The Good Spy by Jeffrey Layton

SVR—not military. Because their actions might not be in the best interests of the Neva ’s crew, Yuri decided he would not reveal the submarine’s exact location and depth. It was to ensure he would remain involved in the rescue and not rushed back to Russia.

CHAPTER 17
    D AY 5—F RIDAY
    â€œT his is incredible—how could it have happened?” asked Minister of Defense Volkov, addressing the guest who had just arrived in his mammoth Moscow office.
    â€œSir, we don’t know anything other than what the case officer from the San Francisco Consulate reported.”
    Nick Orlov’s report on the Neva ’s mishap had rocketed up the Russian military chain of command.
    â€œWhat’s this place called—Point what?”
    â€œPoint Roberts.” The chief of the Russian Navy reached into his briefcase and removed a document. He unfolded the U.S. government navigation chart that his staff downloaded gratis from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. He continued, “Point Roberts is a tiny peninsula, connected to Canada, very close to Vancouver. It’s about—”
    â€œBut it’s American territory?”
    â€œYes.” Admiral Mayakovsky pointed to the upper center of NOAA chart 18421. “See it here?”
    â€œWhere did it sink?”
    â€œWe don’t know the exact location, only that it is south of Point Roberts in two hundred plus meters of water.”
    â€œCan’t they use escape equipment?”
    â€œAccording to the report, they’re too deep for the gear aboard.”
    â€œWhat about the rescue capsule?”
    â€œIt’s not equipped with one—it’s an older boat. Only our newer boats have them.”
    Minister Volkov sank back into his chair. “How many alive?”
    â€œThirty-seven on board plus the one who managed to escape.”
    â€œHow’d he get out—if the others can’t?”
    â€œHe’s a diver and an intelligence officer. The boat is equipped with lockout diving gear, part of his mission equipment but just for him.”
    For the next twenty seconds the defense minister pondered what he’d learned. He then reengaged. “I don’t understand . . . didn’t the mission orders call for self-destruction?”
    â€œYes, sir. If the Neva were detected and trapped by the Americans or Canadians.”
    â€œSo why didn’t they fulfill their duty?”
    â€œThe Americans and the Canadians know nothing about this incident. The Neva has not been detected, or trapped. It’s actually marooned. There’s a difference.”
    Volkov reluctantly nodded. He said, “So what can we do about this?”
    â€œI have a plan, sir. It’s rough at this point but I think it might . . .”
    * * *
    Volkov sat alone in his office. He had approved Admiral Mayakovsky’s action plan. Later in the afternoon, he would brief the president on the Asian crisis. He speculated on how his boss would react to the new wrinkle the Neva represented.
    The United States and Japan continued to taunt Russia with Deep Blue, now in its fifth day. Just the hint of a possible invasion of the Southern Kuril Islands had traumatized the Kremlin. Thinly deployed in the Far East, Russia’s military forces would be crushed if the Americans decided to repossess Japan’s Northern Territories.
    Russia had grabbed the Japanese islands in the final weeks of World War II. Japan claimed that it never ceded sovereignty. The dispute simmered until recent offshore exploration hinted of a petroleum bonanza in the island chain. Japan wanted the islands back more than ever. The United States supported Japan’s claim for return of the Southern Kurils.
    As long as the oil and gas flowed, Russia’s energy-based economy would get by. But should the hydrocarbon prices once again decline or production falter, the Russian economy would tank. After having crawled out of the poverty