“It’s unlikely,” said Judy. “But they might have been given such orders.”
Jane had her own coat on properly now and fumbled the scarf out of her coat pocket with stiff fingers.
“Come on,” said Hunter. As before, he jogged up another shadowed alley.
Still holding her scarf, Jane ran after him. As before, they still turned corners frequently, always keeping to back alleys. Finally, Hunter led them out of an alley onto a deserted side street. In the open space, the weak moonlight illuminated their surroundings a little better than before. Hunter stopped and waited for his team to catch their breath again.
“Hunter?” Jane asked, tying on her scarf. “Where are we going?”
“I do not know exactly. However, we can certainly find other buildings of the same kind housing other people displaced by the war.”
“How do we find one?” Steve asked.
“I am not sure,” said Hunter. “Judy, can you suggest a way to do this?”
“Uh-I’m not sure. I have to think about it.”
“All right,” said Hunter. “In any case, Judy, you will be safe as long as the NKVD agents don’t see you. Now that we are away from the warehouse where they first found you, our chances of avoiding them are much improved.”
“True,” said Judy. “But I think we’d better keep moving-to stay warm if nothing else.”
“Use your hearing as we walk,” Jane said to Hunter. “On maximum.”
“For what?” Hunter asked, leading them down the dark sidewalk. “What am I listening for?”
“The sound of a lot of people sleeping in one big room,” said Jane.
“That won’t be very loud,” said Steve. “Even to you.”
“I am turning up my aural sensitivity,” said Hunter. “If we come within my hearing range of such sounds, I shall recognize them.”
“Good luck,” Steve muttered doubtfully.
Wayne and Ishihara followed Leutnant Mohr away from Major Bach’s fire. Ishihara had managed to get the Major’s permission for the Leutnant to drive them out of the German camp and beyond German lines, but that would still leave many kilometers of open, frozen ground to cross. On the other side, of course, they could expect to find thousands of Soviet soldiers, expecting only the enemy to come across that stretch of territory.
Leutnant Mohr said nothing as he led them to his patrol’s armored car. All three of them crowded into the cab. It started with a loud roar and jerked forward.
“How far is it to go past the most forward of the German lines from here?” Ishihara asked casually.
Leutnant Mohr shrugged. “I am not certain. Not far. It will take maybe fifteen minutes, since we must go around so many emplacements.”
“Thank you for your courtesy, Leutnant.” Ishihara unfastened his fur cloak and shifted in his seat so that he could pull it off.
“You’re welcome.”
“This cloak is quite warm. With the tunic and our leggings, it is not really necessary for me.”
Leutnant Mohr glanced at him in surprise.
Wayne stifled a smile. He was pretty sure he knew where Ishihara was leading. Just in case he was wrong, however, he decided to say nothing until he was sure.
“I might be induced to trade this cloak,” said Ishihara, holding a portion of the cloak in front of him where Leutnant Mohr could see it.
“You would trade this cloak?” Leutnant Mohr asked carefully, struggling to hold the wheel as the vehicle bounced across the frozen ground.
“I would consider it.”
“I don’t have much to trade,” said Leutnant Mohr. “What would you want for it?”
“A favor.”
“Yes? What is this favor?”
“It will take great courage, Leutnant.”
Leutnant Mohr’s face tightened. “Are you suggesting that I lack courage?”
“You tell me,” said Ishihara.
“What do you want?”
“I want you to drive us across the neutral zone,” said Ishihara.
“You mean the no-man’s-land?”
“Yes.”
“Toward the Red Army? You’re insane. We will be blasted into nothing in this armored car.”
“Maybe not,” said Wayne, feeling that he could participate now. “One car alone will not be mistaken for a major military advance that would get a lot of attention.”
“You’re both insane.”
“As I said, it will take great courage,” said Ishihara, in an offhand tone.
Leutnant Mohr said nothing.
“You don’t have to shake hands with the Russians,” said Wayne. “Just get us as far across the open area to the other side as you can.”
“We would have to anticipate enemy patrols,” said Leutnant Mohr slowly.
“Most of that terrain is empty,” said Wayne. “If we see any sign of the enemy, you can let us get out and then you can run for it.”
“That’s a long way. I could get into trouble with my superior.”
Wayne heard some indecision in the Leutnant’s voice for the first time. He took the cloak from Ishihara and reached over to put it on Leutnant Mohr’s lap. It was all Wayne could think of to help convince him.
“This is only December,” said Ishihara. “Most of the Russian winter still lies ahead.”
“We shall take Moscow shortly,” said Leutnant. Mohr, just as he had said once before.
“Then you will not need the cloak,” said Ishihara. “Please return it.”
“Um-wait.”
“Yes?” Ishihara hesitated.
“I will do it for both cloaks,” said Leutnant Mohr, with sudden firmness.
“What?” Wayne was startled.
“I will drive as close to the Red Army as I can get,” said Leutnant Mohr. “In exchange, you will give me your cloak, as well. This is my offer.”
Wayne grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with his courage, Ishihara. He’s just been bargaining with us.”
“What is your answer?” Leutnant Mohr asked.
“Sorry,” said Wayne. “Ishihara may be warm enough without his cloak, but I won’t be. I have to keep mine.”
“As you said, it will be a very long walk.”
“No deal,” said Wayne. “I keep my cloak no matter what. I’ll freeze without it.”
“One cloak in exchange for the ride,” said Ishihara. “Take it or leave it.”
“I accept,” said Leutnant Mohr.
11
Wayne relaxed, deeply relieved that Leutnant Mohr had given in to their terms. Of course, Leutnant Mohr was as cold as every other soldier in the German army, and the fuel he was using belonged to the army, not to him personally. As he drove, he pulled the heavy fur cloak from Germany, almost two thousand years earlier, over his lap.
Leutnant Mohr was not taking as much of a risk as he believed. Wayne knew that Ishihara would be monitoring the Soviet radio traffic. He would know if any Soviet patrol reported by radio that they were coming this way long before they were in sight.