Slow Collapse 4: Conclusions, page 8
Would this rebellion be a spark that ignited a national resurgence, or would it be a fleeting moment of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape? Only time would tell, yet Masters knew that this was a critical juncture, a moment to define the course of history.
“What do we have left?" Masters asked Walters, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
"Actually, quite a bit, Mr. President," Walters replied. "Reports on the revolt in Cleveland have inspired even more of the nation to start coming together."
"How did word spread so quickly?" Masters asked.
"As it always does, through the wind," Walters replied. "We are sending forces from our southern states to reinforce the north. Citizens are picking up arms and helping, everywhere. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a gun is out fighting, and they are doing some damage, sir."
"Are our forces making any headway?" Masters asked.
"Sir, ground troops have pushed the Soviets out of the capital, through Philadelphia, and back into New York state," Walters told him. "With reinforcements from the south, we can push them back across the border."
"I don't want them in Canada, I want them dead," Masters shouted. "They came from there, and I don't want them coming back.
"Sir, begging your pardon, but we have an ace up our sleeve," Walters said. "Canada has been able to stop the flow of Soviets pouring across the border. We are going to trap them, with Canada's help."
With a mischievous grin, Masters exhaled slowly. Maybe it was a turning point!
“Tell me of Europe," Masters said.
"NATO is fully ready, awaiting confirmation from you, sir," Walters said. "I can bring them on screen now."
"Do it," Masters ordered, and within seconds, a live feed video of every NATO leader was on screen.
"My friends," Masters started, without waiting for any pleasantries to be exchanged. "The time has come. If you all are still in agreement, then I ask that you open up your forces along the western front and start sending them all to hell."
Masters had purposely held onto his anger from the loss of his beloved wife. Every waking moment he struggled to stifle the rage he felt, because if he didn't, he would launch every last nuclear warhead he had straight at Moscow.
He may have shown a calm and deliberate demeanor on the outside, but inside he was boiling. Inside, he was a furnace overflowing with hatred. It was something he had never felt before, and he briefly wondered if other Presidents before him had ever felt the same way.
"I need not remind you of all of the agreements in place in accordance with the NATO treaty. It was put in place for this very purpose, to thwart communist aggression. They may not be communists, but they are the aggressors here. It is time to show them what we are really made of. Be smart, be capable, but be relentless, because that son of a bitch won't give mercy to anyone, so we shall not either."
As if it had been choreographed, all the NATO leaders visible on the screens nodded in unison, each one with the same glimmer of rage reflecting in their eyes.
As the connection was severed, a heavy silence befell the war room. Masters knew that the ball had been set in motion, and there was no turning back.
The nations of NATO had agreed to unleash their combined might upon the Soviet invaders, but the president's thoughts wandered beyond the immediate conflict. The question of why the Soviets had not responded to Israel's nuclear attack lingered like a dark cloud over the room. The expected backlash had not come, and the lack of a response was eerie, leaving Masters on edge. The silence from Moscow was perplexing and unsettling, fueling speculation within the war room.
Had the Israelis succeeded in some unseen manner? Or were the Soviets biding their time, planning a strike that would plunge the world into an even darker abyss? The president and his advisers debated the possible reasons for the Soviet delay, their minds racing against time.
Masters considered the options before them, each one carrying weighty consequences. Should they capitalize on the unexpected reprieve and strike the Soviets while they were seemingly incapacitated? Or was it a trap, a cunning ploy to lure the West into a false sense of security? The room waited in anticipation, the atmosphere thick with the realization that their next actions, or inactions, could shape the course of this crucial conflict.
There were no quick fixes to this situation, only more questions. Questions that needed answers. They had put most, if not all, of their hopes on the SEAL team sent to Moscow to eliminate Federov. They had lost contact with the team when the plane had been shot down.
"Nothing from the team?" Masters asked Walters.
"No sir, nothing," Walters replied, knowing full well where the President’s thoughts were.
"What do we have in the way of subs near Russia?" Masters asked.
Walters looked at the President with concern in his eyes. Earlier, Masters had told Walters to keep him in check regarding the nuclear option. Was the President actually considering this?
“Sir, are you asking for the status of nuclear warheads near Russian borders?" Walters asked him.
"Yes, Timothy, I am," Masters replied. The fact that he used Walters's first name was a sign of the grim thoughts running through the President’s head.
"Sir, per your earlier directive, I must tell you that we are not at that option...yet," Walters stated. "We may very well come to that, and if we do, we are ready for immediate launch. The Dallas is in position and ready for launch at a moment's notice. Her missiles would reach Moscow within fifteen minutes."
"I know we are not there yet, Timothy," Masters said gloomily. "But without word from the team, we may not have any other option."
"Give them time sir," Walters almost begged. "They are the best I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot."
President Masters' eyes, burdened with fatigue, scanned the somber war room. The screens before him displayed a grim scenario, Soviet troops marching across America, their advance seemingly inexorable.
