*

Igor Solomatin worked independently of the Soviet embassy in Rome, under false documentation and identity, and was sure he was undetected; but he still returned to Moscow by the prescribed dog-leg route, flying from Italy to Paris and then from Paris to Amsterdam, to pick up the Aeroflot connection to Moscow. He made the entire journey unaware of the rotating check squad of eight men instructed by Kalenin to act as his protection.

The man entered the spartan office at the rear of Dzerzhinsky Square respectful but not awed by his surroundings, and Kalenin was impressed: to be awed meant to be overly nervous and nervous people made mistakes. As close as he was to success, Kalenin was determined against any mistakes.

For more than an hour Solomatin sat attentively forward in his seat as Kalenin outlined the operation, the only movement an occasional nod. At the end Kalenin said, ‘Well?’

‘It should work,’ said Solomatin.

Kalenin smiled, impressed again; most field operatives would have been fawning in their praise. He lighted a tubed cigarette and said, ‘How is he?’

‘Frightened,’ said Solomatin.

‘A lot rests upon him.’

‘He recognizes that.’

‘Can he do it?’

‘I think so,’ said Solomatin. ‘What about the Englishman?’

‘The flight reservations have been made. Once he’s there, there’s nothing he can do to avoid involvement. Are you sure of the Italian?’

‘He’s ready.’

Kalenin offered a file across the desk. ‘There are all the details of the alarm system and burglar protection…’ He stopped, at a sudden thought. ‘He speaks and reads English, I suppose?’

‘Sufficiently,’ assured Solomatin.

Kalenin depressed the summons button on the desk intercom and said, ‘Someone is returning to join those already with you in Rome. His name is Vasily Leonov.’

Solomatin turned, as the outer door opened. A slim, fair-haired man stood there. He wore Western-style clothes and there was about him a vague, almost distracted, attitude that Solomatin had known among professors at university. It was a fleeting impression, replaced at once by the suspicion that ground control of the operation was being taken from him.