Chapter 6

In Cuba, things were happening, important things. This would never happen in the real world, right gang. Although those big cigars are a might popular in DC.

We overhear:

“Mike, we’ve got a small problem, maybe?”

“What now? You guys run low on plastic ties or bullets?”

“I wish it was that easy to fix! Topside decided against a second access screen. Security, they said would be compromised if it was misused. They want all input going through the one.”

“You’d better have somebody up here to watch whose knuckles don’t drag and has higher than a ‘17’ classification then? (The US President, ‘POTUS’ is a 17, lot more higher though, all the way up to Magestic; makes you wonder exactly who is in-charge, doesn’t it? Pre Obama, his reason the old classifications were to high to count)

“Well, we got you, right or you already go over for their controller.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh not much just that the ‘Ruskies’ have a looker for their side that would turn a dead man into her slave. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen or heard about her yet?

“Like when, man? You guys only water, feed me then let me out to do my stuff.”

“Ugh, Ugh! Shape up, we’ve got company.”

“Is that our device? Who are you and what is your clearance?”

“Close Ma’am, this is ‘our’ device’ and I have just been informed you will be allowed to use it. Your people may become familiar with it now but it will not become active until these ‘REMFs’ get someone here with a clearance higher than what they get in those ‘Cracker Jack’ boxes.”

“And you are?”

“Mike, Mike Johnson. ‘Budet li eto Khorosho?’ (Will this be Okay?)

“Ha?”

“Nasdrovia, Comrade.”(na zdar’ovye)(You are welcome too.)

“Watch yourself with this one Mila. He might try to, how do you say, make friends with your panty.”

“Charm her out of them Comrade, a difficult task perhaps, but we men must do our duty.”

The living goddess just gave me a look.

“Major Lyudmila Tarragona, may I present?”

“Just Mike Johnson, one of the few times I get to be set free and you bring someone like her around. Colonel Mistaya, I know who you are as do you know about me or we would not be having this conversation. I do not know who will be ‘attending’ to her but until they arrive, I’ll try to familiarize the device to her.”

“Spasibo!” (Thank You)

Turning to the girl. It is like your ‘G 78 Vulcan’ series except the input and output stream is different. You may split the voice and text and introduce a delay up to 30 seconds, (30 sekund). The input may be direct using the proper neural link or verbal as well as typed in instruction. You select the languages. Each session is coded and encrypted in either a DES (Data Encryption Standard before 256 and the others now in use) format or the new Cyrillic Damon 78. If you try to connect any external device for capture the session will be erased.”

“You seem to know quite a bit about this Mike Johnson!”

“Probably as much as you know, or perhaps more Colonel. Neither of us still use ‘crude’ methods any longer. Is your controller comfortable using these more modern methods?”

I heard in my head. ‘I am right here Comrade, if you could find you could find way out of ‘brown paper bag’ it would be quite an accomplishment I think.’

I thought back. ‘Milyy(Darling) if you were at the other end it would be worth it to try.’

She was blushing.

The Colonel nodded.

“Yeah we just verified that would work. Colonel I will arrange for a similar device like the ones you normally use if you want rather than share this one, I don’t think that would affect anything. It would be limited to Cyrillic, English, Spanish and the Nordic Languages though. I assume Mila is Finnish or a Swede?”

She nodded. “Too bad you are not Russian and ten years younger?”

“Who says I am not Russian and I like ‘older’ women just fine.”

Now I had her turning red. Funny, a Russian turning ‘Red’. I had made a joke.

What we had here was something that was important to many people. We were set up between ‘Gitmo’ and Havana and if everything went as everyone expected by next week we should have access to some good cigars and they would be able to buy a new US car in Cuba. (Probably made in Japan or Canada though)

Things in the world were changing and recent events ‘forced’ the US and Russia to ‘Play Nice’. Actually, space and the slots needed for more Geo-synchronous space stations had created a scramble to gain some semblance of International Co-operation (MIRS VI - X). So their Masters had held out Cuba as an olive branch.

“Colonel and Major let us agree on some ground rules. The Major will have the same access to the device that we do. We will ‘observe’ whatever each other does. From now on until this is over we two will act as one, that means no ‘watcher’, ‘custodian’, or ‘Commissar’ debriefs her, and no one will debrief me. It really is foolish, each of us would know of the deception and you may inquire from your controller if what I say is true.”

Lyudmila nodded.

Both our sides wish for this too happen. There is no reason this will compromise security since we all know, there could be no secrets between us. You are very well known Colonel so I would ask too for your word on secrecy also.”

“That is all, you would take my word? What do your superiors say?”

“Colonel, what superiors? We are unique. When you are like us, one’s word is all that is left. Have you told the girl what will happen to her if she is selected to replace you?”

“What do you mean, what will happen to her?”

“Colonel, I studied you before I agreed to ‘Looking Glass’ so many years ago. You were a legend even then. Like you I am much older than I seem and like you there have been too many sacrifices made to adapt me to these things.”

“Impossible!”

“Would me telling you your real name or where and when you were born convince you, then listen to me, she will not hear what I think, only you.”

Our minds merged.

“Bozhe moy!”(Oh my God!) Tears filled her eyes.

“Sestra, (Sister) there are not many like us left; can we not trust each other on this?”

She nodded. I held her close. I shed a tear also. We both had given far more than we should have for no valid reason other than these clowns were inept.

“Who else knows?”

