Wizard Dirty Secrets Chapter One

Magician Jonathan Barrow has more secrets than being a world renowned magician. He is also an agent for a government organization known as Military Assisted Global Intelligence Command or M.A.G.I.C.

CHAPTER ONE

The Trade Off

 

The snow swirls and dances across the field, reducing visibility to almost nothing. The blizzard by itself would be fine, but the wind conspires with the iciness, bringing bitter cold temperatures along with whiteout conditions. Men are working outside a lighthouse near Mys Teriberskiy, Russia very close to the border with Finland and within the Arctic Circle. The wind whips the frozen precipitation almost horizontal. Off in the distance are two large trucks and SUV type vehicles. The Barents Sea border in Russia is a desolate location and has some of the harshest weather conditions on the planet. Temperatures in the winter drop to a frigid -15 and stay there for months.  In the summer, the temperature rarely gets above 50 degrees.

It is January in Mys Teriberskiy, which means the moisture from your breath freezes as it leaves your mouth and nose, creating frost crystals on exposed skin and in any hair around your face. Bitter cold is just one way to describe the extreme conditions in this environment.

As the visibility improves slightly and the winds subside for a brief time, the vehicles can be seen in front of a large concrete structure directly in front of the lighthouse. Men are coming out of the building doorway in HAZMAT suits. The wind causes their covering to flutter and flap making a sound as though a whip were being cracked. Two men, one on either side of a metal container with long handles, are carrying a box which is approximately two feet square. As they place it on the ground, it compacts several inches of snow due to the weight of the thick lead protective case. The men look up through the lens of their hoods and then out at their surroundings. They are directly between the lighthouse and the trucks. After placing the box on the ground, they nod at each other. They remove the hoods attached to their suits and walk away, leaving the container sitting in the snow. It does not take long for it to be blanketed with a coat of fresh snow.

Two soldiers in Russian uniforms are standing next to a green military truck, bundled in heavy wool coats with their collars pulled up around their necks protecting them from the extreme elements. Their dark coats are white from the flakes, and their hats have almost a half an inch of slush crowning the top. The sideboards on the top of their coats are barely seen through the frozen precipitation, except for the gold braids, making it obvious one is a colonel, and the other is a lieutenant in the Russian Army. The two men in the HAZMAT suits approach the men in the uniforms, dipping their heads in the blowing blizzard to protect from themselves from the cold conditions.

Colonel Tyransky is a portly man and his grey beard, covered in ice crystals, reflects his age. Even with the extra heavy clothing, his chubby red cheeks and full face give away the fact he is slightly obese.

“Colonel, the last of the containers is secured.” says one of the HAZMAT soldiers.

“We have checked for any leakage and determined it is safe to transfer. We will look over the other containers as per protocol before departing,” says the other soldier.

The colonel lifts his head into the blustery wind. “Thank you, Privates. Let me know when we can be ready to depart.”

“Yes, sir, as you wish. We should be ready in approximately one hour. We have to secure this container in the vehicle, check the other ones to ensure they are secure, and complete our final departure checklist. I will find you when we are finished, sir.” says the first soldier.

“Excellent job, Private, I will await your direction on a departure time and we can get out of this God-forsaken place. You have done a fine job.”

Sunlight in this part of Russia in January lasts for only a couple hours each day. Darkness begins to set in and falls quickly in this area of Siberia. Men are busy moving equipment and attempting to keep up with their work in the miserable conditions as several soldiers climb on vehicles to clear ice from the hoods and windshields. The two men in protective suits walk back toward the container, which is now totally covered and difficult to distinguish from the surrounding white area. The colonel and lieutenant stand together, and the lieutenant is visibly shivering from the cold.

“Colonel, I need to check the rest of the convoy and prepare for departure,” the lieutenant says as he forces the words through his nearly frozen lips.

“Very well. Get in the car as soon as you are finished. You’re shivering, young man, and I don’t want you freezing to death on me before the mission is completed. I want the transfer truck at the rear of the convoy. No radio communication unless I break silence.” commands the colonel.

“Colonel, this is highly unusual. I cannot recommend placing the transfer truck at the rear with no protection,” states the lieutenant, with concern.

