02.2 Vultures from the West

Sky turned cloudy over Moscow. Newly appointed Colonel General Sergei Shtemenko took a glimpse at the reports of nuclear tests taking place around the globe. He was demoted to a Lieutenant General when the Defence Minister, Georgy Zhukov, a four-time winner of the ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’, appointed him Chief of the Military Intelligence known as GRU and promoted him.

He took a glimpse out of the window, Gogolevsky Park in his view, as he sat at his office on Znamenka, the Headquarters of the Soviet Armed Forces, the most powerful body for virtually all aspects of military planning under direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence, located in the area known as ‘Arbat Military District’.

“This came in this morning from Agent Orange,” said Irina Startseva, “I have attached a follow-up.”

“Orange?” uttered the chief blankly.

“From England.”

“What does it say?”

“British are sending an officer to assist rebellion in the south of the Maldive Islands to form a separate state. US shows interest to take Diego Garcia for long term lease from the British.”

“Maldivsky?”

“Da ser,” uttered the secretary, “even the Japanese didn’t know that the British were holding a base in Addu Atoll during the war.”

“You say it as if you have lost all your buttons! Show me on the map!”

“Here!” she pointed on a chart, “Diego Garcia is two hundred miles due south.”

“In the middle of the ocean!”

“And I have attached a previous report from the Ministry of Defence. It says equipment requested by the Maldive Authorities; cameras, high frequency radios, automatics, they will supply but only foreign models in case of accidental exposure…apart from the kalash.”

“How do you know?” asked the chief.

“Message intercepted to Vladivostok from Saint Petersburg.”

“Pizda s ushami!” he chuckled artfully.

“You think so, comrade!” teased Irina.

“Tell them that we are interested in Maldivsky. Advise them of this agent planted by the British and to keep us informed.”

Meanwhile, Georgy Zhukov had grown to such power that every Soviet leader feared. Entire Soviet forces under his control and the Hungarian issue currently hanging in the balance. Eventually, he was removed from office. Shtemenko was demoted back to Lieutenant General in October 1957. His successor hardly cared to browse into the Orange Files.

In December 1958, General Ivan Serov became the Director of GRU. A member of SMERSH and Deputy Commissioner of NKVD, former Chairman of KGB known to British counterparts as ‘the Butcher’.

However, by this time, Maldivsky call came a little short of hand.

During the Cold War, GRU maintained Russian plans for the invasion of Western Europe, recruited spies and operatives around the globe at a massive scale. A new building was allotted for the spy network headquarters in Khoroshevskoy, that came known as the ‘Aquarium’, in front of Khodynka Aerodrome. Nicholas II and wife Alexandra were crowned Emperor and Empress of Russia on 26^th May 1896 at Khodynka Field. Crowd gathered to collect the Czar’s gifts ended in a stampede killing over a thousand spectators.

Orange was a senior diplomat lingering in close circles to the British top brass. He was able to pass secret to a foreign agent through a newspaper vendor by a Victorian pub at Shepherd Market in Mayfair, in the cobbled back streets of England, connoted as ‘London’s Best Kept Secret.’

Nothing could be seen around in the grey curtain since she entered halfway from China Bay – Trincomalee. The Hastings flew bumping heavily in a violent tropical storm. Pilot continued to transmit on VHF to ‘Tatty’, the VHF/DF vehicle RV105, that could determine the bearing of the aircraft and guide a course to steer for safe landing on the runway. They could see nothing in the overcast.

Meanwhile, Muhamma working on the opposite side of the airstrip, a mundo tucked under the crotch, a coconut under an arm and a cutlass in his hand, glanced up and down in the rain and made a break across. He missed it by a split second. The Hastings buzzed pass behind nearly avoiding not only a collision but another international incident.

As the aeroplane parked on the apron, one of the crew assisted the passengers to disembark, “Mackintosh! Welcome to RAF Gan! Please do not forget to report to the medical centre.”

Major Phyllis in a mackintosh followed other commuters. They ran down the stairs and made it to the white buses. Major got wet within a step into the rain. A Land Rover skid to a halt by the aircraft and a squaddie cried, “Major Phyllis!”

Major Phyllis climbed the vehicle and it took off, “Aircraftman Allen, sir!”

“A wet day, Allen!” he returned, “Is the weather like this this weekend?”

“Weather is unpredictable, sir. October it is, we may stumble into more rain.”

He drove out of the apron down a road towards west pass some local huts of a village settlement. Major asked, “Has relocation not begun?”

“It’s going on, sir.”

“What about this medical check-up?”

He replied, “Basics. Salts and supplies. First priority to keep ourselves disease free in the heat and mosquitoes. If you have a case, there is a doctor on the island.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Six months. I am getting a week off to go to Singapore next month.”

“To ramble in Chinatown!”

He parked the vehicle outside a two-storey house in front of a mosque, “This is your accommodation, upstairs, sir. Offices on ground floor, dining and storages. This house was built during the war and renovated. Fully equipped. Anything else, sir!”

“I guess not. Thank you.”