Operation Barracuda (2005) Page 3

  He closed the bookcase behind him, descended the spiral staircase to the basement, went into his personal office, shut the door, and booted up his computer. As he waited the sixty seconds, Zdrok longed for some of the Swiss coffee he had become addicted to when he lived in Zurich. There was nothing like that in Hong Kong, of course. The Chinese, and the British before them, didn’t know how to make good coffee. Tea was another matter, but he despised tea.

  Once the computer was up and running, Zdrok opened his e-mail and found an encrypted message from Jon Ming. Zdrok spent a moment decoding the e-mail and found that it was an order—a big one. Eight hundred thousand U.S. dollars’ worth. Unfortunately, Zdrok had to hand over the arms to the Lucky Dragons at no charge. It was part of the deal he had made with Ming over two years earlier. They would provide the Shop with valuable information concerning the branch of the National Security Agency known as Third Echelon, as well as material for Operation Barracuda. In return, the Shop would supply the Lucky Dragons with all the weapons and arms they asked for. In Zdrok’s opinion, he had gotten the better end of the deal. The Operation Barracuda intelligence alone was worth millions.

  Zdrok had been waiting for this final order from the Lucky Dragons. It meant that the Shop’s business with them was complete. The final “installment” of Operation Barracuda materials had been delivered. Of course, it would be prudent to keep relations between the Shop and the Triad pleasant. After all, Jon Ming had shown considerable “face” in helping Zdrok relocate. Zdrok owed Ming a great deal. He just didn’t want to pay it.

  Zdrok picked up the phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. A man on the other end answered, “Da.”

  “It’s me,” Zdrok said.

  “Hello, Andrei.”

  “Good morning, Anton. How are things up in the New Territories?”

  Anton Antipov, one of the Shop’s directors and essentially Zdrok’s right-hand man, replied, “Most likely the same as it is down on the island. Warm. Muggy. They say it might rain.” Antipov was in charge of the Shop’s remote warehouse, located near the residential and industrial New Town of Tai Po.

  “At least we’re missing the Russian winter, eh?”

  “If you say so.” Antipov didn’t care much for the Far East either. He wasn’t fond of Chinese food, and in a place such as Hong Kong that was a great disadvantage.

  “I’ve received the final order from the Lucky Dragons,” Zdrok said. He listed the desired items and quantities. “It must be shipped as soon as possible, of course.”

  “Of course,” Antipov said.

  “Do I detect sarcasm in your voice, Anton?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Come on, talk to me.”

  “You know I was never happy about allowing this Triad to put our affairs in order. It’s humiliating.”

  Zdrok sighed. “We’ve been over this a dozen times, Anton. What else could we do? If we had stayed in Eastern Europe or Russia we would have been found and arrested. At least here we can hide and still do business.”

  “How long can we hide, Andrei? How long before the United States finds us?”

  “Anton. You worry too much.”

  “And you’re unceasingly unhappy.”

  “Ah, well. These are our natures, yes? Let us concentrate on the matters we can control. Our customer in China will give us five million dollars U.S. as soon as we deliver the final installment of Operation Barracuda material to him.”

  “You have it?”

  “We have it. It will go to the general tomorrow.”

  “Very good. We can close up that particular avenue.”

  “Yes,” Zdrok said. “I have already asked Ming to do so. He will take care of it.”

  “And what happens if Ming finds out where all this Barracuda stuff is going?”

  Zdrok felt himself shudder. “That would be very unfortunate. Under no circumstances are the Lucky Dragons to know our plans.”

  “I know that. You’ve said it a hundred times.”

  “Then that makes it a hundred and one.”

  “But if General Tun flaunts—”

  “Quiet. By then it will be too late.”

  Antipov sighed. “Is that all, Andrei? I have an order to put together. In fact, most of it will have to be shipped from Russia. Tell Ming he’ll have it in a week.”

  “That’s actually good for us. Oskar can ride over with the shipment. Arrange it, please.”

  “Right.”

  Zdrok could sense that Antipov had more to say. “Is there something else, Anton?”

  “Andrei, what does the Benefactor think of Operation Barracuda? He is aware of General Tun, is he not?”

