War with Russia

“But Anatoly Nikolayevich,” protested Luzhin, “my men are more than capable of defending this compound. I have a well-planned program of mobile and foot patrols to ensure that the ground defense area out to five kilometers is properly covered. The perimeter is guarded, as you can see, by watchtowers, each with night vision devices and machine guns, which also cover the minefield. I also keep a Quick Reaction Force at immediate notice to move and I insist that my officers are out regularly to check that the soldiers are performing their duties in accordance with my orders. I can assure you, no enemy has dared come near this compound. What more can the general want?”

“I understand, Pyotr Petrovich.” Vronsky was diplomacy personified as he explained the position to his fellow major. “I appreciate that it is unorthodox for one major to give instructions to another, but I regret that I can say very little. I am here by Presidential direction, so I have to ask for your full support. This mission is of strategic importance to Russia and hence a task for Spetsnaz. I will report to General Kirkorov that I found everything here in first-class order, but please withdraw your patrols into the compound. However, I will ask that you maintain your QRF at immediate notice to move and double up the guards in the watchtowers.”

Luzhin, after the inevitable—and procedurally correct—radio call to headquarters, recognized that he had no alternative but to comply and took himself off to his office to drown his frustration.

Vronsky, meanwhile, accompanied by Senior Warrant Officer Dimitri Prokofitch Razhumikin, his Ops NCO, conducted a reconnaissance of the immediate vicinity of the compound based on a careful study of the map and aerial photos he’d brought from Kaliningrad. The ground suited his purpose admirably. The most likely route for the enemy approach was from the direction of the forest, to the north of the perimeter. It would give the terrorists the best cover and get them closer to the command bunker. His deduction that this was their target was further reinforced by a report from HQ that a drone with forward-looking infrared had picked up a heat source in the forest five kilometers north of the compound.

“That’s it,” he said to himself. “The bastards are on their way… and they’re not getting away from me this time.”

An hour after finishing his recce, Vronsky gave orders to his team to allow them plenty of time to get into position.

“Listen in guys and welcome to Operation BORODINO,” he said to the Spetsnaz team, assembled by Razhumikin in the Guard Force conference room. “First, the preliminaries. You’ve been split into four groups: Gun Groups One and Two, each equipped with the PKP Pecheneg, 7.62 millimeter light machine gun and AGS-30, thirty-millimeter grenade launchers, plus normal small arms and grenades; next is the Korda group, equipped as you’d expect from the name by one of my favorite weapons, the Korda 12.7 millimeter heavy machine gun—a beauty which got me out of trouble in the second Chechen war several times. Finally, there’s the reserve group. Note, too, that I’ve marked the map with a number of named spot points to avoid having to send grid references.” He paused to allow his men to take notes and check their maps.

“Mission: capture the British infiltration team as they move forward to conduct a reconnaissance of the compound. I won’t say more about that, as Senior Warrant Officer Razhumikin gave you the intelligence picture previously. The key point I want to make is that I want the British officer alive. We’ll do it by surrounding the team on all sides with a curtain of fire. On my order, the reserve group will move in and take them prisoner. Do what you need to do to subdue them, but the President wants the officer alive and looking photogenic on TV. Moving on to tasks. Gun Group One, you are to set up the unattended ground sensors along the southern edge of the forest line to pick up the intruders as they head toward the minefield. On my order, you are to engage them from a position you are to recce and prepare on the southern edge of the forest line.

“Gun Group Two. You are to act as cut-off group, ready to engage them from a position in the scrubby area northeast of the minefield, here. Again, recce and prepare a position that will prevent any escape from the killing area.” And he indicated on the map where he wanted them located.

“Next, Korda group. You are to set up in the watchtower on the perimeter fence, here. You are to engage the enemy on my order—and I plan to be in the tower with you—as they move into the killing area. For all of you, the Korda opening fire is your signal to engage.

“Finally, my reserve group. I want you ready to move out from the back gate of the perimeter fence to capture the enemy on my order, when they’ve been neutralized.”