Which was a very sly way of asking if I had any idea who Mr. Ames really was.
“I don’t care if he’s Boris Yeltsin or Viktor Yurichenko himself, I intend to talk with him. This is America and I advise you to let us in.”
Alexi pondered that a moment, then very politely said, “I can allow you and this enchanting young woman inside, but would be impolitic if your police were to come also. Mr. Ames would be most upset about this, yes?”
Katrina swiftly put a hand on Murtry’s arm. “It’s okay. Can you just wait here for us?”
Murtry squared his big shoulders, put on a stern expression, and said, “You need me, holler, and I’ll bust through this door. Got that?”
Young Officer Blackstone also worked up his version of a menacing expression. “Right. We’ll bust right in.”
It was a good thing this wasn’t going to be necessary, because the two goons by the door probably knew ways to kill these two using only their eyelashes.
Anyway, Alexi threw open the door and waved us inside. A long hallway led to a living room. Seated at a dining table was Viktor Yurichenko. He wasn’t exactly what I expected, since he was only a little over five feet tall, a tiny, sprightly-looking man who glanced up from a chessboard the moment we entered and asked, “Alexi, who are our guests?”
“Viktor, this is Major Sean Drummond, who is saying he is attorney for General William Morrison. I am afraid I am not knowing the name of his assistant.”
“Katrina Mazorski,” I said, walking toward Yurichenko, who had stood up and had his hand stuck out to shake. “Forgive us for bothering you, but I have a subpoena for you to appear as a witness at General Morrison’s trial on treason charges.”
Yurichenko grinned and chuckled and slapped a hand against the side of his trousers. “A subpoena? Surely you’re aware I’m immune to your laws.”
I grinned, too. I couldn’t help it. There was something infectious about Yurichenko, like talking with a beloved grandfather who just seems infinitely wise and captivating.
“I’m aware of it,” I admitted, sensing this was not a man to try lying to. “I pulled a little ruse on a drunken judge. It’s vital that I talk with you.”
He looked over at Alexi, who raised his arms like, What can you do? These Americans are such ballsy, unpredictable people.
Back at me, Yurichenko smoothly said, “Major, do you play chess?”
“Yes, actually I do.”
“Do you play well?”
“Not too bad,” I said, which was true. I actually was a damned good chess player.
Yurichenko sat back down and began gingerly arranging both sides of the board. He looked positively delighted to have a fresh opponent. “Please,” he said, pointing at the chair across from him. “I am afraid I can’t give you much time, because I am an old man and require more sleep than I used to. I have very important meetings tomorrow. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
I sat across from him, as Alexi and Katrina positioned themselves to watch. I said, “Two out of three?”
He chuckled. “One to learn each other’s technique, is that it, Major?”
Well, yes, exactly it, I thought with some surprise. You don’t like to think you’re that easily read.
I started with pawn to d5, a classic opener. I said, “There’s no need to dance around, Mr. Yurichenko. I’m here because I’ve got a client accused of treason and murder, and you’re the one person in the world who can say whether it’s true or not.”
Without hesitation he moved a pawn to e6 to block mine. He sounded even more amused. “You are actually here to ask me whether Morrison was reporting to my people?”
“That’s why I’m here,” I admitted, moving another pawn to clear a space for my castle.
“Simply extraordinary.” He swiftly moved a pawn to make space for either his queen or a bishop. “Of course you know I can’t reply.”
“No, I don’t know that,” I said, shifting the pawn to make room for the castle. “What’s the harm? If he’s innocent, he gets to go free. If he’s guilty, you’re just confirming it.”
“If I confirmed it, what good would that do you?” he asked, moving out his bishop to b4.
“It would tell me how to run my defense. I wouldn’t waste time trying to prove he’s innocent. I’d concentrate on punching holes in the prosecutor’s case. Or, if the prosecutor offers a deal, I’d be better informed about how to respond.” I moved another pawn, opening a path for my bishop and queen.
He looked up from the board and studied my face. “Do you wish to start over?”
“What?”
“The game, Major. Do you wish to start over? You’ve already lost. We could waste time on the next five moves in your strategy, but it would end in defeat.”
I looked down at the board. There was no way he could predict what I’d do on the next move, much less the next five.
He grinned and reached down and moved my queen to g4, which was exactly what I’d intended. He moved his queen, then moved my castle to a position to threaten his queen.
“This is how we were maneuvering, correct?”
I nodded.
“And you can see now where three more moves would end in your defeat. You can see that, can’t you?”
I looked at his face to see if he was serious-he was grinning-and then I studied the board. Well, no, I couldn’t see it.
Yurichenko pointed at his queen and said, “I would sacrifice my queen to your rook. In the process I would move my bishop here. See your problem now?”
I saw my problem very clearly. I was one move away from checkmate. It was inevitable.
He began reorganizing the pieces for a second game. I figured the first one had taken just shy of two minutes, although that might be a charitable estimate.
While he set up the pieces he said, “Concerning Morrison, I don’t wish to be obstinate or coldhearted, but I have no incentive to clarify his loyalty. If he was spying for me and I admitted this, I would be betraying a precious trust. In our business, if word got out, I would be finished. Who would ever again sell us your secrets? It is the golden rule of the profession.”
He made the first move, shifting the pawn in front of his queen.
“Say he wasn’t spying for you. Why can’t you confirm that?”
“Who would ever believe me?” He chuckled. “But even if your government did, you must understand how we play our game. Right now your intelligence agencies are scrambling furiously to discover what he betrayed and to set it right. The more they suspect, the better for our side.”
“Why so?” I asked, shifting a pawn to d3 so I could move my queen.
He shook his head, and I couldn’t tell what he disapproved of, my move, the naivete of my question, or both.
“Your people are in the process of collapsing vital programs they believe Morrison betrayed. They are calling in cells and pulling out agents and traitors they think he might have compromised. It is a windfall for my side. Believing Morrison disclosed our traitors, they now doubt everything they were given. They are confused, dismayed, defensive, and will take years to recover. If I stood up and said, ‘No, Morrison never told us a thing,’ I would be cashiered. In our business, Major, it’s nearly as profitable to have a valuable traitor discovered as it is to have him in place. And if he never actually spied for us, well, that’s a double windfall, isn’t it? I know that sounds immoral, but it is how we play.”
We moved a few more pieces, then he moved his queen two spaces to f6. I moved another pawn that opened up space to move my right bishop from g1.
I said, “Then perhaps you can recommend a solution to this quandary. If Bill Morrison’s innocent, it would be a travesty for him to be found guilty. He has a wife and two children. He’d be facing death or at a minimum life in prison.”
He moved another pawn that opened a space for a bishop to move.
“I wish I could help. I truly do. I’m obviously familiar with Mary, and frankly I admire her. She was superb
