The Persona Protocol - By Andy McDermott Page 0,105

unlikely anyone would give it a second look. He pushed the cases to the forward bulkhead and pulled the sheets over them, then held the remaining tarp over his shoulders like a cape and squeezed beneath the other bench. A quick check that his feet were fully covered, then he concealed his head and waited.

The Vityaz’s bumpy journey finally stopped. The engine noise dropped to an idle grumble. Over it, Adam heard the clunk of doors opening, and voices. ‘Holly Jo, I can’t see outside,’ he whispered. ‘What’s happening?’

‘They’re getting out of the ATV,’ she replied. Her words were slightly distorted, interference crackling in the background. Even with the quadrotor relaying the signal, they were now far enough away from the op centre aboard the plane for it to be degraded. ‘Some more people are getting out of the chopper.’

‘That must be Sevnik,’ Tony added. ‘That’s a colonel’s uniform.’

Straining to listen, Adam could just about make out parts of the conversation outside. Zykov greeted the other Russian cheerfully, though Sevnik’s response was more restrained. The arms dealer then introduced al-Rais to his seller. Neither was impressed by the other, their mutual disdain clear, but matters moved straight on to business.

‘Two of al-Rais’s men have brought out suitcases,’ Holly Jo reported. ‘Al-Rais is opening them . . . they’re full of money.’

‘They’re full of a shitload of money,’ Kyle cut in excitedly. ‘So that’s what seven million big ones looks like, huh?’

‘Sevnik is checking it,’ Holly Jo went on. ‘He seems happy. They’re closing the cases – wait, now they’re coming back towards you.’

The Russian voices drew closer. ‘So where is the RTG?’ asked Zykov.

‘In a mine, not far from here,’ said another man: Sevnik.

‘Near the lagoon?’

‘How did you know about that?’ The officer’s voice suddenly filled with wariness – and threat.

Zykov remained relaxed. ‘An educated guess. I checked a map – considering how the RTG is going to be transported, it seemed logical.’

‘I see.’ Sevnik was not pleased to have been out-thought, but continued: ‘Very well. I will give you the position so you can land your plane.’

‘Zykov’s making a call,’ said Holly Jo.

‘Can you intercept it?’ Adam asked.

‘Already on it – I got his number last time, and NSA has a backdoor into the satellite network.’

Once Zykov had got a connection, Sevnik gave him a set of coordinates, which the arms dealer relayed to his contact. ‘Did you get that?’ Adam asked as the call ended.

‘We got it,’ Holly Jo replied. ‘The coordinates are about five miles south-east of your position. There’s a long lake – they’re on the western shore.’

‘The RTG is there. Tony, they’re not taking it to the airport – they’re going to fly it out directly!’

‘A seaplane?’ Tony asked.

‘It has to be. Baxter and his team need to get out there, right now. It’s our only chance of stopping them.’

‘Those coordinates are over eight miles from us! We’ll never make it in time.’

‘You’ve got to. I’ll do whatever I can to slow them down – hold on.’ Zykov, Sevnik and now al-Rais were talking again.

‘You want to come with us?’ Zykov asked, surprised. ‘Your helicopter is a lot more comfortable than this thing – and faster!’

‘I’m staying close to the money,’ Sevnik replied. ‘A couple of my men will come with me. The others will fly to the mine.’

‘You do not trust me?’ al-Rais growled.

‘I don’t trust anyone. I am committing an act of treason by selling you the generator – if the government finds out, I will be shot! I want to be a long, long way from Russia before anyone realises what has happened.’ He shouted orders. ‘Now, let’s go.’

‘Some of your men will have to ride in the trailer,’ Zykov told al-Rais. ‘There isn’t enough room for everyone up front.’

Alarm filled Adam. He lifted the tarpaulin from his face – to see Bianca peeking out from under her own cover, unable to follow the Russian conversation outside and wanting to know what was going on. ‘Hide, hide!’ he hissed at her. She hurriedly pulled the tarp back down.

Adam did the same. Movement outside, muttered words – then the trailer shook as the tailgate was dropped. Men clambered in. The bench above Adam creaked as a man sat heavily on it, followed by another.

He raised the edge of the tarp just enough to see the floor. Four pairs of boots were planted on it, two on each side of the cabin. He glanced towards the front of the trailer. The cases containing the