genuine?â
Charlie was intent upon the other man, pleased at the obvious reaction. Fredericks shifted in the chair, appearing to find it constricting despite its size. Then he sighed, for a different reason than Charlie earlier, and said: âOn the second meeting, he gave us a name. It was one we didnât have: we checked it out and it was right.â
Charlie shook his head. âNo,â he said. âThat wonât do.â
âThe name was Rodgers, William Rodgers,â conceded the American. âKozlov said he was an illegal, infiltrated into America from Canada five years ago. His real name is Anatoli Ogurtsov. Heâs settled in San Francisco: runs an importexpor t business there. Deep cover. Weâve liaised with the FBI, of course; itâs their responsibility. Theyâve so far identified four others that heâs suborned. Silicon Valley stuff, all hi-tech.â
âYou said it was a name you didnât have?â insisted Charlie.
âThe FBI either,â expanded Fredericks. âRodgers â or Ogurtsov â wasnât on any file. And heâs been getting a lot of stuff out. It means weâre able to block a damned great hole.â
There was more, Charlie knew. He said: âOK, so illegals are run through the First Chief Directorate. But theyâre trained by a completely closed off Directorate: just like Department V â Kozlovâs supposed division â is closed off. Because they both have to be. There is never any liaison or link-up, to prevent whatâs just happened, identification from someone whoâs become disaffected. So how come Yuri Kozlov knows that William Rodgers is really Anatoli Ogurtsov?â
The goddamned man really did want to know about sparrows pissing in adjoining fields, thought Fredericks. He said: âThe routing. The major conduit for the hi-tech stuff that Ogurtsov has been getting into the Soviet Union has been through here, Tokyo. Itâs been a known throughway for years.â
âHe told you that?â said Charlie. âThat he discovered Ogurtsovâs name because they were the onward shippers?â
âIrenaâs the source,â said Fredericks. âSheâs the Control, apparently.â
Bingo, jackpot and all the other winning words, thought Charlie. If Irena Kozlov had masterminded technology espionage into the Soviet Union from America â and maybe elsewhere â since the coupleâs posting to Japan in 1983, she was a potentially bigger catch than her husband. Because she would know the identities of other illegals and other technology smugglers running operations, throughout the world. Who was it who had said this could be spectacular, Wilson or Harkness? Charlie couldnât remember. It had been a pretty accurate assessment, though. Charlieâs mind ran on, objectively honest: if heâd been Fredericks, heâd have been as difficult and tried to hold as much back as he could. No, not as difficult; more so. He hoped he would have done better. Charlie said: âThatâs the sort of bait that catches the fish.â
âThe Kozlovs are the fish,â said Fredericks. âPrize-winners.â
âCan the FBI bring Ogurtsov in without any suspicion coming back here?â asked Charlie.
âEasily,â said Fredericks, confidently. âThere are others, donât forget. All the evidence will be that the Bureau found out through crooked American businessmen, out to make big bucks. Thereâll be a plea-bargaining deal, lesser sentences for full confessions. All the usual stuff. Japan wonât even enter into it.â
âAll nicely topped and tailed,â accepted Charlie.
âWell?â asked Fredericks.
âI said the bait looked good,â qualified Charlie. âI didnât guess at the fish. You did.â
âYouâre the smart-ass!â challenged Fredericks. âHave you ever known a better cross-over
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