Page 87 of Cold Target

Joe looked at the arm. Looked at the handcuff. Looked at the stump.

He grabbed the case and slid it off the wrist, the handcuff scraping over the dead hand, the metal slick with blood.

Volkov's eyes tracked the movement. His lips moved, forming words in Russian that Joe didn't understand and didn't need to.

Joe stood and carried the case to the workbench.

The locks were simple. Three-digit combinations, one on each latch. He didn't bother trying to guess. He used the butt of the rifle and smashed them both, the metal bending, the mechanisms breaking.

The case opened.

Inside were papers. Dozens of them. Sealed in plastic sleeves, organized with tabs and labels, the kind of meticulous filing system that spoke of a mind that couldn't tolerate chaos.

The top page was a cover sheet, printed on heavy stock, marked with stamps in Cyrillic and English.

???????? ???????? ????

OPERATION COLD TARGET

CLASSIFIED - EYES ONLY

12TH MAIN DIRECTORATE

Joe flipped past it.

The next page was a map of the United States, marked with five red circles.

Washington, DC. Two circles, close together.

New York City. One circle, lower Manhattan.

Nebraska. One circle, labeled in small print: Offutt AFB.

Joe kept reading.

The targets were listed in order of priority:

TARGET ALPHA: The Pentagon. Southwest parking area, service entrance near the helipad. Detonation during morning rush, maximum personnel density. Estimated yield: 1 kiloton. Estimated casualties: 5,000-8,000 immediate, 15,000-25,000 from structural collapse and secondary fires.

TARGET BRAVO: The White House. West Wing, subsurface placement via utility tunnel access. Detonation during working hours. Estimated yield: 1 kiloton. Estimated casualties: 500-1,000 immediate, including executive leadership. Psychological impact: catastrophic.

TARGET CHARLIE: United States Capitol Building. Placement in substructure during joint session. Estimated yield: 1 kiloton. Estimated casualties: 800-1,200 immediate, including majority of legislative branch. Constitutional impact: total.

TARGET DELTA: New York Stock Exchange. Placement in basement level, detonation during trading hours. Estimated yield: 1 kiloton. Estimated casualties: 2,000-4,000 immediate. Economic impact: incalculable. Global market collapse probable.

TARGET ECHO: Strategic Air Command Headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base. Placement near command bunker. Estimated yield: 1 kiloton. Estimated casualties: 1,000-2,000 immediate. Strategic impact: decapitation of nuclear command authority during crisis.

Each target had its own section. Diagrams. Access routes. Security assessments. Timing windows. Fallback positions.

The level of detail was staggering.

Joe flipped through the pages, his light catching on maps and tables and columns of text in Russian and English. Deployment schedules. Transportation routes. Cover identities. Safe houses.

Another page listed the devices themselves:

Five RA-115 units, serial numbers documented, last known custody with 12th Main Directorate, status: unaccounted for.

Joe stared at the page.