The Spy's Son: The True Story of the Highest-Ranking CIA Officer Ever Convicted of Espionage and the Son He Trained to Spy for Russia

365 Pages·2015·3.29 MB·English

by  Bryan Denson

The True Story of the Highest-Ranking CIA
Officer Ever Convicted of Espionage and
the Son He Trained to Spy for Russia
Bryan Denson
Atlantic Monthly Press
New York
Jacket design by Royce M.
Copyright © 2015 by Bryan Denson
Becker Author photograph © Beth
Nakamura The author owes a great debt of
thanks to The Oregonian, which published
“The Spy’s Kid” story in its original form
in May 2011.
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Published simultaneously in Canada Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-0-8021-2358-9
eISBN 978-0-8021-9131-1
Atlantic Monthly Press
an imprint of Grove Atlantic
154 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011
Distributed by Publishers Group West groveatlantic.com
In memory of my father,
Kenneth Earl Denson,
and dedicated to Holden Miles Denson,
my son, my wingman, my pride and joy
“I used to advertise my loyalty and I don’t believe there is a single
person I loved that I didn’t eventually betray.”
—Albert Camus, The Fall
Contents Prologue: Suspected Spies in
Chains One: Hola Nancy Two: First CIA
Tour, Manila Station Three: “Batman”
Switches Teams Four: A New Counterspy
Collaboration Five: We Have Another
Aldrich Ames Six: Spy vs. Spy Under
Langley’s Roof Seven: FBI Takedown at
Dulles Eight: Forsaken All Allegiance to
His Homeland Nine: A New Cellblock
Celebrity Ten: A Fall into Blackness
Eleven: The Russian Consulate, San
Francisco Twelve: A Spy Named “George”
Thirteen: Faith, Prosperity, and The Door Fourteen: CIA Detects
Codes, Espionage, Again Fifteen: Keep Looking Through Your New
Eyes Sixteen: FBI Offers a Mulligan Seventeen: Inmate 734520
Eighteen: A Spy Swap and Reparations Epilogue: The Last Asset
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

Prologue