Black Flagged Redux

Chapter 48





6:26 AM

Sveavägen

Stockholm, Sweden





Major Stepan Eristov slapped his cell phone shut and turned to Captain Rusnak. "22 Bondegatan. Apartment 3B. No guarantee he is there. I want both vehicles moving in less than twenty seconds," he barked.

"The van goes first," Rusnak said.

All of the men scrambled to put on their jackets, which would conceal the weapons attached to specialized slings underneath. The slings allowed them to covertly carry their weapons "hands free," tightly along their torsos until they needed them. In one swift, practiced motion, each member of the team could put their weapon into action at a moment's notice.

Most of the team carried the latest Russian PP2000 submachine guns. Compact and futuristic-looking, it fired the new 7N21 armor piercing 9mm projectiles at a rate of 800 rounds per minute. Each weapon was loaded with a 20 round magazine for initial concealment, but each team member carried several 40 round magazines on their internal harness rig.

Two members of the support team would carry AKS-74u assault rifles, which would be stashed within easy reach inside each of the vehicles. The assault rifles would give them additional stopping power and range in the unlikely event that the operation blew up in their faces. Major Eristov and Captain Rusnak also carried silenced Makarov pistols, which would be the only suppressed weapons used by the team. Zaslon training had stressed the importance of minimizing the use of suppressors, which often served to encourage the inappropriate use of firearms during an operation. Eristov envisioned using his silenced pistol to compel Reznikov's compliance with their abduction, or if that failed, to kill him.

As the operatives piled out of the apartment, Dmitry Solomin grabbed Eristov. "Bondegatan is south of Stockholm in the Sodermalm district. Get over to the Klarastrand immediately. Head south on Sveavägen and take a right onto Radmansgatan, then a left onto Dalagatan…"

"We have maps, Dmitry. I'll call you when we're finished," Eristov said.

"Bondegatan is a one-way street headed east. Tight quarters with plenty of cafés and stores. You'll need to be very careful."

"We'll take that under advisement," he said and shut the door on the SVR agent.