Page 41 of Spymaster

As he had done when identifying his luxury caviar, Kopec leaned forward and lowered his voice. “You’re going to need to give me Matterhorn.”

CHAPTER 25

Ryan quickly glanced around the lounge to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.

She then focused back on Kopec and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The man laughed. “Which is why your entire body tensed at the mention of his name and you quickly looked around the room.”

“Are you crazy? We can’t talk about this out in the open.”

“We don’t have a choice. Not if you want to prevent those upgrade kits from finding their way to the Russians.”

Ryan fixed him with an icy stare. “This is blackmail.”

“This is business.”

“You know what, Artur? I thought we had a better relationship than this.”

“Our business is built on favors, Lydia. You are asking me for one and in return, I am asking one of you.”

“Certainly. ButMatterhorn? I can’t trade favors for that.”

“You have asked me not to tell my government what I am doing for you. Further, I now need to send my people into Belarus and very carefully exploit my network there. And let me tell you, it will not be easy. If word gets out, the Russians will outbid, outmuscle, and outdestroy anyone who stands between them and proof that the United States has reintroduced cruise missiles into Europe in violation of the INF treaty. That alone could kick off World War III. But couple it with the fact that an untold number of your missiles are nuclear-tipped? That could very well be game over.”

“Pick something else, Artur. Anything else. You’ve said this will cost one hundred grand. Make it five hundred. We won’t care where the money goes. Do with it as you see fit.”

The Polish intelligence officer shook his head as he loaded another blini. “You can’t put a price on an asset like Matterhorn, especially for Poland.”

“I understand,” replied Ryan. “But Matterhorn is not mine to give.”

Popping the blini into his mouth, he let her words hang in the air above the table, as he took his time chewing and then swallowing.

“There has to be another arrangement we can come to,” she said, breaking the number one rule about not rushing to fill uncomfortable silences.

“The missiles are your insurance policy against the Russians,” Kopec insisted. “Matterhorn will be ours.”

Ryan began to argue, but the Pole held up his hand. “Think about what you are asking me to do. Matterhorn isoneasset, Lydia. That’s all, but he could be the difference between life and death for Poland.”

“I can’t bargain with you over Matterhorn because we don’t know who the hell Matterhorn is.”

Kopec, who was normally quite good at playing his cards close to his vest, appeared genuinely startled. “That’s impossible.”

“Well, welcome to my new world,” she said, as she decided that she wouldn’t go straight back to the office. Turning her glass over, she pushed it forward.

Slowly, he poured a vodka for her, but perhaps thinking better of it, chose not to pour one for himself and set the bottle back down on the table. “Walk me through this,” he said.

Tossing back the shot, Ryan took another look around the room and then leaned forward. “As you know, Matterhorn was recruitedandrun by Carlton.”

Kopec nodded. “That’s how he explained it.”

“Only a handful of people were ever aware of his existence,” she continued. “The Russians thought Matterhorn was spying for them, and he was. But in addition to legitimate intelligence, he was also feeding them a lot of misinformation as well, specifically about NATO.”

“Which is precisely why we want him. To keep the Russians off balance.”

“I understand, but there’s one problem. Carlton never revealed his identity.”

“What?”