Russian Doomsday

by S A Ison

  Hamish stifled a yawn and blinked his eyes furiously. This really was a waste of his time. He needed to look over intel and get a few things done before heading home today. He groaned internally, he needed a vacation.

  Lincoln, NE, 17 July 2018

  Sayer picked up his cup of coffee and took a gulp. He and Joy were enjoying breakfast before he headed out to work. Joy was off duty today. He wasn’t very busy at work today, so he’d be home later to spend some quality time with her.

  Joy took a sip of her morning coffee. “Do you think it is a real possibility?” she asked, her busy brows working overtime as she processed the information about POSEIDON

  He leaned over and kissed them. “Well, the presidents had their meeting yesterday in Washington, so I don’t think it’ll happen any time soon.” He grinned. “But sooner or later, and I’m hoping later, it will happen. Our country is so big, so dependent on other countries, technology and so on. What would happen to the hospital if you lost power forever?”

  She stared at him hard for a long moment. “You know, I’ve never really thought about it. I mean it. I know you do all your prepping. I love that about you. But I honestly never thought about what would happen, especially at the hospital, if we lost power for good.” Her dark brows furrowed in thought.

  “Maybe it’s something to think about, honey,” he suggested softly. He reached over, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles gently.

  “I think I will, Sayer. I know you think I’m this flighty woman…” she held up her free hand to stop him interrupting. “Well, if not flighty, maybe just a little different. But I’ve taken note of what you’ve been doing, and I’ve had enough of relying on you doing it all.” She looked at her hands.

  He loved her hands. They were strong and capable, yet gentle and loving too. She was a great nurse; she knew her stuff and remained calm in the middle of a storm. At a touch, her hands could soothe and calm him.

  “Perhaps it is time I step up to the plate and stop sitting on the sidelines. I’m ready to get into the game, coach.” She grinned that big grin of hers, the one he loved so much.

  He laughed, reached over, and pulled her into his lap. She laughed and wrapped her slender arms around his neck. She nuzzled him on his neck and he stood, holding her in his arms.

  “I think I might be a little late to work this morning, woman; you’ve convinced me that I need to delay.” And he carried her into the bedroom, her giggles filling his head and his heart.

  He headed to work some time later with a wide smile on his face. As the day progressed, his mind was occupied with thoughts of POSEIDON. He wasn’t even sure why it bothered him so much. The U.S. was always getting threatened with nuclear bombs, but this weapon…. It was for a specific purpose, small, and virtually undetectable.

  Why was Russia so hellbent on destroying America? Jealousy? He knew it wasn’t fear, since Russia had the same capabilities as the U.S. Mutually assured annihilation.

  He lowered the Toyota Corolla from the lift and wiped the excess grease from his hands. He’d done an oil change and a brake check. Mrs. Alan was the last customer of the day. He walked into the small waiting room and smiled at the elderly woman. She’d been coming to him for years, and he liked that aspect of his job the most.

  He had had most of his customers since he’d first opened his doors. They were a faithful lot. Mrs. Alan always tipped him a dollar, and he would thank her kindly and help her into her car. He patted her veined old hand and smiled kindly.

  He liked being a mechanic. He’d always preferred working with his hands to sitting behind a desk. It gave him more freedom and was never boring. There was always a puzzle to figure out. He had Mary Beth, a sixty-year-old widow to do the books and keep the register and appointments. She lived with her son and his family, four grandsons, all busy to the last man. “If I don’t get out of that house, I’m afraid I just might kill my son. I love him, but those kids are a rowdy bunch and get on my last nerve. Besides, he doesn’t let me smoke in the house.”

  Mary Beth smoked like a chimney, and Sayer let her smoke to her heart’s content; but not in the customer lounge. She didn’t mind. She kept the office door open to the outside to let the smoke escape. The office smelled of smoke and had yellowed from the nicotine.

