Snow Wolf (46 page)

He turned to go, then hesitated and said
to Stanski, "We'll leave by the old East Tower, by the way. It takes us
directly out onto the coast highway. And just so you know, I heard last evening
the authorities are looking for a couple of enemy agents who parachuted in the
other night, so there are probably going to be checkpoints, but hopefully they
shouldn't bother US."

Stanski pretended surprise. "Really?
Enemy agents from where?"

"You know, I didn't even ask. A man
and a woman. That's all I know."

Lukin had woken at six, still exhausted
after sleeping badly. He shaved and dressed before sitting at the table and
reading through the night's reports which Kaman had brought in.

Kaman had also left a samovar of tea and
some fresh rolls and foul-tasting plum jam on a breakfast tray. Lukin had
distrusted the captain, saying he would call if he needed him.

Now he spread the reports in front of him
and sifted through the pages. The words danced on the paper, his eyeballs raw
and sore from lack of sleep.

There was nothing much of interest. Every
hotel and inn in the city and old town had been visited and all the guests had
been accounted for, their backgrounds checked and verified by KGB Headquarters
on Pikk Street, The deserter tally had risen to twenty-one arrested.

There was a joke in the army that if you
were going to desert, you headed west to the Baltic. The women were beautiful
and the drink stronger and at least a man might have some fleeting enjoyment
before being sent to a Siberian penal colony for desertion.

Lukin looked up briefly to stare out at
the darkness. Winter in this part of the Baltic was dark and brooding, only
three hours of sunshine at most, and he always found winter depressing. He
longed for some warm Crimean sun; the scent of orange blossoms and wild jasmine
and a hot wind on his face. He had promised to take Nadia to the Crimea this
summer. He wondered if he would still be alive by then to keep his promise.

He thought of her now, and dreaded to
consider what might become of her if he failed. He couldn't fail. Lukin sighed
in despair and concentrated again on the reports, tension and frustration
coiled up inside him like a spring.

Twenty-one deserters, a black marketeer,
and a youth of fifteen with a rusting unlicensed German Luger but no
ammunition. The boy had been arrested during the night, and questioned about
the parachute drop, but it was obvious he knew nothing. Reading between the
lines of the report by the local KGB, the boy had been tortured during
interrogation. It was unlikely he was even a partisan. They hid in the forests,
brave but futile Estonian men and women armed with decrepit German weapons, but
they still harried the army even eight years after the war.

Lukin shivered as he put the report
aside. The poor boy would most likely be shot. Having an unlicensed weapon in
the occupied territories meant certain execution, regardless of age.

He pushed back the chair and lit a
cigarette, felt the strong malckorka tobacco reach the pit of his lungs. There
was a knock on the door and Kaman entered and saluted.

"The car's ready for your checkpoint
inspection, sir. The East Tower is first, I believe."

Lukin stubbed out his cigarette.
"Very well, Kaman, the East Tower it is."

It was pitch dark and freezing as the
Emka rattled down the narrow cobbled roads of the old town.

Like most small Russian cars, the Emka
was pretty basic and had no heater, so Zinov wore a heavy sheepskin jacket to
keep warm. He had suggested that Anna and Stanski sit together in the back
seat, and use the heavy woollen blanket he kept for passengers to cover their
legs. When he turned left into a narrow road that led toward one of the ancient
granite towers, they all saw the checkpoint ahead.

A group of plain-clothes men and
uniformed militia manned a temporary red barrier placed across the road between
two oil barrels, just in front of the tower. There was a line of three vehicles
in front, two delivery trucks and a private car, halted and waiting to be
allowed to pass. The militiamen appeared to have finished searching the first
truck and it drove through when the barrier was removed.

Zinov eased on the brakes and pulled in
behind the car in front. He tapped the steering wheel impatiently with his
fingers.

"Damn it. I suppose there's not much
we can do but wait our turn." He looked back at Stanski and Anna as he
pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Smoke, anyone? Crimean black. Guaranteed
to leave you gasping."

Stanski took one, but Anna declined.
Stanski touched the flame of his match to Zinov's cigarette, then looked back
at Anna. Her mouth was tense with strain and she stared back at him.

They all heard a vehicle rattle on
cobbles. Stanski looked ahead and saw a green army Zil drive up to the
checkpoint from the opposite direction. The car braked to a halt and a man
stepped out.

He wore a black KGB uniform and officer's
cap and a heavy black overcoat and galoshes, Stanski noticed he wore only one
leather glove on his left hand, The hand looked stiff and he guessed it was
false.

The KGB man crossed to a uniformed
officer at the checkpoint and spoke heatedly with him. Moments later the
officer turned and barked an order and the militiamen manning the checkpoint
started to work more smartly.

Klieg lamps and arc lamps sprang to life,
flooding the cobbled street. More militia appeared, as if some of them had been
sleeping in the back of their cars and had been shaken awake. The KGB officer
had obviously made an impression because the second truck was being searched
more thoroughly. There was a bustle of activity and the darkness came alive
with stern orders and answering voices.

Stanski felt Anna's hand grip his tightly
as they watched the scene. He counted twelve militia and army personnel, plus
the KGB man with the leather glove and his driver. Five agonizing minutes
passed and the truck showed no sign of being allowed through. Behind them, more
vehicles had joined the queue.. Zinov finally slammed his fist on the steering
wheel. "Damn it to hell! At this rate we'll be lucky to make Leningrad by
midnight."

Suddenly the truck was allowed through
and the car in front of them started to move up. It was searched just as
thoroughly, the driver's papers scrutinized, and the KGB man watched it all
with interest as he leaned against a wall smoking a cigarette. Stanski swore to
himself and felt a cold sweat break out all over his body.

