Bomb Grade (19 page)

‘Moscow,' said Popov, unhappy at not having made himself clearer in front of Natalia and the two officials who were both members of their minister's secretariat.

‘In Russia, then?'

‘Of course it's in Russia!' said Popov, glad the Englishman was talking inadequately so soon after him.

Natalia knew Charlie's question hadn't been careless. ‘Where was
your
information that it was happening?'

He'd taught her to interrogate like that, recalled Charlie. Not
exactly
like that – the question assumed a fraction too much – but always to convey more knowledge than she possessed to lessen the guilt or importance of what her interviewee had to offer so they would provide even more. ‘There are widespread rumours in the West of an intended robbery. The Ukraine has been mentioned. Fuel rods, too.'

‘No,' rejected Popov, shortly.

‘Would you know, if it was the Ukraine?' demanded Kestler.

Cunt! thought Charlie, anguished. Why, when they were being led by the hand into the promised land, did the complete and utter asshole have to use their previous evening's rehearsal to denigrate the colonel in front of his superiors! As Popov's face tightened, Charlie hurriedly said, ‘Any material would, we know, be Russian. I think my colleague's question was to confirm the liaison between yourself and Kiev.' The attempted recovery could have been a thousand times better but it was preferable to leaving the rudeness hanging in the air. Calling Kestler a colleague had stuck in Charlie's throat. He wondered if the pain in his feet would worsen if he kicked the American like he wanted to, right in the crotch.

‘Of course there is excellent liaison,' said the grey-haired ministry official, as annoyed as Popov.

‘I didn't intend to suggest there wasn't,' mumbled the American, agonized by his thoughtlessness.

Natalia welcomed the diversion, although she didn't take her attention away from Charlie. He'd be furious, she guessed: writhing inside. He'd told her once that was why he hated working in any sort of group or even with another person: he took full responsibility for his own mistakes but refused to inherit those of others. He had every cause to be upset today: the American, whom she half-suspected of sexually appraising her, was badly displaying his inexperience. Moving to lessen the hostility but not to excuse the man, Natalia said sarcastically, ‘There were messages, about information? Was that
it
?'

‘Quite obviously nothing to do with what we're here today to discuss,' seized Charlie, gratefully. He allowed a hopeful smile towards Natalia for the first time.

She didn't respond. ‘It would seem not.'

‘Then perhaps we should concentrate upon what we
are
here to talk about?'

‘That would be a sensible idea.' Natalia delivered that line to Kestler, completing the rebuke.

‘Where, in the northeast?' Charlie demanded, directly.

‘Near Kirov.'

Which wasn't a straight answer, Charlie recognized. It probably didn't matter: most of the Russian nuclear sites were known by Washington or London so it could be identified by a process of elimination. ‘When?'

‘Within the next month.'

Didn't know or wouldn't say? wondered Charlie. Or was she intentionally making him beg for crumbs? If she was, he was content to do so: he wasn't in any hurry to end the meeting. What he was in a hurry about was to have another one, as soon as possible. Just the two of them. He wanted to reach out, to touch her, feel her softness and her warmth and have her touch him back, like she'd done when they were together, a reaching out to know one was with the other. ‘How, exactly, is our involvement to be limited?'

Natalia was enjoying playing with him, showing him how much she remembered of what he'd taught her, hoping he'd realize she was taunting him. He'd tried to out-fence her with that question but it wouldn't work because she could use it to demonstrate how secondary he was going to be. Charlie had never liked being secondary in anything. ‘You will not, of course, be allowed to take any part in the actual interception operation: to go anywhere near the site, in fact. Your involvement will be restricted to that of observers, during planning. You will be informed of the identities of the criminals concerned, after their arrest. And attend any trial, if you so wish.'

He might as well be sitting with a begging bowl in front of him instead of a blotting pad, thought Charlie. Hoping against hope that Kestler wouldn't butt in and ruin the possibility of her saying more, Charlie delayed his response by pouring himself water.

