“I am pleased to finally meet you, Colonel Frade.”
“Sergeant, please rustle up some coffee and maybe a couple of doughnuts for myself and the general, and then leave us alone.”
“Coming right up, sir,” Tedworth said.
Frade went behind the desk and sat down.
“We have a problem, General. But I think before we get into that, I should tell you why I said ‘we.’ For a number of reasons, including credible deniability, it has been decided to transfer command of Operation Ost to me. That’s effective this morning.”
Gehlen nodded but didn’t speak.
An inner door opened. Cronley was standing in it.
“Colonel, I thought I should tell you that when I’m in my quarters I can hear whatever is said in here.”
Frade considered his options for a moment and then said, “Take a seat.”
“Yes, sir,” Cronley said, and then sat in the chair across from Gehlen.
“Guten Morgen, Herr General.”
“Guten Morgen, Jim.”
“One might get the idea from that cordial, informal exchange, General,” Frade said, “that you and Captain Cronley have developed a personal as well as a professional relationship.”
“I think we have,” Gehlen said. “Wouldn’t you agree, Jim?”
Before Cronley could reply, Frade went on: “And that hasn’t changed in the last couple of days?”
“Because of Major Bischoff, you mean?”
“That’s your interrogation expert?”
“Yes.”
“Then because of what happened between Captain Cronley and your major.”
“I think, Colonel, that when I hear Captain Cronley’s version of the dispute, and weigh it against Bischoff’s, Bischoff’s far greater experience in these matters will be evident. But that certainly won’t cause me to dislike Jim.”
“You haven’t heard Cronley’s version?”
“I was going to ask him about it today.”
“Tell the general what you have been thinking, Captain Cronley,” Frade ordered.
“I offered Major Orlovsky a deal, General,” Cronley began.
“Based on his extensive experience in these matters, of course,” Frade said sarcastically. “And his very fertile imagination.”
The appearance of Sergeant Tedworth, carrying two coffee mugs and a plate of doughnuts, caused Cronley, at the last possible split second, not to say what had leapt to his lips.
Thank God!
Telling Clete to go fuck himself would have been really stupid. He couldn’t let me get away with it in front of Gehlen, and Gehlen wouldn’t like it either.
It would be one more proof for both of them that while Little Jimmy Cronley might be a nice boy, even a bright nice boy, that’s all he is, and thus any ideas he has are beneath the consideration of Frade, Gehlen, Bischoff and Company, the Wise Old Men of Kloster Grünau.
“We’re waiting, Captain Cronley,” Frade said.
Try to sound like a fellow intelligence professional. Use big words.
“When I realized that Major Bischoff’s deprivation of senses and humiliation tactics of interrogation were not working on Major Orlovsky, and actually were counterproductive — Orlovsky has resigned himself to being shot — I decided something else had to be done.
“‘What does this skilled NKGB officer want? What can I give him to get those names?’
“The answer was hope.”
“I don’t understand,” Gehlen said.
“I told him, General, that if he turned, I would move him to Argentina, and once he was there, if he gave us the names of your people that he has turned, I would get you to get his family out of Russia.”
The eyebrows on Gehlen’s normally expressionless face rose.
“I see what you mean about a fertile imagination,” he said.
“I went to see Major Orlovsky just now, General,” Frade said. “I walked into his cell, gave him a moment to wonder who I might be, and then said, ‘Well, Major, have you decided whether or not you want to go to Argentina?’”
“And?” Gehlen asked.
“What would you have expected his reaction to be, General?” Frade asked.
Gehlen considered the question for a moment before replying.
“I would guess that he wouldn’t reply at all,” Gehlen said. “Or that he would appear to play along, to see what he might learn.”
“What he did, General, was lose control. And if he was acting, he’s a better actor than John Barrymore.”
“He lost control?”
“Only for a moment, but in that moment, his chest heaved, he sobbed, and his eyes teared.”
“Interesting,” Gehlen said, softly and thoughtfully.
“He quickly regained control, but for a moment he had lost it.”
“And what did he say?”
“When he thought he had his voice — and himself — under control, he said, ‘Until you walked in here, Colonel, I really thought your young captain was desperately reaching for straws.’”
“Go on, please,” Gehlen said.
“I suppose,” Frade said, “I should’ve walked in there at least considering the possibility that my young captain had actually cracked Orlovsky — but I didn’t. So, I said the only thing I could think of: ‘Answer my question, Major Orlovsky.’”
“And?” Gehlen said softly.
“He said, ‘It is possible, unlikely but possible, that we might be able to work something out.’ To which I cleverly replied, ‘We’ll talk more about working something out,’ and left.”
Gehlen shook his head in disbelief, smiled, and said, “Jim, I underestimated you.”
“It would appear we both did,” Frade said.
“When I tell Konrad Bischoff this — if I tell him — he’ll be devastated,” Gehlen said, smiling. “I’m afraid he was looking happily forward to Jim getting his comeuppance from Colonel Mattingly.”
“You’re saying you think we can strike a deal with Orlovsky?” Frade asked.
“I think we would be foolish not to look very carefully at that possibility, no matter how remote it sounds.”
“General, I happily defer to your greater expertise,” Frade said. “Would you do that for us, sir? Lay it out?”
“Very well,” Gehlen said. “Simply, what we have is a skilled NKGB agent now in possession of information regarding Operation Ost that we cannot permit him to pass on to his superiors. What we want from him are the names of those of my people he’s turned. Now, what are we willing to pay for that information?”
Cronley began, “Sir—”
“Just sit there,” Frade snapped.
“Colonel, may I suggest that Cronley has earned the right to comment?” Gehlen said.
“Make it quick, Jimmy.”
“I was about to suggest that if we can turn him, he’s got more to tell us than the names of the Germans he’s turned.”
“True. But I suggest we’re getting a bit ahead of where we should be,” Gehlen said.
“Go ahead, General, please,” Frade said. “Cronley will hold any further comments he might wish to offer until you’re through.”
Gehlen nodded. “Colonel, can you make good on the promise to take him to Argentina?”
“Qualified answer, Generaclass="underline" Yes, but there are problems with that.”
“Let’s proceed with your ability to get him there, and deal with the problems later. The next question is: ‘Would it be worth the risk to my agents in place for them to try to get his family out of Russia?’ The answer to that, too, has to be qualified.
“Simple answer, yes. If we don’t get the names of the people Orlovsky — or perhaps someone else in the NKGB — has turned, they can cause enormous damage. So, if you agree, Colonel Frade, what I suggest we do is accept that the information Orlovsky has is worth his price. You will establish a new life for him in Argentina and I will attempt to get his family out of Russia. What are the problems you see?”