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  Bugayev shut down the engine and grabbed a small backpack before making his way to the shop door. He had arrived just before the shop was to close, as planned months earlier. Now he would make his first contact on this assignment. The ringing of a small bell announced his arrival inside the apothecary shop. No one really turned to look. The man at the counter had just finished giving a customer his prescription and a lady was waiting behind him.

  “I will be with you shortly,” said the man at the counter.

  The jovial smile on his face caused Bugayev to relax slightly. He had been told who and what to expect. The photo he had studied matched the man behind the counter exactly. Bugayev pretended to look at items on the shelves until the lady finally left and the man at the counter called out, “May I help you?”

  Bugayev smiled and eased toward the counter. “I was hoping you had a flat for me. The name is Filip Menski. I called earlier,” he said with a smile.

  The code words caused the man’s face to suddenly change to concern, then almost immediately return to the broad smile. He extended his hand. “Anton Kursov. I have been expecting you. Wait a moment while I lock up and I will take you to your flat,” he said as he removed his apron and began locking up. In just a few moments, they exited the store and entered a side door. There was a long flight of stairs inside. “Unfortunately, this is the only way to get up to the flat. It is a private entrance. You are on the top level of the building. My family and I live just above the shop and another family, the Polski’s live just above us,” Kursov said as he made his way up the stairs. By the time they reached the top, Kursov was very winded. He unlocked the door and the men stepped inside.

  The small flat was very pleasant. There was a small sitting area, a kitchen with a table, and a television set to one side. There were two doors on the opposite wall. Once led to a bathroom and the other to a bedroom. Everything was clean and neat.

  “We refurbished the flat just last year. I made sure that the floors and walls were soundproofed,” said Kursov nervously. He led Bugayev to the bedroom. On one wall was a closet. Opening the closet, he reached beside the side wall and eased a hidden lever. The wall opened and revealed a small room with a radio receiver some books and other items. “I believe you have everything you need. If you do need something, only talk to me. None of my family knows what we are doing. It is better for security that way. I was told to have a meeting with you and our supporters tomorrow night. I will take you to it at 7 pm. Until then, get some rest,” he said.

  Bugayev nodded. “What else were you instructed to do?”

  “Only to follow your orders explicitly. I was not made aware of any plans beyond getting you set up here, but I am at your disposal to get things started. Just be aware, I am expected in the shop from nine in the morning until seven at night. On occasion I can ask my wife to take over for a few minutes, but not for very long. I also have a son, Petyr, and two other younger children. After school Petyr makes deliveries on his bike. I’ll do my best to make myself available for anything you need,” said Kursov.

  Bugayev nodded. “I must insist that you must do whatever I ask. There is much at stake for the Rodina. So start finding some excuses to be away. I will attempt to work around the schedule, but I make no promises.”

  “I understand. The people you will meet tomorrow were all cleared by state security. I am hoping that between all of us, everything will be done,” Kursov explained.

  “We will see,” said Bugayev sternly. “Now get back to your family. I will see you again in the morning.”

  Kursov nodded, then reached into the small room and pulled out 1,900 zlotys. He placed them in his pocket. “That’s your rent for the first month. I will be expected to show it to the family and deposit it in the bank. I will replace it each month,” he said.

  Kursov turned and walked to the door. “Welcome to Krakow,” he said as he left the room.

  Bugayev deposited his pack on the bed. He looked in the chest of drawers and found they were full of clothing that was his size. He then examined the rest of the apartment. Everything worked and there was even food in the small refrigerator. He nodded to himself. If Kursov was this efficient, the job would be much easier.

  Sitting in the easy chair, he turned on the television. The news was announcing some disturbances in Warsaw involving people who were originally from Russia.

  The Pentagon

  It had been a rough night. True to his word, a car and driver met them at Reagan National Airport and drove them across the river to the Navy Yard. There, the two were deposited in their respective quarters. Despite their exhaustion, Hammond had a rough time sleeping. Somehow the anticipation of the new job had filled him with a strange anxiety to get there and get the job done. Being away from Patricia and Little Steve hadn’t helped. Because of a delay in Dallas, his plane hadn’t arrived until late, so his planned meeting with Admiral Johnson had not happened. He would be going into the office cold. Fortunately, the driver had taken him up to the river entrance of the Pentagon where he would bypass all the crowds of people filing into work. Lieutenant Jeffers was standing there with a smile, as usual, and had the Pentagon Force Protection Agency representative there to speed him through the steps to get the appropriate badging and permissions for free access to his offices.

  Immediately after getting credentialed, Jeffers escorted Hammond to his new office on the ‘E’ ring next to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He was pleasantly surprised to find he had a window overlooking the river and downtown Washington – not that he would get the chance to look that often. When he entered the outer office, everyone came to attention. Captain Mike Clarity stepped up to greet him.

  “Admiral, this is Captain Mike Clarity, your Chief of Staff,” said Jeffers making the introduction.

  Hammond extended his hand. “Good to meet you, Captain. Come on in while I get used to this new place,” he said cordially.

