by Peter Kozmar
CHAPTER 46
The man brought his hand down from his ear and nodded to the other three. They quickly drew pistols from their belts, “Security Services, put your hands in the air or we shoot.” The two counter staff were surprised and terrified at the sight of the armed men. They froze on the spot and raised their hands as instructed. Two of the four men moved quickly as they pushed the counter staff to the floor and restrained them. The other two FSB officers kept them covered.
“Zero-Alpha, entrance secure, out.” The screen showed the squad of soldiers dressed in black assault gear moving quickly up the stairs into the bakery, through the entrance pushing further towards the rear of the bakery. A second screen switched from the front entrance of the bakery to live footage from the headcam of the squad leader for the second assault team. Andy realized they were looking at footage from the rear of the bakery and could make out the two delivery trucks.
A lone figure in civilian clothes stood in front of the loading-bay doors. The figure signalled to the approaching assault force by crossing their arms in front of their face. The headcam showed a bright flash, smoke and debris from the blown out doors. The assault team were up and moving quickly for the centre of the explosion which remained obscured by smoke and dust. A muffled explosion reverberated around the buildings and could be heard in the MCP.
“That’s the second assault team going through the loading doors at the rear,” Nardin said out loud.
“Zero-Alpha, team two inside, out.” Andy struggled to follow the action on the screens as the teams moved swiftly from room to room. He watched the scene unfold like a computer game as some of the targets surrendered and were quickly forced down, handcuffed and hooded while others chose to fight. They were no match to the firepower and skill of the assaulting squads who responded instinctively to any signs of a challenge with rounds to the chest and head.
One of the MCP staff, raised an arm and spoke to the room, “Outgoing call to a mobile number.”
“I want to know who’s making the call and who’s on the other end, when it’s answered, put the call up,” Nardin ordered.
“Call has gone to voice,” the staff member typed quickly into his desktop application, “the call’s been terminated.” Andy, Luba and Nardin watched the live feed on the screens as more rooms were cleared. “New call, same originator, different destination,” this time the call came through the loud-speakers as the recipient answered.
“Medyedov,” said a hushed voice.
“It’s Andrei, what the hell is going on?”
“I told you never to call this number.”
“I know, I know, but we’re being assaulted by the police or something.”
“What?” Medyedov sounded surprised.
Andy watched on one of the screens as the first squad entered an office and encountered a short fat man. He had a cell phone in one hand pressed against his head and a pistol in the other which he trained on the assault team. The live-cam showed muzzle flashes from the assault team and the fat man fall backwards and crumple to the floor.
Sounds of gunfire from the loud speakers filled the command post.
“Andrei! Andrei!” Medyedov’s hushed voice had urgency and a sense of panic.
A new voice could be heard over the loud speakers, it sounded like Captain Meledina, “You, put the phone down, now, and accompany my men outside, you are being detained for a breach of national security.”
“I can explain, it’s my sick mother, I couldn’t miss her call,” Medyedov was heard to say just before the line went dead.
“Zero-Alpha, ground floor secure, out.” Andy returned to watching the screens as the teams moved methodically into the basement and started to clear each room. The view from the cameras became obscured by the smoke from the flash-bangs and rounds the assault teams were putting into their targets during the brief firefights. Andy heard more loud thuds as the sounds of the exploding flash-bangs carried to the MCP.
“Zero-Alpha, man down, man down, medic needed.” Andy felt his heart rate increase, was it one of the assault team, a hostage … Vladim? The assault teams pressed on, leaving the injured behind knowing a medic would be coming along to mop up.
In the MCP Andy could hear someone instructing the medics to move into the building and directing them to the casualty in basement. Andy felt time moved slowly as he waited to find out who had been injured. More shooting. This time the rounds were from an automatic rifle. The assault teams took cover. One of the two screens went blank. An eerie ‘Lost Signal’ message filled the dark screen. Moments later Andy heard another series of dull explosions.
