The Spy Who Sold Codes and Cocaine | The Party Line | 2

0:00This episode includes depictions of drug use and addiction. Please be advised.

0:08July 1975. Dalton Lee shuffles down Avenida de los Insojentes in the heart of Mexico City. He glances at the traffic roaring by, then slips behind a lamppost. He pulls a small glass vial from his pocket and taps a small pile of the white powder inside it onto his hand, then leans down and snorts it. Lee feels an immediate surge of power and excitement As the cocaine courses through his body He takes out a roll of adhesive tape Tears off two strips and sticks an X on the lamppost Then, checking nervously over his shoulder He darts back down the street His signal has been sent The next evening at 6pm Lee leans against a palm tree outside the Polyforum Cultural Center.

1:01He gazes up at the famous March of Humanity mural, his mind a blurred mix of anticipation and fear. Lee has been snorting cocaine and smoking marijuana all afternoon, and now shuffles nervously on the spot to contain his twitchy energy. Then, as if from nowhere, he sees his KGB contact, Vasily Okana, approaching on foot. The signal on the lamppost has worked. Do you know the restaurant in San Francisco? Lee is surprised that Okanah insists on going through their password protocol, given they already know each other. But he plays along. No, but I know the restaurant in Los Angeles. Okanah nods in approval and motions for Lee to follow him.

1:50Okanah leads Lee to a small park. Palms and jacaranda trees sway overhead as a local taco seller plays mariachi music from his tinny radio. A man steps out of the shadows and walks towards them. Okanah smiles. Mr. Lee, this is Colonel Muzankov. He will be your point of contact from now on. Muzankov stands with military stiffness. When he smiles, Lee sees his two front teeth have been replaced with shining steel dentures that glitter menacingly in the streetlights. Come, sit. Lee recognizes something in the colonel's commanding manner. Mozankov is obviously Okanah's superior. Lee has seen this before in his drug dealing business.

2:42If Okanah is the guy who deals in ounces, Muzankov is the guy who traffics kilos. Lee smiles to himself. He's moving up in the world. He follows Muzankov to a bench, then holds out the folder of documents he is carrying. Okay, I've got good stuff for you guys right here, and you need to make it worth my time. Muzankov flips through the file, then turns back to Lee. We need to meet your friend. the one who gets all this information. Now, come on, man. I already explained. That isn't possible. You tell me what you need, I can get it. There are certain technical issues. Detailed scientific matters that are too complex to be transmitted through you.

3:27The material you have brought us is useful, but they are fragments. To piece these fragments together, we need to be able to tell your friend exactly what we need. What can I say? Write a list, then. I can give it to him, but he won't ever meet you. Lee knows that he holds the upper hand, because only he knows how to get to Christopher Boyce. Muzankov frowns. You're both taking unnecessary risks transporting actual documents. From now on, just take pictures of them and bring us the film. That is much safer. Sure, good thinking. If anyone asks, I just say I'm a photographer. But Mr. Lee, we need all the technical details we can get about the American satellites.

4:15Manuals, technical codes, and especially the frequency codes the NSA uses. I will make a list. I'll get you what you need, Colonel, but you have something I need too. Mozankov scowls at the naked greed in Lee's expression, but holds out an envelope stuffed with dollar bills. Lee's face breaks into a grin as a wave of cocaine-fueled euphoria courses through him. We are live from Fetty's house. Guests are gathering around the TV, even with a big storm outside. Are we worried about the feet? Nope, they have Xfinity Wi-Fi. Get reliable fiber-powered gig Wi-Fi with Peacock included to stream the beautiful game this summer.

4:58Xfinity, imagine that. Restrictions apply, new gig internet members only. Speeds vary, use of fiber coaxial cable. Peacock offer for Peacock Premium with ads currently$10.99 a month value. Activation required to access content. Terms apply. Peacock must be activated within first 90 days. Manage existing subscriptions to avoid multiple charges. Third-party subscriptions continue until cancelled. This is Audible.

5:21From Audible Originals, I'm Raza Jafri, and this is The Spy Who. In the last episode, Christopher Boyce landed a job in the Black Vault, a top-secret facility processing communications from America's spy satellites. But after discovering how the CIA was spying on US ally Australia, he teamed up with his falconry pal, drug dealer Dalton Lee, to flip the bird to the intelligence services by selling their secrets to the Soviet Union. You're listening to The Spy Who Sold Codes and Cocaine. This is Episode 2. the party line.

