Rykov was offended. He’d been nothing but diligent and meticulous in his management of Volk and Mykl. Churkin had no reason to doubt him now.

‘If anything goes wrong I will personally take responsibility,’ Rykov replied.

‘Rest assured, that would also happen,’ Churkin said.

Yegerova had chosen the time and place of her ambush carefully. Her previous two encounters with Rykov had been mere scuffles. This was to be the real battle. So it was only right that it should happen in the very heart of the Kremlin, and fitting that she should be waiting to strike inside the Palace of Congresses, the palace of the people.

Yegerova was the only person in the whole building. The thin columns of concrete and glass created deep stripes of light and dark that stretched deep across the cavernous entrance hall. She stood in one of the lines of shadow, where she could watch Rykov and the colonel general without them seeing her.

She knew the two men met at the same time every week, and she couldn’t think of a better witness to Rykov’s fall from grace—or a better way to guarantee that it was lasting—than Churkin. She was sure that as soon as the deputy head of the first chief directorate heard what she was about to tell him he would instantly and permanently remove the quiet backing he’d given the head of Line Z. Rykov’s disgrace would reflect badly on anyone associated with him, and in the KGB self-preservation always won out.

As Rykov and Churkin passed the entrance to the palace, Yegerova made her move, striding out into the cold.

‘Comrade Colonel General,’ she said, as she walked towards them.

The two men both groaned under their breath at the sound of her voice.

‘Comrade Colonel General,’ she said again as Rykov and Churkin stopped and turned to face her. ‘I’m afraid I must report a grave and repeated breach of security by the head of Line Z.’

Rykov was torn between telling Yegerova to stop before she said something truly embarrassing and seeing just how big a fool of herself she was prepared to make. But Churkin made his decision for him.

‘That is a serious accusation, Major,’ he said, his tone as stern as it had been with Rykov a moment ago. ‘I hope you’re prepared to elaborate on it.’

‘An asset of Line Z has been allowed to fall into enemy hands, twice, despite warnings from Directorate S.’

Rykov smiled. He’d warned her not to try to invoke a higher power over what he’d told her was pure fantasy. Now that she had, he’d happily watch her pay the price for it.

‘I assume by Directorate S you mean you?’ Churkin asked.

‘I was the representative who shared our concern,’ Yegerova replied.

‘And how did you establish that this captured asset belonged to Line Z? Did Major Rykov tell you?’