Breaking Barriers Chapter 49

Jordan

I was sitting in Cultural Attaché Belinky's office in the Russian Embassy once more, delivering a message.

"We are certain that Lysenko had an accomplice, one who facilitated his work in getting men and children into this country" Belinsky was blasé about it.

"But the man is dead, so exactly what proof do you have when you make these…accusations?" I shrugged as I worked on remaining impassive in the face of a man I'd quickly come to despise.

"Lysenko needed an accomplice to assist in getting people in and out of the country, someone who could get real passports for his people when they were needed" I have to give it to Belinsky, he was calm despite him realising that we must have worked out he was Lysenko's man in the embassy.

"And what does this supposition have to do with the Russian Embassy, Agent Shaw?" I made a dismissive gesture with my hand, waving his objection away as I spoke, happy to spell it out to make certain Belinsky realised that he was trapped.

"Who would be better placed to facilitate that than the Embassy's resident FSV officer? After all no one dares question his actions, not if they know what's good for them" Belinsky looked at me from the far side of the desk impassively.

"If you are so sure of these ridiculous allegations Agent Shaw, why haven't you approached the Ambassador about having me handed over to you" I smiled humourlessly.

"We both know that no ambassador in his right mind would do any such thing where the FSV Resident is concerned; it's more than his life is worth. No, you'll hide behind diplomatic immunity should I be stupid enough to try any such thing, which I'm not" He smiled altogether too smarmily for my tastes as he spoke.

"Then there is nothing more to talk about, is there?" I shook my head.

"Not officially no however I'm here to give you a heads up" He raised an eyebrow then asked the obvious question.

"About what exactly Agent Shaw?" I calmly explained so he'd realise he was going to find himself boxed in.

"The NYPD and the Bureau are working closely to track down Lysenko's accomplices and his financial dealings. With the amount of attention the case has generated it's got plenty of resources, the Bureau's Cyber Crimes unit is heavily engaged in it and as I'm sure you're aware, everything in cyberspace leaves a trail if you dig deep and hard enough to find it" I smiled quietly. "The Cyber Crimes unit are some of the best there is, they'll find everything sooner or later" Belinsky tried for dismissive.

"Why should this concern me, any such supposed evidence your people produce will be denounced as a blatant entrapment operation using manufactured evidence, nothing will come of it" I nodded, the slimy bastard was all too confident, it was time to shake that confidence.

"I believe that while you may well be correct in your estimation, I feel it would be in your best interests to leave the country, soon" Belinsky waved away my statement with an airy hand as he replied.

"Why Agent Shaw, what do I have to fear? I tell you I have done nothing illegal since I have arrived here and as you have agreed your accusations would come to nothing" I nodded, seemingly agreeably.

"My NYPD colleagues Detectives Benson and Beckett and Lieutenant Taylor all have taken this case very personally" I tipped my head to regard him as I continued. "When they find out who was Lysenko's partner and realise that you have diplomatic immunity, they are likely to take action" Belinsky sat a little straighter.

"What action? Is that a threat Agent Shaw?" I shrugged, uncaring of his concerns.

"All of them are experienced officers, all of them have contacts within the criminal community and many of those criminals will not take kindly to the use of children in the way Lysenko did, all it would take is a word to the right people and the person in question would end up on a slab as a murder victim, unless their body was never found" His outrage might have been real, or maybe faked, not that I cared.

"You dare to threaten me Agent Shaw?" I shook my head.

"You misunderstand me, I make no threats Mister Attaché; instead I am simply conveying information important to your continued health" He scowled at me from the other side of the desk.

"As I say, threats" I smiled, though I didn't mean it.

"Not at all, simply that given your…activities, you should return to Russia forthwith, somewhere you are beyond a request for extradition and any potential extra-judicial reprisals"

"Surely you are speaking in jest Agent Shaw?" Belinsky obviously thought I was bluffing, time to show him I wasn't.

"Does the name Sergei Alexander Popov mean anything to you?" I didn't miss the sudden widening of his eyes before he spoke slowly.

"I am...aware of the man" I sat back, settling into the chair as I spoke.

