Love and Death in The Ukraine

By Hal Graff

Love And Death In The Ukraine 

A Love And Death Mystery 

And Political Espionage Novel 

Volume 21 

 

     Welcome to the t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harold Graff II Publishing
• Release date: Dec 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781962730518

Hal Graff

Dr. Hal Graff holds a doctorate in business administration. He is a native of Gibson City, Illinois. Hal is a proud father and grandfather. To date, he has published 104 books, including 96 novels. He has published over 6 million 900,000, words.

Book preview

Prologue

AFTER RETURNING FROM CHICAGO and dealing with the disappointing escape of Salvador Masas from custody, Gatewood had returned to his peaceful life in Gibson City, Illinois, and assessed what he wanted to do.

He had been contacted by his agent, Randle Quinn, who had called with several job offers in baseball. Gatewood had considered the lucrative offers to manage in major league baseball, but had realized that he was not ready to leave the career he had become addicted to, that of a CIO agent.

Gatewood had also dealt with the corrupt Mayor Riccardo Gennaro’s administration in Chicago, which had led to his gaining a new enemy, one who had sworn to make Gatewood pay for his interruption of and assertion into, his association with the Stinging Hornet, Salvador Masas, in the drug trade, and with the prostitution ring of Bogdan Vsevlod, head of the Solntsveskeya Bratva Pravda Moscow, Russia mafia leader.

Gatewood was certain that Gennero had arranged for the killing of his CIO informant, and lover, Adela Igone, her mother, and her cousin. He had also argued with Gennaro and tricked him into confessing, in anger, that he had been behind the mess in Chicago that had sidetracked the CIO’s mission. Harold had then been approached by the conservative party in Illinois to consider running for governor, to help clean up the many messes the state faced.

Gatewood had enjoyed his time in Gibson City, until he was enticed by the CIO to go Moscow, Russia to help smuggle Karina Prekrasnyy, the beautiful secretary of the bookkeeper of the Solntsevskeya Bratva Pravda mafia, out of Russia. Karina had proof linking the SBP’s prostitution operations in Chicago to Mayor Riccardo Gennaro’s corrupt administration, and she was willing to testify that she knew the illegal partnership was illegal.

Gatewood also signed a second CIO mission, to travel to the Ukraine, the Chechen Republic, and the Crimean Peninsula to discuss options for American support for rebel insurgency actions against Russia. The CIO had hoped that successful results on the mission would slow down the Great Russian Bear’s annexation of valuable territory that carried important economic, historical, and military significance in the area near the Black Sea that bridged the Russian empire with Europe.

Gatewood had then gone to Moscow, met Karina, and made plans to accomplish the mission. He and Karina had then fallen in love, and escaped from Moscow, with the incriminating evidence in hand. A determined SBP mafia assassin, Eveny Khariton, had then chased the couple across Russia, the Ukraine, the Chechen Republic, the Crimean Peninsula, Belarus, and Poland to prevent their escape to freedom, and to terminate them.

The mission had worn heavily on Gatewood’s mind, as he had tussled with some of his old enemies, the AIO, OWFA, USFF, CFFA, and the SBP. He had faced danger, death, and injury, and had once again come out on top in his battles with his enemy, poised to fight another day.

The mission had caused him to become exhausted, battle-weary, and had continued his action-packed life on the never-ending treadmill to which he had become accustomed. He was now suffering from a reoccurring dream, one which he wanted to shake, but could not. He wanted help in conquering that demon, and had decided to ask for help soon.

He was thankful to have set foot in the Central Illinois Regional Airport, in Bloomington, Illinois. He has also looked forward to arriving at his home, and to seeing his parents, his good friends from Gibson City, Elliot, and Foosland, and his friends the birds and the squirrels. He also looked forward to enjoying his real life, a life different than the one he performed for the CIO.

He had not known that his adversaries would have other plans for him. They planned on not letting him relax and rejuvenate himself for his next mission, as they wanted to continue the fight on the rich, black dirt of Central Illinois, and hopefully erase their nemesis from his earthly presence.

He was unaware of the danger, as he had thought he had left it, and his CIO life, far away from his home town.

