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t life…form； this one's load area cluttered with hand tools rather than filled with earth。 There was yet another truck a hundred meters beyond； driving slowly as though its driver was unsure of his route。 Golovko stretched in his seat； barely able to see around the truck in front of his Benz； wishing for the first cup of Sri Lankan tea at his desk； in the same room that Beriya had once。。。
。。。the distant dump truck。 A man had been lying in the back。 Now he rose； and he was holding。。。
〃Anatoliy！〃 Golovko said sharply； but his driver couldn't see around the truck to his immediate front 。
。。。it was an RPG； a slender pipe with a bulbous end。 The sighting bar was up； and as the distant truck was now stopped； the man came up to one knee and turned； aiming his weapon at the other white Benz …
… the other driver saw it and tried to swerve； but found his way blocked by the morning traffic and …
… not much in the way of a visual signature； just a thin puff of smoke from the rear of the launcher…tube； but the bulbous part leapt off and streaked into the hood of the other white Mercedes； and there it exploded。
It hit just short of the windshield。 The explosion wasn't the fireball so beloved of Western movies； just a muted flash and gray smoke； but the sound roared across the square； and a wide； flat； jagged hole blew out of the trunk of the car； and that meant that anyone inside the vehicle would now be dead； Golovko knew without pausing to think on it。 Then the gasoline ignited； and the car burned； along with a few square meters of asphalt。 The Mercedes stopped almost at once； its left…side tires shredded and flattened by the explosion。 The dump truck in front of Golovko's car panic…stopped； and Anatoliy swerved right； his eyes narrowed by the noise； but not yet …
〃Govno！〃 Now Anatoliy saw what had happened and took action。 He kept moving right； accelerating hard and swerving back and forth as his eyes picked holes in the traffic。 The majority of the vehicles in sight had stopped； and Golovko's driver sought out the holes and darted through them； arriving at the vehicle entrance to Moscow Center in less than a minute。 The armed guards there were already moving out into the square； along with the supplementary response force from its shack just inside and out of sight。 The mander of the group； a senior lieutenant； saw Golovko's car and recognized it； waved him inside and motioned to two of his men to acpany it to the drop…off point。 The arrival time was now the only normal aspect of the young day。 Golovko stepped out； and two young soldiers formed up in physical contact with his heavy topcoat。 Anatoliy stepped out； too； his pistol in his hand and his coat open； looking back through the gate with suddenly anxious eyes。 His head turned quickly。
〃Get him inside！〃 And with that order； the two privates strong…armed Golovko through the double bronze doors； where more security troops were arriving。
〃This way； rade Chairman；〃 a uniformed captain said； taking Sergey Nikolay'ch's arm and heading off to the executive elevator。 A minute later； he stumbled into his office； his brain only now catching up with what it had seen just three minutes before。 Of course； he walked to the window to look down。
Moscow police … called militiamen … were racing to the scene； three of them on foot。 Then a police car appeared； cutting through the stopped traffic。 Three motorists had left their vehicles and approached the burning car； perhaps hoping to render assistance。 Brave of them； Golovko thought； but an entirely useless effort。 He could see better now； even at a distance of three hundred meters。 The top had bulged up。 The windshield was gone； and he looked into a smoking hole； which had minutes before been a hugely expensive vehicle； and which had been destroyed by one of the cheapest weapons the Red Army had ever mass…produced。 Whoever had been inside had been shredded instantly by metal fragments traveling at nearly ten thousand meters per second。 Had they even known what had happened？ Probably not。 Perhaps the driver had had time to look and wonder； but the owner of the car in the back had probably been reading his morning paper； before his life had ended without warning。
That was when Golovko's knees went weak。 That could have been him。。。 suddenly learning if there were an afterlife after all； one of the great mysteries of life； but not one which had occupied his thoughts very often。。。
But whoever had done the killing； who had been his target？ As Chairman of the SVR； Golovko was not a man to believe in coincidences； and there were not all that many white Benz S600s in Moscow； were there？
〃rade Chairman？〃 It was Anatoliy at the office door。
〃Yes； Anatoliy Ivan'ch？〃
〃Are you well？〃
〃Better than he；〃 Golovko replied； stepping away from the window。 He needed to sit now。 He tried to move to his swivel chair without staggering； for his legs were suddenly weak indeed。 He sat and found the surface of his desk with both his hands； and looked down at the oaken surface with its piles of papers to be read … the routine sight of a day which was not now routine at all。 He looked up。
Anatoliy Ivan'ch Shelepin was not a man to show fear。 He'd served in Spetsnaz through his captaincy； before being spotted by a KGB talent scout for a place in the 8th 〃Guards〃 Directorate； which he'd accepted just in time for KGB to be broken apart。 But Anatoliy had been Golovko's driver and bodyguard for years now； part of his official family； like an elder son； and Shelepin was devoted to his boss。 He was a tall； bright man of thirty…three years； with blond hair and blue eyes that were now far larger than usual； because though Anatoliy had trained for much of his life to deal with and in violence； this was the first time he'd actually been there to see it when it happened。 Anatoliy had often wondered what it might be like to take a life； but never once in his career had he contemplated losing his own； certainly not to an ambush； and most certainly not to an ambush within shouting distance of his place of work。 At his desk outside Golovko's office； he acted like a personal secretary more than anything else。 Like all such men； he'd grown casual in the routine of protecting someone whom no one would dare attack； but now his fortable world had been sundered as pletely and surely as that of his boss。
Oddly； but predictably； it was Golovko's brain that made it back to reality first。
〃Anatoliy？〃
〃Yes； Chairman？〃
〃We need to find out who died out there； and then find out if it was supposed to be us instead。 Call militia headquarters； and see what they are doing。〃
〃At once。〃 The handsome young face disappeared from the doorway。
Golovko took a deep breath and rose； taking another look out the window as he did so。 There was a fire engine there now； and firefighters were spraying the wrecked car to extinguish the lingering flames。 An ambulance was standing by as well； but that was a waste of manpower and equipment； Sergey Nikolay'ch knew。 The first order of business was toy get the license…plate number from the car and identify its owner； and from that knowledge determine if the unfortunate had died in Golovko's place； or perhaps had posse