“Good; Max has asked us to return to the safe house and leave part of my team here to keep eyes on the targets.”
“Has he secured Yurchenko Vas?”
“He didn’t say, but as you say I bet my next month’s pay check that he has.”
Chuck replied, “Okay let’s roll.”
Vas spoke into his Codetta, “eagle-6 to team two, stay here and keep eyes on targets and follow if necessary, thirty minute SITREP’s over,”
The reply came back, “copy that eagle-6, team two out.”
78
‘ICIS’
Saltbox Hill
Biggin Hill
Kent
Lat = 51 degrees, 19.7 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 1.2 minutes East
Thursday 21st September 1989(same day)
Twenty two eighteen hours BST
Five hours ahead of EDT
Major Strayker had arrived at ICIS an hour ago and was now listening to Max’s updates.
Max had informed him of the seizure of Yurchenko and the resulting interrogation along with the Intel from Vas relating to the two CIA operatives and Chuck’s enquiry relating to Carters brother Ash Carter.
When Max had finished Strayker said, “So we still do not know where the secondary device is Max?”
“No sir, but we believe that the two CIA operatives will lead us to it and Sun Yung.”
“Max; what are the chances that this Ash Carter will link us to the warehouse raid?”
“Chuck reckons there is very little chance as there are only three people over here within the administration that knows we are here, also he has spoken to The President and given him an update.”
“Any news from your team at Langley Max?”
“They gave us a SITREP ten minutes ago; the targets are still at Langley, sir.”
“Okay Max; GAIL has advised our bird is available when the team wants it over Langley, I will speak to the PM now.”
“Copy that sir; I will re contact you once we have any concrete leads.”
Max terminated the call, Chuck Morris came over and said, “The President has been updated, also I spoke to my man whom is monitoring Ash Carters phone calls, so far he has reached a dead end, but he is still chasing people.”
Max had been giving his undivided attention to the two CIA operatives and had made his mind up, “Chuck I believe that if Carter and McFaul do not lead us to the device in the next twenty-four hours, we will have no alternative but to take them in.”
Chuck Morris thought for a few moments before replying, “Can you break them in time Max?”
“Everyone breaks eventually, what I need from your end Chuck is there personal files, I should be able to find leverage there.”
“Those documents are highly classified Max!”
“I understand Chuck; but we are playing a highly dangerous game here and as you know the stakes are too high to dance around protocols, remember you asked us in!”
Chuck Morris was a man whom was not accustomed to being dictated to, however he had to concede that Max was right, they had asked him and his teams in onto US soil, “okay Max; I will get them for you tonight.”
“Thank you Chuck, I understand how difficult this is for you, but I can guarantee with that information I will break one of them in time to save the SALT agreement from becoming the catalyst for world war 3.”
Chuck looked at his watch, five forty-five pm and said, “I’ll get them now Max, I should be back within two hours.”
79
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)
Seventeen fifty-five hours EST
The team had been keeping eyes on the vehicle traffic coming out of the CIA headquarters using binoculars as the evening exodus had commenced nearly an hour ago, but they had seen no sign of their target until now.
Carter was driving out of the establishment and as he came to the main road, he clocked the black Ford SUV over to the left. He turned right and watched as the Ford moved off from the side of the road dropping in behind them and said to Sean, “don’t look Sean but there is a black Ford SUV on our six.”
Sean replied, “The same one from earlier?”
“Hard to say, but it certainly is the same make and style as the one from earlier.”
“What are you going to do?”
Syd leaned forward, picked up the radio handset, and said, “Dispatch this is SD-6 over.”
80
Mclean Police department
1437 Balls Hill Rd,
McLean, VA 22101
Fairfax County
Lat = 38 degrees, 56.0 minutes North
Long = 77 degrees, 11.9 minutes West
Thursday 21st September 1989(same day)
Eighteen zero three hours EST
Fairfax County is divided into eight police districts. McLean is one of those.
Sergeant Frank Bernal was working in dispatch at the Mclean county police department and was picking up the call from SD-6, immediately recognising the call sign as a CIA vehicle.
“SD-6 this is dispatch go ahead over.”
“Dispatch we have a 10-48 (suspicious vehicle) on our tail request a unit over?”
“What’s your 10-20 SD-6, over?”
“We are heading west on route 123 Dolly Madison Boulevard just passing the intersection with route 193, over.”
“Dispatch to SD-6 description of vehicle over?”
“It’s a black Ford SUV, can’t see the licence number, over.”
“Standby SD-6 dispatching a unit to your location, over.”
Sergeant Bernal quickly looked at his screen for available units and then said, “Dispatch to Adam-Robert what’s your 10-20 over?”
Adam-Robert was a Ford Crown Victoria P71 police cruiser with two officers on board, Matt Gillett and Jose Ramirez.
Ramirez took the call, “Adam-Robert heading south on Old Dominion drive over.”
