Mike Banks replied, “thank you captain, I have a forklift unit arriving in the next five minutes.”
Ten minutes later the first of the eleven cargo pallets was on the dock and being transferred onto the semi-trailer.
Sean McFaul turned to his colleague Sydney Carter and said, “Looks like the captain has complied with the requisition order Sid?”
Sydney Carter replied, “Let’s hope they can have it loaded before the British arrive.”
Thirty minutes later the semi-rig was loaded and rolling along the dock road, Carter and McFaul followed in the SUV.
Fifteen minutes later two yellow taxis’ pulled up on the dockside alongside the Sea Mist, the twenty-three mile journey had incurred the typical heavy traffic for the time of day coming through New York.
Samantha Lockhart and her team alighted from the cabs after giving the drivers instructions to wait.
They all walked up the gangplank onto the Sea Mists deck where the captain and some of his crew were working on the submersibles.
Captain Wilson looked up at the party that had just walked onto the deck; he stood up and walked over to them.
Samantha Lockhart was the first to speak, “I am Samantha Lockhart your captain is expecting us.”
Captain Wilson replied; “I am Captain Wilson, the retrieved cargo has just been unloaded and transported to one of the Port authority warehouses Miss Lockhart.”
Miss Lockhart replied, “On whose authority was this done captain?”
Captain Wilson replied, “one moment I have the paperwork here.”
Captain Wilson pulled a piece of folded paper out from his top left breast pocket and unfolded it, before handing it to Miss Lockhart.
Samantha Lockhart quickly perused the sheet of paper and said, “This order did not come from our end captain?”
Captain Wilson replied, “it’s on official port authority paperwork Miss Lockhart, as you can see it has been transferred to warehouse 6 off McLester street.”
“Can you give me a description of the vehicle captain?”
The captain replied, “Just your average dark blue semi eighteen-wheeler rig.”
Samantha Lockhart replied, “Okay captain, can I keep hold of the paperwork, I will have it returned to you as soon as we locate the cargo?”
“That’s fine by me Ma’am.”
Samantha Lockhart turned to her team and said, “Back to the taxis.”
Fifteen minutes later Samantha Lockhart was talking to a man named Bill Mason in charge of warehouse 6.
“What do you mean it’s not here? I have the paperwork confirming its transfer from the boat to warehouse 6 less than an hour ago.”
Bill Mason replied, “I have had nothing through here in the last two hours Ma’am.”
“I want to speak to your superior Mr Mason?”
“Ma’am I am the man in charge here, may I have the paperwork and I will make a few calls to locate it for you.”
Samantha Lockhart handed the document over to him.
“Give me ten minutes Ma’am to sort it out.”
Bill Mason walked away to his office and began making phone calls.
Several minutes later, he returned and handed Samantha Lockhart the paperwork and said, “This document appears to be a forgery Ma’am, no orders were given by the Port authority to unload the cargo from the Sea Mist.”
It took a few seconds for the information to sink in before she replied, “are you absolutely sure?”
“I have spoken with the Port authority’s chief’s office and they have assured me no order was given verbally or written Ma’am.”
She replied, “thank you Mr Mason.”
She turned to her team and said, “Okay; back in the Taxis and the airport.”
Fifty minutes later, they were back at JFK airport.
Samantha Lockhart was on one of the public pay phones explaining to her boss Jonathan Troy about the cargos disappearance.
When she had finished Jonathan Troy said, “It appears that some of the cargo was extremely interesting to someone and it looks like they have it. Okay Sam have you and your team back here on the next available flight.”
Samantha Lockhart replied, “Yes sir.”
16
Phone call to the
Central Intelligence Agency
Langley, Fairfax County
Virginia
USA
Lat = 38 degrees, 57.2 minutes North
Long = 77 degrees, 8.8 minutes West
Saturday 9th September 1989 (Same day)
Zero ten fifty-eight hours EDT
Sydney Carter and his partner Sean McFaul had been following the dark blue semi eighteen-wheeler off the Dock area when they pulled over and watched, as it turned left from North Avenue east onto the road leading up to the New Jersey Turnpike.
They drove a couple of hundred yards along North Avenue east to a payphone.
Carter exited the car, went to the phone, and dialled a familiar number from memory.
Walter Smith the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, had picked the ringing phone up and was now listening to Sydney Carter giving his update.
Carter said, “The cargo has been recovered from the vessel sir and is now on route to the storage facility in Richmond.”
Walter Smith replied, “Any problems with the captain?”
“No everything went like clockwork sir.”
“What’s the ETA to the warehouse Syd?”
“Four hours sir should be there about 2pm.”
“Okay, let me know when it arrives?”
“Will do sir,” replied Carter.