  “Of course he is. Don’t be a fool. The Benefactor is on our side and always will be. It was he who initially put us in contact with the Lucky Dragons and it was he who introduced us to the general. Fifteen percent is what most authors and actors pay their agents. I think he’s well worth the commission, don’t you think?”

  “If you say so, Andrei. You were always much wiser in these matters than me.”

  “Cheer up, Anton. Go have some Russian vodka for breakfast. But only after you send word to Oskar and get Ming’s shipment ready.”

  “Have a good day, Andrei.”

  Zdrok hung up the phone and continued to check his e-mail. There was one from General Prokofiev. The Russian general had remained in his home country because of his position with the army. Of all the Shop directors, Prokofiev was the most protected. His cover was unshakable.

  Zdrok opened the e-mail and read:

  AZ—

  Obukhov facility closed. General managers retired. All went smoothly except presence of Western competition. Still attempting confirmation of competition’s going-out-of-business sale.

  —SP

  Zdrok rubbed his eyes. Good news and bad news. The good news was that the last remnants of the Shop’s stealth plane activities had been destroyed. So far, the Russian government and military forces had not traced the theft of the aircraft to Prokofiev. The bad news was that an American intelligence operative witnessed the destruction of the Obukhov hangar. Prokofiev’s last sentence indicated that he thought the man was dead but a body had not yet been recovered.

  Damn, Zdrok thought. It sounded as if the operative may have been one of the men on the classified list of agents’ names and descriptions that Zdrok had obtained last year. Was this man one of Third Echelon’s Splinter Cells? Could he have been the nemesis that brought the Shop all of its troubles?

  Could he have been the man known as Sam Fisher?

  Zdrok slammed his fist on the desk and swore that the Shop would have its revenge on the man. Zdrok picked up the phone and made another call.

  It would be easy to find out whether or not the Splinter Cell was still alive.

  3

  I’VE tracked General Prokofiev’s Mercedes to an apartment building in Kyiv’s Old Town, near the St. Sophia Cathedral. It’s not far from a main thoroughfare, vulitsya Volodymyrska, and many of the historic landmarks in this cold, old city. It would probably be a bit more pleasant if it wasn’t winter. Everything is gray and white and rather depressing. I’ve heard that spring and summer in Kyiv is really nice but I’ve never seen it then. It seems that the few times I’ve been here it’s always winter.

  Although I don’t have much taste in the aesthetics of art and architecture, I do admit to being a history buff, and Kyiv has an abundance of antiquity. You could say it’s the mother city for all Eastern Slavic peoples. After all, the Russian Orthodox Church was founded here. Outside the Upper Town—what the locals call the Old Town—is a very modern and cosmopolitan metropolis. Its urban sprawl is unequaled in Ukraine and this fact is quite amazing when you think about it. Kyiv has survived Mongol invasions, devastating fires, the rule of Communism, and the terrible destruction of World War II, and yet it manages to progress onward into the twenty-first century.

  After my swim in the Dnipro, I managed to crawl out downstream and hike back to wher
e I’d left the Ford. It took me five hours to walk to Obukhiv and I felt like the abominable snowman when I arrived. I drove to Kyiv, all the while checking the progress of Prokofiev’s Mercedes on my OPSAT. The homing device was working beautifully. Prokofiev and his entourage checked in to the Hotel Dnipro, a high-end joint frequented by diplomats. I elected to stay three blocks away at the no-frills Hotel Saint Petersburg because I prefer budget places. I set my OPSAT’s alarm to go off if the Mercedes left the Hotel Dnipro and then caught some badly needed sleep. The OPSAT beeped me awake earlier this afternoon. I figure I got five hours, which is pretty damned good. I left the room wearing civvies, jumped in the Explorer, and followed the blinking dot on the OPSAT’s map to my current location.

  The apartment building is old, as is everything else around here. There’s not much parking but I get lucky after a few minutes and find a spot across the street. I stop, settle in for a spell of surveillance, and use the opportunity to contact Washington.

  “Hello? Anyone at home?” I ask, pressing the implant in my throat.

