The Man from Leningrad Read online

  Upon entering the establishment, a waiter offered to take their coats. Rose was the only one to decline, explaining that she was often cold inside and would want to have it with her in case it was necessary. She slipped her clutch inside the coat pocket and followed the men to the table.

  Placed at the far end as if she were an afterthought, she wanted to sit next to Maddux. Surrounded by foreign men speaking in an unfamiliar language wasn’t making her comfortable on any level. She approached Boykov and inquired if she could switch places with one of the men to be near Maddux. Boykov politely declined to remove anyone. The grimace on his face suggested that her mere request was insulting.

  Despite Rose’s wish to sit elsewhere being denied, she wasn’t too disappointed in the result of her interaction with Boykov. The opportunity to move would’ve been nice, but her true mission was to slip a short-range radio transmitter into his pocket. It wouldn’t last more than four hours, but it might give them a better idea about what kind of man they were dealing with.

  As Rose walked past Maddux’s seat, she depressed the earpiece into his hand. “This only works if you’re within a hundred meters,” she whispered. “Stay close.”

  She glided back to her chair and sat down. Maddux had already resumed his conversation, shrugging off her intrusion as an annoyance rather than something important. Based on Maddux’s reaction, she wondered if Boykov would even suspect anything. Should one of Boykov’s aides point out that the Opel employees were acting strangely, a complete inquisition would be the next step. And Rose knew how those always turned out.

  Halfway through dinner, a waiter tapped Boykov on the shoulder and informed him that there was a call for him at the bar. He staggered toward the bar to answer the phone, while Maddux excused himself to use the restroom.

  Five minutes later, both men returned, smiling and appearing relieved. Rose couldn’t understand what a man seated next to Boykov asked, but she could tell he wasn’t bothered by the content of the conversation. He waved dismissively at the man and continued talking.

  Meanwhile, Maddux reported back to the table and continued eating. But she knew him well enough to know that the smile on his face was likely forced. For whatever reason, Maddux didn’t want to be in this restaurant. She wanted to ask him what he heard, but that would’ve breached protocol. Such conversations needed to be reserved for private locations with her interference device operational. Rose didn’t want to take any chances, especially since there was no safety net here like there had been on most of their trips to Eastern Europe.

  The suspense was killing her. It’s why she would never make a good agent. If a captive wasn’t talking, she would devise some type of truth serum to make him talk or create a device designed to put the man in so much intense pain that he would spill every secret he’d ever vowed to keep. Rose didn’t have the temperament or nature to play the long game. It was a small miracle that she ever got past the third or fourth iteration of some of her inventions. Immediate response was what she wanted usually, though she was willing to wait on Maddux. Exhibiting patience with him seemed worth it, while waiting out shifty spies trained in the art of deception never seemed like it would end with a positive result. Just more lies and trickery.

  A half hour later, the dinner concluded when Boykov announced he was leaving. He thanked Maddux for joining them without even the slightest mention to Rose. While perhaps Boykov’s brain was foggy from all the vodka he’d consumed, Rose deemed the sleight intentional.

  Maddux stood, pushing his seat out with the back of his knees. He sauntered over to Rose and offered his hand to help her get up. Ever since Boykov had exited the room, she turned her attention to Maddux, who continued his current conversation with quick glances at Boykov’s closest aides, who were huddling upon his departure.

  “What’s that all about?” Rose asked.

  Maddux shook his head subtly. “Not here, not now.”

  “Then when and where?”

  “Let’s get back to our hotel, and I’ll explain everything. Then we have to hustle because we have a date.”

  * * *

  BACK AT THEIR HOTEL, Maddux waited to speak until they were both safely in the room with the door locked. Even then he recounted the evening casually.

  “Did you enjoy your meal?” he finally asked.

  “The food was good, but my dinner companions were rather boring. At least, that’s how I interpreted everything.”

  Maddux smiled. “They didn’t speak a word of English, did they?”

  She shook her head. “Not a single one. But that’s not what I want to talk about.”

  His eyebrows shot upward as he glanced at her purse, communicating to her what he really wanted.

  “Just a moment,” she said before shuffling across the room. She rooted around in her bag for a moment and then produced the interference device. Once she set it on the table, she powered it on.

  “Now we can talk,” he said.

  “What did Boykov say? Was the agency’s intel on him accurate?” she asked.

  Maddux nodded. “He has no intention of agreeing to Opel’s demands that he not sell these parts directly to the Soviet military. But that’s not what the phone call was really about.”

  “Oh?” she said, her eyes widening.

  “Yeah, he was talking to someone with the KGB about us. They have a surveillance team on us.”

  “That’ll make tonight a little trickier.”

  Maddux glanced at his watch.“Speaking of which, we need to hustle if we’re going to make it to the chess match at our hotel. John Hambrick’s match begins at 8:30 p.m.”

  * * *

  THE NATIONAL was the grand dame of the city’s hotels. Situated directly across from the Kremlin, it was a logical choice to host matches among some of the government’s top military leaders and lawmakers for both location and prestige. The spacious meeting room adjacent to the street contained a large ballroom with a balcony that nearly encircled it, providing a birds-eye view for chess aficionados and other VIPs. And Maddux’s knowledge that chess matches were regularly scheduled at the hotel was why he reserved a pair of rooms there—that and a certain guest he wanted to visit.

