Tesla Secret, The (17 page)

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Nick sat by Selena's bed in Bethesda. The doctors were ready to discharge her for outpatient treatment. The numbness was almost gone, but she couldn't begin workouts any time soon. The surgery was healing. The doctors said there was a possibility of permanent damage, but the prognosis was good. She'd be almost normal in a year, they said. She was determined to make it sooner.

"We need to talk," he said.

"Yes. We do."

"Harker is sending the team to Russia. We're going to take a look at what AEON is building over there."

"That's what you want to talk about?"

"No, but it's relevant." He looked out the window. The sky was dirty gray. Rain was coming. "I have a bad feeling about it."

She felt something twist in her gut. His sixth sense. It wasn't like him to worry about a mission. Then she understood.

"You think you might not come back."

His silence told her the answer. He'd never said anything like that before.

"Why do you keep doing this, Nick? We could leave, make a life together. Where we don't have to look over our shoulder all the time. Where no one is shooting at us."

He said, "I don't know if I can explain."

"Try me."

"You're a civilian." She started to say something. He held up his hand. "I know, that's not exactly right anymore. You've proved yourself. But you've never been in the military. You don't understand why I think the way I do."

She could feel herself getting angry. "Don't you dare patronize me. What's the military got to do with it?"

"I'm not trying to patronize you. When I say civilians don't understand, it's the truth. It's not possible if you haven't been in the service. Think about how you felt before you came into the Project. Can you say you understood what it was like to have people try their damndest to kill you, or what it felt like to kill someone? Any idea of what was necessary to stay alive?"

Selena remembered the Chinese soldier she'd shot. The first man she'd killed. She would never forget his face, the neat pattern of bloody holes across his chest. Holes she'd put there. His death had changed her.

"No."

"I was trained from day one to understand that. You never had that training. Civilians never have that training. Civilians call people like me murderers and go home and sleep in nice warm beds because people like me keep the wolves from the door."

He paused. "You asked why I keep doing it. There are a lot of wolves out there. Our enemies aren't going away any time soon. That's why."

She looked at him for a long moment. Where anger had been she felt only sadness.

"I need to know where you stand," he said. "I know it's hard for you. I don't fault you for blaming me, but we have to get past it."

"I don't blame you." She plucked at her blanket, turned away and looked out the window. "I did at first. It wasn't your fault. I should have been more savvy." She turned back to face him.

"You've been pushing me away." He paused. "Selena, I can't deal with that. It's messing up my head. I need to know if we're good or not."

He looked resigned. She'd never seen him look like that, ever.

"Something changed when I got hit," she said.

He waited.

"It scared the hell out of me. I thought I'd never walk again. I'm not sure I can keep doing this. Or if I want to."

He nodded. "I understand that. The first time I got hit, I was near the end of my tour. I almost quit. I'm glad I didn't. Hell, I wouldn't have met you."

"You'll never quit. Will you?"

"It's what I do. At least while I'm still fit enough to do it."

"And if I don't do it with you?"

"As long as I have you to come back to, it wouldn't matter. You could still work with Harker. You'd be safe. You don't have to go in the field."

And I can wait and see if you come back alive or in a box.

She said, "They're letting me out of here tomorrow."

"That's great."

"Elizabeth is putting me on a desk until I'm all the way back physically."

"See? Like I said." He smiled.

She saw that smile and she wanted to take him in her arms. But something held her back. She couldn't forget that his mistake had almost gotten her killed. She'd had faith Nick would always get it right, always be able to give her a fighting chance just by his presence, his experience. That faith was shattered.

"Give me some time."

"Selena..."

She stopped him. "It's the best I can do. Can you handle that?"

He nodded. "I guess I have to."

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Ronnie, Nick and Lamont looked at the latest satellite pictures of the objective. Banks of missile and anti-aircraft batteries were scattered around the site. They stood out in stark contrast against ground covered with snow.

"Ogorov's been busy," Nick said.

Elizabeth was tight lipped. "Vysotsky says the installation is complete. He thinks Ogorov wants to use it against ODIN. I think he's right."

"What's ODIN?" Lamont asked.

"Our latest secret spy satellite, set to launch tomorrow. It's the most sophisticated surveillance technology on the planet."

"How does Vysotsky know about that?"

"I don't know, Nick. But he's a spy, after all. It's hard to keep a project that big under wraps. Once ODIN is operational, it will make ECHELON obsolete."

ECHELON was NSA's extensive system for capturing digital and wireless communications all over the world. It was one of the technological cornerstones of America's security, critical in a world where terrorism was the business of people with cell phones and fax machines. If ODIN was good enough to relegate ECHELON to second tier status, it could be a game changer.

"A single eye that sees everything," Nick said. "Just like the Norse god."

"That's right." Elizabeth picked up her pen. "If they knock down that satellite it will start a war."

"Don't Ogorov and the others realize that?" Ronnie asked. "Are they really that stupid?"

"It appears that they are. You don't build a weapon like that and then sit on it. Remember, AEON is behind this. If they knock out ODIN they will have demonstrated that they have a weapon no one else can match. Like the atomic bomb after Hiroshima. They must think they can exert enough pressure to stop a war before it gets going."

"Why do our enemies always underestimate us?" Ronnie asked.

"Because our politicians give them good reason to," Nick said.

"Rice won't wait," Elizabeth said, "and he won't negotiate. I can guarantee that. I've briefed him. If we don't destroy this weapon, he will. That means a pre-emptive strike against Russia and that almost certainly means nuclear war. No one wins."

Not again,
Nick thought.

Harker touched a key. The picture on the monitor changed.

"Vysotsky was able to get pictures of the installation."

The pyramid was large, made out of stone, and shaped like the pyramids at Giza in Egypt. A gleam of metal shrouded the peak.

