Maybe for the benefit of the military men – or maybe just because he liked occupying the podium – Popov reviewed what Charlie and Kestler had been told at the first encounter; certainly the military aides, behind their commanders, scribbled furiously as if they hadn’t heard it before. Abruptly, dramatically, Popov declared, ‘The attempt is to be made in three days’ time,’ and a stir went through the room. Charlie was aware of Natalia’s eyes upon him and smiled towards her. Although she didn’t respond, there was a softening in her face.
Popov retreated to the display boards, naming the Kirs plant for the first time and disclosed the two-pronged intention to seize both the intruders to the installation itself as well as to round up the Yatisyna Family. Indicating the black-suited men, Popov said the Special Forces would be helicoptered into the area on the day of the attempt: the group assigned to the nuclear facility would be split, half dispersed inside in advance of the illegal entry, the remainder held outside. The radioed command for the outside group to complete a pincered ambush, once the entry had been made, would simultaneously trigger the house-to-house round-up of the second independent group on standby in Kirov. The two units would comprise 350 men, with another fifty making up a communications, supply, medical and transportation support force; trucks to ferry the spetznaz throughout the area were leaving Moscow that night. Popov hesitated, looking towards Natalia, before saying that he would coordinate both seizure operations from a central command helicopter, which additionally would have continuous, open-channel links to the ministry in Moscow. Popov brought the two military commanders on to the platform before inviting questions, which he pointedly did to the ministry group, not to either Kestler or Charlie.
The ministry queries were inconsequential, the determination of bureaucrats to be included in the official transcript, so instead of listening absolutely to the answers Charlie concentrated on Popov himself. To hate the man, dislike him even, would be ridiculous. It hadn’t been a may-the-best-man-win contest, both of them evenly competing for Natalia to make her preferred choice. She hadn’t had a choice until the previous day. And by then it was too late. He’d lost his chance but Natalia still had hers. Sasha too. So any personal like or dislike for Popov didn’t feature. If he felt anything it was that Popov was the luckiest bastard in the world, whom he envied more than any other man in the world. Which was coming back to self-pity and he had to stop that.
Charlie snapped back to full attention upon the briefing at the sound of Kestler’s voice. It was a contribution-to-the-transcript question – whether there could be any doubt about the actual date of the attempt – but it brought Popov and the two officers round to them, giving Charlie his cue. He waited for Popov’s condescending reply that they were quite sure of the timing and then said, immediately, ‘A total of 400 men, at least? With helicopters and ground transport?’
‘Yes,’ frowned Popov.
‘Even though you’ re bringing in the helicopters and the bulk of the interception force at the very last minute you won’t be able to hide that amount of movement,’ insisted Charlie. ‘You’ll frighten them away. They won’t go anywhere near the place.’
Natalia shifted uncomfortably. It was a valid observation but she hoped there wasn’t an element of challenge to the man Charlie knew she loved.
Popov smiled, more patronizing than he’d been to the American. ‘Large-scale army manoeuvres throughout the Kirov region are being publicly announced today, both from here in Moscow and from Kirov itself. By Thursday an actual tented army camp will have been erected eight kilometres from Kirov. In today’s announcement Thursday is being given as the arrival day for the major troop contingent, with their helicopter transport: large-scale movement will be expected.’
Good enough, conceded Charlie. ‘How many helicopters?’
Popov deferred with a gesture to the taller of the two commanders, a shorn-headed, chisel-featured man whom Charlie guessed would resent being professionally questioned by a Westerner, certainly by a non-military Westerner.
‘Adequate. The Kamov Ka-22 has a one hundred-man capacity,’ said the man, dismissively.
Charlie said, ‘“Adequate” was the word used in the official report into the failure of the American operation to get their embassy hostages out of Teheran. Or rather “inadequate” because they didn’t allow back-up for accidents or engine failure.’
There was a brief and huddled consultation between the two officers before the taller man said, ‘There are allowances for a standby Kamov for rapid redeployment. And four smaller Mi-24 reconnaissance machines.’
Charlie thought they’d made that provision up on the spot but it didn’t matter, providing they made the addition. Across the other side of the room Natalia thought don’t, Charlie; don’t compete.
‘There will be a lot of radio traffic, once the operations begin,’ intruded Kestler. ‘And there will be delays no matter how simultaneously everything is coordinated. How secure…’
‘Totally,’ cut off the second, shorter officer, in impatient anticipation. ‘The liaison between the two separate forces and with the ministry here in Moscow will be over a restricted military wavelength, sealed against any outside interference or eavesdropping.’
‘Everything is to be confined to Kirs and in Kirov?’ demanded Charlie.
Popov frowned again, more in rebuke at the apparently repetitive question than in confusion. ‘I don’t understand.’
Charlie went from the bearded man to the ministry officials among whom Natalia was sitting and then back to Popov. ‘I fully accept all the obvious reasons – Russian legal jurisdiction being the most obvious – but has any consideration been given to letting the robbery run?’
‘ Run!’ echoed Popov, the frown more genuinely one of confusion now.
Charlie tilted his head towards Kestler. ‘Nuclear smuggling is an international crime, that’s why he and I are here. An interception at source blocks that source, admittedly. But it doesn’t destroy the intermediary couriers or the European middlemen or expose the recipient countries.’
It was one of the unnamed ministry men who responded, incredulously, ahead of anyone else. ‘Are you seriously suggesting letting two hundred and fifty kilos of radioactive bomb-making equipment out of one of our facilities and then attempting to follow it across Europe?’
There were smiles and open sniggers from every Russian in the room except Natalia. She thought stop it, Charlie; for God’s sake stop it!
‘No,’ answered Charlie, quite relaxed. ‘Two hundred and fifty kilos of something that looks like radioactive bomb-making equipment. You’ve got until Thursday before a robbery by people who won’t be nuclear experts: their proof that what they’re stealing is genuine is simply that it’s in a nuclear facility. Why not substitute the real thing with something that’s phoney and which won’t matter if it does get lost while we try to follow it? Why not play the same con game that the villains play all the time?’