Heaven's Conspiracy (Child of Man)

Heavens Conspiracy (Child of Man) Chapter four

    Otto Penske was the type of person who could stand in the middle of an open field of grass alongside a major metropolitan highway, and never be seen by passing motorists. An average looking Eastern European of moderate build, the man was unnoticeable in a small gathering, and completely invisible in a crowd. Nothing in his aura or manner would cause a person to take a second glance at the man. His non-provocative demeanor displayed a hint of cowardice, or possibly just mere subjugation to his role in life, unquestioningly following as his lowly status dictated.
    This purposed prosy, combined with the man's genius rated intellect made him perfect for covert operations within the KGB, and elevated him to the intellectual wing of the organization held by the select few known as Double X operatives. This rarity of distinction allowed Penske to live an almost royal existence behind the iron curtain of the great communist nation.
    A shadow within a shrouded obscurity, the Intellectual's Order was headed by a council of six, unknown to him with the exception of it's leader, who determined all Double X assignments and postings.
She had chosen him for the unique characteristics and mental aptitude he possessed, and his proven abilities after many missions for the parent Bureau, in which he had shown true daring and distinction under difficult circumstances.
    "Why am I doing this", Otto muttered to himself in the darkness, standing in an alleyway between two buildings across from the State Health Ministry office in Moscow.
    He knew why, old debts repaid. And he was still paying, certain it would always be this way until either he, or Vladamir Danko were dead. He had a great deal of history with the General, from as far back as the Smirsh committee, when Stalin had selected a few of his more ardent supporters to make sure that the true Hitler had met his just fate, and not escaped the retribution that Stalin so sorely wanted to inflict upon the traitorous dictator.
    While investigating the incident in Berlin, Penske had failed to secure detailed evidence of a possible ruse, to throw the investigators off the trail of Hitler's location, by placing his look-a-likes in the vicinity of the Nazi dictator's last known position, and the plan to spirit away the murderous madman through a series of underground Nazi hideouts.
    At the very least he would have been shot for his rookie incompetence, but Danko intervened on his behalf. The General, then Colonel, was one of Stalin's new stars, a war hero of the first order. Danko had greatly exaggerated the circumstances in his report to the Russian Dictator, and though dismissed from the Smirsh committee, no further actions were taken against him.
    It had only taken him a few years to recover from the unseasoned humiliation, and was fortunate enough to be allowed into the National Security Branch of the Soviet Government, leading to his eventual induction into the fledgling KGB.
    So here he was again, repaying a virtual debt of life to the man who'd rescued him.

    It was quite a change he thought, instead of a dangerous covert operation he was here, watching the front door of the Health Ministry offices, waiting for the Minister and her charge to appear. It certainly wasn't his idea of the spy game.
    He'd been on the assignment for over two weeks now, detecting nothing unusual or of note to report back to Danko. Every day the Minister arrived with the child at approximately six in the morning, and promptly departed again at six in the evening returning to her apartment, the child held securely to her chest as if she were it's mother.
    The tedium was beginning to irritate Penske. He had even managed clandestine entry into the Health Ministry offices disguised as a maintenance worker, managing to get an imprint of the Minister's secure key card, and a great many blisters from mopping floors. He did credit the professionalism of the Ministry however, for he had been unable to access the controlled laboratories where the Minister and certain other authorized doctors worked.
    He could have of course walked in at any time displaying his KGB credentials and gained entry to any of the buildings rooms he wished, but that had not been the assignment issued by the General. Danko had explained to him that he was not to alarm the Minister in any fashion, or let his true identity be discovered, merely to observe and report any relevant information.
    Otto shifted his weight from his left to right foot, finding a more comfortable stance as he glanced at his watch which showed almost six. Just as expected the Minister pushed open the front door cradling the baby to her chest, wrapped in a blanket against the chill. Her driver pulled up to the curb at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Ministry front entrance.
    The Minister began to descend the steps to the sidewalk where the vehicle waited, when she accidently lost her balance, pitching headlong forward out of control.
    Penske watched the scene unfold, suddenly feeling very foolish. The Doctor's loss of balance caused her to simply disregard the bundle she'd been clutching, casting the package away from her as she brought her hands up to keep from impacting the cement stairway.
    The child the Minister had been carrying flew through the air three meters to the sidewalk below, where it bounced almost a meter high before hitting the rear passenger window of the waiting vehicle.
    Recovering her composure quickly, the Minister darted down the remaining steps and rushed over to the still mute shape on the sidewalk, snatching it up to her chest and glancing around suspiciously to see if anyone had observed her actions. Not believing she'd been seen, she quickly entered the vehicle and closed the door. As the car pulled away the Minister's head turned in all directions, trying to discern whether she had been exposed.
    Otto Penske couldn't believe he'd been duped by such a rank amateur, and a politician at that. He certainly wouldn't be bringing this bit of information to anyone's attention. The good Minister had been transporting a decoy, probably a child's doll, for the past two weeks for all he knew. There could be no other conclusion. Her actions had confirmed it when she snatched up the bundle, not checking to see if the silent form was injured, and then hastily leaving the scene of the place most apt to care for the child.