  Clarity shook his head. “Sorry, Admiral, but you have just five minutes to get down to the briefing room. The CNO told me to get you down there a little early so you could talk. Just leave your things here and we’ll take care of getting you checked in while you’re at the briefing, then we can sit down afterward.”

  Hammond gave a sigh. “And when I was an ensign, I thought admirals could just about do whatever they wanted.” The men chuckled. “Alright Captain, I am yours to command. Lead the way.”

  Jeffers took the copies of Hammond’s orders and his briefcase then the two men left the office. The briefing room was on the ‘D’ ring and a short walk down the corridor. The Marine at the entrance checked their badges and the two were allowed to enter.

  The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Perry Johnson greeted them when they entered the room. “Roger, how are you doing? It’s good to see you.”

  “Not bad, Perry. I’m glad to finally get here.”

  Johnson ushered Hammond to a seat at the front of the small auditorium where they sat down. He got right down to business. “Sorry you didn’t have time to come over last night, but I wanted to give you a little insight on this job you have to do. I had tasked Styles with taking a hard look at our next threat and what we might need to do to prepare for it. Normally I would have tasked this to the Deputy for Plans, but I have her on a couple of other things right now and this is too high level to farm out.”

  Hammond nodded.

  “Anyway, you should hear a few things going on right now in Europe during the briefing. Things seem to be ramping up pretty fast over there. The President and I went to the European Summit last week and those guys are about to go spastic over the Russians. Poland, Germany and Britain are gearing up, Spain and some of the smaller countries are taking notice, but it looks like France is just going to sit by and watch. In the middle of this, the President dropped the big one. He told them, in no uncertain terms, that the United States was tired of fighting their wars for them and would not step up until they all started picking up their part of the load.”


  Hammond’s eyes sprung open. “I bet that got their attention.”

  “No shit. Most of them are starting to take things a little more seriously for a change. Of course, we are not going to leave anybody out in the cold, but it had to be said. I talked to Steve more about it on the way home. He’s serious about making them pick up the load, so we needed someone who could objectively look at this mess and make the appropriate plans. One of your hats is Commander, Allied Joint Forces Command. We are going to count on you to smooth any rough feathers and get some plans going on a NATO front. When you called yesterday, you had anticipated one of the things I was going to talk to you about. It’s broader than you may think. You will also need to coordinate things at NATO as well. That means a bunch of trips to Europe. We need to try and second guess what is going to happen and get everybody in on it. My gut feeling is Russia is about to go either into Poland or Austria. If they do, there is going to be a shooting war. So we need to know how they might do it and how we can counter it. Quite frankly, we are not prepared for a war the size of World War Two. Our resources are limited. So we need to figure this out and find a way of coming out on top. Styles was a great planner, but I couldn’t really send him around places without pissing people off. You, on the other hand, have tact. The President and I figured we could send you anywhere, and if we do start shooting, you have shown you can handle that aspect too.”

  “So I’m supposed to ride up on the white horse and save the world,” Hammond grunted.

  “Three bags full,” said the CNO with a grin. “Roger, I’ve been in this office for several years. I’ve gotten to know everybody up here and you are the only one I can trust with this. We’ve both been trying to cut out the politics in the Navy, but it keeps poking its head back up. I do have some very capable officers coming up, but for this job, you are the only one I can count on to do it right. Of course, the President agreed with me.”

  Hammond chuckled. “Of course. You know, sometimes I wish I’d never met the man. I could be a big cheese in industry right now,” he joked.

  “Yea, with a three alarm ulcer and a bald head,” the CNO returned.

  Hammond let out a slow breath. “I guess that means I’m stuck with the job,” he grinned, then gave a wink. “You need to know my Flag Lieutenant and I came up with the same ideas on Europe yesterday on the plane. I’m going to add some people to this study team, then bring in some of the NATO liaisons. Some toes might get stepped on, but I’ll get the job done,” he said smiling.

  “You two plotting to overthrow the government?” asked a booming voice from behind them. General Howard Black strode up to the men and grasped Hammonds hand with a vice-like grip. “Damn, it’s good to see you again, Roger. Good to have you back on the team.”

  “Never thought I’d left, Chairman,” replied a grinning Hammond.

  “Well you were just too far away for me to bother with. Now, maybe, we can get a few things going around here,” said Black. He eased in a little closer. “I even think I saw a few senior officers quaking in their boots when it was announced you would be coming in. It’s good for them. Keeps them in line. Is everyone here?” he asked looking around. There were a few empty seats, but Black never let that stop him. “Let’s get started,” he said, sitting next to Hammond.

