12. Starlings of the Slipstream

Complete story — includes the ending

Auggie is arrested after arguing with the medical examiner about Tony. When Annie bails him out, he tells her that he thinks Belenko is systematically murdering members of his old Army unit -- one was in Chicago and another, Tony, may have been the target of the treaty bombing. Annie breaks into Tony's apartment and finds out that he was killed with a sophisticated synthetic poison. Only a few labs could make it, including one in Essen where Belenko recently visited. Annie flies there and finds a chemist who is being watched by Olga, an experienced FSB assassin whom Annie and Eyal encountered in Istanbul. She rescues the chemist, who tells her that she was Belenko's lover but commits suicide with the same poison before telling her more. Annie is arrested for the crime and taken away by Olga, who claims to be an Interpol agent. After Annie fails to escape, Olga frees her and says that they are on the same side. In DC, Calder asks Stephanie to intensify her contact with the Russian embassy man, who is better connected than they realized. Ryan gives the suspended Auggie a new computer and has one of his men stay with him for protection. Joan is polygraphed by the CIA and asked about the Balkans, but Arthur's contacts tell him this was merely preparation for a job offer to Joan. Two men break into Auggie's apartment, overpower him, and take him away in a car.