tc.thebearandthedragon-第155部分
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hen he receives his instructions； we will arrest him。 But we do not know who his contacts are。 We assume they are former Spetsnaz people loyal to him； criminals； of course； doing special work for the underworld we've grown up here。〃
That made sense； John thought。 〃Some people will do anything for money； Sergey Nikolay'ch。 How can we help you？〃
〃Foley has instructed you to assist？ Good of him。 Given the nature of how the intelligence came to us； an American observer seems appropriate。 For the takedown； we will use police； with cover from General Kirillin's people。 As RAINBOW mander； this will be your task。〃
Clark nodded。 It wasn't all that demanding。 〃Fair enough。〃
〃We'll keep you safe；〃 the general assured him。
〃And you expect the Chinese to launch a war on Russia？〃
〃Within the week；〃 Golovko nodded。
〃The oil and the gold？〃 Chavez asked。
〃So it would seem。〃
〃Well； that's life in the big city；〃 Ding observed。
〃We will make them regret this barbaric act；〃 Kirillin told everyone present。
〃That remains to be seen；〃 Golovko cautioned。 He knew what Bondarenko was saying to Stavka。
〃And with you guys in NATO； we're ing to help out？〃 Clark asked。
〃Your President Ryan is a true rade；〃 the Russian agreed。
〃That means RAINBOW； too； then；〃 John thought aloud。 〃We're all NATO troopers。〃
〃Ain't never fought in a real war before；〃 Chavez thought aloud。 But now he was a simulated major； and he might just get drafted into this one。 His life insurance； he remembered； was fully paid up。
〃It's not exactly fun； Domingo；〃 Clark assured him。 And I'm getting a little old for this shit。
The Chinese embassy was under continuous and expert surveillance by a large team of officers from the Russian Federal Security Service。 Almost all of them were formerly of the KGB's Second Chief Directorate。 Reconstituted under a new agency's aegis； they performed the same function as the FBI's Intelligence Division； and they gave away little to their American counterparts。 No fewer than twenty of them were assigned to this task。 They prised all physical types； male and female； prosperous… and impoverished…looking； middle…aged and old…but no really young ones； because this case was too important for inexperienced officers。 The vehicles assigned to the task included everything from dump trucks to motorbikes； and every mobile group had at least one radio； of types so advanced that the Russian Army didn't have them yet。
Kong Deshi emerged from the PRC embassy at seven…forty。 He walked to the nearest Metro station and took the escalator down。 This was entirely routine。 At the same time； another minor consular officer left and headed in a different direction； but the FSS officers didn't know to watch him。 He walked three blocks to the second lamppost on a busy street and； passing it； he pulled a strip of white paper tape from his coat pocket and stuck it vertically on the metal post。 Then he walked on to a restaurant and had dinner alone； having fulfilled a mission whose purpose he didn't know。 He was the flagman for the MSS in the embassy； but was not a trained intelligence officer。
Third Secretary Kong rode the train for the proper number of stops and got off； with four FSS officers in trail； another one waiting in the station； and two more at the top of the long escalator to the surface。 Along the way； he purchased a newspaper from one of the kiosks on the street。 Twice he stopped； once to light a cigarette and the other time to look around as if lost and trying to get his bearings。 Both efforts； of course； were to spot a tail； but the FSS people were too numerous； some too near； and the close ones studiously； but not too studiously； looking elsewhere。 The truth of the matter； as known to the FBI and the British Security Service as well； is that once a contact is identified； he is as naked and helpless as a newborn in the jungle； as long as those shadowing him are not total fools。 These KGB…trained professionals were anything but fools。 The only thing they didn't know was the identity of the flagman； but that； as usual； was something you might never get。 The problem there was that you never knew how quickly to get the dead…drop that was about to be made。
The other problem for the control agent； Kong Deshi； was that once the location of the dead…drop was identified； it was as easily watched as the single cloud in an otherwise clear sky。 The size of the surveillance troop was just to make sure there wasn't another drop。 And there wasn't。 Kong sat down on the expected bench。 Here he violated fieldcraft by acting as though he could read a newspaper in the diminishing light； but as there was a streetlamp close by； it wouldn't tip off the casual onlooker。
〃There；〃 one of the FSS men observed。 Kong's right hand made the emplacement。 Three minutes later； he folded his paper and strolled off； in the same direction he'd been heading。 The FSS detail let him go a long way before they moved in。
