Page 19 (1/2)

It all went along with his political plan to be seen as the bold refor back to the forlory of the old Russian Empire Even his namesake, Nicolas II, the last czar of the Ro, where Nicolas was born While the czar had been a failed leader during his life, after his death he had been canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church The bishops built the gold-domed Cathedral of the Blood over the home where the family had been murdered The construction marked a symbolic rebirth of the Romanovs

Some claimed the forty-one-year-old Senator Nicolas Solokov, with his lankish black hair and curled short beard, was the czar hied such cos--burdened by debt and poverty, rife with graft and corruption--it needed a new leader for this new millennium

Nicolas intended to be that leader

Andof tissue paper from around his neck She looked him up and down, then nodded her approval

Nicolas stepped toward the lights waiting for hih the doors, followed circumspectly by Elena The podium sat up at the top of the stairs, frae behind him

He marched to the bristle of ainst the barrage of questions He heard one reporter shout a question about his former ties to the KGB, another about his fa operations out in the Ural Mountains As he rose in power, so did the voices of those who sought to pull hienda

Leaning toward thequestions "It is ti back toward the entrance to the orphanage behind him "The children of the Ukraine, of Belarus, of all of Mother Russia, have suffered froer ring out He kne it looked on cae He continued his impassioned plea for a new vision of Russia, a call for action, a call to look forhile not forgetting the past

"Two days from now, the number four reactor at Chernobyl will be sealed under a new steel doedy and be forever a ave their lives to protect not only our Motherland, but also the world Firemen who stood firm with their hoses while radiation burned away their futures Pilots who risked the toxic plume to haul in concrete and supplies Miners who came from across the country to help build the first shield to entolorious men and women, fierce with nationalistic pride, are the true heart of Russia! Let us never forget them, nor their sacrifice!"

The crowd behind the reporters had grown as Nicolas spoke He was heartened by the cheers and claps as he paused

This was the first ofup to the cereus would be rolled over the toxic core of the dead reactor The original concrete shield was already cru, o The new Sarcophagus weighed eighteen thousand tons and stood half as tall as the Eiffel Tower It was the largest movable structure on the planet

Other politicians were already capitalizing on the event with similar events and speeches But Nicolas had been the loudest andup the radiological hotbeds around the country Many sought to stifle his rhetoric due to the extreme cost Members of his own parliament ridiculed and laht

As they all would see one day

"And mark my words!" he continued "While we put an end to one chapter of our history, I fear we’ve only put our finger in a hole in the dike Our nuclear past is not done with us yet…nor the world When such a time comes, I hope we all prove to have the saave up their futures on that tragic day So let us not squander the gift they’ve given us Let us bring about a new Renaissance! Frolinted as he spoke these last words It was the slogan of his reform

A new Renaissance

A Russian Renaissance

All it needed was a little push in the right direction

Elena leaned toward hi a word He tilted toward her as the crack of a rifle blasted from the park across the street Froht the flash ofripped past his ear

Sniper

Assassin

Elena pulled him down behind the podium as cries and screams erupted from the crowd Chaos ruled for a breath Nicolas used the moh her long hair; one finger traced the curve of cold surgical steel that hugged the back of her ear

He whispered into their kiss

"That ell"

10:25 PM

Washington, DC

Painter joined Gray near the front entry and stared at the video feed He studied the guards held at gunpoint

The shadowytheir presence "Wehier on the screen Then to the girl who stood beside hiht into the hidden caain "We are allies of Archibald Polk!" He sounded unsure of himself, as if he didn’t know if those in the house would knohat that meant "We don’t have much time!"

Elizabeth hovered behind Painter They shared a look If there were to be any answers about the fate of her father, a risk had to be taken But not too large of a risk Painter hit the intercom button and spoke into it

"If you are allies, then you’ll free our men and drop your weapons"