  “Hi, Sam.” It’s Carly St. John, my favorite person at Third Echelon. She’s as smart as a whip and attractive as hell. I’ve often considered what it might be like to become romantically involved with her. I kid myself that she might be interested. The problem is that I’m not keen on becoming romantically involved with anyone. At least that’s what I keep telling my reflection in the mirror. I made a resolution after Regan died to put women out of my mind. And I’ve been pretty good at staying celibate . . . until recently. Ever since I returned from the Mediterranean last year, I’ve been feeling, I don’t know, an itch. I found myself eyeing some of the women in my Krav Maga class in Towson, Maryland, where I live. And then there’s Katia, the class instructor. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Katia Loenstern’s an Israeli woman who has made more than one pass at me and I’ve been a jerk and resisted each of them. Lately I’ve been thinking I need to change that attitude, but then the ugly realization of what I do for a living messes up everything. A Splinter Cell in a committed relationship becomes a vulnerable Splinter Cell. It also puts the partner in jeopardy. It’s just too damned risky.

  “Sam?” Carly asks. “You there?”

  “Yeah,” I say. “Sorry. I drifted off there for a second. Is the colonel around?”

  “Not right now. I was about to contact you. There’s a big snowstorm heading your way. What are you doing?”

  “I should be eating dinner but instead I’m keeping tabs on General Prokofiev. Have you made headway on those photos I sent you? Any IDs yet?”

  “As a matter of fact, I just got them back. You were right. The guy with the beard is Oskar Herzog. I guess he’s trying hard to change his appearance. It’s not working too well, is it?”

  “No, it’s not. What about the other guy? The rock star.”

  Carly laughs. “Your ‘Rasputin’ description was pretty funny. Actually, he’s just as sinister as Rasputin. He’s been ID’d as Yvan Putnik, a Russian Mafiya hit man. The guy has a record in Russia but he must have some powerful friends in the government because he keeps getting out of prison.”

  “Well, look who he’s hanging with.”

  “Right. If you’re buddies with General Prokofiev then you’ve got nothing to fear from the big bad law-enforcement dudes.”

  I rub my chin. “So what does that mean? What’s this Putnik guy doing with the Shop?”

  “I suppose he’s working for them, wouldn’t you think?”

  “Well, duh. What I meant was I wonder what kind of jobs he’s doing for them—wait a second.” General Prokofiev just came out of the building. He’s with a tall, striking blonde that must be twenty-five years younger than he is. Maybe more. I snap a couple of shots on the OPSAT. The bodyguard gets out of the passenger seat and opens the back door for the couple. After they’re inside, the Mercedes drives away.

  “I gotta go,” I say. “I’m beaming you a couple more photos. I just saw the good general with a pretty blonde. See if you can find out who she is.”

  “Is it his wife?”

  “No. General Prokofiev’s wife is his age. This girl looks young enough to be his daughter.”

  We sign off and I discreetly pull into the street to follow the Mercedes, which takes the busy Naberezhna shose south along the Dnipro until the driver makes a left onto the Metro Bridge. The car moves east on prospekt Brovansky and then pulls into the small parking lot beside an old wooden mill in Hidropark. I’m puzzled for a moment until I realize that the mill is really a restaurant called Mlyn. The Hidropark, a Kyiv landmark, is an outdoor amusement park that spreads along the riverbank and encompasses some islands. The restaurant apparently offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Dnipro and its beaches.

  I pull into the lot, park away from the Mercedes, and turn to watch my prey. The bodyguard opens the back door and Prokofiev and the girl step out. I’m closer now and can see that she’s runway model material. Who is she?

  More photos. After the couple is inside, the Mercedes leaves. I get out of the SUV and enter the restaurant. The maître d’ greets me and asks if I want a view of the river. I tell him I’m just having a drink at the bar and he frowns as if I’m committing a grievous sin. He indicates the bar with his nose and then focuses his attention elsewhere.

  I position myself on a cushioned stool where I can see Prokofiev and his date sitting on the other side of the room next to the large window. A bartender asks me what I’ll have. I really don’t want alcohol while I’m working but I figure when in Rome . . . I ask him for a recommendation and he tells me that the house special is a “KGB.”

  “Okay, I’ll have that,” I say. I’m expecting the KGB cocktail that has Bailey’s Irish Cream and Kahlua in it, but instead he gives me something containing gin, apricot brandy, kümmel, and lemon juice. It’s god-awful.

  As I drink the wretched thing I watch the couple and discern that they’re definitely having a romance. The way the good general is holding her hand on top of the table doesn’t evoke a father-and-daughter relationship. She laughs at something he’s saying and then—bingo, she leans across the table and kisses his forehead.

