THE ARMENIA CAPER
Where Spies Shake Hands and Devils Hide Alluring Unpredictable and Always Dangerous
By
Hunter Blacke
Copyright 2014 by Hunter Blacke - All rights reserved.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
From a Declaration of Principles which was accepted and approved equally by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Target Armenia C
Country Survival
Transition
New Challenges
Finding Yerevan
Meeting Resources
Pushkin Street Under Siege
What the Hell was That?
Mystery Dinner
When the Going Gets Tough
Ibrik
Meeting the Spooks
Jazz Heals All
Blondie
Blank Look
Breaking Good
Raiding the Ark
Checking Out
Introduction
IBRIK. Armenian Coffee made over Hot Coal Embers.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union Armenia was cut loose to their own future. A difficult time of transition and a rebuild of local economy. Secret Police, International Agencies, Old KGB, Mossad, all have found interaction in Yerevan, capital of Armenia. Hunter Blacke is sent to solve the disappearance of valuable resources that were in good faith delivered for the re-construction of infrastructure. They never got there. Light read.
Chapter 1
Target Armenia
Taylor came stumbling through the glass doors. Frustration clearly evident. His body language exploding. He was carrying a file that was abruptly thrown in my direction. Papers fell out of the folder racing to the floor. Leonard took a long moment before apologizing, but left me to pick up the mess of certainly now out of sequence documents.
I sifted through the information and saw that the reference was the country of Armenia. My name is Hunter Blacke. I handle special assignments. When others fail I begin my work.
What this had to do with me was not certain yet, but, within minutes it was clear I was signing up for a new passport and headed to a country totally new to me.
I did not read or speak the language, a difficult one at that, albeit Russian was an alternate choice as Armenia had been until recently a soviet satellite country. Armenia was cut loose as Russia imploded. The early 90’s brought mayhem to the Caucasus as countries began to fight for their old identities. Soviet Russia slinked into disgrace.
All the old timer Armenians spoke Russian and Armenian. All the young people spoke Armenian, some Russian and almost fluent English. I could get by.
During those long years under the soviet cloud, Armenia provided numerous factory operations primarily engaged in electronics and technology, including weaponry, watches, and one of the world’s clandestine diamond cutting centers. Most refer to Antwerp, Israel and South Africa but the Armenian’s are extraordinaire in their cutting skills. Israeli’s would own the pipeline with lots of cutting done in Yerevan the capital of Armenia.
Yerevan is one of the oldest structured cities in the world. The fortress Erebuni was founded by King Argishti of Urartu in 782 BC. The Urartu Kingdom was a powerful & highly developed civilization. Thus, according to the cuneiform inscription ‘passport’ (birth certificate) of Yerevan, the city is almost 3000 years old, likely more. The original Armenian name for the country was Hayk. Soon after it became Hayastan and again later Armenia. It still is Armenia.
So what was this assignment about? Why was Taylor Williams, head of operations, so rattled?
Actually he rarely rattled. Cleary his collection of fine scotch kept him mellow for the most part. Sometimes we had trouble keeping him awake in tactical meetings.
Most operatives never listened to him much. His outlook on operations was highly governed by his single malt scotch.
What was the connection? Diamonds. Lots of diamonds.
Chapter 2
Country Survival
Armenia at this moment in history was struggling. Armenia has been a country of conquer and be conquered for centuries and now again with the recent Russian pull out they were fighting for their ancient identity. The fight now was primarily economic.
With the Russians pulling out after their own collapse, they in turn sold back factories and industrial manufacturing to the locals. Many of course were friends of the Russian establishment. Many were ex KGB operatives. Some complete factories, albeit they were stripped, and land went for as little as $1.00 dollar US. Corruption was epidemic
The country was on its knees and Yerevan the ancient capital city was dysfunctional. There were restrictions on electricity to the point many parts of the city did not have any for days at a time or not at all. Gas heating and water service was just as scarce. Living was difficult. Foreigners like Italians and French owned the Utilities and set the terms and conditions. Ugly high.
The buildings throughout the city were primarily soviet era meaning 4 to maximum 5 floors high and crumbling. They were for the most part walk up as elevators were not in most of the structures, if any. The common areas with the heavy wooden doors at the entrances and the heavy wooden moldings on windows and staircases were all torn out and wood broken down for heating purposes.
Buildings looked like they were bombed out but laundry hanging from many wires on the side of buildings indicated they were all occupied.
