Aces Abroad

LEGENDS

Michael Cassutt

I.

The month of April brought little in the way of relief to Muscovites staggered by an unusually cold winter. Following a brief flurry of southern breezes, which sent boys into the newly green football fields and encouraged pretty girls to discard their overcoats, the skies had darkened again, and a dreary, uninspired rain had begun to fall. To Polyakov the scene was autumnal and therefore entirely, appropriate. His masters, bending in the new breeze from the Kremlin, had decreed that this would be Polyakov's last Moscow spring. The younger, less-tainted Yurchenko would move up, and Polyakov would retire to a dacha far from Moscow.

Just as well, Polyakov thought, since scientists were saying that weather patterns had changed because of the Siberian airbursts. There might never be a decent Moscow spring again.

Nevertheless, even in its autumn clothes Moscow had the ability to inspire him: From this window he could see the cluster of trees where the Moscow River skirted Gorky Park, and beyond that, looking appropriately medieval in the mist, were the domes of St. Basil's and the Kremlin. In Polyakov's mind age equalled power, but then he was old.

"You wanted to see me?" The voice interrupted his musings. A young major in the uniform of the Chief Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff-uncommonly known as the GRU-had entered. He was perhaps thirty-five, a bit old to still hold the rank of major, Polyakov thought, especially with the Hero of the Soviet Union medal. With his classic White Russian features and sandy hair, the man looked like one of those unlikely officers whose pictures appeared on the cover of Red Star every day.

"Molniya." Polyakov elected to use the young officer's code name rather than Christian name and patronymic. Initial formality was one of the interrogator's tricks. He held out his hand. The major hesitated, then shook it. Polyakov was pleased to note that Molniya wore black rubber gloves. So far his information was correct. "Let's sit down."

They faced each other across the polished wood of the conference table. Someone had thoughtfully provided water, which Polyakov indicated. "You have a very pleasant conference room here."

"I'm sure it hardly compares with those at Dzerzhinsky Square," Molniya shot back with just the proper amount of insolence. Dzerzhinsky Square was the location of KGB headquarters.

Polyakov laughed. "As a matter of fact it's identical, thanks to central pla

"We've been known to read the Politburo's mail too,"

"Good. Then you know exactly why I'm here and who sent me."

Molniya and the GRU had been ordered to cooperate with the KGB, and the orders came from the very highest places. That was the slim advantage Polyakov brought to this meeting… an advantage that, as the saying went, had all the weight of words written on water… since he was an old man and Molniya was the great Soviet ace.

"Do you know the name Huntington Sheldon?" Molniya knew he was being tested and said tiredly, "He was CIA director from 1966 to

1972."

"Yes, a thoroughly dangerous man… and last week's issue of Time magazine has a picture of him standing right in front of the Lubiyanka-pointing up at the statue of Dzerzhinsky!"

"Maybe there's a lesson in that… cousin." Worry about your own security and leave our operations alone!

"I wouldn't be here if you hadn't had such a spectacular failure."

"Unlike the KGB's perfect record." Mdlniya didn't try to hide his contempt.

"Oh, we've had our failures, cousin. What's different about our operations is that they've been approved by the Intelligence Council. Now, you're a Party member. You couldn't have graduated from the Kharkov Higher Engineering School without being at least slightly familiar with the principles of collective thought. Successes are shared. So are failures. This operation you and Dolgov cooked up-what were you doing, taking lessons from Oliver North?"

Molniya flinched at the mention of Dolgov's name, a state secret and, more importantly, a GRU secret. Polyakov continued, "Are you worried about what we say, Major? Don't be. This is the cleanest room in the Soviet Union." He smiled. "My housekeepers swept it. What we say here is between us."

"So, now, tell me," Polyakov said, "what the hell went wrong in Berlin?"

The aftermath of the Hartma

The involvement of the lawyer Prahler in such a brutal and inept affair would make it impossible for other deepcover agents of his stature to act… and make it difficult to recruit new ones.

And who knew what else the American senator was telling.

"You know, Molniya, for years my service ran moles at the very heart of the British intelligence service… we even had one who acted as liaison with the CIA."

"Philby, Burgess, Maclean, and Blount. And old man Churchill, too, if you believe the Western spy novels. Is there a point to this anecdote?"

"I'm just trying to give you some idea of the damage you've done. Those moles paralyzed the British for over twenty years. That's what could happen to us… to both of us. Your GRU bosses will never admit it; if they do, they certainly won't discuss it with you. But that's the mess I've got to clean up."

"Now… if you know anything at all about me"-Polyakov was certain that Molniya knew as much about him as the KGB, which meant that Molniya did not know one very important thing-"you know that I'm fair. I'm old, I'm fat, I'm faceless… but I'm objective. I'm retiring in four months. I have nothing to gain from causing a new war between our two services."

Molniya merely returned his gaze. Well, Polyakov expected as much. The rivalry between the GRU and KGB had been bloody. At various times in the past each service had managed to have the leaders of its rival shot. There is nothing longer than institutional memory.

" I see." Polyakov stood up. "Sorry to have troubled you, Major. Obviously the General Secretary was mistaken… you have nothing to say to me-"

"Ask your questions!"

Forty minutes later Polyakov sighed and sat back in his chair. Turning slightly, he could see out the window. GRU headquarters was called the Aquarium because of its glass walls. It fit. Polyakov had noticed, as he was driven by another GRU officer past the Institute of Space Biology, which, together with the little-used Frunze Central Airport, surrounded the Aquarium, that this building-perhaps the most inaccessible, indeed even invisible place in the city of Moscow-appeared to be almost transparent. A fifteen-story building with nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows!

To find it inviting was a mistake. Polyakov pitied the theoretical casual visitor. Before even reaching the i

At the far end of the courtyard below, nestled against the impenetrable concrete wall that surrounded the Aquarium, was a crematorium. The story was that, in the final interview before acceptance into the GRU, every candidate was shown this squat green building and a special film.