Once Steve was revived, they started their torture again. This time, though, they had thin staves which they had soaked in water to beat his bare skin, it was like a knife cutting through meat. The blood released was extensive, and Steve would have spoken at that point, but they didn’t stop to ask. Hassani was not in the room, he may well have recognised the opportune time to pry Steve of all the information he required, but his torturers were not that intelligent.
Hassani did come in eventually and stopped them; he was very angry, ‘I want him alive to answer questions, you are close to breaking his spine and killing him.’
They had intended to take to him with an electric drill, but the electricity supply in Kabul was so unreliable, and after a couple of hours waiting for it to return, they lost interest.
Archie was at the American Embassy with a full rescue team. They were going to use some Toyota Corollas and dress as locals. Some of the Afghanistan interpreters had disguised them, and given them detailed instruction on how not to look American. They weren’t very good at looking like a local, but it might be enough to get them outside the house before their cover was blown. It had to be assumed that the roads leading up to the house were being watched by Taliban collaborators.
At midday, the torturers would go to prayer, five minutes later Archie and his team would hit the house.
There were to be twenty-one persons, comprising ten Afghans and eleven U.S special operatives. Most of the special operatives were navy seals; some had been on the raid that took out Bin Laden. They would surround the compound, no unnecessary weapon fire until Steve was secured and out of the house. A casual Afghan knocking at the door of the house would confuse the torturers. They would then storm from all quarters into the house to secure.
Not all of Steve’s tormentors were at the house; some had gone to the mosque. They had been staked out and were to be eliminated at the same time.
It all worked flawlessly. They found Steve, close to death, virtually unconscious. They had brought a medic team who stabilised him and quickly took him to the medical facility at the U.S embassy. He was placed in intensive care, and within three days he was conscious, although severely shocked and certainly not capable of remaining in the country for any longer. He was placed on the first plane suitable, out to a medical facility in Washington. Megan was there on his arrival, although she was in shock when she saw him.
He was, however, in one piece. The severe trauma was to take many years to go away, and he would be tormented by the occasional nightmare for the rest of his life.
Archie had two final activities: the first, to be present at the White House when the President of the United States declared that the Taliban elimination exercise had completed, and the second, he was off to the pub in the Woodford Valley near his cottage in the English countryside.
Chapter 28
The situation had reached crisis point. Russia was at the border, its move through the countries to the north had only taken two weeks.
The days of pointing nuclear weapons at each other’s cities and threatening to press the button were gone. The weapons were still there, enough to obliterate the world.
Russia had embraced capitalism; it still wanted to be the major military power, and it still intended to expand its borders, but not at the cost of destroying its economy.
As the days moved into weeks, the Russian army sat on the border consolidating its position, conducting war exercises, and occasionally reminding those in the north of Afghanistan that they were there. Their jets lighting up the skies at night with weapon fire, high-speed flyovers of the border with the afterburners blazing.
No direct action, no shots fired in anger and no fatalities. As always, there was an Afghani on the border, invariably one of the military commanders for the local Warlord, who felt the need to show to his fellow combatants that he was the man who stood up to the might of the Russian military. They had all received a bullet from a Russian sniper for their troubles.
The Warlords had no time for their normal pastime of skulduggery, corruption and bribing, and whatever else a Warlord does for a living. Their job description had a very clear and precise new addendum to it, though. It was a description that anyone in the west would have been proud to have: defend the northern border of their country against the might of the Russian military.
Discussions at the U.N. continued, both Russian and American negotiators were shuttling between their capitals. At least there was open dialogue and cordiality between the two parties. They were able to visit each other, discuss, attempt compromises, threaten, but as long as they continued to talk there was always the possibility of rational thinking that would avert the crisis.
The think tank, now at fever pitch was ahead of the situation. They were bolstered by the best professionals that were available. The Command Centre was playing out every scenario.
The doomsday clock, that remnant of the Cold War was being updated. It was no longer the fear of nuclear annihilation that drove it; it was the fear of confrontation in Afghanistan flowing over into the dispute of Pakistan with India, Iran with any Sunni regime that objected to their Shia majority, and Israel taking the opportunity to score some points against Iran and its nuclear weapon development.
There was a very real possibility that the Third World War would emanate out of the Middle East.
The people in the north of Afghanistan were flocking to the border. There was an army threatening them, and for once, they were united. They still argued, though, and they were unable to form a cohesive resistance.
The moment the Russians made a move against these people, the worldwide condemnation would have been universal.