    General Danko would want to hear something from him soon. He would advise the General that the situation suggested something amiss, and that closer scrutiny of the Minister's activities was in order.
Yeah, sure it was a lot of useless double speak, but he wasn't about to let Danko know he'd been following a decoy for the past two weeks.
      Pulling a small note pad from his breast jacket pocket he made a few notations. Completed, he replaced the pad and faded back through the alleyway he'd come through, a shadow among shadows.

*                                *                                *                            *

    Captain Nicholaus Moval greeted Natina with a gracious good morning when he entered the offices of the NKVD. Natina smiled warmly and returned the salutation standing to open the door to the General's personal office.
    "He is waiting to see you sir", Natina said, and Moval was ushered in without hesitation. The Captain stood at attention hearing the door close behind him, and remained so until he was addressed by the General.
    Danko sat at his desk, three lamps holding down the corners of what appeared to be a large aerial map. He was looking intently at the photographic blow ups with a magnifying glass.
    "Please be seated Captain", Danko said, not looking up, peering intently at the map. He laid a clear grid cover over the map and began coloring in various sections of the grid with different colored markers.
Completing the task, the General rolled up the sheets and tucked them in a rack space behind him. Spinning back around he opened a drawer of his desk and produced a bottle of vodka and two small glasses, filling the containers to the top and handing one to Moval.
    "Welcome back, Comrade Captain", Danko said, moving his glass forward to clink with Moval's before the two tilted back the biting spirit, draining the glasses. Setting them on the General's desk, Danko refilled the drinks and replaced the bottle in his desk.
    "Have a seat, was your journey successful Captain", Danko asked, taking his chair.
    Moval seated himself in one of the two chairs facing Danko across from his desk and related the assignment to Kytvak station.
    "We were somewhat successful General", he began, relaxing into the cushioned chair and opening a black file folder containing the details and notes from the assignment. Handing the paper contents to his commander, Moval started in on his narration summary of the most relevant facts.
    "We arrived at Mt. Styktvar and found that it was nearly indiscernible, as the first winter snows had covered it in two meters of fresh white powder. I had the pilot circle the transport plane around the area for a visual assessment of both Kytvak station and the blast area. We then parachuted to the ground with our equipment and conducted radiation tests, first around the blast site. Geiger counter readings showed no sign of radioactive particulate composition in the surrounding blast area, and only minimal trace amounts could be detected in the blast crater itself".

