The First Billion

Settled into the town car's backseat, Konstantin Kirov expelled a sigh of relief. He was hardly home free, but with a little luck, he'd make it to Teterboro and be airborne and en route to his private hideaway in the Exumas before the authorities could track him down. A man did not make it to his position in life without taking a few precautions, without setting aside a few dollars for a rainy day or establishing a place to keep his head down if the waters grew too rough. He'd lie low for a few years, cultivate his relations with the country's entrepreneurs, work on his memoirs. A return to Moscow was out of the question, at least until a new president took office. As for Mercury, that too would be put on hold. His plan to bring the company public had dissolved the moment he'd heard the words "FBI" and "under arrest."

Looking over his shoulder, he caught sight of Gavallan running down the stairs of the Exchange, pulling up in the middle of the street, arms raised high in exasperation.

"Yeb vas," he muttered. Fuck you.

He truly hoped he'd never see the man again in his life.

Suddenly, he was very thirsty. "Do you have something to drink? Some water, perhaps? Perrier? Evian?"

Two men sat in the front.

"Of course," said the one in the passenger seat. He turned and looked at Kirov. "Anything for my partner," said Aslan Dashamirov.

"But- why- how?" Kirov choked on his own confusion.

"You've been a naughty boy, Konstantin Romanovich," said Dashamirov, waving a slim silver disc between his fingers. "Have you never heard of honor among thieves?"

Kirov threw a hand to the door, fingers clawing for the release. He would make a deal with the FBI. He would show them the inner workings of the Russian underworld. He would forfeit his entire fortune.

With a sturdy thump, the doors locked, and Dashamirov laughed.

Konstantin Kirov cast a last look behind him. Katya had joined Gavallan, and the two stood in the center of Wall Street. He thought he saw his daughter raise a hand and wave, but he couldn't be sure. Tears had blurred his vision.

Epilogue

The gavel slammed with finality and a short, exultant cry went up from the executives gathered on the podium. Jett Gavallan shook hands with the Russian president, and then it was everyone else's turn, Meg's and Bruce's and Graf's. Each received the same firm grip, the same swift shake, the same sober nod. The president turned to Cate and kissed her on the cheek three times in the Russian custom. He had been learning English, and Gavallan overheard a few words.

"We are grateful to you both for saving our airline. I only hope the public will treat it as fairly."

"I'm certain it will," answered Cate graciously.

Novastar Airlines had begun the day trading on the New York Stock Exchange at $14 a share and had closed at $15.25. As thanks for returning to Novastar the money that Kirov had stolen, the president had awarded Gavallan the mandate to bring the company public a year later. Black Jet Securities had brought the $500 million offering to market at the upper end of its price range. A first day's jump of nearly 10 percent wasn't too bad for a Russian company, all things considered.

The president clapped a hand on Gavallan's arm. "Now we must talk about our aluminum industry. It is not in good condition. When can you come again to Moscow?"

"Not for a while, I'm afraid. This is our last trip until the big day. Cate can't fly much longer and I don't want to be away when the moment arrives."

"A boy or a girl?"

Gavallan looked at Cate. Her cheeks wore a slight flush, but at seven months pregnant, she'd never looked more beautiful. "It will be a surprise," he said. "But Mr. Byrnes will be happy to travel to Moscow- say in a week? He has some business with another company we're helping to sell."

"Mercury, yes?" asked the president.

"Yes," said Gavallan. "Mercury's being purchased by Bluephone, an Anglo-French telecom company."

"What is the price?"

"One billion."

"Rubles or dollars?"

Gavallan smiled. They both knew the answer to that one.

Cate wrapped an arm through his and gave him a squeeze. Actually, if you added the 50 percent stake in Novastar Cate had inherited from her father and her 85 percent ownership of Mercury, they would be nigh on billionaires. But they had decided not to keep the money, feeling that it didn't really belong to them. The shares in Novastar and her proceeds from the Mercury sale were to be placed in a philanthropic foundation Cate would chair.