"And check out the three bodies?" Farrington said.
"Exactly. The site is to be examined specifically for signs that it may have been used as a laboratory. To answer your question, Daniel, though I don't like to get in the habit of entertaining your endless supply of commentary…the CIA division running this op is chasing a theory, based on some circumstantial intelligence reports. Due diligence. Whatever the case, the Russians are up to something, and the CIA doesn't want to fall too far behind on this one," Sanderson said.
"What are we looking at?" Farrington said.
"The Russians are turning over every conceivable rock to find Dr. Anatoly Reznikov, a disgraced and disavowed bio-researcher. Apparently, a Russian Special Forces raid in Dagestan hit pay dirt. They found evidence that Reznikov travelled to Dagestan to meet with Al Qaeda leaders. Five years ago, Reznikov tried to steal partially weaponized encephalitis samples from Russia's equivalent of the CDC. As you can imagine, this is not a match made in heaven. Only bad voodoo can come of it."
"Why would they keep shit like that around?" Andrei interjected.
"Standard procedure. We do the same thing, even with programs that have been banned for decades. The CDC keeps a sample catalogue of every known disease, natural or manmade. Anyway, they fired him from the lab and blackballed him throughout Russia. He disappeared soon after that. The CIA always speculated that he had been assassinated by the Russians, but apparently that was not the case. Your job is to gather evidence to help the CIA determine if someone, likely Reznikov, had run a lab at this site. It's perfectly isolated, aside from the mining activity, and Reznikov would be familiar with the area."
"What about radioactivity levels? This was the Ruskies' primary nuke testing site for most of the Cold War. I'd like to have kids one day," Daniel said, and this time most of them laughed.
"Now that's a scary thought," Farrington said.
"You'll be equipped with Geiger counters and radiation strips. I can't imagine the need for radiation suits, given the fact that someone clearly used the buildings for an extended period of time. If it's hot, I don't want you sticking around. That'll be your call, Daniel. I wouldn't want to ruin your plans to have beautiful children," Sanderson said.
"I'll be sure to pass that on to Jessica. So, I only have one more question."
"Oh boy," Farrington muttered.
"Although this site certainly fits the bill for a mad scientist's laboratory, I can probably find you a thousand similar locations around the world. How did the CIA narrow this down so quickly?" Petrovich asked.
"I assume they started looking in the areas close to Reznikov's old stomping grounds. The VECTOR research lab is in Novosibirsk, a few hundred miles away, and another major lab is located in Stepnogorsk, roughly a hundred miles to the north in Kazakhstan," Sanderson said.
Daniel glanced at Farrington and raised an eyebrow. Despite their personality differences, he had come to trust Farrington's tactical assessment capabilities, finding them to be remarkably similar to his own. They had worked together to solve señor Galenden's problems, and Farrington had been Daniel's first choice for the Kazakhstan mission, although Sanderson had already assigned Farrington to the team. Sanderson had logically placed Farrington on the team because he spoke fluent Russian and was the de facto leader of the Russian AO Group.
The three other men in the room comprised the newest batch of Russian AO operatives. Sergei, Andrei and Leo, all born in the U.S. to Russian emigrants; all former U.S. military special operations soldiers, all currently fluent in several Russian dialects, and trained to blend seamlessly into Russian surroundings. Apparently, the Russian AO training regimen prohibited regular bathing, as all three of them reeked of body odor and sour breath. They looked rough, ungroomed, and slightly aloof. The effect was amazingly effective. They'd fit in on any Russian street, right down to the brands of clothing they wore on a daily basis. If anyone was going to compromise their group, it would be Daniel, who smelled like a blend of citrus and sandalwood soap.
"Looks like it's time to quit showering and shaving," Daniel said.
"You should go for a nice, long run in your clothes," Sergei said in Russian.
Daniel replied in passable Russian, which he had studied in college, and continued at the compound. Still, his Russian skills left a lot to be desired compared to the four men he would accompany to Kazakhstan under the guise of a Russian mineral survey team. He wouldn't be doing most of the talking, which probably gave Farrington a sense of satisfaction and relief.
"Do I have time for a body odor inducing run?"
"Nyet. You need to leave within the hour. You'll travel in small groups separately, and I need to route most of you in a fashion that brings you through Moscow. I want you on the ground in Kazakhstan within twenty-four hours. Everyone should head over to the Kremlin and grab all of your clothing and personal travel gear. I need to make a call to finalize your equipment arrangements," Sanderson said.
Daniel glanced at Farrington again.
"Weapons?" Farrington said.
"I'm thinking pistols and a few concealable submachine guns. Nothing that would raise too many eyebrows in Kazakhstan," Sanderson said.
Daniel knew he didn't have to prompt Farrington any further. Pistols and submachine guns were the standard load-out for a low to medium risk operation. Neither of them believed this operation qualified as such. The CIA didn't just stumble across this site without some help. If the CIA found it, they could assume the Russians had found it, too. If the CIA and Russian FSB weren't working together on this one, it would be fair to assume that the Russians had a reason to pursue Reznikov on their own.
"Upgrade the kit to local assault rifles with good optics. It's not uncommon for civilian engineers in these areas to bring heavier firepower. We'll keep most of it concealed in the vehicle," Farrington said.
"I assume you agree with this assessment?" he said, looking at Daniel.
"We're probably not the only ones interested in this site if I'm reading between the lines correctly."
"All right. I'll make this happen. Take a few more minutes to look at the satellite images and make sure everything is marked on your maps in a discreet fashion. I want you driving out of here in an hour. We'll meet one more time in fifty minutes. Daniel, can I talk to you for a minute?" he said and walked toward the empty fireplace.
"I need you back here in forty-five. Your cover will have to be different, and I need to go over it with you. It'll explain why your Russian is rusty, if anyone picks up on that…and the fact that you look like a spoiled, Latin American trust fund kid," he said.
"I wasn't expecting to make any clandestine trips to Kazakhstan. This isn't exactly in my job description," Daniel said.
"I need someone with your instincts and field experience on this one. Farrington is good, but he still needs some fine tuning. This is a great opportunity for you to hand off the baton to him. I know Jessica's heart isn't in the program anymore, though she puts on a good show, and I realize I can't keep the two of you here forever. I've been greedy with your time, and frankly, I didn't think the two of you would last nearly two years. I expected you to have disappeared by now and I'm really appreciative that the two of you have stuck around as long as you have. Give me one more good op with Farrington and then get back here to finish up what you started with your sniper protégés. A few more months tops, and I'll support you and Jessica in doing whatever you choose," he said and stuck his hand out.