  The first briefing was the current deployment of troops and ships around the globe, their status and current operations plans. The second was a public affairs briefing that outlines the highlights of current news around the world, from the United States through Europe and to the Far East. Then came the intelligence briefing.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, last night there were some protests in Poland about discriminating practices of Polish business against current Polish citizens of Russian descent. Supposedly, these practices are being carried out throughout the nation as some sort of retaliation against Russia and her alliances. Our intelligence indicates these allegations are false. Current employment laws in Poland prohibit such things, but if you recall, these same things began happening in several other neighboring states which were once a part of the Warsaw Pact. We are also getting intelligence that Russian troops and tanks are being moved from their current positions in Ukraine and Belarus toward the Polish and Austrian borders. As of now, we have identified twenty divisions on the move. In addition, six squadrons of bombers have moved to bases in Belarus. The Russian government told its people that with the situation in Ukraine and Belarus becoming stable, there was an effort to protect the state against a NATO invasion. Our sources tell us that these divisions are fully armed and ready. Sources in Hungary have told us of additional aircraft being flown to bases in twos and threes, then being quickly moved into hangers. So far, there have been no flights, but it clearly appears they are getting ready for something.

  Austria and Germany have formed an alliance and German troops have begun moving into Austria and joining their forces in making preparations. The Poles have called in their reserves to get ready for what they feel is an imminent invasion. The incident last night will further inflame the situation.

  At sea, the Russians appear to have deployed at least twelve of their diesel submarines from the Northern Fleet. All other ships are still in port. The one exception is the guided missile cruiser Kiev, which along with several escorts, is in the Med, near the tip of Italy. Most times they remain in the Black Sea, but on occasion, they show up for a brief period in the eastern Med,” the briefer droned on.

  Hammond leaned over to the CNO. “I may be too late,” he whispered.

  The CNO shook his head. “It’s a cat and mouse game. They move their people around like in a chess game. It makes it hard to know what their actual intensions are or where they may strike.”

  Hammond nodded. He wasn’t really familiar with the morning briefings in the Pentagon. He had been out in the field too long.

  The briefers went on for another half hour along with questions and answers. Then the people in the room began breaking up and going back to their offices. Hammond was stopped by a familiar face.

  “I see you want me in on your planning session,” said General Claire Richardson. “I guess this makes up for being left off the first go around,” she said with a grin.

  Hammond grinned. “Told them I didn’t want anything unless I had the head grunt on the team. How’s it going Claire?”

  She actually gave him a hug. “It’s been too long. How’s Patricia and Little Steve?”

  “Fine. Although Patricia was looking forward to some time in Italy.”

  “And then we dragged you here. You should have known it would happen. We need sane people to keep us crazies on track,” she said with a smile. “I guess you are getting a good look at what we’re up against.”

  Hammond nodded. “A little, but I figure it will take me a while to get the whole picture.”

  Richardson’s face clouded. “Don’t make it too long, Roger. I’ve got that feeling in the back of my neck that within the next six months we’ll be in a shooting war. Thanks for bringing me in on the team.”

  “I guess it takes a couple of old war horses to get things going. Let me get started and then we can do lunch in a couple of days. I’d love to hear about what’s been happening with you,” Hammond said.

  “I love going on a date. See you later, Roger,” she said as she made her way out of the room.

  Krakow, Poland

  Petyr Kursov pedaled his way down the narrow streets on the outskirts of Krakow after completing his deliveries for the day. Just 17 years old, he had a very strong, thin frame, well-muscled from the daily deliveries he made for his father. Growing up in Krakow he had never known the Soviet Union his father had grown up in. Although ethnically Russian, he considered himself Polish. As a result, he had grown to enjoy the freedoms of his native land and had made many friends. As a matter of fact, he had become very popular in school, making friends easily and getting a reputation of being easy going and helpful when you needed him. His education was top notch and he always achieved
high marks in school.

  Every day he left school to help his father make the deliveries of medicine or other sundries for people who had a hard time getting in to the shop. The elderly in the area had come to know and love the black haired youth with the sparkling blue eyes. He was always there with a friendly smile and helping hand. In turn, this helped his father’s business greatly and the family enjoyed a prosperity that had them very comfortable.

  Petyr made a turn around one corner onto one of the main streets and began coming up on a young girl with auburn hair carrying two heavy bags of groceries. He immediately recognized her as Freda Polski, whose family had moved into the apartment above theirs just three weeks before. Petyr had a difficult time getting to know her. Only rarely did he see her outside of school and they didn’t share any classes. To Petyr, she was extremely attractive, so he eased his bicycle up alongside her and called out to her. “Need some help?” he asked.

  Startled slightly, Freda quickly smiled. “Oh, hello! I wouldn’t mind some help,” she said.

  Petyr got off his bike and grabbed the two bags placing them in the wire basket he had mounted over the front tire. “I’ll walk with you,” he said. The two began walking together as he pushed his bike.

  She flexed her fingers and looked down at where the plastic had cut into them. “I wasn’t sure I would make it,” she exclaimed. “The family needed more than I had thought.”

  Petyr smiled at her. “I was beginning to think I’d never see you. This is the first time I’ve seen you outside school,” he said.

  She gave him a small grin. “Well, I don’t get out much. My mother is not well, she has difficulty breathing. All those years of smoking have nearly killed her, so to help my father; I have to do a lot of the work around the house. By the time I get supper done and everything cleaned up, I just have enough time to get my homework done before I need to get to bed,” she said.