The Last Option

by Alex Lukeman

  "Yes."

  "I am leaving now. There are railroad tracks ahead. Once I cross them, I will be in the woods and I will activate the GPS."

  "Be careful, sister," Selena said.

  "I think it is you that had better be careful. I see you soon."

  "She's on her way," Selena said. "I'm calling Stephanie."

  "Now what?" Lamont asked.

  Nick had his phone out. "Now we wait until we get Freddie's signal."

  Five minutes later, a green dot signifying Valentina's location appeared on Nick's screen.

  "Go," Nick said.

  Selena put the car in gear. They drove past the shack where they'd seen the Estonian border guards, but no lights showed. They passed the trilingual sign into Russian territory. A hundred yards in, Nick gave the signal to bail out of the car. He hit the gravel and rolled and ran into the woods. Selena drove on.

  It was dark among the trees, the white trunks of the birches ghostlike in the night. Nick oriented himself to the blinking dot representing Valentina. They moved softly through the woods, deeper into Russia. By habit, Nick reached for his pistol. It wasn't there. He felt the adrenaline rush building and steadied his breath.

  Nick held up his hand and they huddled together.

  "Getting close," he whispered.

  "Listen," Ronnie said. "I hear something. Someone's out there."

  Ronnie's hearing was the best among them. There was no cover to speak of, no undergrowth under the trees. If the Russians spotted them, there was no place to hide.

  A faint cough came from ahead, then the sound of something falling.

  They moved forward toward the sound, closing in on the blinking dot. A dark shape lay on the ground ahead. It was Valentina, unconscious. Her breathing was shallow, erratic.

  Nick kept his voice low.

  "She's done. We'll have to carry her out."

  "Someone's coming," Ronnie said.

  Two flashlights moved back and forth in the trees ahead.

  "Pretend you're drunk. Lamont, hold Valentina up like she's been drinking. Ronnie, you stick close to me. Follow my lead."

  Nick started to sing a Russian drinking song he'd learned from Arkady Korov, a Spetsnaz officer who had become a friend. Korov had died when they were on a mission together.

  "Stoy! Kto zdes'?" Stop! Who's there?

  The flashlight beams swung toward them. Two Russian border guards. Nick bellowed out the words to the song.

  "P'yanitsy," one of the men said to his partner. Drunks.

  Nick didn't know what the guard had called out, but he figured they wanted him to stop where he was. He let the song trail off and stood swaying, looking stupidly at the guards as they emerged from the trees. Russians understood drinking yourself stupid. Nick hoped they'd be careless when they approached.

  The beams of light focused on Nick and the others, then paused on Lamont holding up Valentina's unconscious form.

  "Chernyy chelovek! Chto on zdes' delayet?" A black man! What is he doing here?

  The guards were dressed in fatigues and carried AK 74s. One casually pointed his rifle at them. The other came up to Nick and started shouting in Russian. Nick swayed and squinted his eyes. Ronnie stood near, mouth slack, looking the worse for wear.

  Nick launched a strike at the Russian, a blow meant to cripple him. The man moved and the blow struck him off target, in the larynx. He went down grasping at his throat and choking. Before the other guard could react, Ronnie twisted his rifle away and slammed the butt against the man's head. The guard fell unconscious to the ground.

  The first guard struggled to breathe, making awful choking sounds. Then the sounds stopped.

  "He's dead," Lamont said.

  Nick looked down at the body.

  "Damn it. I didn't mean to kill him."

  A radio on the man's belt began squawking Russian words. They sounded urgent, angry, then disappeared in a burst of static.

  "Time to boogie," Nick said. "Ronnie, help Lamont with Valentina."

  More guards were coming, their flashlight beams dancing among the trees. Nick called Selena.

  "We're coming. There are guards after us. Get the doors open."

  "I've got your location. I'll meet you on the road."

  They went as fast as they could through the woods. Lamont and Ronnie carried Valentina. Shouts in Russian came from behind them. Someone fired blindly into the trees. The bullets whipped past them.