Masters turned to Walters, his voice steady, conveying the gravity of the situation. "I will give them more time, but time is not a luxury we can afford indefinitely. Inform NATO that we may need to resort to the unthinkable if we do not receive word from the team soon. I cannot stress enough the importance of their mission."
Walters nodded, understanding the weight of Masters' words, and the potential consequences of their actions. The president's mind raced, his thoughts entangled in a web of 'what ifs' and unseen possibilities. The mysterious silence from Moscow in response to Israel's nuclear strike added an extra layer of intrigue, leaving Masters' stomach in knots. He knew that the decisions made in the coming hours would shape the course of this conflict, and perhaps the future of humanity.
CHAPTER TWELVE
MINSK
BELARUS
On the outskirts of the city, the team waited inside the dilapidated warehouse that served as the base of operations for the resistance fighters. The looming structure was shrouded in shadow, and so far its existence remained hidden from the Soviet authorities. At least that's what the SEAL team had been led to believe.
With each passing day, the team became more accustomed to its surroundings and started to get a handle on the dynamics of the organization. Information came in dribs and drabs, revealing the true scale of the operation. It seemed that Irina had built a fearsome underground network, spanning the entire country. However, the information supplied was deliberately rationed, preventing the team from gaining a true understanding of the underground resistance's capabilities.
"She’s a vital part of the operation," Andy told Nathan. "She has to come with, or some other lackey of Federov's will absorb the vacuum of power, and then we will have done this for nothing!"
"I get that, but what kind of skills does she have? She will just slow us down," Nathan retorted. He didn't like the idea that Irina had invited herself along on the most important mission of all time.
"Whether or not you like her, Nathan, she is coming, and she is a native. If things go south, and they very well might, she gives us a shot of getting out alive," Andy reminded him.
Nathan heaved a sigh. "Do you trust her?" he asked Andy.
"I have to trust her, just like I have to trust you and the others," came the curt reply.
Nathan bristled at the insinuation but said nothing. He knew Andy was right. If there was one thing they needed, it was trust in each other. Trusting a Russian native was hard enough. Having to keep your head about you while the world was falling apart around you was even harder.
"Fine, but she does everything she is told," Nathan barked. "What about this Viper?"
Andy had been having second thoughts of his own. Viper had been a vital player in their mission so far, no doubt. Only, Andy wasn't sure how vital he would be in the coming days.
"I don't know, but I have a plan," Andy said.
Andy wanted to eliminate any chance of the mission failing, even before it had begun. He turned his attention to the others in the group. They had been trained to deal with this type of situation. As part of their time in the military, they had been inserted into various foreign lands and were expected to take care of any problems that had been identified by their government, while operating in a hostile environment. The best method was to eliminate as many of the immediate issues as possible.
"The mission is to kill Federov, correct?" Andy asked.
Silent nods from all told him they knew the simple answer.
"Then we set the scenario to do just that."
"How?" Nathan asked. He wasn't seeing what Andy was seeing.
"If we can set a trap, at a precise time, we have a chance to end this," Andy responded.
"What kind of trap?" Irina asked rather loudly, inserting herself into the conversation.
"Nothing you have to concern yourself with," Andy quickly stated.
"Oh, but that is where you are wrong, Commander. If it concerns my country, it concerns me," Irina announced. "I have a vested interest in this."
Andy thought for a moment. Was she trying to control the situation, he wondered, or was she genuinely interested?
"Think about it, Commander," she continued, "It is my life we are talking about, my freedom. If anything goes wrong, or the mission fails, it is only a matter of time before Federov and his goons hunt us down and kill us. We are talking about one person, yet no one can figure out a way to reach him. It is almost like the devil himself is watching over the man."
Now her reason for prying was becoming clear. She had been thinking about the ramifications should the mission fail and was afraid. A common feeling in someone trying to deal with danger, who might be worried for their life.
"You think he has more people involved, and we don't know about them?" Andy asked.
"He has dozens of loyal followers in place at the Kremlin," she immediately replied. "He knows how to control people, make them fear him. You do something against the betterment of the country, and poof, you are gone. He gets rid of his rivals, people like me, by sending us away, on special details. Special detail always means the same thing, dead, when you are dealing with Federov. That is how he has become so powerful."
"Which is why you left?" Nathan asked, feeling a little more sympathetic towards her.
"Yes," Irina replied. "You Americans have a knack for thinking outside the box, as it were. Which is why we rely on you so much."
"We don't necessarily ask people to do the impossible," Andy said.
"I thought the plan was to storm the place and kill everyone?" Zach asked.
"That is, technically, not the entire plan," Andy stated, avoiding the subject.
"I can help with this," Irina said. "Once we get through the doors, I can take us right to Federov's bunker. Then, we can put an end to him and have Russia back to normal in no time."
"As confident as you are in that, Miss Virganskaya, this is not a one-act play," Andy advised. "I told you before, and I will tell you again, this will be dangerous, far more than you realize. As much as I would like to end this today, this mission is too critical to rush. We need to make sure we have a good plan in place. The problem is, the more time it takes for us to plan, the more risk we take of being caught. Do you understand?"
