In the Shadow of Mordor
Page 24
"No, I won't be patient." Gleb couldn't hold back the words as his emotions exploded. "I didn't serve the country for so many years for this – to have my life ruined because your people couldn't take care of a twenty-something kid. If the omnipresent CIA magically appeared from somewhere, no one from your great organization was capable of stopping them. I'll never take the blame for everybody, Nikolay Davydovich. Never! Of course, I would never mention Himself," he raised a finger toward the ceiling. "But if they come after me, if they resort to an arrest, I'll name every high-ranking general that was in charge of the operation – the whole bunch, right to the top."
He was panting with rage now. "Don't you understand how much I've accomplished, how much more I could do? I'm better at this than anyone else. I'm not a simple functionary to my people. I'm their god! They would follow me through fire and water. I can do whatever I like with them – send them to fight in the Donbas or kill liberals in courtyards. Only I can do this. Explain that upstairs. Find someone else, some decrepit colonel who's outlived his usefulness and put it all on his head."
"You were named in the article," intoned the general. "A new Cold War already has begun. The West wants blood – your blood. I'm sorry it turned out this way."
"I won't do it. I won't take the blame for everything. I'm no mere pawn to be sacrificed. When I took that job I was promised protection. If they come after me, I swear I'll name everybody."
He turned on his heel and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
The old general spoke sadly to the empty room. "I'm sorry, Gleb, very sorry. You've understood nothing I taught you. It's a shame things have come to this, but you leave me no choice, my boy. I hope you know that I spoke truthfully when I promised to avenge you …"
The telephone receiver felt like a heavy weight when he lifted it.
* * *
13Главное управление специальных программ Президента Российской Федерации – General Directorate of Special Programs of the President of the Russian Federation is located at Staraya Square, 2/14, Ulitsa Ilinka in Moscow.
Chapter 54
They were all there, gathered around the conference table in Enoch Whitehall's office. Krystal Murphy, Nick Ferguson, Bob Strachey, and the President's National Security Advisor Duane Claiborne. Whitehall had provided formal non-disclosure agreements for Krystal and Strachey to sign. These agreements, known as NDA's, were de rigeur for employees of Washington's three letter agencies. Everyone in the room but she and Strachey had up to date NDA's. Their purpose was to bind them to strict secrecy, and to violate them was a criminal offense.
The formalities complete, Whitehall said, "We are part of an exceedingly small group who know the truth behind the Clarendon Metro outrage. Although Mr. Strachey currently holds no official government position, his knowledge of the truth is why he is here.
"The drama that took place in Shenandoah County and everything that led up to it are well-documented, thanks to the fine work of Krystal and Nick in debriefing Olga Polyanskaya. It was not an easy interview for either side, but the young lady finally realized that she had no choice other than to cooperate. As you know, Polyanskaya will be placed in the witness protection program and relocated within the United States under a new identity. She is under severe psychological strain, and we'll see that she gets the proper help. The U.S. Marshals Service will keep a close eye on her.
"Our forensic specialists discovered ample evidence in the Shenandoah farmhouse that the two deceased men were involved in the Metro bombing, including traces of explosive and bomb-making materials. This makes it possible for us to inform the public that the Metro investigation has been concluded and that the attack was the work of renegade Chechen Islamists, much like the Boston Marathon tragedy."
Krystal wasn't sure she had heard correctly, and her look of consternation caught Whitehall's attention. He continued, "The concept of 'need to know' is new to some of you, but it is an important part of national security. Despite what the media think, there are some things best kept secret, and at times it is better to hide the truth from the public. This is such an instance. Yes, Polyanskaya related her experience, both in Russia and here in Washington with the FSB. The account of her conversation with Valeriy Eduardovich Karpov was chilling and laid responsibility for the bombing directly on the Kremlin's doorstep. But in reality, her testimony is secondhand, what would be called 'hearsay' in a court of law. Given Karpov's diplomatic immunity, the certainty that Moscow would never divest him of it, and the deaths of the two perpetrators, there is nothing we could legally do. But the important thing to keep in mind is that if word that Moscow was behind the bombing were to be made public, it would amount to a casus belli, and the Administration would find itself in a ticklish situation."
Whitehall turned to Claiborne for confirmation.
"We have the means to let the Kremlin know that we are aware of what really happened," said the White House advisor. "It's a club we can hold over their heads. We'll also be expelling Karpov and refusing to permit the Russians to replace him. Given that he oversaw a debacle, we suspect that Karpov will not be received kindly at home. If he should ask for asylum here, we will see that he is carried kicking and screaming on board a Russian flight to Moscow. We have no use for him."