“Adam-Robert, I have just had a call from SD-6 reporting a 10-48 black Ford SUV tailing them, currently heading west on route 123 Dolly Madison Boulevard just passing route 193, over.”
“Adam-Robert 10-4 on route.”
Matt Gillett immediately swung the cruiser around in a one-hundred and eighty degrees turn and booted the gas pedal.
The Crown Vic’s 351 cubic inch 5.8 litre V-8 engine immediately came to life and the vehicle began consuming up the asphalt.
The OSC driver had held several cars back from the CIA vehicle just keeping them in sight when their Codetta switched to speaker mode came to life with GAIL’s voice.
“Team-6 from ICIS turn off at your next intersection with Churchill road, your target has clocked you and they have contacted the local Police, who have dispatched a police cruiser, over.”
The driver located Churchill road coming up on his right and took the turn.
GAIL had been monitoring the radio frequencies in the Langley area and had picked up the call from the target vehicle.
GAIL said, “Team-6 our bird is overhead, I will continue tracking target vehicle, I suggest you take whatever action necessary to avoid detection by the police, over.”
One of the OSC team replied, “GAIL can you give us a way out, over?”
“Stay on that road to the end and then turn right onto the 686 Balls Hill road, when you get to the end of that road turn left onto the 193 and then you will immediately be on the intersection with route 495 Capital Beltway and take the left on-ramp. That should put you running south, I should then be able to
relocate you with the target vehicle, over.”
“Copy that GAIL, team-6 out.”
Sydney Carter had seen the tailing vehicle turn off the 123 and spoke into the radio handset, “Dispatch from SD-6 the suspect vehicle has left us and is heading north on Churchill road, over.”
Sergeant Bernal replied, “10-4, do you want us to locate and stop the vehicle, over?”
“10-4 dispatch, be advised suspects may be armed, over.”
Sergeant Bernal then spoke to the dispatched vehicle, “Dispatch to Adam-Robert, suspect vehicle has turned north onto Churchill road stop and apprehend vehicle and occupants, be advised use caution code-4, over.”
Ramirez replied, “10-4 dispatch show us as 10-50 request additional units, over?”
Ramirez hit the switches and the car lit up along with the siren wailing.
As soon as sergeant Bernal had broken off transmission with Adam-Robert, he spoke into his radio handset and said, “All units I have a 10-2 request from Adam-Robert in the Mclean district on a code-4, units available respond?”
GAIL had overheard the police transmissions and immediately contacted team-6, “GAIL to team-6, over.”
Team-6 replied, “Go ahead GAIL.”
“The police are dispatching more units after you and they have you as a code-4, my records indicate this as Caution-Suspect maybe armed, over.”
“Roger that GAIL we have just picked up route 495 heading south, get us out of here and quick GAIL?”
“I have you approaching Idylwood park intersection take the turning on your right onto routes-66 and stay on it for 12 miles and then come off at the Centreville intersection turning right onto Sully road. There’s a golf complex one mile up the road, you should be safe there, over.”
“Copy that GAIL, team-6 out.”
The police cruiser Adam-Robert had made good time having come in from Balls Hill Road without seeing the suspect vehicle and had come to a stop with Churchill road on their right.
Matt Gillett looked at Ramirez who said, “It’s your call?”
Matt did a quick look down Churchill road and then pressed on the gas pedal and said, “The 495 makes sense!”
Ramirez spoke into the radio handset, “dispatch from Adam-Robert, suspect vehicle possibly headed for the 495, direct additional units there, over.”
Sergeant Bernal replied, “roger that Adam-Robert. All units in the Mclean area, suspect black Ford SUV vehicle possibly now on route 495, units please respond?”
“Ocean-Robert, heading south on the 495 just coming over the Potomac River, over.”
“Charlie-Robert, heading east on the 267 just turning onto Leesburg pike and Tysons corner towards route-495, over.”
Sergeant Bernal had a good geographical working knowledge of the area, having been a patrol officer for sixteen years and he knew their chances were now becoming slimmer in finding the suspect vehicle.
He paused for a few moments and then spoke into the radio, “all units in the Mclean district complete a sweep of the area and then go 10-98, dispatch out.”
He contacted the CIA vehicle, “Dispatch to SD-6, your 10-48 has not been located, over.”
Carter replied, “roger that Dispatch we have no signs of the vehicle here, thanks for the assist, SD-6 out.”
Team-6 had just turned off the Centreville intersection when their Codetta came to life with GAIL’s voice, “Team-6 you should be clear, the police units have lost you and are now conducting a sweep of your last known location and once that has been done have been given a code 10-98, Resume Normal Operations, over.”
“Copy that GAIL, where is the target vehicle over?”
“They are heading south on route-234 towards route-95 as soon as they stop I will advise over.”
“Received, we will standby at the golf complex, team-6 out.”