  Maddux adjusted his tie and glanced in the mirror one final time before exiting his room. Rose had spent the past half hour primping in her room across the hall but was already standing in the hallway when he came out. When in the lab, Rose often wore her hair up in a bun, more for practicality than fashion. However, her flipped bob hairdo caught Maddux by surprise. His eyes widened as he went slack-jawed staring at her.

  “Put your tongue back in your mouth,” Rose said. “You look like you’ve never seen a woman before.”

  “Maybe I haven’t,” Maddux said, still entranced by her thick brown hair done up, accentuating her hazel eyes.

  “This isn’t a new hair style,” she said.

  “I know,” he said. “It’s just been a while since I’ve seen you look like this.”

  “Lab coats don’t really make the girl, do they?” she said with a chuckle.

  He smiled. “I am worried though about this. We’re supposed to blend in, but you’re definitely going to stand out tonight.”

  Rose waved at him dismissively.“Earlier I told you I wanted to move forward, not have some fast moves put on me. Your flattery is appreciated, but it won’t get you anywhere on this trip.”

  “I can wait,” Maddux said with a wink.

  He offered his arm to her, which she took, before they both headed downstairs to the ballroom to observe an evening of chess.

  Maddux had received an invitation as a courtesy from Boykov. He was a member of the chess club and would be playing but enthusiastically invited Maddux once their meeting had been scheduled. Boykov fancied himself as a first-rate player and bragged about his conquests on the chessboard to Maddux during dinner. With Boykov engaged in competition, Maddux and Rose didn’t have to worry about sticking by his side for the entire evening.

  At 8:30 p.m. on the
nose, a bell sounded, signaling the beginning of all the matches. Maddux counted two dozen competitors battling it out on the floor below. But there was only one match that interested him: John Hambrick’s.

  Rose tried to act interested, but Maddux could tell she was bored with the entire event. Every few minutes, she whispered in his ear the complete attire of who she believed was a KGB agent tasked with surveillance on the two Opel employees. However, she was never convinced she was correct.

  After the matches ended, Maddux watched his father get escorted away by three of the four men Rose fingered as an operative. And while her observational skills impressed, Maddux was disappointed that Hambrick was heavily guarded, like he was either a VIP or a prisoner. Maddux couldn’t tell from afar, though he noted Hambrick was treated with respect and care from all his handlers.

  Instructing Rose to return to her room, Maddux followed his father as far as possible without becoming too conspicuous. And what Maddux learned was that John Hambrick was staying on the sixth floor in room 605.

  A half hour later, Maddux knocked on Rose’s door.

  “What did you find out?” she asked.

  “I know what room he’s in.”

  “Did you see if there are any guards posted outside?”

  He shook his head. “There were men going in and out of the room, and I couldn’t stand there like a gawker. I retreated back downstairs as soon as I identified which room it was.”

  “So, now what? Phase two?”

  Maddux nodded. “Get dressed. We still have work to do tonight.”

  Returning across the hall to his room, Maddux donned a tuxedo and a disguise. With slicked back hair, he also affixed a fake mustache to his lips and eased on a matching wig.

  Rose knocked on his door just as he was finishing. She wore a maid’s uniform, one she’d stolen from the laundry room.

  “That’s a little bit of a tight fit,” Maddux said, studying Rose.

  “Of course it is. I feel like a beached whale after that meal.”

  “No, you look great, just tight. That’s all. I just don’t want you turning too many heads.”

  “Why? Afraid you’re going to have to fend them all off to keep me?”

  “Something like that,” Maddux said. He laughed softly and gestured for her to lead them down the hallway.

  “Now, let’s go deliver some room service,” he said.

  Electing to take the stairs instead of the elevators to remain more in the shadows like the rest of the hotel staff, Maddux held the door open for Rose as she strode through it and began descending the stairwell.

  They didn’t even make it to the next floor before a man with a gun approached them.

  “Don’t move,” he said in Russian.

  Maddux froze and directed Rose to do the same.

  “We need to talk,” the man said.

  Chapter XXIV

  MADDUX PONDERED his next move as he studied the bearded man’s eyes. He wore a fedora with a suit that hung loosely on his thin frame. There wasn’t anything intimidating about him, except for his gun. For a moment, Maddux contemplated testing the man and attempting to knock the gun loose. But with Rose here, Maddux didn’t want to take that kind of risk.

  “What do you want?” Maddux asked in Russian.

  The man lowered his weapon and responded in English.“Don’t try to contact John Hambrick.”

  Maddux furrowed his brow, confused over the sudden switch in language.“Who are you?”

  “I’m with Army intelligence, and I’ve been instructed to prevent you from making any contact with John Hambrick. And I’ve been authorized to use whatever force necessary to make that happen.”

  “Who gave you this order?”

  “It came straight from the Pentagon. But if you don’t believe me, feel free to verify it for yourself. Pritchett will readily confirm it for you.”