"There's only one direct way in." She changed the picture and pointed at a road leading to the pyramid. "Right down that road, through three armed checkpoints and the main gate."

"So what do we do, drive up and ask for a tour?"

"Very funny, Ronnie. Even Vysotsky can't get us in that way."

"You said one direct way." Nick tugged on his scarred ear. "Does that mean there's an indirect one?"

"Yes." She put a new photo on the screen. "They've brought in water from the river and built a shaft where it drops out of sight. Vysotsky says it meets up with a network of channels underneath the pyramid."

"What are they for?" Lamont wondered.

"It's something to do with how Tesla's device is powered."

"You want us to go in through there?"

"It's the only way."

"Do we have plans of the interior?"

"No. But Vysotsky is sure there is access. They have to be able to maintain the system. Look."

She zoomed in on the shaft. Ladder rungs were visible on one side of the shaft. Water from the river plunged over the edge. It would be like climbing down by a waterfall, but it could be done.

"Vysotsky will handle operational details once you're on his turf. Korov will meet you in Turkey and bring you across the border on a plane with the right transponder codes for the Russian air defenses. From Turkey you're going to Chelyabinsk. Vysotsky will get you and Korov's team to the target."

"What's our plan for extraction?"

"We can't get you out by air from the objective. Vysotsky will have a fast boat on the river. He wants to get Korov back and that's the best guarantee for your safety I can think of. If you have to run, get south to Kazakhstan."

"That's a long way."

"Yes."

"No backup from here."

"No."

"Deniable?" That meant if something happened the U.S. would have no official knowledge of them and would do nothing to aid them.

"Yes."

Ronnie and Lamont didn't look happy. Nick just shook his head.

"Korov will have Russian uniforms and weapons for you."

"None of us speak enough Russian to understand what's going on."

"I have a solution for that. Selena will be here with me. You'll wear a two-way satellite uplink. We'll be able to hear everything and you can talk to us. She and I will listen in real time and keep you aware of what's said. Korov knows English. We have to trust Vysotsky."

"That's a lot of trust."

"I haven't gotten to the hard part yet."

Lamont sighed.

Harker said, "The purpose of this mission is to destroy the installation. Once Vysotsky is in control he may want to change his mind. You have to make sure that doesn't happen."

"That would mean going up against Korov and his Spetsnaz buddies," Nick said. He thought about the night they'd all gotten drunk together in Washington. Nick liked Korov, they all did. "You're putting us in a bad situation."

"We cannot permit Russia to have this weapon." Harker's voice was hard. She began beating a tattoo on her desk with her pen. "Not under any circumstances. If you have to go up against Korov, you do it. Are we clear?"

"Yeah," Nick said. "We're clear.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

The flight to Ankara was uneventful. The terminal at Esenboğa International Airport was a long, sleek stretch of white laid out on the Turkish plains. Sweeping curves rose to a roof high above stone floors polished to a glass-like shine. It reminded Nick of DIA in Denver. There were even mountains outside in the distance. But it was a long way from Colorado.

Korov met them as they came off the plane. They shook hands all around.

"There is no need to clear customs," he said. "We will not leave the airport except on our plane."

They followed Korov to the far end of the terminal. Guards took one look at Korov's papers and passed them outside to a restricted area. A car waited to take them to the General Aviation building.

Their plane was a Dassault Falcon 20, a French jet with a range of about 2000 miles. The Dassault was much favored by the power elite of Europe. Like the American Gulfstream, it was an efficient, luxury business plane available with many options. Twenty minutes after they boarded, they were in the air.

They changed into Russian uniforms.

"It is about four hours to Chelyabinsk, " Korov said.

Ronnie had a small leather pouch in his hand.

"What is that you are holding?" Korov asked.

"This? This is a
jish
. I always have it with me."

The
jish
was Ronnie's personal medicine bundle. He only took it out when he was nervous about a mission. Ronnie had told Nick that the
jish
was like a living person. It had to be cared for, interacted with, respected. Otherwise it became no more than superstition, a good luck charm.

"What is in the bag?".

"Oh, a few things. Corn pollen. A pinch of earth from each of the four sacred mountains. A few other things."

Ronnie had never told Nick or anyone else exactly what was inside. It was bad medicine to talk much about it. He slipped the
jish
back in his pocket.

Nick changed the subject. "How do we get from Chelyabinsk to the objective?"

"We fly and we jump," Korov said. "You are all qualified. It will be a low altitude night jump. The anti-aircraft batteries will be informed of a training exercise. We will have the proper codes. They will not see us leave the plane."

They settled in for the flight. Nick fell into a half sleep, his mind filled with vague images. He woke to the monotone drone of the engines and looked at his watch. He'd been asleep for an hour and a half. He rubbed his eyes. Korov came over and sat down next to him.

"You were uneasy in your sleep," he said. "You are all right?"

"Yeah, fine. What happens when we get to Chelyabinsk?"

"My team will meet us. They will have weapons for you."

"How do they feel about working with Americans?"

"They will follow orders." He paused. "Nick, I am in command here. We are clear on this?"

"We are. It's your operation."

"Good." Korov checked his watch. "We are less than two hours from Chelyabinsk. We will be in the air soon after that. Let's go over the plan now."

For the next hour they reviewed the satellite photos. They discussed the defenses and possible complications. Both men knew there were things about this mission that could get them killed. Both had years of experience. Except for the bizarre nature of the target and their unlikely alliance, it was just another assignment. The uncertainties went with the job. Neither of them expected everything to go smoothly. The best they could do was anticipate problems and prepare mentally for every possibility they could think of. Training was a given. Preparation was what kept you alive.

Professionals, getting ready for another day at the office in Special Ops.