by R G Ainslee
"Saw her stash them in her outfit when we stopped to get the weapons out after we left the border station. Searched her stuff when she was in the shower." He took another bite of omelet and a sip of coffee.
'Why didn't you say something before?" said Amadeo.
John looked up with a wry expression. "Why ruin a good thing?"
Amadeo rubbed his thumb and index finger together. John ignored his allusion. Jack chuckled.
John ate the last bite of omelet, took a final sip of coffee, and retrieved the bag. "Looks like we need to find a place to kill some time until tomorrow morning. Wonder if this town has a bar?"
Epilogue
Late November 1979: Bolling Air Force Base
Bill Michaels rolled thirty feet of tape onto a reel and placed it on the tape playback machine. He threaded the tape across the head and attached it to an empty reel. Colonel Wilson, Mack Gibson, and Ross Brannan stood behind him waiting anxiously. John Smith, Jack, and Amadeo sat in chairs beside a nearby desk.
Michaels looked back and smiled. "Ready when you are."
Mack nodded, and Michaels flipped the switch.
The reel began to rotate, producing an audio tone and an output to the multi-channel Tektronix signal analyzer oscilloscope. He flipped the channel selector to the first channel finding the reference signal band and adjusting the tape speed to match the original recording speed. He then switched channels and the date time signature appeared on the scope.
"Date and time look good," said Michaels.
Ross shifted nervously.
Michaels switched channels again. "The frequency read-out is consistent with prior Soviet launches."
Ross let out a painful, "No." His stomach muscles tightened. It was as he expected, the main signal, not the third harmonic.
Mack rested a hand on Ross' shoulder. "Sorry."
Amadeo spoke up, "What's wrong? Isn't it the right signal?"
Mack answered, "Right signal wrong frequency. Ross had a recording of the third harmonic. The one with the encoded energy burst. This is the primary."
The encoded energy burst in the third harmonic was a key component to the Cochise Project concept developed by Marsden when he worked at Ft. Huachuca. It contained encoding for missile guidance that was difficult to detect unless you knew what you were looking for. Ross had worked on the concept with Marsden and had used his unique knowledge to make the intercept earlier in the year.
Michaels switched to the main data channels. A series of blips and waves appeared on the scope. A strong telemetry audio blared from the speaker.
"Is it the same one you saw at T-2?" asked Michaels.
"Think so." The audio weakened, and Ross said, "That's it. It faded at the same point. Should come back in a few seconds." It did. "What do you think?"
"The fading is consistent with ducting. You were lucky to collect the signal."
"The guys at T-2 did a good job tweaking their system. It wasn't all luck. What's your read on this one?"
"Not something I've seen before, but I'd be willing to bet a round of drinks that it is from an air-defense system. I'll take it up to Ft. Mead this afternoon, we have more capabilities, and someone may recognize it." He grinned. "It may be useful after all." Michaels gave Amadeo a thumbs up. "Good work."
Jack slapped Amadeo on the back. "Way to go, you came through again."
Amadeo wasn't smiling. "Yeah, but at what price?" The image of Azad hanging from the construction crane was burned into his mind. "We're not even sure how many people died getting that tape."
John replied with a sharp edge to his voice, "But we weren't the SOB's that died. That counts for something in my book."
One week later: IG Farben Building, Frankfurt, Germany
Two weeks after the takeover, the student group released several women and the Black embassy employees. Sam was among the people released. They flew from Tehran to Frankfurt. Sam was sent to the I.G. Farben building for debriefing.
Two days into the debriefing, Sam was ready to go home to Baltimore. He wanted time to think over his career with the CIA. His experience in Tehran had shaken his confidence to the core. He was especially disturbed that his colleagues were still being held hostage. He felt guilty about not being able to complete his mission and was concerned about Azad's safety.
"That wraps it up for today," said the debriefing officer. "We may be able to get you out of here after you obtain a full medical clearance."
"I'm okay," said Sam. "I just want to get back to the states. I've told you everything I know, at least three times. Don't have nothing more to add. Understand?"
The phone rang. The officer answered and after a few seconds, hung up. "There's some people waiting outside to see you. I'll let them in and you can go back to your quarters when they're done."
He stood, walked over, and opened the door. Three men entered. Sam recognized two of them, Amadeo and Jack. The debriefing officer left and closed the door behind him.
Sam tensed. "What do you want? Ain't you caused me enough trouble already?"
John Smith took a seat, Amadeo and Jack did the same. John said, "We came to thank you personally for your efforts, we—"
Sam cut him off, "Don't need no thanks and I don't want anything more to do with you people." He started to get up.
"Hold it." Said John. "This is official. Consider it part of your debriefing."
Sam sat back down. "Okay, but keep it short, I want to get out of here and don't have any time for more BS."
John pulled a document out of the folder he was carrying. "This is a non-disclosure agreement specific to what you did regarding the tape. Read it and sign it." John's voice had the commanding tone of a first-sergeant, one you didn't mess with.
Sam took the document, read it, signed it, and slid it back across the table to John. "Don't see why that was necessary, I'm covered by standard agency protocol."