Numerous cracked apartment windows had ominous smoke stacks out the kitchen windows and residents used the wood they could salvage to heat their apartments and cook. There were many throughout the city and wafts of curling smoke, laced with particles would rain over the city creating a pungent wood fire smell as well as overcast fog created by the escaping smoke.
It was an odd sight but an obvious necessity to get through cold winters and have fire to cook and keep warm. The more affluent in those very same buildings had money to hook up their gas and water, and enjoy electricity when available. Others suffered severely.
Added to this bleak scenario, were the city trees lining the streets being savaged by apartment residents for limbs and in many blocks the complete trees. Yerevan became known as the city without trees and international funds were solicited to save the greenery. Times were tough. Times were in transition. Corruption everywhere, however that was ingrained in duty.
Blocks of the city were being razed to create new city road alignments. Others were razed simply to make way for new modern construction. The city was in turmoil. One foot in the past and one foot into the future. Armenians are a hardy lot. They have suffered and understand the depth of pain necessary to once again walk free and happy in life.
City streets were torn up, concrete and asphalt pieces everywhere, piles of paving blocks and sand. Legions of vermin darted between the garbage piles on many streets. The city was a domestic war zone. Some roads totally impassable while others that were completed looked beautiful, charming, inviting. Some slick International store fronts were now appearing. Few could afford their products but it looked good. It gave hope for their future.
Chapter 3
Tr
ansition
As this transition was underway the United States Government quietly began building an enormous Embassy in Yerevan. It would in time take some five years to complete. A massive undertaking where the obvious was this was centered to take in the Greater Caucasus Countries at the least. This included Armenia, perhaps Georgia, Azerbaijan and then of course bordering Iran for some 70 odd kilometres on the south.
The Consulate would likely be keeping an eye on Eastern Turkey and the still large and active Russian Tank presence heavily embedded on the Turkish border in Northern Armenia. Russian 102nd Military Base is a quick response Russian Tank contingent, sanctioned by Armenia, located in Gyumri, Northern Armenia, and is part of the Transcaucasian Group of Forces.
Shots are often exchanged across the border to escape boredom. Nobody was serious about Turkey invading as their only interest was economic invasion. They wanted the borders opened for products. Politicians said no.
Gumryi the largest city in northern Armenia earlier in the mid-eighties was devastated by a massive crippling earthquake. The city was also attempting recovery as they were in Yerevan. Gumryi was at the mercy of Yerevan. Gumryi continued to reflect its own economic collapse because of that quake. Gumryi would prosper quicker with the Turkish border open.
Unfortunately Yerevan controlled Gumryi with respect to all aspects of commerce. The Armenian mafia insured they controlled day and night and in doing so Gumryi continual suffered in any real rebuilding or progress of any kind since the quake. Gumryi looked like the quake hit yesterday according to those who witnessed the original tragedy.
Many in the city just after the quake were housed in shipping containers. There were full containers and half containers. They were bunched together like North American trailer parks.
To this, church groups, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, USA, Russia and many other countries provided building materials to build apartments and complexes for the locals. Interesting however is that many were badly slapped together and built with poor construction material. The citizens were outraged. Corruption even enveloped tragedy.
A great number of the populace elected to remain in their container homes instead. They enjoyed the independence, and could control their own destiny without subscribing to the rules and regulations of those that built the apartment complexes. In so many cases they could not afford the cost of that accommodation or the upkeep. A dichotomy indeed.
Our concentration is Yerevan. The old guard never were far away. The ugly secret police remained. Dressed in their black leathers and usually with a .45 stuck in the crook of their back obvious to all. The ugly local mafia remained and no doubt both parties worked together in their control of both the city and the country.
The center of their social activity was rumored to be the Tulip Hotel situated on Yerevan’s main drag Abovian Street. A beautiful high end French run property that locals could never afford to really frequent unless families were receiving Diaspora money from overseas on a regular basis.
It did well with the darker elements of the city as well as the local government mandarins. The hotel also gave inspiration as to how the city could recover and commercially move forward.
Further along Abovian, one would come to the huge Soviet replicated Republic Square representing government offices and where the grandiose Marriott Hotel could be found. Oh yes International guests frequented the two top hotels. There were other properties of lesser stature in the city but The Tulip and Marriott held court.
Who supported the best? One was the Diaspora visiting their families, loudly showing off their personal wealth from abroad, real or imagined, embarrassing the locals, and the other were numerous low key international suspect elements. Political and criminal.
Some major Caucasus conferences were beginning to appear in Yerevan. Excellent progress.
