Joseph Kanon: Leaving Berlin

“What does that mean, kill you?”

“What it usually means. They know. So the cover doesn’t matter anymore. I can’t go back anyway.”

“Can’t go-?”

“No, so it’s time for you to send a cable. Back home. Recommending the Agency go to the State Department and the court. I’ve drafted one here for you.” He handed Campbell a paper from the big envelope. “And this we’ll need to have typed up officially. Your orders to bring me in from the field, with an office here. I left the pay grade open because I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be, so you fill that in. But we’d need a payroll listing to make it official, an Agency employee. What’s the matter?”

“What the hell is all this?”

“It’s what you promised. If I got the job done.”

“We’re not finished-”

“I am. I gave you everything you wanted. We had a propaganda coup this morning on the radio. Did you hear it?”

“I also heard you used my name to get him out.”

“I had to think fast. Anyway, it worked. RIAS is over the moon. But somebody followed me and tried to kill me. So it’s time to bring me in. It’s all there. Read it. It goes out under your signature, so you should have a look before they code it. I assume you can send cables from here. You have a transmitter?”

“Tried to kill you how?”

“Run me off a bridge.”

“Well, that could-”

“No. I know the difference. I’ve been learning on the job.”

“What happened to them?”

“They went over instead.”

“Then you’re all right.”

“Somebody sent them, Campbell. I can’t go back. Read the cable. You want to get somebody to type up my orders?”

“What’s the rush.”

“Things have a way of not happening with you.”

Campbell glared at him, then looked down, reading the cable.

“Quite a hero,” he said.

“You can tone it down if you like. But why be modest? We’re going to be petitioning the State Department. They’ll want to know I put my life on the line for the Agency, don’t you think?”

“What’s this about a broadcast? The kid’s in Frankfurt.” He looked up. “On my say-so.” Still annoyed.

“This one’s mine. Another propaganda coup. Alex Meier leaves East Berlin for the West. Ferber thinks it’ll make a big noise. None of the other exiles has gone back. Walked away. And I refused to testify at a show trial so we can float some balloons about the bad old days coming back, ’37 all over again, with innocent Germans being put away this time.”

“A man of principle,” Campbell said sarcastically.

“The kind the State Department should take in. In fact, after this it’ll look bad if they don’t.”

“What valuable information?” Campbell said, reading.

“Heavy water plant at Leuna. Saratov before he was announced. Add whatever details you like. I didn’t know what you’d want classified. There’s a second memo, for the files.”

“This doesn’t buy you anything.”

“Invaluable assistance at great risk to himself? Two major propaganda victories, again at risk to himself? Your personal recommendation? Send it and see.”

“I don’t send cables like this.”

“Then they’ll really sit up and notice.” He paused. “You said you would. That’s why I did it. All of it.”

Campbell looked at him. “All right. I’ll go over it, send my own version later. Now, what do we do with you?”

“No, send it now. I want to see the confirmation copy.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. You’re not station chief yet. This doesn’t guarantee anything.”

“There’s something else. Not in the cable. We can follow up later. A one-two punch.”

“What?”

“I know where Markovsky is. I’m going to give him to you.”

Campbell looked up, startled.

“Where?”

“Send the cable.”

“How do you-? Oh, your friend. You got it out of her?”

“As you told me to. Send the cable.”

Campbell looked down at the paper, now little more than an annoyance.

“Alan,” he said, calling one of the clerks. “Have this encrypted. Mr. Meier here wants to see us transmit. He doesn’t trust us.”

“Just careful. It’s important in this business, isn’t that what you always say?” He gave the paper to the clerk. “And could you have somebody type this up on BOB letterhead?” He looked at Campbell. “You decide on the pay grade yet?”

“Don’t take chances.” He scribbled something in the margin.

“And this,” Alex said, handing another paper to the clerk.

“What’s that?”

“My farewell to Berlin speech. A hard copy for the file.”

The clerk waited for Campbell’s nod.

“All right. Now where is he?”

“I’ll take you to him. When we’re finished here.”

“You’re being very cute all of the sudden.”

“Have a smoke. It shouldn’t take long.” He looked around. “Some setup. Are there beds upstairs? Or do you put people in billets?”

“Depends. If they’re at risk outside.”

“So, here. With any luck I’ll be out of your hair in a few days. The speech will make the news and that should move things along at State, don’t you think?”

“You’re so sure about this.”

“When you give them Markovsky, you’ll be able to write your own ticket. So you write two. One for me. That was the deal.”

“Not quite.”

“Well, things happen. And for once we got lucky.”

“She just told you? Like that?”

“She doesn’t know she told me. I figured it out.”

“Figured it-”

“Don’t worry. I know. Anyway, you can always send another cable if anything goes wrong.”

Campbell, disgruntled, looked away and lit a cigarette.

“You might say ‘Nice job’ or something. I never thought we’d get him.”

Campbell sat smoking, watching Alex, as if he were adding up columns of numbers.

“And where has he been all this time?” he said.

“Babelsberg. Out by DEFA. But she’s moving him today.”

“She’s moving-?”

“And we run interference.”

“You’re setting her up,” Campbell said quietly.

“Would you have sent the cable otherwise?”

Campbell looked away.

“Sir? Sign here.” Handing Campbell the authorization letter. The clerk turned to Alex. “Nice to have you with us. We all wondered who you were. The protected source.”

“Not anymore.”

“No, not anymore,” Campbell said. “All right. Now you’re official. What else?”

“We wait for the cable, then we go.” He made a show of checking his watch.

“Alan, get a car. Brady and Davis, I guess. That enough?” he said to Alex.

“She’s only expecting me. Troops might scare her off. It’s just the two of them. I think we can handle it. But your call.”

Campbell thought for a second. “All right. Never mind, Alan.”

“Anything I can do?” the clerk said, eyes excited.

“No. Just start a file on this one. He’s worried about his pension.” He turned to Alex. “And what’s your next bright idea?”

“With Markovsky? He’s all yours. I’d put him on a plane for Wiesbaden. Show him in public this time. Just for the hell of it.”

“Is that what you’d do,” Campbell said, stubbing out the cigarette.

When the cable confirmation came through, Campbell got up to go.

“I’ll get my coat.”

A minute, two. Time enough for Alex to make his calls. An empty office next to Alan’s. Dieter, then Markus. Finished before Campbell got back.

Alex drove. “She knows the car,” he said.

It was a long trip back into town, through Wilmersdorf, then the more crowded West End.

“I don’t think you’re going to need that,” Alex said finally, nodding toward Campbell’s pocket. “They’re not expecting-”