Chapter 1

Le Baiser da la Mort

March 26

THE RIDE HOME FROM THE AIRPORT HAD BEEN enjoyable, as Simone Etoile was a pleasant, interesting, attractive woman. She had held Gatewood’s interest for the entire thirty-five minute trip to his doorstep. She had smiled easily, shown a wonderful sense of grace and beauty, laughed easily, and had been a congenial traveling companion. She had looked beautiful and he had not bene able to take his eyes off of her.

He had sensed that she had felt the same way. While the pleasantries of the trip had been wonderful, he had wondered if her poorly-disguised interest in him was based on other factors. Gatewood was used to enjoying situations like the current one with many of the beautiful women he had encountered in his life. In fact, he preferred the spontaneous type of meeting as opposed to a formal introduction and dating.

She had dropped him off at his house, and wished him well, telling him that she hoped to see him again, as she would be staying in town for a month while she completed her research on farming practices in America. He had sensed that she had wanted him to kiss her, but he had not pursued the matter for reasons only known to him. He had promised to call her the next day after she had checked into her room at the hotel.

He had then crashed into bed, immediately entered dreamland and had slept into the middle of the next morning. He had walked to the shower, let the warm blast of water bring him back to life, walked to the kitchen, fixed breakfast, sat down in his favorite chair, and had watched the birds and the squirrels frolic in the yard, as if putting on a welcome-home performance for him. He had missed them, and the relaxing, always-needed pleasure they had provided him.

He had thought about Simone Etoile, and wondered how she was doing today. He decided he would call her later and invite her to supper. He then smiled and took a piece of paper from the manila folder he had carried from his bedroom. He read its contents:

Simone Etoile

File Number: 5798-6177

Birthdate: Vitoria, Spain

Height: 5’2’

Weight: 105 pounds

Body Build: hourglass figure, strong

Hair: long black, to her mid-back

Eyes: Brown

Facial Hair: None - female

Mental IQ: Mensa level IQ

Other Physical Traits: a natural beauty

Medical Ailments: none

Arrest record (Age of Minority) – shoplifting

Arrest Record (Adult) – has avoided arrest

AIO Service: political blackmail, seven murders

Special Skills: seductress, use of poisons, knife-

Throwing, sword fighting

Nicknames: Le Baiser de la Mort, "The Kiss of

Death", derived from the use of poison lipstick,

administered by a kiss

Father: deceased, was Basque loyalist, born and

Died in Vitoria, his family members were Basque

supporters in Southeastern France

Mother: age 73, born to Basque loyalists who lived

near La Merdedur De Serpant

Siblings: one, died at birth

Notes: Speaks excellent English, knows American

History, has traveled in America and Australia,

Seductress who will kill with feminine skills, but

can also use violence, irresistible beauty, remorseless

killer

He smiled, and was happy that his memory had not failed him. He had received an update of the known assassins and agents of the AIO, USFF, OWFA, CFFA, SBP from Rick Owens before he had agreed to take the mission in Moscow to bring Karina Prekrasnyy, and her information about the Solntsevskeya Bratva Pravda mafia, back to America. He had recognized Simone immediately, and had been struck by her beauty.

He had also wanted to kiss her the prior evening when she had dropped him off at his house, but he had seen her lather on her lipstick before they had left the airport. He had known that the Le Basier da la Mort, the Kiss of Death, would end his life, and he did not want to have that happen quite yet.

He had decided to meet her for two reasons, to determine what she was really up to in America, and to be with her, as he had become very enamored with her, despite the obvious risks associated with that attraction.

He spent the rest of the day picking up his mail at the post office, paying bills, making phone calls related to his farms and his baseball training and motivation businesses, and watching the clock so that he would not forget to call Simone. At four p.m., he called her, asked her how is she had enjoyed a good night’s sleep, and had started her work. He then asked her to join him for dinner.

She had said, Where are you taking me?

The second best place in town. Does six-thirty work for you?

Yes, of course. What should I wear?

Only a smile.

She laughed and said, Those are very dangerous words Harold.

I meant them to be.

Alright. But I may throw on some clothes just the same.

Casual. Come casual. We are going to play a great game that is not suited to formal wear.

I will, and I can’t wait to experience what it is.

I guarantee that you will love it.

