“Good lord..” Trotter started to say, but McGarvey had hung up the telephone and was rushing down the street to the nearest cab stand.
The silence was eerie in the Hauptbahnhof Plaza across from the large train station a few blocks north of the city center. For nearly three hours the missile transporter had remained motionless in the middle of the square where it had been carefully positioned. “We must give them time to stabilize the situation” Kurshin explained. “I don’t want some nervous sharpshooter or overzealous polizei opening fire” Schey had said nothing, and although Yegorov had become clearly impatient, he too understood the wisdom of Kurshin’s order. They had switched off the radio so as not — to be disturbed. The three hours had also been necessary so that the means of their eventual escape could be put in place. Kurshin had been smoking a cigarette. He ground it out on the floor and then turned up the gain on the radar set. Three blips appeared, two to the south and one north. All three of them appeared nearly stationary. Helicopter gunships, he figured.
Next he glanced at the transporter’s rearward-looking television monitor. Across the square, about one hundred fifty meters away, he could see that all the streets entering had been blocked off by armored personnel carriers, uniformed police, and US. soldiers standing behind the barriers. He leaned forward and peered out the Lexan-covered slits.
The streets leading into the square from the north and northeast were also blocked off. In addition, he spotted at least half a dozen armed soldiers on the roofs of nearby buildings. “We’re hemmed in” Yegorov said. “Exactly. We’ve no means of escape so they’ll have calmed down by now” Kurshin said. He glanced over his shoulder at the East German, whose eyes were shining for the first time. He was still holding the trigger. “Are you ready” Schey nodded. Turning back, Kurshin switched on the radio. “Colonel Collingwood, this is Flybaby Six-P-Two. Do you copy”
“That’s affirmative” the radio blared immediately. “May I assume that you have this part of the city evacuated by now, and that you have positioned only disciplined troops around the perimeter”
“You may” Collingwood responded. “Very good, Colonel. Within the next sixty seconds two of us will be stepping out of the transporter and we will be going back to the missile itself. Let me remind you that one of our number shall remain at all times protected within the transporter, his finger on the device that controls the plastique. Do I make myself perfectly clear”
“You do” the Air Force security chief replied. “What are your intentions”
“In due time, Colonel. For the moment suffice it that if anyone tries to interfere with our operation in any way, disaster will strike”
“What do you want, god damnit” Collingwood shouted. “Make your demands”
“Again, in due time, Colonel. But you have my word as an officer and a gentleman that we mean no harm to either the German or American peoples”
“Then stand down”
“I’m afraid that is not possible. You will understand very soon what we mean to do. I will explain everything to you at 2000 hours. But one final word of caution. We mean to raise the missile into its firing position now. But nothing, absolutely nothing will happen if you and your men show restraint. Until 2000 hours” Collingwood was shouting something when Kurshin switched off the radio. He turned again to Schey.
“Give Ivan the trigger. It is time for us to get to work”
McGarvey was met at Frankfurt’s Rhine-Main Airport by the CIA’s number two out of Bonn, a husky but studious-looking man dressed in a dark blue blazer. ‘ “Todd Kraus” he introduced himself. “I’ve got a chopper standing by for you, Sir” It was a little past six in the afternoon. The airport was extremely busy but McGarvey had been passed through customs immediately. He followed the younger man across the terminal where they got in an Air Force sedan and sped to the opposite side of the field which housed the U.S.
Rhinemain Air Force Base. A Bell AH-IW Super Cobra ground attack helicopter was already warming up for them. “We’ll get you down there in under twenty minutes” Kraus said as they climbed aboard.
“In the meantime I’ve got a couple dozen questions for you” McGarvey said. “Yes, sir, I expect you do. I’ve been instructed to brief you on the way down. Mr. Trotter is already on site” The instant they’d strapped in, a crewman jumped aboard, closed and dogged the hatch, and went forward into the cockpit leaving them alone. They lifted off with a sickening lurch and swung left as they climbed, the helicopter taking a nose-down attitude as it rapidly picked up speed. The pilot was sparing nothing. Kraus reached up behind him, flipped on a small overhead light, and turned back to McGarvey. He pulled a map of downtown Kaiserslautern from his jacket pocket and spread it out between them. “I’ll give you the broad strokes first” Kraus began. “A man identifying himself as Air Force Colonel Brad Allworth managed to steal a nuclear-armed Pershing missile and transporter from Ramstein Air Force Base. He drove it off the base and onto the autobahn where he was met by two other men …
identification at this point unknown. They placed what appears to be a plastique explosive around the outside of the missile body itself, which they promise to blow if we make any threatening moves. From there they drove directly into the city of Kaiserslautern where they parked in front of the train station. They haven’t moved since”
“Any casualties” McGarvey asked” Major Tom Mccann was found shot to death in the Pershing’s missile bay”
“Anyone else”
“Eleven German nationals were injured and three killed on the autobahn just outside Ramstein. The transporter ran over one car and touched off a chain reaction. Four of them are in critical condition in the base burn unit”
“They mean business” McGarvey said. “Yes, sir, that they do”
“Any communications with the transporter” k aus nodded. “Colonel Bob Collingwood, the man in charge of Ramstein security, has been talking with them … or at least with the one who has been identified as Brad Allworth”
“He’s not” McGarvey said.
“Sir”
“He’s not Brad Allworth. His name is Arkady Kurshin”
“Russians” Kraus asked, his eyes widening. “Sonofabitch. What the hell are they up to”
“Whatever it is, it’s not going to be pleasant, I can tell you that much. And I can also tell you that Kurshin is a pro. He’ll have this entire operation figured out to the last detail, including his escape”
“Pardon me, sir, but I don’t think that’s possible”
“Perhaps not, but Kurshin evidently thinks so” McGarvey said. “What’s the present situation”
“As of 1630 the missile and transporter were parked, as I said, in the middle of the square in front of K-Town’s main railroad station. Two men, one of them apparently this Arkady Kurshin, and another man, have been outside the transporter doing something to the missile’s control units” McGarvey nodded. “Reprogramming its guidance system, no doubt, and probably disarming the fire control officer’s abort function.
“That’s our best guess. “Have they made any demands, given us any sort of a time limit”
“No demands so far, other than to leave them alone. They’ve promised that they would make their intentions clear at 2000 hours” McGarvey glanced at his watch. They had a full hour. “But” Kraus said. “And this is the part that has everyone worried. They say they intend raising the missile into launch position. McGarvey sat back in his seat and lit a cigarette. “Kurshin wouldn’t have taken the risk of stealing a missile unless he intended launching it”
“We’re hoping not, sir” Kraus said. “Collingwood seems to think that they’ll make some demand and when it’s met have us provide them transportation into the east zone”