  Over the years he’d had kids from the high school come, the ones who wanted to get a jump on a trade and gain some experience. He’d had a few girls in as well; they had smaller hands and did better with the finer aspects of mechanisms. At the moment he only had one senior from the local high school, Jerry Orbison, coming in a couple times a week to learn the trade. The kid was all thumbs but had a good heart and tried hard.

  Sayer owned the shop and had a longstanding reputation as a great mechanic. So, he was choosy about his customers. There were a lot of deadbeats, promising payments. He’d had a few over the years, and over time had learned who was good on their word and who was not. Sometimes, the repairs were costly. He’d let some customers pay over several months. Not all, however, and he liked that he had the flexibility to turn them away.

  That was how he’d met Joy. She’d come in with her old Ford truck needing some work. She’d said the other shops wanted an outrageous amount to fix a few problems. He took a look and saw there were quite a few problems, but knew they wouldn’t cost a king’s ransom to fix.

  “Many of the problems are just wear and tear, and I can fix them,” he’d said. “Some issues will be a bit more expensive, but we can do those over time so it won’t cost you as much in the long run. For now, we’ll get her running smooth.”

  She’d smiled that big gap-toothed smile and won his heart. He’d smiled back at her and saw a light go on. Her rich brown eyes had sparkled. It was almost like love at first sight. Her skin was a rich mahogany, she wore her hair in a short natural afro, and she had a slender build. She had expressive arched brows that seemed to communicate in a language all their own.

  He smiled absently and went about closing up the workshop. Perhaps he would take her out to dinner and a movie. It had been a long time since they’d had a date night.

  Rowland, NC, 17 July 2018

  Harley Burk sat in the kitchen of his home in Rowland, NC. He looked out of the bay window of the kitchen to the pastures beyond. The two milk cows were over in the far field. His wife, Christy and their twin sons, Jackson and Jacob – now seven – cared for the two cows, thirty chickens, six rabbits, and three dogs. They had quite the menagerie.

  Harley traveled a lot. He was a food broker and spent a lot of time going to different locals throughout North Carolina, introducing new product lines to stores. He also met with manufacturers. He had a whole room dedicated to his samples. He chuckled. Christy had threatened his life with all the clutter in the house.

  They had twelve acres of partial woods and pasture, and farms surrounded them. He’d been a city boy and married a country girl. This house had been in her family and they’d decided to raise their family here. Though Harley traveled a lot, here was where his heart was.

  He knew the world out there was rough. He’d spent three years in the Army when he was younger, just out of high school. He’d gone to Afghanistan and had been glad to get out of there with his skin intact. When his tour was up, he’d left the Army, knowing it wasn’t the life for him.

  He worried for his family when he was away. He had to travel a lot, and watching the news made him trepidatious about leaving them for long stretches of time. But there was nothing for it. He had to earn a living. He’d tried jobs closer to home, but they didn’t pay as well. He knew Christy held the home and farm together; she always had. They missed him, but they also functioned well without him.

  He shook his head. He didn’t know why he was thinking gloomy thoughts. He should stop watching the news. It was so depressing these days, about things he had no control over. Being in the Army had taught him that there were always threats, both over there and here at home. You just did the best you could.

  He sipped his
coffee. The twins were out in the fields running off energy. With school out, they were a big help to Christy. The boys had already milked the cows and fed the animals. The dogs, large gangly German Shepherds, were out chasing the boys. Christy raised puppies on the side, selling them for a handsome profit. The puppies were always well-loved by the boys, and by the time they went to new homes were very acclimated to busy children.

  He was glad she had them here for protection too. They were sweet, goofy dogs, but they had a purpose too.

  Christy came into the kitchen in her pink fuzzy robe and sat beside him, grabbing his coffee as she did so. He put his arm around her and kissed her soft blonde head.

  “How long you gonna be gone this time?” she asked, sipping the hot brew.

  “Only four days. Just heading over to Raleigh. You want anything while I’m there?”

