Black Flagged Redux (18 page)

"We need to capture this man and his principal players. At that point, we can work to unravel whatever remains of his network and plans," General Kearney said.

"I assume Sanderson and his crew won't be deposited into the U.S. federal prison system?" Kestler said.

"No, ma'am," Kearney said, "he'll be flown straight to Guantanamo, where he'll remain until he cooperates and dismantles his worldwide operation."

"All right, I'm sold, as long as these gentlemen can convince me that we can pull this off without a major international incident," she said and stared at the two Special Operations Command generals.

General Gordon spread out a few satellite images in front of him and smiled for the first time since Shelby entered the room. It was a meaningless, practiced smile that impressed Shelby. Prior to seeing it, the director thought only he had patented this grin.

"After reviewing the satellite photos and the DIA's best assessment of the situation in that camp, I feel extremely confident that we can pull this off and keep it under the radar, both literally and figuratively. Our Navy's Third Fleet, based out of San Diego, is one month away from sending the Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group to the Persian Gulf. The
USS Boxer
and all of the ships in the Strike Group are at sea conducting a final shakedown prior to deployment, fully loaded with a combat-experienced Marine Expeditionary Unit. This MEU has been reinforced with a Marine Special Operations Company and the uniquely modified helicopters needed to put them into action. The MEU also hosts a SEAL platoon that specializes in direct action missions. I can have another SEAL platoon onboard the
Boxer
within four hours, along with eight of the navy's special operations Rescue Hawk helicopters. HSC-85's "Firehawks" are based right out of North Island in San Diego. This would give us one hundred special operators, and more than enough helicopters to ferry prisoners.

"Based on DIA and FBI estimates, plus reconnaissance, I estimate the possibility of removing up to forty prisoners."

"Forty? Is that feasible? How many helicopters are we talking about here?" Kestler said.

"Ten. Two marine CH-53ES Super Stallions and eight Rescue Hawks."

"Ten helicopters is an invasion force, General. What are the chances of keeping ten helicopters airborne during a nighttime operation? The targets are as well trained as any of the men that will step off those helicopters. Right?" Kestler said.

"Maybe the use of Tier One operators is something to consider," the assistant secretary of defense added.

"We won't need Delta or Devgru on this one. The operation is too big for either of those units anyway."

"Devgru is SEAL Team Six," Gerald said, directing his comment at Kestler.

"I know what the Naval Special Warfare's Development Group is, Gerald," she replied.

"General Nichols' Marines and the SEAL's can handle this job. General?" he said, nodding to Nichols.

"Given the number of structures and personnel on site, one SEAL platoon would secure the armory and vehicles and set up three or four support positions consisting of snipers and light machine guns. The remaining twenty SEALs and sixty marines would be assigned to secure the structures and prisoners. The helicopters would drop into the valley from an adjoining one, giving them little warning. Within the span of a minute, they'll be facing one hundred fully amped, night vision equipped, locked and loaded special operators…supported by several helicopters capable of spitting several thousand bullets into the compound within the span of seconds. Sanderson is a former special operator himself. He'll recognize the futility of his situation within seconds. So will the rest of his crew. If he decides to go out in a blaze of glory, we'll have a bloodbath on our hands, but it won't last long, and U.S. casualties will be minimal."

"I'm more concerned about the ten helicopters illegally crossing foreign airspace. I'll defer to your expertise regarding the capabilities of the operators," Kestler said.

"Thank you, ma'am," General Nichols said.

"Fortunately, we're looking at a relatively unpopulated stretch from the coast to the border of Argentina, far enough away from the capital or any major airports that radar detection is not a concern. No coastal radar emissions beyond sparse Coast Guard patrols have ever been noted in the most likely area for our helicopters to go 'feet dry.' Once over land, we're looking at a hundred and thirty mile trip to the compound. Forty miles of that is over Argentinian soil. Roughly a forty-five minute ride over land to the compound. The helicopters carry every possible electronic countermeasure available and have been constructed to produce a minimal radar or heat cross section. These birds incorporate stealth technology and are virtually undetectable by commercial radar. Even their rotor systems are dampened to reduce noise. The pilots are highly trained for this type of mission and have extensive real world experience flying missions a lot more complicated. Miss Kestler, if the White House approves the mission, it will succeed."