“Lieutenant, we are in Northern Russia in the middle of nowhere.” The Colonel heaves a sigh. “What do we have to fear? I appreciate your insight and concern and I authorize you to put the cargo in the second truck at the rear. Look at it this way, if the transfer truck is in the middle and there is a problem, you’ll have everyone behind stranded, as well. Of all the vehicles, the transport is the one least stable in these conditions. Take it slow and easy. Besides”, he said with a smirk. “We both know the Finnish military is probably listening to our radio traffic and the Americans could have a satellite watching us even now. The less conspicuous we seem the better. I have orders to insure we don’t attract any attention.”

“I understand, sir. I will carry out your orders,” the lieutenant says, grudgingly.

“You’re a good comrade and a great soldier. You’ll be recommended for promotion when we have completed our mission. Now, go check the cargo and get back here in the warmth of the vehicle.” the colonel says in a commanding voice.

“Thank you, sir. I serve you and the Motherland and appreciate the opportunity.”

“Do you have the security codes for the containers?” asks the colonel.

“Yes sir, in this notebook, as requested.” He hands the pad to the colonel who opens his coat, reaches into his left inside breast pocket, and drops in the book.

“Thank you, lieutenant,” the colonel says.

The lieutenant snaps to attention and salutes his superior. He then smartly turns around and walks toward the large truck behind a black SUV, disappearing behind the rear. Colonial Tyransky heads over to a black SUV four-wheel drive vehicle that has plumes of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe indicating the motor is already running. Before he enters the car, he shakes the snow off of his arms and shoulders, removes his hat and opens the door to the back of passenger area of the vehicle. Sitting in the back seat, he removes his heavy gloves and places them on the seat next to him. He reaches in his pocket to remove a cell phone and begins typing. As the canopy light finally dims and darkness falls, only the glow of the screen is visible. He reviews the communication he just typed: “Last of containers being loaded. Will be on Murmansk Road soon. Be prepared. I will be in the lead vehicle and cargo is in the last truck. Total of four vehicles. Payment is expected with delivery as we agreed.”

Colonel Tyransky sits back, opening his coat to allow the car’s heat to warm his chilled body. Holding the phone in his left hand, he leans his slightly balding head back on the headrest at the top of the seat. Heaving a big sigh, he closes his eyes, trying to relax, and ponders the events of the day. Several seconds go by when the cell device starts vibrating in his hand and the screen comes to life with a definitive glow. He looks through the windows of the SUV to insure no one is watching and then glances down to the screen. “Message received,” shows up in Russian and he scrolls to the incoming transmission and pushes a button to open the full message. “Payment will be as planned if cargo is as stated. Your contact is Sasha and she will be in a stranded car on the road.” He looks up from the screen to see another soldier walking by the window and he nods his head as if to acknowledge him. He presses his finger on the screen and the words “Delete file” show. He touches the “yes” box, and it asks for confirmation. He hits a button to confirm the authorization to erase the file. Turning off the device, he places it back into his pocket. Smiling and looking through the windows again, he places his head back and closes his eyes.

The trucks are loaded, darkness has set in, and the storm has intensified, complicating the situation. A driver enters the vehicle, the colonel is in the backseat and the lieutenant is sitting in the front passenger seat. The other vehicles are ready to move, and the lieutenant takes a flashlight out of the side pocket of the passenger door, rolls down the window, and aims the beam toward the SUV behind them.

“We are ready to depart, colonel. I’m ready to give the signal if you are.”

“Let’s get out of here, lieutenant. Great job.”

The man gives the signal; three flashes are emitted from his flashlight toward the second vehicle, the pre-arranged signal for the convoy to proceed. The SUV with the colonel begins to inch forward in the deep snow, its headlights only providing about fifty feet of visibility in the dark and snowy night. The SUV behind the lead car creeps forward as do the trucks at the rear of the convoy. It’s a slow process; reflectors on metal poles every twenty to twenty-five feet placed on each side of the road are the only indicators the drivers have to mark the route. All previous tracks showing their entry into the area have been filled in with snow and the tracks showing their departure are succumbing to the same fate.

Travel is slow and arduous as the winds continue to blow the flakes around. The trucks finally come to a stop sign and next to it, almost impossible to read in the snowstorm, is a directional sign reading “Murmansk” with an arrow to the left. All four vehicles make the turn. The northwest wind has managed to cause the snow to pile up on either side of the road, almost creating a tunnel to drive through.  Maneuvering through the conditions is not easy; however, it is better than the secondary road they just left. There are no streetlights in this remote area of Russia, and the headlights are the only source of illumination providing any guidance for the drivers.

