Heads You Win

“When you claimed to work for Border Patrol,” said Alex, more calmly than he felt.

“We’re with the CIA,” said Hammond, producing his badge, “and hoped you’d be able to help us with an assignment we’re currently working on.”

Assignment, not investigation, thought Alex. Wasn’t I need to see my lawyer always the first sentence uttered by criminals when faced with this situation in the movies? But he wasn’t a crim

inal, so he remained silent. The next sentence Hammond delivered took him completely by surprise.

“We’re hoping you’ll feel able to work alongside us, Mr. Karpenko.” Alex thought back to their first meeting. “For the past six months,” continued Hammond, “two of our agents have been watching you day and night while you’ve been working as a courier for a man known as Ivan Donokov, who we’ve had under surveillance for some time.”

“But Ivan assured me he wasn’t dealing in drugs,” said Alex.

“And he isn’t,” said Hammond.

“Then what?” asked Alex, feeling nervous for the first time.

“Donokov is a senior KGB operative, who runs a network of agents right across the country.”

A long silence followed, until Alex said, “But he hates the communists even more than I do.”

“He knew that was exactly what you wanted to hear.”

“But we met playing chess…”

“It wasn’t a coincidence,” said Travis, “that Donokov was sitting at a chessboard with an empty seat opposite him when you first walked into Players’ Square.”

“How could he possibly have known that—”

“We think Major Polyakov tipped him off after you and your mother escaped from Leningrad.”

“But he didn’t know that I played chess, and—” Alex stopped in mid-sentence.

“No, it was probably your friend Vladimir who supplied Polyakov with that piece of information,” said Hammond.

Another long silence, that neither Hammond nor Travis interrupted.

“What a complete fool I’ve been,” said Alex.

“To be fair, Donokov is an old pro who’s been around for a long time, and once you got yourself into debt, frankly you were willing to believe anything he told you.”

“Am I going to be sent back to Leningrad?”

“No, that’s the last place we need you to be,” said Hammond.

“So what do you expect me to do?”

“Nothing too demanding to begin with. After all, we don’t want to let your friend Donokov know that we’re on to him. Keep delivering his messages, and occasionally one of my agents will make discreet contact with you. Just let him know what that day’s message is, and then carry on as normal.”

“But Ivan’s no fool. It won’t take him long to work out what you’re up to, and then he’ll drop me like the proverbial hot potato.”

“Or worse,” said Hammond. “Because I have to make it clear that your life would be in danger if Donokov were to discover that you were working with the CIA.”

“But on the other hand,” Travis added, “with your help, we might just be able to break the ring and put Donokov and his gang behind bars for a very long time.”

“What makes you think I’d even consider taking such a risk?”

“Because it was Ivan Donokov who ordered your father’s death.”

“No, you’re wrong about that,” said Alex. “I can prove it was Polyakov.”