  Maddux sighed. “All I need is an opportunity to speak with Hambrick for a few minutes. He knows all about this imminent strike and can stop it.”

  “That’s not what we want.”

  Maddux’s eyes widened. He glanced at Rose, who shared the same dumbfounded expression on her face.

  “Wait. What are you talking about? Washington realizes that we’re about to get blasted with a couple of nuclear missiles from a Russian sub, right?”

  The man nodded. “Everyone is well aware of what’s coming.”

  “Then why the hell aren’t we doing everything in our power to stop it?”

  “The risk is too great.”

  “Risk? We’re the only people incurring extra risk right now. If we don’t figure out a way to send that sub to the bottom of the Atlantic before it takes aim at the eastern seaboard, the risk won’t matter. Thousands upon thousands of innocent Americans will pay a steep price.”

  “It’s no longer your call, Maddux. If we stop this strike, the Soviets will hold an internal investigation. And should anything point back to Hambrick, we will lose our most valuable asset inside the Russian military.”

  “Is that what he’s there for? To help us thwart an attack like this?”

  The man nodded. “Yes, but you don’t understand the full picture. There are more important operations that we need him to help us with.”

  “More important than this?” Maddux asked.

  “I know it may not make sense to you right now, but you need to trust me on this one.”

  “Trust you? I don’t know even know your name.”

  “I go by Polanski. Everything I’ve told you can be verified by contacting your superiors.”

  Maddux put his hands on his hips and stared blankly at the wall behind Polanski.“If I follow protocol, it’ll take too long and I’ll lose my opportunity to speak with Hambrick.”

  “I’ve been ordered to ensure that you don’t speak with Hambrick. Now, are we gonna have a problem or not?”

  Maddux cast a quick glance at Rose, who shook her head subtly.

  “No, I guess we’re not,” Maddux said.

  “Good. Now return to your rooms and stay the hell away from Hambrick.”

  Maddux held the door open for Rose, who walked through without saying a word. Polanski escorted them to their floor and waited near the elevators until they both entered their rooms.

  After fifteen minutes, he rang the front desk and asked to be connected to Rose’s room.

  “We’ve got a real problem here,” he said after she answered the phone.

  “I know, but what can we really do about it?”

  “Come to my room, and let’s discuss what action to take.”

  Seconds later, Rose knocked on his door. He let her enter and secured the door behind him.

  “Do you have it?” he asked, referring to her interference device.

  She nodded and placed it on the small table in the corner of the room. They both sat down and continued their conversation.

  “Look, I know what you want to do, but I’m wondering if it’s even worth it. Let’s say we get the information out of your father. It still sounds like Washington may squash orders to take out the Soviet sub anyway.”

  “Not if we give the directive straight to Pritchett. He knows some admirals who wouldn’t mind bucking Washington.”

  “And you think Pritchett would be on board with this?”

  “Just consider the fact that he didn’t try to contact us himself. He forced Army intelligence to send its own operative.”

  “You’ve got a valid point.”

  “And one we can’t ignore. I think Pritchett will do the right thing and get this to somebody who’s willing to do what it takes to make sure a full-fledged war doesn’t erupt.”

  “You’re staking your career on this, you know.”

  Maddux chuckled. “My career is an automotive marketing executive. Espionage is a hobby.”

  “It’s also your passion and you better know that once you do this, there won’t be any going back.”

  “If I don’t do this, I’m not sure I’d be able to live wit
h myself. So, are you with me?”

  “I wouldn’t give it a second thought.”

  “Good. We need to get moving before we miss our window of opportunity and my father goes to bed.”

  Chapter XXV

  MADDUX STRODE CONFIDENTLY into the underbelly of The National and searched for a room service cart and some other props to sell their ruse to any unsuspecting KGB agents or hotel security. The kitchen was empty aside from a young man washing dishes. He never even looked up to see Maddux and Rose milling around.

  Identifying an empty cart in the corner, Maddux grabbed it and snatched a warming cover along with a couple of plates of food and a pair of glasses. Rose worked with him to neatly arrange everything.

  “The wine bottles?” he whispered.

  She smiled and pulled them out of her apron’s front pockets.

  “As your requested,” she said.

  “Let’s go.”

  Since most hotels in Europe sent male and female employees together on room service calls, working in tandem meant they were less likely to draw attention from the guard pacing outside in the hallway. Maddux and Rose rode the elevator up to the sixth floor before unloading and heading toward Room 605.

  Once they reached the door, Maddux approached it to knock, but the guard waved him off.

  “What is this?” he asked.

  “We’re delivering a meal for Ivan Hambrick,” Maddux said, hoping he hadn’t been mistaken about the exact location.

  “Wait a moment.” The guard entered the room and propped the door open with his back foot.

  “Ivan, did you order room service?” the guard asked.

  Hambrick opened his mouth to speak but then shut it upon locking eyes with Maddux.

  “Yes, I did,” Hambrick said. “Right this way.”

  Maddux and Rose entered the room and transferred everything from the cart to the table. With the guard still hovering nearby, Maddux needed to buy enough time to show his father what he needed to do with all the equipment they were giving him.