The Project 04 - Black Harvest

it's hypothetical."
    "Sure it is. Unless they decide to implement it."
    "It's a detailed plan based on one key element, catastrophic crop failure across the entire country. It assumes collapse of the government, chaos and famine. That provides an opportunity to enter Russia as the good guys bringing food and relief. Of course, supplies have to be protected by troops and the logistics to back them up. The phrase they use is 'Humanitarian Advisors'."
    "They do turn a good phrase, don't they. Who can argue with that?"
    "There's more."
    "There always is."
    "Guess how they propose to restore the food supply?"
    Elizabeth reached for her pen. "Seeds." She began tapping. "Dansinger."
    Steph nodded.
    "Any mention of Demeter?"
    "No. But the association seems obvious. Demeter must be a plan to initiate the crop failure. Black Harvest is the follow up."
    "Lodge and Dansinger are going to do something to cause it."
    "Demeter's curse. Something that kills crops and causes famine."
    Harker thought about it. "Campbell finds the reference to the urn. He doesn't know anyone has it, he just wants to find it. He also doesn't want the Pentagon to know about it. He tells two people, everyone dies."
    Steph brushed a speck from her shoulder. "Dansinger and Lodge didn't want anyone following up on it. Even though it disappeared more than two thousand years ago."
    "Dansinger must have it. If anyone could use old virus material to create something new it would be him. He's got brilliant geneticists working for him."
    "Lodge would be able to plant those bombs. But how did he know about Campbell?"
    "He must have someone at CDC, Steph. Someone working with Campbell who knew Wiesner and Campbell were working on a bio-warfare program. Or maybe someone in the Pentagon. "
    "It still doesn't explain Gelashvili coming after Selena in Greece."
    "I think Lodge sent him . He's gone to a lot of trouble to keep everyone away from that urn. It was a mistake."
    "How so?"
    "If he'd stopped after he killed Campbell and the others, it would have ended there. He probably thought it would. He couldn't have known McCullough would call Selena and give her a copy of those tablets. Somehow he knew she'd talked with McCullough and got worried. By sending Gelashvili and going after us he raised the ante."
    "How would he know about Selena and McCullough?"
    "I don't know."
    "What do we do next, Director?"
    "We wait for the team to get back. And we wait to hear from Vysotsky."

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

    Besida Gelashvili paced back and forth in Zviad's study. The day was sunny. She could see children playing in Gorky Park. Damn him. Damn all of them. Damn Iosif for getting himself killed. She couldn't gain control of the organization without him. The vultures were already circling and she was a disposable liability. She knew too much. She needed to get out of Moscow. Her daughters were young, no threat to anyone. They were safe but she wasn't. She felt her belly, where Iosif's baby was growing. She thought about what she'd take with her.
    A servant came into the room. He was nervous.
    "What is it?"
    Before he could answer, three men entered the room. One of them held up his identification. A round, gold badge. In the center, a five pointed star surrounding a blue lined globe. A banner of red, blue and white spread under the star and globe.
    SVR. Not FSB, but foreign intelligence. Besida forced herself to remain calm.
    "Besida Gelashvili?"
    "Yes."
    "You will come with us."
    "What..."
    One of the men took her arm. "Shut up. Come with us."
    A black Mercedes waited outside. The men pushed her into the back seat. One sat on either side. No one spoke until they reached SVR headquarters.
    "Get out."
    The men took her inside, down a long flight of steps, into a dingy corridor. They weren't gentle about it. One of them pulled open a door.
    "In there." He shoved her into the room. The door shut behind her.
    A narrow metal shelf extended from one wall. There were no blankets or sheets. There was a toilet without a seat. It smelled of urine and shit and vomit. There was no window. The walls were concrete. There was nothing else in the room.
    For the first time since she was a child, Besida felt real fear.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

    The team filled Elizabeth's office. Harker told them about the Pentagon scenario. She briefed them on the approach by Yakov. She still hadn't heard from Vysotsky.
    "Now you're all up to speed. Ideas?"
    "What about the President," Nick said. "Have you let him