night. After retrieving the icon from the Louvre, he hires a car to travel to the French coast to cross to England. The date is 19 June. Adam makes a feint towards Boulogne to throw off Romanov and instead heads towards Dunkerque, where he meets with the musician from before, Robin. She helps him to travel across the Channel to England and accompanies him after the crossing. However, Romanov learns of the deception and follows them with Pollard in tow. Scott goes to Robin's home in Waterloo East in London in order to capture Pollard, whom Romanov has sent to ambush Robin when she gets home. After learning of Romanov's whereabouts from Pollard, Scott calls Romanov at the Soviet Embassy and negotiates with him; if Romanov exchanges an inferior copy of the icon, painted in the early 20th century and which the Soviets have been guarding for 50 years, and the papers proving Colonel Scott's innocence, Adam will return the real icon and the Alaska Purchase copy to him. Romanov agrees and the transaction takes place at Tower Bridge. However, Scott had, prior to the swap, performed a switch of the icons that results in Romanov, unknowingly giving the real icon back to Scott (with the Purchase inside) and Scott giving the copy back. Romanov, convinced he has the true icon, triumphantly heads to the Soviet Ambassador's office to report his success while Scott travels to Heathrow Airport to watch Romanov take off for Moscow. Romanov is assassinated on board by a British agent and Scott is stunned to learn that the agent is a friend who works at the bank. One month later, Scott and Robin are having the icon auctioned. The Soviets do not have the real icon and were unable to claim Alaska without their copy of the Alaska Purchase. The US therefore retained the state. Scott and Robin receive fourteen thousand pounds for the icon. Characters •Captain Adam Scott, MC - Scott is a decorated officer of the Royal Wessex Regiment and known for his father, Colonel Gerald Scott and the stigma brought on him by his father's acts. Scott ends up in possession of the famous icon of Saint George & the Dragon, by Rublev, and is pursued by the KGB. He has a clear, calm demeanour and devises schemes to stay ahead of the Soviets. •Major Alexander Petrovich Romanov - An agent of the