The NYC Russian consulate

An excerpt of the thriller THE REMOTE CONTROL JOB,

The NYC Russian consulate

The Remote Control Job 

An excerpt

The door to the office, which he was looking for, stood open. The bright office's lights divided the somber corridor in two.                       

'Come on in Verotich, come in.' the man who was sitting in there behind an impressive mahogany desk called out. That man Verotich's boss opened one of his desk's many drawers and brought out a bottle of Vodka and two glasses; while comrade Verotich drew a chair back, and settled down on it, facing his boss.

'Are you sure there was no surveillance tonight, and you were not followed?' His boss asked in a formal tone, avoiding the use of professional slang on purpose, the way they often used back at home, all those haughty bureaucrats who did nothing but put on that kind of patronizing show off.

'Yes I'm sure, positively sure. I did a double check course and one more in the subway tunnel; I had the confirmation sign of our crews, they have found both of us the subject-matter and me, clean.'                                     

'Good, ' the boss said while pouring their drinks. The young man was very loyal, knew his job and he liked him as if he was his own son.

'Well, how was it, I'm listening.'

'The actuation code didn't work. He hadn't seen it in the papers and even if he did receive any of the postcards… Well, he couldn't have grasped the message, such a thick head he seems to be. Why, he almost assaulted me as a matter of fact �" and he's big god forbid.'

I doubted in this foolish bit of nonsense from the very start. The boss thought. “The day has come...?” He was nearly tempted to quote it loudly, mockingly. The gaudy charlatan that came out with that idea, that dubious conception, should be put to death! It isn’t Center’s first blunder, nor is it going to be their last.

The money and other resources that have been wasted did not enrage Verotich's boss, as much as the risk that such bit of foolishness as it was could jeopardize everything, the entire operation…

On the other hand he could not ignore the fact that center did manage to predict the exact pattern in which the subject-matter would be treated by his own authorities, plus the reactions of the subject-matter himself, which was not an unusual attainment. But their accuracy in that subtle issue enhanced even more his anger and frustration. He did not intend to share these conclusions with Verotich of course, though he was a man he could count on without the slightest doubt.

'What did persuade him then?' He asked his young assistant.

'Her name did it.’ Verotich answered with a sly smile.

'Well she's a remarkable woman...' The boss observed, regretting on the spot his hasty remark. He should have been wiser not to spill out that bit of information. He was furious with himself, wondering at his own irresponsibility, while visualizing that woman exquisite beauty in his mind's eye at the same time.

He learnen all those details and saw blown up prints of that extremely exotic beauty and a few days later, he had a full live view of her, which was another blunder of theirs, he summed it up frustrated.

They could not stand the temptation; they had to boast about the extraordinary deal they have reached with the North Vietnamese; by showing off their gains, which culminated in that incredibly beautiful and cunning young woman. And that clown their subject-matter, must have spent several nights in her bed... Just to think of it! Spreelsky was his father's name, before he had to change it on migrating to America at the beginning of the century. Although that father of his was born in Kiev, as the rest of his forefathers  that name seems to reek somehow of a certain smell. But he can't be a Jew boy, and he isn't one! He isn't bright enough to be one.

Thus that old fear was checked and rechecked time and again, without any positive results. He Drove away these bothering suspicions, and turned again to his young assistant.

'There's one thing I'd like to remind you Verotich. Although it seems that they have lost all interest in him even before he was repatriated; we must keep on acting with the utmost caution…'

Verotich's aptitude and loyalty were above any possible doubt, but it was irrelevant. He had to keep a firm hold over him.

The expression on Verotich's face did not change, he nodded his head obediently and emptied his glass; waiting patiently for his boss to get on with his usual procedure.

Whenever he made a successful move or reported on some hopeful prospects, he had to be reprimanded; as if he did some foolish mistake or brought back bad news.

Thank god I’m used to it, from my first days in the service and I’m able to cope with such small hidden darts, even with the poisoned ones with ease.

There were no threats sneaked in between the last sentences he had to listen to, just a hint of some reproof, a slight insinuation, well that's life. He told himself stoically. It wasn't after all typical to the service alone. As far as he had known and heard of, things were even rougher in the party's circles, so there was nothing he should complain of in fact.                          

'We must bear in mind the fact that from this stage on, ' his boss went on. 'Things are going to move much faster.'                                        

'But of course!' Verotich interrupted him in spite of himself. 'That's exactly what we did from the first day he was repatriated, what I mean is we're acting with caution. The man is clean, it’s a fact. We had all the time we needed to verify and establish that fact.' He added with just a hint of impatience, but checked himself at the last moment.     

'It’s no more than an assumption and though activities as observations, surveillance or any other means of contacts by the other side haven't been detected up to this very moment, still he might be doing their job without our knowledge. It’s a possibility although it seems absurd, I do agree; but, it must be taken into our considerations. You would never have thought of such a possibility yourself, would you Verotich?' his boss smiled at him with exuberance, and poured them a second round of Vodka.

'Gosh, that's right; it could have never crossed my mind!' Verotich smiled back to him, with an almost automatic spontaneity.

Just what the hell is it to me, why should I care? Verotich thought in a flash of disgust and anger. I've got one or two more meetings with that moron of a subject-matter, and that female Nicole or whatever her name is, takes the whole cursed operation over. How does she fit in, or who the hell she is? That's none of my business! I don't have to know it, and that fancy French name can be the code of a male operator for all I care! I didn't make that breach of security, thank god, and I don't have to remember it either!

Thus he calmed himself down, while listening to his boss's anecdotes. As his boss's cover was being the consul's chauffeur, that precious job offered him the so many opportunities, to enrich his collection of anecdotes.

© Haim Kadman 1989 �" all rights resered.

"The remote control" apart from being an espionage thriller it's a tale of an exceptional love story between two enemies. Lee Chen Woe conducts the brainwash procedure of her captive Nick Spree; in a jail near the North Vietnamese capital Hanoi. She exploits the infatuated Nick, but when he joins her espionage net 18 months later in Montreal Canada he becomes her right hand, and beloved partner. Here is a short excerpt of this thriller's plot: 'It has nothing to do with professional capabilities. There has been a change of power over there, and those who couldn't tolerate my existence; who couldn't agree with my nomination as a net leader, in such an important part of the world. Those people are in power now over there; and that’s without taking into account the fact that I’m a woman and above it all a Eurasian! They are already after my hide right now I believe, that must be the current situation. We mustn’t disillusion ourselves.'

'Jesus Christ...!'He muttered in utter despair. 'What are we going to do then? You're not telling me some cover story, are you? Are we really stuck in such a Goddamn mess?'

'Yes we are! It’s our lives that are at stake. They would have bumped us off in a matter of hours! They have Andrei right on the spot and I'm quite sure he'll lead the hunt after us.

www.freado.com/book/16948/the-remote-control-job