"This ain't standard, it's way above that, code-word compartmentalized. Normally, we wouldn't be doing this, but these boys insisted you be briefed, and our director agreed."
Sam glanced over at Amado and Jack. "Okay, but make it short, I've had enough for today."
Amadeo said, "We can't give you all the details, but the tape you helped us obtain turned out to be a major breakthrough. The tech people at NSA say it contains critical data on a new Soviet air-defense system. Our director plans to recommend you for a citation."
Sam leaned back. "So, it wasn't a waste of time and effort?"
Jack responded, "No, but it came at a high cost."
"How so?"
Amadeo said, "Several lives were lost getting it over the border, some innocent…" He paused, "Azad was one of them."
Sam inhaled sharply. "You're sure about that?"
"I saw him hanging from a construction crane. Don't know any details, except that he is dead."
Sam slumped in his chair. "He died just for one freakin' tape. Yeah, I hope you think it was worth it. I don't. Azad was just a little guy trying to survive. He was on our side… Or does that mean anything to you people?" A moment of silence and Sam continued, "In any case I've had it. I'm cashing it in when I get stateside."
John leaned forward. "I've been in this for almost thirty years and have seen a lot of good men die and others scarred for life. Some of them were my friends … close friends. Let me assure you that it does mean something to us." He nodded to Jack and Amadeo. "These men have been through the same. Ruiz here lost his father at the Bay of Pigs. Richards is the lone survivor of a patrol in the war. They both lost friends and teammates in seemingly meaningless situations." He took a deep breath. "And tomorrow we may be the ones to make the ultimate sacrifice. It's what we do and who we are. If you're going to continue in this business, you've got to come to grips with that reality. And don't forget you have a bunch of comrades still being held hostage. They need you. I'm an Army Ranger, we have a credo, no-man-left-behind. You owe it to them to give it your best. You are free, they are still held. Use your release
as a gift to do everything you can to bring them home."
"What he says is not just idle talk, said Amadeo. "He lives it. John and Jack came for me, they were waiting at the border. They put their lives at risk, we had a shootout after crossing and just did survive."
Sam shifted in his chair and inhaled a deep breath. His teeth were clinched.
Jack spoke up, "Ruiz here risked his life getting the tape out. One other thing, along the way he was able to stop a certain hostile nation obtaining a major technical component. In the wrong hands it had the potential to set the Middle East on fire again. Several bad guys died trying to stop him, and like he said, after he crossed the border, I killed at least a couple more when we were chased by a gang trying to stop him. All of this wouldn't have been possible if you hadn't seen fit to follow up on what Azad had to offer. He died, but his sacrifice may save many more lives in the end."
Sam sat quietly, his expression softened, and his shoulders relaxed.
Amadeo said, "Don't let this get to you, you did what you were trained to do. We've all had the same doubts. I even had doubts about this mission, just like you. And yes, even I still wonder if it was worth it. The problem is we will never know for sure, that's just the nature of this business."
"He's right," said John. "If you let it eat at you it will destroy you. You seem like a good guy, get back on the job and let every day mean something. I've had to do it more times than I can count. Don't let Azad's death be in vain." John's voice began to crack, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and suck it up. There's still work to be done and it's a hell of a lot more important than your hurt feelings."
Sam's face muscles tightened. "You sound just like my grandmother. She raised me and didn't take no nonsense. No telling where I would be if she hadn't laid down the law to me more times than I can count."
"Sounds like a good woman," said John.
"She was a South Carolina sharecropper's daughter and never had nothing. No education and had to work till she could work no more. But she left me and my brother something more important than material things: a sense of dignity and purpose."
"You have done her proud, don't quit now."
"Thanks for telling it like it is." Sam swallowed hard. "That's what she did, never let us off the hook. But I still feel responsible for Azad."
"You didn't kill Azad, those bastards in Iran did. Get back to work and make them pay," said John. "I got a feeling this is going to last longer than the idiots on TV think, it may even go on for a long time. The agency is going to need your knowledge and experience, even after this is over. Don't let them down."
Sam set up straight and stared at the floor for a long few seconds. He looked up and stared John straight in the eyes. "You're right. From what I've seen and been through, Iran will never be the same. Can't explain it but something has changed, I was there and saw it happen, but it didn't register until after they grabbed me." He glanced over at Amadeo and Jack. "You don't have to worry about me." He took a long deep breath and exhaled. "Thanks."
John stood and said, "Good, is there anything we can do for you?"
Sam forced a smile. "I sure could use a cold beer."
John headed for the door. "Come on, the drinks are on me. I know a little bar about two blocks away that has some of best beer in Germany."
Sam hesitated. "I don't think they want me to leave the building."
John grinned. "Not to worry." He nodded towards Jack and Amadeo. "You're in the hands of two of the agency's best escape and evasion specialists."
Glossary
ASA — U.S. Army Security Agency. The Army’s signal intelligence branch was composed of soldiers with the highest scores on Army tests. The ASA, directly subordinate to the National Security Agency, monitored military Soviet Bloc communications around the world. In 1976, the ASA was merged with the Army’s military intelligence branch to form the Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM).
