Gabovich still enjoyed considerable power in Lithuania and throughout the region, mainly because of the strength of the "private" army and his former KGB intelligence network, which was still intact, but the gradually weakening Commonwealth and the rapidly strengthening Lithuanian influences in the area weakened that power.

When he lost Fisikous, he would lose all he cherished-power, wealth, and influence. He, along with most of the Soviet scientists in the Fisikous Research Center, had nothing to return to back in the Commonwealth. They would lose everything they had if Fisikous closed down.

Dr. Fursenko met up with Gabovich a few moments later, after the Lithuanians had departed. "Is Doctor Ozerov going to be all right?" he asked, worried.

"I think so, Doctor." He paused for a moment, then added, "I should apologize for my colleague's behavior-"

"Nonsense, General," Fursenko interrupted. "Doctor Ozerov may be a little.., eccentric but he is a welcome addition to the engineering team. You know he's right, of course-our computer models do computer radar

em

..

lobal propagation. But, General.., will Ivan... uh, Doctor Ozerov, be able to finish the modifications to the stealth computer-model applications as you said he would? He seemed very discombobulated this morning."

"Doctor Ozerov is under a great deal of stress right now, Doctor," Gabovich replied, "but he will be back in the lab to finish that program tomorrow."

Fursenko looked so relieved that Gabovich expected him to kiss his hand, and he all but skipped back to the conference room.

"And, Doctor.. ." Gabovich said.

Fursenko turned back to Gabovich, his big grin still on his face. "Please remember, Doctor, that Doctor Ozerov's presence here at Fisikous is still very classified. His name is not to be mentioned or published outside these walls. I will know about it if there is a leak."

Fursenko nodded his understanding and departed.

Gabovich let out a sigh of relief. The program was humming along nicely thanks to Luger.

Never in his wildest dreams did Gabovich expect the American to be able to contribute to it on the level that he had. The knowledge Luger had gained at the High Technology Aerospace Weapons Center in Nevada was proving priceless. And he, Viktor Gabovich, was the reason why-he had turned a man others would have regarded simply as a prisoner to be shot into a collaborator. Dr. Ivan Sergeiovich Ozerov, n~ David Luger, was a natural-born worker, as intelligent or more so than the scientists at Fisikous, but as easily controlled as a dog that could be tied up, kicked, and trained.

The one infuriating fly in the ointment was the programming. Gabovich tried to put it out of his mind, but there wasn't any denying that Luger was having.., problems. The behavior modification and assumption of Dr. Ozerov's identity weren't holding as well or as long as Gabovich had hoped.

The "booster" had better take care of that .

Or he would.

They called it the Zulu area, but the fancy name referred only to a dark, smelly, damp section of the second subfloor of the Fisikous AircraftDesign Center Security Facility. The security facility-whose ex-KGB personnel were separate from the Commonwealth security forces for the main Fisikous installation-had four upper floors and two lower floors. Luger's apartment was on the top floor, along with surveillance and support rooms, and this was closed off to all personnel. Classified-document storage facilities were on the third floor; a complete arsenal for the four-hundred-man OMON Black Beret security force was on the second teams were on the ground floor; and more offices and storage areas were on the first subfloor. The Zulu area was a series of concrete-block cells and security systems amidst the mechanical equipment, boilers, and incinerators of the second subfloor.