The Indo-Pakistani War (The Russian Agents Book 7), page 15
A dark voice in the back of Jamshad's brain reminded him of the still soldiers he'd noticed. Several by the time they left to return to Gadani.
They had made every effort to minimize casualties, Jamshad told himself.
His eyes moving once again to the warheads gleaming in the overhead lights, Jamshad couldn't help but smile.
Yes. It's not chance that we've made it this far.
God must indeed be on our side.
Chapter Twenty-Four
15 Kilometers Outside Gadani Ship Breaking Yard
Pakistan
Alina was impressed in spite of herself. Vidya had answered all of her questions about Ortiz, as well as how she had obtained the information.
In the process, Vidya had revealed a level of both imagination and intelligence Alina had rarely encountered among her agents.
Now just one question remained.
“Why did you fail to follow your superior’s orders?” Alina asked.
Kharlov kept his hands gripping the SUV’s wheel and his eyes on the road.
But Alina could sense even from the back seat that Kharlov was waiting for Vidya’s answer with curiosity equal to hers.
For her part, Vidya kept her gaze focused on her phone’s screen, where the dot representing Ortiz continued to move ahead steadily.
At first Alina thought Vidya was refusing to answer.
But no. After a few moments, Vidya sighed and said, “Because I didn’t trust him, for two reasons. First, he has an interest in seeing me fail because he fears I will take his job.”
Alina nodded. “Along with your undoubted ability, the Prime Minister has taken an interest in your career. In part because you’re a woman. No matter what he does, your supervisor cannot compete with that.”
“Maybe so,” Vidya said with a shrug. “After so many centuries where being a woman has always been a handicap, I make no apologies for it.”
“Well, there we agree. You can probably guess why,” Alina said with a small smile.
Vidya returned the smile, and said, “The second reason is that all my instincts said Ortiz is important. Or anyway, the project he’s helping to lead. No one would bring Ortiz here from South America on a whim. I know putting tracking software on his phone was a risk. But I think it was justified.”
Alina nodded absently. “Well, we should soon know,” she said, just as her phone buzzed.
After glancing at the text displayed on her phone, Alina said, “Tukmakov has loaded up at the consulate and is on his way. He thinks about an hour to reach our present location.”
Vidya pointed at her own phone’s screen. “Ortiz has just turned off the highway and is now headed directly for the coast. Do we know what’s there?”
Alina already had her laptop open, and needed only a few minutes to answer the question.
“Gadani ship breaking yard,” Alina said, frowning. “From what I can see here, we’re at the extreme edge of the yard.”
“Ortiz has stopped,” Vidya said. “It looks like he’s within sight of the water.”
“And if we’re not careful, we’ll be within his sight as we approach,” Alina said, her frown deepening.
“I think we’re OK,” Kharlov said as he turned off the highway to continue following Ortiz. “See those dunes up ahead to the left? If I can get us to those without breaking an axle, we should have a good vantage point that will give us some cover.”
Alina nodded quickly. “Do it. For all we know, Ortiz is about to take off on some ship right now.”
They all fell silent as Kharlov drove the four-wheel drive SUV over ground that, from a distance, appeared flat.
Regular jolts as the SUV moved over the terrain leading to the dunes let them know appearances could be deceiving. Finally, one was hard enough to send Alina’s laptop flying. Vidya was only partly successful in warding off the blow to her knee that followed.
The torrent of invective that came next was easy for Alina and Kharlov to understand. Even though neither of them spoke a word of Hindi.
“Sorry,” Kharlov called from the driver’s seat, where he was frowning with concentration. “It’s hard enough to avoid holes big enough to stop us completely.”
Rubbing her knee, Vidya said, “No apology needed. I’m the one who pointed out Ortiz might be getting away. I can hardly complain that you’re driving too fast.”
Alina looked as far to the left as she could, but Ortiz’s vehicle was already out of sight.
