His cell phone chirped from his suit coat. He reached inside his jacket and checked the caller ID. Speak of the devil.
“I am just about to perjure myself in front of the president on your behalf. This isn’t a good time. I’m on my way out the door,” Berg answered.
“It’s the perfect time. We conducted our final mission talk-through last night and we’re still coming up short in a few areas,” Sanderson countered. “First and foremost, exfiltration remains an issue. Do I need to elaborate?”
“Negative. I have that covered,” Berg said.
“Does that mean solved?”
“No. But I have something cooked up that should seal the deal when push comes to shove. Have you worked this from your end? My little concerto only works if the assets are in place,” Berg said.
“I’ve received assurances that the assets will be in place if the president approves the overall mission, regardless of whether he agrees with our concept of final extraction,” Sanderson replied.
“Then I suggest you let me concentrate on this meeting. Is there anything else?”
“Two things, both related. Details regarding the installation are sketchy at best and—”
“I’ve sent you everything we have on Vektor. Satellite photos, Reznikov’s assessment, and intelligence data. I don’t have anything else to give you. Your people are good at improvising. This mission should suit them well,” Berg said.
“Not funny. I suggest you dig deeper. Reznikov hasn’t been employed by Vektor for a number of years, and I’m seeing several new structures at the facility. The satellite shots alone show considerable change over the past five years. This doesn’t concern you?”
“A separate intelligence asset has verified that the P4 building remains the same and has not been expanded. I’m not a tactical expert, but the building is located in an isolated section of the compound, easily accessible from surrounding ground cover. This is as good as it gets,” Berg said.
“Construction. Upgrades. Who knows what else has changed since Reznikov’s days? His assessment of the local security response seems sketchy on top of that.”
“Why are you throwing this at me right now?” Berg asked.
“Because my operatives need every advantage possible to survive this operation,” Sanderson shot back. “I have no doubt whatsoever that my team can infiltrate the site and destroy the facility, even without Reznikov’s supposedly critical final piece of information. The trick is getting out. Even with the most perfect extraction plan that you and I can envision, they’re going to face some long odds. The fewer bumps along the road the better, starting with the raid itself.”
“I really have to go, Terrence. I can’t conjure up information I don’t possess, and I’m not holding anything back.”
“Maybe you just haven’t considered all of your sources.”
Berg remained silent, trying to process the general’s statement. The man didn’t waste words, which led him to the worst possible assumption. Sanderson had resources and friends hidden in high places, but not high enough to uncover Kaparov’s identity. Maybe he was just overanalyzing the comment. He doubted it.
“I’m fairly confident that the drawers have been emptied,” Berg finally replied.
“I think one of the drawers hasn’t been opened. In fact, I’m pretty sure you have your foot up against it to keep it closed. To be honest, I didn’t put it together until recently. I always assumed your source was Spetsnaz, which goes to show how dangerous an assumption can be. Ms. Pavrikova was a little intoxicated when we grabbed her. She let her anger spill out, along with a few name—”
“You can never repeat any of the names,” Berg cut in.
“That goes without saying, and I understand why you’re protecting him. You’re not the only Cold War relic with old enemies for friends,” Sanderson said, pausing for a moment. “Time to ask your friend for another favor. With the heat off his back, he should be able to give us an update of the facility. He should have the appropriate clearances for that, given his position.”
“I get it,” Berg said. “I’ll give him a call. He’s not going to be happy.”
“Who’s happy these days? Good luck in your meeting,” Sanderson said, disconnecting the call.
“Fuck you too, General,” Berg muttered to the dead line.
He replaced the phone and grabbed the messenger bag, rushing out of his office to meet with Audra Bauer.
Chapter 24
The president leaned over to accept a thin manila folder that the CIA officer had produced from his satchel and handed to the director. Several folders had been prepared for the meeting’s participants, and within a few seconds, everyone seated around the mahogany table was thumbing through documents, including himself.
“Is this all summarized in the presentation?” he asked.
“Mr. President, the top secret memos in the file expand on the presentation and hold key insights regarding the various sources used to derive the information. Of particular interest is the background on the Israelis. Diplomatic tensions between the two nations have been strained for years, compounded by the discovery of Russian made Kornet-E and Metis-M systems in Hizbullah’s possession within southern Lebanon two years ago. Mossad has been watching the Vektor situation with great interest and has provided us with actionable intelligence regarding two confirmed Iranian intelligence operatives assigned to Vektor,” Karl Berg said.
The president glanced at James Quinn, his National Security Advisor, who was still sifting through the documents to find the one Berg had referenced. Quinn sensed his stare and looked down the table at the president, nodding.
“This is a significant development, Mr. President, especially in light of the recent attack on the U.S. by domestic terrorists. Mossad confirms that one of the operatives is working inside of Vektor?” Quinn asked.
“That’s correct. Like our own CDC, Vektor hosts international scientists. They just don’t have the same selection standards,” Berg explained.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to get rid of the Iranians?” the president suggested. “Cut off the nexus between Iran and Vektor?”
The CIA director stepped into the conversation, which relieved the president. He was starting to get the impression that this previously unknown CIA officer was running the show at Langley.
“Mr. President, neutralizing the two Iranian operatives would be a temporary fix. Iran would send more scientists, and we’d be back to square one. On top of that, the Israelis would be blamed for the killings, which would further strain Russian-Israeli relations. Mossad appears extremely hesitant to conduct operations on Russian soil,” Copley said.
“So they get us to do their dirty work,” the president said.