Pain began to reassert itself and she no longer lay neatly in the bed, tossing from side to side, plucking at the sheet that covered her. Soon they would come with another injection and out she would go for another few hours. He'd already been told that eventually she would not reawaken.

He took her hand in his.

It felt like a small bird, delicate and frail.

"Whatever it is that consumes you," she said. "Do it. Resolve your anger. And that's what you have been, Aleksandr. Angry. More so than ever before in your life. Something is unfinished."

He sat beside her and allowed their life together to wander through his mind. She was a plain woman who had always spoken of him with respect. So many other wives he knew wore away at their husbands, some even made cuckolds-creating jealous, suspicious, agonized fools whose work suffered and reputations declined. That had not happened to him. Never had she asked for much, nor expected more than he could provide. Marrying her was the smartest move of his life.

She grew more restless and cried out. The duty nurse appeared but he waved her away. He wanted to be alone with her for just a few moments more.

Her eyes opened and she stared straight into him.

"Do not ... waste ... your life," she said.

He recalled how her eyes stayed open, lips curled in a half smile, the grip from her fingers vanishing. He'd seen death enough to know its look, but he sat there for a few more minutes hoping he was wrong. Finally, he kissed her cold brow before slipping the sheet up over her head. For so many years she'd been drawn into his dilemma, one blind step after another, trapped just like him. She knew his anger and wanted it gone.

As did he.

He recalled how grief had risen hot in his throat and threatened to strangle him. His mind had numbed with a sudden sense of loneliness. No longer could he think either of or about her. She and his son were both gone. His parents dead. His brothers lived far away and rarely communicated. He was essentially alone, with a long, empty, purposeless life ahead of him. His physical health remained, but his mental stability hung in doubt.

"Do not waste your life."

And that was when the thought first came back to him.

Fool's Mate.

"It's time for us to be honest with each other," Kelly said.

He glanced across the darkened interior of the car and brought his mind back to the present. Outside, snow was falling, not heavy or accumulating, but definitely in the air.

"The envelope I was given that night by Andropov," Kelly said. "I was told that in the late 1970s the KGB learned some vital information from the Soviet embassy in DC. It seems one of the staffers there made friends with a man who knew some unusual things."

All Soviet foreign diplomats and KGB officers had been taught how to elicit information without the source ever knowing of their interest. In fact, the vast majority of intelligence originated from just such innocent exchanges. They came with a low risk of exposure as no one ever suspected a thing. Just simple conversation among friends and acquaintances. What was the American and British saying from the Great Patriotic War? He'd been taught it at trade school. Loose lips sink ships.

"This unusual information dealt with Canada," Kelly said.

He listened as Kelly told him about the Society of Cincinnati and how it designed invasion plans for America's northern neighbor.

"The detail of the work is remarkable," Kelly said. "The early plan from 1812 was written by a man named Benjamin Tallmadge, who was a spy for the Americans during their Revolutionary War. The later plan, for the 20th century, was drafted by more society members skilled in warfare. I read both. Quite amazing what America had in store for Canada. Andropov's original source learned about this and passed it on, along with something else, something even more important, which required me to reverify. It is the second move in Fool's Mate, Aleksandr. The one you asked about, the one that wins the game."

An excitement surged through him.

"I redeveloped contact within the society with the same member who first talked to our embassy official. His name was Bradley Charon and we struck up a friendship. The fact that the society twice planned Canada's invasion was some sort of guarded secret. Only a few of the members knew. And frankly, that's of little consequence. But that other piece of information. That made all the difference. Yet one question lingered."

He knew. "Was the information correct?"

"That's right. And it was, Aleksandr. Every detail."

He felt compelled to say, "That society. I know of it. There were mentions of it in old KGB records. Also, that name, Tallmadge-there's a journal he is associated with, which the society possessed. I learned that Andropov was interested in that journal, so I concluded that part of your mission was to acquire it."

"Excellent work. You're correct."

"That Soviet contact in our embassy," he said. "He reported to Andropov about a secret room in that man, Charon's, home. A few days ago I sent someone to find that room, on the chance the journal might be there. She's been here for nearly a week, searching. At some point I need to make contact with her."

"She knows where the actual journal is located?"

