Black Sea Affair by Don Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

times the size of the one on my screen."
    "Volgograd is one of the biggest military districts in Russia, " Kent told the younger man. "The city was once called Stalingrad. The bloodiest battle in human history took place here in 1942. Over a million people died. This is hallowed ground to the Russian people. They feel that they whipped the Nazis right here, two years before the Normandy invasion. And they well may be right." He set down his coffee cup. "Strategic U.S. doctrine says any major Russian ground invasion of the Middle East would muster in Volgograd and follow this route to the south . . . the same route that these forces are following."
    "You think this may be it?"
    Kent hesitated. "I pray not. We'll know more at our next satellite pass around two-thirty."
    The phone rang. "Kent, Mr. Harrell from NSA is on the secure line, " the secretary said.
    "Thanks." Kent waited for the connection. G. B. Harrell was Kent's counterpart at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, the duty supervisor for monitoring Northern Caucasus activity. The NSA was the U.S. government agency tasked with intercepting communication signals of potential enemies worldwide.
    Harrell's voice came on the line. "Kent, what's up?"
    "Our one-thirty satellite pass shows Russian ground forces on the move, south out of Volgograd and east out of North Ossetia."
    "What size?"
    "Too early to tell, G. B. Maybe two, three divisions. We'll know more when our bird passes over them again."
    "Hmm." Harrell paused. "We'd been picking up traffic from that region in the last few hours indicating that a movement of forces was getting underway. But the usual questions -- from where to where, and when -- have been a puzzle. This helps fill part of the puzzle. Are our birds showing other Russian force movements anywhere in the world?"
    "Negative, G. B. Not yet. I'll be meeting with our other Russian action officers here in just a few and I'll call you if that changes. But as of now, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok . . . all seem quiet."
    "Okay, " Harrell said. "I'm calling this an urgent matter for top-secret classification that needs immediate attention up the chain-of-command. The national security director and the secretary of defense will need to be roused. They can decide whether to wake the president."
    "I concur, " Kent said. "I'll notify the NGA director. You can handle NSA and the secretary of defense. I'm sending these photos over now. Let's touch base in thirty to get these reports meshed together. Sounds like we're going to have a busy one."
    "Concur."
    "Talk to you soon."
    The secure line went dead.
    The Alexander Popovich Sochi, Russia

    9:05 a.m. local time

    Captain Batsakov waited just long enough for Aleksey to return with a loaded pistol before entering his stateroom.
    Two men, both appearing to be in their mid to late thirties, sat at his dining table. The men rose as Batsakov closed the door. "Ah, Kapitan !" The man on the left spoke in the smug tone of a know-it-all bureaucrat. "I am Agent Fedorov. This is Agent Sidorov." Their identification badges featured the light blue globe surrounded by a gold ring, sitting on a gold pedestal, and back-dropped by the familiar sprawling five-pointed star rising above wreaths of wheat -- the terrifying symbol of the FSB.
    "Welcome to the Alexander Popovich. "
    " Spaceeba , Kapitan , " Fedorov said. "May we sit?"
    "Please." Batsakov motioned the two visitors to resume their places at the table. "Would you gentlemen care for something to drink?"
    "Vodka, " Fedorov said.
    "Vodka for me also, " Sidorov added.
    Batsakov retrieved two glasses from the cabinet above the sink. "So, gentlemen, how may I be of service to the FSB?" Clear vodka flowed into the glasses. Batsakov handed one to each of the agents.
    " Kapitan ." Fedorov sipped the vodka. "Rumor has it that you have become, shall we say, a handsomely paid ship's master."
    "And why is the FSB concerned about my compensation? I have always paid all of my