Paul Vidich’s fourth novel, “The Mercenary,” will release on Feb. 2 from Pegasus. This story, based on actual events, is set in 1980s Moscow during the last years of the Soviet Union. A senior KGB officer with top secret military intelligence puts his life at risk when he approaches the CIA to defect. CIA officers have never successfully exfiltrated a KGB officer from Moscow. This is the story of their attempt.