'Understood.'
'You'll have the specifics before you land,' Rodgers said, 'regarding point of departure, transportation, landing, and timing— though we won't be able to tell you much about exactly what it is you're looking for. Everything we know will be in the report, including where the DI6 agent investigating the site was murdered. The Russians also got one of his informants, and another's on the run.'
'Take no prisoners,' Squires said.
'Right. Now, I've got mixed feelings about this, but you'll also have a new teammate— a British agent with a pair that clang.'
'Do I know him?' Squires asked.
'It's a her,' Rodgers said, 'and no. But she's got the credentials. I'll have Bob Herbert send her file through along with the TAS data. In the meantime, get McCaskey an inventory of the wet gear you have on board. If there's anything else we think you'll need, he'll have it waiting in Helsinki. And Charlie?'
'Yes, sir?'
'Tell everyone good luck and Godspeed.'
'Roger,' Squires said, then signed off.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
'Three? two? one. We're? on.'
There were no cheers as Yuri Marev spoke, no smiles as General Orlov, pacing slowly behind the are of computers, acknowledged with a nod the functional status of the Russian Operations Center. The countdown had proceeded without a hitch, and while the long day was coming to an end for most of the workers, Orlov felt as though his day was just beginning. He had asked to see all the data that came in over the next hour, which he would review with the Directors of satellite surveillance and weather, cellular and radio communication, on-site operations, cryptography, and computer analysis, imaging, and interception. These included the four-to-midnight shift heads of each department— the prime team, which covered the heavy data flow when it was eight in the morning to four in the afternoon in Washington— as well as the Deputy Directors, who worked the midnight-to- eight and eight-to-four shifts. Rossky would also be present, not only as Orlov's second-in-command but as the liaison officer with the military. Rossky was not only in charge of analyzing shared military intelligence and feeding it to other branches of the armed forces and government, but of commanding the spetsnaz strike team that was at the Center's disposal for special missions.
Orlov looked over at Rossky, who was standing behind Corporal Ivashin. The Colonel's hands were clasped behind his back, clearly enjoying all the quiet activity. He reminded Orlov of Nikita the first time he took him to see the boosters and spacecraft at Star City: the boy was so excited, he didn't know where to look first. Orlov knew that would change very soon, though.
As soon as the Center was declared operational, Orlov walked over to Rossky. The Colonel took a moment before turning and saluting slowly.
'Colonel Rossky,' Orlov said, 'I would like you to tell me exactly where my son is. Everything in code, no need to log the order.'
Rossky hesitated a moment, apparently having tried and failed to ascertain Orlov's motive. 'Yes, sir,' he said.
Rossky told Ivashin to have the radio room contact the base at Sakhalin Island and ask Sergeant Nogovin for the information. All communications were in Pencil Code Two/Five/Three: letters had to be erased before it could be decoded. In this case, every second letter of every word in the code was false, as was every fifth word— save for the third letter of each false word, which was the first letter of the word that followed.
Ivashin had his answer in less than two minutes, and his computer quickly decoded it for him.
His hands still locked behind his back, Rossky leaned over the screen and read, 'Junior Lieutenant Orlov and his unit of nine spetsnaz soldiers have arrived in Vladivostok and are awaiting further instructions.' Rossky fired Orlov a look. 'General,' he said tensely, 'is this a maneuver of some kind?'
'No, Colonel, it isn't.'
Rossky's jaw tightened and unclenched several times. Orlov waited several long seconds to make sure that Rossky was smart enough not to be insubordinate, not to complain that he had been excluded from a military maneuver. Rossky had to feel humiliated in front of the staff, but he remained silent.
'Come to my office, Colonel,' Orlov said, turning, 'and I'll brief you on the disposition of the Sakhalin spetsnaz unit.'
The General heard Rossky's heels click smartly behind him. Once the door was closed behind them, Orlov sat at his desk and looked at Rossky, who stood before it.
'You're aware of Minister Dogin's shipment on board a private aircraft?' Orlov asked.
'Yes, sir.'
'There's a problem,' Orlov said. 'Engine trouble. It can't go on. Because of the severe weather and the shortage of aircraft, I've ordered the shipment to be transferred to a train which Rear Admiral Pasenko has informed me is at our disposal.'
'A train from Vladivostok will take four or five days to reach Moscow,' Rossky said.
'But that's not where it's going,' Orlov said. 'My plan is simply to get the shipment out of Vladivostok to a place where an aircraft will be able to rendezvous with it. I was thinking that we might be able to get a helicopter out of the Bada Aerodrome to meet the train in Bira. That's only six hundred miles from Vladivostok, and appears to be far enough to the west to remain clear of the path of the storm.'
'You've done a great deal of work on this already, sir,' said Rossky. 'Is there anything I can do?'
'As a matter of fact, there is,' said Orlov. 'But first, Colonel, I'd like to know how you first heard about the shipment.'
Rossky said matter-of-factly, 'From the Minister.'
'He communicated with you directly?'
'Yes, sir,' said Rossky. 'I believe you were at home at the time, having dinner.'
The General swiveled over to his keyboard and opened the log file. 'I see. But you logged a report for me to look at later.'
'No, sir,' said Rossky.
'Why not, Colonel? Were you too busy?'
'Sir,' said Rossky, 'the Minister did not want the matter to become part of Center records.'
'The Minister did not want it,' Orlov snapped. 'Is it not a standing order that every duty assigned by a superior be logged?'
'Yes, sir.'
'And are you accustomed to taking civilian commands over military ones?'
'I am not, sir,' Rossky replied.
'I can speak for the Center,' Orlov said. 'We're an autonomous base serving all branches of government and the military. But what about you, Colonel? Do you have a special loyalty to the Ministry of the Interior?'
Rossky took a moment longer to answer. 'No, sir. I do not.'
'Good,' said Orlov, 'because if there's another incident like this, I'll have you reassigned. Is that understood?'
Rossky's rock-rigid chin moved up and down slowly. 'It is. Sir.'
Orlov inhaled deeply and began scanning the day's log. He never thought that Rossky would rebel openly, and his restraint was to be expected. But he'd pushed the Colonel into a corner and he was about to push a little more. Rossky would have to do something.
'Did the Minister tell you anything else, Colonel, such as the contents of the shipment?'
'He did not,' Rossky said.
'Would you withhold that information from me if Minister Dogin instructed you to do so?'
Rossky glared at his superior. 'Not if the information is the business of this Center, sir.'
