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〃I will execute your directive as ordered； Mr。 President。〃
〃And I will expect to hear from you when the cordon is in place； Colonel。〃
While Kravchenko and Potrenko were finishing their call； Lieutenant Grigori Yardeni of the Bioaparat Security Detail （BSD） was in his office in Building 103。 He was watching the bank of closed…circuit television monitors when the cell phone in his pocket went off。
The voice was garbled by a synthesizer and sounded like a strangled whisper。 〃Do it now。 And prepare to use the Option Two。 Do you understand？〃
Yardeni managed to get the words out； barely： 〃Option Two。〃
He sat there for a moment； frozen by the implications of what he'd just heard。 So many nights he had imagined receiving the call that now； having e； it seemed unreal。
You've been waiting your whole life for this chance。 Get on with it！
There were sixty cameras situated throughout Zones One and Two； all of them hooked up to video players。 The machines themselves were in a fireproof cabinet equipped with a time lock that could be opened only at the end of a shift； and only by Yardeni's superiors。 In addition； the video players were absolutely tamperproof。 Yardeni had long ago realized that he had no options as to how to carry out the theft。
The lieutenant was a strapping young man； well over six feet； with curly blond hair and chiseled features。 He was a favorite at the Little Boy Blue cabaret； a male strip club in Vladimir。 Every Tuesday and Thursday； Yardeni and a few other BSD officers rubbed baby oil over their bulked…up frames and gyrated in front of screaming women。 They made more money in those few hours than in a month working for the state。
But Yardem had always had bigger ambitions。 A fanatical devotee of action films； his favorite star was Arnold Schwarzenegger； except that he was getting a little too old。 Yardeni thought there was no reason why someone with his looks and physique couldn't replace Arnold。 He'd heard that Hollywood was a mecca for tough； goodlooking hustlers with attitude。
For the past three years； Yardeni had been scheming to get to the West。 A problem he had in mon with thousands of other Russians was money： not only for the prohibitive exit taxes and air tickets； but enough to live on afterward。 Yardeni had seen pictures of Bel Air； he had no intention of arriving in Los Angeles penniless； forced to live in the Russian…immigrant ghetto。
The lieutenant checked the clock above his desk and rose； his military…style tunic straining across his chest。 It was after one o'clock； that time of night when the body is in its deepest slumber； when it is most vulnerable to death。 Except for the human and animal patrols outside and the security inside； Bioaparat； too； slept。
Yardeni reviewed the procedures he already knew by heart； then steadied himself and opened the door。 As he made his way through Zone One； he thought about the man who'd approached him almost a year ago。 Contact had been made at the Little Boy Blue； and at first he had thought that the man； one of the very few in the audience； was a homosexual。 That impression lasted only until the man revealed just how much he knew about Yardeni's life。 He described his parents and sister； detailed his high school and army careers； how Yardeni had been his division's boxing champion only to be cashiered when in a fit of rage； he had almost killed a fellow soldier with his bare fists。 The man had mented that for all intents and purposes； Yardeni's career would flatline here in Bioaparat； where he would sit daydreaming about what might have been while baby…sitting those who actually got to go to the shining cities。
Of course； one could always change one's destiny。。。。
Trying not to think about the cameras； Yardem proceeded to Zone Two through a corridor that was referred to as a 〃sanitary passageway。〃 It was really a progression of small； sterile rooms linked by connecting doors equipped with coded locks。 The locks did not hinder Yardeni； he had a key card and the master codes。
Entering the first cubicle； a changing room； he stripped and hit the red button on the wall。 A fine decontamination mist enveloped him。
The next three cubicles held separate items of the antiplague suit： blue socks and long underwear； a hood and cotton smock； the respirator； goggles； booties； and safety glasses。 Before leaving the last changing room； Yardeni reached for something that he had put in a locker at the beginning of his shift： a brushed aluminum Thermos…type container； the size of a flask。