    "My belief sir, is that all of the radioactive dust particles were removed in the summer snow melt, which would explain the abundance found in the Omolon".
    The General listened intently to his underling, nodding his agreement with the assertion.
    "We next proceeded to the Kytvak station, and destroyed the observation bunker and tunnel, saving the transport hangar for last. Before we did so though, I recalled the decontamination chamber used to remove dust particles from the radiation suits, and we were fortunate to find almost two kilograms of pure particulate dust in the decontamination filters. I ordered the demolition of the hangar complex, and by this time it should appear as any other snow covered rock region".
    "So you believe we may allow the Health Ministry to conduct their tests now", the General asked?
    "I believe it is perfectly harmless to allow whatever search the Ministry requests sir", Moval replied.
    The corner of the General's mouth turned up at Moval's play on the word, harmless, fully understanding the Captain's meaning, that it would be harmless for themselves, and anything being linked to the Military, not to the condition of any Health Ministry worker.
    "And your conclusion Captain", Danko asked, indicating he desired the completion of the briefing.
    "Concluding the assignment, we marched to SP-147 and secured transport to Susuman, where I contacted Colonel Lishs of the SP sectors central command. A troop transport returned us to Leningrad, where I placed the particles in control of a Sargent Fraitz".
    Moval's tone now took on a more serious tone as he finished his report. "All members of the detail were reassigned per your orders, and issued the pay allotment you authorized. They were pleased General", Moval concluded, feeling sickened by the end all that sometimes accompanied his missions.
    The detail of men were fresh recruits to the NKVD, hand picked for their ordinary mental and physical characteristics. They were capable soldiers, having recently graduated from their training and eager to please their commanders. They had readily accepted the reassignments upon completion of the Kytvak mission, and were pleasantly surprised with the bonus payments they had received. None of them expected however, that within a years time they would meet an untimely and unfortunate end to their careers. Moval never favored such orders from the General, but Vladamir Danko was not one to leave behind any bridges that his enemies might later cross to attack him. Where there were no witnesses, there was no crime. Moval knew also that he could very well fall into this category some day.
    "Captain, I would like to relieve you of your duties for a while after this mission, but I have an urgent need for your service. It seems there is something strangely amiss with Minister Bresvan, or so I am informed by Agent Penske. Contact him and assist his operation fully, and possibly at it's conclusion I can get you some leave time".
    "Thank you General", Moval responded, but you have already promised my services to Minister Bresvan, and I believe she is expecting me to leave tomorrow with the Ministry's Medical reconnaissance team".
    "Disregard those orders and see to this assignment", the General countered, "and I'll see Lieutenant Braufk assists the Minister's associates".
    Moval stood, coming to attention and saluting the General, saying "Yes sir".
    The General stood then returning the salute, and handed the unfinished drink to the Captain, taking his own and toasting the Motherland. The officers drained the glasses, and Moval turned leaving the room, on his way to arrange contact with Agent Penske.

*                                    *                                *                          *

    Nicholaus Moval had worked two other assignments with agent Otto Penske, and they worked well together, complementing each others style instead of butting egotistical heads. Possibly it was the fact they weren't in competition with one another, and both sure of themselves, had no animosity for one another, secure in their arena of service to the country in their respective positions.
    Moval's booted heels echoed across the floor as he walked through the silent corridors of the Moscow State Library, working his way to the reading room in the rear of the building. He took a seat at a booth, and spread out the State Paper he carried with him, reading through the articles waiting for his contact. Within minutes a figure appeared out of nowhere, slipping by his booth depositing a folded note on the table. A piece of Moval's paper quickly covered the note, and the figure was gone again almost as suddenly, turning into the book rows and vanishing in the volumes of government authorized publications.
    The Captain continued to read through the articles for several minutes, then refolded his paper placing it under his arm and leaving the library. He would read the instructions when he had a secured environment, then destroy the note.
    Theses security measures had been one of Penske's demands upon the General, that although he may be obligated to report and assist Danko, due to old debts, those obligations did not include letting his superiors know he was assisting Military Intelligence without authorization. He wouldn't be of much use to Danko or anyone else if such information got back to the wrong people.
    When he reached his person quarters, Moval removed the note he'd secreted away, and read through the instructions which brought a wry smile to the soldier's face. Penske had laid out a particularly intricate plan to gain access to the Health Ministry involving the authorities, who would be duped into being the two mens alibi for the crime they would commit. Completing the missive Moval burned the piece of paper in a tin waste basket, and prepared for an evening out on the town.

*                                    *                                *                          *

