Necessary Retribution (22 page)

Robin saw Mark lying in the fetal position in the bottom of the boat.

“Mark, get under the tarp!” He yelled.

Mark raised his head, but seemed unresponsive.

“Goddammit, Mark, get your ass under the tarp before I kick it from one end of Asia to the other!”

Mark raised himself higher and fumbled with the tarp. Robin leaned to help him, but almost lost control of the boat.

“C'mon, Mark, move it! You've got to fight shock!”

Mark started moving more deliberately, managing to get the tarp unfolded and lay down on it. He got the other side almost over him, but the wind fought him.

Robin leaned over enough to grab the edge of the tarp and pull it over Mark, who pulled it tighter around himself like a cocoon. It was all he could do for Mark at this point. He concentrated on getting to Vladivostok as fast as he could. He fought the waves and the wind for a good hour. His body was shaking and he knew hypothermia was imminent. He saw lights and gradually could make out Ostrov Russiky. Soon he guided the boat between Russkij Island and Skryplev Island and entered Vladivostok Bay where the surrounding land masses calmed the winds and wave action.

Robin took a minute to check on Mark. Barely conscious, the young man was in the early stages of hypothermia and Robin knew he had to get help quickly. He pushed the throttle forward and decided to head for the headquarters of the Russian Pacific Fleet, although he only knew its approximate location. He moved through the bay and then headed up the main harbor.

Suddenly, Robin picked up a flashing blue light in his right peripheral vision.
That may be a cop! If it is, based on what we were told about government workers not getting paid and not showing up for work, this guy's got to be dedicated to still be doing graveyard shift. At least I may be able to talk to him before the shit hits the fan. What the hell, it's the best shot we got. Here we go.

Robin put the boat in idle for a moment and sent a message to Jamie. Then he dumped the satellite phone and all of Mark's weapons into the water. He put the boat in gear and glided to the shore just below the light. He jumped out and pulled the boat onto the beach. He checked on Mark.

Mark looked at him and Robin saw he didn't look good.

“Hang in there, partner, I'll be back in a minute with some help.”

Mark nodded.

Robin headed up a small hill and just before the top, he stopped and surveyed the area. The short climb warmed his body a little. He saw a police car and an officer bent over his hood writing. Another car rested on its side just in front of the police car. Robin didn't see anyone else. He silently came within five feet behind the officer. Although Robin had learned Russian during his training, his fluency needed work, unlike his Arabic. He spoke carefully.

“Greetings, comrade.”

The officer spun around and blanched at the sight of Robin's MP5 pointed at his head. Robin saw a man with an intelligent face wearing a clean, pressed uniform with his leather and brass shined. Good! A professional.

“I don't want to hurt you, officer. I need to talk to you and I need you to listen. When I'm through, I'll give you my weapons.” Robin thought he said it right.

“Would it be better if we spoke English? Your Russian is not very good,” the officer replied.

“That would be a great help.”

“I understood you to say you do not want to hurt to me, but you should repeat the rest.”

“I just need you to listen to me and then I'll surrender and give you my weapons.”
And brother, you have no idea what kind of weapon I have.

“I'm listening.”

“My name is Robin. First of all I want you to know that until three years ago I was a police officer for fifteen years. I tell you this in hopes you'll consider me a brother officer and know I'm not lying to you.”

“Go on.”

“A few hours ago, my partner and I recovered a Russian tactical nuclear device stolen from your country.”

The officer's eyes grew wide. “How did you know this?”

“That's not important right now. What is important is I have the device in a boat just below us…don't panic, it's not armed to detonate. I want to give the device back to your country in exchange for medical treatment for my partner, who is also in the boat, badly wounded.”

“I'm sorry, I cannot help you. This is far too large a problem for me to handle.”

“No it isn't. I can give you a contact in the GRU who can help us solve this problem, but we can only give the device to him. If we do this, you'll probably become a Hero of the Soviet Union.”

“Ha, the Soviet Union is finished. The country is bankrupt.”

“Look we have to do something. My partner needs immediate medical attention and the device needs to be in your custody. Are you going to help me or not?”

The officer thought for a moment. “I will help you.”

The two men looked each other in the eye for a few seconds, then Robin unslung his MP5 and handed it to the officer. “Who am I surrendering to?”

“Sergeant Lev Rogov of the Militsia, at your service.”

“Good to meet you, Lev.” Robin handed over his Colt .45. “Let's go get my partner and the device.”

The two men walked down to the boat. Robin lifted the tarp.

“Mark, I have help. We have to get you up.”

Mark looked at Rob with a vacant stare and in a shaky, hoarse whisper said, “I'm s-s-oo c-c-cold.”

