War with Russia

Morland had no time to reply for, at that moment, he heard the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Graham, the PJHQ Baltic team leader, in his ears, punctuated by the regular background bleep indicating that the transmission was secure.

“Penda One, this is Zero, radio check, over.”

“Penda One, send, over.”

No time was wasted. After receiving Morland’s updated situation report, Graham said: “Critical information. I have GCHQ liaison officer Allenby sitting with me now. She reports that GCHQ are intercepting comms between the Kremlin and Russia Today TV. Senior Russian general expected in Riga accompanied by mega-important VIP, identity as yet unknown, within next twelve hours. Russia Today will film visit live. Number Ten looking for some sort of spectacular attack as retaliation for sinking of Padstow. Over.”

“Penda One, Roger.” Morland was momentarily nonplussed by what he was being asked to do. However, with Allenby at the other end of the transmission and perhaps behind the interception, he did not want to sound hesitant. Then he pushed any thought of her to one side and focused on the task he was being given. “I’m well established with the Latvian Forest Brothers. We are using this sked as a come-on to attract Russian air assets into the area. We’ll hit them with an anti-aircraft ambush.”

“Zero, Roger,” said Graham. “However, we need you out of there ASAP as this senior general and VVIP are now your priority targets. A spectacular, live on Russian TV, will send a message to the Russians and encourage everyone in the Baltics that they are not getting it all their own way. This is now your only mission. Confirm, over.”

“Penda One, Roger,” replied Morland. “But we’ll need a lot more information and very quickly if we are to be able to mount any sort of attack in this timeframe. We are a couple of hours’ travel time from Riga at best and with no hold-ups. Our information is that Riga is currently very high risk as mass round-ups are being conducted.”

“Zero, wait out,” said Graham.

About three minutes later, PJHQ were back on air. “Intercepts indicate that general and VVIP will visit forward positions with film crews. That may present a better opportunity if they come to your area. Over.”

“Penda One, Roger. Pass to GCHQ liaison officer that we need any useful info the moment she gets it, if we are to be able to act on it in time. Over.”

“Zero, Roger,” came back Graham’s voice. “We’ll send data burst to alert you to the need for next call. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to work on the interception link. Over.”

“Penda One. Roger, out.” And that was it. PJHQ, Graham and Allenby had disappeared again.

Quickly the radio was packed up, motorbikes mounted, and the team left for the rendezvous point some five kilometers away. Meanwhile, about one kilometer from the ambush site, two teams peeled off on their motorcycles. Krastiņš had calculated that, if the Russians did attack the transmission location, they were likely to use the tracks into the Soviet bunker as a convenient fly line. Accordingly the two Stinger teams, each of two Special Forces soldiers, were placed on either side of the most likely fly line for the Russian Hind attack helicopters. As ordered, the rest of them drove on. If this went wrong, there was no point in them all being killed or captured.

Afterward, Morland still found it difficult to believe how quickly the Russians had arrived. Thirty-five minutes later, he picked up the distant noise of helicopter engines. And then the sound of explosions, as what had to be Mi-24 Hind gunships opened fire on the empty forest from where he had made the call to PJHQ. 80-millimeter rockets snaked from weapon stations mounted on their stub wings and pulverized the trees, while 23-millimeter, nose-mounted cannons hosed down what the Russians doubtless thought was a Forest Brother hideout.

Morland looked at Krauja. “Well, that much has gone to plan.”

A few moments later there was a lull in the Russian attack, almost as if the helicopters had either run out of ammunition, or were closing in to inspect the damage. Next instant there was a sharp crack, followed by a stream of smoke as a Stinger anti-aircraft missile rose into the sky in the far distance. It must have latched on to a Hind because there was a fireball above the tree line, followed a good couple of seconds later by a dull thump. And then silence.

“Now the Russians are going to really get stuck in. They’re going to flood the area with troops. Definitely time for us to thin out,” said Krauja tersely.