Walter Smith terminated the call and immediately dialled a number.
17
Soviet Embassy
2650 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Washington DC
USA
Lat = 38 degrees, 55.5 minutes North
Long = 77 degrees, 4.4 minutes West
Saturday 9th September 1989 (Same day)
Zero eleven twelve hours EDT
The Soviet embassy is situated on Mount Alto on Wisconsin Avenue Northwest. It was leased to the Soviet government for 85 years based on the agreement between the USSR and the U.S. that was concluded in 1969.
Under the 1972 agreement, the same territory in Moscow was leased to the U.S. for a new embassy on the same conditions. The second agreement also stated that both sides should start using their new buildings simultaneously.
At an altitude of 350 feet, the embassy is the third highest point in the District, enjoying a direct visual line to the Capitol, the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department.
The embassy was designed by well-known Soviet architect Michael Posokhin, who designed the State Kremlin Palace and a number of other buildings in Moscow.
The residential building, the school, the kindergarten and sports grounds were all completed in 1979. Administrative and ceremonial buildings were finished in 1985.
The embassy was closed to the public on a Saturday however Yuri Yurchenko was in his office working when he received the phone call.
Yuri was aged fifty-three born in Saint Petersburg and was currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs having held this position for the past five years.
Previously he had been the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.
He was a heavy built man standing at five foot six inches and he still had a good head of greying hair that was swept back.
He had been expecting the call that came in, he answered: “Yurchenko here!”
The voice on the other end replied, “Good morning Yuri.”
The voice he recognised and replied, “Good morning Walter, how is everything?”
Walter Smith knew it would not be wise to speak to openly about the cargo from the docks and noted Vitaly was taking the same course, he replied, “Everything is as well as it can be Yuri, I have just had confirmation that the present for my wife has arrived this morning.”
Yuri replied, “I hope it is something expensive and unique Walter?”
“Certainly is Yuri, very expensive and very rare, I had to obtain it from abroad.”
Yuri replied, “maybe we can make time for a coffee early next week Walter?”
Walter Smith replied, “My diary is looking good for Monday at noon, does that suit you Yuri?”
Before replying Yuri quickly thumbed through his Filofax and said, “12 noon looks good with me Walter, where do you want to meet?”
Walter replied, “How’s the Café Reggio 119 MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village.”
“Perfect; I know it well Walter see you Monday at noon.”
18
‘ICIS’ Saltbox Hill
Biggin Hill
Kent
Lat = 51 degrees, 19.7 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 1.2 minutes East
Monday 11th September 1989. (Two days later)
Zero eight fifteen hours BST.
‘ICIS’ Intelligence Collating Information Services.
What appeared from the outside to be a disused gasholder station off Saltbox Hill near Biggin Hill?
When Major Strayker set up the OSC, he had located this place and together with Vince Edwards created a high tech information gathering and analysis unit, all under the guise of a disused gas holding station.
Max had left his home in Windsor to meet Strayker at zero seven hundred hours that morning at Strayker’s home in Bromley.
Along with Strayker, he had journeyed to ICIS in the Vauxhall Senator car driven by Corporal Edwards.
The Vauxhall was now on the A233 Main Road passing Biggin Hill airport on the left; Edwards turned the car right into Saltbox hill and two hundred yards up the road.
He then made a right turn onto a gravel road boarded on either side with trees that formed a coppice, three hundred yards down there was a clearing where a disused gasholder station was located.
Corporal Edwards pulled the car up and exited the car to open the rear offside door for Strayker.
Max exited from the rear offside door.
Corporal Edwards said, “I will wait down at Biggin Hill airport as usual sir.”
Strayker replied, “Thank you corporal, I will have GAIL contact you when we are ready.”
Corporal Edwards climbed back into the driver’s seat engaged the first gear and turned the car around before heading back down the gravel driveway.
Max and Strayker walked over to the building and approached the large metal panel door, on the other side; a VDU screen was being monitored that showed both men’s images on the other side of the metal panel.
The VDU operator was accompanied by two armed Sentinels, he had multiple monitors covering the surrounding area, and they all showed no other people were about.
He operated a switch, the metal door opened, Max and Strayker entered the building with the door closing behind them and a low light came on giving some light.
Strayker said to Max, “Notice anything different about the floor Max?”
“It looks like it has had a new covering on it sir.”
“That’s true Max, but there is now a trapdoor system located within the floor, that can be activated by the operator on the other side of this metal door.”
Max replied with a smirk, “Much of a drop sir?”
“Twenty feet Max; with a sleeping gas or nerve agent system to incapacitate any unfriend-lies that end up down there.”
“Any other measures sir?”
I will let Vince give you the full SP Max.”
In front of both men was another metal door, a synthesised voice came from a nearby speaker. “Please carry out identification procedure.”
