Liberators

Irina's Ultimatum

"I see no problem with your plan, Comrade Marshal," replied Domovich. "However, it would take forty-eight hours to load all of our active submarines in the area with guided missiles, and that's if I have them working on it right now. If they come in one by one, on a piecemeal basis, who knows how long it'll take for them to reconfigure those boats for guided missile delivery? Our surface ships can carry a comparable amount of cruise missiles, but we risk losing them if we place them that close to the Rivymiyitevko coast. We still haven't taken out the anti-ship systems on the southern coast of the island."

"The 455th Strategic Bombing Wing is standing by to deploy," said Drulyenko. "But because of a lack of external fuel tanks, we would have to ask the Russians for permission to land on their bases and refuel. I can spare the 15th Bomber Wing for this mission, but they're not as capable as the 455th."

"So, assembling the necessary assets is the easy part," said Dallutev. "But how are we going to rein in the troops for that amount of time?"

"A ceasefire, comrades," replied Adzhitekova, in a display of her quick wit. "We will declare a ceasefire in Rivymiyitevko, comrades, and if Konstantin Benin and his cronies won't step down, then you have my approval for Operation SOUNDPROOF. I want to be appraised of this operation every hour starting now. If there's been an unexpected screw-up, I want to know it at once so that we won't have to cross the bridge when we come to it. Now, Gennady, set up a conference. I have a feeling that this will need to be a very public announcement."

Lavrenty Geyan Military City Air Force Base

10 kilometers east of Beludumarev, Krakozhia

2200 Krakozhian time (October 21 0200 Rivymiyitevko time)

The Lavrenty Geyan Military City was the only city with such a title in the Republic of Krakozhia. Modeled after the King Khaled Military City in Saudi Arabia, it began its life as a simple rest stop between the cities of Beludumarev and Pretoska before the construction of Krakozhian Highway One bypassed it, forcing its citizens to abandon the place. Only the ratification of the Alternate National Command Center Law saved it from becoming a ghost town, but it did turn into that during the Krakozhian Civil War, when Mikhail Amazenkov halted all construction on the town and relocated its assets to building the Alanich Wall, which separated the town of Alanich, where President Baychenko established government-in-exile, from Democrat-occupied territory. Construction on Lavrenty Geyan resumed on January of 2005, and the city was officially included into the Krakozhian Census of 2007, nearly five years and five presidents after the groundbreaking ceremony.

The airbase, which was located east of the city and also served as an airport for select domestic and international flights, was home to the 455th Strategic Bomber Wing, the only such wing in the Krakozhian Air Force. It was composed of twelve Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic bombers, their crews, and not much else, and they were under the command of Major of Aviation Abdullah Haruyenko. Ever since the start of the Invasion of Rivymiyitevko, he had been asking General Drulyenko—gently, of course—for permission to deploy to that island in the Arctic, but every time that he asked, all he got was a curt shake of the head from the general. But over the past few days, Drulyenko's replies had become, "When we have need of bombers in Rivymiyitevko, we'll call you in." Finally, after Haruyenko asked the Chief of Staff of the Krakozhian Air Force for what felt like the hundredth time, Drulyenko finally retorted, "Quit badgering me, Abdullah Nestorovich, or I'll have you demoted to Private of Aviation and cleaning my office faster than you can say, "Declare Alpha-Alpha alert!" The General had been infuriated back then. He wasn't infuriated when he entered the headquarters of the 455th Strategic Bomber Wing.

Haruyenko was lying on a couch with a soda can in his hand, watching an old American sitcom dubbed in Russian. Drulyenko was surprised to see this sloppy side of the otherwise clean and uptight commander. Maybe his parting words had had a profound effect on the Major, though Drulyenko. He coughed lightly to attract Haruyenko’s attention, and he stood up and gave a half-asleep salute, as soda spilled from the can as he brought it up to his right eyebrow. “Yes, Comrade General?” he slurred.