"We know FSB and SVR agents have been in direct contact with both the VECTOR Institute and Microbiology Institute in Stepnagorsk. The NSA has picked up a ton of chatter centered around Semipalatinsk and Kurchatov, and we're pretty sure they've sent ‘unofficial’ assets across the border, which would indicate to me that they're searching for something important. It's all rather unsettling. The most disturbing aspect is the Russians’ secrecy. They've suddenly rekindled the search for this Reznikov character, who is at the top of everyone's WMD watch list, and they haven't breathed a word of it to anyone outside of Russia. I think we need to activate ground assets and take our own look around Kazakhstan," Berg said.
"Special Activities Division? I don't know. The Russians might be chasing a dead end. I can reassign imagery assets without alerting anyone, but I don't have the authority to activate a Special Operations Group. We can start the ball rolling, but I'm going to need more than a hunch that Reznikov is up to something. Russians snooping around Kazakhstan for a missing scientist isn't going to be enough," she said.
"He's not just any scientist. He's a bio-weapons expert that has been actively courting Muslim extremist groups for at least two years. Maybe longer. We know he's been to Al Qaeda facilities in Africa, and now electronic intercepts suggest he's met with Al Qaeda leadership in Dagestan. The fallout from a partnership between Reznikov and Al Qaeda could be disastrous for the West. The guy was caught trying to steal partially weaponized encephalitis samples from the VECTOR lab, and the Russians tried to kill him for that."
"I'm not going to ask how you know that," she said, shutting down her computer, assembling some files and stuffing them into a nylon executive bag.
"I wouldn't tell if you did ask. I'd like to use 'off the books' assets to do some digging around Kazakhstan. Get me access to imagery associated with the area around Kurchatov and Semipalatinsk, and I'll get you the information you need to get the ball rolling," he added.
She stopped and stared at him, glancing at the door, which Berg had closed behind them.
"Sanderson's group?"
"He has highly trained operatives that wouldn't raise an eyebrow in that region. The team could be on the ground within twenty-four hours. I'd expect actionable intelligence several hours after that."
"Assuming they find anything. No links back to us on this," she stated harshly.
"That's why I want to use them. I'll set up equipment through another source," he said and stood silently, waiting for her final approval.
"All right, make it happen," she said, starting for the door.
"I might need UAV support, in case they find something…or something finds them."
"I'll need to think hard on that request, Karl. I assume you'll want the drone to be armed, too?"
"Well…an unarmed drone is sort of pointless," he said, moving out of her way.
She shook her head and smiled. "Let me see what I can do about the drone. Get me something I can work with here, and let's hope this is all a false alarm on the Russians' end. So far, you've actually been really good for my career. I'd hate to see that change," she said, smiling warmly.
"The day is young. Stick around long enough and you'll find yourself assigned to a liaison position with the Intelligence Directorate," he retorted.
"A fate worse than death. Let's meet up later to finalize things," she said.
"You mean I have to ascend into these hallowed halls twice in one day?"
"You love coming up here and you know it," she said, walking through the door after him.
"I really don't. See you later."
Berg had a few calls to make and could barely keep himself from skipping down the halls. He lived for this kind of action and felt reinvigorated. Time to call in a few favors.
Chapter 14
"Please close the door," Special Agent Sharpe said.
Agent O'Reilly closed the door and joined Agent Hesterman next to Sharpe's desk.
Sharpe turned his flat-screen computer monitor to face them and started to type on his keyboard. "This will be a quick meeting. We have work to do," Sharpe said, edging his office chair toward the end of the desk so he could see if his keyboard commands worked.
A color photograph of two figures filled the screen. The image was crisp, taken from a high angle, and completely captured the faces of both men.
"This satellite image was passed to me by the director himself. Anyone care to guess who's in the picture?"
The man on the left wore dark brown cargo pants and an olive green sweater with a zippered collar. His tightly cut silver hair contrasted the earth tones of his outfit and tanned face. The man had broad shoulders and a clearly athletic, muscular frame. The figure standing to his right was dressed in light blue jeans and a gray collared shirt underneath a worn, dark brown leather bomber jacket. His brown hair was cut short, but didn't resemble a military style haircut. It looked poorly trimmed, with too much of a fade on the side exposed to the camera. To Sharpe, the man looked like he had stepped off the streets of Moscow.
"Are you serious, sir? We hit the mother lode," Hesterman said.
"Classified sources have provided this photo, based on your excellent work. I know this hasn't been the most popular sideshow here in Domestic Terror, but it paid off big time. You're looking at…"
Sharpe switched images to show the gray-haired man.
"Terrence Sanderson and Richard Farrington. Two very big fish in this investigation. We've been tasked to jump start a focused financial investigation of the activities related to the building and funding of the sites you identified," he said, and the screen changed to a wider angle showing the entire river valley.
"I assume you don't want anyone else working on this?" O'Reilly said.
"The director doesn't want anyone else working on this. He wants minimum exposure to this information within our branch. He's specifically worried that our friends in Langley might catch wind of this, and so am I. If a connection exists between the CIA and Sanderson, one wrong word could turn this site into a fly fishing lodge overnight. And you can be guaranteed that Sanderson won't be the activities director."
"What will Director Shelby do with the information?" O'Reilly said.
"That's the big question. Shelby isn't the forgiving type, and Sanderson's stunt was a major setback for the FBI. Not to mention a massive embarrassment. The director wouldn't tell me directly, but I'd be willing to bet that he takes this all the way to the top, where he'll have plenty of support for action against Sanderson."
"A Direct Action mission?" Hesterman said.
Sharpe shrugged his shoulders. In all reality, he had no idea, but it wouldn't surprise him if Shelby and a few of his cronies could convince the right people that Sanderson posed enough of a future threat to America's security to warrant foreign interdiction.
"Even if they did, we might never find out. I asked the director if he could keep us in the loop, and he told me to focus on the financials. He'd like to build a solid case against Ernesto Galenden, which I suspect will serve two purposes. The first being a legitimate way to spur the Argentine government into action against the compound. And the second? Well, if we could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Galenden funded and operated a terrorist compound right under the Argentine government's nose, then a direct action mission might be easier for everyone to stomach. Let's start piecing this together like an evidentiary investigation. Understood?"