The Cipher

Chapter 2-2

There was a frown this time from the Killer. “Then I am confused. In our previous contracts, we were always directed toward such targets, that was our specialty?”

“Oh, I can assure you, your skills will not be wasted, otherwise why else would we have chosen to re-activate you? No, not a high profile target such as a head of state, but important enough to this operation to warrant your attention. Seven people… excuse me seven "targets"… to be eliminated within a given time frame. They are scattered across Europe, have minimal or no protection and are totally unaware that they are being targeted,” Mr. Knight explained calmly.

“Soviets?”

“Of course. Soviet agents to be more precise, but it amounts to the same thing. I"m afraid you will be off the KGB"s Christmas card list for the foreseeable future.”

The Catalan nodded. He was not unduly worried; he knew how to cover his tracks. “And the fee?”

“Double the usual monthly retainer from your previous employment with us, with a $25,000 bonus upon satisfactory completion of the contract, plus the usual expenses and resources available.”

The normally poker-faced killer raised an eyebrow at that. A payoff of $25,000 would set him up for the rest of his life and would easily see him into retirement. The Americans must want these agents removed very badly indeed.

“We already have much of the plumbing in place, but we can go over that in more detail at our next meeting,” the American continued.

Plumbing, the Catalan knew, was the Agency"s euphemism for pre-operational planning. Before any job was given the green light, the case officer in charge had to provide the necessary resources to actually make the operation viable.

“However, because of the deniable nature of this contract you will need to source certain things for yourself. We want everything done at arm"s length, to keep the facade of plausible deniability in place. Passports, vehicles, specialist equipment and so forth. Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all. I have a good man that I use in Antwerp for false documentation. He is very professional, very discreet. However, I will need assistance to help me execute this contract. Suitable personnel. Qualified people.”

Mr. Knight leaned down and lifted a manila folder from his briefcase, opened it and made a small notation with his pen. “Yes of course. We would in no way expect you to carry this out on your own. We were rather hoping that you would take it upon yourself to perhaps approach and recruit your former partner on our behalf. Is that acceptable?”

“Certainly. He is a fine operator, and one of the few men I would trust to work with,” said the Catalan smoothly.

“I understand he can be a little reckless at times. A little wild?”

The Catalan thought back to his time working with the Georgian. The little man was both reckless and ruthless at times, but remarkably, he had always been able to rein him in and control him. “He does have that reputation, but not with me. If you wish me to take this contract, and I"m guessing that you have gone to a lot of trouble to arrange this meeting, then I want the Georgian as my back-up man. This is not negotiable.”

wasThe American seemed satisfied with the answer. He clicked his pen to retract the ballpoint, returned it to his pocket and sat once more staring directly at his guest. They had reached a point of no return and, from this moment on, the operation would either go forward or be stillborn.

“So who are these targets? Until I have an understanding of precisely who and what they are, I cannot give you an accurate assessment of success feasibility,” said the Catalan.

Mr. Knight pulled another manila folder from his briefcase, and with a quick flick through the pages with his fingers, he handed a single, typewritten sheet of paper to the Catalan. The words "TOP SECRET" were emblazoned in red diagonally across the page. He evidently had his own copy as he immediately turned his attention to the folder resting across his lap and began to speak. “I think for brevity"s sake, for the moment we should refer to them by their professional titles,” said Mr. Knight.

The Catalan nodded his agreement and returned his gaze to the briefing document, while Mr. Knight cleared his throat and assumed the mantle of a teacher conducting a lecture.

“So we have the Soldier, an army colonel currently assigned as his country"s liaison officer to NATO headquarters in Paris. There is the Diplomat, who is operating out of an embassy in Hamburg; he is part of a diplomatic policy think-tank for creating strategies to counter Soviet expansion. The man is also a closet homosexual.”

SoldierDiplomatMr. Knight ran his finger down the page until he reached the next targets on the list. “The Engineer is a senior scientist currently believed to be seconded to a project designing a new missile delivery system. The man was a leading light in the Nazi war machine during the war, a protégé of Werner Von Braun, no less. Then we have the Financier who is a senior banking official with a noted Swiss banking house in Zurich. He has direct access to various government funds and is an expert in re-routing and hiding KGB monies in the West.

EngineerFinancier“The Politician is Special Advisor to the current UN Secretary-General and a former member of the Italian parliament. She is very influential, with many friends across Europe and the USA, apparently also has the ear of the current Chief of Staff in Washington. Finally, we have the Quartermaster; a respected businessman who runs a secret sideline, procuring illegal arms for Soviet-backed operations across Africa.”

PoliticianQuartermasterThe Catalan sat quiet for a moment. It was an impressive list, no doubt, but there were several nagging doubts running through his mind, not the least of which he decided to voice. “Would it not be better to try to turn these agents? I know from my own experiences during the war that the perceived wisdom is to use agents to catch more agents. Killing them merely leaves you with a dead end.”

Mr. Knight sighed. He"d expected this reply at some point and his carefully constructed response had been prepared in advance. “That is the usual way of doing things, certainly, and as a professional I agree with what you"re saying. But this operation is just one part of a bigger project. The reasons don"t concern you, only the conditions.”

The Catalan frowned. “There are only six names on this list; you said there were seven targets.”

Mr. Knight cleared his throat and placed his hands carefully on his knees, almost as if he didn"t trust them to remain still. When he spoke, his words were clipped. “The seventh target is, we believe, the KGB controller who runs these agents personally. At the moment, we only have limited information about him. That will change over the coming months. We know that he"s currently active in Europe somewhere. As soon as we find him, we will pass you the information.”

Both men stared openly at each other for a moment, weighing up their options. It was the American who finally spoke. “So we have now reached a line in the sand. I think I need a clear answer.” There was a deliberate pause before he spoke again. “Are you able to handle this operation?”