“Good evening, sir.”
“What did you find out, Tom?”
“None of the people in whom you were interested were in the house in Alexandria, sir, but Mrs. Darby told me she believes Mr. Darby is in Ushuaia.”
“Where?”
“I understand it’s the southernmost city in Argentina.”
“What is she doing, pulling your leg? What the hell is he supposed to be doing there?”
“I understand from her—she seemed rather angry, sir—that he’s in the company of a young Argentine woman. You take my meaning, sir?”
“You mean he’s down there with some floozy?” Montvale asked incredulously.
“That’s what Mrs. Darby implied, sir.”
“And you believe her?”
“All I can say, sir, is that’s what she told me. She seemed quite upset about it.”
“You’re keeping that house under surveillance, right, Tom?”
“There will be three agents on it twenty-four/seven, sir.”
“Well, keep that up, and keep me informed.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
“I have Ambassador Montvale on the line, Mr. Powell. The line is secure.”
“Hey, Jack, what’s up?”
“A good deal. The Russians have been heard from. Sergei Murov—the rezident—invited Frank Lammelle over to their dacha to go fishing.”
“In the middle of the winter?”
“And when he got there, told them what they want. They will give us all the Congo-X they have. With an implied promise they won’t find any more. In exchange, they want the two defectors. And Charley Castillo.”
“They say why?”
“Frank had the impression this came right from Putin. Frank said Murov told him, or implied, that not only has Putin’s ego been bruised, but some of the people Castillo and his merry band have been whacking around the world were friends—maybe even relatives—of his.”
“And you believe this?”
“Frank does. More importantly, President Clendennen does.”
“Which means what?”
“That as soon as we find those two Russians Castillo snatched from our station chief in Vienna, we put them on the next Aeroflot to Moscow.”
“Did Frank tell Murov we don’t have the two Russians?”
“He did. Murov didn’t believe him. Anyway, that’s moot. My orders are to find the Russians so that we can turn them over.”
“Clendennen’s going to stand still for that blackmail?”