    Nicholaus Moval checked his watch seeing he wa right on time, strolling casually up the sidewalk half a block from the front entrance to the State Health Ministry offices. He continued on his path arriving only seconds after the civil police authority pulled up to the curb, six squad cars in all with two officers each. The police immediately fanned out in front of the main entrance, with four of the officers circling around behind the building to cover the rear exits. A middle aged Sargent approached Moval telling him to leave the area at once.
    "What's going on", Moval asked the Sargent, removing identification from his long coat, and making it visible to the ranking cop.
    The officer falshed his light on the I.D. recognizing the Military Security insignia on Moval's badge, then motioned toward the Ministry building.
    "We had an anonymous tip about someone going to break in here tonight", he explained.
    "Probably just a distraction", Moval said, "while they pull off a crime somewhere else, that's why the Military rarely regards such hearsay".
    Moval replaced his credentials clapping the Sargent on the shoulder as he moved to pass by the policeman, bidding him a good night.
    In the next instant the Captain waqs wrestling the man to the ground behind one of the squad cars, taking cover from the hail of bullets and the sound of shattering glass, that erupted from the second floor of the Medical facility.
    When the weapon fire ceased, a voice rang out from the darkened interior of the building.
    "I've got biological contaminates in here", it said. "I want a car, a million rubbles, and a plane to fly me out of the country, or I start tossing them out, Open", the voice of the man punctuating the last word.
    The crouching Sargent looked to Moval and asked, "do you think it's true"?
    "I wouldn't annoy the fool to find out", was the Captain's reply.
    "Did you hear me out there", the voice screamed this time, frantic fanaticism evident in his tone, reaffirmed by a short burst of gunfire.
    "Answer him", Moval said to the Sargent, "try and reassure him and calm down the situation if possible. I'll try and get in the building and work my way up to him", he finished, drawing his issue pistol from the holster under his left arm, and ascending the flight of steps to scurry across the open space leading to the facility.
    "Yes, Okay, we hear you", the Seargent yelled up at the building. "I must arrange for the things you ask, please do nothing with any of the medical samples, you may hurt innocent people".
    "I'll toss them all out if you don't hurry your ass up", the deranged voice yelled back.
    Sargent Meeilvzas retreated from the area a short distance, pulling his keys from the clasp ring attached to his gun belt. He selected the right key and opened the metal box attached to one of the city many lampposts. Grabbing the receiver he cranked hard on the small wheel inside, and rang the desk operator back at police headquarters.

    Moval entered the building through the front door, finding it unlocked just as Penske told him it would be. He locked it behind him upon entering, preventing any of the other officers from trying to follow him in, and proceeded to the stairway leading to the second floor.
    Penske was waiting for him and nodded his acknowledgment that the plan was proceeding as desired. The agent held out his hand and pointed toward an unconscious form on the floor inside one of the office laboratories.
    Without discussion moval relinquished his weapon to the agent and walked over to the unconscious man, hoisting him upright.
    Penske moved to a position just inside the laboratory doorway and took aim, firing three shots dead center into the unfortunate victims chest. This simple act of his plan removed an instigator he'd been assigned to kill by the head matron of the intellectual order, and provided all the cover he'd need if this mission went awry.
    As soon as the third shot entered the dead man's body, Moval used the weight of his slumped form, thrusting him backward into one of the glass cases within the lab, shattering the front panes of the refrigerated units holding viral agents in glass stoppered beakers. Releasing the dead man, the lifeless form fell to the floor amidst the shattering splinters of glass to slump slightly forward.
    The two then worked quickly, arranging the crime scene to their satisfaction, placing several beakers on the floor around the victim, and Moval reclaimed his weapon from Penske, hearing the alarmed calls from the officers outside.
    "It's okay", Moval shouted toward the busted out window Penske had shot through earlier.
    "It's Captain Moval of Military Security", he went on yelling out the window, while opening one of the beakers Penske handed him, marked viral 752, "I've shot the suspect".
    He placed the open beaker in the hand of the victim, shouting to the officers below. "Don't enter the building, he's released one of the viral agents. You'll need to get a medical team", and don't let anyone come in until I secure the building. I'm coming down the stairs now, don't shoot".
    The Captain headed for the entrance floor, seeing Penske had already departed, and was most likely already working on access to the special projects area in the basement of the building. When he reached th eglass entrance doors, he placed his hands wide-spread on the glass, high over his head, letting the officers identify that he was who he said he was, so they didn't shoot him by mistake.
    The officers outside walked up to the door, their flashlights trained on Moval plastered against the glass. When they identified him, he let loose his pose and yelled through the door.
    "I've killed the suspect", he said, appearing somewhat shaken and worried, just enough he thought considering the circumstances he would be facing, if this weren't more than a staged set of theatrics. He knew he needed to convince the men outside that his story had dire portent, so they wouldn't enter until the proper medical team was assembled to deal with the exposed contagions. He also knew, due to Penske's research, that it would take about two hours before all necessary personnel and equipment would arrive at the Ministry offices.