"That's what I have to find out. From her."

"We don't need it, Aleksandr. I know exactly what it says."

Good to hear.

"It's actually quite amazing, and ironic. And I assure you, what that journal contains is catastrophic."

But there was one thing. "Provided a workable RA-115 is nearby."

"You sound as if that's not possible."

"Is it?"

"You'll find out, in about three hours."

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE.

Summary of Military Options in a War with Canada Dated: June 4, 1903 During the summer of 1898 the United States fought a conflict against Spain. It lasted a mere three and a half months and ended with a resounding American victory. The United Kingdom stayed neutral, but afterward it became increasingly concerned with the United States. Ownership and control of the coming Panama Canal has further agitated relations. America is evolving into a global power, a potent force on the high seas, and the United Kingdom, which currently fields the largest army and most powerful navy in the world, fears that competition.

For several decades now CanadianAmerican relations have been strained over a lingering border dispute in the northwestern region. Gold being discovered in the Yukon has further aggravated this conflict. The United Kingdom has just emerged from a costly war in South Africa and is unwilling at the present to supply the Canadians with any additional military assistance in their ongoing border dispute. Both the United States and Canada have moved troops to the Yukon region.

This secret document was requested by the War Department and details a plan concerning a possible full-scale invasion of Canada. American interest in acquiring Canada dates back to the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The 1783 Treaty of Paris respected Canada's (or as it was known at the time, the Province of Quebec's) independence. Of late, America's interest in Canada has again sparked from a flicker to a high flame. Absorption of its territory through nonviolent means is certainly preferable, but Canada is deemed a valuable component of the British Commonwealth, one Great Briain would clearly defend. It is the second largest manufacturing country within the British empire, with Ontario and Quebec the most important industrial centers. As tensions rise between the United States and the United Kingdom, Canada is becoming increasingly strategic and vital to American national security. Recent military successes overseas and acquisition of new territories in the Pacific and Caribbean have fostered a renewed interest in American expansion northward.

The following pages contain a detailed analysis, along with all relevant data affecting a military operation against Canada. But here is a summary of the proposed plan: (1) A first strike on Bermuda to eliminate the island as a possible port or supply base for the Royal Navy; (2) A takeover of Halifax. Harbor defenses in and around Halifax have recently undergone new fortification, but its armaments remain obsolete. Without Bermuda, that port would become the main entry point for any overseas British reinforcements. An on-site visit to the port (made in preparation of this study) showed that the dockyard itself seemed a place of rust and ghosts, incapable of sustaining any long-term military operations. But that situation could be remedied, so the port should be secured; (3) Acquire western entry points. Here the aim is to sever communications with eastern Canada and prevent reinforcements from Australia, New Zealand, and India. The same derelict-port situation from Halifax exists on the Canadian west coast at Esquimalt, where American land forces could easily be sent ashore. Another on-site visit showed that this former British base, now Canadian, is ill equipped and poorly manned, its dock currently in horrid condition; (4) Additional ocean-capable ports at Yarmouth, St. John, Montreal, Quebec City, Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Victoria, Churchill, Three Rivers, Windsor, and New Westminster would likewise be either seized or blockaded; (5) An initial troop land thrust would cut all rail communications, with one front in Maine, another in Montana, and a third, the main column, up through the Great Lakes where the St. Lawrence River canals would be seized; (6) Control of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River is vital, but the bridge at Cornwall offers the fastest way to transport troops and equipment northward across the border; (7) The Great Northern Railway connecting Quebec to the West must be taken. This would include the Pacific terminal at Prince Rupert. From a military viewpoint these railroads provide excellent transportation. Once seized, Canadian prairie farmers located along the rail lines, unable to export their crops, might be inclined to deal exclusively with the United States. This could cripple the Canadian economy with widespread food shortages; (8) Highways will need to be controlled. While there are enormous stretches of country, particularly in the northern portion, with few or no roads, the southern portion is well served. Some 95,000 miles of roads exist, most classified as gravel, macadam, and concrete construction. Gravel roads will require extensive maintenance, especially during the spring.

