Prime Minister’s residence
St. Petersburg, Russia
October 16, 1905
As the carriage pulled up to his home, Sergei Witte already knew what he needed to do. A master of intrigue himself, he had considered the possibility of having to abort the mission, as unlikely as it seemed at the time. He stepped through the door and asked his valet to come into the library with him. After hanging up the count’s coat, the valet dutifully followed Witte into the library and closed the door behind him.
The valet, a loyal and dedicated servant named Boris, came from a large family that had been St. Petersburg residents for generations. Boris had served in the Imperial Army and had been highly recommended to the Wittes when he had applied for the job as valet. It amused Witte to know that while he had no doubts about Boris’ loyalty to the Tsar, he had cousins who had revolutionary leanings. Despite their vast political differences, Boris still had cordial relations with them all. Witte had the instinctive feeling that this good will might come in handy over the years, and he was right. During the original planning phase of the mission, Witte knew that whomever the British selected for the job, he would need a team of local people to assist in executing the mission. For assistance, he had turned to Boris for help.
Through his first cousin, Boris had arranged to meet with a local Bolshevik. He offered the man a large sum of money to assemble a team to assist the foreign agent with the mission. The Bolshevik seemed all too pleased to accept. Boris had gone to the meeting under an assumed identity and dressed like a laborer, ensuring that he could never be traced back to Witte. He was simply the broker between the recruited team and the foreign agent. He had been successful in his role.
That night, Witte told Boris about the abrupt change in plans. He informed the valet that the mission was to be aborted, effective immediately. Witte ordered him to make contact with the Bolshevik immediately. Boris nodded in assent and then thought for a few seconds. “Count Witte, what about that British agent and his partner?”
Witte sighed and admitted, “They have become expendable. In fact, looking at the whole picture realistically, they must never leave Russia. They know too much.” Scratching the back of his head, he continued. “In fact, dear Boris, it may be best to have the secret police work for us in this matter, if you know what I mean. They have ways of dealing with threats such as this.”