The Atlantis Stone

by Alex Lukeman

  "What happened?".

  "Rostov and her companion went after the Americans inside their hotel. There was a lot of shooting. Rostov got away."

  "The Americans?"

  "Gone. They got out fast, without taking anything with them. I got into their room before the police. I have a laptop computer and notes my sister made. She was working on a translation."

  "Do you know where they went?"

  "No. They'll be as far away from here as possible. It's bad for business when people get shot in the hotel. The Egyptians are angry."

  "It will be difficult for them to escape. Come home."

  My sister is in trouble.

  "I should stay here," Valentina said. "We have to know if the Egyptians catch them."

  "There are others who can do that, Captain Antipov. You have your orders." Vysotsky hung up.

  The bottle of vodka was on his desk, next to an empty glass. He poured a drink. The night outside his window was clear and hot. The overworked air-conditioning in the building strained against the humidity of a Moscow summer. Alexei's uniform jacket was draped on the back of a chair. He'd unbuttoned his collar. A fan on his desk blew warm air over him, but it didn't help much.

  He considered what Valentina had told him. Volkov had overstepped himself again. Alexei thought about how he could use what had happened against the FSB director.

  The Egyptians were lax in many ways, but their security service was professional and efficient. It wouldn't take long to discover that the dead body in their hotel was a Russian agent. Once they made the connection, the Egyptian government would call in Moscow's ambassador and lodge a strong protest. It was the kind of incident that threatened relations.

  The Federation was negotiating with Cairo for a multibillion dollar weapons purchase. The French and Americans were offering their own wares at the same time. Even the Chinese were angling for a sale. The Egyptians had plenty of options to choose from. Volkov's indiscretion could sabotage the deal. Even if it didn't, Cairo would drive a harder bargain as a result.

  President Orlov was going to be unhappy with Volkov. The thought made Alexei smile. It was never a good thing when Vladimir Orlov was unhappy with you.

  Alexei sipped his vodka. The first thing was to make sure the president learned of Volkov's recklessness. It required a careful approach.

  Orlov was well aware of the rivalry between the directors of the two services and encouraged it. It was important he didn't think Alexei was simply undercutting his rival. Volkov would try to make it look as though what he'd tried to do in Egypt was something Alexei should have done instead. He would say his agent had been killed in heroic service to the Motherland.

  Orlov likes heroes. I can't do anything about that. But heroic deaths for no purpose are not what he wants to hear about.

  Alexei needed to discredit Volkov's decision to go after the Americans. He had to plant doubt about Volkov's competence and at the same time sow a seed of suspicion.

  There hadn't been enough time for Orlov to achieve complete control since the coup that had brought him to power. The military and the oligarchs could still remove him if they wished. As long as the oligarchs prospered and as long as Orlov kept the generals happy, his position was secure.

  The history of Russia was an endless narrative of plots, conspiracy and murder. The times were modern, but the Russian penchant for treachery was the same as it had been when the country was ruled by Ivan the Terrible. Power in Russia went hand-in-hand with suspicion and paranoia. If Orlov suspected Volkov was plotting to set himself up as a rival for the presidential chair, it wouldn't be long before the FSB director ceased to be a problem.

  Alexei took a drink. He could use what he knew about Volkov's private behaviors to go after him. Or it might be better to let Orlov's paranoia reach the conclusion Alexei wanted.

  He knew how to plant the thought. It was no secret Volkov favored reestablishing the old KGB. One intelligence and security service. One director in charge of everything. Alexei understood Volkov's ambition well because he wanted the same thing, with himself as director. Supposedly the breakup of the KGB had been a move to increase efficiency. In reality, the purpose was to prevent any one man from having too much power.

  Alexei would show Orlov that Volkov's adventure in Egypt was less of a patriotic effort than it was an intelligence blunder founded on ambition. He would plant the seed of suspicion that would lead to his rival's destruction.

  It was a game that could have only one winner.

  Alexei poured himself another drink.

  CHAPTER 28

  Elizabeth's day started with another blast from the tabloids about her so-called affair with Hood. She wasn't in the best of moods. The team had assembled in her office.

  "What were you thinking?" Elizabeth said. "I had to call in a hell of a favor to get that sub tasked to you. You're lucky she was in the area."

  "I didn't have a choice, Director. They had Selena and were about to disappear. I yelled, one of them drew on me, I shot him. What else was I supposed to do?"

  Elizabeth's pen beat a tattoo on her desk.

  "The Egyptians are pissed."

  "What else is new?" Ronnie said. "They're always pissed, like everybody else over there."

  Elizabeth gave him one of her looks. This one said you'd better keep quiet.

  "I've used up my last chips with the Pentagon," she said. "The president wants to know why one of our submarines had to be diverted. What do you think I should tell him, Nick?"

  "Tell him the truth. We were looking for a new energy source with implications for national security. The Russians didn't want us to find it and sent people to stop us. They called the shots, not us. Just don't tell him about Atlantis. That might be more information than he needs to know at this point."

  The pen stopped tapping.