He knocked on her motel door, room one hundred, and was delighted to see her in blue jeans, and a white, long-sleeve blouse. She held a navy blue sweater in her hand, and asked, Will I need this?

Probably not, but bring it anyway. You look very beautiful Simone.

She said thank you, and handed him her coat. She turned around and held her hands out behind her back. He slid her coat on her outstretched arms, and when she turned around, noticed that she had not used any lipstick on her lips.

They entered the car, and started to talk as he drove toward the location where they would eat. He said, How did you get room one hundred? Was it the only room available?

No. I asked for it. It is my lucky number.

He smiled, and said, It is my lucky number also. He then laughed to himself and thought, She read my file very thoroughly. I did not think the AIO would have that information, even after all of our encounters.

They arrived at his home, exited the car into the early-Spring-like air, and walked to the door. Once inside she asked, Is this the second best place to eat in Gibson City?

Yes.

What is the first-best-place in town Harold?

My parent’s house. My mom is a great cook.

She giggled, and they talked until he had finished grilling the steak she had said she liked when they had talked on the plane from Chicago. After dinner, she asked him what gam he had in store for her. He then took her hand and walked her to the pool room.

She confessed that she had never played before. After some lessons and a few minutes of practice they played, shooting in any ball that she wanted. She liked the game and giggled like a teenager each time she would make a shot. After two hours of playing they walked toward the family room. She excused herself to powder her nose in the restroom, and then joined him as he stood looking out the window.

He immediately noticed that she had plastered red lipstick on her lips. They looked at the beautiful night sky from the window and then sat down on the couch. They talked for two hours about their pasts, their plans and goals, and how they wanted to spend their lives. He had been surprised, as she had not mentioned marriage or having a family, but had stuck to work goals.

He stood up from the couch and said that he knew she needed to work the next day, helped her put on her coat, and drove her to her motel room. She had moved closer to him while they stood at the door, wanting to kiss him, but he had kept his distance. H then had said, I hope you had a good time tonight. Can I call you tomorrow?

She said yes, and then her turned and walked to the car, and drove away. When she entered her room she threw her coat on the bed and, disappointed, she said, I will get him eventually.

She then smiled and said, He is even more charming, interesting, and attractive than what has described in the file. I would kiss him endlessly if he would not die from the poison in the lipstick. I am going to try a new approach tomorrow.

He had made arrangements to pick her up at ten a.m. As she sat in front of the mirror combing her hair she thought about her career with the AIO. She had perfected her killing technique by building up a tolerance to the poison by injecting herself with the antidote. She would then incorporate the poison into her lipstick.

Once she had kissed her victim, he would hallucinate, distracted and be unable to resist further actions that would end his life. If she were lucky, her target would have specific allergies such as peanuts or shellfish, which would allow her to kiss him and have him go into anaphylactic shock, making him easy pickings for a killing blow, stab, or shot.

Her plans were not new, as poisons had been administered by the ancient Sumerians by including ingredients such as vermillion and carmine. The practice had also been used from the Renaissance period to today.

She then thought about how she would kiss him, make love to him, get close to him over time, and then use lipstick for a special occasion they might plan, and deliver the debilitating, then poison to his lips, kill him, and then flee America. It was a devious plan, but she would not mid doing it. And, the affection part would be also be enjoyable.

After he had arrived, they headed to his farms to view their size, and to talk about the practices used to raise corn and soybeans. She told him that in Spain, over sixty percent of the farms were less than fifteen acres in size. She had been shocked to learn that many farmers work several hundred to thousands of acres.

She mentioned that Spain’s agricultural portion of the country’s gross national product was a little less than three percent, far below that of America. Twenty-seven of the Spanish farms were worked by tennet farmers, far less than the forty percent in America. Spain exported eighty percent of its agricultural products as compared to twenty percent of America’s products.

Spain used a much lower percentage of their land to use as farmland in comparison to America’s forty percent. Spain’s farmland was done on rough land, used labor-intensive methods, and often suffered large losses of valuable soil through erosion, all the opposite of that in America.

The Spanish average age of its framers was close to that of America’s, fifty-five compare to fifty eight. The size of the average grain farm in Spain was less than half of what it was in America. They talked about farm values, methods, cost