  “No, honey. Just come home safe.” She smiled, leaned over, and kissed his cheek.

  His eyes crinkled in a smile. “The boys are out and playing. Wanna go fool around?” he asked hopefully.

  She sniggered and got up, taking his hand. Pulling, she led him to their bedroom. With one hand, Harley began to tug at his bright red tie while he kicked off his shoes. Christy looked back at him, grinned widely, and jerked him the last stretch into their bedroom and slammed the door. All thoughts of the Army and bad news fled.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  St. Marys, GA, 17 July 2018

  Pike chewed the straw. Both Johnny and Beverly were out with clients and he was glad for the quiet. He’d been out earlier in the morning and shown his client his listings, and then several from other agencies. The man had been very indecisive. Which was normal. Purchasing property was an overwhelming process, apparently, and such a large purchase was not to be undertaken lightly.

  Either way, Pike was now lazing around online, looking up things about medical supplies he might need in a SHTF situation. He had started a first aid kit and thought perhaps he should order some potassium iodine tablets for radiation poisoning. He’d send it on to Margo; he didn’t want anything being delivered to an old address.

  He was also looking for properties around Mozingo Lake. Preferably the western side, as there were fewer tourist spots in that area. He was looking for forested land, but also keeping an eye on the more secluded properties with bigger acreage. He figured it would be better to have land around the homestead, putting space between himself and his neighbors.

  That also meant privacy, something he’d read was necessary for preppers; one didn’t want the neighbors watching one stuffing the home with supplies or building a bunker. People were naturally nosy. They were nosy at work and nosy at home. He already had a couple neighbors who watched him. He’d felt their eyes on many occasions, drilling into his back.

  Looking at the listings, there were several properties with four- and five-acre lots that didn’t have neighbors anywhere near, just plenty of forest. He had a kernel of an idea. He needed to discuss it with Margo before he could seriously consider it, though.

  His heart sped up just thinking about her. He really needed to get a grip on his emotions. They hardly knew each other, truth be told. Better to stay on task and keep his mind on the issues at hand. There was such a gulf of years between them.

  He’d found one property that was perfect for what he had in mind. Thee others almost made the grade, but this one was simply tailor-made. It was off grid with solar panels and boasted a small wind turbine. Having one or the other was great, but both? It gave options. It would also generate power on cloudy days. He was certain they’d have to watch power consumption on those days. It also had the most land, and was nice and secluded.

  It had five hundred feet of waterfront on the lake, several storage sheds, and a small barn. It also had a buried propane tank. So, propane stove and maybe water heater? The only real problem that he could see was that the log cabin was expensive, and rightfully so: it was well equipped as far as he could see.

  From the photographs, it appeared to be well built with an open-concept living room and kitchen. Some of the furnishings would be left behind, which would work in their favor. Two bathrooms as well. That was always good.

  And this was where Margo came into the plan. They would need to pool their money and buy the property together, if he could get a job. It was something to discuss once he got there. There was no way either of them could afford to buy the property on their own. However, combining their money, he was pretty sure they could. The thing was, he didn’t know if it was a good idea to suggest living together, given the way he felt about her.

  Though they had been friends in school, they hadn’t seen each other for years. And well he knew people changed when they became adults. He would essentially be meeting her for the first time as a grown man, and that was unsettling. Especially since he still had a crush on her.

  But their lives perhaps depended on them making the right decisions. Pike knew he had to take his emotions off the table. He only hoped he could. Saying it was easier than doing it.

  Johnny walked in, belching and grinning, breaking into Pike’s thoughts. Clearly he’d made a sale. Pike waited, knowing Johnny was about to crow. And he did. Pike put his fingers in his ears. Johnny was an okay guy, but he could get obnoxious at times.

  “Congrats, Johnny. Glad you got a sale,” Pike said after unplugging his ears. And he meant it.

