Hollis got his parka and reached for the door.
Alevy held his arm. “One last thing, and I guess we can spare sixty seconds for it.” Alevy drew a small leather box from his pocket and handed it to Hollis.
Hollis opened it and saw inside the silver star of a brigadier general.
Alevy said, “There are orders signed by the President, but I couldn’t bring those along, for security reasons of course. Congratulations, General.”
Hollis closed the box, wondering briefly if this promotion could be considered posthumous, or perhaps pre-posthumous. He wondered too how the government was going to get his death benefit back from his wife if he actually made it home or if they’d increase it if he didn’t. The last thing he allowed himself to wonder was if the general’s star was a reward or a bribe. He said, “Thank you for delivering it.”
Lisa kissed him on the cheek. “Congratulations, Sam. General Hollis.”
“Thank you.”
Lisa turned off the tape player and the lamp, and they left the cottage quietly.
Bert Mills stood with his hands in the pockets of his green KGB coat. “Hi, folks. Ready to go home? For real this time.”
“Hello, Bert.”
Alevy said, “Lisa is coming with us.”
They moved quickly to the lane and headed back toward the main road. Hollis whispered, “Directional microphones. Talk low and talk Russian.”
Alevy nodded. He whispered in Russian, “Are there patrols out?”
Hollis replied, “Tonight there are.” He explained briefly about the curfew, the reason for it, and the morning executions.
Alevy shook his head. “That bastard. Eleven people…? We did get here just in time.”
Hollis said, “But tonight you have to watch for curfew patrols.”
They came to the main road near the VFW hall, which was now dark and quiet. Hollis whispered, “Where do you want to go?”
Alevy replied, “Headquarters.”
Hollis pointed to the right.
They hurried at a jog along the road and within a few minutes saw the lighted facade of the grey concrete structure. They stopped and knelt in the drainage ditch by the side of the road. Alevy remarked, “There’s no Soviet flag or markings.”
Lisa said, “This is America. Inside the building, however, is another story.”
Hollis asked, “What do you have in mind, Seth?”
“We have to knock out the headquarters and all their communications and listening devices if this thing is going to work. Then we need two more passengers for the helicopter.”
Hollis thought of the Landises and knew their son wouldn’t make much difference in an already overloaded helicopter. He also thought of General Austin and Commander Poole. He said, “That’s a tough call, Seth. But I have a few candidates.”
“I’ll make it a little easier for you. Is Burov in the camp?”
Hollis looked at Alevy and nodded. “I guess that’s the professional thing to do.”
“Sure as hell is. Not to mention my personal annoyance over the ‘dirty Jew’ remark. I’ll bet you guys have a few things to settle too.”
Lisa replied, “This is not a vendetta, Seth, but if you need him, we know where he is.”
Alevy nodded. “The second person I want is the ranking man here.”
“That would be General Austin,” Hollis replied.
“And you know where to find him?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Alevy poked his head over the drainage ditch and looked at the headquarters building. He said, “Tell me about H.Q.”
Hollis answered, “There’ll probably be a guard in that booth. There will be a duty officer at the desk as soon as you walk in. Commo room to the left.” Hollis gave Alevy and Mills a description of the layout, concluding with, “The cells are on the first floor in the center rear.” He added, “Jack Dodson is in one of those cells, and he’s the American I want with us.”
“No,” Alevy replied, “we are taking General Austin.”
“Wrong.”
Lisa said, “You can’t find Austin or Burov without our help, Seth. If Sam wants Dodson, you’ll take Dodson.”
Alevy replied angrily, “I won’t take him if he’s not ambulatory.”
Hollis said, “You’ll take him if he has a breath left in him. I don’t know the man, Seth, and neither do you, but he’s the one who’s earned the right to leave with us. Subject closed.”
Alevy said tersely, “All right. How many men do you think are in the headquarters building at this hour?”
Hollis replied, “According to the briefing I got from Austin’s aide, Commander Poole, there will be the duty officer, commo man, sergeant of the guard in the guard room near the cells, one or two KGB Border Guards, and one or two drivers who may or may not be in the building at any given time.” He added, “There are also six or seven men in the listening room where all the camp’s sound sensors and listening devices are monitored. That’s the room we have to shut down if we’re going to move freely around this place.”
Alevy replied, “We’re going to shut down the whole building.” He said to Hollis and Lisa, “You two obviously can’t pass as KGB officers, so you stay—”
Lisa interrupted, “We’ll pass fine as prisoners. Let’s go, Seth.”
Alevy glanced at Mills, who nodded. They quickly went over the plan, then stood and walked toward the building, Lisa and Hollis in front, their hands behind their backs, followed by Alevy and Mills.
The guard peered at them from the booth, and as they drew closer into the light, he stepped out, his rifle across his chest.
Alevy motioned him to the front door. “Two for the cells. Open.”
The guard hesitated, then went to the front door and opened it. He peered at Alevy and Mills in the light, and it was obvious he did not recognize them as any of his battalion officers. Alevy motioned him into the building. Mills brought up the rear and closed the door.
The duty officer was Lieutenant Cheltsov, the man Hollis and Lisa had spoken to when they were released from the cells. Cheltsov stood to attention behind his desk. He glanced at Hollis and Lisa and said, “Again?” then looked quizzically at the Border Guard, who shrugged. Cheltsov addressed Alevy, “Yes, Major?”
Mills drew his silenced automatic and put a single shot through the Border Guard’s head. Lieutenant Cheltsov watched the man fall, but nothing seemed to register with him. He stared at the dead man on the floor, then turned to Alevy, who shot him once in the forehead. Cheltsov fell back into his chair, his arms outstretched, and stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, the bullet hole in the center of his forehead spouting blood.
Lisa put her hand to her mouth, turned away, and faced the front door.
Alevy said to Hollis, Lisa, and Mills, “Bolt the front door, wait five seconds, then bring those bodies into the commo room.” He crossed the lobby and opened the door to the communications room. The commo man sat at the telephone switchboard, reading a magazine. He turned and looked at Alevy, then stood. “Yes, sir?” He saw the automatic in Alevy’s hand.
Alevy motioned him away from the switchboard, then shot him twice in the chest, sending the man crashing into the radio console. Alevy walked to the telephone switchboard. It was a manual board, he noticed, and with the operator dead, no calls could be connected.
Hollis and Mills came in, dragging the bodies of Lieutenant Cheltsov and the guard. They pushed the two dead men under the radio table.
Alevy looked at the switchboard connections and found the contraction Verto—“helicopter.” He plugged the wire in, pushed the ringer button, and held the headset to his ear. A voice, sounding bored and tired — and nervous, he thought — said, “Da. Nechevo.”