A lost case?

Chapter 23 of the thriller "The Imperative U-turn."

Chapter 23

While Semion Bilenko was getting to know his supposedly home town, the directorate of operations’ head, asked his deputy and his oeprations officer to join him for a preliminary discussion, before the weekly meeting.

‘It’s the beginning of the seventh week since we’ve sent him back, and there’s no sign of him yet...’

‘He might have been put to death after a third degree interoggation...’ His deputy remarked with a slight cough.

‘Well that’s a very reasonable possibility, but there’s no evidence that this is the case; while that source over there, which has given him up to us hasn’t reported to us since its first message.’ The division head remarked with a clear note of disappointment.

‘He might have been exposed and liquated too sir.’

‘It’s a lost case then… Does anyone among us has some other thoughts on that certain issue?’ The special activities division’s head asked his heads of the division’s branches.

After a short embarrassing silence, the special activities division’s head, decided to move on and discuss the division’s other top secret subjects.

At that time Semion Bilenko was looking for the right district in Toronto, which would be his neighbourhood where he lives since he suposedly migrated to Canada with his late parents. He did not lose time and looked for the most poverish sectors of Toronto. After roaming for three day in several of this big city’s sectors he reached at last the right street, Ossington Avenue and at 109 he stopped and decided that this building would be his address.

The rest of the time left till his meeting with his operator Bilenko spent his mornings at the Kensington market, while his evenings and nights he spent mainly at the Bar Koukla and some other such nearby sites.

At the end the week on Sunday morning a phone call woke Bilenko up. He left the bed and rushed to the coffee table, where he his mobile.

‘Hello who is it?’ He asked half asleep yet.

‘It’s me Dima, I’m waiting at the hotel parking lot in a black sedan...’

‘Sorry Dima I’ve just woke up, it will take a few moments...’

‘Okay, take your time Semion.’ His operator had no other choice but to wait patiantly in his car.

After hardly ten minutes Semion joined his operator, and sat beside in the hired car.

‘So how did you pass your time here Semion? I don’t know whether you did learn in general terms how to navigate in your supposedly home town, but it seems to me that you’ve spent most of the time in getting to know Toronto’s night life.’

‘If there’s any theme that would impersonate me as a Toronto dweller, it should be without the slightest doubt Toronto’s night life.’ Semion answered him with a wink.

‘All right Semion you did convince me how experienced you’re, but let’s get down to our mutual tasks; you’ll leave the hotel tomorrow morning, and you’ll fly with air canada to Washington.’

‘And what am I supposed to do in Washington, is it the vice president again?’

‘You’re dead right Semion,’ Dima his operator answered with a merry chuckle. ‘We’ve ordered a room for you at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, there you’ll stay and wait to my call Semion.’

‘I see Dima but after I’ll excute my job successfully, how do I leave…?’

‘Don’t wreck your head Semion, just settle in that hotel, and wait for my call.’ His operator answered him and watched Semion’s face with a threatening stare.

‘Okay Dima that’s what I’ll do, and you do know that you can rely on me.’ Semion hastened to answer him, with much effort to hide his distrust.

‘That’s it then, I’ll see you in Washington.’ His operator muttered and waited impatiently till Semion got off.

@ Haim Kadman 2020 �" all rights resreved.