End Game

by Alex Lukeman

  Half an hour later they sat around a large wooden table, eating pasta and soup. When they were done and the dishes were cleared away, Nick pulled out satellite photographs of Kondor's chalet. Outside, snow was falling.

  "I want to review this again," he said. "We take the highway through town then turn off here. The road goes right past the chalet, but we're not going that far. We'll pull off here into the trees."

  He tapped the photograph, then traced a path with his finger .

  "From there, we hike through the woods and end up in back of the objective."

  "Simple enough," Ronnie said.

  "We wait until we know the alarms are neutralized, then we move in."

  "One more time, what's the ROE?" Lamont asked.

  "Nothing's changed. Anyone in the house is considered hostile. That includes the cook and valet, but don't waste them unless they show hostile intent. And be damned careful you don't shoot Kondor."

  Nick looked at his watch.

  "We'll leave just before it gets dark. We've got about seven hours until then. Get some rest. It might be the last chance for a while."

  Chapter 47

  Elizabeth discharged herself from the hospital and had Stephanie drive her straight back to the house in Virginia. A temporary wall of plywood with a door stood where the entrance had been. Now they were in her office, watching the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

  There were no empty seats to be seen. The Council chamber was packed with observers and interested parties. The fifteen members of the Council were seated around the meeting table. Behind them, two rows of chairs were filled with staff and officials of the member nations.

  Dominating everything was a massive mural by the Norwegian artist Per Krogh that depicted humanity rising out of the turmoil of war. A white Phoenix symbolized hope reborn through the cooperation of nations. Other panels portrayed the blessings of science and labor.

  "I've always hated that mural," Elizabeth said.

  "It doesn't appeal to me either," Stephanie said. "Why don't you like it?"

  "It's too mental," Elizabeth said. "It's cold. There's no life in it, no warmth or love anywhere. Nothing spiritual, unless you consider the works of man spiritual in nature. How can anyone expect to achieve peace without love and a little help from above?"

  The tense atmosphere of the meeting was obvious, even through the detached medium of television. Everyone knew the world was on the brink of war, unless the Council could agree on a solution that would make war unnecessary.

  The current president of the Council, the ambassador from Estonia, called the meeting to order. He made a few introductory remarks, then recognized the ambassador from the Russian Federation .

  Outwardly, Yevgeny Vassiliev presented a sophisticated, European appearance. It was one of the reasons Vladimir Orlov had chosen him to represent Russia in the world body. Gone were the days when the image of Russian diplomacy was Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe on the podium. The image had changed, but not the intent.

  "Orlov's attack dog," Elizabeth said.

  "He looks like he belongs in a James Bond movie," Stephanie said. "All that's missing is a tuxedo."

  "Thank you, Mister President," the Russian ambassador began. "We are here today to address the unprovoked and irresponsible attack on my country by the United States."

  Vassiliev spoke in his native Russian, his words simultaneously translated and heard in headpieces worn by members of the Council. There was a slight delay as the Russian's words were translated for the television audience, creating an odd disconnect for the viewer. Several chairs down from Vassiliev, the ambassador from the United States steepled his fingers and pursed his lips in disapproval.

  Vassiliev spoke for the next ten minutes, painting a picture of the destruction that had occurred. Even without the heated rhetoric, it would have been obvious to anyone that he was an angry man.

  "It looks like the Russians are genuinely pissed," Stephanie said.

  "You can't blame them, but with Vassiliev everything's an act. So far they're showing restraint. Orlov doesn't want a nuclear exchange anymore than we do. There's no guarantee the restraint will last, however. There are powerful elements in his military arguing for war. Unless Nick gets the proof we need, I don't think it can be avoided."

  Vassiliev finished. The president recognized the ambassador from the United States.

  "Our turn," Stephanie said .

  "I wish we had somebody competent sitting there," Elizabeth said. "Wilson is an idiot. He's another one of Hopkins' cronies."

