The Puzzle

Chaper 25 of the thriller An Imperative U-turn.

 An Imperative U-turn

Chapter 25

The next morning at about ten am, the Russian ambassador summond his secretary and asked him whether Dimitri Plotkin the embassy’s new press attache has arrived already.

‘He’s on his way sir, he called and said that he would be late.’

‘I see,’ the embassador muttered with a slight cough. ‘Listen Illia tell him that I want to see him as soon as he arrives.’ The ambassador ordered his secretary, and as soon as the latter left his office he returned to read the foreign affairs office instructions.

Hardly five minutes passed and Plotkin stormed into his office with his frightened secretary right behind him.

‘What’s the matter with you two?’ The surprised ambassador exclaimed raising his voice in alarm.

Plotkin looked back at the secretary, ‘It’s okay you may leave.’ He pulled a chair back and sat down facing the alrarmed ambassador ‘Sorry sir for my out of the ordinary behavior, but something extremely bad happened… We’ve lost him I’m afraid...’

‘But how, have you checked it thorougly out…?’ The ambassador asked him with a shaking voice.

‘Yes sir, I’ve called him and when he didn’t answer, I drove over to the hotel; and I asked the reception clerck to call his room, he watched me with a rather queer look and said: “he left last night accompanied with three friends of his I guess”.

‘That’s very strange indeed,’ the ambassador muttered with a slight cough. ‘What could have happened, has he crossed to the other side willingly? What do you think Dimitri?’

‘I can’t believe sir that he has deserted, he hoped to finish his job and retrun home, in the shortest time possible; but has he called them yesterday, before I met him…?

‘We can’t know yet what really happened Dimitri, in any case we’ll have to keep a very low profile from now on for several weeks at least; and you’ll have to delay all your particular tasks for the time being, and you’ll have to stay most of your time at the embassy.’

The press attache’ nodded his head in accepatence, but had no intention to see eye to eye with the abassador’s order. He had to find out what happened, how it all came about; as he feared that the ambassador would blame him as the culprit of that certain disaster, which both of them had not the slightest idea how their subject matter disappeared.

On the next morning Ilayev or Semion, which was the “nom de guere” in which his operator the Russian press attache used whenever he turned to him; or Fiodor Yefimovitch Ilayev, which is his real name woke up in one of the many huts of the “farm” in Viriginia. The CIA agents’ training center. He kept lying in his bed, in the hut’s small bedroom, while watching rather amazed his surroundings. He kept reminding himself how astounded he was, when he met those two that waited for him in his hotel room. How did they fish me out so quickly? He kept wondering, has that operater betrayed me…? Or was there a lip reader among the restaurant crew last night?’ That must be the answer, that green horn should have friefed me in his car, while driving to the resataurnt. But whatever was the reason the fact is that I’m stuck here, and am an easy prey to the other side’s experts. What time is it? He wodered and looked at his wrist watch. It’s early just six twenty, but I’m terribly hungry. He thought as he pushed off the blanket and left his bed. He made a second survey of his new abode, and realized that his hut is a suite in fact; not a luxurey one but convient enough. Some ten minutes after he took a shower and dressed up, there was a knock on his door; he went over surprised opened it up, and stood facing a young stranger.

‘Good morning sir, you’re invited to have breakfast...’ The young stranger wathced him with a benevolent smile ‘Follow me sir,’ he added, made a half turn and went towards the lane beneath Fiodor’s tomporary abode. He had on other but to follow the young stranger that led him to nearby hut; much bigger than the where past his first night in this huge camp. As they entered it Fiodor realized that it’s a mess hall, and several men were already sat next to a broad table. They moved straight inside towards the broad table, the young stranger pulled a chair backwards, and asked Fiodor to sit down. He sat down opposite the camp’s head, he’d no doubts who was the man he was facing. While the young stranger disappeared withou his notice.

‘How are you doing Fiodor, or is there a different completely nacme, which I should use while turning to you?’

‘I don’t mind how you’ll call me sir, but taking into account the incredible conditions, which I do enjoy; are you planning to send me back to my country?’

‘It will take quite an amount of time Fiodor, we’ll have to prepare a brand new cover story for you; and we’ll have to decide how to use your exeptional talents.

@ Haim Kadman 2017 �" all rights reserved.