us. First, that she needed our urgent help to stop the destruction of our country. Second, that we would be breaking the laws of Russia by doing so.” He glanced at Markov, who nodded, before looking back at Will. “We understand our situation.”
Will looked sharply at Korina. “If these two men are absent without leave from Spetsnaz, they’ll be a liability to our team, as their unit commanders will issue orders for their arrest.”
Korina shook her head. “I spoke to their superior and gained formal clearance for their immediate short-term attachment to me. I also spoke to my boss in Moscow and fed him a lie. I said that one of my agents had contacted me and said he had information about U.S. naval movements but suspected that he was compromised and needed to urgently meet me in the western borders of Russia. I said I needed a few days to get there and meet him and had requisitioned two men and equipment from Spetsnaz GRU to help protect me during my meeting.” She smiled, pulling out a cigarette. “As far as our superiors are concerned, the three of us are on official business and will be difficult to contact during the next few days.”
Will looked at the Spetsnaz men. “Why are you willing to help?”
Vitali answered with a smile, “What man wouldn’t like a short-term attachment to Major Tsvetaeva?”
Will didn’t smile and repeated his question.
Markov pointed at the major. “Because we both trust her judgment. All of the Spetsnaz men based here think that way. She’s one of us.”
“Have you been told who we’re looking for?”
Vitali nodded. “The head of Spetsnaz Alpha.”
Markov added, “Major Tsvetaeva told us outright. In case we had a problem hunting one of our own.”
“Has either of you ever served with him?”
Markov shook his head.
Vitali answered, “No, but I saw him once. I was on an advanced sniper course. There were ten of us from various different Spetsnaz units. We were testing a prototype rifle, and each of us was given the task of trying to hit a playing card, one mile away. Colonel Khmelnytsky was observing, along with four other commanders, because two of the students were from Alpha. We could hear the other commanders talking, saying the new weapon was rubbish given that none of us could get a bullet to within five feet of our playing cards. But Khmelnytsky stayed silent. Instead, he walked up to the sniper on the left of our range, picked up his rifle, took aim while standing, and fired the weapon. His bullet struck the center of the playing card. Then he walked along the line, doing the same with each of our guns, until he’d fired ten bullets from ten rifles and struck ten playing cards as if they’d been only a few feet away from him.” Vitali smiled. “After he dropped the last rifle, he strode off, walked past the other unit commanders, and muttered loud enough for us all to hear, ‘The weapon’s not rubbish, but every man around me is.’ ”
Will looked at Korina. “Why did you bring these men here?”
Korina inhaled deeply on her cigarette. “Two days after the intelligence report was issued, Taras instructed the agent to abscond from the U.S. Navy and use an infiltration route to enter Russia. He did so on the pretext that the agent could be in danger, although from what we know I suspect his real motive was to get the agent out of his game. But he needed official clearance to do that, as the infiltration route belonged to the SVR and required their assistance. His request for the agent’s exfiltration from America’s Kitsap Naval Base was officially recorded in our files and was approved. As a result, the source is now residing in a dacha on the outskirts of Moscow. The records show that the man has low-level security protection from the SVR, is not deemed a threat, and can come and go from the property as he pleases.”
Will’s anger vanished. “We need to meet the agent and put the fear of God into him to make him panic.” His heart beat fast. “After that meeting, I don’t think he’ll dare discuss his situation with his agent handler on the telephone in case the SVR is monitoring his calls. I think he’ll want to meet Taras. Hopefully, he’ll lead us straight to him.”
Korina’s eyes flickered. “I thought you’d say that.” She looked at Roger, Laith, then Will. “But that hope rests upon the ability of you and your men moving through my country as if you were GRU officials.” She nodded at Markov and Vitali. “That’s why I asked for these two men. Together with me, they will front the team and diminish the threat of scrutiny on the three of you. They’ll also help with equipment and transport.” She smiled, flicking her cigarette onto the floor and stubbing it out with the heel of her boot. “And they can handle themselves very well in a fight.”
“That’s all good, ma’am, but”-Laith was still pointing his handgun in the direction of the GRU personnel-“I don’t speak fluent Russian.”
“Then you’ll just have to keep your mouth shut.”
Will frowned. “The SVR will never let us meet him without clearance.”
“Correct. That’s why I called them and told them that I needed to have a formal meeting with the man.” She looked serious. “Technically, Taras’s intelligence falls within my jurisdiction, as it relates to a naval matter that is happening within seas that come under the scrutiny of GRU Vladivostok. That means I have every right to reevaluate the intelligence, up to and including challenging the source of the report.” She nodded once. “The SVR had no choice other than to grant me an audience with the American agent.”
Will nodded. “Okay. But we need to meet him tonight.”
“Tonight?” Korina looked shocked. “He’s an eight-hour flight away in Moscow.”
For the first time that day, Will smiled. “I’m sure that right now there are plenty of military flights traveling back and forth across Russia. I’m confident you can get us on one.”
W ill and Korina were alone. The rest of the team were in the next room, quietly talking to one another, the Russians trying to get the measure of the Americans and vice versa.
Will asked, “Can we work together?”
Korina studied him. “We’ll have to find out.” She lit a cigarette and pointed it toward him. “But I warn you, I’m no fool. If you try and trick me, I’ll make you and your men suffer.”
“I’ve no intention of tricking you. I came here because I need your help.” He frowned. “Is this a place they’d normally post someone with-”
“A pretty face like mine?”
“That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Then what?”
“It’s just that you look like you’d be better suited to Moscow HQ.” Will wasn’t sure he knew what he was saying. Perhaps it was that Korina’s elegance seemed at odds with the harshness of this part of Russia.
Korina inhaled smoke. “I have no family now. I never knew my mother-she ran off with another man when I was a baby. And when I was old enough to look after myself, my father was often away at sea for long periods. I suppose it toughened me up a lot. I didn’t want a cozy desk job in Moscow. So I volunteered to come out here.”
Will understood. The tragedies in his early life had driven him to seek out his extreme existence. “I’m sorry about your father.”
Korina lowered her head. “They wouldn’t tell me at first how he was killed. No doubt they thought it would be too upsetting. But I pulled some strings and found out everything.” She looked up. “That bastard savaged him.”
Will hesitated before placing a hand on hers. “I know how you feel.”
Her expression steeled. “How?”
“My parents were killed.”
“An accident?”
“Murdered.”
She squeezed his hand, released her grip, and muttered, “So here we are, filling the void.” She nodded once. “Yes, I think you and I can work together.” Extinguishing her cigarette, she added, “There’s something else you should know. When I was in my office, I checked my telegrams. One of them was from GRU Moscow HQ and was marked URGENT. It was sent to me and every other GRU station chief based in Russia but outside Moscow. The telegram stated that we must store all intelligence files in our possession within burn boxes, ready to be incinerated if our offices are overrun by American forces.”
