Conversation Transcript

"On this matter, I can tell you in confidence," said Joe, "that the CIA always has a supply of blank 'green cards'—that is, permanent residency permits. You just need to write in the name. If they need a person, within a few hours he ends up in Washington, bypassing all immigration procedures. But this is a deal. You give them the goods, they give you cover. You have to decide: either you are a victim of tyranny, or a trader of secrets. It's hard to combine the two."

"Sasha, do you have secrets for sale?"

"The main secret is who in the Office [FSB] takes how much and at what rate. What secrets do I have, think for yourself? I can hold another press conference. About how the FSB blew up residential buildings to blame it on the Chechens. Or tell them who killed Listyev, if they're interested."

"And who is Listyev?" Joe asked.

"A Russian who was shot, it's irrelevant to the case," I said.

"And do you happen to have an American who was shot?"

"There is an American, Paul Tatum, remember? I know who whacked him."

"Who is he?" Joe asked.

"The owner of the Radisson Hotel in Moscow, he was shot by unknown persons in the city center," I explained.

"That's better. Could poor Paul have a connection to intelligence, to the CIA?"

"Hardly," Sasha said. "It was a business dispute. A contract killing. But our guys participated in it."

"Not suitable for the CIA," Joe said. "But we can organize a story in a newspaper about this, to make it easier to get 'parole'. Like, there's a man sitting in Turkey who knows who killed an American citizen. In general, your main problem is a lack of time. If he were already in the States, with such material I would get him asylum in about three weeks. If he were in Moscow, in about two months we could organize 'parole' and a refugee visa out of turn."

"What if he just gets on a plane, flies to New York, and surrenders to the police?"

"To get him on a plane, he needs an American visa. If he enters the States without a visa, for example by swimming, then it's an illegal border crossing, and they'll put him in jail while his case is being sorted out."

"Everything is clear," I said. "So, the plan is this. We go to the embassy, file a petition, and try to organize the press. Then we'll get 'parole'. Everyone agree?.. Silence is a sign of consent. Joe, thanks for the consultation, see you in New York."

Next Morning

The next morning Svetlana went on a reconnaissance mission. Upon returning, she said:

"They are waiting for you at the consulate at exactly one o'clock in the afternoon. I explained everything to them, and they somehow understood everything too quickly. It feels like they knew about you. In short, you're going without waiting in line to the American Citizen Services department."

Before going to the embassy, Sasha told on camera the story of his life, the reasons that prompted him to seek asylum in the USA, and what he knows about the murder.