When President Dulles had finished he said, “thank you for the update Mr President, however I am concerned with your request about Yurchenko?”
President Dulles replied, “Mr President; I can understand your concerns and frankly if I was in your position I would share them. Nevertheless we need to keep our eyes on the bigger picture, I do not need to convey to you the ramifications should this device detonate on US soil and the subsequent investigation linking your country to it!”
President Zinoviev replied, “I understand only too well Mr President. Can you assure me that only sufficient coercion will be used on him to gain from him what he knows and that he is then returned to us to deal with?”
President Dulles replied, “I think we have an agreement Mr President, thank you.”
72
Safe house
Stockton lane
Richmond, Virginia
USA
Lat = 37 degrees, 33.2 minutes North
Long = 77 degrees, 30.0 minutes West
Wednesday 20th September 1989(same day)
Nineteen twenty-three hours EST
Roy and Tracy had returned from the hotel earlier and had briefed Max on Sun-Yung’s status and that the presumption was she had left the hotel with Carter and McFaul.
Max had realised at this point they were dead in the water with no active leads or protocols to pursue until Chuck Morris returned.
Chuck Morris arrived back at the safe house with sergeant Cray at 7:40 pm five minutes later the phone rang and Tracy answered it a few seconds later she said, “yes sir, he has just arrived here I will put him on.”
Tracy handed Chuck the phone and said, “It’s President Dulles for you.”
Chuck Morris listened to The Presidents dialogue and then said, “thank you sir; I will keep you updated as and when.”
The whole group were now sat down around the kitchen table awaiting Chuck’s briefing.
Chuck commenced his briefing, “first of all President Dulles has spoken with the Russian President whom has agreed with us taking Yurchenko. Carter and McFaul are scheduled to report in too Langley tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock to see Walter Smith,” he paused a moment and then continued.
“We have had a turn of events following the warehouse raid. Walter Smith visited Colonel Rochester the chief of the Virginian police earlier this afternoon and then visited the warehouse, the mortuary and the munitions seized in the evidence room. Fortunately, Wayne phoned me before he arrived at the police HQ and we were able to arrange for everything to be seen in order to placate him. However, he found one of the spent casings tucked out of the way in a crevice,” he paused.
Max quickly came in and said, “I think I know where this is going Chuck, was it one of ours?”
“Walter Smith questioned my sergeant whom has extensive firearms knowledge and showed him the casing. Walter Smith now knows the spent casing was not from either the warehouse guards or any of my troopers.”
Max thought for a few moments and then said, “Okay; he can only deduce either that the spent casing had found its way there at some time in the past, or other firearms were used in the engagement,” Max paused.
Roy said, “A man of his background would certainly go for the second notion Max!”
Max replied, “I agree with you Roy, Chuck you know the man any thoughts?”
“I also agree with Roy’s suggestion, he will certainly go down that road. Fortunately, because of his involvement in this situation he will not be able to do too much without drawing attention to himself. Nevertheless he will certainly deduce that something is going on, that’s why he may have Carter and McFaul coming in tomorrow!”
Max’s acute military mind had been quickly assimilating the facts and then said, “Okay; here’s what we are going to do. Chuck I want you to get us eyes on Yurchenko I will take Vas and his team to grab him early tomorrow morning can you arrange that in the time frame?”
Chuck replied, “as soon as we have finished here, I’ll get back to Langley our systems will have Intel on him that we can use to locate him for the morning along with his personal protection detail and as soon as I have the Intel I will phone you here.”
“Okay Chuck I will stay up for your call. Can you come back here tomorrow and with Vas take him and his team to Langley to have eyes on carter and McFaul?”
“I will be here tomorrow morning for seven o’clock Max.”
“Thank you Chuck, I will take Tracy to assist with navigation back to Washington for when we grab Yurchenko.”
Max said to Vas, “as soon as Carter and McFaul leave tail them, take some of your team in another vehicle, any questions?”
None was raised and Max said, “All right I want full weapons and equipment checked, Roy as soon as Chuck confirms Yurchenko’s bodyguard detail have Taser’s included for the grab on Yurchenko.”
“Leave it with me Max!”
It was just after midnight when the phone rang in the safe house; Max picked it up and said, “Max here.”
“Max, its Chuck I have the Intel on Yurchenko.”
Max replied, “All right Chuck shoot!”
“Out Intel shows that he takes a walk every morning around seven o’clock in a park near his residence, he has two personal protection guards both armed with hand guns.”
Max said, “What’s the duration of his walk Chuck?”
“On average around forty minutes Max, then he goes back to his residence and is normally on the road to the embassy for around 8:30 pm.”
Max looked at his watch and said, “We will need to leave now to get up there, give me the address Chuck.”
Tracy and Roy had heard the phone ring from the living room area, Max walked in looked at Tracy gave her a grin and said, “Do you have any training shoes and clothing for a run?”