"Beckett and Benson went and saw him, walked right into Glechik Cafe and sat down and called him out over a cup of coffee for his people's involvement in protecting Lysenko. Popov wasn't happy, especially when they pointed out that the involvement of the Organisatzia may well become public" I shrugged, monumentally unconcerned. "I don't know exactly what was agreed between them, but Popov agreed to their request and pulled all support from Lysenko" I left the thought hang there for a while as I saw Belinsky thinking it over, his eyes staring at his desk top. The attaché was silent as I let him stew for a while until finally I spoke.

"I believe that, as attractive as New York is, you should return home to Moscow…soon" He looked up at me

"Why are you telling me this Agent Shaw, why should you seek to aid me?" I looked at him as I sat forward, resting my elbows on the arms of the chair and lacing my fingers as I regarded him over them.

"Much as it pains me to see you escape the retribution you so comprehensively deserve, I would rather see an unconscionable criminal escape than three fine officers go off the reservation to finalise the case" I thought of what Benson in particular might do if Belinsky walked free and suppressed a small shudder, it wouldn't be pretty. "The NYPD needs good officers and all three are outstandingly good at what they do. The NYPD can't afford to lose any of them seeking closure" Belinsky scrutinised me for a few seconds before speaking.

"So I am to just depart and you will let me?" I shook my head at him once and spoke.

"I'd suggest you have about a week at most before the investigation starts pointing your way" I stood and looked at him. "Moscow is nice this time of year, or so I'm told" he nodded.

"It is" I glanced at my shadow, I'd introduced him to Belinsky as my new partner but Chad Cartwright was actually from the counter-espionage side of the Bureau, I'd needed to bring them into this so I could confront Belinsky; he too stood as I addressed Belinsky.

"I will delay the investigation for as long as I can but for all our sake's you had better be gone before they find out" Belinsky looked at me unblinking for a moment. "My advice Mister Belinsky, is get out of New York while you still can"

With that I turned and left; Chad right beside me. We walked out through the Embassy's doors and towards our car as I glanced up at the building's elegant façade with the Russian flag hanging there. Chad looked at me and spoke.

"We'll keep him under surveillance but I think you're right, he'll be gone in a couple of days" I nodded and asked the obvious question.

"What then?" Chad glanced my way as he answered.

"Once he's out of the country and back in Russia, the FBI and State Department will have a pointed chat to the Russian ambassador" He smiled coldly. "Not a good look to have former and current FSV agents running a child sex slavery ring out of the Russian Embassy" I nodded.

"What will the Russians do?" I looked at him. "Will he be reassigned somewhere else?" Chad shrugged.

"We'll make it clear to the Ambassador and via our liaison people in Moscow that Belinsky is a blown asset, that every allied intelligence agency will be informed of what he's done" Chad glanced back at the embassy before continuing. "Given he was freelancing on the side and a likely embarrassment to both the country's and the FSV's reputation, from Moscow's perspective making attaché Belinsky permanently disappear will make the problem go away" I hit the remote to unlock the car as we approached it as Chad turned to look at me. "We owe you Jordan, we get to disrupt the FSV's activities here in New York and the Russians will have to send another attaché to replace Belinsky, giving us a chance to link them to the agents Belinsky's been running here when the new attaché reaches out to make contact with them"

I felt a sour taste in my mouth, I wanted Belinsky to face trial, to have what he'd done be proven in the full light of day and for him to be sentenced to a life of misery in prison, so many dead all screaming for justice and I was facilitating the primary accomplice's escape…

Chad must have seen it on my face.

"I know it's gotta stick in your craw to see him get away" I looked his way and nodded tightly. "But look at it this way, he's going to pay for what his done, not explicitly because of what he's helped Lysenko do, but he's going to wind up dead just the same" I shook my head.

"That's not justice, hell, it's not even vengeance; it's just politics" I felt like being sick. "It's not right" Chad must have understood why I was so pissed.

"Yeah, but unfortunately we don't see much justice in counter espionage and damned little vengeance either" I nodded as we got into the car.

The trip back to the Bureau's New York headquarters was silent.