The full plan anticipates a possible offensive response with Canadian and British troops sweeping down into New England, and other operations targeted at Michigan, Pennsylvania, and the Pacific, the idea being to create a multifront attack. The most effective means to counter these moves is to draw Canadian and/or British forces deeper into American territory, stretching their supply routes, lengthening their lines of communications, and isolating them.

It is our opinion, though, that Canada would most likely develop only a defensive posture, similar to what happened during both the 1775 and 1812 American invasions where local patriots waged an effective guerrilla war. Montreal and Quebec City would have to be strongly defended, most likely by the regular Canadian army, while the British navy attacked American commerce in the Atlantic. This was another tactic employed during the 1812 conflict. American naval power, though, is much different today than in the early part of the 19th century. Our fleet is now fully capable of engaging its British counterpart.

Estimates are that Canada could maintain an effective defense for only a matter of weeks. Any military force sent from the United Kingdom in support could defend defined points for a limited time, but would eventually be overborne by sheer weight of numbers. Even if the Royal Navy managed to command the seas, the war would be lost on land. Canada would most likely concentrate on the defense of Halifax and the MontrealQuebec line in order to hold its current bases of operation.

Our conclusion is that military operations by Canadians would be limited. We note that during our field visits (acting as casual tourists) French Canadians liked to boast that "we beat the Americans before and we can do it again." But a British officer said that the defense of Canada would be more difficult than the protection of India.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO.

Luke read the invasion summary, then thumbed through the pages of facts and figures used to support the suggested tactics. Sue was now scanning the summary, her reading every bit as intent as his own.

"It was a different time," Begyn said. "Manifest destiny had taken hold. We controlled Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. To the world we had the look and feel of a budding empire. It was the era of Teddy Roosevelt, when we first flexed our muscles on a global stage."

At times like this he wished he'd studied history closer. He knew some of what Begyn was referring to, but not the details. "How did the society come to prepare this plan?"

"Notice the date, 1903. At this point the Army War College had been formed, but the first class of students did not attend until 1904. So there was nowhere the United States planned for war, whether real or imagined. No one was thinking about possibilities, planning for contingencies. Teddy Roosevelt supported the society. He needed a plan drawn, in secret, without any attention. We could offer that service."

"Except that it blows to hell that image of a quiet, benign social order."

Sue finished her reading. "It sounds like they really meant to do this."

"On May 21, 1916, the Army War College filed its own plan for the invasion of Canada. Much of it tracked this original position paper. From 1903 to 1916 the United States spent $71 million, a huge amount of money at the time, on fortifications along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, which were recommendations we made. The 1916 report came about because of England's close ties with Japan and what the British might allow the Japanese to do in Canada. A lot of it was hysteria, but it was the kind of hysteria people back then believed."

"Then World War One changed everything?" Sue asked.

"That's right. Canada became an ally, not a threat or a prize. We all had a common enemy. Germany. But you need to know something else."

Luke listened as Begyn explained that, in the 1930s, the War College once again turned its attention to Canada. War Plan Red was approved in May 1930, similar in many ways to what had been formulated years earlier. Incredibly, in 1934, that plan was amended to authorize the use of poison gas against Canadians and the strategic bombing of Halifax, if the port could not be captured by land forces.

"Then," Begyn said, "in February 1935, the War Department arranged a congressional appropriation of $57 million to build three border air bases from which preemptive surprise attacks on Canadian airfields could be launched. The base in the Great Lakes region was to be camouflaged as a civilian airport capable of striking the industrial heart of Canada and the Ontario Peninsula. Those aren't my words. I read them in the minutes from the 1935 hearings of the House Committee on Military Affairs. That testimony was to have been secret, but it was published by mistake."

"I've never heard of any of this," Luke said.

"That's because it was top secret until 1974. The society was mentioned in those House hearings, since they analyzed our 1903 report. I was tasked with reviewing all the declassified materials to make sure there was nothing that could cause us problems."

Luke felt he had to say, "You do realize that the War College engages in a lot of hypothetical exercises, most of which are never meant to be real."

Begyn seemed unfazed. "In August 1935 we held what were, till then, the largest peacetime military maneuvers in history. Thirty-six thousand troops converged at the Canadian border, south of Ottawa. Another 15,000 were held in reserve in Pennsylvania. It was billed as a war game scenario, a staged motorized invasion of Canada."