  "Really? You don't think I should tell the president about Atlantis? That this energy source may or may not be nothing more than a legend? That we want to go looking for records that may or may not exist under thousands of feet of water? Why wouldn't I want to tell him that?"

  The tips of Elizabeth's ears were turning red, a danger sign. Nick said nothing.

  "Nothing more to say?"

  "No."

  "I didn't think so."

  "It's more than a legend," Selena said.

  Harker turned to her. "This better be good."

  "I have pictures of the inscriptions in the Egyptian Temple. I polished up the translation during the flight home. Atlantis isn't a myth. Now that we have an idea where to look, we can pinpoint it exactly. There must still be ruins. They'll show up on a scan of the ocean floor."

  Elizabeth took a deep breath, making an effort to calm herself.

  "How deep?"

  "It depends on where it is. The average depth of the Atlantic is about 11,000 feet but there are plenty of places where it's a lot shallower."

  "How are we supposed to get to it once we know where it is? The Navy isn't going to loan me one of their research vessels. Not after sending the sub."

  "We don't need the Navy," Selena said. "We can search for the stone without them. If we find what we're looking for, the Pentagon will give you a submarine and anything else you want. You'll have lots of new chips to play with."

  "What do you mean?"

  Selena told Elizabeth about her friend with the deep-sea exploration gear.

  "I already talked with him," she said. "He's off the coast of Egypt right now, exploring the ruins of Heracleion. He's willing to work with us."

  Elizabeth was getting angry again. "Do I need to remind you this mission is classified?"

  "I didn't tell him what we we're looking for. Only enough to get him interested. As far as that goes, he used to be a SEAL, an intelligence officer. He has to have a high security clearance. It shouldn't be hard to read him in on a limited basis."

  "I suppose you have an idea about how I'm supposed to pay for this?"

  "You don't have to. I will."

&n
bsp; Elizabeth looked at her in surprise. "Why would you do that?"

  "Because I can. Because if I didn't do it, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."

  "I can't permit you to do that."

  "You're not giving me much of a choice."

  "What do you mean?"

  "If you don't give me permission, I'll resign and do it on my own."

  "You can't be serious."

  Selena looked at her, her expression set.

  Oh, shit, Nick thought.

  CHAPTER 29

  Vladimir Orlov sat at his official desk in the Kremlin Senate building, reading reports. Generals Vysotsky and Volkov stood in front of the desk, waiting. Minutes dragged by as Orlov continued turning pages. Finally, he looked up at them.

  "General Volkov. You are aware of the current negotiations with Egypt."

  "Yes, Mister President."

  Orlov's voice was calm, without emotion. It was in moments like this that you didn't want to be the object of his attention. Vysotsky's outer appearance was impassive. Inside, he was grinning.

  "The sale of those arms is a matter of highest priority. Negotiations are now in serious jeopardy because of your actions. Please explain yourself."

  "Yes, Mister President. The Americans are looking for something they learned about from one of our senior researchers, a traitor. I sent operatives to observe them and obtain as much information as possible. Lieutenant Arshavin died defending the Motherland. Major Rostov escaped."

  "So you say in your report. It would have been easier if the traitor had not died under your interrogation. Did you discover whether or not the Americans found what they are searching for?"

  Volkov looked uncomfortable. "Not yet. But..."

  Orlov held up his hand. Volkov stopped talking.

  "Four agents dead in the last week and you still do not know what the Americans are doing. It seems General Vysotsky has had better luck than you."

  Volkov glanced at Alexei with a look of pure hatred.

  Orlov continued. "I have his report here. He states that the Americans are searching for records of an ancient power source that could provide us with a strategic advantage. His operative recovered materials in Egypt that explain where it might be found. The Americans know where to look."

  Volkov turned to Vysotsky. "You had someone in Egypt?"

  Alexei kept his voice mild. "Your department has no mandate to pursue foreign agents outside our borders. That is the function of SVR, as you well know. When I learned what you had done, it seemed prudent to send someone. Her orders were to observe and remain undetected. Had I known your agents were going to create an international incident, I would have ordered her to intervene."

  "You are a pompous ass," Volkov said.

  "At least I am not an idiot. I know better than to provoke a conflict with the Americans."

  "That is because one of your agents is the sister of an American spy."

  "No. It is because I am not a thug like you, always ready to bring out the jackboot at any opportunity."

  Before Volkov could respond, Orlov interrupted.

  "Enough. I have had enough of this childish arguing. You are two of my most important officers. If you cannot find a way to cooperate, I will replace you with others who will. Am I clear?"

  Both men answered at once. "Yes, Mister President."

  "General Volkov. Do not let a mistake like this happen again. Have I made myself clear?"

  "Yes, Mister President."

  "General Vysotsky. I want to know what the Americans are doing. You are not to confront them directly unless they initiate a conflict. This is now your priority. Understood?"

  "Yes, Mister President."

  "Dismissed."

  The two generals saluted and clicked their heels together. They left the room without looking at each other.

  Orlov watched them go, thinking about Vysotsky's report and Volkov's ambition.

  CHAPTER 30

  Nick and Selena were downstairs at Project Headquarters, getting ready to try out the new guns.