"I concur with this assessment," Gerald said, and for the first time since the meeting started, a few of the generals subtly shook their heads.

"The navy's Strike Group will be at sea for two more days, conducting operations off Camp Pendleton. If the decision is made before they pull into port, the Strike Group can be in position off the coast of Chile within ten days, assuming the navy doesn't mind burning a little extra fuel."

"I'm sure they'll mind, but given the tasking, they won't have a choice. Gentlemen, thank you for your time. I expect to meet with the national security advisor later this afternoon to get the ball rolling. I think it's clear this operation is worth the risks involved. Sanderson presents a clear and present danger to U.S. security. I'll be in touch," Kestler said, and everyone stood up.

"I think with the Secretary's backing, we'll be in business shortly. I expect to see everyone in the situation room within a few weeks. General, I'll catch up with you later," Gerald Simmons said.

When the assistant defense secretary exited the room, General Gordon shook his head and spoke quietly. "Just my luck to get stuck with that guy. I can barely stand to look at him and I have to deal with him on a daily, if not hourly basis. At least he isn't universally opposed to conducting military operations like the last guy."

"That appears to be his only redeeming trait," the marine general added.

"Frank, Larry…thanks for putting on the 'dog and pony' show. I think the general concept of operations laid out by the two of you will be more than adequate to handle Sanderson. Start working on the details. Director Shelby assures me that all of the right faces are aligned to recommend an operation against Sanderson to the president, and we all know it would be highly out of character for the president to swim against this tide," General Kearney said.

"Sounds good, Rob. We'll get things started behind the scenes. I'll put the helicopter squadron and another SEAL platoon on immediate alert, and we'll start a detailed mission planning session with SEAL Team Three and 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion."

"Thank you, gentlemen. Always a pleasure," Kearney said.

The two generals departed after a brief round of handshakes, leaving Admiral DeSantos, General Kearney and Frederick Shelby at the table.

"Why were you so quiet?" Kearney said.

Admiral DeSantos leaned forward with a slightly anguished look on his face. "I don't know. I didn't have much to add. I inherited the watered down version of Sanderson's program, and to be honest, the more I learn about Sanderson's new program, the more I wish we had something like this…off the books of course. I just wonder if there isn't a way to harness what Sanderson offers," the admiral said.

"In flagrant violation of the Constitution and every known law of the country? Sanderson had his chance and he blew it. Congress shut him down for a reason, and given his complete lack of regard for our nation's laws, or respect for our agencies, I wouldn't expect the relationship to be worth the risk. I like results and I'm willing to bend the rules a little to achieve them, but Sanderson's concept of bending the rules far exceeds anything any of us could live with. The sooner he's out of circulation, the better for all of us. Trust me on that," Director Shelby said.

"I'll be in touch. Thanks for corralling the right people at the right time, Bob. I owe you one," Shelby said.

The director stood up and bid the two DIA flag officers goodbye after extracting a promise that Kearney would keep him in the loop.

Chapter 18

6:35 PM

Nuequen Province

Western Argentina

Daniel stared at the map laid out on the massive oak table in the headquarters lodge and glanced up at the sixty-inch plasma screen TV mounted on the wall just above them. The table had been pushed up against the rustic wall so the team could lay out any paper maps or charts on it and easily cross-reference the material with any of the media that Sanderson had acquired. Currently, it displayed some "borrowed" satellite imagery from the CIA.

"This sounds like a routine site reconnaissance. Why can't the CIA handle this? Or Shitwater? It sounds like Berg is breaking our balls," Daniel said.

His comment was accompanied by a few muted laughs, which were immediately stopped by several serious, condemning stares. Farrington glared the hardest.

"Come on, Sergei. You know you want to laugh," Daniel said and focused on the map again.

"Three bodies on this dead-end road. Russians?" Daniel said.

"Daniel, you're killing me. Unknown on the bodies. Imagery indicates that we might be looking at several more bodies in a mass grave around this cluster of buildings," Sanderson said, flashing his laser pointer at the screen.

