“And now you want him dead,” said the Retaliator. “You want justice for those who died.”

“Of course,” said Bronsky, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground. The assassins demanded motivation as well as money. In a strange manner, they were highly moral killers. “The blood of their mother, of Mother Russia, demands revenge.”

“The rules of the state must be obeyed,” said the third killer, who had remained silent until now. Her voice was cold and remote. She was called “the Endless.”

“That is the law,” said the Retaliator in agreement.

“That is the law,” repeated the Rager.

Sighing deeply, Boris nodded. By those words, he knew that the three had taken the assignment. Karsnov was as good as dead.

“You said he fled,” continued the Retaliator. “Where did he go?”

“To America, we think,” said Boris. “Karsnov has two passions. A protégé of hard-liners in the Kremlin, he hates the United States with an all-consuming mania. He has spent most of his adult life perfecting weapons to he used against the Americans. With the cold war over and peace between our two nations, we suspect he plans to use the anthrax plague to fulfill his own twisted agenda.”

“His other passion?” asked the Endless.

“Karsnov loves to gamble. He plays cards compulsively, for hours, sometimes days on end. The desire to win at any cost engulfs him and sweeps him away. That is why we think he is in America. My colleagues in the Secret Service believe he is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gambling,” he added unnecessarily, “is legal there.”

“You have warned the Americans?” asked the Rager.

“Of course not,” said Boris. “They would never believe that Karsnov has turned rogue and is working on his own. Like my superiors, they see a plot under every rock. Comrade Yeltsin is in the midst of delicate negotiations for more aid from the United States. One mention of the anthrax plague would destroy any hopes of that mission.”