The Atlantis Stone

CHAPTER 27

Alexei Vysotsky listened to Valentina's report. The connection from Egypt was fair at best.

"One of Volkov's agents is dead," Valentina said.

"What happened?".

"Rostov and her companion went after the Americans inside their hotel. There was a lot of shooting. Rostov got away."

"The Americans?"

"Gone. They got out fast, without taking anything with them. I got into their room before the police. I have a laptop computer and notes my sister made. She was working on a translation."

"Do you know where they went?"

"No. They'll be as far away from here as possible. It's bad for business when people get shot in the hotel. The Egyptians are angry."

"It will be difficult for them to escape. Come home."

My sister is in trouble.

"I should stay here," Valentina said. "We have to know if the Egyptians catch them."

"There are others who can do that, Captain Antipov. You have your orders." Vysotsky hung up.

The bottle of vodka was on his desk, next to an empty glass. He poured a drink. The night outside his window was clear and hot. The overworked air-conditioning in the building strained against the humidity of a Moscow summer. Alexei's uniform jacket was draped on the back of a chair. He'd unbuttoned his collar. A fan on his desk blew warm air over him, but it didn't help much.

He considered what Valentina had told him. Volkov had overstepped himself again. Alexei thought about how he could use what had happened against the FSB director.

The Egyptians were lax in many ways, but their security service was professional and efficient. It wouldn't take long to discover that the dead body in their hotel was a Russian agent. Once they made the connection, the Egyptian government would call in Moscow's ambassador and lodge a strong protest. It was the kind of incident that threatened relations.

The Federation was negotiating with Cairo for a multibillion dollar weapons purchase. The French and Americans were offering their own wares at the same time. Even the Chinese were angling for a sale. The Egyptians had plenty of options to choose from. Volkov's indiscretion could sabotage the deal. Even if it didn't, Cairo would drive a harder bargain as a result.

President Orlov was going to be unhappy with Volkov. The thought made Alexei smile. It was never a good thing when Vladimir Orlov was unhappy with you.

Alexei sipped his vodka. The first thing was to make sure the president learned of Volkov's recklessness. It required a careful approach.

Orlov was well aware of the rivalry between the directors of the two services and encouraged it. It was important he didn't think Alexei was simply undercutting his rival. Volkov would try to make it look as though what he'd tried to do in Egypt was something Alexei should have done instead. He would say his agent had been killed in heroic service to the Motherland.

Orlov likes heroes. I can't do anything about that. But heroic deaths for no purpose are not what he wants to hear about.

Alexei needed to discredit Volkov's decision to go after the Americans. He had to plant doubt about Volkov's competence and at the same time sow a seed of suspicion.

There hadn't been enough time for Orlov to achieve complete control since the coup that had brought him to power. The military and the oligarchs could still remove him if they wished. As long as the oligarchs prospered and as long as Orlov kept the generals happy, his position was secure.

The history of Russia was an endless narrative of plots, conspiracy and murder. The times were modern, but the Russian penchant for treachery was the same as it had been when the country was ruled by Ivan the Terrible. Power in Russia went hand-in-hand with suspicion and paranoia. If Orlov suspected Volkov was plotting to set himself up as a rival for the presidential chair, it wouldn't be long before the FSB director ceased to be a problem.

Alexei took a drink. He could use what he knew about Volkov's private behaviors to go after him. Or it might be better to let Orlov's paranoia reach the conclusion Alexei wanted.

He knew how to plant the thought. It was no secret Volkov favored reestablishing the old KGB. One intelligence and security service. One director in charge of everything. Alexei understood Volkov's ambition well because he wanted the same thing, with himself as director. Supposedly the breakup of the KGB had been a move to increase efficiency. In reality, the purpose was to prevent any one man from having too much power.

Alexei would show Orlov that Volkov's adventure in Egypt was less of a patriotic effort than it was an intelligence blunder founded on ambition. He would plant the seed of suspicion that would lead to his rival's destruction.

It was a game that could have only one winner.

Alexei poured himself another drink.