‘He didn’t deny it.’

‘That’s not the same thing.’

‘I believe this asset is also responsible for the disappearance of two Directorate S operatives, for which Major Rykov must be held responsible.’

‘Do you have any confirmation of this?’ Churkin asked. ‘What if they just defected?’

‘All of Directorate S is loyal,’ Yegerova protested. ‘Our agents would never betray the Soviet cause.’ Then she turned so she was looking at Rykov. ‘But we will know exactly what happened to them soon. We have captured the asset.’

Rykov’s grin evaporated, and he had to clench his jaw to stop it from falling open.

‘He was apprehended along with a CIA field agent on the southern coast of England a few hours ago,’ Yegerova continued. ‘They will be interrogated shortly.’

‘What have you done?’ Rykov hissed through gritted teeth.

‘I have taken care of your mistakes,’ she said.

The two majors stared at each other in icy silence, until Churkin spoke again.

‘Major Yegerova,’ Churkin said, ‘you have overreached yourself.’

‘Comrade,’ Yegerova stuttered. ‘You must—’

‘I must nothing,’ Churkin said, cutting her off. His voice was as hard and sharp as the blades of concrete that ran up the side of the Palace of Congresses. ‘You presume to think you deserve to know about operations that are none of your concern. You would do well to remember that you’re a very small cog in a very large machine, whose direction was set long before you learned the Young Pioneer promise.’

‘I am only acting to protect the Motherland,’ Yegerova replied, paraphrasing the youth organisation’s recitation she’d known by heart since she was five.

‘And yet you dare to order the unsanctioned kidnapping of an American agent? Do you have any concept of the retribution the CIA will inflict on our operatives around the globe for this?’

It was a rhetorical question and Yegerova wisely didn’t try to answer it.

‘You will release your prisoners immediately. Both of them. And then you will await your punishment.’

Yegerova looked shell-shocked.

‘Yes, Colonel General,’ she whispered.

Then she nodded stiffly at Churkin, turned, and began a swift retreat back to the Lubyanka.

Churkin sighed as she left, letting the officiousness drain out of him.

‘You need to watch her,’ he said to Rykov.

‘I thought I was,’ Rykov replied, still astonished by what had just happened.

‘Then do it more closely.’

Rykov stiffened at the admonishment he knew he fully deserved.

‘I apologise. I will ensure that this does not affect Volk or Mykl.’

‘Yes, you will,’ Churkin said, as he started to slowly walk away from Rykov towards the Trinity Bridge that would take him over the western part of the old moat that had once surrounded the Kremlin.

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Rykov walked the opposite way to Churkin, through the gate beneath Spasskaya Tower that led to the southern end of Red Square and Saint Basil’s Cathedral.