The Cardinal of the Kremlin - Tom Clancy [114]
And Vatutin thinks that this is merely a counterespionage case, Gerasimov grunted to himself.
The security procedures that revolved around CARDINAL data precluded Foley from sending any information in the normal way. Even one-time-pad ciphers, which were theoretically unbreakable, were denied him. So the cover sheet on the latest report would warn the A fraternity that the data being dispatched wasn't quite what was expected.
That realization lifted Bob Ritter right off his chair. He made his photocopies and destroyed the originals before walking to Judge Moore's office. Greer and Ryan were already there.
"He ran out of film," the DDO said as soon as the door was closed.
"What?" Moore asked.
"Something new came in. It seems that our KGB colleagues have an agent inside Tea Clipper who just gave them most of the design work on this new gollywog mirror gadget, and CARDINAL decided that that was more important. He didn't have enough film left for everything, so he prioritized on what the KGB is up to. We only have half of what their laser system looks like."
"Half might be enough," Ryan observed. That drew a scowl.
Ritter was not the least bit happy that Ryan was now A-cleared.
"He discusses the effects of the design change, but there's nothing about the change itself."
"Can we identify the source of the leak on our side?" Admiral Greer asked.
"Maybe. It's somebody who really understands mirrors. Parks has to see this right quick. Ryan, you've actually been there. What do you think?"
"The test I watched validated the performance of the mirror and the computer software that runs it. If the Russians can duplicate it-well, we know they have the laser part down pat, don't we?" He stopped for a moment. "Gentlemen, this is scary. If the Russians get there first, it blows away all the arms-control criteria, and it faces us with a deteriorating strategic situation. I mean, it would take several years before the problem manifests itself, but "
"Well, if our man can get another goddamned film cassette," the Deputy Director for Operations said, "we can get to work on it ourselves. The good news is that this Bondarenko guy that Misha selected to run the laser desk at the Ministry will report to our man regularly on what's happening. The bad news-"
"Well, we don't have to go into that now," Judge Moore said. Ryan didn't need to know any of that, his eyes told Ritter, who nodded instant agreement. "Jack, you said you had something else?"
"There's going to be a new appointment to the Politburo Monday-Ilya Arkadyevich Vaneyev. Age sixty-three, widower. One daughter, Svetlana, who works at GOSPLAN; she's divorced, with one child. Vaneyev is a pretty straight guy, honest by their standards, not much in the way of dirty laundry that we know about. He's moving up from a Central Committee slot. He's the guy who took over the agricultural post that Narmonov held and did fairly well at it. The thinking is that he's going to be Narmonov's man. That gives him four full voting members of the Politburo who belong to him, one more than the Alexandrov faction, and-" He stopped when he saw the pained looks on the other three faces in the office.
"Something wrong?"
"That daughter of his. She's on Sir Basil's payroll," Judge
Moore told him.
"Terminate the contract," Ryan said. "It would be nice to have that kind of source, but that kind of scandal now would endanger Narmonov. Put her into retirement. Reactivate her in a few years, maybe, but right now shut her the hell off."
"Might not be that easy," Ritter said, and let it go at that. "How's the evaluation coming?"
"Finished it yesterday."
"It's for the President's eyes plus a few others, but this one's going to be tightly held."
"Fair enough. I can have it printed up this afternoon. If that's all ?" It was. Ryan left the room.