“Zero-Alpha basement secured. Three hostages safe. Two Tangos detained. Six Tangos despatched. One man down. Medics now treating. Securing the area and extracting the hostages, out.”
Andy punched the air as he shouted, “Yes!” Everyone in the MCP stopped what they were doing and looked at Andy in total silence … including Luba! His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He put his arm down slowly feeling even more uncomfortable about his outburst. “Well done everyone,” he said in a controlled tone, he stopped himself from clapping by sitting on his hands.
Each of the screens displayed different external views of the bakery. Smoke could be seen rising from the back of the building and out of some of the lower windows. More FSB officers in combat uniforms were on the scene and moving onlookers further away.
“Ambulances have arrived.”
“Find out who went down,” Nardin ordered.
“Can we go across now?” Andy asked Nardin.
“Not yet. I’ve yet to hear the area is secure. I wouldn’t want either you or Ms Gamzova catching a bullet on my watch,” Nardin retrieved his cell phone and made a call.
“Alena, the operation is complete, you may finish and return, and bring the detained policeman with you for questioning … yes, I’ll see you in about 20 minutes.” He put his phone away and studied the screens.
A member of the team approached Nardin. “Sir, Specialist Gorkov took a round to the upper arm, not life-threatening.”
“Make sure he walks out. I don’t want him coming out of that building on a stretcher. We need good optics on this in case someone films it and loads it onto social media.”
“Yes, sir.” Message delivered, the underling returned to his radio and relayed the instructions.
“Area secure,” broadcast out over the radio network, Nardin picked up a headset and pressed the push-to-talk button.
“Hello all stations, this is Zero-Alpha, move to recovery phase and return to base with bodies, be vigilant, we do not want any more causalities, understood, out.” Nardin removed his headset and turned to Andy, “Now we can go.”
Nardin, Andy and Luba quickly exited the MCP and crossed the car park to the main road which had been cleared of traffic. Outside the bakery three ambulances and two fire trucks were stationed, their emergency lights flashing, but sirens silent. The emergency crews had been on standby at a nearby holding point, but didn’t know where they would be needed, or why, until the operation had been executed.
A small team of firemen rushed into the bakery and used portable extinguishers to put out several small fires caused by the assault teams. Other crew members connected their large high-pressure hoses to their trucks and waited for their instructions. The fire crew commander talked rapidly on their radio handset and listened to updates from her team. The FSB wanted to avoid the whole scene being hosed down as they needed to preserve the crime scene to collect critical evidence. Andy watched Nardin approach the assault team commander and slapped him on his back; the first time he’d seen any spontaneous emotional response to the outcome of the operation.
“Well done, Mikhail, great job, how’s Gorkov?”
“He’s pissed at getting shot, the medics are patching him up then he’ll be good to walk out.”
“What happened there?” Nardin pointed to the shattered headcam.
“They started using heavy weapons and I didn’t duck f
ast enough!” they laughed together.
“When the team get back, break out the Vodka.”
“Okay boss, the team will appreciate it.”
“Can we go in?” Nardin asked.
“Yes, the area’s secure.”
Nardin led the three of them up the stairs into the bakery where they came across the wounded Gorkov, his arm bandaged and in a sling. A second team member lifted a drip high into the air which fed into Gorkov’s uninjured arm. A third carried his rifle and helmet. Andy could smell the gunpowder hanging in the air. Gorkov looked pale and in shock. The team readied to help him walk to the waiting ambulance where he could lie down and rest.
“Well done Gorkov. Great job. Make sure they patch you up. Take some much-needed leave with your wife and kids and come back when you’re ready for light duties. I don’t want to see you for at least a month.”
“Yes, sir,” Gorkov replied. His speech sounded slurred. Andy could see Gorkov’s eyes were glazed probably through the morphine shots they’d given him.
“Time to get you out of here,” the medics said. Nardin nodded and Gorkov moved unsteadily out of the bakery, his teammates supporting him, in front and behind, but it looked like he was walking under his own steam.