73
Yurchenko’s residence
355 Fallsgrove Drive
Rockville MD 20850
Montgomery
USA
Thursday 21st September 1989(next day)
Zero six fifty hours EST
Max and the team had driven through the night in two of the vehicles back up to Washington and were now watching Yurchenko’s residence from a hundred yards down the street.
Yurchenko’s residence was a Beautiful two level style Condo close to Fallsgrove Park.
Tracy had changed into her trainers, jogging trousers and a top and was at this moment in the park doing stretching exercises.
Roy and two of his team were also discreetly positioned in the park, their task was to grab Yurchenko, Max and the three men with him were to incapacitate the two guards.
The door to Yurchenko’s residence opened and a man in a clean cut dark suit came out and cast an eye over the area, a moment later Yurchenko immerged followed by the second guard.
They walked down the steps and as the road was relatively clear crossed the street and walked fifty yards down the road before entering the park.
Max spoke into his Comms, “eagle-3 to eagle-4 our mark plus two are on their way, SITREP over?”
Roy responded, “eagle-4 to eagle-3 at the moment it is fairly quiet, I now have eyes on Tracy and she has also clocked him, over.”
“Eagle-3 to everyone game on, we are coming in from the street now, out.”
Max had prepared the plan on the way down; it was simple but operationally effective in the time they had.
Yurchenko had entered the park and opened up a newspaper and began reading it, his two guards had dropped back from him giving him space.
They had both scanned the area on entering the park and had noticed a blonde female wearing a jogging outfit engaged in stretching exercises to their right, in the distance were some other people, some running and a few walking dogs.
They had performed this duty on numerous occasions and everything they were seeing appeared normal.
Max and his two-man team had reached the park and discreetly watched Yurchenko and his guards as they began walking across the park, he gave Tracy a nod and she finished her stretching routine and began running towards the two guards, they both heard her and quickly turned around.
As she passed, their gaze followed her watching her lithe body and she gave them a smile, a few yards ahead of them, Tracy feigned a fall.
Both guards rushed forward to lend assistance; Yurchenko was engrossed in his paper and continued walking, both the guards leant forward to help Tracy up, she gave them a smile and said, “thank you!”
They never had a chance to reply, Max and his team had ran quickly up behind them and the two team members withdrew their Taser T-18 advanced stun guns capable of producing a power output fifty thousand volts and eighteen watts, creating an Electro Muscular Disruption (EMD) which temporarily overrides the central nervous system, taking over muscular control.
Both weapons had laser sighting, they fired the weapons and two electronic barbs from each Taser attached to coil wires shot forward into the backs of both guards.
Each Taser produced a five-second pulse causing both guards to violently shake from the fifty-thousand volt discharge; and as they felt their muscles seize they both collapsed unconscious to the floor.
Yurchenko had heard some commotion behind him and was turning to see his two guards down on the ground and a woman with four men around them, his face took on a panicked look.
Roy and his two men were running from the nearby cover of trees and bushes, Roy had his Taser withdrawn and aimed at Yurchenko, the laser dot clearly visible on his back, Roy fired and the electronic barbs found Yurchenko’s back.
Yurchenko felt the violent rush of electricity flow through his body; for a moment, he shook as if he was having a fit and quickly lost consciousness falling to the ground.
Roy and his team quickly approached Yurchenko’s prone body on the ground, Roy removed the barb and his men dragged Yurchenko up, the two other team members of the six-man team had been in the two vehicles and had now moved up parking alongside the park on the street.
Max’s two team members had quickly checked the downed guards removed the barbs and rolled them into the recovery position.
Max had scanned the area and it would appear their actions had gone unnoticed.
A few minutes later Yurchenko was bound, gagged and in one of the vehicles that were now both heading back to the safe house in Richmond.
74
Central Intelligence Agency
Langley
Fairfax County, Virginia
USA
Lat = 38 degrees, 57.2 minutes North
Long = 77 degrees, 8.8 minutes West
Thursday 21st September 1989(same day)
Zero ten forty hours EST
Chuck Morris was sitting in the driver’s seat of one of the OSC’s black SUV vehicles with Vas Dembo and two of his team on the road near the CIA headquarters in amongst some other parked vehicles; the second vehicle one hundred yards behind them had the four remaining team members.
They had driven up from the safe house and had been in situate for thirty minutes, Chuck was first to eyeball the vehicle with Carter and McFaul and gave Vas the heads up. Vas watched the SUV turn down the road to the HQ and spoke into his Codetta, “eagle-6 to team we have eyes on target going into location in the dark grey Ford SUV license number G21. 33111. Remain in positions, out.”
Carter and McFaul made their way up to Walter Smiths office and waited whilst his secretary phoned the deputy director; she replaced the phone and said, “Gentlemen you can go in.”
Carter replied “thank you,” and both men stood up and entered the office.
Walter Smith gestured for them to sit down and then began explaining to them about his trip to the warehouse the mortuary and the weapons cache and the unexplained cartridge case he had found, he finished on... “So what are your thoughts on this unexplained casing?”