Then Alina shrugged. That had been the whole point of going in this direction towards the dunes. Otherwise, Ortiz could have checked his rear view mirror and spotted them in pursuit.
There was no way to know how many others were with Ortiz, or how well armed they might be.
But it was likely the answers would not be in their favor.
Surprise was likely to be their only advantage.
So far no guards were visible. Almost too lucky to believe.
Then Alina shook her head for missing the obvious. Hulks had been stripped of all valuables before being towed to ship breaking yards like this one. Their only value was as scrap metal.
Visible guards by their mere presence would prompt the question- what was nearby worth guarding?
After several more minutes of bouncing and jostling, they finally reached the dunes.
“Kharlov, help me unpack our equipment,” Alina said, and then immediately turned to Vidya. Handing her a pair of binoculars, she said, “While we’re doing that, move carefully towards the top of the nearest dune and try to see what’s happening. We’ll join you there shortly.”
Alina sorely wanted to add a warning to stay low and avoid being spotted. But she knew the warning was unnecessary, and would only succeed in annoying Vidya.
Vidya nodded sharply, and moments later was lying prone with the binoculars peeking just over the top of the dune. Alina doubted she could have done better herself.
Alina turned her attention to Kharlov and the SUV’s cavernous trunk. Unfortunately, since they had departed the consulate on a surveillance mission, they had no weapons. Due to using diplomatic cover, they were under orders to minimize their chances of being found in violation of local law by the authorities.
This was particularly important since relations between Russia and Pakistan weren’t particularly warm to start. Gun toting “diplomats” would certainly be considered spies.
Well, Alina thought with a smile, fair enough.
But they did have surveillance tools. Binoculars for both of them, since three sets of eyes were better than one.
Kharlov left the parabolic microphones in place, and Alina nodded her approval. They were certainly too far out of range.
No, their best chance was a new device, obtained just in time for this mission.
Alina carefully moved to Vidya’s left, while Kharlov moved just as cautiously to her right. Just as Alina was lifting her binoculars to her eyes, she was startled by a curse and a loud slap.
A quick glance confirmed that the curse had come from Vidya. So had the slap.
And the slap’s target had also been Vidya. Alina saw that Vidya’s face was bleeding.
“Something bit me!” Vidya said in a furious whisper.
Alina nodded. “Sand flies. More than just a nuisance in Pakistan, since many carry CL.”
Seeing Vidya’s blank look Alina continued, “Cutaneous leishmaniasis, a parasitic tropical infectious disease. Thousands have contracted CL in Pakistan as the disease has spread south from the Afghan border region. Enough that Doctors Without Borders has opened clinics just to treat the disease.”
Vidya frowned. “Is treatment difficult?”
“No,” Alina said. “Well, except for pregnant women, who cannot receive the necessary medication without risking both their lives and their unborn children. But I’m sure you take precautions.”
Vidya’s eyes were back at her binoculars, and she snorted with laughter. “Lately I’ve been taking the oldest one. The only one guaranteed effective.”
Alina nodded, but said nothing.
Interesting, Alina thought. Abstinence. Not what she would have guessed from a young, attractive woman like Vidya.
Aloud, she asked, “Have you seen anything noteworthy?”
“Well, you can see the three ship hulks that are being worked on by small labor crews even without binoculars. Well, the crews we can see are small, anyway. There could be many more men inside the hulls, and we wouldn’t see them until they left,” Vidya said.
Alina nodded. “Anything else?” she asked.
“Yes. You do need binoculars to see Ortiz’s vehicle. He parked it on the other side of the most distant hulk, but if you look carefully you can just see the rear tires,” Vidya said.
Alina looked through her own binoculars, but frowned. “How can you be sure the vehicle is the one Ortiz used?”
Vidya sighed with exasperation, and reached into a pocket for her cell phone. The screen already displayed the software she had used to track Ortiz. Alina saw immediately, though, that its resolution had been substantially enhanced.