All the actions and counter actions, possibilities and realities, were being played out in the USA. The scenarios, the events, the people, and the weaponry were there for all to see, and for them to follow through and project into the near and far future. The Russians, no doubt, back in Moscow were conducting a similar exercise.
There was always the final solution for America to defuse the situation with Russia, the ultimate solution whereby the Russian military would withdraw, and both sides would claim victory.
It was simplicity in itself. America would have a great military victory without in essence the military turning up on the field of battle, the Russians would achieve a great tactical success which their people could acclaim, and those invaded countries to the north would welcome with open arms.
That compromise was not just yet, this was brinkmanship, par excellence. The doomsday clock had another minute or two to get closer to 12 o’clock.
Russia and America in confidence, were discussing this ultimate compromise behind closed doors in the greatest secrecy; it was not to be revealed at this moment. The results were to be savoured by both countries. It was to usher in a new era of peace and stability between these two nations.
The doomsday clock was at 11.56 p.m. Another thirty seconds and then the clock timer would hold.
Chapter 29
The route had been diplomatically difficult, but Russia now sat on the northern border of Afghanistan. The discussions were numerous, and the threats and counter-threats between the three countries to the north of Afghanistan and Russia had been of the utmost intensity.
Russia would bring them under the umbrella of Mother Russia in time, but for now, they had the USA and Afghanistan to worry about.
The USA had complained in the U.N. about Russian aggression, invading sovereign countries; to the casual or interested observer it would seem like ‘The pot calling the kettle black.’
What the USA had done in Afghanistan amounted to a similar exercise, but then again, opinions and actions are subjective. The Americans had an idealistic view of the world, at least that was how they always tried to portray it, but they were not idealistic, they were pragmatic. They had seen a solution and an opportunity thanks to the deliberating and hypothesising of a think tank.
The threatening gestures over the border in the north con
tinued, the Russian planes occasionally crossing into Afghan airspace. It was never long enough to be classified as an incident. It was purely to reinforce that Russia was serious in their intent to prevent the Americans having it all their own way. There had been some incidents, but so far relatively minor, and the American military was not on the ground. They were on high alert at their land bases in Turkey, Western Europe, and steaming around the Gulf of Oman.
More naval ships were heading to the region, and the USA was preparing to mobilise more troops for shipment to the theatre of action.
America and Russia did not want confrontation. They saw the risk of world war and the inherent possibility of madness spilling over into the Middle East.
All the countries in the Middle East were on full alert. They were all pointing their weapons at Israel. Israel, in return, was pointing her weapons back. It only needed one trigger happy, ill-disciplined officer on any of the active fronts to make a mistake, misinterpret an order, or to feel that he wanted to be the hero of the moment.
Negotiations continued unabated between the two main combatants. Communication had always been possible. Neither wanted action, neither could back off.
The think tank had thought this situation through at length; they felt there had to be an equitable resolve, whereby, both sides could claim success to show to their people as proof that they remained the dominant nation in the world.
There was always assumed that America could not take all of the wealth of Afghanistan. The transportation was not ideal either through Port Chabahar in Iran or Gwadar in Pakistan. Russia offered a much better solution for the oil and natural gas in the north.
This was being put forward, not only to Russia, but to the bordering countries as a solution. The substantial coal deposits were available for possible Russian use, as well. India had a claim to those, but there was enough for Russia and India to share. They could align a friendship with this.
China had staked a claim on the oil, or at least a portion of it, but they had a major problem with shipping of it through to their country; that could be facilitated by Russia.
There still remained the lithium, which was to become the revitalising component of a re-emergent American manufacturing economy. A plan in place to legislate the American road transportation system to electric power would drive the American economy. The country would have the major supply of the vital mineral. Key manufacturing companies in America, and in particular, the car manufacturers, had received forewarning of legislation changes.
The march of the technology, the reducing effect on pollution levels would cause governments around the world to start legislating to the same level.
The doomsday clock continued to be on the front page of every newspaper, displayed on every TV news programme. It ticked closer to midnight.
The presidents of both the potential combatants were in constant communication: proposals and counter proposals were offered, rejected, modified and then reoffered.
It was now purely a question of how to negotiate an arrangement over the oil and gas fields. China had been extracting a nominal quantity of oil before the breakdown of the country. The arrangement with Uzbekistan for refining had broken down well in advance of the current situation. China, all the while, had been agitating for justice for themselves, their recognition of their rightful claims in the country.
The time had come for the two presidents and their full teams to meet. A neutral country would seem ideal. Switzerland seemed to offer that neutrality.
The news of the impending meeting had caused an easing in tensions. The Russians pulled back a small distance from the Afghan border and the incursion of the occasional military jet into Afghanistan airspace had stopped.
