STAY FOCUSED, STAY ALERT, AND NEVER FALL IN LOVE
To most people, Katie Baker is an ordinary twenty-something secretary employed at a Houston-based aerospace firm. Yet, unknown to those around her, Katie is also an expert pilot and security protection driver. She speaks several languages fluently, mastered multiple martial arts, and is skilled in a wide range of firearms and bladed weapons. Katie is also a trained assassin with four kills to her name. Above all, she can make herself drop-dead gorgeous and knows all the tricks to seduce a man.
Katie’s real name is Katerina Kuznestov, and she is a Russian spy.
Ordered by her handler to seduce a geeky software engineer working on a classified project, Katie jumps in with all the enthusiasm of her previous assignments. Soon after becoming intimate with her target, Katie begins to develop feelings for him—feelings that her training and experience do not allow.
When the mission reaches its critical stage, will Katie stay true to her training or will her affection for the engineer jeopardize the mission, risking both of their lives?
STAY FOCUSED, STAY ALERT, AND NEVER FALL IN LOVE
To most people, Katie Baker is an ordinary twenty-something secretary employed at a Houston-based aerospace firm. Yet, unknown to those around her, Katie is also an expert pilot and security protection driver. She speaks several languages fluently, mastered multiple martial arts, and is skilled in a wide range of firearms and bladed weapons. Katie is also a trained assassin with four kills to her name. Above all, she can make herself drop-dead gorgeous and knows all the tricks to seduce a man.
Katie’s real name is Katerina Kuznestov, and she is a Russian spy.
Ordered by her handler to seduce a geeky software engineer working on a classified project, Katie jumps in with all the enthusiasm of her previous assignments. Soon after becoming intimate with her target, Katie begins to develop feelings for him—feelings that her training and experience do not allow.
When the mission reaches its critical stage, will Katie stay true to her training or will her affection for the engineer jeopardize the mission, risking both of their lives?
“Is this new threat credible?”
Ivan blinked instinctively.
General Vasiliev’s question was valid, even standard.
“I believe it is, sir,” Ivan finally answered.
Vasiliev slowly nodded. He sat behind a large dark brown mahogany desk, wearing the green service uniform of the Russian Army. His right shoulder patch bore the white, blue, and red Russian flag over the state double-headed eagle. His green shoulder boards held the single gold star of a major general, and he wore his gray hair short per military regulations.
Outside the window, a driving snowstorm blew, a typical early springtime day in Moscow.
Colonel Ivan Zhukov, seated across the desk from his superior, also wore his dark brown hair cut short. However, contrasting with his commander’s uniform, he wore a dark gray business suit with the Russian tricolor pin on his left coat lapel.
The everyday uniform of the Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki or Foreign Intelligence Service.
The SVR.
“Still,” Vasiliev continued, “the Americans have been down this road before, starting with President Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ program.”
“True, General,” Ivan replied. “But based on our latest intercepts, the Americans may be working on a new approach to counter our ICBM forces. If they succeed, we fear they will be able to launch a first strike against us with impunity.”
“And with the heightened tensions over our invasion of Ukraine, war with NATO—and America—is an alarming possibility.” General Vasiliev paused a moment. “What do we know about this latest threat?”
“We have a sleeper inside the aerospace company developing this system for the US Department of Defense. She feeds her handler information from this company every few days. Most of it is just mundane data, but there was something quite interesting in an accounting record she sent us last month.”
Vasiliev stared indignantly. “An accounting record?”
“Yes, sir. It was a bill to the Department of Defense for something called the LRV, no doubt a code name. The bill was categorized under the heading ICBM defense.”
“So the Americans are developing a new antimissile system?”
“We’re not sure, sir,” Ivan replied. “Nothing in the invoice indicated material purchases, so this new threat could be software-based. We have determined that this LRV program is intended to neutralize our ICBMs, but we don’t know exactly how.” He paused and added, “The good news is that we think we’ve identified the lead engineer on the LRV project.”
“Then it’s imperative that we find out all we can from this engineer,” Vasiliev declared. “The sleeper inside this company, you indicated it’s a female?”
“Yes, sir. I believe you’ve met her. She and I worked together seven years ago when we cracked that CIA ring operating in Moscow.”
Vasiliev nodded. “I do remember her. She was a resourceful and, shall we say, beautiful young lady. I assume she’s sparrow trained?”
“She is, and her last mission in Germany four years ago was quite successful.”
“Then she needs to get ‘friendly’ with this engineer immediately. Who is her current handler?”
“Demetri Petrov. This is his first assignment as a handler, but he was a competent field agent before his promotion. He’s currently assigned as an attaché to the consulate in Houston.”
“Good. Contact Petrov at once. Order him to have our sleeper target the engineer and find out all she can about this LRV program. We need to know what the Americans are planning before their sanctions over Ukraine escalate to actual war.”
Ivan gave a quick nod as he rose. “I’ll see to it immediately.”
“And Zhukov … if she can’t pry any information from this engineer …”
Ivan nodded again. “I understand, sir.”
This is the story of Katie, a beautiful Russian spy also known as a "Raven" who ends up falling for her mark, a geeky computer nerd and DND player, Dr. Andrew Scott. Andrew, a child prodigy and MIT grad, works for the same defense contrator as Katie, where he heads up his own project for the military.
Katie Baker on the other hand, might look and sound like the all American girl next door, but she is so much more than that. Katie is Russia's female version of James Bond, 007. Part spy, part assassin all wrapped up in a femme fatale. While on her latest mission, Katie ends up not only falling in love with her mark Andrew, but is repeatedly betrayed and has to find a way to deal with the FBI, CIA, two groups of warring mobsters, her own organization and her boss all after her as things go south. There is plenty of murder, mahem, intregue and espionage and a cute love story, to pull you in right from the beginning and keep you reading right through to the end.
This is a very well researched and written story. The plot was well executed and thought out with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. The main female character, Katie aka Katerina, is a strong, likable character. Even though she is one of the villians, you can't help but root for her. There are several male characters, all with very different personalities that suit their roles in the story. The romance plays a secondary role in this book.
I love how the weapons, torture techniques, electronic spying devices and security measures for each counties spy organizations were the actual types and methods used by each county. Again it shows how well researched this book is that, even though it's a fictional story, there didn't seem to be any factual errors.
Although I was expecting the story to wrap around and have a totally different ending than I thought it would, shows you how much I know, it wraps everything up and still leaves you feeling good about it.
I highly recommend this book and hope that this will turn into a series and be the first of many adventures for Katie and the crew.