The convoy proceeds down the dark road, snow continues to blow and is now creating drifts in the roadway as the terrain begins to flatten out. Passage once again is becoming more challenging as the storm intensifies. Without the four-wheel drive capability, it would impossible to travel in these conditions. The vehicle lights barely provide guidance for the convoy and if it weren’t for the reflective posts on either side, the drivers wouldn’t be able to determine whether or not they were still on the roadway. The convoy slows as they pass a small car stopped along the road with no one visible in or around it. The car has been pulled to the right side of the road and the hood is up, leading one to believe the driver was having mechanical problems. Becoming stranded on a road that is seldom traveled at this time of year usually leads to circumstances that are not very pleasant, one such case being hypothermia. As the cold sets in, the first symptoms of hypothermia are uncontrollable shivering as the body's muscles attempt to create heat to overcome the drop in body temperature. This usually happens when the body core temperature drops to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit from its normal temperature of 97.7- 98.6. Then, the mind begins to be affected as cognitive thought leads to delusion and mental confusion. Finally, the body’s organs begin to shut down as the blood literally begins to freeze, leading to death.

The convoy passes the car, all eyes glance to the right as they wonder what happened to the unlucky person driving it. Did someone else pick them up? How long have they been stranded out here in these miserable conditions? Were there children in the vehicle? Then, through the headlight beams dancing in the blowing snow and darkness is the silhouette of someone walking down the road. As the lead vehicle approaches, the person turns around. A female in heavy winter clothing starts waving her arms.

Colonel Tyransky leans forward, and taps the lieutenant on the shoulder. “Pull over. Can’t leave a lady stranded in this weather.”

“But sir, our orders are to stop for no one.”

“Do you have a wife, lieutenant?” asks the colonel.

“Yes, sir, and a very beautiful one at that.”

“What if that were her and the vehicle she was driving was broken down? What would you do?”

The lieutenant turns sideways and looks back to the colonel and says, “I would stop, sir.”

Pausing for just a second, the colonel responds, “Well then, we had better stop and help this person.”

The lead vehicle slows and comes to a stop just short of the woman who is now standing directly in the middle of the road. She is wearing a heavy coat and is carrying a small metal briefcase clutched under her left arm, waving her right hand to attract the attention of the oncoming vehicles. She begins to approach and the lieutenant gets out of the passenger side and walks up to greet the stranded motorist. The woman pulls down the scarf covering her face from the blistering cold. Her eyes are a startling clear blue with long dark lashes which are beginning to catch the snow

“Thank you, sir. My name is Sasha. I thought I was going to freeze to death. No one ever travels this road and my phone is not working. I could have died had you not stopped.”

“Let me help you into the car before you catch your death. May I take your case?”

Sasha hesitates, and then responds. “No, thank you. I just need to get somewhere warm.” Sasha looks up through her fur-collared hood and smiles broadly. “Thank you so much.”

The lieutenant walks her to the passenger side rear door and opens it, allowing her to enter the rear seat where the colonel is already seated behind the driver. As she sits down, the lieutenant shuts the door. Sasha looks up at the driver who is smiling and then over to the colonel seated next to her, pulling her fur-collared hood from her head and untying her scarf, she says, “I cannot tell you how much this means. I don’t know what I would have done if you had not stopped.” As she glances over at the colonel she asks, “And you are?”

“I am Colonel Tyransky of the Russian Army. And you?”

“I am Sasha and I somehow got lost traveling from Teriberka after visiting my family. This is why I don’t come to visit very often as the weather can be brutal. Moscow is much more to my liking.”

“I’m glad we found you and were able to help. Another hour out here and you wouldn’t be alive,” says the colonel. The lieutenant reenters the vehicle and sits in the front seat on the passenger side.

 Sasha looks at him and smiles. “Thank you, lieutenant. I’m sorry for this.”

“Sorry for what ma’am?” replies the lieutenant. Sasha opens her heavy coat and pulls out a pistol with a silencer attached. She points it and fires one shot into the back of the lieutenant’s head. His body  falls forward until the safety belt stops his motion, revealing blood splattered all over the inside of the windshield. She then aims the pistol at the side of the driver’s head and fires two shots as he starts to turn, spraying blood into the front of the car. The driver slumps off to the left.

Sasha looks up at the colonel. “Give me your coat and hat. I will put them on and go to the other car while you take care of the driver and anyone in the first truck. Get the occupants of the last truck to come up to the front of the first vehicle after you have dispatched them. Tell them it is broken. How many are there in total in the other vehicles?”

