by J A Heaton
Dust shot up from a nearby boulder. A bullet ricocheted away. The boom of the rifle registered in Daniel’s ears as he instinctively fell to the ground.
“Sniper!” Rex yelled.
Rex lunged out from behind the boulder and pulled Daniel to cover.
“It could be the guy we spotted earlier,” Rex said. “Or maybe he had friends. If we’re lucky, he will think you’re dead.” As Daniel caught his breath, Rex looked at the boulders near them. “We’re pinned down here. But we can work our way back the way we came among the boulders. Going forward, they aren’t large enough to cover us. The sniper must be to our left somewhere.”
“He already missed,” Daniel said.
“Or, he’s a pro and missed on purpose,” Rex said. “If not, he’ll get one of us in the next fifty yards. If we stay here, he’ll wait, and he’ll send his friends to get us. We’ve got to move, and that means heading back.”
“We’re too close to turn back,” Daniel argued.
“Without my rifle, I can’t effectively shoot back,” Rex said. “You might get lucky if you press on, but we need to fall back and then move forward strategically.”
“I feel we’re so close to figuring out Dmitri and Patrick’s deaths.”
“I do too, but… Wait.”
Rex paused and listened to his radio earpiece.
“It’s Gunner and Walters,” Rex responded. A smile came to Rex’s face. “They’re nearby, and they do have rifles. They’ll unpin us from the sniper, and then we’ll fall back, join them, and then we can press on.”
Rex frantically relayed the situation to Gunner and Walters.
Moments later, they heard more gunfire erupting.
“One of them is firing while the other moves closer to the sniper. Once they spot the sniper, they’ll root him out.”
The gunfight continued for several more moments.
Then everything was silent. Daniel felt another mountain breeze. Again, it carried the bleating of goats.
“Sniper has fallen back,” Rex reported after listening to his radio. “We’re in the clear to hurry back and join them. Ready?”
Daniel looked about fifty yards towards the ridge he would have to climb.
“Follow my lead, and we’ll be in safe company soon.”
Rex braced himself and then crouched as he ran back to the previous large boulder. The gunfire resumed, and Rex paused to fire back with his pistol. Daniel waited.
Rex gave Daniel a questioning look from about fifteen yards away, waved at him to follow, and then hurried on.
Instead of following Rex, Daniel turned the other way.
Daniel ran from behind the boulder towards his next climb. The gunfire rattled on, behind him and to his left.
Daniel thought he heard Rex yell after him, but when he looked back, he saw Rex snaking his way among the boulders, intermittently firing his pistol towards the mountain.
About thirty seconds later, Daniel threw himself to the ground behind a boulder at the base of his next climb. His chest heaved as he peeked back at the firefight in the mountains. Rex and his men constantly shifted.
They fired, then moved.
Fired, then moved again.
Their adversaries were doing the same. Daniel thought they were in about equal numbers.
Daniel smiled as he realized the gunfight was slowly shifting farther away. Rex was strategically giving up ground to draw the firefight away from Daniel’s position.
Daniel looked up, and he began putting one foot in front of the other as his legs pumped him up the mountainside towards Dmitri’s dacha and the black site.
After Daniel heaved himself onto the top of the mountain ridge, he collapsed to the ground, panting. He had expected to be shot as he climbed, but he had made it to the top. The gun battle was fading into the distance. Daniel was confident Rex and his men could hold their own in a fight, but Daniel had to make sure their sacrifice was worth it.
Daniel looked to his left and spotted the next mountain ridge that would lead to the black site. If its guards were drawn out and engaging Rex, then this was the perfect time to inspect it.
Looking back the way he had come, he faintly heard the gunfire continue intermittently, but he couldn’t see the combatants. Forward and to his right, the path sloped upwards in the distance. Daniel was drawn towards the dacha, and so he continued on the long upslope. The area was barren: no goats, no shrubs, and no boulders.