Of course, Alina thought. Since the target was now immobile, that step was only logical.
Pointing at the screen, Vidya said, “You can see that the vehicle’s location exactly matches the signal’s location. Ortiz must have left his phone in the vehicle. Probably because he’s not allowed to bring it inside.”
“Yes,” Alina said. “That makes sense. It would make even more sense to turn the phone off.”
Vidya shrugged. “Ortiz is an engineer, not a spy. He’s likely to be no more secure than he’s forced to be. Remember, this is the same man who came alone to see me in a nightclub.”
Alina smiled. “Point taken. Now, does anything about the position of those hulks strike you as odd?”
Vidya looked through her binoculars again. Then she lowered them and looked at Alina.
“Yes,” she said. “If I were in charge of such an operation, I would have them moved further back from the water. I’m not sure the far ends are even clear of high tide. Let alone a surge caused by any sizeable storm. What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know. We need a closer look,” Alina said, glancing at Kharlov.
“Almost ready,” Kharlov replied.
Vidya looked at the object Kharlov was holding curiously. It appeared to be a large insect of some sort, but it wasn’t moving.
“I’ve confirmed a full charge, but I want to wait until the breeze dies down a bit,” Kharlov said to Alina.
Alina nodded, but said, “Agreed, but if the winds don’t cooperate soon, you’ll need to launch and hope for the best.”
Kharlov didn’t look happy, but reluctantly said, “Understood.”
Suddenly, Vidya had a rush of understanding. “That thing’s a drone! Does it have a camera?”
Alina smiled. “Yes, and yes. We’re at the edge of its range, so asking it to buck a headwind is a bit much to expect. It will be a one-way trip, so some caution is warranted. But as you pointed out, Ortiz could depart at any time. And if it’s by sea, we won’t be able to follow.”
“I’m impressed that you were able to make it so small. Russian technology must have made some advances I haven’t heard about,” Vidya said.
Alina shook her head. “No, we didn’t make this. One of our agents in America…acquired it.”
“I see,” Vidya said. “From their military, I’m guessing? I’ve never heard of a drone this small, so I’m sure getting it wasn’t easy.”
“It wasn’t,” Alina said. “We were only able to obtain a few, so they’re reserved for the highest priority missions. Except for one, which a team of scientists and engineers are using to reverse-engineer our own version.”
Vidya nodded dubiously. “Well, I’m sure that will be a challenge.”
Alina looked at her sharply. “Actually, we’ve often been able to improve on American designs we acquired. Like the Buran.”
Seeing that the name “Buran” meant nothing to Vidya, Alina continued. “We obtained the design schematics and technical data for the American space shuttle. We determined that the basic design was sound, but made numerous improvements for the Buran. The most significant was giving it the capability to land on autopilot.”
Alina saw with satisfaction that this time Vidya’s reaction was different. “Did you actually build this improved version?” Vidya asked.
“We did,” Alina replied. “And in 1988, launched it into space without a crew. After two Earth orbits, it returned to the launch site. In spite of winds at the runway in excess of sixty kilometers per hour, the Buran landed within ten meters of its programmed coordinates. We also considered that flight proof our thermal tiles were superior, since we lost only eight of over 38,000.”
“Remarkable,” Vidya said. “How is it I’ve never heard of this Russian spaceplane?”
“Because that was its last flight, thanks to the collapse of the Soviet Union,” Alina said grimly.
“I see. But what about the Buran itself? Surely Russia has recovered sufficiently to make use of it now, or am I missing something?” Vidya asked.
“Poor maintenance led to the collapse of the hangar where the Buran was stored in 2002, destroying it and killing eight workers. No other Buran was ever completed,” Alina said.
To Vidya’s relief, she was spared having to reply when Kharlov said, “I think the wind has died down enough to risk a launch to the hulk where we think Ortiz is located.”
Alina nodded. “Proceed,” she said.
