from inside the church. Outside, earth was piled up by a freshly dug grave. Grizlov embraced Stephanie, then moved to Rake. ‘Thank you for coming, Major. It means a lot to me, and Russia owes you a debt of gratitude.’
Grizlov shook his hand. Rake returned the grip.
‘Thank you for asking me, sir,’ said Rake.
‘Forgive me.’ Grizlov gave him a sharp, quizzical stare. ‘I asked our spies to look into your records.’
Rake’s record was not good. He had killed Russians and fought them. Had he been stupid to come? Was he being set up for a fall? He cast his gaze expertly around, checking for ways of escape.
Grizlov noticed. ‘No. Not those sorts of records. As a child you came to Russia looking for your father and failed to find him. But you still think he might be here.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Rake felt his heart rate quicken. Finding his father had become an obsession when he was a teenager, driving him down. Mikki saved him by pushing him into the army.
‘We’ll open up our files to you. Go look for him in Russia, wherever the search takes you.’ Grizlov turned as pall-bearers carried Yuri Mishkin’s white coffin from the church across the snow to the grave. ‘Come. Yuri has been too long in the morgue. It is time to bury my son.’
The coffin, covered in wreaths, was lowered in. Rake counted twenty-six people. Very private. He saw no cameras. Grizlov stood next to the Deputy Speaker of the state Duma, who was Mishkin’s mother. Stephanie was close. A priest spoke at the graveside. The choir stepped out from the church, chanting, their breath creating a cloud of music around them. Mishkin’s mother scooped earth and snow from ground and dropped it on the coffin. Grizlov did the same. One by one, mourners followed.
Rake sensed more than knew that Sara Kato had edged her way next to him. ‘Thank you for coming.’ She wore a long black, warm coat and fur hat. Either the cold or the occasion was tearing her eyes.
‘Are you OK?’ asked Rake.
‘Better for seeing you.’ She dabbed the edges of her eyes with a tissue. Putting her gloved hands on his right arm, she looked at him, then looked away. She was vulnerable. Her eyes had lost energy. ‘Thank you for saving my life,’ she said.
‘Michio leave you alone?’
‘Yes. Nothing.’
‘Any problems let me know.’ One day Rake would deal with Michio.
‘Thank you.’ Sara held him tighter. ‘It’s good we have closure together.’
‘Yeah,’ replied Rake. ‘It’s right.’ Be careful. Carrie’s voice came into his head. Feelings have a habit of ripping people up.
Rake didn’t know what his feelings were. They were as they were and his mind was on finding his father.
‘Come,’ he stepped forward, loosening her grip. ‘We need to throw Russian soil onto Yuri’s coffin.’
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you so much for reading Ice Islands. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did the research and writing. Thanks to all those, too, who have recommended the Rake Ozenna series and to the booksellers who have promoted it in their stores. Word of mouth remains the most powerful way to build an audience.
Many helped in constructing the backdrop to the story. My thanks to Betsy Glick and her anonymous FBI colleagues who guided me through that murky nexus of transnational crime and politics. Grant Newsham from the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies was superb in drilling down on the nature of Asian organized crime and the political instability it might cause. The threat of the Yakuza to the United States is no figment of this thriller writer’s imagination. Ice Island’s unnamed presidential executive order is drawn from Executive Order 13581, published on 25 July 2011. It cites the Yakuza as one of four international networks which, it says, ‘constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.’
I am grateful to Susann Simolin and her colleagues at the Åland Islands Peace Institute for guidance on their great organization’s values and mission. As far as I know, it has never been involved in the bloodthirsty intrigue encountered by Rake Ozenna. The Åland Islands stand as a model of how conflicts can be settled without war.
My thanks to Duncan Bartlett, Yuka Morita and Lesley Downer for reading through the sections inside Japan and advising on everything from kimonos to body language. I am in awe of Lesley’s knowledge of Japanese swords, and highly recommend her historical novels, The Shogun’s Queen, The Last Concubine and others.
A Zoom and lunch with Shihoko Goto of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC was invaluable in understanding the disputed territories between Japan and Russia and how they impact the politics of Northeast Asia. Thanks, too, to Greg Poling and Michael Green at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, John Hemmings of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Sally Leivesley of Newrisk Ltd, Karin Landgren at Security Council Report, Harlan Ullman at the Atlantic Council, Ian Bond at the Centre for European Reform, Charles Parton of the Royal United Services Institute, Bill Hayton at Chatham House and James Rogers and Matthew Henderson at the Council on Geostrategy. They and others who prefer not to be named contributed to my creating the canvas on which Rake Ozenna and his team could operate.
Unlike other books in the series, Rake’s home island of Little Diomede on the Russian border did not feature as a location. But Rake’s heart is in this rugged and beautiful place and my thanks to Opik Ahkinga, John Ahkvaluk, Frances Ozenna, Robert Soolook, Henry Soolook, JoAnn Kaningkok and all the Little Diomede islanders and Tribal Council for their hospitality and kindness during my visit. JoAnn takes the most stunning pictures of island scenery and across the water into Russia and posts them on Facebook.
Candis Olmstead and Dana Rosso of the Alaska National Guard have been generous with their time in sharing insights into their incredible work. Operating in the vast and hostile environment of Alaska, the Guard keeps communities safe and supplied. Also, alongside the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the Guard secures America’s western border with Russia.
Thanks to Teri Hendriks of Visit Anchorage for showing me around; to Robert Gillam for explaining the growing trade routes between Alaska and Northeast Asia; Bob Sherill and his volunteer colleagues at the Alaska Veterans Museum with its story of the only American territory ever occupied by a foreign power; the thoughtful staff at the Hotel Captain Cook; and Matt Worden of Go Hike Alaska who took me on a walk of a lifetime through the Chugach Mountains which overlook the Elmendorf–Richardson military base. There is little better than a day out in the wilds with Matt.
Once again, in Washington, DC, I borrowed the apartment of Nancy Langston for Carrie’s studio and gave Rake a two-bedroom place in the same block. Thank you, Nancy.
Writing may be a solitary task. Being an author is not. No book would work without its support team. A big shout to Deborah Swain of Lit Web Studio who keeps content rolling into my website, updating day on day. Sergio Davison and Rob Falkner at Data Dial fine tune the engine running below decks. Kasim Javed of Creative Marketing has been with me from Man on Ice, coming up with designs, images and videos. Publicist Mickey Mickelson of Creative Edge ensures that Rake reaches a wide audience through interviews and podcasts, and Catherine Saykaly-Stevens of the Networking Web cracked the whip on social media marketing.
It is my privilege to host The Democracy Forum monthly debates, which puts me in conversation with some of the finest thinkers in global affairs, and to be a presenter of Goldster’s Inside Story book show, where I meet authors and publishing industry executives and keep up with the buzz of the trade.
Crucially, there are those who knock a book into shape, decide on great covers and get it out to readers. Don Weise has honed Rake Ozenna’s first drafts from the start. Liz Jensen, Adam Williams and Kei Lundqvist gave time in strengthening characters and motives. Great thanks to Joanne Grant at Severn House for her eagle eye on editing the manuscript, her team for designing compelling artwork and seeing through production, and to Kate Lyall Grant for commissioning the series from the beginning. David Grossman has been my agent since my first book in 1997. Thank you, David, for your wisdom, sharp mind and support over all these years.
Humphrey Hawksley, Ice Islands