  “Had them in the palm of my hand. They were looking to live in a gated community. Showed them three of my most expensive ones and wifey fell in love. She had to have the last one. Got to love it when the wifey falls in love. Hubby just can’t say no to that. Easy peas’. How about you? Did you score? No don’t tell me. Bombed.” Johnny sniggered, his face turning bright red. This was the part where Johnny was annoying and obnoxious.

  “At least you got rid of those stupid books. Dude, did you see that the Ruski Orlov is meeting with the President? See, you were all worried for nothing. You shouldn’t get all frantic about that shit. You know that the U.S. is the most powerful country in the world. We got nothing to worry about. They should be scared of us.” He laughed, which nearly sounded like braying.

  Pike smiled sadly at him and shook his head. That poor idiot. He has no clue, nor does he want to learn or even listen. “Yeah, I know, that was yesterday.” He turned back to his screen and noted down the information on the property. It had been on the market for well over six months, so there was probably a bit of room for negotiation. He could hope. Sometimes it was a seller’s market, sometimes a buyer’s market. And other times, the seller just wouldn’t budge.

  He needed to get home and finish packing up. He was glad he had a truck, in which he could haul nearly everything he owned, which sadly wasn’t a whole hell of a lot. He’d have to look into getting an older model truck eventually, but he’d just wait and see. One thing at a time. Not too many irons in the fire or he’d burn up or burn out.

  Washington, D.C., 17 July 2018

  Hamish sat at his desk, reading through intel. The work day was coming to an end, and he’d just set Mermaid into motion. There were three stacks of intel: Important, Really Important, and Read Now. Nothing new that he could see, which was neither good nor bad. He sent some orders out, moved assets around and moved up the schedule. He had several ops active around the world, though currently POSEIDON was one of the top priorities. There was always movement somewhere in the world, always something going on.

  He needed answers and needed them as soon as he could get them. He had several assets on this task. Mermaid was just one of them. The others were in key places and could provide real-time intel. However, the Russians were, as always, cautious and careful. It was always a gamble. That was just the way it was. Keeping one step ahead, having that vital intel. It was always a race, getting the intel, moving on, interpreting the intel, and so on. One never relied on one asset alone. This was a game played on many levels.

  Most intel was shifted over to analysis, where they could scratch their heads and pond
er over it. It might seem exciting to the outsider, but it was tedium at its best. Most intel was boring. There were rarely any events that would raise eyebrows.

  He would need to schedule a meeting with Jenson. Maybe the two of them could put their heads together and move things along faster. Being in the dark was not a good feeling. Hamish always felt that the U.S. was constantly fighting to stay ahead of the curve. Intel wasn’t always reliable either. Sometimes misinformation was leaked, sending them off in different directions. The key was knowing what needed to be followed, and if it needed following at all.

  The one thing about assets: no matter how much training they had, it was always down to the human factor. The agency depended on fallible people, though their mistakes were few if they wanted to live. If they weren’t good at their jobs, they were dead, and a dead asset was a wasted asset.

  Hamish hated waste. He was even less tolerant of those who wasted his time and his assets. There were plenty of those kinds floating around the Hill, like turds in a toilet.

  Moscow, Russia, 17 July 2018

  Dina Morenova pulled on her cigarette as she watched Borin covertly. She’d been working in his section of research and development for over a year and a half now. Her mission: seduce Borin and obtain any and all intel available. But not yet. Like a spider, she was dormant, unable to make a single move. When she had it, she would send it forward. To whom, she didn’t know. That was just as well.

  Dina was a beautiful woman, but over the last year and a half she’d played her looks down. Attention from non-targets was discouraged. That would simply cause complications. Though she was adept at the kind rebuff, she didn’t like it. It drew attention.

  She sighed heavily and went over to her computer. She opened the new email that waited there and her eyes went wide. It was the go-ahead message. She quickly put out her cigarette. The message in and of itself was innocuous, a general announcement to her division. However, the words now and activated were in such a place that only she would know their meaning.