Then she turned immediately to Vidya. “Keep your binoculars on those hulks. I want to know if there’s any sign at all that the drone has been spotted.”
Vidya nodded, her binoculars already in place.
Frowning with concentration, Kharlov operated a small console containing a joystick and a small LCD screen. The tiny drone was quickly out of sight.
Alina picked up her binoculars as well. So far, there was no hint that the drone had been detected.
After several tense minutes, Kharlov announced, “Approaching hulk entrance. There’s a makeshift door made from metal scraps. I think I see a gap large enough for the drone.”
Before Alina could object, Kharlov continued. “We’re in. Looking for a good spot to set down.”
That was followed almost at once by, “Remarkable. They really managed it…”
Kharlov stopped talking as all his attention focused on safely landing the drone. In a place where they could see as much as possible, without the drone being spotted.
At last, Kharlov grunted with satisfaction. “There…” he murmured, and a few moments later sighed with relief.
“Drone in place,” Kharlov announced with a grin. “And you won’t believe what they’ve got inside that hulk.”
One of the reasons Alina had been looking through her binoculars had been to avoid the temptation to look at the screen Kharlov had relied upon to guide the drone. Now, though, she nearly lunged at the screen.
Alina’s eyes widened, and she said, “That really is a submarine! And it looks like they’re getting ready to put in its periscope!”
Kharlov shook his head, and tapped the bottom right corner of the screen. “See that lying on the ground? It looks like a periscope, but it’s actually a digital mast. It serves the same function, but far more effectively. My guess is that something went wrong with the mast, and they had to replace it with the one on that small crane.”
Alina looked at the screen more intently and then nodded. “I think you’re right. Did you see any sign of Ortiz earlier? There are a dozen or so men moving about, but I don’t think any of them are Ortiz.”
“No, I didn’t see him. But he could be on the other side of the sub. Or inside it,” Kharlov replied.
Alina nodded, and then tapped the top left corner of the screen. “These men are clustered around what looks like a table. I can see a laptop, hooked up to a large object of some kind. But there’s always someone in the way when I try to see what it is. Can we risk moving in the drone for a better look?”
Kharlov immediately shook his head, pointing to the drone’s battery display. “As it is, I don’t know how much longer the drone will continue to transmit. Even a short flight might drain its remaining power. I recommend we wait for the men to move.”
For a moment, Alina looked ready to argue. And Kharlov knew she would have a point. There was no guarantee that the men would budge. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to see the unknown object that was the focus of their attention.
But at that instant, two of the men who had been obstructing their view moved.
Alina cursed, while Kharlov nodded.
“Just as we thought,” he said calmly.
“What did you think?” Vidya asked, her eyes narrowing. “What’s happening?”
Alina didn’t hesitate. Vidya was risking her life alongside them, and needed to know the stakes.
Now that they had been confirmed.
“That is one of two tactical nuclear warheads recently stolen from a mobile Nasr detachment. Since it’s next to that submarine, we have to assume they’re getting ready to deploy it,” Alina replied.
“Deploy it,” Vidya repeated numbly. “You mean against India.”
Alina nodded. “I can imagine no other likely target.”
“But against which Indian city? A submarine must mean one on the coast, but that still leaves dozens of possibilities. Along thousands of kilometers of coastline,” Vidya said.
“True,” Alina replied. “But we have given this some thought, aided by Moscow Central. First, we think the target is almost certain to be on the Indian coastline facing Pakistan, not the Bay of Bengal. After all, there are plenty of targets on the Arabian Sea side, so why go the extra distance?”
“Agreed,” Vidya said. “So, we’ve cut down nearly eight thousand kilometers of coastline to about four thousand.”
Alina smiled. “Yes. But we are further helped by the fact that these warheads are tactical, with a yield of only five kilotons. Plus, there is no evidence of a delivery system here. It looks like their plan is to get the submarine as close to land as possible, and then detonate the warhead. That will severely limit the casualties they are able to inflict.”
