Black Flagged Redux

Chapter 43





5:15 PM

Odengatan

Stockholm, Sweden





Daniel closed the door to the third-floor apartment and nodded for Sergei to shut the curtains. The rest of the team dropped the four suitcases on the floor between the dining room table and the light brown sectional couch that faced an aging oak entertainment center.

"Let's break out the gear and stage everything we need for a quick departure. We'll use the duffel bags to move the weapons into the vehicles. Pack one for each. Body armor will be worn at all times. I want to be out the door within ten seconds of receiving the call. Assault rifles go with the van. Load weapons, check gear and prep your bags," Daniel said.

The team descended on the suitcases, opening them at the same time and stacking their contents on the shaky dining room table. When the suitcases were finally empty, the dining room table was stacked with high end weaponry and equipment.

"Perfect selection, Konrad. MP-7's go to the assault team. Like Daniel said, rifles go to the support van," Farrington said.

Konrad Hubner reached forward and grabbed one of two G-36C assault rifles, locking the bolt open to examine the chamber. He depressed the bolt catch button just forward of the trigger guard, and the bolt slammed forward. He depressed the trigger on the empty weapon, and they all heard a click. The G-36C was a compact, futuristic-looking weapon fitted with a Zeiss RSA-S 3x Reflex Sight. It fired 5.56mm steel-jacketed projectiles from a 30-round detachable magazine and could be concealed under a three-quarter-length jacket. Hubner and Schafer would be equipped with the two rifles for use against any Russian operatives preventing the assault team's extraction from Reznikov's location.

The assault team, comprised of Daniel, Farrington, Sergei and Leo, would be armed with Heckler and Koch MP-7 submachine guns (SMGs). The German-designed weapon fired a unique 4.6X30mm solid steel projectile, capable of penetrating Kevlar body armor at two hundred meters. Smaller than the G-36C, they retained the handling and concealment characteristics of a small SMG, but could match the power of a modern assault rifle at shorter ranges. The four MP-7s on the table were fitted with Zeiss 1x Reflex Sights and a side rail-mounted flashlight. Daniel saw a sizeable stack of 40-round magazines for the submachine guns and four six-inch-long suppressors.

Suppressors were mandatory for the assault team. He had no idea what they would encounter as they pulled up to Reznikov's address in their rented Volvo sedan, but he knew they would need every spare second available to grab Reznikov and move him safely away from the site. Berg's source told them that the Stockholm police response would vary, depending on the location and reported problem. A report of automatic gunfire would generate a massive response. The longer they could delay a concerned citizen's call to the police, the better their chance of avoiding a confrontation. He just hoped the Russians were playing by the same rules.

Six waist level bulletproof vests, equipped with front and back ballistics plates, sat stacked on the chair at the head of the table.

"Vests first. Get used to wearing these under your expensive jackets. Ballistic plates stay in. I guarantee the Russians won't be playing around with full metal jacketed bullets. Expect the same ammunition we're using," Farrington said.

Everyone grabbed a vest and stripped off their jackets. The jackets had been purchased at a designer boutique on the way to the apartment. Their distinctly Russian brands stood out at the airport, and Hubner shook his head in disgust and embarrassment as the group emerged from their rental vehicles to help him offload the suitcases from the boat. Several thousand dollars later, they looked "acceptable" for Stockholm, according to Hubner.

"Will these plates stop armor-piercing rounds?" Leo said, knocking on the front of his vest.

"You're looking at Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts. Should defeat most engineered hard core ammunition, up to 7.62mm AP. I figured the Russians would be equipped with PP-2000s firing their new 9mm AP rounds," Hubner said.

"They don't know we'll be right on their asses, so their load out might be a little lighter than usual," Daniel said.

"Don't count on it with Vympel Spetznaz. They wrote the book on this type of operation," Farrington said.

"Hopefully we won't have to test these plates," Daniel said. "Who wants Thai food? There's a takeout place right down the street," he added.

He heard some complaining.

"Pizza might be easier on the stomachs. Move the gear into one of the bedrooms, and I'll call a place that delivers. I'll run down to one of the corner markets to grab some instant coffee. It's going to be a long night."

Before he opened the phone book, he unfolded the map of Stockholm given to him by Hubner. He spread it out on the kitchen counter and removed a portable GPS from his coat pocket. He folded the map to show the immediate suburbs of Stockholm and pinpointed their location on Odengatan. The apartment was situated one block north of the Stockholm School of Economics, within view of the National City Park. From this location, they could access major roads leading in any direction.

Their placement in the city, just like that of the Russians, would decide who arrived first at Reznikov's location. Luck would play a bigger role than usual. Given their similar objective, Daniel wouldn't be surprised if the Russians had chosen a similar location nearby. He wondered if Berg's Moscow contact would pass along the Russians’ location.

Possession of this information could help shape their strategy when Reznikov's location was disclosed. Although tempting, he didn't think a preemptive strike against the Russians would be a wise move. Too many variables and their inside intelligence suggested the possibility of facing more than ten Russian operatives. Ultimately, it might not be his decision, but he liked the idea of surprising them on the street better than trying to strike a fortified location.