- Oct 3, 2018
- 3,029
Boris Nemtsov sat in the Oval Office, staring at the map of Chechnya spread across the table. His eyes traced the mountain ranges, the villages dotting the region. Dimitry Smirnoff stood beside him, arms crossed, his expression hard. Finally, Dimitry spoke, his voice low.
"Boris, I wouldn’t worry too much about the situation in Chechnya right now. We’ve got enough resources on the ground. I'll talk to the GRU and FSB, and make sure they’re on top of things."
Boris nodded, before saying what was on his mind. "But this attack in London… it could spark something. The terrorists might see it as a signal. If they get inspired, we could be looking at a resurgence of resistance in the region. Worse yet, a radical extremist movement aong with a national liberation movement would be catastrophic."
"I wouldn't put that much worry. Alkhanov has been holding the line in Chechnya. If anything were to change it would be his head rolling first. I doubt he'd let that happen."
Boris leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed as his fingers tapped rhythmically on the table. "I know. That's what concerns me, Dasha. We've been holding the line in Chechnya, but if this spreads…we’ll have another front to manage. And we can’t afford that right now."
Dimitry shifted his stance slightly, "I'll handle it. Between the GRU and FSB, we’ll keep it contained. But this isn’t just about security forces, Boris. We have to consider the ideological impact too. The people are watching how we handle London, and how we respond to these kinds of attacks. It sends a message, both to our enemies and to those who might be thinking about picking up arms. People want to see a leader who can protect them. There is already panic with people fleeing public spots over false threats or pure Islamophobia."
Nemtsov nodded, his mind already turning to another pressing matter. "Speaking of which, I want to talk to Sinclair. It would be a good sign for the world that Russia and America are on the same page regarding the attack in London as well as a potential response."
Dimitry frowned, his distrust of the Americans no hidden secret within the walls of the Kremlin. "Sinclair might be playing the long game here, Boris. I don't trust the Americans. Not fully. They’ll cooperate when it suits them, but you know how it goes. They’ve got their own interests. We need to watch our back."
Boris shrugged. "Granting Russia an exemption—he took a real bullet for us. He didn’t have to, but he stood by us. That means something. We need to make sure we're in sync on London, especially with the Americans already dealing with their own mess."
Dimitry shook his head. "He gave you an exception because he realized the risks of enforcing that policy against Russia. He is an American Boris. He cares about his own bottom line. He is no different to his predecessors."
Boris gave a half-smile, shaking his head slightly. "Benjamin Sinclair’s not like the others. He’s taken risks for us. Besides, if we’re going to navigate this crisis, we need them. We can't afford to be left out of the loop. I’ll talk to him, see what the British are thinking."
Dimitry sighed, knowing the decision had already been made. "Alright. I’ll arrange the call. But Boris… just keep your guard up. Allies or not, this is still politics. He'll throw you under the bus when it suits him."
Nemtsov stood and placed a hand on Dimitry’s shoulder. "I know, Dasha. But a world where Russia and America cooperate is a better world for all our children."
Then a secretary would arrange a call, directly to the White House and saying it was President Nemtsov of Russia wishing to speak with President Sinclair.
Odinson
"Boris, I wouldn’t worry too much about the situation in Chechnya right now. We’ve got enough resources on the ground. I'll talk to the GRU and FSB, and make sure they’re on top of things."
Boris nodded, before saying what was on his mind. "But this attack in London… it could spark something. The terrorists might see it as a signal. If they get inspired, we could be looking at a resurgence of resistance in the region. Worse yet, a radical extremist movement aong with a national liberation movement would be catastrophic."
"I wouldn't put that much worry. Alkhanov has been holding the line in Chechnya. If anything were to change it would be his head rolling first. I doubt he'd let that happen."
Boris leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed as his fingers tapped rhythmically on the table. "I know. That's what concerns me, Dasha. We've been holding the line in Chechnya, but if this spreads…we’ll have another front to manage. And we can’t afford that right now."
Dimitry shifted his stance slightly, "I'll handle it. Between the GRU and FSB, we’ll keep it contained. But this isn’t just about security forces, Boris. We have to consider the ideological impact too. The people are watching how we handle London, and how we respond to these kinds of attacks. It sends a message, both to our enemies and to those who might be thinking about picking up arms. People want to see a leader who can protect them. There is already panic with people fleeing public spots over false threats or pure Islamophobia."
Nemtsov nodded, his mind already turning to another pressing matter. "Speaking of which, I want to talk to Sinclair. It would be a good sign for the world that Russia and America are on the same page regarding the attack in London as well as a potential response."
Dimitry frowned, his distrust of the Americans no hidden secret within the walls of the Kremlin. "Sinclair might be playing the long game here, Boris. I don't trust the Americans. Not fully. They’ll cooperate when it suits them, but you know how it goes. They’ve got their own interests. We need to watch our back."
Boris shrugged. "Granting Russia an exemption—he took a real bullet for us. He didn’t have to, but he stood by us. That means something. We need to make sure we're in sync on London, especially with the Americans already dealing with their own mess."
Dimitry shook his head. "He gave you an exception because he realized the risks of enforcing that policy against Russia. He is an American Boris. He cares about his own bottom line. He is no different to his predecessors."
Boris gave a half-smile, shaking his head slightly. "Benjamin Sinclair’s not like the others. He’s taken risks for us. Besides, if we’re going to navigate this crisis, we need them. We can't afford to be left out of the loop. I’ll talk to him, see what the British are thinking."
Dimitry sighed, knowing the decision had already been made. "Alright. I’ll arrange the call. But Boris… just keep your guard up. Allies or not, this is still politics. He'll throw you under the bus when it suits him."
Nemtsov stood and placed a hand on Dimitry’s shoulder. "I know, Dasha. But a world where Russia and America cooperate is a better world for all our children."
Then a secretary would arrange a call, directly to the White House and saying it was President Nemtsov of Russia wishing to speak with President Sinclair.
Odinson
