He found the two admirals seated at the circular table drinking tea, along with the Ugra’s captain and its Zampolit.
“Well there you are, Captain Borisov,” greeted Igor Starobin.
“Look who’s come down here to wish you a fond farewell.”
Taking this as their cue to leave, the Ugra’s senior officers excused themselves, along with the aide who had acted as Mikhail’s escort.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again. Admiral Markov,” offered the Spetsnaz commando smartly.
The Admiral of the Fleet stood and embraced Mikhail.
“The pleasure’s all mine, comrade. Though it’s been over a decade since we last talked face to face, don’t think that you’ve been out of my thoughts.
I’ve followed your illustrious career with great interest, and it’s with pride and admiration that I stand before you.”
“I hope your leave went well,” Igor said with a wink.
“I had a delightful time. Sir. In fact, I’m afraid I got a bit carried away. Please excuse my tardiness.”
“Nonsense,” retorted the Admiral of the Fleet.
“It’s we who are early this evening. And besides, we passed the time talking with Captain Yuriatan and his political officer. They seem to run an efficient operation here, one that should have no trouble getting your Sea Devil out into the North Sea.”
“I thought that we were going to be traveling by submarine,” observed Mikhail.
“When we first spoke, that had been the intention,” explained Admiral Starobin.
“But because of our severe time constraints, it was decided to have the Ugra offer you transit on the first leg of your mission. They’ll be carrying your Sea Devil as far as the Orkney Islands.
Here you’ll rendezvous with the India-class submarine Lagoda. This vessel will then convey you all the way to the entrance to the Firth of Clyde. The Lagoda will also remain on picket duty while you proceed with your mission, and will provide your transport back to Murmansk once the mission is completed.”
“And what a glorious mission it will be!” exclaimed the wide-eyed Admiral of the Fleet.
“When I first heard Admiral Starobin present it, I remember thinking that it hadn’t been since the Great War that such an ingenious plan had been attempted. To tell you the truth, I was as surprised as the Admiral here when the Premier gave us the go-ahead. And all along we thought that our leaders in the Kremlin were spineless!”
“There’s hope for the future of the motherland yet,” added Igor Starobin.
“This will be especially apparent once the Americans are forced out of Holy Loch. And by the way, we’ve determined the identity of the submarine that your charges will be attached to. For security reasons, we picked one of their older Permit-class attack subs. Its precise anchorage and a detailed diagram of its hull are included in your sailing packet.”
“Do you really think that Sea Devil can do it, Captain?”
asked the Admiral of the Fleet.
Without hesitation, Mikhail answered, “Why of course she can, Admiral. Although it’s true that I’m an officer in the Spetsnaz, I love life too much to volunteer for a mission that I thought would be suicidal.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear, comrade,” returned Konstantin Markov with a relieved sigh.
Admiral Starobin looked down at his watch and stood.
“The tide will be changing shortly, and that means that the Ugra will soon be setting sail. Shall we go down into the moon pool to take one last look at Sea Devil before we’re forced to leave, Admiral Markov?”
“By all means,” answered the Admiral of the Fleet.
“I believe I can lead us down there without getting us lost,” offered Mikhail Borisov.
“If you can sneak a tracked mini-sub deep into uncharted enemy waters, surely finding the moon pool should be the least of your worries,” joked Konstantin Markov, who followed the young captain out of the wardroom.
A series of ladders led them down a succession of decks. The constant, muted drone of the Ugra’s steam plant was readily noticeable in this portion of the ship, and the air was heavy and warm.
It was with great relief when Mikhail ducked through a familiar hatchway and halted on a latticed-steel catwalk.
Before him now was the massive rectangular reservoir around which the ship had been designed. At the bottom of this pool, since been drained of water, was Sea Devil. The tracked mini-sub seemed unnatural out of its intended medium. Looking more like a tank than an undersea vessel, it was anchored directly to the steep plates that formed the Ugra’s lower hull.
“So that’s the vessel that’s going to change the world’s balance of power,” reflected the Admiral of the Fleet, who had taken up a position beside Mikhail.
Mikhail nodded.
“I know she doesn’t look like much, but Sea Devil contains everything I need to complete my mission. That is, as long as those specially designed limpet mines were placed inside her, as promised.”
“They’re down there, all right,” revealed Igor Starobin.
“I had my aide deliver them to the ship himself. I believe he transferred them to your warrant officer.”
“That would be Oleg Zagorsk,” explained Mikhail.
“He’s Siberian by birth, and grew up in the taiga.
Though he’s not much of a talker, he knows how to follow an order, and he’s proficient with every single one of the Sea Devil’s operating systems.”
“How’s your female crew member working out?”
asked Igor Starobin.
“Not as bad as I had first feared,” admitted Mikhail.
“Comrade Olovski is a competent electrician who’s willing to learn, and so far she hasn’t let us down.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” replied Admiral Starobin.
Konstantin Markov thoughtfully reflected.
“I would have thought that having a woman on a platform as confining as Sea Devil would be a distraction. Haven’t you experienced any sexual tension among your other crew members, Captain?”
Mikhail grinned.
“Sir, it’s apparent that you’ve never laid your eyes upon Tanya Olovski. Why, I’ve seen more attractive men in my time.”
A shared laugh was cut short by the shrill cry of a steam whistle.
“Sounds like the Ugra is ready to go,” observed the Admiral of the Fleet.
“Unless we’re going to accompany you all the way into the North Sea, we’d better get going. May good fortune be your constant companion, Captain.”
After accepting Markov’s firm handshake, Mikhail turned to face Admiral Starobin.
“I, too, wish you nothing but good fortune, comrade.
Remember that I’d be going along in your place if I could, and that you’ll be responsible for displaying the capabilities of my life’s work for me. May your voyage be a smooth one, and your return a time for joyous celebration. And don’t forget about that three month leave on the shores of the Black Sea that’s awaiting you. If you’d like, I’m even willing to throw in Tanya Brusovo.”
“I’d like that very much,” replied the blond-haired Spetsnaz commando, who returned Igor Starobin’s playful wink with one of his own.
Chapter Eleven
Major Colin Stewart and his four-man squad arrived in Armagh by helicopter dressed in green combat fatigues.
They left the British army post soon after the Sea King touched down, yet this time they traveled by automobile, and one would have had to look closely to see that they were soldiers. A quick change into civilian garb at the barracks made this transformation possible.
The addition of various fishing gear supported their cover of being a group of Scottish Highlanders on leave, who were spending their vacation time seeking out the elusive Irish salmon.