For America, they were downgrading the alert level to their extensive military. All the countries facing the Russian border, not just the three countries to the north of Afghanistan, but those in Western Europe and along the Black and Caspian seas followed America's lead.
Israel, as usual, did not trust anyone and stated that it was staying on full alert. There appeared to be some optimism.
The meeting duly convened; five days had passed since the initial hope of a compromise agreement. Each side had a substantial contingent on hand. The U.S President made sure the think tank was there.
He realised that their evaluation and ponderings had brought them to this place. He was aware that they were invaluable in extraditing the smallest detail from the proceedings.
The agreement that was to be made, the team had already given it to the president would ensure the venture into Afghanistan was successful, and the subsequent stabilisation of the region was sound.
It also ensured an equitable deal for Russia that would allow them to claim success. They would proudly be able to state how they saved the world from American aggression, quelled the insurgencies in the world, and restored the Middle East process.
The discussions and the numerous meetings between the persons present would go on for the next ten days. Government business requiring both presidents’ attention back in their respective capitals went unattended.
Every little nuance, every scrap of detail that the media could grab was reported in infinite detail. The world waited poised for whatever information was available.
The Western media reported everything; the Russian media heard all, but did not report it ad verbatim; their press was not totally free. The Chinese clamped all information until their politburo had cleared it.
The question of Russian access to the resources in Afghanistan was discussed; this was ultimately not to be the great sticking point. How could it be engineered for them to save face, and what were they going to do about the countries that they had just bulldozed their way through. Were they to be part of the reformed Soviet Union, or was Russia able to abandon those aspirations in such a way as to be seen as a minor argument amongst friends.
With an agreement over resources, then it could be seen that Russia could utilise their people and their country for refining, and for the construction of pipelines feeding into Russia and ultimately Europe. That way seemed to be the easiest way to save face.
China was still an issue; it had wanted to use Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to their advantage. They were not a military threat here, but they were certainly a dynamic economic power who was not to be ignored.
The final agreement with the Chinese was that those areas of the oil and natural gas fields, which they had legally obtained licences for would be recognised as belonging to the Chinese if they could ratify their leasing rights were honestly obtained. They did not have claims to all of the fields and those remaining would be open to fair and open bidding.
Refining of those extractions was to occur in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan by nationals of those respective countries. Only nationals of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan would cross the border into Afghanistan, and they would only be civilians intricately involved in any oil and natural gas related operations. Russia was obviously to pull back to their border and stand down.
China would be allowed to export their resources through whichever country they chose.
America would stake claim to any mine, oil or gas field in the country that showed no serious activity on the site. They would be held in trust for the Afghan people, and a fair and equitable bidding process would be set up by the American administrators in Kabul.
It would be scrupulously honest, and those records proving that honesty would be freely available. In the interim, America would mine and extract all that they could while the bidding process continued. If a non-American company won the leasing rights, then it would pay twenty-five percent of the value of minerals extracted to the American government.
The remaining profits from such operations were to be divided on a 50/50 basis with the Afghan government. Those profits for Kabul would be openly and honestly recorded and open to inspection.
Any aggression, acts of vandalism, errant behaviour against any foreign personnel in the country by
Warlords, villagers, and political agitators would be regarded as an act of open hostility and would be responded in the strongest manner. Personnel to deal with such incidents would be kept out of the country but would respond in a short period of time.
They all were concerned to ensure that this would never be seen as an occupying aggressor.
The people in Afghanistan would until they see the tangible benefits regard any foreigner with suspicion, believing his intent to be as a conqueror whether he carried a gun or a shovel.
Pakistan was to be tightly monitored by America; any hint of their indulging in the behaviour of the past would be resoundingly criticised, and that direct action would be taken against person or persons implicated.
A central government was to be formed in Afghanistan that would be free to conduct affairs in the country as it wished.
All aspects of that government, from the president down through the various ministries to the lowest official would be subject to the administrator’s audits and evaluations.
Any person from the president down, where there is seen to be a hint of indiscretion would be immediately suspended on full pay and subject to a full investigation. If found guilty then they will subject to criminal arrest, the subsequent criminal case to be conducted subject to the standards prevailing in any Western country.
The people of Afghanistan will see that their leaders are honourable and decent. Corruption, political assassinations, will cease. There will be full accountability of all government officials whether elected or otherwise.
The cost of the administration team will be deducted from the mining resources profits. The administrators will themselves be subject to audit by a joint panel of American and Russian personnel, approved by both countries and held to the highest values.
Prelude To War: World War 3 (Steve Case Thriller Book 1) Page 23