    "Don't let anyone enter the building, I've been exposed to some biological contagion, but I don't know what it is", he said, coughing roughly at the end.
    Moval was surprised at himself for the masterful performance he portrayed, his voice actually sounding a bit of panic, and he knew he'd succeeded when the officers began to back away from the doors, worried expressions registering on their shadowed faces.
    "Keep all pedestrians away from the building", he continued coughing intermittently, "and don't let anyone but the medical team in. I'm going to find someplace to sit down", he concluded, grabbing at his chest and coughing harshly, heading back into the Ministry offices.
    He saw the reflection of the officers retreating flashlights in a glass covered picture, set at eye level on the opposite wall, suggesting his ruse was successful. His gate was slow until the inner shadows of the building provided enough darkness that his movements were no longer detectable, then sprinted forward opening a door on his right behind the receptionist station. Entering the stairwell he hastily descended three levels, arriving at the solid steel doors to the basement laboratories. There impenetrable design testifying to the grave nature of the Health Ministry's occupational hazards.
    Agent Penske was currently engaged in attempting to open the lock on the doors with an indented authorization card, and a quick use of locksmith tools. The card Penske had gotten in his clandestine operations as a Ministry janitor only a couple of weeks before.
    "Damn", Penske cursed, inserting the card again and pressing the tools against the lock tumblers.
    "What's wrong", Moval asked?
    "They may have changed the card imprint", Penske replied sliding the card in position again and picking at the lock. Frustration got the better of the agent then, and he slammed the palm of his hand against the mechanical card reader. A low toned beep issued from the locking device and the doors opened inward to a sucking whoosh, of air drawn in from behind them. With a shrug of his shoulders Penske entered the labs, followed by the Captain.
    Moval detected the pressure seals on the door jams as they entered the underground maze. It reminded him of the decontamination chamber at Kytvak station.
    "All right, let's split up and see if we can find what we came here for", Penske said, then without hesitation turned into the first corridor to his left and disappeared. Moval turned right visually checking each lab office through the thick glass which made up the majority of the walls.
    Finding nothing of importance, both corridors coming to a dead end, the men returned to the central corridor and proceeded further into the depths of the underground passages. Checking several more diverging corridors without success.
    As they reached the end of the main corridor, Moval caught sight of a greenish radiance from a laboratory at the end of another branch of labs, noticing that this room was different, as shades had been set up on the inside of the glass to obstruct viewing the interior.
    The whole time Moval had been wandering this underground labyrinth, he was asking himself why anyone would leave an infant unattended in such a place. That was of course if the child were actually being kept here. Penske had explained that it was his belief that they would find the kid here, but in actuality it was just a guess, not knowing for certain if the Minister were keeping her charge in the Ministry, or had secreted him away in an unknown location. 
   