“Let’s get Vladim,” Andy announced as he headed for the stairs to the basement. The large loading doors had been blown clear of their frame and thin wisps of smoke smouldered from a pile of debris to one side of the loading bay. The walls were punctured with bullet holes and to get to the stairs he passed three bloodied bodies, their death masks fixed in either terror or pain. Andy didn’t dwell and moved on. At the top of the stairs there was a small office where the walls were covered in blood and brain matter. Andy peered inside where the body of a short fat man, wearing a suit and holding a cell phone, lay sprawled in a pool of blood with most of his head missing. Andy moved down the stairs, his stomach started to twitch as the stench of death made him nauseous.
At the bottom of the stairs, Andy stepped over a large body and recognised it from the distinctive scar: Andrei, the apprentice. He had died with a large meat cleaver in his left hand and a pistol in his right. Andy mused that Andrei had been lucky enough to die instantly, unlike many of his victims, “This one is called Andrei,” he said to Nardin, “he was particularly helpful during the torture process. Shame he died before he found out we were still alive. I would have been happy to repay the pleasure!”
In the corridor, Andy could see a pistol gripped in the hand of another dead kidnapper. Only their hand and upper arm were visible as the rest of the body lay in one of the cells, “Can you find out what happened to the interrogator, he referred to himself as a doctor, did your team kill or capture him?” Andy asked Nardin.
“Sure,” Nardin stopped to use his hand-held radio to ask the question. Andy carried on to the cell he had shared with Vladim. Vladim was no longer shackled to the wall. He lay on a stretcher covered by a blanket. He looked so much worse even in the dim lighting. Two medics were in attendance, but it was seeing Andy that added some color to his cheeks and perked him up. He was alive!
“You made it,” Vladim said weakly, smiling.
“I told you they couldn’t kill me, so I escaped and got some help,” Andy pointed to Nardin who’d just finished his call, “We’ll have you checked out and on your way to Ana soon.”
“Thank you, my friend, I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” Vladim started to cry at the realisation he was now safe, Andy gripped Vladim’s hand tightly.
“It’s over. You’re safe. You’ll be okay,” Andy reassured Vladim.
“We did rescue a doctor, an older man with a white coat, we found him in one of the cells. Said he’d been kidnapped last night from the hospital. He appeared confused and disorientated. The team took him upstairs to one of the ambulances to get checked out.”
Andy nodded to Nardin and turned to the medics to discuss Vladim’s condition, “What’s the diagnosis?”
“He’s in good physical shape. Dehydrated and signs of malnourishment. He’s got some old wounds which are infected and need cleaning. He’s got flea bites and he’s infested by lice. He’ll need a full psych evaluation to assess the non-physical damage.”
Andy turned to Vladim, “Hear that, you’re in bloody good physical shape and you’ve lost a few pounds, you should do this more often!” They laughed together.
One of the medics attached a drip to Vladim’s arm and looked up, “We can move him now.” Nardin spoke briefly on his radio. A few seconds later four assault team members entered the room and took up positions around the stretcher. On a count of three they raised Vladim and his stretcher while a medic carried the drip and the other carried their large medical supplies pack. Vladim was in safe hands.
As the four soldiers loaded Vladim into the waiting ambulance, Andy peeled off to speak with Nardin, “Where’s the doctor they rescued?”
“Over here,” Nardin walked over to the next ambulance, Andy followed. The two-medical staff were in the back checking their supplies.
“Where’s the doctor who came to you?” Nardin asked.
“We checked him out. He was fine. Said he needed to be debriefed and left us. We thought he was heading to you.”
Nardin used his radio again, “Is the rescued doctor with you for a debrief?” Nardin grimaced as he received the news he didn’t want to hear. “Thanks.” Nardin turned to face Andy, “No. He’s not being debriefed. He never showed.”
“He’ll be long gone by now,” Andy groaned, “Damn!”
CHAPTER 47
“Have you got a cell phone I can use?” Andy asked.