  "Why did you have to say that?" Nick said. "You put Harker in an impossible position."

  "What's impossible about it?"

  "Come on, you know what I mean. You gave her an ultimatum. Either she gives in and lets you do it the way you want or she has to let you resign. She's concerned about security. You should've run it by her first before you talked to this guy with the boat."

  "He's not just a guy with a boat. Jeffrey is an old friend."

  "He's an old friend? Is that supposed to make it all right?"

  "It means that I trust him. I didn't tell him what we're looking for, only that I thought I knew where there could be a sunken city like Heracleion that hadn't been discovered."

  "Did you tell him who you work for?"

  "Of course not. I told him I came across a mention of the city while I was translating a hieroglyphic inscription. It's close enough to the truth that I didn't have to make up a complicated explanation."

  Nick shook his head. "You should have talked to Harker first."

  "You said that."

  "What are you going to do if she says no?"

  Selena shrugged. "What I said. I'll resign. I'm not going to pass up what may be the most exciting and important find of the century because some admiral doesn't want to give us what we need."

  "You can't resign. This whole thing is classified to the hilt. Even if you did, you couldn't go anywhere near that underwater site without breaking a dozen laws."

  "Then we'd better hope I don't have to," Selena said, "because I would go anyway."

  They were interrupted by Lamont. He came into the room carrying two of the Heckler and Koch MP7s.

  "Hey, boys and girls. You ready to try out the new toys?"

  He took one look at the two of them standing there, face-to-face.

  "Am I interrupting?"

  "We were talking about what Selena said to Harker."

  Lamont looked at Selena. "Harker's got a lot on her plate right now. She doesn't need your attitude."

  "My attitude? Is that what you think this is?"

  "What the hell else would it be? She's right to be pissed off at you. You talked to a civilian before you cleared it with her."

  "He's no more a civilian than you are," Selena said. "He was a SEAL, like you."

  "He doesn't work here. That's the difference."

  "Elizabeth should be grateful. I just offered her the means to accomplish the mission."

  "For someone as smart as you are, you can be pretty damn stupid sometimes."

  Lamont put the weapons down on a table and left the room.

  "Nice going," Nick said. "Maybe you can piss off Ronnie and Stephanie too before the day's over. I'm going after him."

  Selena watched Nick leave.

  What is it with everybody? I was only trying to help.

  She thought about picking up one of the MP7s and shredding a silhouette downrange. But the weapon was unfamiliar to her, different from the MP5 she was used to.

  Better to wait. Lamont will show me later, after he cools down. She looked again at the weapon, compact and deadly, a premium creation of German weapons engineering.

  If you quit, you won't have to bother with learning new weapons. You can always go back to the lecture circuit. That will be exciting. The thought came unbidden.

  Sometimes when the inner voice kicked in she wished it would shut up.

  If you didn't work here, you wouldn't even know about Atlantis.

  "All right," Selena said out loud. "I get it."

  "Get what?" Ronnie came into the room and looked around. "Who are you talking to?"

  "Nothing. I was thinking out loud."

  "Where's Lamont? I thought we were going to work with the guns."

  "He went off with Nick. I'll go find them."

  "You really going to quit?"

  "It depends on Elizabeth," Selena said.

  "You should talk to her. You jumped on her pretty quick."

&nbs
p; Selena sighed. "Et tu, Brutus?"

  "You know I'm right," Ronnie said. "She's going through a hard place right now."

  "What about?"

  "Haven't you read the papers?"

  "Not since we got back."

  "The tabloids are after her. Well, after the CIA. They got a picture of her and Hood smooching outside a restaurant."

  "Elizabeth and Hood? Really?"

  "Yup."

  "Oh. That's not good."

  "Yup."

  "I guess I'd better go talk to her," Selena said.

  "That would be a good idea."

  Selena went upstairs and knocked on Elizabeth's open door. Harker was writing. She looked up.

  "What is it, Selena?" Her voice was unfriendly.

  "Have you got a minute?"

  Elizabeth gestured at a chair near her desk.

  "I want to apologize," Selena said. "I should have talked to you before I talked to my friend."

  "Yes, you should have. Is that all?"

  She's not making it easy.

  "I also want to say that I'm sorry I said what I said. About resigning. Whatever you decide about using him, I can respect that."

  Elizabeth put her pen down. "You're withdrawing your threat to quit if I don't go along with it?"

  "Yes."

  "You gave me an ultimatum. I can't have that kind of insubordination on the team."

  "I know. It won't happen again."

  "Damn it, Selena, what's going on with you? Are you and Nick having trouble? Because if you are, I need to know it. You've been preoccupied since you got back from Germany."

  Selena knew she was right. Thoughts of resigning had been popping up more and more. She hadn't talked much about it with Nick. The few times she'd brought up the possibility he'd reacted badly.

  "I've had plenty of time to think about what happened over there. I was helpless and they were going to cut me up a piece at a time and make a movie out of it. Sometimes I wake up at night with that movie playing through my head."

  "You need to see somebody. I don't have to tell you about PTSD."

  "I've been putting it off."

  "Don't put it off any longer. That's an order."

  It felt like a defeat. "All right."