Page 15 of Spymaster

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

The Pole laughed. “I can’t help you, Lydia, if I don’t know what it is you need.”

“Yesterday, a U.S. Army transport was robbed in Poland.”

“Robbed?In Poland? What are you talking about? Where?”

“Just outside Warsaw,” said Ryan. “The soldiers had been traveling from their base in Z?agan´ in western Poland and had pulled off at a truck stop for a break.”

“And?” asked Kopec.

“The lot was crowded and they didn’t park line of sight. They thought their trucks would be safe. But while they were inside, one of the vehicles was broken into and a theft occurred.”

They paused as the waitress brought Kopec another vodka and Ryan a glass of Sancerre.

“What was taken?” he asked after the waitress had left.

“Six crates.”

“Six crates of what?”

Ryan demurred.

When she failed to answer his question, he asked, “Am I supposed to guess?”

“For the record, the soldiers had no idea what they were transporting. The crates had been purposely mislabeled and the paperwork altered.”

Kopec took a sip of his drink and leaned forward. “Now you absolutely have my attention.”

“The equipment in question never should have been delivered to Poland. Somebody screwed up.”

“What are we talking about?”

Again, Ryan hesitated.

“Lydia, ask any of my ex-wives. I’m a terrible mind reader.”

“Upgrade kits for BGM-109G missiles.”

Kopec laughed—quietly at first, and then his laugh grew louder. Ryan looked around, concerned that he was drawing attention.

Catching his breath, the Polish intel officer shook his head. Also known as the Gryphon, the BGM-109G was an American ground-launched cruise missile capable of carrying multiple types of warheads—including nuclear. It had long been outlawed under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with the Russians.

“What you’re saying is impossible,” he chuckled. “There aren’t any Gryphons in Europe. There aren’t even any Gryphons in America. They were all destroyed under the terms of the INF treaty.”

After another look around the restaurant, Ryan leaned forward. “No, they weren’t.”

Kopec was shocked by her admission. “Do you realize what you’re saying?”

It was a rhetorical question. She didn’t need to answer.

“How many of them are in Europe?” he asked.

“I can’t discuss that.”

“Fine. Let’s back up. Are there any in Poland?”

She shook her head. “No.”