  Ambassador Arthur Wilson was a distant relation of Woodrow Wilson, the American president instrumental in establishing the failed League of Nations, predecessor to the UN. Like his ancestor, Wilson was an intellectual. He'd been a college professor before President Hopkins tapped him for the ambassadorial post. He was a man who disliked Russia and everything about it. It had been said that the original ivory tower had been built especially for him.

  Wilson's rebuttal to the Russian ambassador's accusations was a confusing listing of Russian sins and human rights offenses, before he got around to denying responsibility for the explosion in Belgograd. As the world watched, it was obvious the Russian ambassador was having a hard time controlling his temper. About the time Wilson accused the Russians of endangering world peace by creating a bio weapons lab in Belgograd, Vassiliev exploded.

  "We have heard enough!" he shouted. "My government requested this emergency meeting in good faith, in the hope this terrible event might somehow fail to lead to war. It is obvious to anyone that the Federation has been attacked. We are given excuses, told that mysterious terrorists somehow stole weapons of mass destruction from one of the most powerful nations in the world. We are expected to take your president's word for this. Does anyone believe that such a thing is possible?"

  "Mister Ambassador…" Wilson said.

  "No, Mister Ambassador. No, be quiet. We will not listen to these flimsy excuses. Your nation has deliberately attacked mine. Unless you admit responsibility and we agree on suitable reparations for this atrocity, there is nothing more to say. The Federation desires peace, but if you insist on blaming these mythical terrorists, I cannot guarantee that peace will continue. "

  Vassiliev stood.

  "I see no benefit in remaining here and listening to these lies. I leave now to consult with my government."

  Vassiliev stormed out of the room. The Russian delegation stood and followed him.

  "That's not good," Stephanie said.

  Elizabeth's phone rang.

  "It's Clarence," Elizabeth said. She made the connection.

  "Elizabeth. Have you been watching the Security Council meeting?"

  "Yes, I have. I don't like what I saw."

  "Vassiliev would never act like that unless Orlov had told him to do it."

  "Wilson acted like an amateur. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was trying to provoke Vassiliev."

  "He sure as hell didn't help ease the tensions," Hood said, "but that's on Hopkins. Have you heard from Nick?"

  "No."

  "He needs to know about this," Hood said. "It's imperative he comes up with the proof we need. We have to show the Russians that Hopkins is telling the truth."

  "You want me to light a fire under him."

  It wasn't a question.

  "That's right. It will be better if it comes from you."

  "You do realize that it won't make any difference?" Elizabeth said. "Nick always gives it a hundred and ten percent."

  "I don't doubt it. But if he knows that peace or war is hanging on the success of his mission, he might find that extra motivation that makes the difference."

  "You really think it's that important?"

  "I do. Russian bombers are in the air. There are always some testing our defenses, but as of an hour ago, there are more than usual. The Russians are mobilizing. We're seeing a lot of activity near their missile sites and we've just gone to DEFCON 2. Things are get
ting serious. "

  DEFCON 2 was one step short of war.

  "That's going to make the Russians very nervous," Elizabeth said.

  "It's made me very nervous," Hood said.

  "I'll call Nick," Elizabeth said. "Is everything set for disabling Kondor's alarms?"

  "The drone is already on station," Hood said. "It's good for thirty-six hours."

  "That will be long enough," she said.

  Chapter 48

  Nick's phone signaled.

  "It's Harker," he said.

  He made the secured connection.

  "Yes, Director?"

  "What's your status, Nick?"

  "We're at our base. Everything's ready. We're waiting for darkness."

  "Things are heating up," Elizabeth said. "We're at DEFCON 2 and the Russians are mobilizing."

  "What happened at the UN? I thought they were going to work something out."

  "Our ambassador said all the wrong things and the Russian delegation walked out. Best guess, we'll be at war with Russia within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, unless you come up with something that proves Kondor engineered this disaster."

  "You're telling me I'm supposed to stop World War III? You're not asking for much."

