"We have the master file."
"Finally, some good news," said Rostislav Abramov, downing the last of the vodka in his bottle. "Let me take a look." He then began stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles, a ritual he always does every time before working on his computers. Cotton's password was easy to beat, and soon, Abramov was in the master file's code itself. "Damn," he muttered. "This is one heck of an advanced file. It's sending out various signals to the computers with its slave files. Take a look at this! The slave file inside the Zhukova-2 cell received the decrypt signal the night before the bombing of the Capitol. And the file inside the Prokofiev Hills cell was decrypted the day before those gunmen shot up the Capitol. This isn't just a timed-encrypt-decrypt file anymore; it's a timer counting down to Chechen rebels' big offensive."
"But what about the other files still encrypted?"
"I think they're only encrypted in the slave computers. With the master file, we can see everything they have in store for us." Abramov then opened the file named Operation Bezzavetno. "My God," he muttered. "This is a complete battle plan for the Third Chechen War. The individual rebel cells have their own areas of responsibility, and they also have plans to invade Ingushetia, Dagestan, and the other neighboring oblasts. And apparently, they hate the government too." Abramov brought up edited photographs of President Dmitry Medvedev and Governor Tarenin, whose faces were each marked with a blood-red X. In another frame, General Yevin was marked in a similar way. Many other prominent persons in Chechnya didn't survive this mutilation of their visuals effigies, even Aleksey Tarkovsky, General Boris Churbanov, and the mayor of Groznyy. Only Vice Governor Zimyat Kodudov and a general unknown to them escaped this treatment.
"We have to get this to General Yevin," they all said at the same time.
"This is impossible," muttered Yevin, staring blankly at the Bezzavetno printout.
"Where did you get this information?" asked Churbanov.
"We have a suspected rebel in custody," replied Rosie. "These files were found in his possession."
"We're looking at a total wipeout here if we can't stop this in time," Carter added.
"She's right," said Lev Arigov. "Most of our troops are concentrated in or near the most devastating cells. These guys are experienced bastards, while all we have are raw recruits who can barely remember their basic training on a good day. If the rebels strike, our men wouldn't stand a chance."
"Thank you for your assessment, Lev Vladimirovich," said Yevin. "I'll consider that for our new defense plan."
"Should we inform the governor?" asked Churbanov.
"I'll do it myself, Boris Borisovich," replied Yevin. "Lev, Vyacheslav, I'm counting on you to present to me a new plan once I get back. The Russians' old ones simply won't work anymore. You—" He pointed at Carter and Rosie "—since you two have the best handle on those rebels for now, I want you to help them out."
After Yevin left, Arigov quickly took a rolled-up map of Chechnya and laid it out on the floor. Taking a marker, he began highlighting specific districts on the map. "What's in this sector?" he asked, pointing at the southern part of Chechnya.
"The 15th and 62nd Motor Rifles," replied Klimov.
"Who's covering the Kirovsky cell?"
"The 160th Rifle Division," replied Churbanov.
"How about the cell on our border with Ingushetia?"
"The 106th Tanks Army."
"Okay, we've just identified the troops inside the regions with the highest risk in Chechnya. These will be the first to go out. You, what's your name again? Rosie? What region held the least risk of invasion from the rebels?"
"Stavropol Krai," she replied.
"I know CINC-Stavropol," said Churbanov. "If worst comes to worst, maybe I can lean on Major General Gridin for help."
"You do that, sir. We need all the help that we can get." Arigov then looked up, as if a sudden and unexpected thought struck him. "Just a question sir. How many troops does Stavropol have?"
"About fifteen hundred men."
"And the Third Shock Army has-?"
"Twelve thousand."
Thirteen thousand and five hundred soldiers to fight an innumerable foe, thought Arigov. Would all that be enough to fight them?
Planning lasted all night, and when they finally finished, a new defense plan lay ready for approval by General Yevin and Governor Tarenin: Operation Red Star.
"Comrades?" said Abramov. "I've found something interesting." He quickly brought up another document from Cotton's computer. It was about a bomb plot on the Capitol.
"Man, these guys are very determined to bring down the Chechen government," Carter observed.
"Have you seen a method of delivery in there?" asked Rosie.
Abramov scrolled down and revealed two pictures. The first one was of a truck, an Ural-4320, which was very common throughout Russia. The other was of a photocopy of the truck's registration and records. "This plan has a truckload of American high explosives, specifically the new Composition 6, being delivered to the Capitol to be detonated," he said. "And since the Ural-4320 can carry up to six thousand pounds of cargo—"
"That's enough power to destroy the Capitol twice!" said Carter and Rosie at the same time. "Print everything! We have to get this to General Yevin at once!"
But instead of seeing General Yevin in his office, they came upon Arigov and Klimov inside, playing cards. "Do you have any aces?" Arigov asked before he noticed the two women standing in the doorway.
"Where's the general?" asked Carter.
"Downstairs, in the mess hall," replied Klimov. "It's the temporary Central Committee room until we have the old one fixed."
"What's rubbing you the wrong way enough to try to meet the general at this very early hour?" asked Arigov.
Rosie tossed to them copies of the bomb plot. "Read," she said.
The two lieutenants read in silence for two minutes, broken only by an occasional groan or gasp, but otherwise, they were taking it all in, and they were taking it well.
"This is serious," said Arigov after finishing the document. "It's probably a good thing that you gave this to us. You wouldn't want to know what will happen if General Yevin saw this. Fine, we'll alert the guards; get them to inspect every truck coming in to the Capitol thoroughly. We'll deal with briefing this to Yevin."
"I'm all right with the briefing part," said Klimov, "but for the inspecting the trucks thing, it may not come to that."
"Why is that, Il'ych?" asked Lev.
"I know the man who owns the truck. Vilen Ivanovich Slavin. He was one of those Red Army of Bedoan militants that we captured during first Capitol shootout. Maybe it's time to pay the kid a visit. And all of you are coming with me."