Sydney Carter had continually monitored the road behind without seeing the Black Ford SUV again and was now pressing onto the safe house in Spotsylvania.
81
10 Downing Street
City of Westminster
London SW1
Lat = 51 degrees, 30.2 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 7.7 minutes West
Thursday 21st September 1989(same day)
Thirteen fifty-eight hours BST
The Prime Minister had taken Strayker’s call and listened to the update before calling the US President whom she was now talking too.
“Mr President, Yurchenko has confirmed the Red Mercury device is intended for deployment at the SALT agreement next week. One of Max’s teams is following the two CIA operatives and they intend to pick up them up within twenty-four hours’ time if they do not locate the secondary device.”
The President had listened and said, “I presume Max will use interrogation techniques on the two CIA operatives to ascertain the secondary devices whereabouts?”
“Unless you order differently Mr President,” replied the PM.
“We have gone this far madam Prime Minister, the secondary device needs to be found before the SALT agreement next week. You can tell Max he has my permission to use whatever force he deems necessary on the two CIA men to find the device.”
“Thank you Mr President, will you be updating the Russian Premier?”
“I will speak to him immediately and thank you again Prime Minister.”
82
103073, The Kremlin,
Moscow.
Russia.
Lat = 55 degrees, 45.1 minutes North
Long = 37 degrees, 37.1 minutes East
Thursday 21st September 1989(same day)
Twenty two twelve hours
Moscow time
The Russian Premier Nikolai Zinoviev had immediately taken the call from the American President and listened as President Bob Dulles briefed him on the recent events.
When Bob Dulles had finished Zinoviev said, “Mr President; I will understand if you wish to postpone the signing of the SALT agreement until the device is located.”
President Dulles had anticipated this response and replied, “I am certainly happy to proceed with the signing unless you want to postpone it Mr President.”
“No, we have worked hard for this day Mr President, we need to have faith in the British and so far they have not disappointed us.”
Bob Dulles replied, “I agree, they have a week to find the device, what do you want us to do with Yurchenko?”
Zinoviev replied, “keep him under wraps until this has been resolved, then I will arrange for him to come back home Mr President.”
Bob Dulles said, “I will keep you informed Mr President and look forward to our meeting next week.”
Zinoviev replied, “until next week Mr President.”
83
CIA safe house
10705 Mockingbird Lane
Spotsylvania,
VA 22553
Lat = 38 degrees, 12.5 minutes North
Long = 77 degrees, 34.1 minutes West
Thursday 21st September 1989(same day)
Nineteen forty-four hours EST
Carter and McFaul had arrived back at the safe house with no further events, Sun-Yung was sitting down eating a meal, Sean said, “any left overs?”
Sun-Yung pointed to the kitchen and said, “as long as you like Cantonese?”
Sean headed for the kitchen and found a cooking Wok still simmering half filled with a Chow-Mein dish, he called to Syd, “you want some partner?”
Syd replied, “yes.”
A few minutes later, the three were sitting down in the living room tucking into the food.
Syd broke the silence and said to Sun-Yung, “any phone calls?”
She looked up at him and said, “You said only the three of us wer
e aware of this address, what’s going on?”
Syd replied, “It’s okay, my brother is with the DoD and he is helping us by covertly looking into what went down at the warehouse...”
Sean intervened, “whilst we are talking are you going to tell her about the car tailing us?”
Syd gave him a glaring look and Sun-Yung came back with, “it appears that everything is falling apart, I am getting out of here before someone kicks down the door!”
Syd said, “Everything is cool Sun-Yung no one will come kicking down the door, we are safe here.”
Sun-Yung replied, “Not good enough! I will prepare the device for you now and then I am out of here; I hope you will not be stupid enough to try to stop me?”
Both the CIA men were stunned by her candour as Sun-Yung stood up with her empty plate and went to the kitchen, she then went to the garage at the back of the house where the device was and began the process of arming, fusing and connecting the firing switches.
Forty minutes later she brought the suitcase back into the house placed it on the kitchen table.
Syd and Sean heard Sun-Yung come back into the house and they both went into the kitchen.
Sun-Yung said, “here is your device, it is fully operational at the moment it is safe, to arm the device set the combination on the left to 123 and on the right 456, this will also set the timer on a two-hour count down. Once the timer is operational, there is no way to stop it any attempt to tamper with it will trigger instant detonation.”
Sun-Yung looked at both men and said, “are we good here guys?”
Syd Carter replied, “yes! I will ensure your money has been transferred to you once we have a successful outcome, can we drive you anywhere?”
“No; I will call a taxi.”
Sun-Yung handed the case to Carter who took it into the living room area and placed it on a table.
84
‘ICIS’
Saltbox Hill
Biggin Hill
Kent
Lat = 51 degrees, 19.7 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 1.2 minutes East
Red Mercury Page 24