“What for?”
“El Jefe’s idea. Serov’s people will be watching to see if we sent the Likharevs here from Argentina. We obviously don’t want Serov to know they’re not coming. So when we landed at Tempelhof, they saw us hustle Major Fernandez—Colonel Likharev”—Frade pointed to the large man—“and his wife and the boys”—Frade indicated the others—“bundled to the ears against the cold, off the plane and into the school bus.”
“You’re sure they were watching at Tempelhof?”
“If your mole read the SIGABA Polo sent, which El Jefe is sure he did, we think it reasonable to presume they were.”
“It’s quarter to nine,” Mannberg said. “We better get going.”
[ SIX ]
The Glienicke Bridge
Wannsee, U.S. Zone of Berlin
0900 10 February 1946
When the Red Army truck began to back onto the bridge, Cronley led the procession—Frade and Mannberg immediately behind him, and Dunwiddie and Ostrowski immediately behind them—onto the bridge to meet it.
When the truck stopped and opened its doors, revealing Colonel Mattingly sitting chained to a chair, Serov appeared and walked to the line marking the center of the bridge.
“Well, James,” Serov said, “how nice to see you. I’ve been wondering where you were.”
“Busy doing the Lord’s work, Ivan. You know how it is.”
“And who is this gentleman?”
“Lieutenant Colonel Cletus Frade, U.S. Marine Corps, at your service, General Serov.”
“It’s Senior Major Serov, Colonel . . .”
“If you say so.”
“And your role here?”
“Surely a senior officer of the NKGB knows what General Sun Tzu said about the wisdom of knowing one’s enemies.”
“But James and I are not enemies, Colonel. We are professional officers engaged in a transaction that benefits both of us.”
“I’m not surprised that’s the way you look at it,” Frade said.
“So tell me, James, how is the movement of Polkóvnik Likharev and his family going? Everything going according to schedule?”
“Ivan, I have a new friend,” Cronley said.
“Really?”
“You’ve heard of Odessa?”
“Something.”
“Well, my friend is high up in the Odessa organization and has been telling us how it works.”
“Actually, we know how it works. And what does this have to do with anything?”
“I thought you might like to talk to my friend.”
“What did you say his name was?”