6:08October 1975, Los Angeles. Christopher Boyce pushes open the door of Dalton Lee's family home in Palos Verdes to see a group of semi-clothed young men and women dancing to loud funk music. The ground is strewn with empty bottles, and through the thick clouds of marijuana smoke, Boyce can see people huddled over tables, chopping lines of cocaine. This party has obviously been going on a while. He pushes through room after room, looking for Lee. He has seen Lee's parties before, but this is a new level of excess. He marvels at how Lee gets away with it. Lee's wanted by the police, but still manages to slip in and out of the country with ease, using a false passport.

6:55Boyce also wonders how his friend can afford to lay on such epic quantities of free coke, pills and weed for his guests. Boyce slides open the glass doors leading to the outdoor swimming pool and spots Lee on the other side. Lee is using a camera to snap a photo of a pretty young woman who smiles and poses provocatively. Then, to his horror, Boyce realises the camera is the tiny Meenox spy camera they bought for taking pictures of the secret documents of the Black Bolt. Lee grins at the girl, obviously showing off. See this little camera? It's the one all the spies use because it's so small. Oh, wow.

7:39Like James Bond? Boyce strides over, ignoring the bikini-clad woman, and grabs Lee by the arm. Lee looks surprised. Ah, Chris. Hey, man. Get over here. Boyce drags Lee into the pool house and slams the door shut. What the hell are you doing flashing that camera around and talking about spies? Are you crazy? Relax, man. The girl didn't know shit. Lee shrugs off Boyce's hand, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a glass vial. He taps out some powder and snorts it up. Boyce notices that the powder is not the usual white of cocaine, but a light brown. Dude, is that... Are you on heroin again?

8:22Get off my back. It's not like I'm doing it every day. You need to be careful with that stuff, man. You need to keep quiet about what we're doing. Boyce waits for Lee to react, but Lee just stares at him, glassy in his opiate haze. Boyce stares back at his friend in horror, a new plan forming in his mind.

8:45A few days later, the TRW compound, Redondo Beach, Los Angeles. Boyce is alone in the black vault, with a sheet of paper in front of him. He scribbles down a series of seemingly random numbers, reads it over to check he's got it right, then raises the Meenox camera. The numbers he just photographed aren't random at all. They're a coded message to the Soviets. Once decoded, the message will give them the number of a payphone where they can contact him directly, without going through Lee. Boyce is certain that the KGB will be able to crack his simple code. What he's less certain about is his decision to go behind Lee's back and make direct contact with the Soviets.

9:32But now he's taken the photo, it's too late for second thoughts. When the Russians develop this film, they'll find his coded message, along with a few other surprises that Boyce has thrown in.

9:48Three weeks later, Lee sits at a table in a restaurant in Mexico City. His eyes flick nervously from the door to his wristwatch. He's waiting for Colonel Muzankov. The day before, he stuck an X to a lamppost and waited all evening. But the Soviets never showed. This is their backup meeting place, but once again, no one has arrived. On a sudden impulse, Lee jumps up, grabs his briefcase, and walks fast out of the restaurant.

10:2430 minutes later, Lee stands across the street from the Soviet embassy. The KGB told him to never, ever come to the embassy. But the Soviets have never missed a meeting before, and paranoia surges through Lee's mind. What if the KGB has soured on their deal? Lee plans to use the money from this exchange to finance his drug trafficking, and he's getting desperate. He snorts a bump of coke to steady his nerves. Then he sees the metal gates of the embassy swing open as a car pulls in. Lee sprints across the street, narrowly avoiding the oncoming traffic, and slips in behind the car, just before the embassy gates climb the shut.

11:08He immediately turns to the nearest embassy guard. The guard's hand snaps to his gun, a look of shock on his face. Auto! Auto! Lee's hands go up in surrender. Muzankov! I need to see Muzankov! The guard's eyes widen at the mention of the colonel, and gestures for Lee to wait, then grabs his radio. A moment later, Muzankov emerges from the embassy building, his face twisted with ice-cold rage.

11:42Ten minutes later, Lee is in a dimly lit room in the basement of the Soviet embassy. On the other side of the room's wooden table sits Muzankov. What did we tell you? Never come to the embassy! Never! Look, man, I gave you the signal you never showed. If nobody arrives, you leave. In any case, what signal? We never got any signal from you. What do you mean? I stuck the X on the lamppost like we said. Which lamppost? Which intersection was this? On Juarez and Reformer. Mazankov slams his fist down on the table. Idiot! It is Juarez and Rosales. You got the wrong intersection. Lee squirms in embarrassment.

12:27This whole catastrophe is down to his own schoolboy error. Then, Mozankov seems to master his anger and becomes suddenly calm. Okay, it's just a mistake. These things happen. Mozankov walks to a wooden cabinet, retrieves a bottle of vodka and pours them each a drink. Come, we drink. To peace. They down their glasses. Mozankov immediately refills them. It's good you got the camera. Much safer than carrying documents. Man, you're going to dig what we've got for you. It's got to be worth 50 ,000 at least. Lee handed over the roll of film Boyce gave him earlier. He knows the photos are being developed as he and Mozankov drink.