“Even you only know what I will allow. Much has been learned by the things you have done though. We all owe you much. You should tell the girl though.”

“They would never allow that.”

“Who could object? You are like me; we have no ‘Masters’ still alive. These puppets fear us yet know they must have us. Until they think they no longer need us, there is not much they can do, is there?”

“Nyet!(No!)”

“The girl thinks she is good, and knows everything. Even as we converse, she only hears what we allow.”

“Not always, Comrade. Some thoughts sneak out, I hear.”

“Only a test my dear, like I say, you only hear what we wish you to.”

“Why do you serve them?”

“I might ask why you do also.”

“To see!”

“Yes, we must see things through to the end. That end though will come with you and me. There will be no more like us, even now; the fools on both sides do not understand just how powerful we can be. Resheno? (Agreed?)”

“Da! (Yes!)”

“Come ‘we’ soon have work to do. Colonel, it would be foolish to think of excluding you. Perhaps Inga here can learn a few tricks from this.”

“You know who I am?”

“My dear, someone as beautiful as you, indulged with the best the West has to offer could mean only one thing. I am flattered to think you would even pretend to fall in love with someone as old as I am. The Colonel is like, how do you say it in Russian, ‘Tsyplenok’, a spring chicken compared to me. I was with the Madam back when, (1875, Madam Helena Blavatsky in ‘White Russia, The Ukraine) so give respect to your elder’s child.”

Names, numbers, locations, codes, everything needed to conference in more than 100 movers and shakers on both sides to gain an agreement were used. Nothing was ever written down and no record or a secret log was ever obtained. Several attempts were made to create one though. It was a game perhaps; even the youngster could negate those feeble attempts.

When it was over.

So, now what? Were you supposed to ‘steal’ the device, convert me or kill me?”

They looked at each other.

“We were to do whatever we had to do?”

“Ahh, yes, that is the very predictable KGB, excuse me FSB mentality. Well!”

“Well what?”

“Do you fall desperately in love with me, offer me money, a new life, a zagorodnyy dom (vacation home) on the Black Sea or perhaps I recruit you to remain here with me, you are very beautiful after all.”

Let the games begin. What was the old saying, ‘a secret, sealed in a puzzle, wrapped around an enigma’ or something like that. This new accord (not the car) would eventually lead to something new and greater than the individual participants would be by themselves. The ‘Brotherhood’ today meant one thing, the Russians knew it well, tomorrow however a different ‘Brotherhood’ would arise and begin to sow something unwelcome and not seen for a thousand years.

The original intent for co-operation between countries, nay organizations would become the way to counter what was going on in the Mid-East. In many ways all would be glad a Bianca was there although many would not agree with her methods or some of the things she would do. She was truly her father’s daughter and in many ways much more severe than even her Russian husband. She would never be classed as a ‘nun’; some say she was a cross between Lucretia Borgia and Genghis Khan; she only had the worst side from each though. What was the saying about unlimited power and money corrupting?

Back in Moscow.

Some accommodations had been made by both sides. Viktor was informed about Cuba even before the Premier/President knew the result of the meetings.

A call was made to Mickel in Florida, Nikki again actually. She had the Russian Sat phone always with her. He only had to say one thing.

“Mickel, I just wanted to be certain that you all enjoyed seeing ‘Mouse’. Da?”

Mickel smiled. Things seemed to be going well.

In London

The group hug with these girls could have awakened a dead man. Sam felt almost short and he was over six foot tall. That was not all he felt.

There was a voice back speaking to them.

“Glad to see you are all bonding so well. I just received news that ‘we’ need to do something rather quickly. It seems Vandenberg (One of the three US Space and near-Space only vehicle launch sites, this one for all military, Florida and Maryland had other tasks to perform, Japan well, no one knew about Japan) would be happy to have some Russian ‘fireworks’. It appears the shuttle things won’t do, not at all, too much could go wrong, go wrong. Joke gang. Our Partner in Moscow has just the thing for them to help them do their thing. (Launch Vehicles) Two are being flown in Tupolev Cargo Transports (Larger than the C-5A) as we speak. Twenty more will follow upon your orders. See if you can get 100 each for them; Brie, tell Langley the first two will be a gift to celebrate the new US/Cuba Accords and to clear them through air traffic control. Even fly there if you want to.”

“Huh!”

“Yeah, it just is happening. We expected it a while ago. ‘Black Team’ is helping out with a few procurement initially, it’s a good first operation for you. Cuba will be run out of Miami but you still will have the Caribbean territory and any missiles and arms they need. There already is a new ‘Red’ team in Florida; God, I love these new names; but things are not quite in order yet. Here is who to contact and where!”

“Excuse me Mr. Black but do you really want us to drop everything else for such a small amount?”

“Hell, at $100 million per, even I never made that much on my first deal? So yes, this will make for us all to have a nice dinner out, $2 billion pays for the heating bill there too.”

The entire team silently mouthed, $2 billion?

“I’ve got to go, Bianca is hounding me to finish up that deal you girls went to Moscow on. I didn’t tell you, probably not. (He answers his own questions) When I told you that I will not do certain things, we all made a deal. I only handle arms and munitions. Dad, Bianca and my partners do everything else. Oh, Bianca is married to one of those partners so she always expects special treatment. Remind you of anyone, gang? (‘Tara maybe’, Sam thought, a similar thought was had by the Eves about their sister Tarinka) Chow.”