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such hotshots, why don’t they take out this gang?Why do you need me?’
    ‘That’s the first sensible thing the boy’s said all day,’ Valerie said darkly.
    Jordan shot her a warning glance.‘You’ve made your feelings on that point very clear, Miss Singer.But the objective of this mission is to discover the full extent of the Eagles’ organization, so we can make sure that every diseased root of the gang is ripped out from the ground.That will not be achieved by simply killing skinheads.And in any case, Trojan is not a team of vigilante assassins – no matter how much you’d like it to be on certain occasions.’
    Valerie muttered something in Russian under her breath, and lit another cigarette.
    ‘Now,’ said Jordan, ‘if we can proceed to the matter at hand.’ He pressed a key on his laptop, and a photograph of a closed shop-front appeared on the projector screen.Two figure eights had been daubed on to the metal shutters in red paint, separated by a swastika symbol.Jordansat on the edge of the table and pointed at the screen.
    ‘This is the tag of our main target: the Moscow Eagle 88s.’
    Alexei frowned.‘What does the 88 mean?’
    ‘It’s a kind of code – corresponds to two letter Hs.’
    ‘Short for Heil Hitler,’ Richard Madison chipped in. ‘Just in case the swastika isn’t enough of a clue.’
    ‘Quite,’ said Jordan.‘Now, experts estimate that there are at least fifty neo-Nazi gangs in Russia – but these guys are the toughest, no question.Their main enforcer is the man whose picture I showed you in the newspaper – Nikolai Borovsky.He was convicted of murder this afternoon, but even with him behind bars the Moscow Eagles still pose a very real threat.’
    He pressed the key again.The graffiti was replaced by a photograph of a crowd of skinheads pressed menacingly up against a wire fence, their fists clenched and raised in the air as they shouted.
    ‘And here are the 88s in full flow.This was taken during a demonstration at a building site run by Construktko – a construction company owned by a Muscovite tycoon called Boris Lebedev.The Eagles were protesting about the fact that Lebedev hires too many immigrants for their liking, meaning there are fewer jobs for native Russians like themselves.Soon after this photograph, the demonstration descended into a riot – the Eagles pulled down the fence and smashed up the site. Three Construktko workers ended up in hospital.You can see Nikolai Borovsky leading the protests.But he’s not the man I want you to focus on.’
    Jordan pointed to a figure standing apart from the Eagles, only half in shot.Alexei guessed the man must have been in his mid-forties, lean-faced and smartly dressed.A pair of horn-rimmed spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose, beneath sandy-coloured hair combed into a neat side-parting.
    ‘This charmer is Viktor Orlov,’ said Jordan. ‘It’s a rare public shot of him.Viktor’s clever enough never to get his hands dirty, but he’s the brains of the outfit – the de facto leader.If you’re going to succeed in your assignment, and find out the extent of the Eagles’ organization, earning Viktor’s trust is going to be absolutely crucial.’
    ‘Easier for you to say,’ said Alexei.‘How am I supposed to make friends with a bunch of Nazis?’
    ‘With Borovsky out of the picture, the Eagles will be in a state of reorganization.It’s the perfect time to introduce yourself.Technical Support will fill you in on the details.We can’t be sure yet how long we’ve got until your mission is initiated, but we’ll make use of every available second.’
    There was a knock at the door, and a man looked into the room.
    ‘Sorry to interrupt, Mr Jordan, but there’s something you need to look at.’
    The American turned to Alexei.‘Seems I’m going to have to leave you in Richard’s capable hands,’ he said.‘Good luck, son.’
    He strode out of the room with Valerie, leaving Alexei alone with the