You'll have to do better than that, thought Natalia; you were too good a teacher. Ask, Charlie; ask humbly.

Kestler spoiled the contest. ‘I am authorized by my Bureau to offer any technical assistance you might require,' the man blurted.

In front of him Charlie saw Popov reach out for Natalia's arm. She bent her head towards the man and then nodded. Coming back to them Popov said, ‘We appreciate the offer, but I think our facilities are quite adequate.'

Charlie's concentration wasn't fully upon the predictable rejection. There was nothing unusual in the man getting Natalia's attention by touching her arm, but Popov had remained holding it as he'd talked and Charlie thought Natalia had begun but then stopped an impromptu movement to cover Popov's hand with hers. Ridiculous, Charlie thought: in the bewilderment of being confronted by Natalia he was trying too hard and seeing significance where none existed. The colonel had been surprisingly over-familiar and any shift by Natalia, if indeed she had stirred, would have been a gesture of displeasure. Discarding the unnecessary reflection Charlie said, ‘I'd like to make clear that I am extremely grateful to be included. And although I naturally accept the limitation of an observer I would appreciate the opportunity to contribute during the planning.' There, he thought, I'm practically on my knees. And talking like a recorded message, which should read well in the transcript he intended sending back to London to prove to everyone he was behaving exactly as he had been told.

Natalia felt Popov go forward, to respond, but quickly spoke ahead of him. ‘I'm sure we would welcome any worthwhile contribution.' Charlie was far too clever to be ignored: besides which, the idea of virtually having Charlie work
for
her appealed to Natalia. She hoped he'd interpret it that way, too. Beside her Aleksai was doodling squares within squares along the edge of his blotter. She'd indulged herself, Natalia conceded, enjoyed too much the unexpected ease of meeting Charlie again and of proving to everyone – herself most of all – that she was the person to whom they all had to defer. Which she'd proved enough. Now it was time to defer herself, to let Aleksai take over. Things were still strained between them and she wanted to make amends, not worsen the situation by dominating everything. She pulled back, physically withdrawing, and said, ‘Mine is, of course, the overall responsibility. Colonel Popov is the operational director.'

The renewed introduction appeared to surprise Popov, who hesitated for several moments, once looking at Natalia as if for guidance before coming back to the two men. It was Kestler who responded to Popov's invitation for any further questions. Charlie decided, quickly, the American's mistakes had come from the younger man being over-impressed at the echelon with which they were dealing. He'd adjusted now, probing generally to begin with rather than snatching isolated points out of the air and Charlie withdrew, too, letting the meeting briefly move away from him. His apparent attention upon Popov, as the man spoke, hid his absorption upon Natalia. She, too, deflected to Kestler and occasionally to the two government officials, but a lot of the time she remained looking directly at him.

Where was the sign? Charlie accepted, as the anxious thought came to him, that it was ridiculous to expect her to behave in any way other than with strict formality – just as it was impossible for him to do anything else in front of the men by whom she was surrounded – but he wanted
something
from her, a signal or a hint. A signal or a hint about what? That she was glad to see him; that everything was going to be all right? That wasn't just ridiculous. That was downright bloody madness; the utter delusion of a rambling mind. He was being irrational. Fantasizing, like a lovelorn schoolboy. Charlie didn't like being irrational or letting himself fantasize and most certainly not thinking like a schoolboy, lovelorn or suffering any other sort of dementia.

The reflection was shattered by Popov's revelation of the size of the intended haul. Charlie was so startled he exclaimed, ‘How much?' and didn't give a damn that his shock was obvious.

‘250 kilos,' repeated Popov.

‘A bomb the size of that which killed 40,000 people in Nagasaki can be made from five kilos of plutonium,' recited Charlie, dead-voiced. ‘Which means 250 kilos could kill about 2,000,000. And mutilate and injure millions more.'

There was echoing silence in the room for several moments before Popov said, ‘We've had the same estimate from our nuclear experts. We know
why
we've got to stop it.'

