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.Last Thursday morning a couple of agents picked up an unauthorised transmission on one of our KGB channels.Either temporary interference from some commercial station caused us to tune in a different frequency momentarily or else some guy is in possession of an illegal transmitter for our frequency.The only thing our boys heard was: "Come in, Tony.I just dropped the Senator back for his committee meeting and I'm." The voice stopped transmitting abruptly and we couldn't find it again.Perhaps the conspirators had been listening in on our conversations, and this time one of them without thinking started to transmit on our frequency as well; it's easy enough to do.The agents who heard it filed a report concerning the illegal use of our frequency without realising its particular significance.'Mark was leaning forward in his chair.'Yes, Andrews,' said the Director.'I know what's going through your mind: 10:30 am.The message was sent at 10:30 am.''10:30 am, 3 March,' said Mark urgently.'Let me just check.which committees were already in progress.' He opened his file.'DirksenBuilding.that hour.I have the details at hand somewhere, I know,' he continued as he flicked through his papers.'Three possibilities, sir.The Foreign Relations andGovernment Operations committees were in sessionthat morning.On the floor of the Senate they were debating the Gun Control bill: that seems to be takingup a lot of their time right now.''Now we may be getting somewhere,' said the Director.'Can you tell from your records how many of your fifteen were in the Capitol on 3 March and what they were up to?'Mark leafed through the fifteen sheets of paper and slowly divided them into two piles.'Well, it isn't conclusive, sir, but I have no record of these eight' - he placed his hand on one of the piles - 'being in the Senate that morning.The remaining seven were definitely there.None on the Government Operations Committee.Two on Foreign Relations - Pearson and Nunn, sir.The other five are Brooks, Byrd, Dexter, Harrison and Thornton.They were all on the floor.And they were all on the Judiciary Committee, Gun Control bill, as well.'The Director grimaced.'Well, as you say, Andrews, it's hardly conclusive.But it's all we have, so you concentrate on those seven.With only four days, it's a chance we will have to take.Don't get too excited just because we had one lucky break, and double-check that those eight could not have been in Dirksen that morning.Now, I am not going to risk putting seven senators under surveillance.Those folks on the Hill are suspicious enough of the FBI as it is.We'll have to use different tactics.Politically, we can't take a chance on a full-scale investigation.I'm afraid we'll have to find our man by using the only clues we're certain of - where he was on Thursday, 24 February at lunchtime, and this 10:30 Judiciary Committee meeting last week.So don't bother with the motive - we needn't waste time second-guessing that, Andrews.Just keep looking for ways of narrowing the list, and spend the rest of the day at the Foreign Relations Committee and the floor of the Senate.Talk to the staff directors.There is nothing they don't know - public or private — about the senators.''Yes, sir.''And one more thing.I'm having dinner with the President tonight so I may be able to glean some information from her which could help us reduce the number of suspects.''Will you tell the President, sir?'The Director of the FBI paused.'No, I don't think so.I still believe we have the problem under control.I see no reason for worrying her at this stage, certainly not before I'm convinced we're likely to fail.'Finally the Director passed over an Identikit picture of the Greek priest.'Mrs Casefikis's version,' he said.'What do you think of it?''It's not a bad likeness at all,' said Mark.'Maybe a little fleshier around the jaws than that.Those men really know their job.''What worries me,' said the Director, 'is that I've seen that damn face before.So many criminals have come across my path that to remember one of them is almost impossible.Maybe it will come to me.''I do hope it comes before Thursday, sir,' said Mark, without thinking.'So do I,' Tyson replied grimly.'And to think I was only twenty-four hours behindhim.It hurts.''Think yourself lucky, young man.If you had been ahead of him, I think Ariana Casefikis would now be dead and so might you.I've still got a man on Mrs Casefikis's home just in case he returns, but I think he is far too professional a bastard to risk that.'Mark agreed.'Professional bastard,' he repeated.The red light on the internal telephone winked.'Yes, Mrs McGregor?''You'll be late for your appointment with Senator Hart.'Thank you, Mrs McGregor.' He put the phone down.'I'll see you at the same time tomorrow, Mark.' It was the first time he had called him Mark.'Leave no stone unturned; only four days left.'Mark took the elevator down and left the building by his usual route.He didn't notice he was being followed from the other side of the street.He went to the SenateOfficeBuilding and made appointments to see the staff directors of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees.The earliest either could manage was the following morning
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