With that, we ended the call.
This is good news... It’s the best possible news. I still don’t know what’s going on, but at least I know he’s safe. I don’t know how he did it, but he must have found some way to hide himself. I just wish I knew why he was buying from an arms dealer. If he just needs a weapon to keep himself safe, he could have just paid a dealer in cash to get whatever he needed.
As I puzzled over it, a document from Stabinger arrived on my terminal. Shuuichi appeared to have received the same document. He opened the file immediately and began reading through it with great interest, but his curiosity soon turned to alarm.
“That idiot!” Shuuichi yelled. “Is he going to fight them on the streets?! Miki, this is bad. Kouki has bought some old-fashioned counter-EMP gear. And he’s bought enough anti-tank guns without guidance systems for a whole platoon. What’s this...? He bought howitzer charges but no howitzer? Those must be for IEDs! He must be planning guerrilla warfare using improvised explosives!”
I brought up the document on my own terminal screen.
It was a list that included enough equipment to support urban combat for a short time: 30 old-fashioned automatic rifles and five light machine guns that had once been used by the Russian army, a personnel carrier designed over 100 years ago for use in a nuclear war, an attack helicopter that used vacuum tubes in place of semiconductor chips, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, a backpack flamethrower that used gel-state gasoline, howitzer shells, combat helmets that fell out of use a long time ago because of reinforced exoskeletons...
Anyone currently involved in modern military exercises would probably laugh and call it a list of antiques.
“Shuuichi, would it be possible to destroy a powered suit using the equipment in this list?” I asked with trepidation.
“No, but some of those weapons are enough to stop a powered suit from moving. A flamethrower aimed into an exhaust could activate a powered suit’s limiter by causing it to overheat. Or if an anti-tank land mine were covered with projectiles, it could destroy some of the weaker joint parts. Kouki wouldn’t have come up with these ideas on his own. Only someone with experience of drawn out unconventional warfare would think of something like this. I’d hate to have to fight against someone putting those methods into practice.”
A platoon with experience in drawn-out unconventional warfare who’d be willing to side with Kouki in Russia right now... I can only think of one answer: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Intelligence Bureau External Special Forces Unit — Chernobog.
Within Chernobog, there was a unit whose existence even Clare hadn’t been able to verify. Even Lieutenant Anton hadn’t provided us with the information. The Chernobog unit known for being the most powerful when it came to localized warfare was Serp. The word meant “scythe” in Russian, and nothing could be more reassuring than knowing that they were on our side.
It’s obvious now what Noa needs to do. Chances are that Kouki is giving those weapons to Serp, and Serp will use guerrilla warfare to hold out until reinforcements arrive. We need to find out where he made that trade as soon as possible.
“Miki!” Elise called. “We’re receiving a transmission from Kouki. It’s on an unencrypted channel.”
“Transfer him to an encrypted channel immediately!”
“H-He said that wasn’t necessary. He just wants to talk to you.”
What’s wrong with him?! Using an unencrypted channel will give away his location to New World. Why hasn’t he encrypted his communications? I fought to control my anxiety as I looked at the image that appeared on the terminal screen.
Kouki appeared, looking a little tired.
For a moment I felt relieved, but I began to worry again when I saw the people standing around him.
The personnel around me were looking at the image on the main screen, and they probably felt exactly the same way.
“Kouki! I’m glad you’re safe,” I said quickly. “Who are those armed people you’re with? Please tell me they aren’t New World.”
“They’re not. But I can see how you’d think so. The balaclavas they’re wearing almost make them look like an old-fashioned terrorist group.”
Almost? They look exactly like terrorists!
They were all wearing old-fashioned camouflage gear, helmets, and balaclavas with automatic rifles worn around their shoulders. They looked just like anti-government guerrillas I’d seen in photographs from the early 2000s.
Does that mean Kouki is their hostage?
“These people used to fight alongside Anton as part of Chernobog’s combat unit,” Kouki said. “Well, some of them are part of the espionage unit. They’re cooperating with me, and we’ve set up camp here in Old Moscow.”
“Kou! Stop! You’re transmitting over a standard, unencrypted channel. Don’t you realize that New World could be listening to our entire conversation?!”
“I don’t mind. In fact, that’s exactly what I want. Go ahead, Captain Yulia.”
The soldier standing beside him, who was apparently female, brought up a map on a screen and pointed to a specific location on the map with her finger.
Kouki suddenly looked a lot less friendly.
I’ve seen him make that face before... It’s exactly how he looked when we were making plans on the megafloat after Alice’s abduction. It’s the face Kouki makes when he’s set his mind to something.
“To Dr. Sandra Zelenskaya, the leader of New World. I’m sure you’re listening. I imagine you must have felt quite frustrated when I escaped from the hotel? Well, I thought I’d give you another chance. I’m right here in Old Moscow. I don’t know whether you’re planning to capture me or kill me, but whatever you’re planning, you know where to find me.
“I don’t want to waste too much time on a researcher stupid enough to believe in occult notions such as reincarnation and the soul. That’s why I’m going to wait here and let you come to me. In exchange, I’d like you to bring Anton Bortkiewicz, Yakov Tarkovsky, and Yuri Pamfilova with you. If they’re already dead, there’s nothing to discuss. I’ll change location immediately. However, if they are still living, release them near Bechet Lake in the old city.
“The time from their release until I manage to move to a new location is the time I’m giving you to capture me. Reply within the next two hours. I’ll leave it to you to decide how exactly you get your message to me. I know you’re not the smartest woman around, but I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
Having finished his arrogant speech, Kouki abruptly cut off the transmission as if there were nothing more to say. Clearly, he had contacted us simply as a means of making a statement to New World.
For a short while, I sat staring dumbfounded at the blank screen, but then I came to my senses and began to give out orders.
Kouki’s arrogant attitude was obviously part of some sort of plan. What we needed to do now was use the full might of Noa to learn every last detail of the area where Kouki was located so we’d be ready to send in reinforcements. I also needed to coordinate the signatories of the Arakawa Pact, and I needed to ask the Russians for their cooperation, too.
Once again, my son had gotten himself into trouble, but I had faith that he’d find some way to bring about the best possible outcome like he always did. Meanwhile, I had work to do.