13:17A warm glow of relief spreads across Lee. He feels back in control. Say, you know what? I wanted to talk to you about an idea anyway. You guys use diplomatic pouches, right? No one can look in those. Well, you've got people in Colombia too, yeah? How about we arrange payment by you taking cocaine from Colombia to the States in your diplomatic pouches? And I'll pick it up there. Could be pretty neat, huh? Mozankov looks stunned at the audacity of Lee's proposal, but manages to control himself. I would have to consult my superiors about any such proposal. At that moment, the door opens and another KGB officer enters, holding the freshly developed photographs that Boyce took.

14:05Mozankov begins leafing through them. There is some good stuff in there. It'll be worth the trouble. But Lee's hard sell is interrupted as Mozankov's face once again tightens in anger. What are these? Some kind of joke? What do you mean? What's wrong with it? Lee stands to get sight of the photos spread out before the colonel. And to his horror, he sees several blurry photos of a nude woman. Her face lit up in obvious sexual ecstasy. I assure you, I have no idea what those are. Lee feels panic rising. What the hell has Boyce given him? What game is his friend playing, sending him to the KGB with a bunch of porno shots?

14:52But by now, Mozankov is on the warpath. This is trash. Trash! Come on now, they're not all that bad. There are some valuable documents in there too. What do you mean? These are illegible. Lee sees that even most of the shots Boyce has taken of actual documents are largely overexposed and impossible to read. He sees Muzankov's eyes flick to one of the few documents which has actually come through in focus It looks different to any Lee has seen before A seemingly random series of numbers But then, the colonel's eyes flick away from it just as quickly But you've still got to pay, right? We had an arrangement You bring us something we can use and then we pay Lee feels another surge of panic as he thinks of the cocaine deals he has ready to go Come on, I took a big risk in coming here.

15:44If you ever want to see any more of these papers, then you better treat us right. Otherwise, you'll never see me again. The threat of totally withdrawing from their arrangement seems to slow Muzankov, who makes a visible effort to calm himself. Of course. We will pay you for your time. And for any of these photographs we can actually use. Your friend in California. He should come to Vienna so we can train him in using the camera. I told you, man, he can't leave America. With his security clearance, you have to apply for permission to travel outside the country. Well, in that case, why don't you come to Vienna?

16:26We can train you and you can teach your friend.

16:33A few days later, Lee hammers on the door of Boyce's house in Redondo Beach, California. Boyce swings the door open, blinking in the early evening light. What the fuck do you think you're doing, sending me to the KGB with a bunch of nude shots? Lee pushes past Boyce into the house. Boyce follows with a laconic air, totally at odds with Lee's fury. Oh, they found those? Well, they wanted to see what's in the black vault at TRW, and in the vault there's a copy of Hustler magazine. Funny fucking joke, man. It's my ass in the line down there, not yours. Hey, did they cough up or not? Those assholes will take anything we can give them.

17:13This stops Lee in his tracks. It's true that he did return with a modest envelope of cash, but Boyce didn't see the look of rage on Mozankov's face. Look, Chris, they're not going to pay for anything forever. They want more than code cards. They want to know about the satellites, and they're goddamn crazy about getting the frequencies the coded messages are broadcast on. Man, they even want me to go to goddamn Vienna. We're training. You should go. You want to be the big tough spy. Vienna, man. That's close to Czechoslovakia. They could, like, kidnap me or something. They're not going to kidnap you, Dalton.

17:48They want what I have to give them. Lee and Boyce lock eyes. Lee needs this business. But now, his partner and supplier seems to be losing interest and endangering the entire operation.

18:06March 1976. Austria. Lee shivers in the spring air as he gazes over the Danube River. The sunset illuminates the city of Vienna in a golden haze. It's taken months for the KGB to convince Lee to come here for training, but Lee is nervous. This city is the setting for many of the spy novels he loves, and their extravagant plots now wheel through his mind. What if the Soviets have somehow made direct contact with Boyce and now intend to kidnap him into the Eastern Bloc. What if all this is an elaborate trap? Then he sees Colonel Muzankov walking out from under a small stand of birch trees, his steel teeth flashing in the waning sun.

19:01March 1976, Vienna, Austria. Dalton Lee is exhausted. It's been two days since he met Colonel Muzankov on the banks of the Danube. And he spent almost all of that time in the basement darkroom of a KGB safehouse, being schooled in photography. Lee's clothes and hair stink of the darkroom's developing fluid. All he wants is to be back in California with a little heroin to take the edge off the stress. His KGB trainer spreads the photographs he has taken and developed over the table. See? No good. Out of focus. We must try again. Lee looks down at the blurry grey photographs and slumps in his chair.

