The conclusions

Chapter 26 of the thriller "The Imperative U-turn".

The Imperative U-turn

The conclusions

Chapter 26

‘Our embassy in Washington is bugged, that’s how they traced him sir!’ The GRU intelligence and info gathering officer informed his boss the conclusion of his crew of experts, concerning the surprising arrest of the agency’s most experienced agent by the CIA.

A short tensed silence fell at the GRU head’s office during the special daily meeting, Narishkin turned his eyes towards Dimitri Plokin, the brand new press attache’ at the Russian embassy in Washington; who was the GRU agent and was ordered to return to Moscow, due to the second shamefull bungle, which took place in Washington just recently. ‘Didn’t they read your lips while you briefed him in the restaurant, why didn’t you brief him while riding in the car Dima?’

‘There were terrible traffic jams, sir all along the way to the restaurant, and I was absorbed in driving...’

‘I see,’ Narishkin muttered thoughtfully, and a short and tensed silence fell in his office. ‘Alright Dimitri you’ll fly back to Washington tomorrow morning, but our ambassador will be your direct boss from now on; you may go now to pack your things, and to take leave of your family.’

‘Yes sir and thank you sir,’ the Washington embassy press attache’ declared with a fallen face and left the office.

‘Now then,’ Narishkin turned to his second in command. ‘We need to send a most reliable man to Washington, to check out what really happened to our agent over there; without the embassy’s intervention, he’ll be in straight contact with us.’

Life at the “farm” was not bad at all, as Fiodor Yephimovitch Ilayev realized, except the heartbreak he suffered still due to losing Lushya. He knew and was sure that he will never see her again, although he had no idea how they are going to use him his captors...?

Right after his arrest and during the flight from Washington to this camp, he was treated very kindly to his surprise. They seemed to know almost every detail of his private life, expect his relationship with his Lushya. As a very experienced pro he knew that he was very fortunate to be treated by the other side as he was, in this secluded camp. Those two FBI agents that waited for him in his hotel room treated him rather politely, he was asked to get down with them to the lobby; where that third agent joined them, while during the ride to the airport and during the flight they were ever so friendly towards him, as if he was one of them that has returned from a mission abroad… The confused Fiodor kept thinking in his furnished hut, but what do they expect me to do then… How am I supposed to serve them? I’m burned as an agent, and I don’t believe that they plan to send me back to my own country...

While he was still buried in thoughts, someone knocked on his entrance door. He went over to open the door, and faced that same young stranger, who came to escort him to the camp’s senior staff messhall.

‘What’s your name if I may ask?’ Ilayev turned to his anonymous young escort, he did not expect of course of his young escort to know who he really is, or why he was brought to this solitary camp; he simply wished to be friendly towards the young stranger, for his own good feelings.

‘Oh my name is Don and what’s your sir?’

‘Sam is my name,’ Ilayev answered him smiling. Don smiled back but that was the end of their very short conversation. They crossed the short distace up to the messhall, its door was open Ilayev went inside towards the broad table, while his young escort turned around and left.

Three men were sitting at the other side of the broad table. Ilayev pulled the nearest chair back, and sat down and faced the three of then, who were just several years older than himself.

‘We’ll have breakfast first and talk later.’ The camp commander said, his second in command sat at the boss left side and the one at the boss right side Ilayev has not seen him when he met the camp seniors at the first time, which was just yesterday.

Meanwhile food was served by two young men of the camp staff, and after a short “good appetite” his three senior hosts and Ilayev himself turned their attention to their plates.

With the meal over Ilayev was asked to present himself to his three senior hosts, in just general terms. ‘You’ll have to write down all about your career with the GRU, in your hut.’ The camp commander told him

At the end of Ilayev short description of his career, he was told again to finish his written report up to miday, when he’ll meet again his three hosts at lunch time.

@ Haim Kadman 2017 �" all rights reserved.