Shepherd considered this and wished he could call Mike Rosenberg back. He had texted him that he was safe and thanked him for the warning, but they hadn’t been able to speak because things happened so quickly.
This mission would be his chance to make up for his poor judgment with Fannie Legat. But it was also his chance to be what he had trained for most of his adult life: a U.S. Marine in combat.
Anton Severov bounced in the main hatch of the tank as it moved along the edge of the road. He continued to stare at Amir just so the Iranian didn’t think he was getting away with anything. Then the column came to a halt, and commanders were called to a briefing being held under the awning of a closed souvenir shop on the edge of the road. Severov hopped off the tank and trotted along, hoping the column didn’t stay stationary for long. It seemed like he was the only one nervous about a counteroffensive by NATO.
He slowed before he reached the giant awning, which provided shade to the entire group. They were roughly twenty-five officers facing the general and four of his junior staff. Severov noticed the nod the general gave him as he stepped into the shade of the awning, brushing some dust off the breast of his tunic.
Three vehicles parked next to the building told Severov everything he needed to know. Two Kurganets-25 fighting vehicles, modified for command and control with extra radio and satellite capabilities, had to belong to the general. But it was the vehicle next to the armored personnel carriers that caught his attention. He noticed other tank commanders staring at it as well. It was a T-14 Armata tank with a 125 mm main gun and the sleek design of a modern mechanized predator. It took Severov’s breath away for a moment. Why weren’t they using these as main combat vehicles? Why was the only one he had seen in the field assigned to protect a general? These were questions he intended to ask later.
The general stepped up and addressed the crowd, taking everyone’s attention away from the remarkable tank.
“Gentlemen, we have made significant progress. All of you worked very hard and overcame tremendous obstacles to make this happen. I can assure you this meeting is not wasted time. While we are stopped, your men are being fed and as many vehicles as possible are being fueled. I just wanted to give you an overall view of the operation and what to expect going forward.” One of the aides moved a map of Estonia closer to the general. The general pointed with his left index finger at their approximate location. “It’s true that we got a late start, but we are already this far into the country and have met no resistance, with our supplies coming across the river and following behind the main column and by rail. We have scouts out ahead of us, and now more fighters are being launched to give us excellent air cover. There are a few reports of Black Hawk helicopters landing, but we have no information about what that means. The official NATO response has been a few nuisance air attacks with their forward-based F-16s.
“From the beginning, the idea was to follow our Crimea strategy and enter the country with as little fanfare as possible. With the West occupied by minor terror attacks and a financial crisis, it seems unlikely that they will put up much of a fight for a country with such strong former ties with Russia. We can justify anything we do by the number of Russian speakers living in the country. Our goal is to reach the far border. At that point it will be decided if we go further or fortify our position.”
The general stepped away from the map and tried to adopt a casual pose as he addressed the majors and colonels assembled in front of him. “This is a golden time for Russia as we finally start to expand our influence again. Estonia offers us a strategic foothold back into Eastern Europe as well as a remarkable infrastructure and resource for technology. We must be careful not to cause collateral damage and incite the population against us. We hope to control the country like any other republic. We want them to be proud to be part of the new Russian Empire. That’s one of the reasons we’re not rolling across their fields and destroying their farms. We have men ahead of us diverting traffic, keeping the road open, and we hope to complete our mission without causing much damage. That being said, if we do meet resistance from NATO or even partisans, we will take all action necessary to eliminate the threat. Is that clearly understood?”
Severov answered with the rest of them with a loud “Yes, sir.”
As Joseph Katazin drove toward the Wall Street area in his BMW, he didn’t know where Derek Walsh was at the moment, but he knew where he’d be some time this morning. He had been chasing the former marine when there were other things he should’ve been doing, but eliminating Walsh solved a lot of potential problems. It would remove a link to him and slow down the FBI investigation. It would also protect the asset he had used to help on this operation. Those were both vital. He also had a personal stake in dealing with Walsh. The man had outwitted him and forced him to kill the lovely Alena. He had to pay.
Katazin picked up his new employee, Jerry, and after a few minutes of futile conversation with the muscular dullard he decided the man was expendable if it should come to that later in the day. The steroid freak sat silently in the passenger seat, occasionally perking up at the sight of an attractive woman on the sidewalk.
Jerry was in his early thirties and stood just over six feet with broad shoulders and a tattoo that skittered up from below the collar of his shirt. He wore a heavy plaid shirt as protection against the cooling temperatures and as a way to hide the Ruger 9 mm he had stuffed in his belt. No doubt the muscle-head would come in handy if things turned sour later in the day. At least he wasn’t currently having to help Katazin dispose of his wife’s body. The farther Katazin got from the house the better he felt about his decision. He had grabbed a small duffel bag and filled it with the important things from around his house, including some cash and photos, several of his daughter and one of the family at Christmas. It wouldn’t be safe to go back there after today.
He stopped at a coffee shop near his office and left Jerry in the front seat of the car. He didn’t need company today, especially from a big lump like Jerry. As he sat at the counter, composing his order for coffee and doughnuts, he glanced up at the TV and saw a special report on CNN. The closed captioning told him everything he needed to know as he saw file footage of Russian tanks. Russia had crossed the border in force and was now invading Estonia. It was unclear what NATO would do, but at least it told him his plan had worked well enough for the military to move forward with its part of the operation. He felt a warm wave wash through him and realized it was a combination of pride and patriotism. Things would never be the same. At least for him. Now he was about to work on an entirely new life.
Perhaps a Russian life.
Severov considered the briefing he had just received and decided he needed to keep track of every detail possible as the column moved closer to potential combat. He had the driver pull their T-90 directly behind the truck where Amir sat among thirty other men. They were essentially all Muslim conscripts, as well as a man suspected of being a homosexual whom they rounded up out of convenience instead of suspicion of being part of the demonstration. All of the men looked sullen, and most of them probably realized things were not going to go well for them whether they were involved in any revolt or not.
Severov had often considered how the accused were treated in the Russian military. Especially the Muslims. It was no wonder there were regular uprisings in some of the largely Muslim republics. They were considered criminals who must prove their loyalty instead of loyal citizens who must be proved to have participated in criminal activity. No one in authority seemed to care about the distinction, and the truckload of men in front of him told Severov that things were only going to get worse.