按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
rily be careful in making his selection。 People are not as predictable as machines； after all； and this is the most important…and most sensitive…aspect of the operation。〃
〃Yes； I suppose that is so； Aleksey。 Very well。 Notify Bubovoy that a hand…delivered message is on the way。〃
〃Now； rade Chairman； or after we have it signed and ready for dispatch？〃 Rozhdestvenskiy asked the question like a skilled bureaucrat； letting his boss know the best way without saying it out loud。
This colonel would go far； the Foreign Minister thought； taking note of his name for the first time。
〃A good point； Colonel。 Very well； I will let you know when the letter is ready to go。〃
〃By your mand； rade Chairman。 Do you need me further？〃
〃No； that is all for now；〃 Andropov answered； sending him on his way。
〃Yuriy Vladimirovich； you have a good aide。〃
〃Yes； there is so much for me still to learn here；〃 Andropov admitted。 〃And he educates me every day。〃
〃You are fortunate in having so many expert people。〃
〃That is the truth； Andrey Andreyevich。 That is the truth。〃
Down the hall in his office； Rozhdestvenskiy drew up the brief dispatch for Bubovoy。 This was moving fast； he thought； but not fast enough for the Chairman of the KGB。 He really wanted that priest dead。 The Politburo certainly seemed fearful of political earthquakes； but Rozhdestvenskiy himself was doubtful of that。 The Pope； after all； was just one person； but the colonel had tailored his advice to what his boss wanted to hear； like a good functionary； while also letting the Chairman know the things he needed to know。 His job actually carried great power with it。
Rozhdestvenskiy knew that he could break the careers of officers whom he did not like and influence operations to a significant degree。 If CIA ever tried to recruit him； he could be an agent of great value。 But Colonel Rozhdestvenskiy was a patriot； and besides； the Americans probably had no idea who he was and what he did。 The CIA was more feared than it deserved to be。 The Americans didn't really have a feel for espionage。 The English did； but KGB and its antecedents had enjoyed some success at infiltrating it in the past。 Less so today； unfortunately。 The young Cambridge munists of the 1930s were all old now； either in British prisons or drawing their government pensions in peace； or living out their years in Moscow； like Kim Philby； considered a drunk even by Muscovites。 He probably drank because he missed his country…missed the place in which he'd grown up； the food and drink and football games； the newspapers with which he'd always philosophically disagree； but he'd miss them even so。 What a terrible thing it must be to be a defector； Rozhdestvenskiy thought。
What will i do？ Zaitzev asked himself。 What will I ask for？
Money？ CIA probably paid its spies very well…more money than he would ever be able to spend。 Luxuries beyond his imagination。 A videotape machine！ They were just being available in Russia； mainly made in Hungary； patterned after Western machines。 The bigger problem was in getting tapes…pornographic ones were particularly in demand。 Some of his KGB coworkers spoke of such things。 Zaitzev had never seen one himself； but he was curious； as any man might be。 The Soviet Union was run by such conservative men。 Maybe the Politburo members were just too old to enjoy sex； and so saw no need for younger citizens to indulge。
He shook his head。 Enough！ He had to decide what to tell the American in the metro。 That was a task that he chewed on with his lunch in the KGB cafeteria。
CHAPTER 15 … MEETING PLACE
Mary Pat was expected to e into the embassy sometimes； to see her husband about family matters or to purchase special food items from the missary。 To do this； she always dressed up…better than she did for the Moscow streets…with her hair well…brushed and held in place by a youthful headband； and her makeup done； so that when she drove into the pound parking lot she would look like a typical air…headed American blonde。 She smiled to herself。 She liked being a natural blonde； and anything that made her appear dumb worked for her cover。
So she breezed in the front door； waving airily at the ever…polite Marines； and into the elevator。 She found her husband alone in his office。
〃Hey； baby。〃 Ed rose to kiss her； then drew back to take in the whole picture。 〃Looking good。〃
〃Well； it's an effective disguise。〃 It had worked fine in Iran； too； especially when she'd been pregnant。 That country didn't treat women especially well； but it did extend them an odd deference； especially when pregnant； she'd found； right before she'd skipped the country for good。 It was one station she didn't particularly miss。
〃Yeah； babe。 Just gotta get you a surfboard and a nice beach； maybe the Banzai Pipeline。〃
〃Oh； Ed； that's just so tubular。 And Banzai Beach is in Hawaii； dummy。〃 A quick gear change。 〃The flag go up wrong？〃
〃Yep。 The TV cameras didn't show anyone on the street paying particular attention to it。 But you could see it from a block away； and the security cameras don't look that far out。 We'll see if our friend drops a message in my pocket on the ride home tonight。〃
〃What did the Marines say？〃 she asked。
〃They asked why； but Dom didn't tell them anything。 Hell； he doesn't know either； does he？〃
〃He's a good spook； Dominic is；〃 Mary Pat judged。
〃Ritter likes him。 Oh；〃 Foley remembered。 He fished a message out of his drawer and handed it across。
〃Shit；〃 his wife breathed； scanning it quickly。 〃The Pope？ Those motherfuckers want to kill the Pope？〃 Mary Pat didn't always talk like a California blonde。
〃Well； there's no information to suggest that directly； but； if they want to； we're supposed to find out。〃
〃Sounds like a job for WOODCUTTER；〃 who was their man in the Party Secretariat。
〃Or maybe CARDINAL？〃 Ed wondered。
〃We haven't flagged him yet；〃 MP pointed out； but it would soon be time to check in with him。 They checked his apartment every night for the light…and…blinds bination in his living room。 His apartment was agreeably close to their own； and the ratline was well established； beginning with a piece of paper tape on a lamppost。 Setting that flag signal was MP's job。 She'd already walked Little Eddie by it half a dozen times。 〃Is this a job for him？〃 she asked。
〃The President wants to know；〃 her husband pointed out。
〃Yeah。〃 But CARDINAL was their most important agent…in…place； and not one to be alerted unless it was really critical。 CARDINAL would also know to get something like this out on his own if he became aware of it。 〃I'd hold off on that unless Ritter says different。〃
〃Agreed；〃 Ed Foley conceded。 If Mary Pat advised caution； then caution was justified。 After all； she was the one who enjoyed taking risks and betting her skill against the house odds。 But that didn't mean that his wife was a reckless player； either。 〃I'll sit on that one for a while。〃
〃Be nice to see what your new contact will do next。〃
〃Bet your cute little tushy； babe。 Want to meet the Ambassador？〃
〃I suppose it's time；〃 she agreed。
〃So； recover from yesterday？〃 Ryan asked Harding。 It was the first time he'd beaten his workmate into the office。
〃Yes； I suppose I have。〃
〃If it makes you feel any better； I haven't met the President yet； myself。 And I'm not exactly looking forward to the experience。 Like Mark Twain said about the guy who got himself tarred and feathered； if it weren't for the honor of the thing； he would just as soon have missed it。〃
Harding managed a brief laugh。 〃Precisely； Jack。 One does go a little weak in the knees。〃
〃Is she as tough as they say？〃
〃I'm not sure I'd want to play rugger against her。 She's also very； very bright。 Doesn't miss a thing； and asks bloody good questions。〃
〃Well； answering them is what they pay us for； Simon；〃 Ryan pointed out。 There was no sense being afraid of people who were only doing their job as well； and who needed good information to do it properly。
〃And her； too； Jack。 She has to do questions in Parliament。〃
〃On this sort of thing？〃 Jack asked； surprised。
〃No； not this。 It's occasionally discussed with the opposition； but under