“So, Dr Surkov, you have me intrigued,” said the President, taking a seat on one of Surkov’s two sofas.
Surkov poured the tea just as he knew the President liked it. There was nothing Dr Surkov did not know about the young President. He knew his favorite meal, he knew his favorite TV shows, he knew he liked to play video games. He knew who he trusted and who he disliked in his cabinet. He knew more about the President than he probably knew about himself.
He carried the tea over and handed it to the President and joined him on the opposite sofa.
“Let me tell you a story about a young boy in Auschwitz who met a doctor who changed his life forever…” he began as the President took his first sip of tea.
A beep interrupted the proceedings but it was a beep that Surkov had been expecting. He excused himself and checked the message from Katherine. Borodin had failed.
“Everything OK?” asked the President, sensing something was wrong.
“Of course, everything’s fine.” He turned to see the President drink the last of his tea. Any thoughts of a change of plan were gone. He’d just have to hope Katherine succeeded where Borodin failed.
Just as he was about to rejoin the President, he noticed the message box still indicated one message. Katherine must have sent two in quick succession. He opened the second one and had Borodin been in the room, he would have happily gutted him with the blunt letter opener on his desk. It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time Surkov had gutted somebody with a letter opener.
“Are you sure everything’s OK?” asked the President, the back of Surkov’s neck was almost bright red.
Surkov noted the President was beginning to slur his words. There was no turning back, no more delays. The time had come. As the President’s eyes closed, Surkov opened the door into his secret study. The world was about to see a new dawn.
Chapter 67
As they approached the outskirts of Grebnevo, Borodin waited for the instruction to land but it never came. His helicopter was allowed through and it set down next to the President’s. Borodin exited the helicopter and marched proudly ramrod straight towards Surkov and President Alexey Gagarin who awaited his arrival. A warm welcome from both men had the General excited about his request to attend on such short notice.
“Shall we take the meeting inside?” asked Surkov, offering for the President to take the lead.
Borodin had only met the President on a few occasions and had spent little time with him on a one to one basis. All he knew of him really was what he had gathered from the President’s stance on various issues and from what he had read in the papers. His green agenda had upset more than a few of the oligarchs and it seemed he had a fairly liberal view on most things.
After just ten minutes in his company, Borodin realized that the President had the slickest propaganda machine he had ever experienced. The man before him bore little resemblance to the public persona. He oozed a strength that Borodin had craved for in his leaders. He wanted a military that would help stem the flow of resources from the country. The oligarchs’ days were over. Their billions would help build a strong Russia, a Russia they could be proud of again. The mafia and her bosses’ days were over. The tide was about to turn and he wanted to know if Borodin was his man to help. Borodin could hardly contain his eagerness to be part of what the President wanted to do.
“Excellent! I will announce your appointment as my Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces before the banquet this week,” announced the President with a finality that ended the discussion.
General Borodin left the room and was accompanied by Surkov. The general was walking on air until Surkov cut him down.
“You misled me about Sean Fox, General,” he announced coldly.
Borodin stumbled for an answer. He had noted the chemistry in the room. It was only after Surkov had nodded that the President had offered him the role. Surkov had promised him the role and Surkov had delivered the role.
“I was misinformed, Doctor. I promise I did not intend to mislead you, I have somebody dealing with it as we speak,” he replied conspiratorially.
“I assume that’s before he attends our state banquet?!”
Borodin couldn’t understand how Surkov could know about the VISA.
“I assure you that the VISA was issued on the basis that he had been killed. Had we thought he was alive of course it would not have been approved!”
“And that, General, is the only reason I believe you. You are not that stupid!” replied Surkov as they arrived at the General’s helicopter.
“Make us proud, Marshall Borodin,” said Surkov patting Borodin on the back as he climbed into the helicopter. Marshall, the highest rank in the Russian Military, a rank that had not been in use for a number of years.
“I will see you in two days at the banquet, Doctor,” saluted Borodin, unable to contain the grin on his face.
“Two days, Marshall,” winked Surkov.
Surkov waved the helicopter off, so far so good. The biggest hurdle was yet to come but one major one had been crossed.
Borodin couldn’t believe it, Marshall. It didn’t even cross his mind to consider what was to become of the incumbent Chief of the General Staff.
Vasiliy sat in the seat next to Borodin and had watched the interaction with Surkov, unable to hear but witnessing both men’s facial expressions. Borodin was putty in Surkov’s hands and Surkov knew it. Vasiliy had the uneasy feeling come over him again. Every time he was around the man, he felt as though somebody had walked over his grave.
“Was the meeting OK?”
“Very good!” beamed Borodin.
Vasiliy did not like it. The General had never been so secretive in all the years he had known him.
“And the President?”
“Let’s just say I had misjudged him. The man has balls after all, massive ones. His plans for Russia are fantastic!”
Knowing where Borodin stood on Mother Russia, what he had just expressed was the single scariest thing he had ever said. Vasiliy knew Borodin would not be happy until Russia had regained her power from the height of the cold war. Anything less he considered weakness. However Vasiliy struggled to understand how President Alexey Gagarin, a man who had won the election on an economic ticket was all of a sudden winning over General 'give me more power’ Borodin. The two should have been as different as apples and oranges.
Again, the influence of Surkov hung in the air. Nothing good was going to come of the General’s involvement with, Vasiliy had to admit, the scary Dr Surkov.
Dr Surkov thanked the President again as he boarded his presidential helicopter for his trip back to Moscow.
The President smiled down on Grebnevo as he left what was a truly wonderful home and after a short flight back to Moscow was met by his wife, Yolana at the helipad. She rushed across and hugged him as though he’d been gone for months rather than the three hours that he had been. As they walked back to their private quarters, it took all their resolve not to rip each other’s clothes off in front of the staff. As the door closed, they launched into each other’s arms and fucked like they hadn’t fucked for twenty years which was in fact just less than it had been. Yolana, finally, had her first true love back.