After thirty minutes of plodding, Daniel spotted a cabin nestled on a ledge on the side of the mountain. Daniel was out in the open. He scanned the surroundings but saw nothing of concern. Pressing on, he arrived at the dacha, which was now a short climb above him on the mountainside. Daniel picked his way carefully up towards the simple structure. He peered into the small window, but he didn’t see anybody. It appeared empty.
Daniel put his sack down by the entrance and pulled his pistol. He took in one deep breath, turned towards the door, and kicked it in. Daniel’s eyes darted about the dim room. The small window and now open door were all that allowed in the light. As his eyes adjusted, and he aimed his pistol around the dacha, he saw that nobody was there. The room held sparse furniture and a kitchenette. A doorway led to the second and only other room. Moving quickly into that room, he saw that it was empty as well.
Daniel lowered his pistol. The dacha was empty.
Daniel went back to the door and shut it. Dmitri’s country home was a tiny, two-room affair. One room had a reading chair, sitting desk, and a kitchenette consisting of a sink and a counter not more than a meter long. Off of that room was the single bedroom that was just big enough to hold a double bed. A minuscule bathroom, without a shower, was attached to the bedroom.
Daniel wondered how many times Dmitri came here. The chess set on the reading desk hinted that he had come most recently without Zuhro. She hadn’t known that he played chess.
Had America’s most potent spy left a clue here as to the Wolf’s identity? Or was this place only for Dmitri’s thoughts and dreams, now just as dead as the Soviet Union itself?
Daniel rested for a few moments in the eeriness of the dacha. He felt he was paying respect to Agent Bishop, one of the most effective agents in intelligence ever, by leaving the place undisturbed.
After several minutes of waiting, Daniel finally forced himself to search for clues.
He rifled through the kitchenette and other furniture. It revealed little. The chess set hid nothing. There were a few family pictures of Dmitri and Zuhro. Another picture was that of a child about two years old. And canned fish graced the kitchen cupboard.
Daniel thought to himself, if I were to lose a child, would I want to see a picture of him? Or, would I try to forget him?
Daniel opened the door and pulled his gear sack in from outside. He took out the crowbar. It was time to look through every nook and cranny for anything Dmitri might have left behind. Daniel began working with the crowbar into the ceiling, the walls, and then the floor.
As Daniel tore away at the small structure, he wondered if Dmitri’s ghost was trying to guide him towards something he had hidden. More likely, he was shocked by Daniel’s destruction because there was nothing to find.
After hours of demolition, Daniel had found nothing, but he had worked up an appetite. Without a radio to communicate with Rex and the others, he tried the satellite phone again. It still didn’t work. Daniel guessed that it was intentional, and it was because of the black site.
Deciding to wait until dark to approach the black site, Daniel forced himself to eat a can of Dmitri’s canned fish from the kitchen. Then he stretched out on Dmitri’s lumpy bed and tried to sleep.
As night fell, Daniel knew he was going to be on his own. He wondered if Rex and the others were okay. He didn’t hear any more guns. He tried the satellite phone one last time. Again, it didn’t work. Daniel was alone, unless Dmitri’s ghost was with him.
11
Daniel left the dacha at night, carrying everything he thought he
might need to break into the lab site. Going up the first mountain ridge was slow because of the deep pitch black and uneven ground. Daniel couldn’t remember the last time he had seen so many stars in the night sky, unpolluted by the glow from a city. When he reached the top, he scanned down below. There was more black emptiness. Beyond the next ridge was the black site.
Using night vision goggles, Daniel scanned the area for guards. Finding none, he proceeded cautiously into the valley. After a drink of water, he continued the arduous trek up to the final ridge.
At the top, he dropped to the ground, peered through a fence, and took in the sight before him. The complex of cement buildings below surrounded by fencing above looked just like the Soviet installation Daniel had expected. Each of the buildings had a single light out front, and a few armed men circulated among the buildings. But they weren’t wary. They talked and moved casually. Daniel spotted a single Kamaz truck parked near a gate. A helipad was at the far end, encircled with lights.
