In the coastal village of Cleggan, several kilometers from Clifden, Connemara, waves broke against the bleak winter shore of Ireland’s rocky west coast. The wind was picking up, and the radio warned of a coming gale. Gray clouds scudded low across the sky nearly touching the sea, and rain was already borne horizontally on the wind, pelting against the windows.
I stood at the large porcelain kitchen sink shucking fresh oysters that had been delivered earlier in the afternoon by a fisherman friend from Ballyconneely Bay at the south side of the peninsula. A pair of five pound lobsters moved sluggishly in a crate lined with damp seaweed. Dinner would be a treat this evening.
The half-shells arranged carefully on two plates, I covered them carefully with waxed paper and placed them in the fridge next to a couple of bottles of Puligny Montrachet before moving into the living room.
Several bricks of peat glowed warmly in the native stone fireplace, their sweet scent expanding to fill the room.
As soon as I alit on the leather sofa before the fire, a black Scottie hurtled from his bed on the hearth and flung himself onto my lap to press his silky head against me hoping for a scratch behind the ears.
The crunch of gravel sounded from the drive, and the dog perked his ears and barked. I rushed to the window. A small car pulled through the gate and parked beside the stone house.
I smiled as Sasha stepped out.
THE END OF THE BEGINNING
Afterword
Following the initial publication of HARRY'S RULES in 2012, I discovered a book by Edward Lucas, entitled "Deception – The Untold Story of East-West Espionage Today." In his book, Lucas deftly and with great insight explores the origins and nature of the Russian ruling class, including Mr. Putin. In light of the "fictional" depictions of how Russia is run today presented in HARRY'S RULES, I think the following excerpts from Mr. Lucas's book will be interesting:
"Some theorize that the real story of Mr Putin's rise to power is the fusion between wilier elements of organized crime in St Petersburg, such as the Tambov mafia, with the remains of the KGB in that city, and the transplantation of that formidable hybrid to power in Moscow. It is also tempting to see crime, business and intelligence as the three pillars of power in Russia. Yet such explanations are too elegant and too simple. Gangsterdom, spookdom and officialdom are intertwined, to the point that they are really just one pillar with three sides: a kind of unholy trinity."1
"In no other country have gangsterdom and state power overlapped to such a threatening extent. The most powerful drug cartels may have high-tech communications equipment or the ability to penetrate a law-enforcement agency, or have some politicians on the payroll. But they have nothing that (yet) matches Russia's ruling criminal syndicate's capabilities. It has almost limitless money, global geographical scope and the full armoury of state technical and logistical resources, from spy satellites to submarines, giving unprecedented capabilities in snooping and manipulation."2
Truth can be more frightening than fiction.
The Author
Michael R. Davidson was raised in the Mid-West. Heeding President Kennedy’s call for more young Americans to learn Russian he studied the language, and military service took him to the White House where he served as translator for the Moscow-Washington “Hotline.” His language abilities attracted the attention of the Central Intelligence Agency, and following his military service Mr. Davidson spent the next 28 years as a Clandestine Services officer. Seventeen of those years were spent abroad in a variety of sensitive posts working against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact.
Also by Michael R. Davidson
The RESURRECTION Series
Immediately following the events in HARRY'S RULES, Ewan Ramsay and Mossad's most feared operative, Eitan Ronan, are drawn into a trap by their mortal enemy, and Sasha is the bait.
Who killed President John F. Kennedy? A long buried secret that could change the course of history draws murder to a quiet Washington suburb. Only an exiled CIA officer can solve a mystery that both the White House and the Kremlin will protect at all costs.
Revenge is said to be a dish best served cold. A suicide bomber and a serial killer are the instruments chosen by a deposed Russian president.
But his targets are anything but helpless.
Find them all at: www.michaelrdavidson.com
THE CALIPHATE SERIES
THE INQUISITOR AND THE MAIDEN - Disillusioned by Spain's falling fortunes in the 30-Years-War, Eduardo Macías returns home. His reputation as a valorous soldier wins him the position of Captain of the Santa Hermandad, a Spanish force charged with protecting the people and maintaining the law. He is forced to accept a mission by officials of the Holy Inquisition to investigate a charge of heresy against a nobleman with royal ties. What he discovers places Eduardo at odds with the Inquisition, and he must decide between honor and excommunication.
