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Nightmover ended on the morning of Feb. 21, 1994, when Ames left his house in Arlington, stepped into his Jaguar and drove into an FBI roadblock a short distance away. The arrest of Ames and his wife came one day before he was scheduled to leave for Moscow on CIA business. The FBI was not about to risk Ames' going to Russia and perhaps never coming back. Slouched in the back of the car that took him to the bureau's office at Tysons Corner, Virginia, Ames repeated to himself again and again, "Think . Think . Think." He knew that all sorts of incriminating documents, including computer disks and letters to the KGB, were in his house and in his computer. It was over.
On April 28, 1994, Ames was sentenced to life in prison. The very next day, he was brought to the Tysons Corner FBI office for debriefing. Officials would begin the process of questioning him fully about his activities and his knowledge of the KGB. The debriefers were in place around a polished conference table. From the FBI there were Les Wiser, James Milburn and special agents Mike Donner and Rudy Guerin. Mark Hulkower, who has successfully prosecuted the Ameses for the government, represented the U.S. Attorney's office. The only person from the CIA was Jeanne Vertefeuille. Ames was brought in, handcuffed. He spotted Vertefeuille right away. He knew she was on the task force that had tracked him down. Mole hunter and quarry were finally face-to-face.
Ames nodded to her. "Hi, Jeanne," he said.
"Hi, Rick," said Vertefeuille. And for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself a smile.
Ames leaned across the table and shook hands with each of the debriefers, including Vertefeuille, although he hesitated for a moment before shaking hands with Hulkower, the energetic young prosecutor who had put him and Rosario in prison. But then he did.
Ames made an opening statement. He had participated in a number of debriefings on the other side of the table, and he would handle this one in a professional manner, as he would have done if he were still in his former role. The debriefers went along with that. The goal was to extract as much information as possible from him; if that meant treating him like a fellow professional--which is what he badly seemed to want--then they would.
Rudy Guerin, looking more like a young English professor than an FBI agent, led the session. Did Ames know of any other moles in the CIA? No. In other agencies of the U.S. government? No. It was near lunchtime, and sandwiches were brought in. Ames chain-smoked through the session, which lasted a few hours, and ate two sandwiches. The questioning went on as Guerin led Ames through the history of his espionage.
Then the debriefing took a dramatic and unexpected turn. Ames explained how worried he was in late 1985 and early 1986 when the Soviets so swiftly arrested the agents he had betrayed. He had talked to the KGB in Rome about it and said that the sudden loss of agents might lead the CIA to look for a mole and jeopardize his safety. The Soviets had asked, What can we do to help you? Is there anyone you can blame? They suggested that if Ames provided the name of another CIA officer, then the KGB would plant clues that the innocent person was the mole. The officer would be framed.
Ames looked at Jeanne Vertefeuille, who sat across the table from him.