He lifted the container in his gloved hand。 It was a marvel of engineering。 From the outside； it appeared to be nothing more than an expensive Western toy； functional but overly extravagant。 Even if one unscrewed the top and looked inside； nothing would seem amiss。 Only when the base was twisted counterclockwise would the container reveal its secret。
Carefully； Yardeni inched the base around until he heard the click。 Inside the double walls； tiny canisters released their contents of nitrogen。 Immediately； the container became cold to the touch； like a glass filled with shaved ice。
Slipping it into the pocket of his antiplague suit； Yardeni opened the door to the Zone Two lab。 Inside； he made his way past stainless…steel worktables to what the researchers jokingly referred to as the Coke machine。 It was actually a walk…in refrigerator with a door of specially constructed； hermetically sealed Plexiglas。 It always reminded Yardeni of the bulletproof barriers at the cashiers' booths in the American Express office。
He slipped the coded key card into the slot； punched in the bination； and listened to the long； slow hiss as the door swung back。 Three seconds later； it closed behind him。
Pulling open one of the drawers； Yardeni gazed down at row after row of vials made of tempered glass。 Working quickly； he unscrewed the container at its midsection and placed the top half to one side。 Set in the base were six slots； much like the chambers of a revolver。 He placed one ampoule into each of the slots； then replaced the top section； making sure that it was tightly in place。
Using his key card； he exited the Coke machine and made his way out of the lab。 The procedure in the changing rooms was reversed as he deposited parts of the suit into burn bags。 After a second decontamination mist； he was ready to get dressed； except that this time he changed into casual clothes… jeans； sweatshirt； and a baggy parka。
A few minutes later； Yardeni was outside； breathing deeply in the night air。 A cigarette steadied him。 Option Two； the voice had said。 That meant something had gone wrong。 Instead of Yardeni choosing his moment to purloin the variola； he had had to take it now。 And quickly； too； because for some reason Moscow had bee suspicious。
Yardeni knew all about the Special Forces mand outside Vladimir。 He'd befriended some of the trainees in town bars； they were tough and capable； not the kind of men that even he would ever want to tangle with。 But the rounds of vodka had bought him valuable information。 He knew exactly what kind of exercises the Special Forces went through and how long it took to execute them。
Yardeni crushed his cigarette under his boot and began walking away from Building 103； headed for one of the guard posts on the perimeter。 Tonight； as every night for the past month； rades from his old army unit would staff it。 Yardeni would tell them he was going off…shift； they would joke that he could still do the last show at the Little Boy Blue。 And if someone bothered to check the puterized roster； let him。
For the past fifty minutes； Kravchenko had been working swiftly and silently。 No lights had gone on in the training ground； no alarms had sounded。 His soldiers were rousted and assembled under the cover of darkness。 As soon as the troops had been mustered； the first armored personnel carriers rumbled through the gates。 Kravchenko couldn't do anything about the engine noise and didn't pay it any mind。 Both the citizens of Vladimir and the Bioaparat employees who worked the evening shifts were used to nighttime military exercises。
Riding in the mand APC； Kravchenko guided his column down the two…lane highway that led out of his pound。 His orders had been clear； if a traitor was on…site； he would be surrounded。 The one thing Kravchenko； an eminently practical man； could guarantee was that no one could break the quarantine。
〃Grigori？〃
〃It's me； Oleg。〃 Yardeni strolled up to the brick post。 Standing outside finishing a cigarette was a fellow BSD guard。
〃Is your shift over？〃
Yardeni feigned boredom。 〃Yeah。 Arkadi clocked in early。 He owes me time from last month。 Now I can go home and get some sleep。〃
Arkadi was Yardeni's relief； who at this time was； Yardeni assumed； asleep next to his fat wife； not due to e in for another four hours。 But Yardeni had coaxed the puter to tell a different story。
〃One moment； please。〃
Yardeni turned in the direction of the voice ing through the open window of the post。 Inside was a guard he had never seen before。 He glanced at his friend。
〃You didn't tell me that Alex was out tonight。〃
〃The flu。 This is Marko。 He usually works days。〃
〃Fine。 But would you tell him to l