The Kremlin's Candidate: A Novel полностью

“Are you enjoying Moscow, General?” said Dominika. “Are you in your apartment?” She knew all Chinese Embassy diplomats had strict rules and were forced to live kak seledka v bochke, packed like herrings in the barrel, in prefab high-rises on the embassy’s five-acre walled compound on Druzhby Street, near Moscow State University.

“I am fortunate to have been assigned a comfortable flat in a large building on Minskaya Ulitsa, in the diplomatic quarter, not far from the embassy. I can walk when the weather permits,” said General Sun. “My assistant and a housekeeper live with me.” Interesting. He’s allowed to live off compound, very unusual. Staying loose to be able to operate in Moscow? Living apart also means we can get to him, if we eventually see an opening. Welcome to Moscow! Your comely neighbor lady might need to borrow a cup of Sparrow sugar some evening.

“I trust that soon we can host you at Headquarters in Yasenevo,” said Dominika.

“Delighted,” said General Sun, reserved.

“I understand your service is interested in expanding cooperation,” said Dominika.

“Most assuredly,” said Sun. “My organization—I apologize for the long title—the Zhonghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Guójia Anquánbù, the Ministry of State Security, is especially interested in your service’s recognized expertise in counterintelligence. As you are chief of that department, we wish to learn from you.” He bowed from his seat. Was the MSS worried about a specific CI problem? She knew SVR officers in the Beijing rezidentura were trolling for elusive Chinese contacts, but Dominika was not aware of any major SVR operations currently running against China. Maybe her CIA colleagues were causing trouble.

This is good, really good, she thought. Dominika could exploit this liaison relationship on three levels: she would elicit MSS counterintelligence philosophy and techniques; she could pass dezinformatsiya, disinformation, to Beijing about Russian intentions toward China (Gorelikov would like that); and she would report it all to Benford and Nate. General Sun seemed mild and polite, but her instincts told her—like with Gorelikov—not to underestimate him.

Benford sat at a conference table in Headquarters with Tom Forsyth, Nate Nash, and Lucius Westfall. Coffee cups, files, folders, and pads of paper literally covered the table. The empty chair at the end of the small table reminded them of Gable, and they felt his presence in the room. They wished he were with them, for this was a desperate gathering. A mole hunt. At Benford’s behest, Westfall and Nash had cautiously researched the backgrounds, without approvals from the office of the Acting Director, of the three candidates for the new Director, a violation of at least a dozen Agency regulations, if not a handful of federal ones. They were all complicit by their presence in this room.

“We screened for three criteria,” said Westfall. “Substantive access to the US Navy railgun program; continuing access of interest to the Russians for approximately the last five years; and the last category, which is subjective, vulnerability, motivation, inclination—you’ll have to decide yourselves.”

“Why five years?” said Benford. “DIVA reported that MAGNIT’s been in harness for at least twelve years.”

Westfall swallowed. “We figured if we identify five years of access, we get an indication. Besides, MAGNIT may have been dormant or on ice for a couple of years.”

Benford nodded. “As you report on your findings, and if it does not tax your millennial intellects, remember we are looking as hard for reasons to exclude any one of the three as a suspect, as we are for incriminating evidence. The Russians cannot be running all three of them. And we don’t have much time.”

“Okay, Senator Feigenbaum’s been on the intelligence and armed services committees for twenty years,” said Westfall. “She voted to fund the railgun through the development process and can request any information from the navy anytime she wants.”

“Motivation?” said Forsyth. “She’s a US senator for Christ sakes.”

“Debatable,” said Nate. “She’s traveled a lot overseas all her career, including lots of contacts with the Soviets. Maybe she’s retiring soon, wants a cabinet job. We thought maybe she’s building a nest egg.”

“But we found out she doesn’t need a nest egg,” said Westfall. “We did a full financial dive on all the candidates. The senator has thirty million dollars in the bank and in real estate.”

“Don’t discount the amassing of title and power,” said Benford. “It’s what makes the whole Congress tick. The ultimate aphrodisiac among a large herd of narcissists.”