"If shit hits the fan, I either try and escape via the Baltics or head north." Pulling up a map of the Finnish-Russian border north of St. Petersburg, I checked for routes heading west. "There are a few options. I'll ensure I cross on a Russian passport. Anything else will just raise too many questions as to why I'm crossing the border there. All this is dependent on whether we retrieve the Russian or not."

Jennifer gazed at me in silence for a few seconds. "You think it's a ruse?"

"Not exactly but most Russian defectors simply fly out of the country and request asylum elsewhere. Why am I being...