the continued sense of over-enthusiasm. He said ‘It’s got a long way to go yet, sir.’
‘I know, I know,’ said Perelmen. ‘But I’m confident. We’ve already made a lot of contingency plans. Now I’d like you to run through it for me, right from the start.’
They’d already had it in at least four variations, thought Blair. Obediently he recounted the events from the time of Orlov’s approach at the reception to their first meeting and then the previous night’s encounter at the ferry head.
‘No demands at all?’ intruded Hubble.
‘Only about the woman,’ said Blair. ‘What about her?’
The Director raised his hand, reassuringly. ‘Exactly what he wanted. No approach whatsoever.’
‘She’s on a lead, of course,’ elaborated Hubble. ‘Round-the-clock watch. Cover on everything she does. She doesn’t know how safe she is.’
‘He doesn’t want her to know,’ reminded Blair.
‘They’re not amateurs,’ said Hubble, as if imagining criticism.
‘Would Orlov run, if he found out?’ asked Perelmen.
‘I don’t know,’ admitted Blair, at once. ‘I don’t know why it’s something he’s so adamant about.’
‘When does he want her involved?’ asked Hubble.
‘He hasn’t made that clear, not properly. He just talked about when everything is arranged. Maybe when we actually have him on the move. My guess is he’s frightened something will happen to her before they get together.’
‘It wouldn’t, if she were under our protection,’ said Perelmen.
‘I’ll make the point,’ promised Blair.
‘You imagine he doesn’t want to talk to us, not completely?’
‘I don’t imagine,’ he said. ‘I know.’
‘Let’s not worry about that now,’ dismissed Perelmen, hurriedly. ‘Let’s get him here, first. Everything else will unfold naturally enough.’
Poor bastard, thought Blair. He said, ‘We haven’t discussed at all how to get him out. It’ll have to be during some overseas visit, to be safe.’
‘Can he fix that?’
‘He’s got the authority,’ said Blair. ‘I didn’t raise it until I had the opportunity to talk to you here: wanted to know the countries in which we were best placed.’
‘Europe, obviously,’ said Perelmen. ‘Anywhere really, although England and Germany would be best. We’ve a lot of secure airbases in Germany. If it’s got to be anywhere in Eastern Europe then OK, but it’ll be more difficult. Too many things can go wrong trying a border crossing like that.’
Blair supposed Perelmen would have met the traditional opposition within the Agency from professionals having an amateur put in control over them. He seemed to have adjusted very well. He said, ‘How much warning would you need?’
‘We’ve expanded the emergency desk in the Watch Room,’ said the Director. ‘We established a complete contingency unit, specifically for Orlov’s crossing. I’ve already moved twenty men into Europe. Germany. Like I said, that’s where we’re best placed, if there’s a choice. Every sort of necessary transportation, too. We’ll only need hours.’
‘If we can make it an overseas visit we’ll have days,’ said Blair. He hesitated and then said, ‘What if we can’t fix something that will officially get him across the border?’
‘Then it’s Action Man stuff,’ said Hubble. ‘And you’ll really be earning your salary. The favourite would be to try for the Finnish border and cross there.’
Christ, Hubble irritated him, thought Blair. Action Man! He said, it won’t be easy, crossing the distance to Finland. Unless we could get aboard an aircraft in some way it’ll take two days to get there: maybe more. And at the first hint that Orlov had made a run for it they’d try to seal that country like a drum.’
‘I’d risk a crossing, to come in to get you,’ disclosed Perelmen. ‘Not to Moscow, of course. As far into Karelia as we could get.’
‘That would require a pick-up coordinate I couldn’t give any guarantee to make, on time.’
‘Then we’d keep crossing until you did,’ said Hubble. ‘We’ll ship homing devices and the sort of radios you’ll need in the diplomatic pouch: that’s part of the contingency.’
Blair hoped there would be some other way. He said, ‘What about here?’
‘Everything’s set,’ assured the Director. ‘We’ve got three “safe” houses, two in Maryland and one in Virginia. We’ll use them all, of course, but he can make his choice. Tell him that after we’ve talked things out he’ll be given a completely new identity… social security number, bank account, stuff like that. And a government pension that we can negotiate when he gets here.’
After we’ve talked things out, reflected Blair. He wondered if it would be as obvious to Orlov as it was to him that the promised pension depended upon how much he was prepared to talk things out. If they debriefed the Russian as extensively as Blair guessed, Orlov would be a white-haired old guy of pensionable age anyway. ‘I’ll set it out,’ Blair promised.
‘And a house, of course,’ added Perelmen, in an afterthought.
‘How long do you want me to stay? There’s no scheduled contact for another week, even if he’s able to make that.’
‘This is just a preliminary meeting,’ said Perelmen. ‘Chance for me to express my personal thanks. Tomorrow I want you to go through everything with the leaders of the groups we’ve established, see whether you can think of anything else.’
‘Sure,’ said Blair. It meant the weekend at least with the kids. And Ruth.
‘And Eddie?’
Christian name terms, realised Blair. ‘Yes, sir?’
‘I was impressed before,’ reminded the Director. ‘Everything said then stands now. Doubly so.’
‘Did I or did I not say jackpot!’ demanded Hubble, as they walked along the corridor outside the Director’s office.
Hubble was the sort of talking doll you actually got for winning a jackpot, thought Blair.
It was a race again, decided Brinkman, exultantly. And now he knew what the medal was, he was going to win it. It was still interpretation, of course, but then everything in Moscow was interpretation. He gazed down, tired-eyed, at the second batch of material he’d requested from London, comparing it with the first. He knew he was right. What’s more, he knew how he could prove it. It meant expecting Maxwell and maybe someone higher bending the rules but when they realised what the prize was he expected them to do so. He sent the requests and waited for the predictable query, assuring Maxwell it was essential he return personally to London. Anticipating the initial response he kept the name for the second message, but had he not already established the sort of reputation he had Brinkman doubted permission would have been given.
‘Going away!’ said Ann.
‘Just a quick trip.’
‘Where?’
‘London.’
She closed her eyes in envy. Opening them again she said, ‘How long for?’
‘Not more than a few days. Quick, like I said.’ Blair had more than a head started so everything was going to have to be quick.
‘I’ll miss you,’ she said.
‘Will you?’ said Brinkman, eagerly.
‘You know I will.’
‘It’ll give you time to think,’ he said.
‘About what?’
‘I want you to make the choice, darling. I want you to choose between Eddie and me. I’m saying I want to marry you.’
‘No!’ she said.
‘Yes,’ said Brinkman. ‘While we’re both away it’ll give you time to make up your mind.’
Brinkman didn’t want to win just part of it; he wanted to win it all. That’s what he’d always wanted. And
