“I’m along for the ride”
“Why” Murphy asked him point-blank. Why indeed, McGarvey wondered. He didn’t know, it was as simple as that. Or was it?
What did he believe in? Truth, he supposed. Justice, though he hadn’t seen much of it in his life. Honor? Was that it? “It’s a job” he finally said. The general grunted. He tossed a fat file folder across the desk to McGarvey. “We want you to find Feliks for us, and we hope your doing so will draw Arkady Kurshin out of hiding before the thirtieth. He’ll try to kill you, of course. We want you to kill him first”
“And afterward” McGarvey asked, not yet reaching for the file. “Go back where you came from”
Carrara, who had done most of the actual briefing on the FELIKS file, rode down to Operations on the third floor with Trotter and McGarvey.
“There has already been a lot of fallout on this one” he said. “NATO has been raising hell about our security, and the president has a tight lid on the entire mess. And it’s a mess. We’re all under a lot of pressure here. With the addition of the Israelis, it’s made things doubly difficult”
“It’s the business” McGarvey said, getting him off the hook for the general’s comments. “Yes. John will take it from here. He’ll set up your cutout procedures and security arrangements. Good luck”
“Yeah”
McGarvey said. ““Thanks”
“He’s a good man” Trotter said as Carrara headed down the corridor to his own office. McGarvey turned to him. “They all are” he said. “Or at least most of them start that way”
“I’m sorry about upstairs..”
“Don’t be, John. Murphy knows what he’s talking about. Possibly the only man in this town who does. Nothing has changed” Trotter just shook his head. “Let’s go meet my Mossad partner, maybe he’ll be willing to tell me how we’ve suddenly come up with such a specific date”
“Not here. From this point on we’re keeping both of you at arm’s length from the Agency. Murphy’s orders. We’ve got a place set up for you in Georgetown. It should be okay for a few days, maybe longer. At least we’ve got secure phone lines in and out”
“Anything on the opposition yet”
“No, but watch yourself”
“Are you coming over”
“No. But I’ll give you a contact number and physical handover procedures”
“They’ll try again”
“No doubt of it, Kirk, no doubt whatsoever. Just take care of yourself, and when it’s over I’ll see that you’re treated right. I promise you that, Kirk. I swear to God. “Sure” McGarvey said.
The safehouse was a three-story brownstone a couple of blocks from Georgetown University in a nondescript but obviously expensive neighborhood. McGarvey had parked his car by the Naval Observatory and had taken a cab past the place, watching for anything or anyone out of the ordinary. But he had seen nothing. Still, his instincts were telling him that Kurshin was very near. He could almost taste it in the air.
Paranoia? he wondered. With age and experience sometimes comes overcaution. He was back on the hunt, and only Trotter, it seemed, was minding his back door. And exactly whatfallout had Carrara been talking about? As with every operation he’d been involved in, the unanswered questions were a legion in the beginning, among them the participation of the Mossad. “We’re helping them out, Kirk. Naturally they’d insist on inserting one of their own people into the operation” Trotter had explained. “We’re talking about a Soviet penetration agent somewhere within the Pentagon. That covers a lot of territory” Trotter had nodded glumly. “We all know it, but your arrest put us against the wall”
McGarvey said nothing. “It’ll be up to you to see that they don’t get into too much mischief..”
“For Christ’s sake, John, we’ve been around too long for that kind of crap. Talk to me. Murphy must have safeguards. I I “Yes, he does”
“If they get in my way someone could get hurt”
“I know” Trotter said. “In this my hands are practically tied, Kirk.
I’ll do what I can to keep them off your back, but when it gets down to the last analysis, it’ll be up to you to i make peace with the Mossad”
McGarvey hadn’t bothered asking what he’d meant by that; he figured he’d be finding out soon enough. He got his car from the Naval Observatory, parked it on a narrow side street a block away from the safehouse, and went the rest of the way on foot, reasonably certain, at least for the moment, that he had not been followed. Mounting the steps at three in the afternoon, McGarvey had the impression that he was passing from one time zone into another, and no matter what had come before, once he crossed the threshold there would be no turning back.
He let himself into the stairhall and stood in the shadows for a few moments listening to the sounds of the house. They would be alone, Trotter had assured him. “Complete privacy. Hash out whatever it is you two have to hash out there, inside the safehouse, away from prying eyes and ears, and then do your job.
Lev Potok, wearing khaki trousers and a light V-neck sweater, appeared at the head of the stairs. “You” McGarvey said, once again amazed at his own self-control. “There’s some cold beer up here. I think you and I are going to have to get some things straight between us before we get started”
“You bet” McGarvey growled, starting up the stairs. He followed Potok down the hall into the long, narrow living room, with large bowed windows that looked down on the street. A white noise generator had been attached to the windowpanes so that conversations could not be picked up from outside. “When did you get to Washington” McGarvey asked. “Last night”
“Have you been briefed” Potok had stepped into the small utility kitchen. He came back with two beers, handing one to McGarvey. “Yes. I was allowed to read the Feliks file” He shook his head. “This man has been very damaging to you, I think. And to us. “Who briefed you”
“Howard Ryan. He is your Agency’s general counsel, I believe..”
“I know the man” McGarvey said. He went to the window, parted the curtains, and looked down at the street. Normal traffic, nothing out of the ordinary, but there was something. “Who knows you’re here”
“The prime minister. My boss. A few people in travel and historical section..”
“And the Russians” Potok started to object, but then he nodded. “You are probably correct. “Your service is just like any other “You’ve made your point” Potok said. “But before we start, let me apologize for … Lod.
“You were doing your job”
“Yes. But would you have tried to kill me had I slapped you a second time” McGarvey turned away from the window where he had been studying the Israeli’s reflection in the glass. “Yes. Whether it was the answer Potok had expected or not, it didn’t show on his face. “I see”
“Like you said, we’ve got a few things to get straight between us. You are working for me on this project. I won’t lie to you, nor will you lie to me. The first time it happens, I’ll have your ass on a plane back to Israel”
“Fair enough, within certain limitations” the Israeli said cautiously.
Whatever your instructions were, the Pentagon will not be a Mossad supermarket”, Understood. McGarvey stared at him for several seconds, trying to work out in his own mind exactly how he felt about working with the man. He was a professional, otherwise he wouldn’t have been sent here. Was that enough? “We have a lot of ground to cover”