McFaul was first to reply, “There is a slim chance it may have been there before we took control of the warehouse sir.”
Walter Smith replied, “I am glad you have used the term slim and what are your thoughts Carter?”
“Sir factoring out the slim chance it was there already, I would suggest a third party was involved in the warehouse take down and for some reason it was not highlighted on any reports.”
Walter smith said, “exactly my thoughts and with that in mind we have to presume a covert unit was involved. This morning I have made a number of discreet enquiries and up to now, nothing on any military, Police, FBI, ATF or other law enforcement units being deployed to the warehouse, which is baffling to say the least,” at that point his phone rang interrupting there conversation. He picked it up listened for a moment and then said put him through.
A minute later, he replaced the phone and said, “We now have an additional complication, Yuri Yurchenko was kidnapped a few hours ago whilst on his morning walk, both his guards were disabled by Tasers. I do not like what is happening gentleman it appears we may have an unknown and very extremely dangerous third player involved.”
Carter said, “So who the bloody hell has the ability to work well under the radar that we cannot detect them?”
“A good question,” replied Walter Smith, “maybe we have a Russian connection here, let’s look at what we know. The warehouse job indicates a third party no sign or record of the Red Mercury device being found at the scene and now Yurchenko is taken,” he paused for a moment and then said,
“whomever it is we need to find out fast, we have eight days until the SALT agreement is signed. See what you can find out and watch your backs, I will continue enquiries at my end.”
Both men stood up and left the room, fifteen minutes later they were back in their vehicle emerging from the service road and turning right onto Dolly Madison Boulevard, route 123.
Vas immediately opened the Comms on his Codetta and said, “eagle-6 to teams, target is on the move, second vehicle follow us and keep your distance but maintain visual contact with us, out.”
Chuck Morris shifted the vehicle into drive and slowly pulled out from the kerb position taking up position with four other vehicles between them and the CIA vehicle, the second OSC vehicle dropped in behind them keeping a few cars between them.
Carter was talking to McFaul, “the old man seems spooked over the warehouse issue and to be quite frank I share his concerns Sean.”
“What I do not understand Syd, is the potential for a third party to have been involved at the warehouse and the director appears not to be able to pin this group down.”
Syd had been listening to Sean but had also clocked a vehicle several cars behind and said, “I think we have a tail again Sean.”
“Are you sure?”
“The vehicle has been with us for the last two miles!”
“Could be just a coincidence Syd?”
“Only one way to find out,” he pulled on the steering wheel and the vehicle turned rapidly to the right, he applied the power and the vehicle accelerated swiftly along the on ramp and onto Capital Beltway I-495.
Carter quickly looked in his mirror for the black SUV and Sean said, “Is it still with us?”
He replied, “Can’t see them Sean.”
“So what’s our game plan Syd?”
“I have someone in the DOD who may be able to help!”
Chuck Morris had watched the CIA vehicle turning onto the on ramp and had held back as Vas’s codetta came to life with GAIL’s voice.
“ICIS to eagle-6 I have satellite coverage of the target vehicle, it has just entered route 495 Capital Beltway heading north over.”
Vas replied, “Co
py that GAIL we will hang right back, over.”
“I have a visual on both your vehicles, at present you are a mile behind target vehicle, over.”
“How long have do we have satellite coverage for GAIL?”
“I can keep the bird on target for the next fifty-five minutes and then will have to re configure the orbit, in effect after fifty-five minutes coverage will cease, over.”
“Understood GAIL, hopefully that will be enough time, eagle-6 over.”
“VAS if you could access your PCDL and turn it on it will relay the images over to you on it.”
Vas pulled the PCDL from a kit bag and switched it on, a few seconds later the screen came alive, with real time coverage of the target vehicle on route 495.
VAS spoke into his Codetta and said, “I have the target vehicle on screen GAIL.”
“It’s all yours eagle-6, ICIS out.”
Chuck Morris had overheard the Comms chatter between VAS and a female artificial voice; he was also now looking at the device in Vas’s hand.
“VAS, the female on the other end sounded like an artificial voice!”
Vas was aware of the need to keep their technology secret and said, “That’s correct Chuck, it’s just a computer linked into our Comms.”
Chuck Morris replied, “It sounded a bit more than just a computer Vas, it was displaying a high level of intelligence and real time interaction with you, which in itself is highly remarkable.”
“Unfortunately I cannot divulge any more Chuck!”
Chuck Morris replied, “I understand Vas we all have our secrets and on that vein the piece of equipment you are holding is something I have not come across before.”
Vas replied, “It’s a PCDL short for Personal Comms Data Link, developed by someone in our research section earlier this year.”
Chuck Morris thought for a moment and said, “I will respect your protocols Vas, however it would appear that the OSC have some very highly developed systems, I can now see why you have been so highly effective over the last couple of years.”
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