Both men approached the optical scanners and placed their eyes against them, the scanners quickly scanned their eyes, biometrically and analysed them for the unique characteristics of their irises.
Both men also spoke into the voice signature monitor, using the correct protocol response.
The synthesised voice replied, “Eagles 2 and 3 identification confirmed.”
The metal door opened and immediately in front of them was a large pane of armoured glass giving them a view into the reception area, the metal door behind them closed, the glass door slid open and Max and Strayker stepped into the room where the VDU operator and the two-armed Sentinels were.
The VDU operator said, “Good morning sir’s, Mr Edwards is waiting for you in the Intel room.”
Both the men walked down a corridor for five yards and then through an armoured plated double-glazed door that opened as they approached ten feet away there was an identical door system, it again opened for them.
Max commented, “two new doors and a new glass one at the entrance, they looked armoured grade sir?”
“That they are Max; we are taking no chances with our facilities.”
Both men walked another twenty feet before arriving at a T-junction and they turned right and stopped at the fourth door down on the left.
Max said, “The Intel room is on lower ground level two sir?”
“Vince has relocated onto the ground floor Max, part of the upgrades that have taken place, it’s the only room that has been relocated and everything else is the same.”
Strayker placed his hand on the door lever and the biometric hand scanner, scanned his hand and the door automatically opened.
The Intel room had kept its circular appearance and in the middle was a tube of vertical light similar to a fluorescent tube, but this one had a diameter of six feet and a three-dimensional hologram of a beautiful female face appearing within the shaft of light; her name was GAIL Global Analysis Information Link.
GAIL was able to tap into and access any computer system in the world; she does this covertly without the host knowing anything about it, FBI, CIA, Israeli, French and many more intelligence networks.
She is also linked into all the CCTV systems and communications systems at all the world’s major airports, shipping ports, and other transportation areas.
Along with access to British immigration and passport services.
Vince turned to both men and greeted them.
Max said, “so Vince; what’s the story on the new security upgrades her?”
Vince replied, “What has the Major told you?”
Max replied, “Just the trap door system at the main entrance Vince?”
“Okay Max, I know your astute observations would have spotted some other differences, like the glass doors?”
Max replied, “yes the glass is armoured Vince?”
“That it is Max, the first glass door with the metal door closing behind is a containment area, the floor can be electrified and the area pumped with a nerve agent. Should that fail the second double glass doors are another containment area, these have the same security features as the first but they can also come together, literally squeezing the occupants into a very confined area.”
Max replied, “Sounds good to me, but why the move up here with the Intel room Vince?”
Vince pointed to the ceiling and Max looked up at a ceiling.
Vince spoke, “open skylight?”
As Max watched the roof began to move in a sliding motion revealing a large glass domed area and the outside daylight.”
Vince said, “The answer to your question Max is; I wanted to be able to see the outside world, it is truly amazing on a clear night.”
Max continued looking up at a beautiful blue sky with the occasional white fluffy clouds floatin
g by and replied, “Yes Vince I see your point, truly amazing I hope GAIL appreciates it?”
Vince replied, “Well GAIL, do you appreciate the view above?”
GAIL’s holographic image looked up at the sky above and she replied, “As you said Max; it is a truly wonderful image and it is the first time I have actually seen outside with my own eyes.”
Strayker interrupted the conversations, “well I think it is time to get down to business.”
Vince replied, “We have some information on the requests you made sir; GAIL if you would be so kind?”
A plasma screen came to life with an image of a man, GAIL said, “This is the Russian KGB agent Ivan Balagula, born 1956 in Soviet Latvia.”
GAIL paused as her audience looked at the image.
Strayker’s keen eyes looked at the image of a the man, a gaunt, thin, pale figure with the slightly haunted look of someone who has spent their career in the twilight world of espionage.
GAIL continued, “May I have your permission for a brief history lesson Major?”
Strayker replied, “By all means GAIL.”
“The Committee for State Security, more commonly known by its transliteration “KGB” is the main security agency for the Soviet Union. Its main functions are foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, operative-investigatory activities, guarding the State Border of the USSR, guarding the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Government, organization and ensuring of government communications as well as the fight against nationalism, dissent, and anti-Soviet activities.”
Max said, “What information do we have on him GAIL?”
GAIL replied, “Ivan Balagula grew up in a patriotic communist family and became a mechanical engineer. The KGB approached him when he was working in a factory making parts for the aerospace industry. He enrolled at the KGB’s academy in Minsk in 1979, learning, among other things, how to shoot, and how to kill with his bare hands. He was then assigned to the Odessa branch of the KGB’s prestigious First Chief Directorate Foreign Operations foreign espionage.”
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