19:48Then the trainer holds out a small metal chain. Don't worry, it's getting better. Here, we brought you this. It's exactly 40 centimetres long. Your friend can use it to judge the distance of the camera. Fine. How much longer do I have to stay here? The trainer leans forward with an urgent, almost hungry expression. We must teach you photography. Then we must teach you how to avoid being followed. We need this information you are bringing. We need to know about the Rhylite satellite program, about the infrared technology, and most of all, we need the frequencies the National Security Agency uses to communicate.

20:29Mr. Lee, this information is crucial for us. We will pay whatever it takes. Lee can see the man's desperation. He's seen that kind of hunger before, in the eyes of the addicts he sells drugs to when they need a fix. Lee leans back in his chair. He now realizes that, as the dealer, he holds the power in this relationship. But also that if his addict customers get too desperate, they might kill to get what they want.

21:03The following month, Redondo Beach, California. Christopher Boyce sips a margarita in the back room of the Black Vault at TRW. you. It's 4.30pm and he's just been handed his first cocktail of the afternoon by his colleague, Gene Norman, whipped up using the office's document pulping blender. In the main section of the vault, Norman is drinking with the systems analyst. Boyce has taken the opportunity to slip into the backroom and replace some top secret cipher cards that he snuck out of the building to photograph at home the day before. Each card is to be slipped precisely into its own plastic folder and Boyce works quickly to hide them away.

21:48He hears Norman pick up the phone in the next room. Yeah? What now? You're kidding. Like, right now? Holy shit. Boyce hides his folder as Norman runs into the back room. Chris, holy shit, man. We've got an NSA inspector on the way up here right now. We've got to clean this place up, stat! The vault explodes into a rush of activity as Boyce, Norman and the other employees rush to get the facility ready for inspection. Norman frantically hides tequila bottles and the marijuana plants he's been growing. The systems analyst wipes down the code destruction blender and frenetically sticks files back into their places.

22:31Boyce slips the file of cipher cards he's been returning back into its storage unit.

22:39Norman flips the radio off, just as the inspector from the National Security Agency swings open the vault's door and strides into the room. Good afternoon, I'm Agent McAvoy from the NSA. I'm here to take a look around. Boyce keeps his eyes glued on McAvoy as the inspector circles the vault, picking up files and flipping through them for discrepancies. Could you open this storage unit for me, son? McAvoy is pointing towards the exact cabinet where Boyce just stashed the file of cipher cards. There's no option but to comply. Boyce watches McAvoy scrutinize each file in turn. Then, his blood runs cold.

23:23He realizes that in his haste to clear things away, he slid one cipher card into its plastic folder upside down. Images flash into Boyce's mind. The inevitable confrontation with McAvoy is arrest for espionage. Prison. McAvoy flips the file over to the upside-down card. There it is, right in front of him. McAvoy's eyes scan the file. Then, he flips over the page and carries on as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Boyce's body slumps in relief. There's no way that McAvoy missed the upside-down card. so he must have simply not realized its significance. But there's no way that Boyce can ignore how close he just came to disaster.

24:16Two months later, Lee sits across from Boyce at his family home in Palos Verdes. The two are sipping beers, but the mood is tense. Lee leans forward with a twitchy, nervous energy. The Russians want more. They're saying we've given them scraps of useful info in the past. but they need those NSA frequencies. Fuck them. They'll take what they're given. Man, they are not going to take that anymore. They are really putting on the pressure. Just tell them you're working on it. Come on, why don't you just take some pictures of this Rhyolite satellite and get them off our backs? Dalton, I'm not doing it.

24:50No way. I'd have to get into a whole different facility. At this, Lee snaps. He jumps to his feet, staring down at Boyce in rage. I'm the one out there risking my ass. I actually have to face these people. In a flash, Boyce is on his feet, looming over his much shorter friend. Yeah, and you get paid for that, don't you? The Russians told me how much they've given you, and I definitely didn't see half. Oh yeah, I know about that. Lee feels almost an electric shock at hearing that Boyce must have somehow established a direct contact with the KGB, and now knows he's being shortchanged. Man, that is bullshit.

25:31That's just those Russian assholes trying to drive a wedge between us. Look, man, you're going to have to decide. Are you in this or are you out? Boyce pauses. Then his aggressive posture softens. Maybe I'm out. I don't know, man. You go play James Bond if you want. Lee gulps. He needs the KGB's money to pay the Mexican traffickers who supply his drug business. Oh, you think you can just walk away? I still have copies of some of the stuff you gave me. How about I go show those to your dad, the big FBI man, and let him see what his son's been up to? Or I could give the Russians your name and they'll hunt you down.