Joseph Kanon - Defectors

“And what do we get?”

“Whatever you can squeeze out of me during our cozy fireside chats. Don may want to do that himself. For old times’ sake. A little ancient history.”

“So, out-of-date intel.”

“No, that’s just for Don. New intel for you. For a start, I’ll update your Who’s Who. Of the Service. Thumbnails, bios, you’ll have a field day, don’t worry.”

“Agents?”

“I gave you Kelleher.”

“We could leave it there, you know,” DiAngelis said, glancing at him, a poker look.

“But you won’t,” Frank said, meeting his eyes.

“We’d need the agents.”

Frank nodded. “I don’t know everybody. Just out of my department. It’s set up that way. So those, yes. In the States. I can’t give you a roll up, just those.”

“How many?”

“How many would you like?”

DiAngelis glared, offended.

“Look, we don’t have time to do this here,” Frank said. “I’ll give you the DC names, the ones I know. You have my word.”

“Your word.”

“Then not my word. My self-interest. By the time Don gets his sweaty hands on me, I won’t have a lot of leverage. So, yes, agents. What else?”

“How are you going to do it? Get out of here. Everyone’s curious about that.”

“You’re going to help. You’re going to pick me up.”

“Here? Are you crazy?”

“Not here,” Frank said, a small smile. “That would be impractical.”

“We don’t exfiltrate. We don’t set foot on Russian soil.”

“Because you can’t. I know. But you’ll still have to pick me up. I can’t swim to the States.”

“Where?”

Frank hesitated. “I’ll let you know. Not here. There’s a great big socialist empire out there. I’m allowed to travel. Maybe even take my brother on a trip.”

Simon looked up at this, surprised.

“Are we talking about Eastern Bloc countries? And how is that supposed to be better than Russia? You still have the KGB crawling all over the place.”

“Or their sister agencies. Always a little intimidated. Always cooperative. Especially if it’s a Service operation. So eager to liaise.”

“If what’s a Service operation?”

“My little scheme. I’m going to run it. For the Service. The KGB’s going to get me out. They don’t know it, but who better? Then you pick me up.”

“You’re going to set up a KGB operation to get yourself out.”

“It’s the safest way. Nobody suspects. My operation. I direct it. Everybody cooperates, gets me to where I need to be.” He looked at DiAngelis. “Then you get me out. Agreed?”

“In the West?”

Frank shook his head. “I can’t manage that. So you’re going to have to get your feet wet a little. It’s a risk, but not a big risk. I wouldn’t set it up this way if I didn’t think you could do it. That’s the deal.” He looked over at DiAngelis, waiting for a reaction.

DiAngelis stared at him, as if he were reading his face for clues.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Frank said.

“I’m just wondering if you’re worth it. We do this, we could end up with a mess on our hands.”

“And I could end up dead. So who’s taking the risk?”

“For some old intel and maybe a cypher clerk in a basement somewhere.”

“What did Pirie say? He’s not interested?”

“He told me to use my own judgment.”

“Then use it. We’ve already been here too long.”

“You set up a KGB operation, a front, so nobody thinks you’re trying to fly. And it gets you somewhere near us and you just slip away. With our help. Do I have that right?”

“More or less.”

“What’s the operation?”

“Some dissidents we suspect are getting Agency backing,” he said, turning his head toward Simon.

“So it’s an operation against us.”

“Of course. You’re the Main Adversary, as we say. I’m going to swoop down and pick your team up. Except, instead, you pick me up. And I disappear.” He made a movement with his fingers. “Thin air. A triumph for the Agency. Their first defector in years. Except for Sokolov. And he was a plant.”

DiAngelis jerked his head up. “What?”

“That’s my second payment. On account. Don can stop wondering. If he’s still wondering. So. Agreed? Is there a problem?”

“I don’t like operating anywhere behind the Curtain.”

“Well, technically you won’t be behind it. Just nearby. I said you’d get your feet wet a little. In the boat. You pick me up on the water. Open sea, not Soviet territory. That safe enough for you? The question is, do you want me or not?”

DiAngelis stared again, not saying anything.

Frank took a quick look at his watch, then sighed. “All right, shall we sweeten the pot? How about a Who’s Who at Arzamas?”

DiAngelis blinked. “The nuclear facility? How would you have that?”

“I didn’t. I had a friend who had it.” He pointed to his temple. “Up here. He drank, we talked. I made notes. He died. So now I have it.” He touched his head again. “And a few papers he took with him. Which he shouldn’t have done. He was going to get them to the West. A great believer in the scientific community. Disarmament. But he only got them as far as me. Of course, strictly speaking, I should have turned them over right away to the Service. And I would have. Except I thought they’d make a nice calling card. Overcome any—qualms you might have. Do they?”

“Perry,” Simon said, half to himself, watching Frank, a new prickling on his neck.

Frank pretended not to hear. “Do they?”

DiAngelis turned to the icons, as if, oddly, he were looking for spiritual guidance.

“Where do we do this? When?”

“Soon. I’ll give you time, don’t worry. Meanwhile, we communicate through Simon.” Simon looked up, but said nothing. “We should set up a dead letter drop. Nothing fancy. Simple. Say the men’s room at the National bar. Last stall. Use one of your people in Moscow. Not him,” he said, nodding toward Novikov. “Not embassy.”

“We don’t have anybody on the ground in Moscow.”

“Pete,” Frank said, sarcastic, drawing it out, then moved on. “If you need to talk to Simon for any reason, use the bar. Simon will make it a point to be there. But only if you have to. Meanwhile, arrange for the boat. Stockholm or Helsinki, either would work.”

“You’re coming out on the Baltic?”

“You need a boat big enough to cross and fast enough to get the hell out after the exchange. And armed. It’s the only tricky part, how my colleagues are going to react. You want to have enough firepower to make them think twice about any heroics. Problem?”

“No.”

“Good. When I have the exact time and pickup point, you’ll have it too. Want to shake now?” He extended his hand. DiAngelis looked at it for a second, then took it. “How do you like working with the Service? Everything planned. Clean.”

“You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you?”

Frank looked at him for a second, then dropped his hand. “Just get the boat ready. You come, by the way. Nice if Don could be there, but I suppose he’s beyond all that now. I want a face I know. Let’s see if you can get this going without making any noise. Pirie only. Nobody else at the Agency, not until it’s done. Or it won’t happen. The Service has lots of ears, some even I don’t know about. So you be as quiet as you can. We do have one advantage. If you fuck up, I’ll hear about it. I’m inside. But it’s not much of an advantage. If they find out what you’re up to, they’ll start connecting the dots back to me. So, quiet. Understood?”

“We know how to run an operation.”

“I’m counting on it. Anything else?”

DiAngelis just stared.