  I snap the image on my OPSAT.

  For the next ten minutes I sit with my drink and take a few more surreptitious photos. I even catch the general with his hand up the girl’s skirt at one point. The best part comes when he presents her with a small wrapped box. She opens it excitedly and then squeals in delight when she sees the diamond necklace inside. Prokofiev stands, moves behind her, and fastens the trinket around her neck. He then leans down and she kisses him full on the mouth.

  At that moment a text message comes in on the OPSAT. It reads: GIRL IN PHOTO IS NATALYA GROMINKO, FASHION MODEL, SINGLE, AGE 24, LIVES IN KYIV. NO CRIMINAL RECORD THAT WE KNOW OF. CARLY.

  I force the rest of the cocktail down my throat and leave a few hryvnia notes on the bar. Just as I prepare to go outside, I see Rasputin—or rather, Yvan Putnik—enter the restaurant, scan the tables, locate the general, and rush over to him. I sit on the stool and watch them in the mirror behind the bar. Putnik whispers something to the general and a look of concern crosses the old man’s face. He wipes his mouth, stands, and takes the model’s hand. He says something to her—apparently he must leave immediately—and she wrinkles her brow and pouts. The general kisses her on the cheek and then leaves the restaurant with Putnik. Miss Grominko remains at the table, sulking. I wait a couple of minutes and then follow the men outside.

  Great. It’s snowing. In fact, it’s a major blizzard.

  The Mercedes is already out of the lot when I run to get in the SUV. I switch the OPSAT to tracking mode and see that the car is heading east toward Oryal. It’s also the road to Moscow. They’re already close to two miles ahead of me so I pull onto prospekt Brovansky and proceed to catch up. I’d never lose them while the homing device is working but I like to keep a visual on the target when I’m tailing someone. Unfortunately, the snowstorm is a hindrance and the roads are slick
with ice. I’m forced to slow down when I see a policeman directing traffic through an intersection where two cars have collided. By the time I’m clear, the Mercedes has a five-mile lead on me. They’re definitely traveling out of town.

  Suddenly the blinking dot stops moving. The car has stopped somewhere up ahead. I’m in the outskirts of Kyiv and can’t imagine what the general is up to. Surely he doesn’t have another mistress living out in the burbs.

  I reduce my speed when I’m within a mile of the location indicated by the blinking dot. Then, without warning, the homing signal quits on me. The blinking light disappears.

  What the hell . . . ? I think. What happened? Those homing devices have a life of at least seventy-two hours. Did they find it and disable it?

  I pull over and study the map on the OPSAT, trying to remember exactly where the dot had been before it vanished. I pinpoint an intersection that seems to be the best possibility and then drive in that direction. I’m about a quarter of a mile away when I see, through the blinding snow, a black cloud of smoke billowing toward the night sky. I hear approaching sirens as I slowly guide the SUV down the street to a vacant lot next to a condemned building, the point where the Mercedes last sat.

  In its place is a burning wreck. The car appears to have been deliberately set on fire.

  I stop the SUV and watch the scene as two fire trucks and a police car appear with lights flashing. The firefighters immediately set about putting out the blaze. Once they do, I can see that the burning hulk is indeed the Mercedes.

  Shit! They must be on to me!

  The bastards dumped the car, destroyed it, and went on their way in a different vehicle.

  4

  PROFESSOR Gregory Jeinsen wiped the sweat off his brow as he debarked and made his way toward the Arrivals area. Hong Kong International Airport was abuzz with activity, as was usually the case, so Jeinsen felt relatively safe from being recognized. After all, who could possibly identify him? He had changed his appearance considerably since he left Washington. He had dyed his gray hair black and combed it differently, he had shaved his mustache, and he now wore glasses with fake lenses. These simple alterations made him look twenty years younger than his true age of sixty-four. If the Pentagon was searching for him, an agent would have to do a couple of double takes in order to see any resemblance to the scientist who mysteriously went missing two days earlier. His liaison in Hong Kong had paved the way for a new identity and taken care of the necessary paperwork, so Jeinsen now held a German passport and entry visa with the name Heinrich Lang. This wasn’t too much of a stretch. Jeinsen had a cousin named Heinrich and his favorite film director was Fritz Lang. The new name suited him.