Quantum

56

‘Zdrávstvuyte, Bartholomew Georgievich,’ a squat thickset man said as Kilkenny and Cooper entered their suite at the Metropol. ‘How was your flight?’

‘Fine, Iggy,’ Cooper replied warmly. The two men embraced in a Russian bear hug. ‘It’s good to see you again.’

‘Da. Like old times, but better.’

‘Iggy, I’d like you to meet Nolan Kilkenny. He’s the guy I told you about, the one who’s helping me out on this. Nolan, this is Igor Sergeevich Fydorov of the FSB.’

‘A pleasure,’ Kilkenny said, offering his hand.

Fydorov grasped it firmly with his thick-fingered paw and squeezed, all the while grinning and looking Nolan in the eye. Kilkenny smiled and returned an equal amount of pressure in what was obviously a test of strength. The bushy mass of hair that formed a single brow over Fydorov’s brown eyes furled as he bore down on Kilkenny’s hand. Kilkenny matched him and returned a tense smile.

‘Enough, you two,’ Cooper said, amused by the spectacle. ‘Call it a draw.’

Fydorov and Kilkenny released simultaneously, both relieved that it was over.

‘Your friend has quite a grip,’ Fydorov said as he massaged the blood back into his reddened fingers.

‘The same could be said for you, Mr Fydorov.’

In a friendly gesture, Fydorov slapped Kilkenny hard on the back. ‘Call me Iggy.’

‘Is everything set for our meeting with Orlov?’ Cooper asked.

‘Da, everything is as we discussed. When I get your signal, Alpha will move in.’ ‘Alpha?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘Alpha is a Special Forces unit, like your SEALs or Deltas. The KGB developed the Alphas for use in Afghanistan. I was part of the unit that attacked the presidential palace in Kabul,’ Fydorov said proudly. ‘We spearheaded the Russian invasion in 1979. When that first mission began to go badly and we came under heavy fire, Brezhnev ordered that we be abandoned and left to die.’

‘Couldn’t stomach the disappointment?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘Politicians,’ Fydorov replied with disgust. ‘We escaped from that betrayal and became the KGB’s elite Special Forces unit. During the Battle for the Russian White House, when Yeltsin launched an eleven-day siege against Rutskoi and the Russian parliament, two Alphas entered the White House under a flag of truce and informed the rebels that they had thirty minutes to surrender, or Alpha would attack. The rebels surrendered immediately.’

‘Politicians,’ Kilkenny said.

‘When the KGB was broken up,’ Fydorov continued, ‘the FSB inherited Alpha, and we use them as a counter-terrorism assault unit. In their role as the government’s enforcer, Alpha recently took it upon themselves to remove a Mafiya chieftain who boasted of being untouchable by the government. As he walked from the steambath to his armorplated Mercedes 600, surrounded by bodyguards, a sniper nestled in a fifth-story window put two bullets in his head and one in his heart.’

‘Given that Orlov has surrounded himself with operators like Leskov,’ Kilkenny remarked, ‘it’s nice to know the cavalry will be there when we need them.’

‘Cavalry?’ Fydorov questioned, not understanding Kilkenny’s comment. ‘Oh, like in cowboy movies. Yes, we are the cavalry. Is there anything you require?’

Kilkenny shook his head.

‘No,’ Cooper replied. ‘I think we’re all set here. Nolan and I just need to get ready for our meeting with Orlov.’

Fydorov checked his watch. ‘It’s time for me to go as well. I have a taxi waiting for you — one of our drivers. He’ll make sure you get there. Good luck, to the both of you.’

‘Thanks, Iggy,’ Cooper replied.

‘We’ll see you when all of this is over,’ Nolan promised.