Again it was done from a van； and again the locksmith was inside and waiting with the custom…made key。 Also in the van was a high…end American laptop puter with the onetime cipher pad preprogrammed in； an exact copy of Suvorov/Koniev's desktop machine in his upscale flat on the ring road。 And so； the senior FSS officer on the case thought； their quarry was like a tiger prowling through the jungle with ten unknown rifles aimed at it； powerful； and dangerous； perhaps； but utterly doomed。
The transfer case was delivered。 The locksmith popped it open。 The contents were unfolded and photocopied； then replaced； and the case was resealed and returned to its spot on the metal plate under the bench。 Already a typist was keying in the random letters of the message； and inside of four minutes； the clear…text came up。
〃Yob tvoyu mat！〃the senior officer observed。 〃They want him to kill President Grushavoy！〃
〃What is that？〃 a junior officer asked。 The case…leader just handed over the laptop puter and let him read the screen。
〃This is an act of war；〃 the major breathed。 The colonel nodded。
〃It is that； Gregoriy。〃 And the van pulled away。 He had to report this； and do it immediately。
Lieutenant Provalov was home when the call came。 He grumbled the usual amount as he re…dressed and headed to FSS headquarters。 He hadn't grown to love the Federal Security Service； but he had e to respect it。 With such resources； he thought； he could end crime in Moscow entirely； but they didn't share resources； and they retained the above…the…law arrogance their antecedent agency had once displayed。 Perhaps it was necessary。 The things they investigated were no less serious than murder； except in scale。 Traitors killed not individuals； but entire regions。 Treason was a crime that had been taken seriously in his country for centuries； and one that his nation's long…standing institutional paranoia had always feared as much as it had hated。
They were burning more than the usual amount of midnight oil here； Provalov saw。 Yefremov was standing in his office； reading a piece of paper with the sort of blank look on his face that frequently denoted something monstrous。
〃Good evening； Pavel Georgiyevich。〃
〃Lieutenant Provalov。 Here。〃 Yefremov handed over the paper。 〃Our subject grows ambitious。 Or at least his controllers do。〃
The militia lieutenant took the page and read it quickly； then returned to the top to give it a slower redigestion。
〃When did this happen？〃
〃Less than an hour ago。 What observations do you make？〃
〃We should arrest him at once！〃 the cop said predictably。
〃I thought you'd say that。 But instead we will wait and see whom he contacts。 Then we will snatch him up。 But first； I want to see the people he notifies。〃
〃What if he does it from a cell phone or a pay phone？〃
〃Then we will have the telephone pany identify them for us。 But I want to see if he has a contact within an important government office。 Suvorov had many colleagues where he was in KGB。 I want to know which of them have turned mercenary； so that we can root all of them out。 The attack on Sergey Nikolay'ch displayed a frightening capability。 I want to put an end to it； to scoop that all up； and send them all to a labor camp of strict regime。〃 The Russian penal system had three levels of camps。 Those of 〃mild〃 regime were unpleasant。 The 〃medium〃 ones were places to avoid。 But those of 〃strict〃 regime were hell on earth。 They were particularly useful for getting the recalcitrant to speak of things they preferred to keep quiet about in ordinary circumstances。 Yefremov had the ability to control which scale of punishment a man earned。 Suvorov already merited death； in Russia； usually delivered by a bullet。 。 。 but there were worse things than death。
〃The president's security detail has been warned？〃
The FSS officer nodded。 〃Yes； though that was a tender one。 How can we be sure that one of them is not promised？ That nearly happened to the American president last year； you may have heard； and it is a possibility we have to consider。 They are all being watched。 But Suvorov had few contacts with the Eighth Directorate when he was KGB； and none of the people he knew ever switched over to there。〃
〃You are sure of that？〃
〃We finished the cross…check three days ago。 We've been busy checking records。 We even have a list of people Suvorov might call。 Sixteen of them； in fact。 All of their phones have been tapped； and all are being watched。〃 But even the FSS didn't have the manpower to put full surveillance details on those potential suspects。 This had bee the biggest case in the history of the FSS； and few of the KGB's investigations had used up this much manpower； even back to Oleg Penkovskiy。
〃What about the names Amalrik and Zimyanin？〃
〃Zimyanin came up in our check； but not the other。 Suvorov didn't know him； but Zimyanin did…they were rades in Afghanistan… and presumably recruited the other himself。 Of the sixteen others； seven are prime suspects； all Spetsnaz； three officers and four non…s； all of them people who've put their talent and training on the open market。 Two are in St。 Petersburg； and might have been implicated in the elimination of Amalrik and Zimyanin。 It would appear that their radeship was lacking；〃 Yefremov observed dryly。 〃So； Provalov；
