“Yeah. I know.” Grant thought about the men having to sit in the enclosed dark space, with little fresh air circulation. “Joe, what are the odds you could ‘blow’ a couple of small holes in the back?”
“Huh?”
“Need to get those guys some air and not make them feel so closed in.”
“Yeah. It can be done, but we’re gonna have to get somewhere outta sight.”
“Grigori, find someplace.”
Fifteen minutes later, and away from city lights, everyone got out of the truck, and went a safe distance away. Adler made two very small wraps of det cord, putting them high up on the side, closer to the cab. A couple chemical pencils, and it was done. Two semi-round air vents.
Once they were back on the road, Grant said, “So, Grigori, I guess Joe told you that Alexandra’s safe at the Embassy.”
“Yes! I am grateful and relieved, my friend! Is your Agent Mullins still there?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s there all right.”
“Uh-oh,” Adler said. “Don’t like the sound of that. Bet that means the Agency doesn’t know, right?”
“He’s in a world of shit, Joe.”
“Nothing we can do, skipper.” Grant just nodded. Adler finally asked, “Hey! Why’d we have to haul ass?”
“Talked with the admiral. Seems that chopper went down.”
“No shit? So you were right.”
Moshenko had mixed feelings about the news. “It is too bad anyone had to die.”
“I know, Grigori,” Grant answered. “Did you have any time to think about what I asked you?”
“Yes, but I have not come up with any names.”
“Well, let me throw out a couple.” Grant leaned forward just enough to see Moshenko. “Tarasov and Rusnak.”
Moshenko’s brow wrinkled. “But why them? The most contact we had was during the time in Sicily.”
“You know they weren’t happy when you helped us, plus you did, shall we say, threaten them on the way back to the Leningrad.” The Russian ship is a Moskva class helicopter carrier. “And biggest fact… they’re comrades, in every sense of the word.”
“Yes. That is true. I also threatened them while we waited for you to rescue us.” Moshenko pictured himself waving his Makarov in front of the two. “But do you think that would be enough reason to want to kill me?”
“People have killed for even less, my friend. It was just a thought,” Grant answered, shrugging his shoulders.
Adler got the conversation back to the chopper. “Did the admiral say where it went down? Did they find any wreckage?”
“Didn’t have much time to talk to him. All he said was it went down after leaving Domodedovo and the wreckage had been spotted about seventy-five miles away. If that thing exploded in midair, it might take time to determine how many were onboard.” He glanced out the window at a clear, dark sky. “Don’t expect they’ll be able to continue with the search effort now that it’s dark. We’ll need all the extra time we can get.”
They needed transportation, transportation to Berlin and a helluva lot faster than a truck. Grant could only come up with one way. “We need a chopper,” he said under his breath.
Both Moshenko and Adler gave him a sideways glance, with Adler saying, “That’d be perfect, skipper. Do you know of a Boeing plant nearby?”
“We’ve gotta find one, Joe. There’s no other damn way to get us to Berlin in any reasonable time. Those guys back there won’t last on a long trip. Hell, we won’t last. Driving time has gotta be over twenty hours. Right, Grigori?”
“Yes, at least.”
“We’ve gotta get an aircraft. Flying time will take at least four to five hours the way I figure.”
“Jesus, skipper! We’re talking trying to avoid radar for four hours! How the hell are we gonna avoid the radar? You do realize they shoot at unidentified, and maybe identified flying objects around here.”
“You telling me my plan is insane?”
“Affirmative! But it’s also the only one I can come up with,” Adler answered, shaking his head.
Grant turned to look at Moshenko. “So, Grigori, you think it’s insane?”
“I do… but I agree. There is no other way.” His mind was already working. “There will have to be refueling, of course.”
“Any ideas where?”
“We must not land in Russia. We should be able to reach Warsaw, Okecie Airport. I have flown from there to Gdansk.”
“Ah, Gdansk,” Adler said, patting his stomach. “Good food.”
Grant just shook his head, then asked Moshenko, “Do you think you’ll be recognized?”
“Possibly, but I am KGB. They may need to forget I was there.”
Grant and Adler laughed, with Grant saying, “I don’t know, Grigori, but you seem to be picking up some nasty habits hanging around with us.”
Moshenko just smiled, but then turned serious again. “I will not be KGB much longer, my friends.”
“How do you feel about that?” Grant asked.
“I think I will miss it.”
The three sat quietly, until Grant said, “Yeah, my friend, we know what you mean. Tough decision, huh, Joe?”
“Yeah. Tough.”
“Okay. So, where do you think we can find our ‘ride’?” Grant asked.
“A maintenance facility would serve our purpose. There is a small facility just outside Shelkovka. They mostly service helicopters and the security is usually minimum. We can be there in about one hour.”
“Go,” Grant said.
In addition to maintenance facilities, Moshenko knew locations of radar installations; he knew military bases; he knew the shortest route to Berlin. Nothing would guarantee their safety, but these were the factors tilting the scale in their favor, with the biggest factor of all… Grigori Moshenko knew how to fly.
Chapter 9
The Shelkovka Maintenance Facility was located about fifty miles west of Moscow. During World War II the building was used for the production of T-34 tanks. The tank had heavy armor and heavy dual-purpose guns making it the best medium tank of the first half of World War II.
One long prefabricated building, about thirty feet high and fifty feet wide, stood in the middle of the facility. Large roll-up metal doors were on both ends, with a short concrete driveway starting from the east side, and exiting the opposite end of the building. The drive was used for “running” tanks in and out during the war.
After the war, the building had been stripped of all production equipment and machinery. Now, wooden crates and cardboard boxes are piled around the inside perimeter. Trucks, utility vehicles, and flatbeds ferry parts to designated locations near the building where aircraft are assigned parking spaces. The facility doesn’t accommodate jets or large aircraft, but mostly helicopters and utility aircraft.
Parked along the north side, off a short runway, are two utility aircraft: AN-2s with NATO idColt. The AN-2 is used as a light utility transport, parachute drop aircraft, and many other tasks suited to a large, slow-flying biplane. The aircraft was used also during the Vietnam War as a naval interceptor. This modification had two "Skvall" torpedoes under the wing and was difficult to detect due to its low-altitude flight.
A Yakovlev YAK-38, code name Forger,is a vertical takeoff and landings aircraft. Parked farthest from the building, the front landing gear was still attached to a towing vehicle.
Dispersed across the back of the building are four helicopters: one Kamov KA-25, two KA-27s, and one Mil MI-24 armed assault/attack helicopter, designated Hind by NATO. The MI-24 is the only aircraft in the facility covered with camouflage netting.