"I do, truly, I do," she stated. "This is why I so badly need to participate in this mission, not for the love of my country, though I am deeply patriotic to the core, but also for revenge. I have lost the past few years of my life living in exile. I have missed birthdays and holidays. I have missed becoming a grandmother. I will see it through to the end. I have survived because I knew, one day he would feel the same pain and anguish. That is why I am determined to see him pay."
Her words were delivered with an unusual venom and contained a thirst for justice that Andy could fully appreciate. He found himself wanting to know more about the enigmatic woman, but a sliver of worry pecked at the back of his mind. She was clearly intelligent and resourceful, but was she strong enough to withstand the rigors of a covert operation? Only time would tell.
The truth was the team could use all the help they could get. Even though Viper was proving to be invaluable, they could still use extra hands to execute the mission. He just hoped they wouldn't distract from their sole objective, to kill Federov.
"How did your resistance come about?" Nathan asked her, changing the subject.
He could feel the tension building in the room and wanted a way to steer everyone away from it.
"Well," she started, looking around the group for a welcoming face. None of the men looking back displayed much of an expression on their faces other than general curiosity. She longed for a personal connection with someone. It had been too long since she had been considered just a woman. Instead, she was seen as a leader. One that most people had set on an untouchable pillar. She missed the carefree days of her youth in Moscow. The thought of being able to restore that freedom to the city she loved had her opening up to the team. "I started it myself."
"On your own?" Zach asked in astonishment.
"What is so hard to believe about that?" Irina retorted, a bit harshly, then apologized to the team, realizing they didn’t mean that she wasn’t capable because she was a female. She was used to dealing with men who thought women weren’t capable of anything other than keeping house and cooking.
"No, I had help, from Viper," she stated. "Viper is a former Spetsnaz soldier and a damned good one at that. He was too good. He grew a conscience and began to question some of the orders that were given to him."
"The first time I heard of him was a few years ago when he refused to execute an assignment," she said.
"What was the job?" Nathan asked, genuinely interested.
"If I tell you, promise never to breathe a word to anyone," Irina asked of the group. "I am putting my ass on the line for telling you, understand? Viper was given his orders by a high-ranking military official. A general no one had ever heard of. His job was to assassinate President Masters," Irina revealed.
"Damn, and you know all of this? That a Russian general wanted Masters dead?" Ryan asked her.
"I do, I managed to intercept the order he was to fulfill. But I will not tell you the general’s name," Irina told the team. "All it does is confirm for me what I have always known, and what many Russians do not want to face. That behind the scenes, there are very evil people plotting very evil things."
"That being?" Nathan asked her.
"World domination," Irina exclaimed. "That is the ultimate goal of those in power in the Kremlin. Control, total and absolute control of everything around them. The kind that requires controlling the general population, because they supposedly don't know what is good for them. Sound familiar?"
"I think we can agree on that," Andy said. "And I think we can all agree to what we are going to do next."
"Kill Federov?" Ryan asked cautiously, not sure if he should have blurted it out.
"Yes, Ryan," Andy said. "But he is not a one-man show."
"We go to Moscow and kill Federov and his allies," Irina said. "It is what we have to do to save Russia and save the world. If he is left in charge, the world will be speaking Russian within months and praying to the new gods of the Kremlin."
"What makes you think we can do it?" Zach asked her.
"Because we are on the same side," she said. "It is my country, and I want her back. I want to see her restored to her former glory, and I will not let some self-important dictator take that away from her. He is a cancer on my country, and we will cut him out."
Nathan looked around the room, at the faces of the men he had come to know as brothers. He saw a mixture of emotions represented. Fear, anger, resolve. The weight of the mission was heavy on their shoulders, and he knew every man had his reasons for being there. For some, it was loyalty to their country. For others, it was a sense of duty. For Nathan, it was a need to make up for past failures. He had lost comrades in battle, and he had vowed to never let it happen again.
"I just want to know what your plan is," Ryan chimed in again, addressing Irina. "I mean, really, what is it? Is it just to go to Moscow and kill him? Do you even have a plan? We have been here for a couple of days now and it feels like nothing is happening."
"We have a plan, but it is going to be somewhat fluid," Irina told him. "When we get to Moscow, we go in with our eyes wide open. We must be ready for anything, and I mean anything. This is the most important mission of all time, and we can't afford to screw it up. Here is what we are going to do."
With that said, Irina proceeded to lay out the full plan. Nathan and his team nodded in agreement at the conclusion. Time would tell if they were to be successful or not.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MINSK
BELARUS
While Nathan and the others started their preparations, Irina was with Viper, planning to sow the seeds of rebellion even further within the populace. It had taken years for her to build the resistance, and now it was time to put it to good use. She had been forced into hiding by President Federov, but she was determined to get her country back.