Yerevan was, even during the soviet times, a major center for the arms trade, and human trafficking. Dope is right up there as well. Then we had the diamonds.
Chapter 4
New Challenges
Taylor wanted me to go through the documents and familiarize myself with a few local characters doing business in Yerevan. The two I needed to concentrate on were Artem a lawyer by profession, and, an exotic seemingly low key proficient woman named Osanna.
Artem was known to work closely with the Russian embassy and Moscow in general. He traveled frequently back and forth. Artem also worked closely with the US Government and the Canadian Government Volunteer Agencies. He knew his way around everyone that mattered in Yerevan. I believed he had something on everybody.
Osanna worked for one of the favored Russians, an ex-sports figure of some renown, who was a recipient of two factories from the Russians for a few US dollars each. Her role was translator and personal assistant. Pretty much anything to do with the revitalized factories she controlled.
They were highly successful in producing automotive cleaning products, tire wheels, and interior plastics for door panels. With this the group owned an international tourism organization respectfully controlling numerous visitors into and out of Armenia. They knew who came and who went.
My assignment was to ferret out what possible connection these two had to the disappearance of some perfectly cut one carat diamonds and to whom they were destined.
Some diamonds? I re-read the document and it was a satchel of diamonds! Millions of dollars. They were meant as a gift from the Israeli’s to Yerevan city reconstruction. Somehow they evaporated between the cutting house and the designated recipient in government.
Why me? Having done a fair amount of clandestine Intelligence work around the world prior, the feeling was as a reconstruction specialist in particular with hotels, I could settle in and be innocuous. Play making was always emotionally gratifying.
I attempted to ask Taylor why the personal antagonism with this file. He avoided the conversation. It was no skin off him or was it? I noticed the bottle of scotch was empty.
No matter now, I was on my way.
Chapter 5
Finding Yerevan
Arriving in Armenia at Zavartnots airport was uneventful but the minute getting off the plane and finding my way to the generally routine immigration procedure things became icy. It was still the old soviet style of business. There was an incredible need for customer service at this airport. The treatment was cold, and the interrogation techniques were right out of the soviet hand book.
It really felt a good idea might be to get on the plane and just head back out. Their questions were fast and furious as well as stupid. After approximately one half hour I figured it out. Bribery. Just put a $100 dollar US bill in your passport and slide it across the counter and you were through. You could have been carrying almost anything but as long as you laid down the bribe you were through.
I was a slow learner, but managed to remember that for all the subsequent trips I would end up doing to Armenia.
After picking up the small bag of luggage brought with me, I walked out into the arrival area but could not spot my handler who was to be there and insure I was not harassed by the countless taxi shills and hucksters trying to extract US dollars from you. The arrival of course was late into the night as all flights were. It was close to morning. A lot of military people around. No coffee. Unsavory characters lurking in the shadows. Nothing else.
A slight man came up to me and grabbed my arm. As I turned to elbow the presumed attacker he quickly identified himself as my handler. He urged us both to get out of the airport as soon as possible. That we did with a handful of eyes tracking every move we made. The secret police of today were no different from the soviet days. A hard transition for the country.
Driving into the city of Yerevan was a desolate drive. The vehicle seemed to ride on half inflated tires with at least one totally flat. No lights anywhere. I was told signs and extraneous lighting was turned off at night or simply at times there was no electricity regardless.
As we drove we would pass the notorious are
a where a few blocks of small casinos were evident. They were small, gaudy signage and funny enough their neon was blazing. I could see there were few cars in front of any of the buildings and it was a sure give away those casinos were primarily in the trade of washing money and currency hustling. The people huddled outside the entrances looked like silent warriors, no, the better description is thugs.
Once past these buildings we came across the ground breaking construction of the new USA Embassy bordering the roadway and built into the lake running parallel to the main roadway from the city to the airport. This place was reported to be built to house some 2,000 personnel. Seemed overkill to me.
My accommodation turned out to be a rented apartment in one of the old soviet structures. Fourth floor walk-up, no lights in the common areas and once to the accommodation things turned worse. Some water. No hot water and no heat. There were rat droppings along all the cabinetry and throughout the kitchen cupboards. The toilet worked.
My handler took the responsibility of insuring I had canned food items and plenty of bottled water. There was an opener and some fresh types of bread wrapped in plastic. A bowl of hard butter, homemade jam in jars topped with rusting caps and instant coffee completed the eating options available. No sugar.
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