tc.redrabbit-第65章

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　filled　with　anonymous　people。
　　　And　so　no　one　would　note　that　he　was　getting　off　at　the　wrong　station。
　　　The　American　Embassy　was　just　a　couple　of　blocks　away；　and　he　headed　that　way；　checking　his　watch。
　　　He　knew　the　proper　timing　because　he'd　been　here　once　before；　as　a　cadet　in　the　KGB　Academy；　brought　here　early　one　morning　in　a　bus　along　with　forty…five　other　members　of　his　class。　They'd　even　worn　their　official　uniforms　for　the　trip；　probably　to　remind　them　of　their　professional　identity。　Even　then；　it　had　seemed　a　foolish　waste　of　time；　but　the　academy　mandant　back　then　had　been　a　hard…liner；　and　now　the　trip　served　a　purpose　that　would　have　outraged　the　man。　Zaitzev　lit　another　cigarette　as　the　building　came　into　view。
　　　He　checked　his　watch。　At　precisely　0730　hours　every　day；　they　raised　their　flag。　The　academy　mandant；　ten　years　before；　had　pointed　and　said；　〃See　there；　rades；　that　is　the　enemy！　That　is　where　he　lives　in　our　fine　city　of　Moscow。　In　that　building　live　spies　which　those　of　you　who　enter　the　Second　Chief　Directorate　will　endeavor　to　identify　and　expel　from　our　fair　land。　There　live　and　work　the　ones　who　spy　on　our　country　and　our　people。　That　is　their　flag。　Remember　it　always。〃　And　then；　exactly　on　time；　the　flag　had　been　hoisted　to　the　top　of　a　white　pole　with　a　bronze　eagle　at　the　top；　hauled　up　by　members　of　the　United　States　Marine　Corps　in　their　pretty　uniforms。　Zaitzev　had　checked　his　watch　in　the　metro　station。　It　should　be　right　about。。。　now。
　　　A　bugle　blew　a　tune　that　he　didn't　know。　He　could　just　make　out　the　white　caps　of　the　Marines；　barely　visible　above　the　stone　parapet　of　the　building's　flat　roof。　He　was　on　the　other　side　of　the　street；　just　by　the　old　church；　which　KGB　had　crammed　full　of　electronic　devices。
　　　There；　he　thought；　staring；　along　with　a　handful　of　other　passersby　on　the　cracked　cement　sidewalk。
　　　Yes；　he　saw。　The　top　part　of　the　flag　as　it　appeared　was　red　and　white　horizontal　stripes；　not　the　blue　canton　with　its　fifty　white　stars。　The　flag　was　being　hoisted　upside　down！　It　was　unmistakably　wrong。　And　it　went　all　the　way　to　the　top　of　the　pole　that　way。
　　　So；　they　did　as　I　asked。　Quickly；　Zaitzev　walked　to　the　end　of　the　block　and　turned　right；　then　right　again；　and　back　to　the　metro　station　he'd　just　left；　and；　with　the　payment　of　a　large　five…kopeck　copper　coin；　he　boarded　another　subway　car　for　the　trip　to　Dzerzhinskiy　Square。
　　　Just　that　quickly；　his　hangover　went　away；　as　though　by　magic。　He　scarcely　even　noticed　until　he　took　the　escalator　up　to　the　street　level。
　　　The　Americans　want　to　help　me；　the　munications　officer　told　himself。　They　will　help　me。　Perhaps　I　can　save　the　life　of　that　Polish　priest　after　all。　There　was　a　spring　in　his　step　as　he　entered　The　Centre。
　　　〃Sir；　what　the　fuck　was　that　all　about？〃　Gunnery　Sergeant　Drake　asked　Dominic　Corso。　They'd　just　fixed　the　flag　back　properly　atop　its　pole。
　　　〃Gunny；　I　can't　say；〃　was　the　best　Corso　could　do；　though　his　eyes　said　a　little　more。
　　　〃Aye　aye；　sir。　How　do　I　log　it？〃
　　　〃You　don't　log　it；　Gunny。　Somebody　made　a　dumb　mistake；　and　you　fixed　it。〃
　　　〃You　say　so；　Mr。　Corso。〃　The　gunnery　sergeant　would　have　to　explain　it　to　his　Marines；　but　he'd　explain　it　in　much　the　same　way　in　which　it　had　just　been　explained　to　him；　though；　in　his　case；　rather　more　profanely。　If　anyone　in　the　Marine　Embassy　Regiment　asked　him；　he'd　just　say　he'd　gotten　orders　from　somebody　in　the　embassy；　and　Colonel　d'Amici　would　just　have　to　deal　with　it。　What　the　hell；　he　could　hand　the　colonel　off　to　Corso。　They　were　both　wops；　maybe　they'd　understand　each　other；　the　sergeant　from　Helena；　Montana；　hoped。　If　not；　then　Colonel　d'Amici　would　tear　him　and　his　Marines　each　a　new　and　bloody　asshole。
　　　Zaitzev　took　his　seat　after　relieving　Major　Dobrik。　The　morning　traffic　was　a　little　lighter　than　usual；　and　he　began　his　normal　morning　routine。
　　　Forty　minutes　later；　that　changed　again。
　　　〃rade　Major；〃　a　newly　familiar　voice　said。　Zaitzev　turned　to　see
　　　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy。
　　　〃Good　morning；　rade　Colonel。　You　have　something　for　me？〃
　　　〃This。〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　handed　over　the　message　blank。　〃Please　send　it　out　immediately；　on　the　pad。〃
