Taishet
1063 Words
Taishet
Dr. Richardson listened intently and then remained silent for a moment until Jack, unable to overcome his anxiety, asked.
"William, are you still there?"
“Yes of course. I am evaluating what to do at the moment. Although in our projects we are always exposed to situations like these and worse, we must meditate on the steps. Jack, what's the next train stop?”
“Taishet, about 400 km east, and then the following one is Irkutsk.”
“We are not sure if we are prepared to do our task in Irkutsk, which is the epicenter of the treasure drama. I ask you leave the train in Taishet and find a hotel there. I am going to organize a meeting of the Bluthund Executive Committee to decide how we continue, if we move on with the project or abort it.”
“William, I ask you to consult our opinion before deciding.”
“ Count on it, but for now it is essential that you avoid all exposure.”
Taishet is a city of about 40,000 inhabitants, founded as a station and warehouse of the Trans-Siberian Railway to which the Amur-Baikal line is now added.
As Richardson had requested, they stayed in an inn and stayed in the vicinity.
At lunch the talk about what happened became widespread. Irina asked.
“Taro, how come you had those canes or tonfas or whatever they are called? Where did you get them from?”
The aforementioned considered the question and finally answered.
“I found them under a bench in a Buddhist temple.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Absolutely not. It is an exact answer.”
To the woman's disbelief Jack added.
“Remember that Taro separated from us in Krasnoyarsk ... and also remember that I told you that he is a man of many resources.”
"Do you have other weapons?" Igor asked. "We have a right to know since our skin is at stake here.”
Jack shifted uncomfortably and said.
“Igor is right. Tell him Taro.”
“In the same temple I found three Sig Sauer P226 pistols.”
"Modern and powerful weapons, the best the Germans have," Boris said.
Taro continued.
“I also have a Luger Parabellum P08, from 1945.
“Did you find it also in the temple?”
“No, this was the one that the aggressor left on the train.”
"And do you have ammunition for all of them?"
“Fortunately yes, even for the Luger.”
“I think we have to distribute them. Maybe all of us except Irina know how to use them.”
“Don't underestimate me Jack, I'm a good shooter.”
“Well.” The American continued.” I think Dieter will take one, Boris another one ... Igor. Do you want to carry one?”
“No, better give it to Irina.”
“And the last ...” Continued Berglund
"Take it with you," Said Suzuki. "I have other" toys. "”
"You mean the tonfas?" Dieter asked.
"The tonfas and other things." The Japanese insisted on keeping the secret.
After Siberian noon Richardson called and they all gathered in one of the spacious rooms.
“Hello everyone. I let you know that today we had a meeting of the Executive Committee and we also consulted with the one in Vienna. Our agreement is to let you make the final decision on whether to proceed with the Diadem Project or abort it. The reason is that it is up to you to expose your skin.”
“We have also already discussed it here and we have a unanimous decision.”
“Which is it?”
“Go ahead.”
“Well. I hope it is a wise decision. For now, I can tell you a few things… to start, the opinion of the experts who analyzed the photos of the intruded cabin was unanimous. It was a search of your belongings without a specific purpose. Robbery or attempted murder are excluded. This, together with the follow-up to Lakshmi in New York, raises the alarm that the secret of the Diadem Project may have been violated.”
Lakshmi Dhawan breathed easier. The day before, Ingo Ragnarsson, Anila's father, had arrived to New York City and had taken the girl to the farm he owned in Montana. Lakshmi's mother, who used to live with her and her granddaughter, had returned home to Queens with her husband, so that now the woman felt freer and less vulnerable, but she did not for that reason stop maintaining an attitude of permanent control of her environment.
That morning she left her apartment in one of the typical brownstone buildings in Brooklyn Heights, one block from the Promenade and the East River, and headed for her car, parked almost in front of the house.
She was absorbed in her thoughts and therefore did not see them coming until they were almost on top of her. A sixth sense developed through long years of FBI duty warned the woman, and as she looked up she caught sight of the big, blond man pouncing on her. Out of the corner of his eye, she saw another man, a Mongoloid-looking man, circling the car with the obvious purpose of surrounding her and approaching her from behind.
Lakshmi's reflexes had saved her life more than once as well as her preparation and training. She reached into her large purse and without hesitation pulled the trigger of the taser pistol inside it without even taking it completely out of the bag. The electrode-carrying darts connected to the weapon shot out of the barrel and struck the blond man who was already holding her arm; the shock wave immediately acted to immobilize his motor muscles by confusing the nerve signals that guide them. In intense pain the man fell onto the hood of the vehicle and then rolled to the ground. Seeing the actions, the other man took out a gun and tried to shoot Lakshmi, but the intense emotion undoubtedly blocked his actions. The woman pulled a weapon from a holster that had a small revolver attached to the side of the windshield and pulled the trigger twice. She saw how the Mongolian took his hand to his chest as he crumbled onto the other side of the car.
- Writer