  "You need to know what the stakes are. Nick, everything is riding on this. You have to get Kondor to talk. Record everything. Get him to admit what he's done. Get as many details as you can. Our psych profile says he's a full-blown narcissist. Everything he does is about him. He wants to be remembered as the man responsible for the birth of the New World Order. If you can get him talking about how brilliant he's been, he won't quit."

  "You make it sound easy. "

  "Kondor is terminally ill. He's got nothing to lose by talking to you. As far as he's concerned, he's already done what he set out to do. Those bombs have created havoc. He's got to believe that the bomb going off in Russia will lead to war. He'll have watched the Security Council meeting. What happened there will confirm his opinion. A man who thinks like he does isn't going to believe war can be stopped at this stage. His ego won't let him believe it. Play to that. When you have the recording, send it to me."

  "Copy that, Director."

  "When you're ready to begin the assault, send 'GO' and I'll pass the word to Langley. There's a drone circling overhead. It will target Kondor's chalet with an EMP pulse that will take out his alarm system and communications. He may have a shielded backup, so you need to get in there as fast as possible."

  "How will I know it worked?"

  "There are security lights around the chalet. You'll see them go off."

  "All right."

  "Good luck, Nick."

  "Yeah."

  Nick put the phone down.

  "What did she say?" Ronnie asked.

  "She said we should go forth and save the world."

  "I do not believe she said that," Valentina said.

  "Not in those words. What she said was that unless we get a confession out of Kondor, there's going to be a war with Russia."

  "You're serious?" Selena said.

  "Like a heart attack."

  "I do like the simple missions," Lamont said.

  Ronnie looked out the window.

  "The snow is really coming down. Maybe we ought to think about getting into position. "

  "Right. We leave in five. We'll change on site. I don't want to drive through town looking like an invasion force. Everybody square away your gear. Make sure you've got your passport with you. We may have to run."

  "Square away? What does this mean, please?" Valentina asked.

  "It means to make everything exactly as it should be," Nick said.

  "I am already square," Valentina said.

  Everyone except Valentina laughed.

  "What is funny?" she said.

  Chapter 49

  The road that went near Kondor's chalet was a few kilometers past the town of Ringgenberg. Nick drove through town, careful to observe the traffic signs and speed limit. Ronnie watched the GPS. The snow was still coming down. There was already a thick coating of white everywhere.

  "It's the next left," he said.

  Nick signaled and made the turn. They began climbing the side of the mountain. Spruce and pine trees lined the road on both sides.

  "Good thing this car has good tires," Nick said.

  "Getting close," Ronnie said. "The spot we picked is coming up on the right."

  Nick slowed and watched for the opening in the trees they'd spotted using the satellite scans.

  "There it is," Selena said.

  Nick turned off the road, drove into the trees until he could no longer see the road, and shut down the engine.

  Nobody said anything as they climbed out. Ronnie and Lamont went to the back and pulled out the change of clothes. In silence, they dressed in black tactical gear, then took turns blackening their faces. As it grew dark they seemed to disappear into the deepening shadows under the trees. Even with the snow on the ground, it would be almost impossible to see them without night vision gear or bright light.

  They each took a suppressed MP7 and extra thirty round magazines. Nick, Ronnie, and Lamont took stun grenades. Ronnie had a few pounds of C4 and some detonators with him. Nick had decided against frag grenades. There was too much danger of killing Kondor during the assault. If that happened, it would all be for nothing.

  "Everyone set?" Nick asked.

  Nods all around .

  "First priority is the guards. Once the alarms are down, we take out whoever is in that barracks and anyone outside. Valentina, Selena, you cover the back entrance in case anyone comes out of the house. Ronnie, Lamont, we'll clear the barracks. Ronnie, once that's done you open the door to the main building. Use your picks. I don't want to blow it unless we have to. Try it first. Maybe we'll get lucky and it will be unlocked."

  "You believe in leprechauns too?"