RETRIBUTION – The saga that began in 1492 continues into the turbulent present. An ancient enemy threatens the world with nuclear terror, and CIA officer Robert Strachey and his friend Spanish Police inspector Alberto Macías find themselves in a race against time to avert a holocaust.
Find them all at: www.michaelrdavidson.com
A controversial Miami judge is murdered in a Washington hotel room. Homicide detective Krystal Murphy identifies an ideal suspect, a person with motive and opportunity. Following the suspect’s trail to Miami, she is confronted by an unspeakable tragedy that leaves her prime suspect dead. Convinced her initial instincts were wrong and driven by guilt, she teams with a Miami detective to continue the investigation. But she encounters unexpected opposition from her own superiors who want only to call the case closed. While coping with her own personal tragedy and under great pressure from her superiors, Krystal doggedly pursues the case with the help a new ally and perhaps more than just a friend, the Miami detective. When more people associated with the case begin turning up dead, Krystal finds herself in a race against time before she herself becomes the next victim of an increasingly desperate killer.
Find them all at: www.michaelrdavidson.com
1 "Deception, The Untold Story of East-West Espionage Today," Edward Lucas, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2012. Page
2 Ibid.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 - January 1992, Moscow
CHAPTER 2 - "Otto"
CHAPTER 3 - Madrid, 4 February 1992
CHAPTER 4 - Ennui
CHAPTER 5 - Exile
CHAPTER 6 – Saturday, February 8
CHAPTER 7 – Intersection
CHAPTER 8 - Responsibility
CHAPTER 9 - Berlin
CHAPTER 10 - Stankov
CHAPTER 11 - Decision
CHAPTER 12 - Volodya
CHAPTER 13 - Communications
CHAPTER 14 – On the Move
CHAPTER 15 – "The Forest," February 12
CHAPTER 16 – "Magic"
CHAPTER 17 – Sasha, February 13
CHAPTER 18 – Drozhdov
CHAPTER 19 – Bloody Valentine
CHAPTER 20 – Wet Night
CHAPTER 21 – New Friends
CHAPTER 22 – The Basement
CHAPTER 23 – Small Talk
CHAPTER 24 – Moscow, February 15
CHAPTER 25 – Israeli Embassy, Vienna
CHAPTER 26 – Spain, February 14
CHAPTER 27 – Arkadiy Nikolayevich
CHAPTER 28 – Israeli Embassy
CHAPTER 29 – Evasion
CHAPTER 30 – The Key
CHAPTER 31 – Maryland
CHAPTER 32 – Judgment
CHAPTER 33 – Breaking
CHAPTER 34 – Alarm in Moscow
CHAPTER 35 – Zhenya
CHAPTER 36 – Quiet Sunday in Vienna
CHAPTER 37 – Morning After
CHAPTER 38 – Taking Stock
CHAPTER 39 – The Black Treasury
CHAPTER 40 – Langley, Virginia
CHAPTER 41 – Mo
rley
CHAPTER 42 – Fallout
CHAPTER 43 – Persona Non Grata
CHAPTER 44 – "A bris is out of the question."
CHAPTER 45 – Morning in Moscow
CHAPTER 46 – On the Move
CHAPTER 47 – Marbella, Spain
CHAPTER 48 – Yudin and the Night Visitors
CHAPTER 49 – Gunfight
CHAPTER 50 – Death
CHAPTER 51 – Tel-Aviv, February 22
CHAPTER 52 – Something to Think About
CHAPTER 53 – The Russians
CHAPTER 54 - Safehouse
CHAPTER 55 - Caesarea
CHAPTER 56 – Cause for Apology
CHAPTER 57 – Deal
CHAPTER 58 – Entr'acte
CHAPTER 59 – Jake Triumphant
CHAPTER 60 – Loose End
CHAPTER 61 – Bad News
CHAPTER 62 – Back to Paris
CHAPTER 63 – Full Circle
CHAPTER 63 – Aftermath
EPILOGUE – Republic of Ireland
Afterword
Harry's Rules Page 24