The Malmo police received an official request for cooperation from Mossad, through Sakerhetspolisen, the Swedish Security Service. The website of the Sakerhetspolisen boasted that the organization had extensive and close international contacts and cooperation with intelligence and security services in various countries, but in fact, they were slow to cooperate with Mossad because of internal problems with the large and fast-growing Muslim community. The same was especially true for the Malmo police, so Mossad's request for information was not flatly denied but was tied down by Swedish red-tape and bureaucracy.
When David was informed that the Swedes were not helpful, he decided to do what small kids did when they were intimidated by a bully at school — call for help from their big brother. David used a secure line and called his friend, Dr. Eugene Powers, who was a senior director in the US National Nuclear Security Administration, the NNSA. He gave his friend an update on the events since the atomic artillery shell was converted to a much lighter and smaller improvised nuclear device in the garage in Slovakia. He then shared his suspicion that the nuke was smuggled in a coffin onto the cruise-ship and unloaded in St. Petersburg. He didn't need to spell out for Eugene what would happen if an American made nuke was detonated in one of the most important cities of the Russian Federation. However, he emphasized that the ramifications would be extremely severe if President Putin was one of the victims. Finally, he told his American colleague that while he was still in St. Petersburg trying to find the Chechen scientist and neutralize the nuke, part of his team was in Malmo trying to locate the arch-terrorist, Le Docteur, who was the instigator of the attack.
Eugene said, "David, this is the most terrible plot against the Russian people and could lead to a nuclear war. What do you need?"
"I have the cooperation of the FSB in St. Petersburg. However, the Swedes are not even pretending to be helpful in finding Le Docteur and his mates. Worse, yet, we suspect that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are also involved. If they combine forces with Le Docteur, then all hell can break loose. I need you to pressure the Swedes to collaborate with my team. If we can catch Le Docteur, then we may be able to foil the plot."
"I understand. I'll pass the request, and information, up the line. POTUS, as you know, is unpredictable, but if he is convinced the Muslim terrorists and Iranian supporters threaten the security of the United States, then he's sure to bear his full weight on the Swedish government."
"Time is of essence, Eugene. How soon can I expect to get this list of suspected Islamic radicals in Malmo?"
"David, as soon as you hang up, I'll bypass my bureaucrats and contact the National Security Advisor directly. He owes me a favor or two, since the affair with this arch-terrorist and the North Koreans. The entire US security community would love to get their hands on him, and especially on the pilot who stole the F-22 and bombed our base in San Diego and is now his girlfriend."
"Eugene, there is not a minute to waste. Thanks."
Less than three hours later, David received a call from Eugene who told him that his team should contact the Head of Sakerhetspolisen and get a list of the known NEMESIS supporters in Malmo. David thanked Eugene and promised to keep him updated. He then called Edna Rieger and gave her the good news.
It was close to midnight by the time Karim arrived at the apartment in which Yuri was now living alone. Earlier that evening, one of the neighbors, an old woman who could have been the landlady's twin-sister, knocked on the door and when Yuri opened it she asked if Svetlana was ill. Yuri figured that this was his landlady's name and mumbled something about a hospital and quickly shut the door before the inquisitive neighbor had a chance to ask any more questions.
Karim introduced himself as an emissary from Le Docteur and gratefully accepted Yuri's invitation to a drink. Yuri pulled a chilled bottle of vodka from the deep-freeze and placed two classes on the table. He poured two generous portions and raised his glass, "Here's to success." He downed his drink in one gulp and added, "May the infidels rot in hell."
Karim smiled, "Inshallah." Then got directly down to business, "Le Docteur wants to know why you didn't carry out your job?"
Yuri was getting uncomfortable with his guest, "First tell me where they are and what they are doing. I want to know about Fatima. Did she say she misses me?"
Karim knew that Yuri had been Fatima's lover, and that she had cheated on him even while on board the cruise-ship. He answered, "They are in Sweden. They left the cruise-ship there because they thought that the police would be waiting for them in Kiel."
A thought suddenly occurred to Yuri, "Karim, I was told to expect you and trust you, but I don't know anything about you. You have a strange accent. How am I to know that you are one of our people?"
"I am an Algerian businessman, or at least, this is how I present myself here. My real identity is that I am the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Europe."
Yuri persisted, "You haven't answered my question about Fatima."
Karim didn't want to admit that he had met her on board the cruise-ship and that they had become lovers even before Yuri left the ship in St. Petersburg. "Fatima and Lara are fine. I left them both in Malmo and they are still with Le Docteur." This was true, of course, but certainly not the full truth. He added, "Fatima seemed to be a bit morose but didn't give the reason for her glum mood." Once again it was partly true — she feared that she would lose Karim after losing Rudi and Yuri. He then countered, "Yuri, you haven't yet explained why you didn't carry out your mission."
"I wanted to make sure that when the city went up in a big mushroom cloud, molecules from Putin's disintegrated body would be in the cloud."
Karim now asked the most important question, "Where is the nuke hidden?"
Yuri didn't like the way the conversation was going. He prevaricated, "It is in a safe place. The police and FSB have searched the city and haven't found it and they never will." He wasn't as confident as he hoped he sounded, "I am the only person who knows where it is and how to trigger it."
Karim asked if he could use the restroom, and when Yuri pointed to a door next to the small kitchen, Karim rose from the sofa and headed to the bathroom. After relieving himself, he pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket, approached Yuri, who was seated on the couch from behind and placed it over Yuri's face, tightening it around his neck with one hand and pinning the elderly scientist's arms with his other hand. The Chechen struggled and squirmed but within seconds his resistance subsided, and his head dropped onto his chest. The Iranian agent firmly tied the scientist's hands and then removed the plastic bag to allow him to take a breath of air. Yuri slowly gained consciousness.
Karim asked, "Where's the coffin?"
Yuri shook his head. Karim tightened the plastic bag again and waited until the Chechen's head dropped. This was the dry version of wet-boarding, so effectively deployed by cruel interrogators worldwide. Karim allowed the Chechen to regain consciousness and repeated the question. Only after going through the same process three more times, the scientist's resistance weakened, and he said that it was buried in the Tikhvin Cemetery. The Iranian wanted a more precise location but by then the scientist was too weak to answer. He only admitted that it was close to one of the side gates. Karim knew that the elderly scientist was as good as gone and simply made sure that the plastic bag was blocking the man's nose and mouth and watched the man die slowly and in agony. As the victim lost control of his sphincter, the stench of excrement filled the room, forcing him to leave the apartment and return to his five-star hotel.