  "Just try not to blow it. The noise will echo down the mountain and get people wondering. Everyone clear on what they're supposed to do?"

  More nods.

  They donned NVGs and set out for the chalet. Nick preferred the monocular version. It took some getting used to, the mind trying to balance the green world it saw from one eye with the darkness of night in the other. The advantage was that if a sudden burst of light temporarily blinded one eye through the lenses, the other eye could still see and respond to the threat.

  It was slow going through the forest. The mountainside was steep. In places the branches were thick and low, and they had to push their way through, slogging in the new snow. It took an hour to work up behind the chalet and start down toward it. Security lights surrounded the building, visible as bright green blobs in the night vision lenses. Several windows were lit. One light was on inside the security barracks.

  Lamont tapped Nick on the shoulder and pointed at the dark shape of a sentry under the trees. Everyone halted. Lamont drew his knife and slipped forward, his feet making no noise on the soft snow as he came up behind the unsuspecting man. He rose and wrapped his left hand over the sentry's mouth, stifling his cry. He yanked the head back and drew the razor blade across his throat. Blood spurted out, red on the fresh snow.

  He let the body fall and came back to the others .

  The trees had been cleared away in back of the house, leaving a wide, exposed area. In his NVG, Nick spotted lines of lasers crisscrossing the cleared area. He held up his hand.

  "Lasers," he whispered.

  Nick took out his satellite phone and powered on. The connection made, he speed dialed Elizabeth and texted GO. Then he waited.

  There was nothing to indicate when the EMP pulse was delivered, no humming sound, no sense of electricity or heat. All that happened was that all of the lights went out, leaving everything in blackness. The laser beams disappeared.

  "Go," Nick whispered.

  Selena and Valentina ran forward and knelt, covering the back door to the chalet with their weapons. Ronnie, Nick, and Lamont ran to the security
barracks. The door to the barracks opened when they were still twenty feet away. A man stepped out. He carried an H & K G36 assault rifle. The rifle was a formidable threat. It fired a .556 x 45mm round at seven hundred and fifty rounds per minute.

  Lamont and Nick fired at the same time, three round bursts, the shots muffled by the suppressors. The man went down. Someone shouted inside the building. Ronnie tossed a stun grenade in through the open door. They turned away, closed their eyes, and covered their ears. The grenade went off with a dull boom that vibrated under their feet, lighting the forest night with a brief, white glare.

  Ronnie was through the door firing, followed by Lamont and Nick. The flashes of the guns made a bizarre strobe effect, illuminating men scrambling to get up from their bunks. Thirty seconds later, the guns were silent. Everyone in the barracks was dead.

  "Ronnie, the door," Nick said .

  They ran out of the barracks and toward the door. A wide balcony stretched across the back of the building. A man came out onto the balcony and fired at them. The bullets kicked up dirt around Selena. Valentina raised her weapon and shot him. He fell over the balcony and landed heavily on the ground.

  "That's torn it," Nick said. "Get that door."

  Ronnie tried the knob. The door opened.

  "I'll be damned," he said.

  "Must be leprechauns," Nick said. "Go."

  Somewhere a generator started up. The lights came back on, blinding them in one eye. They pulled the NVGs up and out of the way.

  They had entered the basement of the chalet. Ahead stretched a hallway. A door opened, and a man in pajamas stepped out into the hall. He had a gun in his hand. Valentina shot him. Blood sprayed out and he collapsed onto the floor. A woman's scream came from inside the room.

  "Wilhelm!" she shouted.

  Nick paused at the open doorway, then risked a glance. He ducked back as a shotgun boomed inside the room, blowing a hole in the opposite wall. Nick dropped to the floor, reached around the doorway with his MP7 and fired a burst. Someone grunted as the bullets hit. He heard the shotgun clatter on the floor, then the thump of a falling body.

  He stood and glanced inside. A woman in a nightdress lay unmoving on the floor. The shotgun lay on the ground beside her. Blood spread in a growing pool under her body.