The colonel is stunned by what has just happened; not fully realizing what he has gotten himself into. “There are three in the car behind us, one in the first truck, and two in the last. In this storm, I’m sure no one behind has any idea what’s going on but will be wondering what we are doing. Is this really necessary? I didn’t want any of my men to be killed.”

“Colonel, there was no other way to make this happen without leaving witnesses who could implicate you in this. Is that what you want, witnesses?”

“No, no, of course not, I just thought…” the colonel trails off.

“Now, please, give me your coat and hat quickly. I need to know, can I count on you?” demands Sasha.

The colonel looks down at Sasha nervously, “You can!”

He struggles to remove his coat in the confines of the back seat. He is visibly shaken and is beginning to realize exactly what he has gotten himself in to. Sasha takes the heavy coat and hat and struggles to put them on inside the vehicle. Colonel Tyransky takes out an automatic pistol from the holster on his side and checks to make sure there is a bullet in the chamber. He then places the gun back in its holster.

Both Sasha and the colonel exit the lead vehicle, stepping out into the bitterly cold conditions. Sasha walks up to the rear door of the second SUV. She turns away to hide her face as she grabs the handle on the vehicle. She opens it, knocks the snow off her coat, and slides into the back seat on the driver’s side as the colonel passes by and heads toward the truck. The colonel looks up at the driver and smiles as he walks around the front to the passenger side. The driver reaches across the seat and unlatches the door for him.

At the SUV, Sasha has entered, snow still dusting the surface of her coat. “Colonel, is everything okay?” asks the soldier in the back seat, not yet realizing the person he is speaking to is not their commander. It is not until she gazes, removes her hat, and shakes out her long hair that the soldier notices she is not a military officer, but a woman.

The soldier in the front passenger seat looks over at Sasha and asks, “What’s going on here? You’re not our colonel!”

In a sexy voice, Sasha responds. “Your colonel has a surprise for you. He says you men have been working very hard.” She opens her coat and reveals her shirt partially open with her breasts about to pop out. She leans forward and as she does, she reaches with her hand on the pistol under the lapel of her coat. “Do you like surprises?”

Without hesitation the soldier responds, “Yes ma’am!”

Sasha brings the pistol out from under her coat and fires twice at the man. The dull sound of the silencer is all that is heard. The man falls away from her toward the other door as blood splatters all over the side panel. As the men in the front turn around, Sasha points the pistol toward them firing one bullet at each man’s head, then fires a second shot into each of the men through the seat making sure both of them are dead. “Surprise!”

Colonel Tyransky steps up on the running board as the door opens. He enters the truck and glances at the soldier behind the wheel of the truck. “Colonel, where is your coat and why have we stopped?” asks the driver.

“We found a stranded woman motorist,” the colonel responds. “The lieutenant is informing everyone to be on their toes and keep alert. Are you staying alert?”

“Oh, yes, colonel. Nothing can get by me. I am one of your best soldiers,” responds the driver.

The colonel peers through the frosted window and decides in this storm there is no way the driver could have seen what was going on in the other vehicles. “Good job, son, but not good enough.”

He pulls out his pistol and places it against the soldier’s coat to help deafen the sound of the shot, and fires twice. The man crumples forward on to the steering wheel. The colonel pulls him away from the steering wheel and props him up in the seat. From a distance, the soldier appears to be just sitting and waiting for instructions.

As the colonel exits the vehicle, Sasha is walking from the SUV to the first truck. The snow crunches as she makes her way to the front. “Go back and tell the two in the last vehicle we require assistance here. We need to finish this before your men in the last truck become suspicious.”   The colonel nods his head in acknowledgement and as he drudges through the snow to the second truck, Sasha enters the passenger side of the truck they had just cleared, reaches across to the dead soldier and turns the key on the dashboard to shut off the engine. She then goes to raise the hood indicating the vehicle is in distress. In order to get to the engine compartment, she takes a giant step, almost three feet high, onto the raised bumper and balances herself until she can reach under the hood. She struggles in the cold conditions to find the latch, finally pushing up on the hood exposing the engine. She then leaps off of the bumper into the snow and stands in front trying to shield herself from the wind and cold.

Colonel Tyransky approaches the driver’s side. The door opens. “Colonel, do we have a problem?” asks one of the soldiers.