  They came out onto the road as Selena pulled up with the car. Ronnie and Lamont shoved Valentina into the back seat and piled in after her. Nick jumped in front.

  Selena punched the accelerator. The wheels spun on the gravel and the car took off toward Estonia. Shots followed them as they rounded a curve, then they flew past the yellow warning sign, into safety.

  "Keep driving," Nick said.

  "Where are we going?" Selena asked.

  "Back to the hotel."

  "What about Valentina?"

  "We get her to the plane, she'll be fine. When we get to the hotel you stay in the car with her. We get our stuff, then head for Voru. I'll call Harker."

  He dialed Elizabeth's number.

  It was daytime in Virginia. Elizabeth was in her office when Nick's call came through. He began telling her what had happened. When he got to the part about the Russian guard, she interrupted.

  "You killed a Russian border guard? Damn it, Nick."

  Her voice was angry.

  "It was an accident. I only wanted to disable him. He moved the wrong way. We've got Valentina, but she's in bad shape."

  Stephanie came into the room.

  "I knew there'd be trouble. You'd better pray the Russians don't get the Estonians to close the airport. They are going to be truly pissed."

  "Elizabeth, Freddie is jamming communications," Stephanie said. "It won't be easy for the Russians to get in touch with the Estonian authorities. Especially since it's night over there."

  "Where are you now?" Elizabeth asked.

  "We're about to leave the hotel. It's an hour to the airport."

  "How are you going to get her onto the plane?"

  "We'll wing it, pretend she's drunk."

  "You'd better hope it works."

  Ronnie and Lamont came out of the hotel.

  "We're leaving now," Nick said.

  He disconnected. "Selena, I'll drive. You get in back with Valentina. Get her cleaned up as best you can."

  "Okay." Selena climbed in the back, Ronnie moved to the front.

  A light rain began to fall.

  Nick headed for Voru.

  CHAPTER 46

  An hour later they reached the airport. They could see the Gulfstream, wet with rain and glistening under the lights. Nick parked the car near the terminal entrance.

  To get to the plane they had to go through the terminal and security. They'd come to Estonia with forged ID's for Valentina, including an American passport with a recent entry stamp and a driver's license. Her picture had been pulled from security files and touched up. It was like official document pictures everywhere, not good but recognizable.

  Valentina had fallen asleep in the back of the car. Now Selena woke her.

  "Sister."

  "Valentina, we're at the airport. There's a plane waiting for us but we have to go through the terminal and security. Can you walk?"

  "Yes, I think. But I will need help."

  "Nick, give me all the passports. Let me do the talking."

  Selena helped Valentina from the car. Together they walked into the terminal. Their footsteps echoed on the polished floor. Valentina leaned on Ronnie's arm. Lamont stayed close by.

  The airport terminal was a long building with doors marked as gates leading out to the tarmac. A janitor passed a dirty mop back and forth over the floor near a closed food concession. At this time of night, the building was almost deserted.

  Passport control was a booth with a Plexiglas window. Beyond the booth was a sign in three languages marking the door for international dep
artures. A security guard in a dark blue uniform with striped epaulets on his shoulders sat behind the window. A second guard stood nearby, watching. He was armed with a submachine gun.

  Selena walked toward the window, heart pounding. I'm a tourist returning from a vacation. I have nothing to be afraid of. My friend is hung over. We had a good time.

  Selena greeted the guard in Russian and pushed the passports through the slot. The man in the booth had a thick black mustache and dark brown eyes under heavy eyebrows. His face was pitted with acne scars. A bit of yellow food was stuck in the hairs of the mustache.

  "That is your plane, waiting?"

  She smiled at him. "I wish it was mine. It belongs to our boss. He gave us a vacation, a reward for good work."

  "Generous, your boss. Who do you work for?"

  "My company designs aircraft hydraulic systems. You probably have some of our products in your planes."

  "Mmm," the guard said.

  He looked at each passport, comparing the photographs with the people, studying their faces. He looked at Valentina.

