Perovskaya reacted the way the Russian president knew he would—a self-important grin flickered across his face before he nodded solemnly and pretended that this was what he had intended all along. Among other things, the meeting had touched on the death of Laci Babinov in an officially unexplained—and unpublicized—shootdown beyond the Ural Mountains. The death of the head of Moscow’s riot police was a blow to Kurakin, an unfortunate accident, because Babinov was a supporter. The shootdown had been necessary, however. Without it, the Americans might have realized the significance of the earlier attack. “The unit responsible for the attack will be discovered,” said Perovskaya after the others had gone. He was repeating word-for-word his earlier pledge. “I will find it myself.” “I’m sure you will,” said Kurakin, who was actually sure he wouldn’t. “But we have a more important matter to discuss.”
