Ilvanich looked at the pills suspiciously. A drug to make him talk? He took them in his hand and thanked the doctor before he was led away.
While he walked, he let the pills drop to the ground when he was sure no one was looking.
Ilvanich was taken to where Cerro sat alone. Cerro dismissed the guard and asked Ilvanich to sit across from him. Deciding that there was no time to play games and that the Russian was better trained to play them, anyhow, Cerro went straight to the point. "Lieutenant Ilvanich, I know why you're here. You're after the Iranians making the atomic bombs, just like us."
Ilvanich was taken aback by Cerro's statement. He shot back, "I do not know what you are talking about. We were on patrol." "Bullshit, Lieutenant. My explosive-ordnance expert found your explosive-ordnance expert's tools on the helicopter your major was on," Cerro countered.
The American is after something, Ilvanich thought. But what? If he knows what we were up to, what more does he need? To Cerro, "And if we are, what does that mean to me? I am your prisoner."
Cerro thought for a minute. Years of training had taught him not to trust Russians. If he told the Russian everything, he would be giving classified information to the enemy. But there was little choice. His men could not pull off the raid on their own with the little information he had. It was a gamble, but perhaps the Russian had information, and maybe, just maybe, he would cooperate. Kinsley's far-out idea didn't seem so far out anymore.
"We need each other. The people I was supposed to meet ran into your major and his helicopter. Apparently they left after they fired up the helicopter. I have the men to pull off the operation, but I don't know anything about the Iranian installation, troop strength or layout. If you have this information, we can work together."
"What makes you think I might have any such information? I am, after all, only a lieutenant, like you. Besides, we are at war with each other. To tell you anything would be treason. Surely you know that. You are a soldier. "
Cerro became angry. "Yeah, I know that, Ilvanich. But I also know that we, both you and I, are at war with Iran. I also know those crazy rag heads have an atomic bomb. They tried to use one on us already. Your people may be next. Do you know what that means?"
Ilvanich thought before he answered. What a strange situation. Three countries at war with one another. Two men, each trained from childhood to hate and distrust the other. Now one was asking the other to trust him.
Ilvanich said to himself, I wonder what Lenin would have done. Then to Cerro, "And if we do cooperate, what will happen after the raid? Do we start killing each other again?
"Good question," Cerro said. "No, at least not right away. I propose we simply withdraw from each other. I let you and your people, along with your wounded, be extracted, and you let me and my men go."
"How do I know you will do this when we are of no further use to you?"
"You don't-at least, not for sure. Just like I don't know for sure if you'll let me go. You'll have to accept my word."
"And if you are killed, what good is your word?"
"Lieutenant Kinsley will honor our agreement."
Ilvanich was confused. Why was the lieutenant doing this? "What about your major? What does he have to say?"
Cerro looked at him, bewildered for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, you mean Lieutenant Commander Hensly. He's Navy. He's my bomb expert. He has nothing to do with running the operation, just checking out the bomb and showing us what to blow. "
"Like my bomb expert," Ilvanich enjoined.
"Yeah, like yours. Is it a deal?"
How strange war is, Ilvanich mused. "You realize we may be killing each other in another week."
Cerro looked him in the eye and returned, "If we don't pull this off, none of us may be around in a week."
Chapter 17
Time is everything: Five minutes makes the difference between victory and defeat.
The two lieutenants crept along the ditch to get a closer look at the buildings in the center. The darkness made their advance easier. Five hundred meters away six men, three American, three Soviet, waited for the return of their lieutenants. After agreeing to work together, the two commanders had decided that a recon of the site was needed. That would mean delaying the attack until the next night. They had, however, decided that the intelligence gained was worth the risk. As Ilvanich pointed out, time spent in reconnaissance was time well spent.
The men of both units were uneasy about the coalition formed by their commanders. It was, as one American had said, "unnatural." The two lieutenants, however, endeavored to impress upon their men the nature of the mission and what it meant if they failed. With great reluctance, the two units had merged, in a way. Each group had gravitated to one side of the oasis and posted guards, half of whom watched outward to protect against the Iranians and the other half inward, to protect against their new "ally." Even as they approached the Iranian compound, the close proximity of their new comrades caused more concern than did the threat of an Iranian ambush.
The two officers came to the end of the ditch. Slowly, they peered over its lip and looked around. Twenty meters to their front was a large building.
Light came from several cracks in the boards and from a window. Iranian guards, weapons slung and appearing quite inattentive, paced around it.
Cerro whispered, "That's got to be it. Wish we could get closer, but it's too risky. Let's go back."
Ilvanich turned. "I'll go in. Stay here and cover me."
Cerro grabbed his arm. "No, too risky."
"We must know for sure. It will do us no good if we all run in here and hit the wrong building. I will go, you stay here, Cerro."
"OK, but watch your ass."
Confused, Ilvanich stopped and looked at Cerro. In a serious tone: "I cannot do that. You must."
Cerro chuckled. "OK, I'll watch it. Now go."
Ilvanich watched until the guards were walking away from the near side of the building. Crouching low, he left the ditch and ran up to the building.
Once there, he flattened himself against the wall and froze, listening for any sign that someone had seen him. Satisfied he was undetected, he took his knife, turned around and stuck it into a crack between two boards, twisting it slowly to make a small peephole. When he thought it was large enough, he pulled the knife out and peered in. He saw a room filled with metal casings, machine tools and electronic equipment.
Men in white coats walked about or worked on various electronic components. This was it. The assembly building had been found.
Satisfied, Ilvanich turned to go back to the ditch. As he did so, a guard came around the corner. They looked at each other for a moment.
The guard started to unsling his rifle. Instinctively, Ilvanich rushed him with his knife. The guard, however, hit him in the stomach with the rifle butt, sending Ilvanich sprawling on the ground. Ilvanich, his knife lost, looked up as the guard began to raise his rifle at him.
Suddenly, the rifle dropped to the ground and Ilvanich heard a gurgling noise. The guard slid to his knees, then fell over onto his face.
Behind where the guard had been was the figure of Lieutenant Cerro with a knife in his hand. He had cut the guard's throat.
"Grab the rifle and cover the bloodstains." Cerro pulled the guard's body up and slung it over his shoulder, then headed for the ditch.
Ilvanich, now recovered, grabbed the rifle and spread sand over the pool of blood and a thin trail of blood as he followed Cerro. Once in the ditch, he asked Cerro what they were going to do with the body.