The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

'Have we heard anything from Berlin yet?' Narmonov asked.
The Defense Minister shook his head. 'No, the lead reconnaissance elements
should be getting in now. Radio communications are a disaster. Our VHF radios
work poorly in cities because they are line-of-sight only. What we're getting is
fragmented, mainly tactical communications between sub-unit commanders. We have
not established contact with the regimental commander. He may be dead. After
all,' Defense pointed out, 'the Americans like to go after commanders first.'
'So, we really do not know what is going on?'
'No, but I am certain that no Soviet commander would open fire on Americans
without just cause!'
Golovko closed his eyes and swore under his breath. Now the Defense Minister was
showing the strain.
'Sergey Nikolay'ch?' Narmonov asked.
'We have nothing more to report from KGB. You may expect that all of the
American land-based missiles are fully on alert, as are all their submarine
missiles at sea. We estimate that the American missile submarines in port will
all have sortied in a matter of hours.'
'And our missile submarines?'
'One is leaving the dock now. The rest are preparing to do so. It will take most
of the day to get them all out.'
'Why are we so slow?' Narmonov demanded.
'The Americans have two complete crews for their boats. We have only one. It's
simply easier for them to surge them out this way.'
'So, you are telling me that their strategic forces are totally ready, or nearly
so, and ours are not?'
'All of our land-based rockets are fully prepared.'
'President Narmonov, your reply to the Americans . . . ?'
'What do I say now?' Andrey Il'ych asked.
A colonel entered the room. 'Report from Berlin.' He handed it to the Defense
Minister.
'The Americans are in the eastern part of the city. The first wave of scout cars
was taken under fire. Four vehicles, the officer commanding was killed in one of
them. We've returned fire and gotten two American vehicles . . . no contact as
yet with our regiment.' The Defense Minister looked at the other one. 'Carrier
Kuznetzov reports that he launched a two-plane patrol. They detected a rescue
radio signal and went to investigate. Contact was then lost. They have an
American carrier battlegroup four hundred kilometers away, and request
instructions.'
'What does that mean?'
The Defense Minister checked the times on the second dispatch. 'If our planes
are not back by now, they are nearly out of fuel. We must assume they were lost,
cause unknown, but the close proximity of the American carrier is troubling . .
. What the hell are they doing?'
***
PRESIDENT FOWLER:
I AM CERTAIN THAT NO SOVIET COMMANDER WOULD ATTACK AMERICAN TROOPS
WITHOUT