He thought about secrets and how to keep them from Peter Thorpe, and from Thorpe’s Soviet bosses. West wanted to believe that the mind was capable of overcoming nearly any adversity, including pain, suffering, drugs, and all the tools of the torturer’s trade. He believed that given the time, he could go into a protective self-hypnosis, which would reduce the pain and confuse the polygraph and voice analyzer. He knew, too, that he was more intelligent than Peter Thorpe, that Thorpe had serious personality flaws, not to mention more fundamental problems of the mind.
On the other hand, West realized, Thorpe was, as he’d said, a professional. There was a serious question in West’s mind as to whether or not he could defeat Thorpe, or at least stall him for any length of time.
West also thought about Ann, Patrick O’Brien, and Katherine. Thorpe was a one-man reign of terror, a man who had conjured up a living nightmare for those around him, and who would do the same for a nation of 240 million people.
West tried to determine what his duty and obligation were in this situation. The Company’s manual on the subject was explicit: If captured in a Communist country, stick to your cover no matter what. If tortured, and unable to resist, use every means available to kill yourself.
But this wasn’t a Communist country — yet. The manual went on: In those rare instances where an agent or other employee is held incommunicado by foreign and/or enemy agents in a friendly country, he must make every effort to escape the confines of his imprisonment, or as circumstances permit, make contact with the outside. If possible he must kill or capture one or more of his captors. Suicide is permissible as a last resort only if captivity will lead to the compromising of fellow agents or the divulgence of sensitive information under torture.
West thought about that. Rational advice. But probably not written by a man who had ever been strapped to a table and attached to electrodes. And not written for a man who was primarily a historian and former college teacher.
“A penny’s worth of electricity for your thoughts, Nicko.”
West looked quickly to his right.
“The polygraph shows some deep and dark thinking.” Thorpe pulled up the stool and sat. “I spoke to my friends in Glen Cove. They’re not satisfied with the results of our preliminary discussions. If the quality doesn’t improve soon, they want you delivered to them.”
West cleared his throat. “You’re lying. You’re trying to frighten me. Put the voice analyzer where I can see it, so I can tell when you’re lying to me.”
Thorpe laughed loudly. “Well, that’s what happens when the truth drugs wear off and you have time to think clearly. You’ll need some sodium pent to soften you up again.” He reached out and turned an adjustment key on the intravenous tube. “Nobody likes a smartass, Nick.”
West said, “Peter, the drugs aren’t—”
Thorpe had his eye on the analyzers and his hand on the electrical transformer. “Aren’t what, Nick? Aren’t necessary? Go on, finish the sentence.”
“Aren’t… I mean, they…”
Thorpe laughed. “You have to learn you can’t make offhand, half-assed remarks, Nicko. Now go on and finish the sentence.”
“I… I meant the drugs are useful… to make me… more talkative… and to lower my resistance… ”
“Right you are.” Thorpe moved his hand from the transformer. “Look, I don’t have the time right now to keep jolting you, so why don’t you confine your remarks to truthful answers? That’s a piece of good advice. Okay?”
Thorpe lit a cigarette and made some adjustments in the two analyzers. “All right… What should we talk about now? Talbot? No… that can wait for Kate. Actually, I did speak to my pals in Glen Cove. They’re interested in the fact that you know something about their little electrical experiment. So why don’t we talk about that? First—”
“Peter, if I told you all I knew, which is not much, and if you put that together with whatever else you discover, then you might arrive at the answer to what the Soviets have planned.”
“So? That’s the point. They want to know what the CIA knows.”
“But they would not let you live once you knew. There probably aren’t ten people in the Soviet Union who know what this is about. It’s the biggest secret in the world — the ultimate plan to destroy America. You may not know that secret.”
“Are we back to trying to scare me? You know, Nick, I thought about that. And I think that James is Talbot. And I don’t think he’d let them kill his only son.”
West actually smiled. “How can you be so naive? What do you mean to him? Anyone who could betray his friends and his country for nearly half a century is heartless. How many people has James Allerton killed or caused to be killed? You’re a rank amateur compared to that man.”
Thorpe drew thoughtfully on his cigarette. “Perhaps. I can see why the Russians might want me out of the way until July Fourth, but I’m too valuable for them to do away with me. I think I have to lay low awhile. After the Stroke I will emerge in a position of power.”
“As what? Commissar of the insane asylums?”
Thorpe seemed not to hear. He said, “But thank you for thinking of me, Nick. That’s what you’re here for. To use your fabled brain in my service.”
“I thought it was in the service of your masters.”
Thorpe threw down his cigarette. “You do need to be softened up.” He increased the flow of sodium pentothal. “What you really need is a good gut-wrenching, backbreaking, bladder-releasing surge of electricity. Just give me an excuse.” Thorpe tugged on the clips attached to West’s scrotum. “Your balls are not surge arrestors. They’re conductors.” He laughed. “So, tell me about surge arrestors.”
West’s face went pale, then he found his voice and said, “Surge arrestors… are like circuit breakers. They trip off when there’s a surge in electricity… they protect electrical components… After the surge has passed… they are switched back on… ”
“And the Russians have fitted out their Glen Cove house with these?”
“Apparently.”
“Why? And don’t say to protect against lightning.”
West swallowed dryly. “Water—”
“Talk!” Thorpe reached for the transformer.
West said quickly, “EMP… Lightning reproduces the effects of EMP… lightning can be used to test EMP protective devices… ”
“Hold on. What the hell is EMP?”
“Electromagnetic pulse. The Compton effect… Like an electrical storm… It would destroy every computer in the country… every microchip circuit would burn out. Wipe out all telephone communications… all radios and televisions… electronic controls in planes, cars, boats, missiles… instruments in laboratories, electronics in factories, hospitals… the entire energy grip would burn out… air traffic control… nothing left… Everything would be in shambles… every circuit in the country burnt out… the end of technology… crippled economy… crippled defense capability.”
Thorpe stayed silent for several seconds, then said, “Jesus Christ.” He leaned closer to West. “Are you certain?”
“Yes… it’s been known for some time. The effects of electromagnetic pulse… disastrous… America is rushing to protect vital systems… but … no one can be sure the protection would work… difficult to reproduce the effects of EMP in a test situation… lightning is the closest thing… ”
“But how can the Russians produce EMP, West? How?”
“Easy… but it would be risky for them… it might cause us to launch a nuclear retaliation… no choice but to retaliate… if the President could communicate the order to strike. EMP is the biggest threat to national security… O’Brien had a suspicion… because of Russian procurement of EMP protection technology… Fiber optics… surge arrestors… Faraday shields… cable shields… EMP filters and chokes… systems to harden all their electrical and electronics.”