Something drew the attention of the men. They all focused on a man exiting the central building. Daniel zoomed in on him and recognized him immediately. The thick neck and bald head were unmistakable. Instead of the perfectly-fitted suit from the Intercontinental, he now wore combat boots and desert camos. A rifle was in one hand. If he wasn’t the sniper, he was probably one of the men who had been in the gunfight with Rex.
Is Rex still alive? Daniel wondered as he frantically scanned the facility below him.
With the others gathered around the bald man, he spoke in an agitated manner. Daniel guessed that was good news. Hopefully, he was angry they hadn’t killed or captured Rex. Daniel watched anxiously as the bald man continued giving orders. Something was about to happen, but Daniel didn’t know what.
The clinking of rocks behind Daniel made him turn and draw his Glock. He jerked his head from side to side with the night vision goggles, looking for the new arrival.
Daniel exhaled deeply and cursed when he saw a small herd of goats nearby.
At least they aren’t bleating, Daniel thought to himself. Watch my back, guys.
The rumble of the truck’s engine below filled the valley, and Daniel refocused on the black site. The truck pulled through the gate and headed away. A single guard remained outside the central building, smoking.
I can handle one guard, Daniel thought to himself. Eager to unlock the secrets of the Soviet black site, Daniel pulled the bolt cutters from his bag and began cutting the fence in front of him.
Daniel peeked around the building one last time. A plume of smoke rose from the guard’s mouth. A cigarette was in one hand, a rifle in the other. Daniel hid behind the nearest building. The guard was about thirty yards away at the largest building in the middle. To Daniel, it appeared to be a prison or a barracks. The windows spaced along the wall didn’t have glass. They were barred. Metal rebar bent into the shape of steps formed a ladder near the back to allow roof access for maintenance.
Daniel knew he would not be able to find answers inside the buildings if the guard was still around. Daniel rested his bag of equipment on the ground and pulled out one item. He hoped the crowbar would do the job and he wouldn’t have to kill the guard. The Glock in his holster was backup in case the crowbar wasn’t adequate.
Daniel silently closed the distance between the rear of the two buildings. He pressed his back against the wall when he arrived at the central building and held his breath.
He heard nothing. He still had the element of surprise.
The next part would be harder. If Daniel wanted to use the crowbar, he would have about ten yards to close by foot without cover before he could strike. Would the guard react too quickly?
If Daniel turned the corner with his pistol drawn, he could shoot the man from about ten yards with ease. But that would create noise and probably end the guard’s life.
Daniel thought of a third option.
He went near the back of the building and began climbing the rebar rungs up to the roof. Daniel soon made his way on the roof to the front of the building. He peered down at the guard below.
If Tina could see me now, Daniel thought to himself. Would she be impressed with the infiltration so far?
Daniel knew Jenny would probably laugh. Rex would… Daniel hoped he was still alive.
Perhaps Dmitri’s ghost was watching, waiting for Daniel to unearth one of his secrets.
Daniel looked down again. It wasn’t a long drop. Probably less than fifteen feet.
Daniel waited for the cigarette’s end to glow orange, indicating a deep drag.
With the crowbar gripped in both hands, Daniel dropped down from above. He aimed for the man’s head, but he incorrectly judged his attack.
The guard turned slightly.
The crowbar missed and cracked into the guard’s collarbone instead. They both crumpled to the ground.
Daniel rose, his ankle throbbing from the awkward fall, and he grabbed at the guard before he could recover and draw his weapon. Daniel put the guard into a sleeper hold, just as Rex had trained him.
The shock of the injury from the crowbar and the lack of oxygen soon knocked the guard unconscious.
Daniel took a few deep breaths and pushed himself away from the unconscious body.
