June 2, 1981
12:32 P.M.
In the airspace over Dagestan
"So how did you spend your break?"
The young Petro Danilenko glanced over at his partner once he was asked the question. Danilenko and Fyodorov were inside a helicopter belonging to the KGB. The metal gray aircraft, designed to ferry KGB operatives to and from their destinations, carried the two young men and their guards to what remained of the Caspian military base.
"Relaxing with family, spending time with friends, and enjoying nightlife. Yourself?" Danilenko's ocean blue eyes glanced over at the older man.
Maxim just chuckled to himself as he began to address his partner. "Me? Well, for one, I thought you would do something more productive or simple like reading the Master and Margarita or taking a hike in the Urals. I hear the mountains are beautiful this time of the year. " Upon seeing the younger agent's baffled look, he decided to cut to the chase. " Sorry about that. I know I shouldn't drink alcohol before missions, but this is what happens when I do. Anyhow, I didn't do anything more productive than you. It was just drinking and television. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Ah." Petro just nodded. "I wish I had the kind of luxury you do."
"Huh?" Max frowned. " I am not sure if I should take that as a compliment or some sort of insult. On to more pressing things, why did you decide to join our organization rather than attend a university?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing."
Max just chuckled as he shook his head. " I think I am starting to like you, kid. You remind me too much of myself at that age."
Turbulence suddenly rocked the aircraft. The two men , along with their guards, grabbed onto whatever they could find to avoid falling over. Petro Danilenko looked like he was going to be sick.
"Yikes! Where did you learn to fly?" Max snapped at the pilot. "You are lucky I didn't have breakfast this morning or you would be cleaning up a mess that you were indirectly responsible for. On another note, how much longer till we arrive at our destination?"
---
The helicopter made a slow descent onto the ruined gray tarmac of Caspian Base-or what remained of it. A marshaller in a yellow uniform waved his orange beacons as the aircraft finally settled on the ground. It wasn't long until all the occupants exited the aircraft.
"This is Dagestan? It looks more like Afghanistan to me," Maxim remarked.
He and his partner glanced around at the dirt and shrubby mountainous region as the wind kicked up dust particles.
I just stepped into this piece of land and I am not liking it one bit. In fact, I see no sign of civilization in sight. We really need to do our job and take off immediately.
"Hey,sir?" Petro elbowed Max. "May I ask why we are dressed as GRU agents. I thought we were KGB."
"You thought right, my boy." He patted the Ukrainian's head. "Here is the secret: Since we are intruding on a GRU operation site, the last thing we need is their unwanted attention as we fulfill our objective, especially in an operation where they had lost one of their own. Understood?"
Danilenko nodded as he played with his camouflage jacket. As they walked into the charred and wet remains of the military base, the duo noticed the area bustling with GRU agents like bees in a hive. Several times, the rival agents stopped and saluted the two agents, thinking they were their own. Max and Petro both returned the salutes. Sometimes, Max had to gently remind his partner to do it in order to throw off any signs of suspicion. The last thing they needed was to have their cover blown and fail their mission to say the least.
"What exactly are we recovering?" Agent Danilenko asked as they entered the gray brick entrance or what was left of it. Half of it was crumbling and charred while the door looked like a giant had kicked it in.
"Does Fat Man Yuri not brief you?" Max used the director's pet name while referring to him. "Bozhe moi! He always expects me to do the grunt work. Anyway, let me give you the skeleton of our objective. We have an agent that has infiltrated the GRU and he's found out that our rival organization is desperate to capture a tape that possible sheds light on the identity of the base's attackers. According to both Zaitsev and Dragunov, they felt that General Leonidovich's pet monster is behind this. If you ask me, I say it is just typical separatists. "
"Wow, is that so?" The young agent bore an expression similar to someone who was told that Bigfoot did exist.
Max sighed. "Don't tell me you believe that garbage.I mean, Zaitsev and Dragunov are just like two children who are like two school kids vying for the attention of their teacher Leonidovich. I am pretty sure that the Stroynyy Muzchina is just a boogeyman concocted by the two bozos in order to downplay their shortcomings in the field."
"Halt!" A GRU guard, his black balaclava covering the lower half of his face, stepped forward, his weapon raised.
"What is it now?"Max rolled his eyes. He leaned over and whispered some advice to his partner. "Play it cool, ok?"
"You are entering a restricted area. I will need to see your badges, please. " The guard' s spinach-colored eyes glanced between the two men.
"Come on now," Max groaned. "Director Dragunov just sent us to recover a tape and now you are wasting our time asking for our badges? How dense can you be?"
"Badges, please?" The guard repeated as if he hadn't heard Max speak. Danilenko glanced at Max with a tense expression.
"Alright, you want our badges, I have them both here." Max took out two badges and handed them to the GRU guard. The masked guard took them and looked them over before handing them back to Max.
"Why didn't your partner carry his own?" He asked, glancing suspiciously at a nervous Danilenko.
Max didn't really need to lie about that."Oh, it is his first day and I forgot to hand it to him."
"Very well, follow me to the site." The guard led them down the ruined halls, littered with papers, blood, and furniture. Max wondered how long the GRU and the local Red Army branch had to clean up the mess. Soon, they came inside a room that was guarded by two people. Once they were granted entrance, the guard handed them the tapes.
"Here is what you wanted. I hope it suits you well. Give Director Dragunov our regards."
---
"Ok, you want to take the first look?"
Inside the helicopter, Max handed the tape to his partner as they headed to the nearest KGB base in order to view it.
Danilenko shrugged. "Sure, I guess."
"Hey, I am not forcing you to do it. If you don't desire the task, I'll gladly do it."
"Hey, I accepted." His partner laughed. "Of course, I'll do it."
Max patted the young man's back. "Just checking."
It wasn't long until they arrived at the KGB base. As soon as they were ushered into the appropriate room. Max sat in a chair across the hall as his partner viewed the tape. Out of boredom, he scrutinized the metal gray walls and wondered what Petro was seeing.
It is probably as I said. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just an insurgent group, possible Western-backed, that we have trouble keeping in line.
It wasn't long before Danilenko reentered the hall, flanked by two armed guards. Max stood from his seat, anxious to know what was on the tape.
"Well? Was I right? Are Dragunov and Zaitsev lunatics?"
Danilenko glanced back at Max, his face pale.
"You alright?" Max leaned over and stared into his partner's eyes. To him, they look like someone who had witnessed something traumatic. "You look like you saw a ghoul."
Petro Danilenko glanced up as Max patted his shoulder. "What they all said is true."
"Please tell me you are playing a prank. Even so, it's a pathetic one."
"Go and see." Danilenko urged him.
As the two discussed the issue, they were unaware of a pair of glowing eyes watching them from the shadows outside.
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Well, is Max a believer now? Hehe
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