Parker sat at one end of the table with a laptop. He moved a mouse connected to the computer, and the image zoomed in on a cluster of buildings far removed from the main concentration of buildings associated with the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. “The buildings of interest lie about ten miles southwest of the old reactor complex and show signs of recent activity. According to local sources, mining operations in the area had been extensive, but recent imagery doesn’t show any mining equipment associated with the activity at this site, and a new, permanent structure appeared about five months ago. The miners typically bring trailers for any onsite needs. CIA thinks we should focus on this site."

"And check out the three bodies?" Farrington said.

"Exactly. The site is to be examined specifically for signs that it may have been used as a laboratory. To answer your question, Daniel, though I don't like to get in the habit of entertaining your endless supply of commentary…the CIA division running this op is chasing a theory, based on some circumstantial intelligence reports. Due diligence. Whatever the case, the Russians are up to something, and the CIA doesn't want to fall too far behind on this one," Sanderson said.

"What are we looking at?" Farrington said.

"The Russians are turning over every conceivable rock to find Dr. Anatoly Reznikov, a disgraced and disavowed bio-researcher. Apparently, a Russian Special Forces raid in Dagestan hit pay dirt. They found evidence that Reznikov travelled to Dagestan to meet with Al Qaeda leaders. Five years ago, Reznikov tried to steal partially weaponized encephalitis samples from Russia's equivalent of the CDC. As you can imagine, this is not a match made in heaven. Only bad voodoo can come of it."

"Why would they keep shit like that around?" Andrei interjected.

"Standard procedure. We do the same thing, even with programs that have been banned for decades. The CDC keeps a sample catalogue of every known disease, natural or manmade. Anyway, they fired him from the lab and blackballed him throughout Russia. He disappeared soon after that. The CIA always speculated that he had been assassinated by the Russians, but apparently that was not the case. Your job is to gather evidence to help the CIA determine if someone, likely Reznikov, had run a lab at this site. It's perfectly isolated, aside from the mining activity, and Reznikov would be familiar with the area."

"What about radioactivity levels? This was the Ruskies' primary nuke testing site for most of the Cold War. I'd like to have kids one day," Daniel said, and this time most of them laughed.

"Now that's a scary thought," Farrington said.

"You'll be equipped with Geiger counters and radiation strips. I can't imagine the need for radiation suits, given the fact that someone clearly used the buildings for an extended period of time. If it's hot, I don't want you sticking around. That'll be your call, Daniel. I wouldn't want to ruin your plans to have beautiful children," Sanderson said.

"I'll be sure to pass that on to Jessica. So, I only have one more question."

"Oh boy," Farrington muttered.

"Although this site certainly fits the bill for a mad scientist's laboratory, I can probably find you a thousand similar locations around the world. How did the CIA narrow this down so quickly?" Petrovich asked.

"I assume they started looking in the areas close to Reznikov's old stomping grounds. The VECTOR research lab is in Novosibirsk, a few hundred miles away, and another major lab is located in Stepnogorsk, roughly a hundred miles to the north in Kazakhstan," Sanderson said.

Daniel glanced at Farrington and raised an eyebrow. Despite their personality differences, he had come to trust Farrington's tactical assessment capabilities, finding them to be remarkably similar to his own. They had worked together to solve
señor
Galenden's problems, and Farrington had been Daniel's first choice for the Kazakhstan mission, although Sanderson had already assigned Farrington to the team. Sanderson had logically placed Farrington on the team because he spoke fluent Russian and was the de facto leader of the Russian AO Group.

The three other men in the room comprised the newest batch of Russian AO operatives. Sergei, Andrei and Leo, all born in the U.S. to Russian emigrants; all former U.S. military special operations soldiers, all currently fluent in several Russian dialects, and trained to blend seamlessly into Russian surroundings. Apparently, the Russian AO training regimen prohibited regular bathing, as all three of them reeked of body odor and sour breath. They looked rough, ungroomed, and slightly aloof. The effect was amazingly effective. They'd fit in on any Russian street, right down to the brands of clothing they wore on a daily basis. If anyone was going to compromise their group, it would be Daniel, who smelled like a blend of citrus and sandalwood soap.