Daniel got to his feet with adrenaline coursing through his veins. He grabbed the guard’s rifle and his knife. Daniel pulled up his sleeve. He was no tattoo expert, but he recognized the Cyrillic characters and guessed the man had been in prison or was part of the Russian mafia. Or both.
He saw a large padlock on the front door. He found a matching key on the guard’s belt loop. But Daniel was drawn to the building he had initially hidden behind.
Daniel ran over to the other building, but the door was fastened shut. A wax seal, like a big stamp, was pressed into the doorframe and door. Daniel couldn’t read the Russian writing on the seal, but he guessed it was a dire warning to any who would dare to open the door.
After a few attempts with the crowbar, Daniel decided the door was not going to give way. Daniel went back to his equipment pack and pulled out explosives. He pressed them on the door as Rex had trained him, and he went around the corner to detonate.
Daniel covered his ears as best he could and pressed the button.
The boom shook Daniel. It rattled through his whole body. He knew he would never get used to that. But after the blast, the door was no longer connected to the building, and there was silence. Daniel drew his pistol and stepped over the fragment of the wax seal laying on the ground as he edged his way in. He scanned for attackers.
But nobody was inside.
Daniel had entered the office of Dmitri Petrov, former KGB archiving expert and intelligence supervisor of the black site. Daniel was the first visitor since Dmitri sealed it shut when the Soviet Union dissolved.
After passing through a small foyer with an empty coat tree, Daniel entered another room about twenty feet wide and forty feet long. A wooden table ran its length, and a large wooden desk sat at its end. Lining the walls of the room were giant file cabinets. Behind the desk, portraits of the Soviet Union’s leaders glowered. On top of the desk, stacks of paper waited. The table also held several stacks of documents arranged in an indiscernible pattern.
Fitting, for an archivist, Daniel thought.
Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, undisturbed for years.
Daniel went to the desk first. Many of the documents had a passport photo on the top right corner, biographical information on the left, and then the rest appeared to be a personnel report.
Were all these people prisoners here? Daniel wondered, unable to read the Russian text in the reports. But there were hundreds, if not thousands, of files. Even without entering the other buildings, Daniel guessed the black site couldn’t hold more than a few dozen prisoners, let alone host the guards.
The only personal item of Dmitri’s that Daniel noted was the chess set stored in one of the file cabinets. Daniel imagined Dmitri poring for
hours over documents at his desk, pulling files from the cabinets, placing them on the table, rearranging them, and studying them.
Daniel realized that Dmitri must have been doing more than storing and sorting paper. He was analyzing files. But what, or whom, was he looking for? And for whom?
If Dmitri left a clue here, where would he leave it?
Surely not in a pile of paperwork.
Would he leave a clue here at all?
Daniel didn’t know what he had hoped to find, but he grew increasingly frustrated with his lack of progress. He didn’t know how long the guard would be unconscious, and he didn’t know when, or if, the others would return. He couldn’t stay here long. But he couldn’t leave empty-handed.
Daniel forced himself to slow down and think. He assessed what he had seen. There were several KGB files from the Soviet days. There were lots of personnel files from all over the former Soviet Union. Nearly all of them were men. Additionally, many of the files were military or intelligence-related. All the files covered people of some considerable rank, whether they were in the KGB, GRU (the army’s intelligence), navy, or any other branch.
Dmitri was part of a manhunt, Daniel thought. Prisoners of special interest were interrogated here, and then Dmitri analyzed and filed the information from the interrogations.
Daniel wondered if Dmitri was part of the effort to hunt down himself, the vaunted Agent Bishop.
Daniel was about to leave Dmitri’s office when he decided to check for one last thing.
Seconds later, he’d found what he was looking for. Dmitri indeed had a safe in his office. It rested on the floor beneath his desk. It wasn’t hidden, but it was virtually impossible to move. Daniel quickly decided he would have to use the last of his explosives to blow the safe open, despite the risk of damaging its contents. He placed the explosives on the safe, went back into the foyer, and pressed the detonation button.