    Something in the eerie light caused Moval to believe he had seen this radiance before. He tapped Penske on the shoulder and the two headed for the room.
    "Try the card", Moval spoke softly to the agent, pointing to the mechanism similar to the one on the main lab entry doors. 
    Penske complied with the Captain's suggestion and this time had no problem with the lock, and the two found themselves inside a small decontamination room complete with protective medical gowns, masks, and other assorted covering. Dressing in the protective equipment to be on the safe side, they opened the shaded door leading into the laboratory emitting the radiant glow.
    "God", Moval heard Penske say from under his mask, when they beheld the nightmarish vision of the lab.
    Twelve clear cylinders approximately one meter high by one meter in diameter were arrayed in a circle in the middle of the room. Inside the cylinders a green viscous fluid, semi transparent in nature, swirled around the contents of the vessels as if it were alive. Each one contained the remnant of a living animal, some more than half devoured by the substance, yet still quite alive.
    Moval stood for a moment somewhat shocked at the display. A dog without any fur or skin missing it's legs, ears, tail, and the lower portion of it's body, displayed a still beating heart. A pig was near the abomination in much the same condition, but it still had it's eyes, and they followed Moval's movements as he approached the grisly experiment. Two monkey's possibly lemurs, and another cylinder filled with assorted birds, one with snakes and lizards, and other associated life forms made up the assortment of inhumanity.
    The Captain moved cautiously forward, observing that there was a square shape set up in the middle of the ghastly circle of containers. Sliding in between the spaced cylinders he saw the slighly elevated playpen in the center of the circle. Glancing behind, Moval noticed that Penske was still in the same spot, transfixed by the bizarre drama occurring inside the vessels.
    "Pssst", Moval let out, breaking the agents reverie, and Penske walked toward him.
    When the men looked into the playpen, they saw any other ordinary toddler, fast asleep in childlike fashion. the only thing out of place was the corner of the pen, where a tube had been run in to a container, that ended in a downward bottle nipple. The first thing Moval pictured in his mind was a hamster water bottle. Glancing along the path of the incoming tube, the Captain could see that it was connected to the cylinders surrounding them.
    For a few seconds the men just stared at the baby, then both took a half step back as the child's eyes fluttered and opened to stare up at them. The yellow-green eyes of a jungle puma looked up at them unblinking, knowing. A wave of sheer horor and panic engulfed the two men for a moment, then quickly faded, being replaced with devoted concern for the youth. A tiny smile crossed the toddler's chubby cheeks the, and both men felt peaceful, noticing the true beauty of the child's face.
      "Hello Mommy", the tiny voice squeaked out, smiling more broadly.
    Moval and Penske looked at one another, the set of their eyes confirming that they both had heard this year old baby speak. Moval was no pediatrician, but he was well aware that a child of this age trying to verbalize should be saying things like, "goobabum fulipt", not hello mommy.
    "No, not mommy", the child said, his smile fading to a pathetic pout as he began to cry.
    The two men bumped heads as they reached down to pick up the unhappy boy, and the jolt seemed to bring them out of some unexplainable trance, each of them wondering why they had attempted to pick up the child. Though they had never discussed the topic, neither was that fond of children, and the reaction was completely out of character for them both.
    This was all the Captain needed to see for now, and feeling very agitated with himself, motioned to the door, following Penske from the lab and replacing their medical garb.
    Neither man spoke until they had retraced their steps to the Ministry lobby, taking exceptional pains to make sure they left no clues behind in their departure, to alert anyone of an unauthorized access to the labs.
    "I'll see you in the morning", was all Penske said, somewhat gruffly, fading back into the shadows of the building, leaving Moval to deal with the police outside.
    Moval walked ot the entrance doors and thumped the glass resoundingly, drawing the attention of an officer standing near the Ministry entrance.
    "What is the status on the medical team", he asked the officer.
    "The medical personnel should be here in twenty minutes", the cop responded.
    Moval walked to the receptionist station and took a seat, waiting patiently until the medical personnel arrived. They immediately placed him in quarantine and set key personnel to determine the extent of the damage and exposure potential.
    After another hour the thorough search by the medical team identified the only agent that was released was a flu virus strain, concluding that the sample had gone inert before being released by the intruder, and posed no threats.
    Upon the determination, a small mob of civil authorities entered the Ministry offices trying to determine those things relevant to the incident. After answering questions from some of the investigators, having the officers present during the beginning of the affair alibi Moval's story, the lead investigator thanked the Captain for his heroic assistance, and had a squad car give Moval a ride back to his quarters.
    For several more hours the police poured over the building looking for additional information and clues to the crime. With all the commotion of activity from authorities and medical personnel, no one noticed the unremarkable looking man who walked amongst them, scribbling notes on a small pad, appearing to study the crime scene. Neither did they notice when he simply walked out the front door of the Ministry offices and faded into the early morning darkness.

    Moval arrived back at his apartment shortly after one in the morning, still feeling agitated with himself about the mission he'd just concluded. It had been a success from the standpoint of learning more about the child. But what in the hell had made him act so contrary to his own will. Possibly the strain of several back to back assignments had dulled his judgement, clouding his mental objectivity.
    The more he dwelt on the matter the more he felt angry with himself, causing him to lose focus on his very thoughts. The one clarity that would not leave him were the yellow green eyes of the babe, and the uncharacteristic emotions that he had experienced. Feeling particularly annoyed, he turned off the light and went to bed, hoping he would regain his perspective again in the morning.
    Tossing and turning throughout the night, he dreamed horrific nightmares of destruction and death, waking in a puddle of sweat when dawn sifted it's light in through his apartment window.

*                                *                                  *                              *

    It wasn't long into the meeting the following morning, that General Danko realized there was something out of the norm for Agent Penske and Captain Moval. They related the mission just as it happened, and Danko was truly perplexed by the description of the child and the lab where he was confined. Moreover, the revelation that the youth was apparently being fed with the virulent that had killed the populous of a small town, was a bit hard to fathom.
    The young boy could talk. Danko had known of cases where overly bright children had learned to communicate at a very young age, but this was a rarity.
      "One more thing which I can't readily explain sir, was the unreasonable emotional sensation I felt when the child started to cry", Moval said, drawing the general back from his musings.
    "It was, if I, " Moval hesitated, unsure himself how to explain this to his superior. "As if the child was my only son", he finally blurted out, finding no other way to relate the feeling.
    General Danko's brow knit in the middle of his forehead, becoming more intrigued with this peculiar youth, as each detail was recounted by the men. To hear Moval say anything like this, was as if he were suddenly speaking Chinese. Moval had never been a family man, and he certainly had no emotional sensitivity toward children. Coming to a decision on the matter he looked at Agent Penske.
    "Comrade Penske, I wish you to continue watching the Minister's movements, and begin assessing a plan by which we may acquire this child. Do nothing until you have explicit direction from me. It is obvious that Minister Bresvan is still in some way providing for the child's needs, though I can't understand what that may be. But from what you've reported, this seems to be a legitimate matter for military and national security. Again I stress that the Minister should have no knowledge of our interest, or be given any reason to believe the child has been compromised".

