Read Online The Ajax Protocol-7 by Alex Lukeman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alex Lukeman
Tags: Fiction, Action & Adventure
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man. Someone had given him that device. Someone had told him to place it exactly where it had been placed. Korov needed to know who it was.
"Yes, understand."
"You placed a package in the central bank."
"No, it wasn't me."
"No? Then why are you here?"
"I swear, it wasn't me. I gave the package to Yevchenko."
Korov looked at the Sergeant. "Why wasn't I told about this?"
"I don't know, Colonel. I was only told to bring you to the prisoner."
Korov turned back to Litvenenko. "Who is Yevchenko?"
"The janitor. He cleans up after everyone is gone."
Dimitri Yevchenko was on a list of people still missing after the riots. Korov had an almost photographic memory. He remembered seeing the name. The man was listed as an employee of the bank.
"Why did you have to give it to someone else? Why couldn't you place it yourself?"
"The manager, Kaminsky. He was always the last out. He always made everyone else leave before he locked up. Only Yevchenko could stay."
"Who gave you the package?"
"A man, I don't know, I swear. Just a man. He told me to give it to Yevchenko."
"What did he look like, this man?"
Litvenenko squinted through his swollen eyelids at Korov. "Like you. He looked like you."
"Swine," Grigorev said. "You are talking to an officer." He stepped forward and kicked the man in his ribs. Litvenenko screamed.
Korov raised his hand. "Enough, Sergeant. Wait outside. "
"Sir..."
"Wait outside."
Grigorev moved back to the door, scowling.
Korov said, "What do you mean, he looked like me?"
"Blond, like you, tall. Short hair, like a soldier. He paid me a hundred rubles. I was afraid, I thought maybe he was FSB. He said to give it to the janitor and tell him to leave it in Kaminsky's office after the bank closed. He said it was a surprise for Kaminsky and I shouldn't say anything about it because it would spoil the surprise."
Litvenenko coughed and spit blood onto the floor.
Korov shook his head at the man's stupidity and greed. "You didn't think that was a lot of money to give a package to a janitor?"
"I needed the money. Please, I didn't know. Please..."
He clawed at Arkady's sleeve. Korov pulled his arm back in disgust and stood. He thought about what the prisoner had said. It would be necessary to question him further, but Korov didn't think there was much more to be learned. The man was terrified, as he should be. Arkady had taken part in enough interrogations to know when someone was lying. Litvenenko was guilty of greed and poor judgement, but nothing more. He was an expendable part of someone's plan. Unfortunately for him, his greed would cost him his life. The Russian justice system was not noted for compassion and understanding.
Back outside the prison, Korov took a deep breath of the smog-filled Moscow air. A bus rumbled by, trailing black smoke and diesel fumes. After the stink of the cell it seemed like pure oxygen.
Time to report in. He wondered if his boss was going to share what he'd learned with the Americans.
Korov thought about the Americans, about Nick and Selena and the others. Especially Selena. He'd never met a woman like her. Women in combat roles were nothing new in Russia, but they didn't have Selena's combination of beauty, skills and courage. She even spoke Russian like a native.
Twice, now, he'd seen her in action under fire. Once in America, in Texas. Once here in the Motherland. He wondered if he was going to see her again.
He'd like that.
CHAPTER 18
It had been two days since the firefight in the hospital parking lot. Harker was briefing the team in the ops center below Harker's office.
"You're sending us to Alaska?" Nick said.
"As soon as we plan out the mission," Harker said. "Lamont stays here. He's still on meds and recovering from his wound."
"Director..." Lamont said.
"You're not going."
Lamont settled back in his chair. He looked unhappy.
"What's our objective?" Nick asked.
"Are you familiar with SATWEP?"
"Isn't that the Army's secret satellite
"Yes, understand."
"You placed a package in the central bank."
"No, it wasn't me."
"No? Then why are you here?"
"I swear, it wasn't me. I gave the package to Yevchenko."
Korov looked at the Sergeant. "Why wasn't I told about this?"
"I don't know, Colonel. I was only told to bring you to the prisoner."
Korov turned back to Litvenenko. "Who is Yevchenko?"
"The janitor. He cleans up after everyone is gone."
Dimitri Yevchenko was on a list of people still missing after the riots. Korov had an almost photographic memory. He remembered seeing the name. The man was listed as an employee of the bank.
"Why did you have to give it to someone else? Why couldn't you place it yourself?"
"The manager, Kaminsky. He was always the last out. He always made everyone else leave before he locked up. Only Yevchenko could stay."
"Who gave you the package?"
"A man, I don't know, I swear. Just a man. He told me to give it to Yevchenko."
"What did he look like, this man?"
Litvenenko squinted through his swollen eyelids at Korov. "Like you. He looked like you."
"Swine," Grigorev said. "You are talking to an officer." He stepped forward and kicked the man in his ribs. Litvenenko screamed.
Korov raised his hand. "Enough, Sergeant. Wait outside. "
"Sir..."
"Wait outside."
Grigorev moved back to the door, scowling.
Korov said, "What do you mean, he looked like me?"
"Blond, like you, tall. Short hair, like a soldier. He paid me a hundred rubles. I was afraid, I thought maybe he was FSB. He said to give it to the janitor and tell him to leave it in Kaminsky's office after the bank closed. He said it was a surprise for Kaminsky and I shouldn't say anything about it because it would spoil the surprise."
Litvenenko coughed and spit blood onto the floor.
Korov shook his head at the man's stupidity and greed. "You didn't think that was a lot of money to give a package to a janitor?"
"I needed the money. Please, I didn't know. Please..."
He clawed at Arkady's sleeve. Korov pulled his arm back in disgust and stood. He thought about what the prisoner had said. It would be necessary to question him further, but Korov didn't think there was much more to be learned. The man was terrified, as he should be. Arkady had taken part in enough interrogations to know when someone was lying. Litvenenko was guilty of greed and poor judgement, but nothing more. He was an expendable part of someone's plan. Unfortunately for him, his greed would cost him his life. The Russian justice system was not noted for compassion and understanding.
Back outside the prison, Korov took a deep breath of the smog-filled Moscow air. A bus rumbled by, trailing black smoke and diesel fumes. After the stink of the cell it seemed like pure oxygen.
Time to report in. He wondered if his boss was going to share what he'd learned with the Americans.
Korov thought about the Americans, about Nick and Selena and the others. Especially Selena. He'd never met a woman like her. Women in combat roles were nothing new in Russia, but they didn't have Selena's combination of beauty, skills and courage. She even spoke Russian like a native.
Twice, now, he'd seen her in action under fire. Once in America, in Texas. Once here in the Motherland. He wondered if he was going to see her again.
He'd like that.
CHAPTER 18
It had been two days since the firefight in the hospital parking lot. Harker was briefing the team in the ops center below Harker's office.
"You're sending us to Alaska?" Nick said.
"As soon as we plan out the mission," Harker said. "Lamont stays here. He's still on meds and recovering from his wound."
"Director..." Lamont said.
"You're not going."
Lamont settled back in his chair. He looked unhappy.
"What's our objective?" Nick asked.
"Are you familiar with SATWEP?"
"Isn't that the Army's secret satellite
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