from the CIA Athens station. He worked in a small office on the third floor of the U.S. embassy, which was on 91 Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, near the Byzantine Museum.
Nelson Agger was a familiar sort. A careerist with a nervous stomach and little by way of larger convictions. He'd graduated from Northwestern with a master's in comparative politics; though his grades and recommendations were good enough to get him into a handful of doctoral programs, they were not good enough to earn him the scholarship or tuition abatement he needed. The support would have to come from an outside source - a State Department-run foundation, in his case.
Once his paper credentials were secure, he became a desk analyst, displaying complete mastery of the unwritten rules of producing analytic reports. The reports - a number of which Janson had seen - were invariably unexceptionable, safe, and authoritative-sounding, their essential vacuity camouflaged by their sonorous cadence. They were festooned with such phrases as present trends are likely to continue and made cunning use of adverbs like increasingly. Trends were thus identified with no assessments hazarded as to outcome. King Fahd will find it increasingly difficult to maintain control, he had predicted each month of the Saudi leader. The fact that the potentate hung on to power year after year until incapacitated by a stroke - a nearly two-decade reign - was only a minor embarrassment; after all, he never said that King Fahd would lose control within any given time frame. Of Somalia, Agger once wrote, "The situation and circumstances have not yet unfolded to the point that the nature of the successor government or the policies that will eventually be implemented can be described with confidence." The analysis was indeed sound - pure sound, unencumbered by meaning.
Thin, balding, gangly, Nelson Agger was the kind of man whom field operatives were prone to underestimate; what he may have lacked in physical courage he made up for by his adroitness at office politics. Whatever else the bureaucrat might be, he was a survivor.
He was also an oddly likable soul. It was hard, in the abstract, to explain why Janson got along with him so well. Part of it surely had to do with the fact that Agger had no illusions about himself. He was a cynic, yes, but unlike the sententious opportunists who populated Foggy Bottom, he never made any bones about it, at least not when he was around Janson. The dangerous ones, in Janson's experience, were those with grand plans and cold eyes. Agger, though no tribute to his profession, probably did more good than harm.
But if Janson was honest with himself, he had to admit that another reason they got along was the simple fact that Agger liked and looked up to him. Desk jockeys, defensive about their role in the system, usually affected a measure of condescension toward the operatives. By contrast, Agger, who once laughingly referred to himself as "the gutless wonder," never bothered to hide his admiration.
Or, for that matter, his gratitude. In years past, Janson had occasionally seen to it that Agger was the first person to receive a particular piece of intelligence; in a few instances, Agger was able to tailor his analytic reports to make them seem prescient by the time the intelligence cables reached their channels. The baseline of mediocrity in intelligence analysis was such that an officer needed only a few such assists to acquire a reputation for excellence.
Nelson Agger was precisely the sort of person who could help him. Whatever Agger's shortcomings in the world of international intelligence, he had extremely sharp ears for intelligence internal to his division - who was in favor, who was not, who was thought to be losing his edge, who was believed to be on the rise. A tribute to his political skills was that he had become a clearinghouse for gossip without ever being known as a gossip himself. Nelson Agger could shed light on what was going on if anybody could. Nothing could take place in Athens sector without the knowledge of the small, tightly knit CIA station.
Now Janson sat in the back of a cafe on Vassilissis Sofias, just opposite the American embassy, sipping a mug of the strong, sweet coffee the Athenians favored, and phoned the station switchboard on his dual-mode Ericsson.
"Trade protocols," the voice answered.
"Agger, please."
A few seconds, during which three clicks could be heard; the call would be taped and logged.
"May I say who's calling?"
"Alexander," Janson said. "Richard Alexander."
A
The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 1 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 2 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 3 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 4 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 5 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 6 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 7 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 8 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 9 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 10 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 11 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 12 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 13 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 14 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 15 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 16 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 17 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 18 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 19 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 20 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 21 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 22 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 23 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 24 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 25 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 26 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 27 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 28 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 29 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 30 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 31 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 32 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 33 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 34 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 35 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 36 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 37 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 38 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 39 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 40 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 41 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 42 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 43 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 44 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 45 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 46 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 47 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 48 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 49 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 50 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 51 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 52 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 53 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 54 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 55 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 56 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 57 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 58 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 59 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 60 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 61 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 62 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 63 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 64 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 65 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 66 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 67 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 68 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 69 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 70 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 71 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 72 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 73 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 74 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 75 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 76 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 77 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 78 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 79 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 80 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 81 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 82 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 83 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 84 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 85 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 86 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 87 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 88 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 89 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 90 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 91 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 92 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 93 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 94 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 95 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 96 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 97 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 98 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 99 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 100 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 101 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 102 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 103 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 104 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 105 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 106 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 107 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 108 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 109 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 110 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 111 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 112 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 113 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 114 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 115 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 116 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 117 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 118 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 119 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 120 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 121 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 122 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 123 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 124 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 125 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 126 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 127 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 128 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 129 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 130 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 131 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 132 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 133 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 134 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 135 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 136 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 137 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 138 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 139 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 140 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 141 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 142 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 143 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 144 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 145 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 146 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 147 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 148 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 149 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 150 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 151 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 152 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 153 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 154 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 155 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 156 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 157 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 158 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 159 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 160 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 161 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 162 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 163 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 164 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 165 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 166 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 167 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 168 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 169 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 170 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 171 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 172 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 173 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 174 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 175 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 176 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 177 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 178 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 179 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 180 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 181 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 182 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 183 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 184 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 185 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 186 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 187 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 188 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 189 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 190 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 191 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 192 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 193 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 194 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 195 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 196 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 197 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 198 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 199 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 200 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 201 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 202 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 203 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 204 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 205 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 206 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 207 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 208 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 209 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 210 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 211 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 212 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 213 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 214 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 215 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 216 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 217 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 218 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 219 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 220 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 221 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 222 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 223 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 224 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 225 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 226 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 227 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 228 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 229 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 230 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 231 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 232 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 233 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 234 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 235 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 236 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 237 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 238 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 239 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 240 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 241 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 242 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 243 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 244 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 245 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 246 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 247 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 248 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 249 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 250 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 251 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 252 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 253 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 254 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 255 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 256 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 257 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 258 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 259 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 260 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 261 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 262 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 263 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 264 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 265 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 266 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 267 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 268 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 269 The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum - Page 270