Rykov hung up, walked back to his window, looked again at the domes and spires over the river that were becoming shrouded in dark, and let out a long, contented sigh. His last set of orders had been given, and after several days spent holding position and doing nothing, he knew Captain Tokorev and his crew would jump to obey them.

Every piece was now in place, every wheel in motion. Soon it wouldn’t just be deception that protected him. It would also be success.

But, as Rykov let himself fantasise about the victory that was almost within his grasp, another message was about to be sent west. One that he hadn’t predicted.

The lights of the Lubyanka never went out, but deep in its bowels they did dim. Most of Directorate S’s agent runners and clerical staff had already left for the night. Yegerova, however, had not. She hadn’t moved from her desk since she’d slipped into her office just after six o’clock this morning. Over twelve hours later, she hadn’t felt the hand of punishment yet, but she knew how the KGB worked, and that she wouldn’t know it was choking her until it was wrapped tightly round her neck.

Her night had been sleepless, and her day had been spent barking at clerks to bring her unending stacks of files and reports that might help her comprehend why Churkin had acted so swiftly to defend Rykov when she’d confronted them outside the Palace of Congresses. Her search had been fruitless. She’d found nothing, and was on the verge of slinking back out of the Lubyanka when a messenger knocked on her door carrying a decrypted burst that had just been received from London.

The messenger stood awkwardly and silently while Yegerova processed the information he’d handed to her. She recognised the description of the CIA agent who’d been identified as Abey Bennett, and who yesterday had briefly been Directorate S’s prisoner. And she knew who Richard Knox was. What she didn’t understand was why they had both developed such a sudden interest in Kosygin when a day before they’d been so preoccupied with Jack Williams, the man she was convinced was a Line Z operative. Then a very troubling possibility occurred to her.