CIA spy thriller novel- a Russian sleeper spy cell lurks in Seattle, Washington

 

In the MISSION OF VENGEANCE spy thriller, CIA Spymaster Corey Pearson journeys to Washington state to hunt down a Russian sleeper-cell spy network believed to be lurking in Seattle, and Mt. Rainier holds the clue to finding them.

     I spent some time in Seattle, doing research for the ending to MISSION OF VENGEANCE. An American family from Seattle, on vacation, was murdered in their Dominican Republic resort hotel room. The wife worked at one of the city’s large tech companies, Microsoft. Amazon is also headquartered in its metropolitan area, and the futuristic Space Needle, a 1962 World’s Fair legacy, is its most iconic landmark. 

     You’ll enjoy visiting the “Emerald City” because of the famous, lush evergreen forests surrounding it. The nearby hiking trails through them will rekindle your spirit. The “93 Miles of Wonderland” trail around the base of Mt. Rainier inspired me so much, I set it into the ending plot sequence, making a rather ominous conclusion to the novel.

     There’s a historic 1930s hotel I fancied, full of Art Deco digs, just a ten-minute stroll from the University of Washington’s campus in Seattle’s University District. It’s called The GraduateHotel, and when I entered, a huge room of plaid-clad sofas surrounding a communal coffee table by a cozy fireplace greeted me.

     I sat down on a comfortable couch and plotted out the final episode to MISSION OF VENGEANCE. It would definitely take place here! As seashell mobiles hanging from the ceiling danced over my head, I worked out the scene, then decided to take the elevator up to the 16^th floor pub, where CIA spymaster Corey Pearson tracks down the clue from Mt. Rainier as to where the Russian sleeper cell may be found.

     I walked into the pub, called the Mountaineering Club, and sat at a barstool. What a scenic rooftop bar it was, with beautiful views of Mr. Rainier, Puget Sound, and other mountain ranges flaunting themselves in the distance outside the large showroom-sized windows. The best panoramic views of Seattle can be enjoyed from this rustic-chic rooftop lounge.

     The friendly barkeep gave me its seafood-driven menu, and I scanned the cocktail list. There it was… Mr. Rainier’s clue! It was called the “93 Miles of Wonderland”, created from grapefruit rosé vodka, aperol, pistachio, ancho chile, lemon, and sparkling wine. It was the concoction that brought Corey Pearson to Seattle and could lead to the uncovering of a Russian sleeper cell lurking within the city. Here’s a snippet from the MISSION OF VENGEANCE which explains why: 

     She finished reading Yury’s dead drop letter to Corey. “Nevidljiva Ubica, the Invisible Killer. He sounds like a spymaster and cold-blooded killer wrapped into one… a dangerous combo.”

     “Yes, and it’s amazing that he created operational sleeper cells inside the U.S. while stationed in East Germany during the Cold War.”

     “Do you think Yury Bocharov is right… that he’s still active inside America, after all these years?”

     “Yes.”

     “Where?”

     “Lots of circumstantial evidence exists, but I suspect Seattle.”

     “That’s where the murdered American family, the Celiks, is from.”

     “No connection there. The only mistake they made was innocently buying a parrot tie clasp on the streets of Sosua in the Dominican Republic.”

     “Your report mentions that he recruited a college student from the University of Washington, in Seattle.”

     “That, plus some other scraps of intel that need to be checked out. Morrison told me that the two CIA Dominican Republic women overheard Markov talking on the phone to a man he referred to as Andrei. He ended the conversation by saying ‘Until next time, Vavilova, when we meet in the states, I will buy you all the ’93 miles of wonderlands’ you can gulp down.”

     “And?”

     “It’s a specialty cocktail drink made at an exclusive bar in Seattle.”  

End of Snippet  

     Check out this Mountaineering Club bar and restaurant video. Along with sipping the specialty drink, "93 Miles of Wonderland", I snacked on the most incredible bar treats ever!   

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), enjoys writing about the U.S. Intelligence Community, and relishes traveling to the Florida Keys and Key West, the Bahamas and Caribbean. He combines both passions in his Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster series. Check out his latest spy thriller: MISSION OF VENGEANCE