Spyder Web

61

Medics aboard the Royal Marine helicopter successfully revived Kang en route to the hospital at the naval air station. The nearly drowned spy alternated between halfchocked gasps of air and violent spasms of coughed-up water and vomit. The medics placed a splint on his damaged leg, immobilizing it for the rest of their journey to the hospital. Kilkenny sat back in the jump seat next to one of the navy divers, keeping a wary eye on Kang, while a medic attended to his arm.

Among Kang’s personal effects they found his soaked clothing and a sealed optical-disk cartridge containing the stolen cipher files. Kang Fa’s operation to capture the new American encryption technology had come within a few hundred meters of success.

A pair of ambulances met the helicopter at the landing pad; one staffed with a RMP escort took charge of the prisoner on his way to the base infirmary. The marine doctors treated Kilkenny’s laceration with thirty stitches and a mild painkiller. A steaming-hot shower and some dry clothes were prescribed as treatment for a mild case of exposure from the cold river. Kilkenny had just finished suiting up in the duty uniform of a royal marine when Mosley and Axton arrived at his room.

‘Will you look at that, Mosley. First this Yank of yours bungles up my operation and now we find him impersonating an officer in Her Majesty’s marines. You could get twenty years for that, Kilkenny.’

Kilkenny grasped Axton’s hand and returned the man’s warm smile. ‘And here I thought they looked rather good on me. Compliments of the base commander.’

‘They look damn good on you,’ Mosley admitted while happily shaking Kilkenny’s hand. ‘After what you did today, I’m sure they’re proud to have you wear their uniform. I do have one question for you, though. Why the hell did you run off with Yakushev? Axton’s people are on the warpath — they’ve been trying to find him all week.’ Axton’s eyes rolled as Mosley asked this question, a gesture that spoke volumes about the frustrating chase that Yakushev had put British Intelligence through. ‘For all you knew, Yakushev might have been working for the other side.’

‘I don’t know. Instincts, I guess. Something told me I could trust him, and from what he told me, I think he once worked for both sides.’

Axton glowered for a moment.Kilkenny couldn’t have known that his remark about Yakushev’s past was considered a serious breach of the Official Secrets Act. Knowledge of Andrei Yakushev was one of many things that Kilkenny would have to be sworn to secrecy about before he left Britain.

Mosley just shook his head with a smile at the young man he’d come to admire over the past few weeks. ‘Well, given the way things turned out, I’m kind of glad you followed your gut.’

‘Thanks,’ Kilkenny replied. ‘How are Stone and Yakushev?’

‘I received word that both are doing fine,’ Axton replied with great satisfaction. ‘Stone is in surgery right now and expected to recover completely. Yakushev, that stubborn old bastard, came through with nothing more serious than a bad case of the chills.’

‘What about the others?’

‘Those who survived this afternoon are in custody. Roe and Kang are both under guard in the prison wing of the base hospital. Parnell is still missing and presumed drowned. We’re dragging the river for his body.’

‘Best of all,’ Mosley added, ‘we got the whole transaction from Chicago to London covered and verified, right down to the computer in Parnell’s office. The case against them is airtight. Thanks to you, we’ve just shut down a major player in the world of industrial espionage.’

‘I’m just glad I could help,’ Kilkenny replied modestly. ‘Say, when can I get out of here?’

‘Your doctors have informed me that you can leave the base hospital now. If you like, we can have a car come around to take you back to your hotel.’ Axton’s demeanor subtly became more official. ‘We would like to take your statement regarding today’s activities.’

‘No problem,’ Kilkenny replied with an understanding nod of the head. ‘My plane doesn’t leave until Sunday.’

News of Kilkenny’s heroics on the Thames was spread across the front pages of London’s Saturday-morning papers, with eyewitness accounts and dramatic action photos of the flaming boat wreck and the helicopter rescue to titillate the readers. A few patrons in the hotel recognized Kilkenny as he entered the restaurant for breakfast and congratulated him on a job well done. Kilkenny blushed with embarrassment at his sudden notoriety and took the praise politely. Nothing like this had ever happened after a SEAL mission.

His waiter brought over complimentary copies of the morning papers and even asked for an autograph after Kilkenny had ordered. Though different in style, both papers told essentially the same story about Parnell’s industrial-espionage activities and the investigation that had ended with a fiery boat race down the Thames. Neither paper mentioned Kang Fa and the U.S. ciphers, nor did either report anything about Yakushev and Roe. Only Parnell and Kilkenny were mentioned by name, with Kilkenny being portrayed as a consultant to British security forces who had bravely jumped into action when duty called and aided SAS officers in preventing Parnell’s escape.

A car arrived at ten o’clock to escort Kilkenny to the American embassy, where he would make his official statement. His story, from beginning to end, took the better part of two hours, followed up by another hour of questions to double-check details surrounding his involvement with the whole affair.

‘Ready to go home?’ Mosley asked as Kilkenny emerged from the conference room where he’d given his deposition.

‘I thought I was finished with debriefings like that when I left the navy.’

Mosley gave Kilkenny a sympathetic nod. ‘I’ve been on both sides of these question-and-answer sessions, and it never gets any easier. As long as you’re involved with these kinds of situations, there will be questions when it’s over.’

‘I’ve got a couple of questions of my own.’

‘Shoot. I’ll answer them, if I can, but anything I say is off the record.’

‘What’s the story with Kang Fa? It’s as if his whole part in this mess has conveniently disappeared.’

‘It has.Kang will never stand trial because our government won’t allow the cipher files to be admitted as evidence. In a secondary development, Kang Fa has been officially disowned by the government of the People’s Republic of China; he’s a man without a country. For the next few years, Kang will reside in a maximumsecurity facility while discreet negotiations for his return to China drag on. He’s a blue chip, so our people and the Brits are going to want quite a lot in trade. I assume that your next question has to do with Yakushev and Roe.’

‘Yes.’

Mosley cracked the knuckles on his right hand and shook the fingers out. ‘Officially, Andrei Yakushev died back in 1991. He was murdered by order of the KGB chairman, and you never met him. There is, however, an elderly gentleman with an Eastern European accent currently enjoying his retirement in the English countryside. As for Ms Roe, both the U.S. and British governments had no choice but to grant her immunity from prosecution; she simply can’t be put on trial in connection with the theft of the Spyder, Cole’s murder, or anything involving Kang Fa’s intelligence operation. However, this immunity does not come without a price, and it’s a steep one. Roe must provide a thorough and accurate report on all her activities as a spy, both working for the Russians and on her own. She must also assist us in dismantling Parnell’s organization. This is going to take her out of circulation for a number of years.’

‘So no charges will come out of all this?’

‘A lot of Parnell’s clients and associates will end up in jail on industrial-espionage charges, but no one will be tried for crimes specifically tied to the cipher files or the Spyder. But don’t be too disappointed. On a different level, justice has been served.’