  "What's wrong with her?"

  "She had too much to drink at the hotel before we left. She can't hold her liquor. She'll be fine when she sleeps it off."

  Nick didn't understand the conversation but he felt the man's suspicion. He tensed, ready for whatever would happen. If the guards tried to stop them from leaving it was going to get ugly, fast.

  The man in the booth looked again at Valentina, then began stamping the passports. Selena struggled to keep the relief off her face. He pushed the passports back out onto the counter. She picked them up and put them in her pocket.

  "Have a nice flight," the guard said, already bored.

  "Thank you," Selena said.

  They moved past the booth to the gate. Another guard opened the door for them. They walked out onto the tarmac toward the Gulfstream. Valentina stumbled. Ronnie and Lamont moved close and kept her going. Nick resisted the urge to look back. He could feel the eyes of the guards watching them through the windows lining the terminal.

  The stairs were down on the plane, waiting for them. The copilot waited at the head of the stairs.

  "Welcome back."

  "We need to get in the air as soon as everyone's on."

  "Don't worry, we've got it covered. Welcome aboard."

  They climbed the stairs and filed onto the plane. Behind them, the stairs lifted up. The copilot sealed the hatch.

  "Take Valentina back to the sleeping area," Nick said. "Lamont, do what you can for her wound."

  The Gulfstream was a luxurious aircraft by any standard. Aside from a comfortable tan leather couch, matching armchairs, plush carpeting, polished rosewood accents, and a bar, it featured a separate room in the rear with a shower, bathroom and two comfortable beds.

  Selena and Lamont walked Valentina to the back of the plane. Valentina collapsed on one of the beds.

  "You're safe now, Valentina. We'll take care of you."

  Valentina grasped Selena's wrist.

  "They would have caught me. Thank you."

  Valentina closed her eyes. Her hand fell away. The engines wound up and the plane began moving.

  The pilot's voice came over the cabin speakers.

  "Get buckled up, folks. We'll be in the air in a couple of minutes."

  Nick didn't relax until they were in the air and Estonia was dropping away underneath them. His leg was aching and sore.

  I'm getting too old for this stuff, he thought.

  It wasn't the first time he'd had that thought, but it felt more real than usual.

  CHAPTER 47

  Elizabeth and Stephanie stayed in Elizabeth's office after Nick's call. The plane wouldn't land for many more hours, but neither felt like going home.

  "I don't know if I should give Nick a pat on the back or a kick in the ass," Elizabeth said. "That was an unacceptable risk, going into Russia like that."

  "It doesn't sound like he had a choice," Stephanie said.

  "Maybe," Elizabeth said. "What's done is done. At least they got her out without getting caught."

  "Something big must be going on in Russia," Steph said. "Assassinating the director of SVR is unheard of. It's a desperate act."

  "Valentina may know something."

  "What do you plan to do with her?"

  "At the moment, nothing, except find out what she knows. After that, we'll see. Clarence will have some ideas."

  "I was thinking," Stephanie said. "Remember what Freddie said? That there was a high probability Reynolds and Palmer were in a conspiracy to leave the country unprotected against Status 6?"

  "How could I forget?"

  "He formed that conclusion after watching a video of your meeting with Reynolds. There could be other videos of the two of them talking."

  "Of course, I should've thought of that. Freddie, do you have other recordings from the White House Oval Office?"

  Yes, Director.

  "Why didn't you say so when you told us about the recording of my meeting with President Reynolds?"

  You did not ask me if there were other recordings.

  "I wonder what they said after I left?" Elizabeth said. "Freddie, please play the video for us, starting with a few minutes before I left with DCI Hood."

  Processing.

  The video came up on the main monitor. Elizabeth watched herself and Clarence Hood sitting in the Oval Office. President Reynolds got up from where he'd been sitting behind his desk, indignant and angry.

  "How dare you suggest that I lack the courage to protect this country."

  She watched as Reynolds pressed a button on his desk then saw herself and Clarence stand. As she remembered, Palmer remained seated. Then the aide came in to escort them out.