　　　〃By　your　mand。　Information　copy　to　you？〃
　　　〃Correct。〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　nodded。
　　　〃I　presume　it's　permissible　to　use　an　internal　messenger　to　get　that　to　your　hand？〃
　　　〃Yes；　it　is。〃
　　　〃Very　well。　I'll　have　it　out　in　a　few　minutes。〃
　　　〃Good。〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　took　his　leave。
　　　Zaitzev　looked　at　the　dispatch。　It　was　agreeably　short。　Encryption　and　transmission　took　only　fifteen　minutes。
　　　MOST　SECRET
　　　IMMEDIATE　AND　URGENT
　　　FROM：　OFFICE　OF　CHAIRMAN；　Moscow　CENTRE
　　　To：　REZIDENT　SOFIA
　　　REFERENCE：　OPERATIONAL　DESIGNATOR　15…8…82…666
OPERATIONAL　APPROVAL　EXPECTED　TODAY；　VIA　CHANNELS　DISCUSSED　IN　OUR　MEETING。　REPORT　WHEN　PROPER　CONTACTS　ESTABLISHED。

　　　And　that　meant　that　operation　…666　was　going　forward。　The　day　before；　that　notice　had　chilled　Zaitzev；　but　not　today。　Today　he　knew　he'd　be　doing　something　to　prevent　it。　If　anything　bad　happened　now；　it　would　be　the　fault　of　the　Americans。　That　made　a　considerable　difference。　Now　he　just　had　to　figure　how　to　establish　some　sort　of　regular　contact　with　them。。。
　　　Upstairs；　Andropov　had　the　Foreign　Minister　in　his　office。
　　　〃So；　Andrey；　how　do　we　go　about　this？〃
　　　〃Ordinarily　our　Ambassador　would　meet　with　their　First　Secretary；　but；　in　the　interests　of　security；　we　might　want　to　try　another　method　of　approach。〃
　　　〃How　much　executive　authority　does　their　First　Secretary　have？〃　the　Chairman　asked。
　　　〃About　as　much　as　Koba　did　thirty　years　ago。　Bulgaria　is　run　in　a　very　tight　way。　Their　Politburo　members　represent　various　constituencies；　but　only　their　Party　First　Secretary　really　has　decision…making　power。〃
　　　〃Ah。〃　That　was　good　news　to　Yuriy　Vladimiroviclh。　He　lifted　his　desk　phone。　〃Send　in　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy；〃　he　told　his　secretary。
　　　The　colonel　appeared　through　the　dresser　door　in　two　minutes。　〃Yes；　rade　Chairman。〃
　　　〃Andrey；　this　is　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy；　my　executive　assistant。　Colonel；　does　our　Sofia　rezident　talk　directly　to　the　Bulgarian　head　of　government？〃
　　　〃Rarely；　rade；　but　he　has　done　so　occasionally　in　the　past。〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　was　surprised　that　the　Chairman　didn't　know　that；　but　he　was　still　learning　how　field　operations　worked。　At　least　he　had　the　good　sense　to　ask　questions；　and　he　was　not　embarrassed　to　do　so。
　　　〃Very　well。　For　security　reasons；　we　would　prefer　that　the　entire　Bulgarian　Politburo　not　know　the　scope　of　this　operation　…666。　So；　do　you　think　we　could　have　Colonel　Bubovoy　brief　in　their　party　chief　and　get　approval　by　a　more　direct　route？〃
　　　〃To　that　end；　a　signed　letter　from　rade　Brezhnev　would　probably　be　necessary；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　answered。
　　　〃Yes；　that　would　be　the　best　way　to　do　it；〃　the　Foreign　Minister　agreed　at　once。　〃A　good　thought；　colonel；〃　he　added　approvingly。
　　　〃Very　well。　We'll　get　that　today。　Leonid　Ilyich　will　be　in　his　office；　Audrey？〃
　　　〃Yes；　Yuriy。　I　will　call　ahead　and　tell　him　what　is　needed。　I　can　have　it　drafted　in　my　office　if　you　wish；　or　would　you　prefer　it　to　be　done　here？〃
　　　〃With　your　permission；　Andrey；〃　Andropov　said　graciously；　〃better　that　we　should　do　it。　And　we'll　have　it　couriered　to　Sofia　for　delivery　tomorrow　or　the　day　after。〃
　　　〃Better　to　give　our　Bulgarian　rade　a　few　days；　Yuriy。　They　are　our　allies；　but　they　remain　a　sovereign　country；　after　all。〃
　　　〃Quite　so；　Andrey。〃　Every　country　in　the　world　had　a　bureaucracy；　whose　entire　purpose　was　to　delay　important　things　from　happening。
　　　〃And　we　don't　want　the　world　to　know　that　our　rezident　is　making　a　highly　important　call　on　the　man；〃　the　Foreign　Minister　added；　teaching　the　KGB　Chairman　a　little　lesson　in　operational　security；　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　noted。
　　　〃How　long　after　that；　Aleksey　Nikolay'ch？〃　Andropov　asked　his　aide；
　　　〃Several　weeks；　at　least。〃　He　saw　annoyance　in　his　boss's　eyes　and　decided　to　explain。　〃rade　Chairman；　selecting　the　right　assassin　will　not　be　a　matter　of　lifting　a　phone　and　dialing　a　number。　Strokov　will　necessarily　be　careful　in　making　his　selection。　People　are　not　as　predictable　as　machines；　after　all；　and　t