Page 25 of Cry Havoc (Tom Reece #1)

“THERE IS ONE MORE thing,” Lavrinenko said.

“Yes, Director?”

“I want you closer to this operation.”

Dvornikov nodded slowly.

“I see the disappointment. You do not like Vietnam.”

“I prefer Moscow.” He paused. “Or Paris.”

“I see. You are moving up the ranks, Comrade, but you need to exercise judgment and caution. Someone else in my position might not be as understanding of your insubordinate attitude. Some might say it is too Western.”

“My file should list my accomplishments in France. The effectiveness of our network speaks to my efforts.”

“Are you sure it is not the Parisian nightlife, the cafés, the girls, perhaps even the freedom that attracts you?”

“I exist to serve the Party.”

“Of course you do, Comrade.”

“The excesses of life in the West are not the allure. I want to be in the place where I can do the most to advance the interests of the Party against the imperialists.”

“Save your speech for when it matters. I will not be in this seat forever. Penkovsky will advance and eventually take my place as director of the GRU. Be forewarned, he will not be as understanding or forgiving of your behavior as I.”

Lavrinenko paused and took another long swig of his vodka.

“Major, I recognize your value to the Party and to our organization. Your language skills and ability to adapt to Western culture are an advantage, as are your looks, charm, and attitude. I have often said that charm is the most valuable attribute when it comes to recruiting and running spies. It is something that can’t be taught.

I will be back at the helm of the KGB before long.

Penkovsky will be in my seat as director of the GRU, and I doubt he will put an agent in Paris who so clearly wants to be there.

There is too much risk to him and to the country. The West can be an intoxicating drug.”

“My devotion is to the Party. I would never betray Mother Russia.”

“Penkovsky will send you to the farthest reaches of Siberia for showing the slightest sympathies toward the West. I, on the other hand, appreciate your unique talents and the benefits that come with immersion in Western society. Do this job in Vietnam, and I will consider bringing you with me back to the KGB where your skills will be best utilized recruiting assets in France. Just know that if you betray my trust, you will find yourself in the gulag, in Siberia, and you will be worked until you are too weak to move. You will try to end your life, but the guards will not allow it. They will keep you alive in an endless cycle of darkness, cold, and toil. When you become so useless that you can no longer lift a finger, they will put a bullet in your head and leave your body to be devoured by the wolves outside the gates. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“I do not have to be concerned about you falling under the spell of the Americans or the British, do I?”

“No, sir.”

“Do I have your word?”

“You have my word, Director.”

“Good. Now, get to Hanoi, deal with this colonel and Tet, and then proceed with your MACV-SOG rendition program. If successful, we will then discuss your future posting.”

“If I am to be working out of Hanoi, I have another favor.”

“You are wearing thin on favors, Major.”

“With respect, I will need someone with certain skills, skills I do not possess.”

“Sometimes I forget that you missed the last war and have never done wet work.”

“I have devoted myself to the needs of the Soviet Union.”

“Of course you have. What do you require?”

“I need a man with a Spetsnaz background. An operative.”

“An assassin.”

“Yes.”

“It will be done.”

“I have someone in mind.”

“Oh?”

“He is already in Vietnam. In fact, he is in Hanoi now. Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding with our North Vietnamese friends, he is incarcerated. He was first held in the H?a Lò Prison.”

“Where they keep the Americans?”

“Yes, he was isolated in a separate section of the camp, but after an incident with a guard he was moved to a North Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense holding facility about two kilometers from H?a Lò. They keep a disorderly group of Americans there.”

“And you need me to get him out?”

“A call from you would carry a lot of weight.”

“Don’t patronize me, Major. Who is it?”

“Adrik Voronin.”