"I've never seen one this sudden."
"What do you mean?" Herbert asked.
"Well," Quirk said, "this is clearly an engagement build-up, but before the Russians engage there's always a great deal of communication about the expected time of the encounter and the anticipated size of enemy forces. We'll pick up their calculations on speed-of-movement scales, and there'll be conversations between frontline forces and headquarters about tactics— envelopment, turning movement, combined, that sort of thing."
"But you didn't get any of that," Herbert said.
"Zero. This is as sudden as anything I've ever seen."
"Yet when everything's in place," Herbert said, "they'll be ready for something big like a move into the Ukraine."
"Correct."
"Yet the Ukrainians are doing nothing," Herbert said.
"They may not know anything's up," Quirk said.
"Or they may not he taking it seriously," Herbert said. "NRO photos show that they've got reconnaissance personnel close to the border— but not deep reconnaissance companies. Obviously, they don't expect to have to operate from behind enemy lines." Herbert drummed his leather armrests. "How soon before the Russians are ready to move?"
"They'll be in position by tonight," Quirk said. "By aircraft, it's just a short hop to Belgorod."
"And there's no chance that these are bogeys?" Herbert asked.
Quirk shook his head. "These communications are real, all right. The Russians use a combination of Latin and Cyrillic characters when they want to confuse us. The letters shared by the alphabets are supposed to throw us off because it's tough to know which alphabet they mean." He patted the computer. "But Uther manages to sniff them out."
Herbert squeezed Quirk's shoulder. "Good work. Let me know if you pick up anything else."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
"Sir," said red-cheeked Yuri Marev, "the radio room says they've received a coded communication via Pacific Fleet headquarters in Vladivostok. It's from the plane you've had me follow on the Hawk satellite."
General Orlov stopped his slow pacing behind the computer bank and walked to the young man, who was seated at the far left of the bank.
"Are you certain?" Orlov asked.
"There's no doubt, sir. It's the Gulfstream."
Orlov glanced at the clock on the computer screen. The plane wasn't due to land for another half hour, and he knew that region welclass="underline" if anything, at this time of year the winds would work against them and the plane would be late.
"Tell Zilash I'm coming," Orlov said, walking quickly to the door that opened into the corridor. He entered that day's code on the keypad beside a door across the hall, then went into the cramped, smoke-filled radio room which was located next to Glinka's security operations center.
Arkady Zilash and his two assistants were sitting in a tiny room filled to the ceiling with radio equipment. Orlov couldn't even open the door completely, since one of the assistants was using a unit tucked behind it. The men were all wearing headsets, and Zilash didn't see Orlov until the General tapped him on the left earphone.
Startled, the gaunt radio chief removed his headset and stuck his cigarette in an ashtray.
"I'm sorry, sir," Zilash said in his low, raspy voice.
As if suddenly realizing he should stand, Zilash began to rise. Orlov motioned with his fingers for him to sit back down. Without meaning to, Zilash had always managed to test the boundaries of military protocol. But he was a radio genius and, more important, a trusted aide from Orlov's Cosmodrome days. The General wished he had more men like Zilash on his staff.
"It's all right," Orlov said.
"Thank you, sir."
"What did the Gulfstream have to say?"
Zilash turned on a digital audiotape recorder. "I've unscrambled it and cleaned it up a bit," he said. "The transmission had a great deal of static— the weather is terrible over the sea right now."
The voice on the tape was faint but clear. "Vladivostok: we have lost power in our port engine. We do not know how serious the damage is, but some electrical systems are out. We expect to land a half hour late, but can go no further. Will await instructions."
Zilash's big, hound-dog eyes peered up through the smoke. "Any reply, sir?"
Orlov thought for a moment. "Not yet. Get me Rear Admiral Pasenko at Pacific Fleet headquarters."
Zilash glanced at his computer clock. "It's four in the morning there, sir—"
"I know," Orlov said patiently. "Just do it."
"Yes, sir," Zilash said as he typed the name into his computer keyboard, accessed and input the scramble code, then radioed the base. When the Rear Admiral came on, Zilash handed the headset to Orlov.
"Sergei Orlov?" said Pasenko. "Cosmonaut, fighter pilot, and reclusive homebody? One of the few men I would get out of bed to talk to."
"I'm sorry about the hour, Ilya," Orlov said. "How have you been?"
"I've been well!" said Pasenko. "Where have you been hiding these past two years? I haven't seen you since the all-service senior officers' retreat in Odessa."
"I've been well—"
"Of course," Pasenko said. "You cosmonauts exude well-being. And Masha? How is your long-suffering wife?"
"Also well," Orlov said. "Perhaps we can catch up later. I have a favor to ask, Ilya."
"Anything," said Pasenko. "The man who kept Brezhnev waiting to sign my daughter's autograph book has my undying friendship."
"Thanks," Orlov said as he thought back to how irate the leader of the Soviet Union had been. But children are the future, the dreamers, and there was never any hesitation on Orlov's part. "Ilya, there's a crippled aircraft that will be landing at the airport in Vladivostok—"
"The Gulfstream? I see it here on the computer."
"That's right," said Orlov. "I've got to get the cargo to Moscow. Can you give me a plane?"
"I may have spoken too soon," Pasenko said. "Every plane I can spare is being used to transport matériel to the west."
Orlov was caught off guard. What can be happening in the west?
"I'd be happy to piggyback your shipment in my aircraft," Pasenko continued, "space permitting, but I don't know when that will be. Part of the rush is we're expecting several days of severe weather from the Berring Sea. Anything still on the ground tonight is expected to remain there for at least ninety-six hours."
"Then there isn't even time to send a plane from Moscow," Orlov said.
"Probably not," Pasenko said. "What is so urgent?"
"I don't know myself," Orlov said. "Kremlin business."
"I understand," Pasenko said. "You know, rather than have your goods sit here, Sergei, I can help arrange for a train. You can run your shipment north from Vladivostok and meet it when the weather clears."
"The Trans-Siberian Railroad," Orlov said. "How many cars can you get me?"
"Enough to carry whatever is in your little jet," Pasenko said. "The only thing I couldn't give you is personnel to man it. That would have to be approved by Admiral Varchuk, and he's in the Kremlin meeting with the new President. If it isn't a matter of national security, he can get thorny about interruptions."
"That's all right," Orlov said. "If you can get me the train, I can get a crew to run her. Will you let me know as soon as possible?"
"Stay where you are," Pasenko said. "I'll radio back within the half hour."
Signing off, Orlov handed the headset to Zalish. "Radio the military base on Sakhalin Island," he said. "Tell the operator I'd like to speak to a member of the spetsnaz detachment— I'll stay on the line."
"Yes, sir. Which member, General?"
"Junior Lieutenant Nikita Orlov," he said. "My son."