The Outlaws (Presidential Agent 6)

“As I understand that story, that was self-defense,” Lammelle said.

“Whatever the circumstances, Vincenzo and half a dozen others were shot to death in Uruguay by a commando team under Colonel Castillo.”

“There was a confrontation and Vincenzo lost. Sometimes that happens in our line of work, Sergei. The good guys don’t always win.”

Murov smiled.

“That comment can be interpreted in two ways, Frank, depending on who one thinks are the good guys.”

“I suppose it could.”

“In any event, Vincenzo’s death was an embarrassment to General Sirinov, who had to explain it to the Cubans.”

“General who?”

“Contrary to your beliefs, General Yakov Sirinov is the man in charge of the FSB and the SVR.”

“You mean he runs them for Mr. Putin?”

“President Putin has nothing to do with either the FSB or the SVR.”

“You keep telling me that.”

Not because you believe it, or expect me to believe it, but because the cameras are rolling.

Murov met Lammelle’s eyes for a moment, but did not reply directly, instead saying, “Podpolkovnik Kiril Demidov.”

“Is Podpolkovnik Demidov somebody else Podpolkovnik Castillo is supposed to have killed?”

Murov smiled and shook his head.

“All right, Frank, Lieutenant Colonel Demidov was a lifelong friend of mine.”

“Another member of the oprichniki?”

Murov nodded. “More important, his family and that of General Sirinov were close—more than close, distant cousins, that sort of thing—and even more important than that, close to other powerful people.”

“Like he whose name we’re not mentioning, who wants Castillo eliminated?”

Murov nodded.

“Vienna is not nearly as important a post as it once was, but when Kiril was named rezident there, there were those who said he was too young and did not have the experience he should have.”

“But they didn’t complain, right, because that might annoy he whose name we are not mentioning who arranged his appointment?”

Murov shrugged in admission.

“Well, I hate to tell you this, Sergei, but I happen to know that Lieutenant Colonel Castillo was nowhere near Vienna when someone strangled your friend and left him in a taxi in front of our embassy.”

“We’re back to my analogy about who controls the brandy bottle,” Murov said. “And the other bodies had names, too: Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny Komogorov, for one.”

Lammelle said, “There was a story going around that he was the FSB man for Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The story I heard about what happened to him was that he made the mistake of trying to assassinate Aleksandr Pevsner.”

“And then there was Lavrenti Tarasov and Evgeny Alekseev, whose bodies were found near the airport in Buenos Aires. Evgeny was another old friend of mine. I’m sure you know that he was Podpolkovnik Svetlana Alekseeva’s husband.”

“Why would you think I would know that?”

“Because you’re the deputy director of the CIA,” Murov said coldly.