“Sure, here you go,” Nardin handed over his cell phone. Andy started dialling the number he had become familiar with over the last few weeks and walked back to where Vladim was being treated in the ambulance.
“Hi, Ana, it’s Andy Flint, I’ve got someone who wants to talk with you,” he said and handed the phone to Vladim.
“Hello, Ana, my love, I’m safe,” he said weakly. On hearing Ana’s voice Vladim started to cry again. Even from few feet away, Andy could hear Ana sobbing too. He found it hard not to well up himself, so he stepped away from the highly emotional scene in the ambulance, it had been a long, eventful day. He was glad Ana had trusted him to find Vladim, and that he had proved that trust was not misplaced.
Luba was talking to Nardin when he approached and he caught the end of their conversation, “Major Nardin, thank you, your team are well trained and did a good job here. Please thank Colonel Volkov. I know we got off to a poor start, but you all delivered, I will make sure that your total co-operation and professionalism is high-lighted in my report when I get back to the Kremlin.”
“We train hard for events like this. To put our training into practice is what we come to work for every day. I’ve got a great team, in a great city, in an amazing country with a great President.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Vladim shouting excitedly, “Andy! Andy! Ana wants to speak with you.” Andy walked around to the rear of the ambulance. Vladim already looked five years younger and the sparkle had returned to his eyes. A medic handed Andy the phone.
“Mr Flint, Andy, I can’t thank you enough,” Ana paused as she sobbed with joy, “you’ve done the impossible and I am sorry I doubted you. You’ve earned your fee. Make sure Vladim is looked after until Tomas arrives. Can you put Ms Gamzova on the phone? I wish to thank her too, I’m so happy, thank you.”
Luba had been talking to one of the assault team who had been helping Gorkov when Andy handed her the phone. “Ana Martirossian, for you,” he said with a smile, Luba looked puzzled, she hadn’t expected needing to talk with Ana Martirossian.
“This is Luba Gamzova, Mrs Martirossian,” she went quiet for a second, then said, “Thank you.” There followed another long silence, she turned and walked a short distance to gain more privacy. Andy watched Luba as she listened, nodded and spoke occasionally. After the brief conversation Luba walked over to the ambulance
and handed the phone back to Vladim and rejoined Andy.
“What’s next?” she enquired.
“It’s time to end this once and for all. Let’s go to the MCP and call Moscow to deliver our update and formulate our plan,” Andy replied. Nardin was waiting patiently for his phone and advised them to use the secure line in the MCP for their call to Moscow.
Inside the MCP there was only one Staff Officer maintaining a listening watch, the others had already cleared their positions and were either celebrating with the assault teams or starting to prepare the MCP for transport back to their headquarters in the Vasileostrovsky District. The young Staff Officer had probably drawn the short straw because of his lack of seniority and was feeling a bit left out of the celebration.
He watched them as they entered and approached his position. “Can I help you?” he asked.
Luba stepped forward, “I need a secure line to Moscow. The Kremlin. FSB Station One.”
“Do you have authority to communicate with Station One?” he asked sceptically.
“Don’t go there buddy,” Andy interjected, “Colonel Volkov nearly ended up in Khabarovsk for asking the same question.”
“They will take my call,” Luba replied, giving Andy a steely-eyed stare to make sure he knew she was back on her official duty. Andy simply smiled back, all was well.
The Staff Officer unlocked his laptop’s home screen and searched through the internal directory.
“Which secure phone can I use?” she asked while he searched for the phone number.
He pointed to one of the phones. “The code to unlock it is one-nine-one-seven. The year of our glorious revolution,” he added smiling. Andy rolled his eyes upwards while Luba keyed in the code and dialled the number from memory. The call was answered after only a few rings.
“Luba Gamzova. Two-four-eight-two-five-zero-seven-three.” There was a pause of a few seconds. “Colonel Malchik.” Another pause, this time longer. “Colonel, Luba Gamzova, I’m with Mr Flint, I’ll put you on loud speaker.” Luba punched the loud speaker button, allowing Andy to hear.