The Prague Plot: The Cold War Meets the Jihad (Jeannine Ryan Series Book 3) (39 page)

They were fortunate to find a parking space among the compact cars parked diagonally on the narrow street of the staré město, Prague’s “Old Town.” From the front seat, the young man and his wife watched anxiously as the gray-haired elder squeezed out the rear door without, somehow, marring the adjacent Fiat.

The old man motioned the couple to remain seated.

His was a journey to be made alone.

The street was one-way, and there was no traffic. That was fortunate, for he started across without looking in either direction. Slightly stooped, he stumbled once on the uneven stones, but caught himself and successfully reached the narrow sidewalk opposite.

He stood for a moment and looked at the stark unadorned wall of the old church in front of him. Two small windows were topped by a large semicircular one. The latter reminded him of the window under the angled attic walls of his parents’ house.

For a moment, he seemed to lose his purpose, and his eyes roved about, as if fearing the approach of an enemy. Then he focused again, and walked quickly down the street.

He entered a double doorway.

No this cannot be it!
He stared about, bewildered at the bright foyer.

A kind hotel concierge understood his confusion and came to his aid.

“Sir, there have been renovations. This is a hotel now. Come with me, I know where you wish to go. I’ll take you there.”

Numb, he followed his guide to the basement. They were in a narrow corridor.

At once, he knew the way.

Eyes closed, he counted the steps and stopped. He was in front of a door.

He looked in. It was his cell, but it was not the same. The half-window, now curtained, let light in from the street above. Double-decker clean cots occupied the wall to his left.

It was peaceful. There were no strident voices.

And the ceiling was no longer Pink!

He stood a moment in silent wonder.

A voice broke into his thoughts.

“Sir, would you like to see the prison cell where our president Vaclav Havel was held, ‘P6.’ It is this way.”

He shook his head, “No.” He added.

“Thank you, but this is sufficient. I do not wish to see more.”

The concierge nodded and led him back up to the entrance.

He stepped out onto Bartolomejska Street. The sun was shining.

He lowered his head. For the first time in many years, Havel Simek voiced a silent prayer.

“
Děkuji Bohu, že jsem svobodný.
‘Thank you God, that I am free.’”

He stepped briskly to the car and nodded to his son in law, the driver.

“We can go now. It is finished.”

From the passenger side, Anne Simek Zeleny smiled.

Peter put the car in gear, backed out, and pulled away.

James E. Mosimann is a retired biostatistician who spent many years at the Computer Division of the National Institutes of Health. He has a Ph. D. in Zoology from the University of Michigan, and a Masters in Biostatistics from the Johns Hopkins University. After NIH, he joined the Office of Research Integrity of the Public Health Service, where he was a scientist-investigator for cases of research misconduct. He has numerous publications and one text. This is his third novel.

He and his wife, Barbara Jean, live in Virginia. They have eight children, all adult.

This is the third book in a series that follows the activities of Jeannine Ryan, a specialist in numerical forensics. Like the first, it was a family project. Thanks again to my wife for her support and to my adult children for their assistance. As before, Tom’s many hours of careful reading and editing significantly improved the manuscript, as did comments by Joseph, John, Theresa, Michelle, Mary and Madeleine. Finally Kateri, in addition to her comments, provided the cover graphics and design.

The village of Dethorens is imaginary, as also are Hus-Kinetika and its product, Xolak. While the OPCW data is from their website, Novichok-H and its Czech originator are fictional and invented for this tale. Likewise, Gustav’s association with the Cellules Communistes Combattantes is imaginary,
Jeannine Ryan’s exploits in the first three novels (
Misconduct’s Deadly Denial,
The Assassin Chip
and
The Prague Plot
) will continue in the title below:

The Carolina Coup.