Elizabeth and Philip Jennings are tasked by their handler, Claudia, to steal the encryption codes so communication between KGB handlers and informants can resume.
Once the encryption is broken and a meeting is finally arranged, the KGB realizes the FBI is lying in wait. Fearing Dorwin is too weak to resist interrogation, Elizabeth is sent to eliminate him. She shoots him to protect the Rezidentura, a cold reminder of the professional detachment her life requires. Thematic Elements: Sex and Loyalty
Recently widowed and feeling abandoned by his regular handler, Vasili, Dorwin begins to panic. His instability threatens to expose the entire network.
The primary conflict involves the FBI's new encrypted radio technology, which prevents the KGB from tracking surveillance teams.