“Yes, we know this”
“We need him back in Washington, Isser”
“What is he doing here, General” Shamir asked pointedly. It was time now, Murphy thought. To every operation came moments of truth, sometimes so stunning they seemed, larger than life. “We know, Isser. He was sent to confirm “To spy on Israel, is that what you are telling me? Is that what you meant to say? Is that exactly your meaning now”
“Let’s stop screwing around” Murphy snapped. “Here is the deal”
“I’m listening”
“The Russians broke in out there and almost certainly know what’s going on. It’s the only reason they would have gone to such extraordinary lengths, to steal a Pershing and reprogram it. The operation is, we believe, being handled by Valentin Baranov, and he won’t stop, you know this. We also believe that he has an agent highly placed within the Pentagon. We would like McGarvey back here to find him. We would be willing, under the circumstances, to make this a joint operation. It would be to both our interests” The line was silent. “Do I make myself clear”
“Perfectly, General” Shamir said distantly. “I will have to take this up with my … superiors. I assume you have or will be doing the same”
“The president is waiting for a call from Mr. Peres, if it comes to that. But I believe we can handle this among ourselves”
“I will see what can be done” Shamir said. “But there will be at least one condition that we will insist upon. The NPT must be kept out of this. Completely”
“I don’t understand “Dr. Abbott was arrested earlier this morning by AMAN on a charge of espionage”
“Oh, Jesus Christ” Murphy swore softly. “If you say so” Shamir said.
The room was large, the bare walls and ceiling whitewashed, the flours tiled so that sounds seemed sharp and angular. McGarvey sat in a chair in the middle of the room. His five interrogators sat behind or perched on the edge of a long table, facing him. It was dawn finally and his head was splitting. He suspected they were in a Mossad safehouse somewhere in or near Tel Aviv. From time to time he could hear the sounds of traffic, and once he thought he might have heard a ship’s whistle from a long way off. Lev Potok got up and came over to McGarvey.
He had been the toughest of the interrogators, his face was now screwed up in a grimace of disgust. “You are an assassin, McGarvey, this much we know for certain. What we would like to know is who you planned on killing out there”
“No one” McGarvey said softly, relaxing, saving his strength. By now Lorraine Abbott would have realized that something had gone wrong and would have called the general. “Then what were you doing with an NPT identification badge and a gun? Can you tell me this”
“Not yet” McGarvey replied, giving the same answer he’d given all night.
It would be up to the Agency to decide what to tell the Israelis.
He had gotten the information they’d wanted. “Not yet” Potok said. “It is a bullshit answer. What does this mean”
“You’ll find out in due course” Potok suddenly swung around and slapped McGarvey in the face with his open hand, the blow rocking McGarvey backward, nearly tipping the chair over” Talk to me, you bastard, or you’ll never leave this room alive” Potok shouted. McGarvey shook his head to clear the fuzziness. He reached up with his right hand and touched his upper lip. His fingers came away bloody. “I’ll tell you this much” he said. “If you do that again, you won’t leave this room alive”
Potok wanted to come after him, McGarvey could see that much in his eyes. But there was something else there as well, and it wasn’t fear.
“Lev” one of the men at the table said gently. Potok turned away and went back to the table, where he hesitated for a moment, but then turned around again to face McGarvey. He leaned against the table.
We know quite a bit about you, McGarvey” the Israeli said, calm again for the moment. “For instance, we know that you once worked for the CIA, and that you were, until a couple of years ago, in retirement in Switzerland. What has happened since”
“I moved to Paris”
“Yes, and what were you doing in Germany just last week” McGarvey said nothing. Potok shook his head. “We have reason to suspect that the Pershing missile which you so valiantly disarmed was aimed at us. For that we thank you. We are not the enemy. “If you know or have guessed that much, then you know that I’m not the enemy either”
“Then why did you come to Israel, Mr. McGarvey? You came to spy, I think, and not to kill anyone. But why? Are you a free lance these days, or has the CIA rehired you”
“I can’t tell you that yet” Potok threw up his hands in disgust. “You are treading on exceedingly dangerous grounds with us. In Israel we shoot spies”
“We might have to start shooting yours then as well” McGarvey retorted.
It had been Israel’s big embarrassment that their operation to steal U.S. cruise missile plans had been discovered by the FBI. It had been called a “maverick” operation by Jerusalem, a statement that no one believed, but that everyone could live with. Potok was getting worked up again.
“Everybody out of the room” he ordered. The others looked up at him in surprise. “We can’t do that, Lev” one of them said. “That’s a direct order, Abraham; you know what’s at stake here. Out. All of you”
The man started to say something in Hebrew, but Potok cut him off. “Now”
he shouted. “All right” the man said, and he got up and left the room with the other three without a backward glance. When the door closed Potok managed a tight little smile. He reached over and shut off the tape recorder. “Now it is just you and I. McGarvey did not want to hurt the man who was only doing his job the best he knew how. His back was against the wall. Twice in barely a week Israel’s most important secret had been compromised. First by the Russians and now by the CIA. But McGarvey wasn’t going to simply sit back and take whatever the Mossad wanted to do to him. He tensed. “Tell me about your relationship with Dr. Abbott, are you fucking her” Potok asked, the question completely unexpected. “What are you talking about? “She was under surveillance.
When you and she pulled your little trick so that you could break out, she was arrested. Right now her main concern seems to be your well-being”
McGarvey was careful to show no reaction. Had she had the time to call the general? If not, it would be up to Trotter to realize that something had gone wrong and to blow the whistle. But that could take time. “She has nothing to do with this” he said. “Ah, your concern is equally touching. But the fact of the matter is that she does have something very much to do with this. Enough for our charge of espionage against her to stick in court. But I asked you a question. Are you fucking her”
“Up your ass”
Potok snatched up a pistol from the table and pointed it directly at McGarvey’s head. “One question. Yes or no”
“You will have a hard time justifying my death, Major Potok” McGarvey said, revealing for the first time that he knew who and what Potok was.
“You were shot trying to escape”
“No” McGarvey said. He folded his hands on his lap and crossed his legs. Potok cocked the pistol’s hammer, his aim never wavering. “How does it feel to have the tables reversed, assassin? No one will mourn your passing, I think” The door opened. Potok’s gaze shifted beyond McGarvey. Liebowitz said something in Hebrew, his tone definitely urgent. Potok seemed to waver. Liebowitz said something else. Slowly Potok’s gun hand came down. He uncocked the pistol, looked bleakly at McGarvey for several long seconds, and then left the room.
Potok sat in stunned-silence across the desk from Isser Shamir. What he had just been told confirmed their worst fears and suspicions. The Russians definitely knew about En Gedi and they were going to destroy the place at all costs. June thirtieth was the date.
“As I said before, Israel is in a delicate position” Shamir continued.
“We cannot bring diplomatic pressures to bear without admitting the truth”
“All the work … all the years, the security” Shamir shook his leonine head, his eyes sad. “Haven’t you learned