"Which is probably what it was," Luke said.

"No, it wasn't. What that war game became was the operational basis for the final Canadian invasion plan. Once France fell to Germany in 1940 our isolationism went out the door. In August 1940 Roosevelt made a mutual defense pact with Canada. If Hitler had taken Britain in the fall of 1940, his first foray into North America would have been Canada. Our objective was to defend Canada by occupying it. So our 1903 plan, the War College's plan, and more was added to create the last operational directive they also code-named the 14th Colony. The society thought that was interesting-how they went back to our original label from the War of 1812-but the intent and symbolism cannot be denied. That plan remains classified to this day. But I talked to some of our older members who were there and helped formulate it. The idea was clear. Once we arrived in Canada to defend it, we weren't leaving."

Outside was dark. The wind had subsided, and things had grown much calmer and more quiet. Including Sue. She'd sat at the table like a dutiful daughter, keeping her thoughts to herself. Most of the women he attracted were the exact opposite. Bold, loud, and aggressive. Truth be known he liked them that way, but there was also something about the silent ones. Especially those who could handle themselves as deftly as this attractive Riverine.

"You always this attentive?" he asked her.

"You learn so much more with your mouth shut."

He chuckled. "That's not a lesson I ever took to heart."

The time was approaching 8:00 P.M. and he hadn't reported in all day. He should find out what was happening. But first he had to know one more thing. "How does this figure in with Brad Charon and his big mouth?"

"That's the rub," Begyn said. "Brad was aware of all this when he served as the Keeper of Secrets. This is what he allowed the Soviet diplomat and that other outsider to read, along with something else."

Now he knew. "That Tallmadge journal."

Begyn nodded. "Exactly. And whether you believe me or not, I don't know what's in it. Brad kept that journal to himself."

Not entirely, though, as the Soviets, the Russians, and Anya Petrova knew all about it.

Begyn sat back in his chair. "Brad considered these secrets more silly than anything else. Ancient history, he liked to say. He never seemed to grasp that we considered them important and would prefer they stay among us. I know a little about the journal. Tallmadge headed up drafting the original 14th Colony plan for the War of 1812. He also oversaw other favors we did for the government in the early part of the 19th century. He kept a record of those in the journal. When Brad was dismissed, it was not found in the archives. He was confronted and never admitted that he had it, but he did."

"Why keep it?" Sue asked.

"That was Brad. His way of paying us back. Difficult, like I said. We decided to let it pass. A way to keep the peace. When he died, we thought about retrieving it, but the probate fight made that impossible. Fritz Strobl told me you discovered a hidden archive at Brad's house. We knew about it. Brad had promised to leave those books to the society, but that was before the trouble. It was not mentioned in the gift he gave us of his main library, so we just assumed he changed his mind. Again, we made no effort to retrieve any of it. I understand, though, your superior has promised to help."

Which might now be harder to do than first imagined since Stephanie Nelle was unemployed and her remaining benefactor would shortly no longer be president of the United States.

He silently reviewed what he knew.

The Society of Cincinnati had been involved with an early plan to invade Canada, a plan that was later expanded upon and made operational during the Second World War. The 14th Colony. Nothing ever came of it, except some Soviet interest in the late 1970s, then another peek by an American in the 1980s, both of which led to the dismissal of the society's Keeper of Secrets. That same man kept in his possession an old record, the Tallmadge journal, which detailed more of what the society may have done covertly in the early years of the United States. Again, as Charon himself said, more ancient history than anything else. Or was it? Anya Petrova had come specifically in search of it, going straight to the Charon estate and smashing into that concealed room.

Finding nothing.

Which sent her to Peter Hedlund.

And led him here to Lawrence Begyn.

He stood from the table and approached one of the windows. Security lights mounted along the eaves cast purple-tinged shadows on the falling snow.

"You said the men back at the house, before you killed them, mentioned the Tallmadge journal," he said to Sue.

"They did."

Which meant Moscow knew about this supposed secret, too.

"I know for a fact that the journal was not in the secret room at Charon's estate," he told them.

"But it could be there, in the house," Begyn noted.

"What makes you say that?"

"I know Brad."

He saw it in the older man's eyes. "You know where, don't you?"

"I think so. He had another hiding place."