  "Director Harker, this meeting is over. You will be hearing from me regarding the continued status of your unit."

  "There's the threat," Stephanie said.

  The video recording continued. Elizabeth watched herself and Hood leave.

  Reynolds sat back down behind his desk, looking pleased with himself.

  "That was an excellent performance, Ethan," Palmer said. "You almost had me convinced."

  "What do you want me to do next?"

  "You don't need to do anything. In a few days the NSA is going to pick up a Russian transmission about the weapon. It will take them time to process it. Once they do, things will take their natural course."

  "What about Harker? I don't think she's going to let it go."

  "Don't worry about her," Palmer said.

  Stephanie was shocked. "They already knew about Status 6! They planned a false flag transmission to NSA. Elizabeth, this is proof of treason."

  Elizabeth nodded, her lips clamped together in a tight line.

  "That arrogant bastard. He must've sent those people after Nick and myself. I'll give him something to worry about."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "I'm going to call Hood and give him a copy of this tape. He needs to know about this. We have to move quickly. Reynolds has to be arrested."

  "He's the president," Steph said. "How are we going to arrest him?"

  "Clarence and I will find a way," Elizabeth said.

  CHAPTER 48

  A day later, Nick and the others were back in Elizabeth's office. Valentina was hidden away in a private clinic operated by Langley.

  "I told you not to go into Russia," Elizabeth said.

  "If I hadn't gone in, Valentina would have been caught," Nick said. "It was just bad luck those border guards showed up."

  "There's been an official complaint from Moscow. They have pictures from the airport of all of you with Valentina. They're demanding her return. I've been summoned to the White House later today. Reynolds thinks he's going to shut us down, but he's in for a surprise. Freddie discovered that he's been secretly videotaping his meetings in the Oval Office. We got into the system and downloaded hundreds of hours of video. I want to show you an example."

  "Charles Dickens
would love it," Lamont said.

  Elizabeth was puzzled. "Dickens?"

  "The ghost of Nixon past."

  Elizabeth groaned. "Freddie, please play video number one."

  Certainly, Director.

  The computer's voice was almost cheerful.

  The video of Elizabeth and Hood's meeting with Reynolds started playing on the monitor. They watched Elizabeth and DCI Hood leave the Oval Office and listened to the conversation between Palmer and Reynolds after they were gone.

  "Unbelievable," Ronnie said. "The man's a traitor."

  "Along with Senator Palmer," Selena said. "Now we know why Corrigan was assassinated."

  Elizabeth tapped her pen on her desk. "Yes. There are other videos of them talking. They had Corrigan killed so Reynolds could take office."

  "What else did you find?" Nick asked.

  "Enough to hang both of them. Reynolds and Palmer are part of a larger conspiracy. On two occasions they talked about Beck and Morgan. The conversations confirmed what we suspected. The crash was triggered on purpose. The turmoil in the world markets was deliberately caused to create fear."

  "Why? For money?"

  "They did it to make people afraid. People who are afraid get angry, and angry people make mistakes. Look at what's happening out there. Riots, violent protests, terrorist attacks, brutal crimes, saber rattling, threats. The whole world is on edge."

  "And Status 6? Where does that come in?"

  "Status 6 is the trigger. Admiral Pyotr Petroff commands Russia's Pacific Fleet. He's part of the conspiracy. When the weapon is detonated, we're supposed to think the Russians attacked us and retaliate. That means nuclear war."

  "Why?" Selena asked. "What's the advantage in that?"

  "Palmer and his co-conspirators plan to ride the war out in Argentina, while everything north of the equator gets nuked. Then they come out when the dust settles and rule what's left."

  "That's insane," Nick said. "There won't be anywhere in the world safe from fallout and radioactivity. Not in Argentina. Not anywhere."

  "What are you going to do, Elizabeth?" Selena asked.

  "Reynolds has to be stopped."

  "How are you going to do that?" Lamont said. "Hell, he's the president, even if he is a rat."