“Which brings us to the second consideration. Valentin Iller Baranov”
“Kurshin was his man, Mr. President” Murphy said. “There’s no doubt about it”
“Nor do I feel that Baranov will give up so easily. He’s a tenacious bastard” “Gorbachev will take care of him” Baldwin said. “I think it’s gone beyond that, Jim” the president replied thoughtfully. “From what I’ve read he’s consolidated his power over the past couple of years, ever since he brought Powers down”
“Something like that could not happen again, Mr. President” Murphy said with a tight jaw. Donald Suthland Powers had been one of the best directors of central intelligence that the Agency had ever known.
Baranov had ruined him, and in the end had been at least the indirect cause of his death. “Don’t be so sure” the president said ominously.
“What are you suggesting, Mr. President” Baldwin said, a dangerous edge in his voice. The president’s eyes never left Murphy. “Is he still in East Berlin”
“Yes, Mr. President, through the weekend. Unless of course he reacts to the news that his latest operation has failed, and he runs back to Moscow. That’s possible”
“Is it possible, General, to reactivate McGarvey”
“I won’t hear of this, Mr. President” Baldwin blurted. “With all respect, sir, we cannot sink to that level” “Is it possible” the president asked. “Yes it is”
“What would his chances be”
“This time, not very good. Baranov will know, or guess, that McGarvey is coming for him”
“Because of Dr. Abbott”
“Yes, and because of the Powers thing. McGarvey, as you know, was involved”
“WHAT about Dr. Abbott” Baldwin asked. “She was kidnapped from her hotel in West Berlin” Murphy explained. “We have good reason to suspect that it was Baranov’s people who took her. “Why? What use can she be to him, especially now”
“Bait” Murphy said. “For whom, for what”
“McGarvey. He and Dr. Abbott … apparently have a thing for each other”
“Good Lord” Baldwin said. He turned again to the president. “Mr. President, if you mean to send McGarvey into East Germany to assassinate Baranov, then you will have my resignation as Secretary of State immediately”
“I won’t accept it, Jim” the president said. “But I am sending McGarvey across. To rescue Dr. Abbott. We cannot simply abandon her”
“He’s an assassin”
“Yes, he is”
“And Baranov, if Roland is correct, is waiting for him. Expecting him to come across”
“That’s true as well” the president said. “Can he pull it off, General”
“I honestly don’t know, Mr. President. But I suspect that if anyone can do it, he can. He’s motivated” Baldwin was shaking his head angrily.
“If it gets back to us, it could topple your administration”
“Well, it’s my administration, Jim. And it’s a risk I’m willing to take, this time”
The 8200-ton Leahy-class guided missile cruiser stood off about twenty miles to the west of the MV Stephos. The sun. was just coming up over the eastern horizon. McGarvey squinted his eyes against the glare as the Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon minesweeper helicopter came in low and slow.
From where he stood on the after bridge deck with Executive Officer Tom Nielson, he could see the Tomahawk missile in its sling fifty feet beneath the belly of the chopper. Nielson, a tall lanky man with bright red hair and freckles, smiled grimly. “That’s that” he said. He glanced over at McGarvey. “Hell of a job you did out there, Sir” McGarvey nodded, but he didn’t take his eyes off the incoming helicopter. “Any word on the Indianapolis and her crew yet”
“No, sir. The Pigeon won’t be sending down the DSRV until later this morning. But it doesn’t look good”
“No” McGarvey mumbled. None of it had looked good from the beginning.
It had been a blood bath from start to finish. The carnage aboard the Stephos was hard to comprehend. Kurshin’s Russian crews had done their jobs, and their reward was a bullet in the brain. There will be no witnesses, Baranov had undoubtedly told Kurshin. And that’s exactly what had happened. Ainslie had been killed outright, most of his skull destroyed, and when they had gotten to Potok, half of his left arm blown away; Newman was dead and they had had to pry his body away from the Israeli’s iron-hard grip. Potok had been brought here to the Worden where the ship’s doctor had stabilized his condition and had patched up his arm as best he could under the circumstances. As soon as the Tomahawk was safely aboard he would be flown up to Tel Aviv. The comms speaker blared. “Mr. Nielson, is Mr. McGarvey with you, sir”
“Aye, aye”
Nielson said, keying the comms. “Admiral Delugio is on the radiotelephone, he would like to speak with Mr. McGarvey. Afterward, the captain would like you both in the wardroom”
“We’re on our way” The Sea Dragon hovered over the landing pad at the stern, and the loading crews were guiding the Tomahawk onto a mobile cradle. There was only a light swell running, and the crews were expert, so the transfer went smoothly. When the missile was finally down, McGarvey went with Nielson into the bridge, where one of the ratings handed him the telephone. “Kirk McGarvey, is that you” Delugio shouted.
“Yes, sir”
“The Navy wants to thank you. Admiral O’Malley sends his personal thanks”
“Too little too late, Admiral” McGarvey said. He didn’t feel much like celebrating. He wanted only to go to bed and sleep for a week, get roaring drunk, and fetch Lorraine Abbott from West Berlin-not necessarily in that order. “But you stopped the bastards, McGarvey”
“Yes, sir” McGarvey replied. “Was there anything else”
Delugio hesitated for a beat. “Not from this end. But I have an urgent message for you from your boss. You’re to meet with Trotter ASAP. “There on Crete”
“Negative. He’s gone to Athens. He said you’d know where.
We’ll get you there this morning via Tel Aviv. The Israelis want to talk to you first.
How’s Major Potok”
“I haven’t talked to him since he came out of the operating room. But I’m told he’ll live”
“Listen up, McGarvey” Delugio said, a note of caution in his voice now.
“As I’ve already said, you did a hell of a fine job for us out there.
But you’re going to have to watch what you say to the Israelis. They’re going to want to know a lot more than you’re authorized to tell them.
That comes from the top, the very top. I hope I’ve made myself clear”
“Don’t worry, Admiral, your secrets are safe with me. Besides, I don’t know anything”
“I’m sorry, Mcgarveydelugio said after another beat. “I take my orders too. II “Yeah” McGarvey said, and he hung up the telephone. He stood there for a long moment, looking through the forward windows toward the long bow of the ship. Time to get out now, he thought. But the job wasn’t finished. Trotter was waiting for him. There was very little mystery about what he would say. “Sir” Nielson said. McGarvey looked up.
“Right” he said. He followed the executive officer below to officers’ territory. There was a lot of activity aboard the ship. The Navy SEAL unit that Admiral Delugio had sent out was back from the Stephos, and Marine guards, sidearms at their hips, seemed to be everywhere.
Nielson knocked once on the wardroom door and then they went in.
Lieutenant Commander Bruce Mcdonald was seated at the highly polished mahogany table with the Worden’s missile officer, Lieutenant Sam Nakajimathey both looked up. “Did you speak with Admiral Delugio)”
Mcdonald asked. He was a sharp, compact man with thinning, ashbrown hair. “just now” McGarvey said, taking a seat across the table from him.