Chapter 302 - 85: Meeting with the United States Intelligence Agency (Part 2)

Chapter 302: Chapter 85: Meeting with the United States Intelligence Agency (Part 2)

"I need time to think," Werner said.

"Of course," Charlie said. "But don’t take too long. You have two more days in New York. I hope to have your answer before you leave."

"If I agree, how exactly would we cooperate?"

"It’s simple," Charlie said. "We won’t contact you often—maybe three or four times a year, each time using a different method. It could be a phone call, a letter, or a face-to-face meeting. You provide information, and we provide payment."

"What kind of payment?"

"Money," Charlie said. "Deposited into a Swiss Bank account of your choosing. Also, if you ever need help—say, you need to leave East Germany, or you need a new identity—we can arrange it."

Werner fell silent.

This was a transaction.

A deal for his future.

"I’ll give you an answer tomorrow." Werner stood up.

"Good." Charlie also stood and walked to the door. "Werner, I understand your caution. But I want you to know, we aren’t threatening you or setting you up. We just want to establish a mutually beneficial relationship."

"I know," Werner said.

Werner walked out of the apartment, down the stairs, and onto the street.

The night air was cool, a sobering feeling on his face.

He lit a cigarette and walked slowly toward the main street.

His mind was racing.

’The CIA’s proposal sounds tempting,’ he thought. ’I wouldn’t have to sell out core secrets, just provide some peripheral information in exchange for a lifeline.’

But he also knew that once he started, there would be no turning back.

He reached the main street and hailed a taxi.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Manhattan," Werner said. "The Plaza Hotel."

The car started and drove off into the night.

It was already midnight when he returned to the hotel.

Werner took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and lay down on the bed.

But he couldn’t sleep.

Charlie’s words kept replaying in his mind.

"One day, the situation will change, and the old order will be reshuffled."

’Yes, the situation will change.’

’In 1989, the Berlin Wall will fall.’

’East Germany will disappear.’

He sat up, walked to the window, and lit a cigarette.

Outside the window, the lights of Manhattan were still brilliant.

The city that never sleeps.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke and made his decision.

Tomorrow, he would give Charlie his answer.

He had to leave himself an escape route.

A path to the future.

*************

The next afternoon, Werner went to Brooklyn again.

Same apartment, same bottle of bourbon.

When Charlie opened the door, he had an expectant look on his face.

"Have you made up your mind?"

"I have." Werner walked into the room and sat on the sofa. "I can establish contact with you, but I have a few conditions."

Charlie poured two glasses of liquor and handed one to Werner. "Go on."

"First, I won’t sell any intelligence that could lead to casualties," Werner said, looking at him. "I can give you economic information and trade developments, but nothing sensitive like the identities of intelligence personnel or military deployments."

"Acceptable," Charlie nodded.

"Second, I control the frequency of contact," Werner continued. "You can’t just find me whenever you want. I will be the one to judge when it’s safe and when it’s not."

"Reasonable."

"It’s a deal."

The two men shook hands.

"Welcome aboard." Charlie smiled. "Although you’re not an official employee, as of today, you have a code name: ’Berlin Merchant’."

"Very fitting," Werner said.

Charlie took an envelope from a drawer and handed it to Werner.

"This is your Swiss Bank account information. The account is already open, and it has ten thousand US dollars as a startup fund," he said. "From now on, every time you provide valuable information, we’ll deposit money into it."

Werner took the envelope and opened it for a look. It was an anonymous account at a private bank in Zurich.

"And the contact method?" Werner asked.

"In an emergency, you can call this number in New York and say you’re ’Mr. Schmidt’ and would like to make a restaurant reservation. We’ll contact you within 24 hours."

He handed Werner a slip of paper.

Werner memorized it.

"And for non-emergencies?"

"Letters," Charlie said. "If you have important information to pass on, you can mail a letter to a post office box in West Berlin. The address is here."

He handed over another slip of paper.

Werner put both slips of paper away, then stood up. "Then I’ll be going."

"Wait a moment," Charlie stopped him. "As a welcome gift, I’d like to ask you a question first."

"What question?"

"Which countries is East Germany currently negotiating major arms deals with?"

Werner thought for a moment. ’This information isn’t too sensitive, and Western intelligence agencies would find out about it sooner or later anyway.’

"Mozambique," he said. "An order for about twenty million US dollars, including small arms, armored vehicles, and communications equipment. Delivery is expected early next year."

Charlie nodded. "Any others?"

"Syria," Werner said. "They want to buy Soviet-made tanks and anti-aircraft missiles, but that requires Moscow’s approval. Koko is just the middleman."

"Excellent." Charlie smiled, satisfied. "Werner, I think we’re going to have a very pleasant partnership."

"I hope so."

Werner left the apartment and walked out onto the street.

Night had fallen, and the streetlights of Brooklyn were turning on one by one.

He hailed a taxi and gave the address of his hotel.

As the car moved through the night, Werner watched the city outside his window.

’If the Stasi found out what he had just done, the consequences would be unimaginable.’

’But he had to prepare for the future.’

*************

On September 20th, the East German delegation left New York.

Werner stood in the terminal at Kennedy Airport, watching the planes take off and land outside the window.

Steinhaus walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"This trip to New York was a great success," Steinhaus said. "You also performed very well. I hear you closed a good deal?"

"Yes, Minister," Werner said. "An order from Ghana, for five million US dollars."

"Well done." Steinhaus smiled. "Make sure it’s implemented properly when you get back. Koko needs capable people like you."

"Thank you, Minister."

The boarding announcement sounded. Passengers began to line up.

Werner followed the crowd toward the boarding gate, glancing back one last time at the New York sky.

It was grayish-blue, with a few white clouds.

Not much different from the sky over East Berlin.

But he knew that beneath these two skies lay two completely different worlds.

And he had just built a secret bridge between them.

The plane took off, and New York shrank behind him.

************

It was already the following afternoon when the plane landed at Berlin Schonefeld Airport.

Werner disembarked, breathing in the September air of Berlin. It was cooler than New York and had a familiar scent.

He walked out of the terminal with his luggage and saw a black Volga sedan parked by the roadside.

The car door opened, and Von Brown stepped out.

"A long journey, Comrade Werner." Von Brown extended his hand.

Werner shook his hand. "Comrade Von Brown, what brings you here?"

"I came to pick you up," Von Brown said. "And to have a chat. Get in."

The two got into the car. The driver started the engine, and the car pulled away from the airport.

"How was New York?" Von Brown lit a cigarette.

"Not bad," Werner said. "The induction ceremony went smoothly, and the delegation completed all its scheduled tasks."

"I heard from Gunter that you closed a big deal?"

"Yes, an order from Ghana." Werner briefly explained the situation. "Five million US dollars, delivery within two months."

"Good." Von Brown exhaled a puff of smoke. "We need to do more business like this. The state needs foreign currency, and Koko’s mission is a heavy one."

The car drove through the city.

"Werner," Von Brown said suddenly. "A place like New York is crawling with people from various intelligence agencies. Did anyone approach you?"