    "That may be a mute point General", Penske cut in, "the Minister will obviously have her suspicions after last night's affair, and learns of Captain Moval's participation. If not by this event, the child may alert her to our visit".
    Cupping his hand under his protruding chin, Danko leaned forward on his desk. His mind raced to put the puzzle pieces of a plan together in coherent procession. He was going to have to do this right, or things could get very embarassing, or worst yet, scrutinized by the Duma.
    Coming to a decision he dropped his hand to his desk and addressed the KGB agent.
    "By the end of the day, I want a twenty-four hour surveillance on the Minister. Use whatever resources you need from this department and make sure the Doctor doesn't sneeze without it being reported back to me. And again I stress, take no action unless specifically authorized by me".
    "Understood General", Penske replied, feeling more annoyed than usual with the brutish tone the man ofter used. He too had been unnerved by last night's assignment. Inexplicably, it had heightened his emotional state, and lessened his deductive mental faculties.
    "Captain, you will see to it", the General began, turning to his second who sat staring up at the picture of Stalin on the wall behind him, apparently in the midst of a consuming daydream.
    "Captain"! Danko said again, with emphasis, drawing the man back to the attention of the discussion at hand, receiving a quickly mumbled apology from his underling.
    "Sorry sir, I didn't sleep well last night", Moval said in his defense, although knowing there was no forgiveness for the inattentiveness.
    The General's eyebrows knit again across his forehead, confused and disturbed by the uncharacteristic and unprofessional demeanor of Moval. He also noted the irritated tone in agent Penske's voice. Becoming aggravated himself, Danko let out a sigh and decided to come directly to the point, and conclude the meeting. Besides he had a very pressing matter to attend to, as problems, and possible solutions had arisen concerning the Counter Point project.
    "Captain", Danko said, this time making eye contact with the man before proceeding, "you will prepare a covert team and coordinate with Agent Penske. I want the squad to be immediately available for use at a moment's notice, and see to it they have the training to deal with potential virulent exposure".
    "Sir", Moval interrupted, "might I reassemble the team used for the Kytvak station assignment. They already have the necessary training and would greatly speed up the readiness of the team".
    "That sounds most appropriate", Danko replied, "maybe your not as distracted as I thought".
    Moval only nodded at the remark, having a strange discomfited urge to punch the smug General in his face.
    "Keep me informed of your progress", Danko said with finality, indicating the meeting was at an end.

    Standing and saluting, Moval turned heading out the door, followed closely by Agent Penske.  They began discussing the operation before they'd cleared Natina's outer office, coordinating and etching through details necessary for the mission.
    Danko sat alone now, watching the men's retreat, perplexed by the events and attitudes that had just all seemed wrong. What was with this child? Why were two of the most competent men he'd ever worked with, so discomposed after exposure to the child? What was the Minister doing to the child, using a deadly virulent to apparently nourish the youth, and why was the child not dead from the exposure like so many others?
    The General shook his head like a dog shaking off a wet coat, letting the multitude of accumulating question fly from his mind. He just needed to monitor the situation until more specific information became available. The Doctor was obviously looking after the well gifted youth, and as long as she didn't become paranoid about the escapades in the Ministry offices and try to relocate the child, then he could implement his plan at any time. One thing was for certain, he didn't want to interfere with the Minister's treatment of the child.
    Standing up and stretching, Danko walked from his office, heading for a rendevous with an old acquaintance, a double agent that had been working on gathering information from the West's Manhattan Project. Danko knew Yullee must have something special for him to arrange the meeting. He would pass the information on to the scientists working at Counter Point station, and hopefully it would help them with their current problem. He smiled to himself as he entered his waiting staff car, wondering why in the world his old friend had chosen such an effeminate code name. Why not something like spider, or dragon, something, anything, was better than Percy.