The atmosphere was more rarified than anything Krystal had ever experienced. This was how the real business of Washington was done, and she wasn't sure she ever wanted another glimpse. Her black and white world abhorred gray, and this was as gray as it gets. Across the table from her Whitehall was grayness personified. How many more dark secrets did he hold?
*****
Ethan Holmes called Vlad Illarionov to another meeting at the Washington Post. The reporter was smiling broadly. "Vlad, I don’t know exactly what's going on, but the White House called the editor this morning and praised your piece on the Moscow bombings. Given the Administration's efforts to make peace with the Kremlin, this is somewhat surprising. The National Security Advisor himself told us that the White House would very much like to see a string of similar stories about the situation in Russia. We'd like to give that assignment to you."
Vlad was at a loss. "But I'm only here on a temporary visa. I'm not allowed to have a real job …"
Holmes was still smiling. "That's the other thing I don't understand, but it appears you have a friend somewhere in high places. They said that if you asked, you would be granted political asylum immediately."
Chapter 55
Gleb Solntsev was hunched over his desk at the office on Sretenka Street. He had issued his ultimatum, and now he would gather his troops. They would present a solid front, guided by his iron will. There was nothing his enemies could do about it. He knew too much about their dirty laundry to dare.
He raised his head as Pasha led Kostya and Volodya through the door. No one would get to him through these three. He walked around the desk to greet them. The personal touch never failed.
But instead of taking his extended hand, Pasha grabbed him and swung him around trapping his arms at his side. There was a yellow gleam in the big man's eyes that Solntsev belatedly recognized as the first blow landed.
THE END
Michael R. Davidson was raised in the Mid-West. Heeding President Kennedy’s call for more young Americans to learn Russian he studied the language, and military service took him to the White House where he served as translator for the Moscow-Washington “Hotline.” His language abilities attracted the attention of the Central Intelligence Agency, and following his military service Mr. Davidson spent the next 28 years as a Clandestine Services officer. Seventeen of those years were spent abroad in a variety of sensitive posts working against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. In the private sector he worked as a business owner and security and economic development consultant before devoting full time to his writing.
Kseniya Kirillova is a Russian journalist who focuses on analyzing Russian society, polit
ical processes in modern Russia and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. She writes for Radio Liberty and other outlets and is an expert of the Center for Army, Conversion, and Disarmament Studies and the Free Russia Foundation.
Also by Michael R. Davidson
The RESURRECTION Series
Did the Cold War end or did the KGB find a way to retain its power and dominate the new Russian Federation? “Harry’s Rules” is an espionage thriller set against the backdrop of post-Soviet Russia in the early 1990’s.
Who killed President John F. Kennedy? A long buried secret that could change the course of history draws murder to a quiet Washington suburb. Only an exiled CIA officer can solve a mystery that both the White House and the Kremlin will protect at all costs.
Revenge is said to be a dish best served cold. A suicide bomber and a serial killer are the instruments chosen by a deposed Russian president.
But his targets are anything but helpless.
Find them all at: www.michaelrdavidson.com
All books also available at Amazon.com
THE CALIPHATE SERIES
THE INQUISITOR AND THE MAIDEN - Disillusioned by Spain's falling fortunes in the 30-Years-War, Eduardo Macías returns home. His reputation as a valorous soldier wins him the position of Captain of the Santa Hermandad, a Spanish force charged with protecting the people and maintaining the law. He is forced to accept a mission by officials of the Holy Inquisition to investigate a charge of heresy against a nobleman with royal ties. What he discovers places Eduardo at odds with the Inquisition, and he must decide between honor and excommunication.
RETRIBUTION – The saga that began in 1492 continues into the turbulent present. An ancient enemy threatens the world with nuclear terror, and CIA officer Robert Strachey and his friend Spanish Police inspector Alberto Macías find themselves in a race against time to avert a holocaust.
Find them all at: www.michaelrdavidson.com
All books also available at Amazon.com
KRYSTAL - Sassy Detective Krystal Murphy who appeared in INCUBUS and THE INCUBUS VENDETTA at last gets her own novel.
A controversial Miami judge is murdered in a Washington hotel room. Homicide detective Krystal Murphy identifies an ideal suspect, a person with motive and opportunity. Following the suspect’s trail to Miami, she is confronted by an unspeakable tragedy that leaves her prime suspect dead. Convinced her initial instincts were wrong and driven by guilt, she teams with a Miami detective to continue the investigation. But she encounters unexpected opposition from her own superiors who want only to call the case closed. While coping with her own personal tragedy and under great pressure from her superiors, Krystal doggedly pursues the case with the help a new ally and perhaps more than just a friend, the Miami detective. When more people associated with the case begin turning up dead, Krystal finds herself in a race against time before she herself becomes the next victim of an increasingly desperate killer.
Find them all at: www.michaelrdavidson.com
All books also available at Amazon.com