“Yes, we need both of you to help at the front of the first truck. Don’t worry about the cargo; I doubt any reindeer will carry it off,” Colonel Tyransky says with a chuckle. He steps down into the snow off the running board, and begins walking back toward the vehicle. The soldiers exit and walk on the left side, keeping their heads down in the bitter cold. The colonel stops at the wheel well allowing both soldiers to proceed ahead of him. Colonel Tyransky is behind the second soldier as the first one approaches the front of the truck. Sasha looks up and sees the man while raising her pistol. She casually fires and the bullets strike the man sending his lifeless body into the snow. The second soldier attempts to reach for his pistol and only manages to get a button of his coat undone when a bullet from behind strikes him, then a second shot hits him as he falls. The colonel has dispatched the second soldier even before Sasha can turn her weapon on him.

“Nicely done, colonel. Your payment is in the case in your vehicle. We shall retrieve it and be on our way. We are providing you passage on a trawler to Finland, and have included a passport that will give you a new identity. All the information is included. You are about to be a very rich man.” Sasha glimpses at the colonel who by this time is shivering from the below zero weather conditions. “My Lord, you’re shivering. Let’s get you back to the car.”

Sasha and the colonel walk back to the first vehicle, the motor is running and the windshield wipers are still on. The colonel enters the back seat while Sasha enters the driver's side. She starts to remove the coat the colonel had given her. “How inconsiderate of me colonel. You must be freezing by now.”

“I’ll be warmer when I see the money,” he says while trying not to shake so visibly.

“Then, let me heat you up. By the way, do you have the codes?”

He places his hand on his breast pocket. “Right here.”

Sasha reaches for the small travel case on the middle of the seat. She turns it toward her and lifts up the latches to unlock it. She smiles as she observes the money before her, stacks of US one hundred dollar bills and also lying on top is a passport. She turns the case around so the colonel can see hesitating and allowing him to see the contents before responding.       “Feeling better now are we?”

He smiles after glancing down at the funds in the case and then back up at Sasha. “I will feel much better when we are safely out of Russia.”

“You would think so, but sometimes things don’t go as planned.”

As she closes the lid, Sasha brings her pistol up, which had been hidden behind the case, and begins firing at the colonel, placing two shots in the center of his chest. He peers up at her, his eyes showing disbelief and pain as blood starts to trickle out of his mouth and he coughs and struggles for breath.

Colonel Tyransky slumps over toward the door.

His voice is muffled as blood continues to trickle out of his mouth. “I thought we had an agreement?”

“We did. Now we have a new one,” Sasha says as she watches him grow weaker.

The Russian colonel falls further onto the door and his eyes roll back into his head. Sasha unscrews the silencer from the pistol, turns the travel case around placing the pistol and silencer inside and latches it closed.

Leaning toward the colonel she pulls the lapel of his coat open, reaching into the interior breast pocket where she finds a small book. Opening it, she sees sets of numbers on the first page; a very large smile breaks out across her face. “Why thank you, colonel. You were kind enough to get us the security codes, as well. Nicely done.”

She pulls out a small radio from her inside pants pocket, turns it on, and presses the send button. Speaking in Arabic, her voice is firm and direct.

“We have obtained our objective and all have been neutralized. The merchandise is in the second truck and I am in the first vehicle.”

The screen on the phone lights up and a voice in Arabic is heard. “Congratulations, Allah is with us. We’re coming to meet you and should be there within minutes.”

No sooner had she relaxed into the seat when off in the far distance is the merest flicker of headlights which can be seen through the blood splattered windshield.

Author's Note

Originally started as a screenplay and now this is my first attempt at a novel having written reference books and screenplays previously. Looking for suggestions, comments, and reviews so I can make it the best possible writing.

Reviews

[Annacate]

Very descriptive. You do a wonderful job creating the setting of the scene(s). I can see how this was started as a screenplay. It's so vivid, that I can imagine this as a movie. I love Sasha's line, "Surprise!" I can just imagine her character. As I was reading, I found myself wondering if I was going to come across the thoughts or feelings of any of the characters and noticed I was skimming ahead just a tad to look for some. Shortly after that, I thought that maybe the reason for that is that you might not have introduced the main character yet. I'll keep reading the chapters that follow to find out.

[beach0324]

yes definetly a military style reading but good though I see what you mean the characters are leading the story

[MFrano1]

Hmm... Realistic plot, it all sounds like a true military operation, the characters are good, and the storyline is interesting. The only way you can improve this piece is by continuing to write it. I would watch out though, you have a few wording mistakes. Nothing big, and I'm sure you were tired or just got lost in the book. You did do really amazing on this, you should think about writing more novels.