He quietly unbuttoned the flap of his
Tokarev pistol and made sure the safety catch was off. He leaned across to
Anna, sensing her growing fear.

"Get ready to move if we have to run
for it," he whispered. "Try to make it back to the inn."

Zinov glanced around suddenly. "You
said something?" Stanski smiled and said quickly, "Perhaps we should
have taken the train, Colonel."

"My apologies, this is damned
ridiculous."

"Not your fault."

"True, but I think it's damn well
time I had a word with the officer in charge. We can't hang around all day, for
heaven's sake, or we'll both be late."

But suddenly it was their turn as the car
in front was waved through. The barrier came down again as Zinov advanced the
Emka, halted and rolled down his window. The flood from the arc lamps washed
the car in a blinding pool of light and a militiaman ran forward.

"Right, get out of the car and have
your papers ready."

Zinov flushed red at the militiaman's
bluntness. He flashed his ID. "You're talking to a colonel in the KGB.
Watch your damned manners." He waved toward the barrier. "Allow us to
pass and be quick about it."

The militiaman looked at Zinov's ID and
shook his head. "Everyone's got to be checked and their vehicles searched.
So just do as you're told and we'll get this over with as quickly as
possible."

Zinov could hardly contain his anger at
the man's impertinence. "We'll damn well see about that! Who's in charge
here?"

It won't make any difference, comrade.
His name's Major Lukin, KGB Moscow. So in the meantime, step out of the
car."

Stanski and Anna tensed at the mention of
the name, but Zinov seemed completely to lose his head.

"Shut up, you insolent fool, and
tell the officer in charge I want to see him. Now!"

The roar from Zinov made the militiaman
jump. The man turned and raised a hand and signaled the KGB man, the one named
Lukin, who had been watching the proceedings.

He strode over. "Is there a
problem?"

"Look here, Lukin, or whatever your
name is," said Zinov. "You're talking to a colonel in the KGB, and my
friends and I are in a hurry. We've got important business in Leningrad."

"I'm afraid no one passes without
being checked and searched."

"On whose damned authority?"

Lukin produced his ID and held it out for
Zinov to inspect. "On mine. There is a search for enemy agents in
progress." Zinov examined Lukin's ID and said, "That's all very well,
but as you can appreciate, you're delaying us."

"I'm delaying everyone, Colonel, but
I'm sure you realize I have a job to do. Now, would you all please step out of
the car and have your papers ready."

Zinov flushed a deep red, then stepped
out and slammed the door after him. The militiaman examined his papers first
while two men moved to search the car. Stanski and Anna slid out from the rear
as Lukin's eyes showed a sudden interest.

He stepped forward. "Papers, please,
Captain."

Stanski handed them across. For a long
time the major looked at Stanski's face, then examined the papers, before he
looked up and said, "And who is this lady?"

"My wife, Comrade Major. We've been
staying in Tallinn on a short visit."

"And the purpose of your visit to
Tallinn, Captain Petrovsky?"

Stanski smiled and nodded at Anna.
"Our honeymoon, comrade."

"Where were you staying?"

"With a relative of my wife's in the
old town. Is there a problem, Comrade Major?"

Lukin studied Stanski's face.
"Indeed there is. We're looking for a man and a woman, enemy agents who
parachuted into Estonia the night before last. As it happens, our information
suggests they're about the ages of you and your wife here."

He looked at Anna. "So you say this
lady is your wife?" Stanski said proudly, "Indeed she is, comrade. We
were married three days ago." He smiled. "And I can assure you,
major, she's not an enemy agent."

There was a laugh from one of the
militiamen standing nearby, but Lukin's expression didn't change.

He said evenly, "My congratulations
to both of you. May I see your papers also, madam?"

"Of course."

Anna fumbled in her handbag and handed
them over. Lukin examined the documents thoroughly, flashing his light on the
paper, feeling it, rubbing his thumb against the page. He didn't hand them back
to Anna but looked at Stanski, then examined his papers again, doing the same.

"Your destination, Captain
Petrovsky?"

"Leningrad."

"For what purpose?"

"To rejoin my division."

"And which division is that?"

"The 14th Armored. There are winter
maneuvers imminent at Novgorod and I'm afraid I have to rejoin."

The major glanced at Stanski's 14th
Armored uniform flashes. "Would you mind if we searched your
luggage?"

Stanski shrugged. "Of course not,
Major."

Lukin snapped his fingers and a
militiaman appeared. "Remove the captain's luggage and search it
thoroughly. His wife's also." He looked at Stanski again as suddenly two
militiamen came forward with their Tokarev machine-pistols at the ready, as if
sensing trouble.

Zinov came over and interrupted.
"Look, Major, is that really necessary?

We're in a damned hurry. This officer is
known personally to me. And also the young lady. I happen to stay frequently
with her uncle here in Tallinn."

"Quite. And I'm sure you are in a
hurry. But so are we all. This won't take long."

Zinov flushed angrily. The militiaman
removed all the bags and Lukin said to Stanski, "Please indicate your
luggage."

Stanski pointed out their two suitcases.
Lukin examined both suitcases externally first, very carefully, running his
fingers along the joins. Stanski stood there, feeling the sweat on the back of
his neck, trying to judge how many shots he could get off rapidly, deciding
there and then to shoot Lukin first.

The major looked up. "Open the cases
please, Captain."

Stanski did as he was ordered. Lukin
knelt and flashed a light through the belongings. He examined the clothes'
labels and felt the material of each garment. Finally he stood up and studied
Stanski again. There was a look of indecision on the major's face, indicating
something was bothering him.

"You look familiar, Captain. Have we
met before?"