‘I think we all do,' said Charlie.

‘And we will,' insisted Popov. ‘I will contact both of you, in advance of the final planning meeting.'

Charlie wrote hurriedly on the provided notepad while Popov talked. As the man finished, Charlie slid the sheet of paper across the table more towards Natalia than her deputy. ‘My home number here in Moscow, if it has to be out of embassy hours.' It wasn't good – in fact it was bumping along at schoolboy level again – but it was the best he could think of.

‘I've already got that, too,' reminded Popov.

‘Then we don't need it again, do we?' said Natalia, picking up the note and crushing it into a discarding ball.

Charlie remained annoyed at the American's gaffes but the fury-of-the-moment had gone and there wasn't any benefit in further belittling the man who apologized anyway the moment they got into the car.

‘Just wanted to get things clear,' said Kestler. ‘And I was
told
to make the technology offer.'

‘No damage done,' dismissed Charlie, who wasn't dismissing the experience entirely: he really would have to be careful he wasn't caught by the fallout of anything the other man might do.

‘I was right, wasn't I?' demanded the relieved Kestler.

‘I owe you $5,' accepted Charlie.

‘This is going to be commendation stuff! Bureau performance medal even!'

‘Let's hope.'

‘We've got a problem, though. What about Balg and Fiore? You think we should tell them?'

‘No!' said Charlie, immediately alarmed. ‘They start feeding stuff back through their own agencies it could leak out to whoever the customers are in Europe and completely screw the cooperation we've been offered today. And keep us permanently on the outside in the future.'

‘So what are we going to tell them?'

‘Bugger all!' determined Charlie. ‘We were told Moscow had heard of the Ukraine business and were in contact with Kiev. We'll let them know if we hear anything more and in the meantime we'd like to be told whatever else they get from their sources.'

Kestler frowned. ‘That's pretty shitty.'

‘Life's pretty shitty,' insisted Charlie.

‘They'll know we lied to them, when it all comes out.'

‘You want to risk losing two hundred and fifty kilos of weapons graded nuclear explosives!'

‘Of course not!'

‘Then the Germans and the Italians don't get told.' He very definitely had to guard against Kestler, Charlie decided again.

‘You debriefed him, all those years ago?'

‘Yes.'

‘He didn't show any sign of recognition.'

‘I scarcely recognized him.'

The ministry observers had agreed it was a good meeting but Natalia welcomed the private review between herself and Popov. He was still aloof, restricting himself to the examination of the earlier conference. She still hadn't received his threatened dissenting memorandum but Natalia was determined not to ask if he still intended to submit one. Just as she was determined not to be the first to cross the line into their personal relationship in anything she did or said. It had been more than a week now since their argument.

‘You even identified yourself, by name!'

‘It was hardly likely he'd draw attention to himself and to what happened in the past, was it?' Aleksai's curiosity was entirely understandable.

‘He must know we'd have a file!'

‘Not necessarily. A lot of the KGB files went with the end of the organization. He didn't know until today it would be me he was meeting.' Which was true, Natalia thought. He'd handled the surprise very well, professionally. It was personal situations he'd been incapable of dealing with. Not her problem any more. Natalia had been surprised at herself; surprised how easy it really had been for her.

‘I don't think he's very good!'

Charlie's best trick, Natalia remembered: getting people to despise him. ‘He's only observing. He can't cause any problems'

‘I didn't expect you to accept his contributing, at the planning sessions to come.'

‘Why not? He can contribute. We don't have to act on anything he suggests. It's simply giving them the impression of involvement.' Was there any point in letting the distance remain between herself and Aleksai? She'd imposed her will and he had every right to be offended. But it wasn't a game between them, a contest with a winner and a loser.

‘We can't guess what the American would be like under pressure: he could be unpredictable,' said Popov.

Natalia wondered what description Aleksai would have chosen for Charlie if he'd known the man as well as she did. ‘They'll both be totally under our control, at all times. They can't disrupt anything at Kirs.'