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ZHUKOVSKY INTERNATIONAL Airport
Moscow Oblast, Russia
Darlene “Jenny” Craig taxied the Gulfstream to the Gromov Flight Research Institute ramp on the north side of the Zhukovsky International Airport. It was just after 1 AM, but two marshallers were there with glowing orange wands to guide her in and chock the Gulfstream’s wheels before she shut the engines down.
The Russian equivalent of Edwards Air Force Base, the Gromov Flight Research Institute was home to Russia’s state-run research, test, and development center. It had been used during the Cold War to reverse engineer American aircraft like an Iranian F-14A Tomcat, and aircraft shot down over Vietnam like the F-111 and F-4.
More recently, however, it served as Russia’s test pilot school and was home to many fighter test platforms to collect and analyze aerospace engineering data. With the world’s second longest runway at nearly eighteen thousand feet, it also served as a backup landing site for the defunct Shuttle Buran test program – a near clone of the American Space Shuttle program that became the first shuttle to make an unmanned space flight.
The stairs of the Gulfstream lowered. Kruger exited followed by Tuna, Ringo, and Churchill. They were all wearing tactical pants and long sleeve polo shirts. The custom-made Dragon Silk Body Armor that had been developed at Odin was concealed beneath their shirts. They carried suppressed Sig Sauer MPX rifles chambered in 9MM and had Sig X-Five handguns holstered on their hips.
Natasha met Kruger at the aircraft. In the distance, he saw Viktor and Anatoly standing and chatting with an older man in a three-piece suit. Natasha gave Kruger a hug and they shared a short kiss.
“I am sorry the timeline has changed, my love,” Natasha said.
“It’s okay,” Kruger replied. “We’ll manage.”
“What time will your American Air Force transport be here?” Natasha asked.
Kruger looked at his watch. “Should be landing in ten.”
“Good,” Natasha said. “Our contractor’s aircraft will be towed from the cargo ramp within the hour. I hope to have both airborne before sunrise.”
“The sooner the better,” Kruger said.
Tuna joined the couple as he eyed the man in the suit. “Do we get to meet him?”
“It is better if you don’t,” Natasha said. “He is very high-ranking official in the UAC.”
“UAC?” Tuna asked.
“United Aircraft Corporation,” Kruger answered. “That’s the parent company for the Russian manufacturers of these jets.”
“Da,” Natasha said.
“But doesn’t the government know about this operation?”
Natasha smiled and shook her head. “Only few people within the FSB know. Is better that way.”
“What about the cash?” Tuna asked.
They had a pallet of cash in the cargo hold of the Gulfstream, a combination of bribe money and a down payment for the aircraft. The rest of the money would be wired through off shore banks, dummy corporations, and other CIA instruments that Kruger neither knew nor cared to know about.
“Leave it,” Natasha ordered. “When the aircraft are loaded, Viktor will handle it.”
“Fair enough,” Tuna said.
Kruger looked up and saw landing lights in the distance. He could barely make out the silhouette of a massive transport aircraft in the moonlit sky. He looked at his watch. The Air Force C-5 Galaxy out of Ramstein AFB in Germany was right on time.
“Eyes open. Stay sharp,” Kruger said, tapping his rifle. He looked back at Ringo and Churchill who were standing watch near the Gulfstream. He gave them a thumbs up and pointed to the arriving C-5 as it crossed the runway threshold.
As the C-5 touched down, Kruger saw an amber flashing light in the distance. Across the ramp, a large hangar door slowly opened. The vehicle with the light entered the hangar. Moments later, it emerged, dwarfed by the massive Russian Antonov AN-124 cargo transport as it towed the plane out of the hangar.
“Where are the assets?” Kruger asked as he turned back to Natasha.
“In that hangar,” Natasha said, pointing behind the man in the suit still speaking with Anatoly and Viktor.
“How long will it take them to load?” Kruger asked.
“They say two hours,” Natasha said. “Perhaps less.”
Kruger nodded. The Russian transport was towed across the ramp slowly. The operator did a masterful job of maneuvering the massive aircraft into position right in front of the hangar storing the assets. As the tug driver disconnected from the nose wheel, the C-5 taxied toward them. Although it too was massive, it seemed small compared to the Russian aircraft.
The C-5 stopped a few hundred feet from the AN-124 and the same marshallers that had chocked the Gulfstream assisted with the C-5. When all of its engines were shut down, the nose opened and the loadmaster exited.
Tuna jogged over to him, intercepting the loadmaster before he could make contact with the man in the suit.
“I think we’re the ones you’re looking for,” Tuna said.
“Buzz,” the young loadmaster said, using the challenge word.
“Window,” Tuna replied.
The loadmaster nodded. Tuna had replied with the correct challenge word.
“So, what are we hauling?” the loadmaster asked.
“An aircraft and spare parts,” Tuna said, pointing to the hangar behind the AN-124. “Wings and tails have been removed. You’re transporting them.”
“Where are we taking them?” the loadmaster asked.
“You’ll find out when airborne,” Tuna replied. “Need to know basis.”
“We’re going to need to know a little bit more than that,” the loadmaster said.
“You’re filed to the east coast. Once you get there, you’ll get the rest of your clearance. Don’t press the issue.”
The loadmaster held up his hands defensively. “Just asking. No problems, sir.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Tuna said as he turned to walk to the AN-124.
The first of the aircraft was towed out of the hangar. The nose, wings, tails, and horizontal stabilizers had been removed. They were in separate containers to be loaded into the C-5. The aircraft were nothing more than fuselages with landing gear and engines.
The Russians went to work loading and securing their cargo. They were contractors, hired by Natasha and the FSB. They were to fly their cargo to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California where their cargo would be offloaded and eventually assembled. Their manifests simply indicated they were flying empty to pick up rocket components for their space program and the International Space Station. They were paid for their silence, backed up with threats by the two FSB agents standing in the distance with the man in charge.
As the two SU-30s were loaded, the crews went to work loading the C-5. Its mission was slightly different. It would initially fly to Dover AFB in Delaware where it would sit for two days under armed guard. After, it would fly to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada where the aircraft would be assembled and flown to the black site. The remaining parts would be flown to Vandenberg Air Force Base and the two SU-30s would be assembled and flown to the black site to join.
The entire operation would take four days, giving Spectre and his team down time to review what they had learned and for Spectre to train them in armed and unarmed combat. Kruger just hoped there were no further complications.
It was just before 4 AM when the aircraft were finally loaded and secured. Kruger and Tuna checked the manifests a final time. Everything was as they had planned.
Kruger kissed Natasha goodbye and then he and Ringo joined the crew on the AN-124. They would be acting as security for the entire trip. Churchill and Tuna would stay with the C-5.
As the two transports taxied out, Natasha said goodbye to Viktor and Anatoly and then boarded the Gulfstream. She would accompany Jenny back to Minsk and then continue with her part of the operation after Spectre’s team finished its training and headed back to the United States.