The Russian Deception

CHAPTER 12

The drive through the heart of Macedonia was scenic and coldly beautiful. The road from Skopje was modern and wide. They drove their rented VW west to Tetovo and south to Gostivar, past Kicevo, then west again to Drugovo, names that spoke of the Slavic heritage of the country. From Drugovo, a secondary highway led to Debar.

Western Macedonia was a land of mountains, lakes, rivers and wide valleys, scenery straight out of a 19th-century landscape painting. In warm weather the forested slopes would be green, the roads lined with orchards and crops. Now winter had set in and everything was coated with white. Black outcrops of rock broke through the snow, hinting at the essential hardness of the ancient land. The temperature outside hovered below freezing. The air felt raw and wet.

"Reminds me of survival training," said Ronnie. "I'm glad I'm not running around out there with all my gear."

"Not exactly Hawaiian shirt weather," Lamont said.

Twice they pulled over to make way for a military convoy of covered trucks hauling troops and equipment.

"We should be coming into Debar soon," Selena said.

"Not soon enough for me." Nick yawned. "We'll need a hotel."

"I already made a reservation. We're staying at a hotel right in the middle of town."

"I hope they've got a restaurant," Lamont said.

They reached the hotel after dark. From the outside it looked modern and fairly new. Streetlamps marched along the façade, throwing light over a row of snow coated evergreens across from the entrance.

The lobby was deserted except for the desk clerk. He looked bored. He took their passports and handed them their keys.

"The restaurant will be closing in an hour. If you are hungry, the food is good here."

"Thank you," Selena said.

The clerk watched them head for their rooms. When they were gone he picked up his phone and dialed.

"Yes."

"Tell Josef a group of reporters has arrived."

"Let us know when they leave the hotel."

The clerk hung up.

In the hall outside their rooms Nick said, "Let's meet in the restaurant in ten minutes."

"Man, I'm hungry." Lamont rubbed his stomach. "I could eat a horse."

"Might be what they've got," Ronnie said.

Nick looked at them and shook his head. "See you down there."

The hotel room was large and clean. The walls, doors and closets were white. The floor was polished, dark wood. There was no carpeting. The lighting was subdued. No one staying here would think they were in a hotel in America.

"I don't like the way that clerk looked at us," Selena said.

"What way?"

"He had a sneaky look," she said. "Like he was saying one thing and thinking another."

"All he did was give us our keys and take our passports."

"He was looking at our press passes."

They were still wearing press credentials on their jackets.

"So?"

"How come he didn't ask us what we were doing here? Or who we worked for? It can't be every day they get reporters staying here."

"Maybe he didn't want to be nosy."

"I don't believe it. It would've been natural to ask us, especially with the situation the way it is. Albania is right across the border and most of the people living here are of Albanian descent. If a war starts, this city will be on the front line. It will be an uncomfortable place to live. If I were him, I would have asked us if we knew anything about what was happening."

Nick set his carry-on down on the bed and opened it up.

"It could be that he doesn't like foreigners. They can't get many Americans here. This place is really off the beaten track."

"I suppose so. All the same, I wish we had our weapons with us."

"You really are worried about him, aren't you?"

"Worried isn't the right word. Something doesn't feel right about him. He makes my skin crawl."

"You ready to go downstairs?"

"Give me a minute."

Selena went into the bathroom and closed the door. She looked in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. There were dark circles under her eyes and what might be new stress lines forming at the corners. Her age was beginning to show.

Not a spring chicken any longer, she thought.

She used the toilet and splashed cold water on her face. Maybe Nick was right and she was overreacting to the clerk. But something still bothered her.