ASAP — As soon as possible; pronounced "A-Sap."
BOHICA — Bend over here it comes again
CIA — Central Intelligence Agency
CID — Criminal Investigation Division
COMINT — intelligence derived from the collection of spoken or written communications.
ELINT — Electronics Intelligence, intelligence derived from collection, processing and analysis of radar and various guidance control systems.
FUBAR — Fowled up beyond all recognition
IBEX — Project IBEX was a joint US and Iranian airborne ELINT collection program.
NSA — National Security Agency
SIGINT — Signals Intelligence. Intelligence derived from the collection, processing and analysis of either of, or a combination of, COMINT and ELINT.
Author’s Note
Behind the Story
End of October 1973, near Esendere, Turkey. The border was less than a mile away. We stopped by a stream to clean up before entering Iran. Little did I know that less than six years later, this would be the site of a dramatic escape from revolutionary Iran by employees of EDS, Ross Perot's computer services company. That story was chronicled in Ken Follett's book, On Wings of Eagles. Naturally, it had to serve as a location in the Raven-One Team thriller.
Separating Facts and Fiction
The Caspian Intercept is a work of fiction interwoven into a timeline of real events. The following events actually occurred:
1. The events depicted during takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran.
2. The IBEX Project. The depiction of Site T-1 is a fictitious representation of the Tacksman-1 site operated by the CIA on the Caspian Sea in northern Iran.
The Cochise Project, the Special Signals Research Project, certain events and characters depicted during the embassy takeover are products of the author's imagination. Certain institutions and intelligence agencies are mentioned, but the characters involved, depiction of the agencies' operations or sources/methods of collection/analysis presented should not be construed as factual. Descriptions of Soviet radar and telemetry signals are based on current open source materials.
Acknowledgements
To my wife, Susan, this book wouldn't exist without your support and encouragement.
About the Secret Cold War Series
The Cold War lasted forty plus years, a time of tensions between two super-powers with the capacity to destroy each other and the world. Proxy wars were fought on many fronts, one front was invisible, a secret war: the signal intelligence war. Reliable and timely gathering of electronic intelligence (ELINT) was vital, a first line of defense. The Secret Cold War series reveals the silent conflict waged in the shadows.
The Secret Cold War series follows the adventures of ELINT analyst Ross Brannan and the Raven-One team of the Special Signals Research Project, a joint venture combining NSA analytical capabilities with CIA and military assets. The unit's mission deals with situations where conventional ELINT collection methods are neither effective nor practical.
Latakia Intercept is the prequel to the series.
Ethiopian Intercept follows the exploits of Ross Brannan in East Africa.
Iranian Intercept ranges from the shadow of Mount Everest to the wilds of revolutionary Iran and Afghanistan.
Caspian Intercept is a follow-up to the Iranian Intercept that takes place during the Iranian Revolution.
The wide-ranging Sahara Intercept covers the team's adventures in Italy, France, the Sahara, Central Africa, and Israel.
The author of the series, RG Ainslee, served as a soldier on the front line of the Cold War. Later he travelled the overland trail from Europe to Kathmandu and crossed the Sahara and jungles of Central Africa on the way to East Africa. Motivated to write while staying in a dollar a night hotel on the Kenyan Island of Lamu, the Ogaden War was raging up the coast. He decided to write the action-adventure story he always wanted to read. That story became The Ethiopian Intercept.
Excerpt from The Sahara Intercept: A Ross Brannan Thriller
THe SAHARA INTER
CEPT takes you to the secret front line of the Cold War.
1980: German terrorists move into Africa.
A heart-stopping tale of action, adventure, and suspense. Ross Brannan is back and out for revenge – determined to hunt down the traitor, J. Andrew Marsden -- at any cost. In an instant the operation is compromised, and Ross is on the run. The Sahara Intercept is filled with stunning double-crosses and twists of plot as this fast-paced story moves from the streets of Rome to the sands of the Sahara and, finally, to a final epic showdown on the Syrian border that will leave you breathless.
If you like Clive Cussler, WEB Griffin, Tom Clancy, and Brad Thor, chances are you'll love The Sahara Intercept.
The Cold War lasted forty plus years, a time of tensions between two super-powers with the capacity to destroy each other and the world. Proxy wars were fought on many fronts. One front was invisible, a Secret Cold War: the signal intelligence war. Reliable and timely gathering of electronic intelligence (ELINT) was vital, a first line of defense.
Please enjoy a selection from a chapter of the next full-length novel in the Secret Cold War series, featuring Ross Brannan.
Chapter 1 ~ Unit 8200
Thursday, 26 June 1980, Tel Aviv, Israel
El Al forces passengers to travel unarmed. That’s why I arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport, site of the 1973 Lod massacre, without my Walther PPK pistol. Always thought the best way to stop a hijacker was to blow his head off.
This was a routine trip. But then it never hurts to practice situational awareness. Not paranoia, a prudent attention to details. The most important things: blend in, keep a low profile, and don’t project an image someone will remember. The key: act confident and natural, like you belong. Resolute in my ability to spot imminent threats, I strode into the main lobby.
"Mr. Ross Brannan?"