“We'll use the tarp as a stretcher. Careful with his left leg, it's a mess.”

The two men lifted the tarp as gently as they could, but Mark grunted with pain. They struggled up the hill trying to be gentle as Mark growled and grunted, but Robin could tell Mark tried not to show how badly he was hurt. They finally got to the car and they could see Mark wouldn't be able to lie down in the small back seat.

“Lev, we need to put him in a sitting position with his legs facing out. Then you go to the other side and pull him over while I hold his leg. That way he'll have the left leg on the seat.”

Mark spoke up. “I-I-I can h-help, Rob. J-just give me a m-m-minute to get r-ready.” Robin watched as Mark closed his eyes and focused on absorbing the pain about to come. His heart went out to Mark.

“Okay, I'm r-ready.”

They got Mark to a standing position and then gently lowered him onto the seat. Robin steadied the left leg in the tarp. Lev went to the other door, reached in and started pulling Mark in as Mark pushed with his right leg. Robin could see the pain on Mark's face, but he didn't utter a sound. After a short time of careful effort they had Mark settled in the car.

“God, the heat feels good,” Mark said in response to the heater blowing warm air at him.

“Lev, I'll go down and get the device.” Robin could see hesitation on Lev's face. “If I do something wrong, you can shoot me. You have my guns.”

Lev nodded and Robin went down and retrieved the nuke pack. When he got back to the car, Lev put the device in his trunk. They got in the car and started driving.

“I'm going to take you to City Hospital #2. It is the medical school hospital and my wife is the head nurse at night. The doctors and nurses there are less Communist Party oriented than Hospital #1.” They drove for about fifteen minutes and then arrived at a large building. Robin told Lev about meeting the GRU agent in Mindanao. He noticed they had turned on a street called Russkaya and the number on the building was 57.

“Wait here.” Lev got out of the car and hurried up the steps. Five minutes went by and Robin started to get nervous. He contemplated stealing the police car and getting away, but one look at Mark nixed the idea. Then Lev came out of the hospital with an attractive, but clearly concerned nurse and two orderlies with a gurney.

“This is my wife, Rada. She is going to help us, but we must do exactly as she says.”

“We will.” Robin turned to Rada. “Thank you for helping us.”

She shot him an icy look and then said in English. “My husband is doing a stupid thing. It's a good thing I love him.”

“You sound like my wife.”

Rada smiled briefly. They put Mark on the gurney and wheeled him into the hospital. Lev didn't come with them.

“Where's Lev?” Robin asked.

“He will return.”

Based on the signs, Robin saw they were bypassing the emergency room. They got into an elevator and went to the fourth floor and into a private room. The orderlies left, but Robin noticed one of them seemed a little pissed off.

A doctor came in and talked to Rada in a concerned tone. Robin picked up that he was worried the two men would try to escape and harm hospital personnel.

“Excuse me, doctor, we're waiting to turn ourselves in to the GRU. We're here because my partner needs medical attention. We won't try to escape.”

“You speak our language! Why are you waiting for the GRU? They are not known to be kind and gentle.”

“I've met some of them and I think we can work with them towards a solution of this situation. You have my word we won't try to escape.”

The doctor looked at Robin for a moment and then walked over to Mark and asked in English, “Are you in much pain?”

“It hurts like hell, doc.”

“Rada, get his clothes off.”

The doctor went over to a sink, washed his hands and went back to Mark. Robin helped Rada take off Mark's clothes and while doing so he palmed Mark's folding knife and slipped it under his pillow. Mark noticed Robin do this.

“Where is this blood from?” The doctor rolled Mark over on his right side. “You've been shot!”

“Yes, sir. Helluva place to get shot.”

“No actually, if you have to get shot somewhere, the buttocks are not necessarily a bad place. The worse result is you won't be able to sit comfortably for awhile.” The doctor then started examining Mark's leg, which took about fifteen minutes of him touching and asking Mark questions. “We are going to have to take x-rays of this leg. I am sure surgery will be required. Excuse me, while I make some arrangements.”

Thirty minutes had gone by since the doctor left. Robin heard a commotion outside the room and then three men burst in, their faces mean with the desire to cause trouble.

“You must leave this room…now!” Rada ordered.

One of the men pushed her aside, calling her a whore. This didn't set well with Robin. She ran out the door. The larger of the men gave an order to the other two.

“Take him outside,” referring to Robin.

Robin saw Mark reaching underneath his pillow. As the two men approached him, he could smell a strong odor of booze coming from them. He saw the larger man reaching to grab Mark's broken leg. One of the men tried to grab Robin. He caught the man's arm and pulled him close, kicking the man in the groin and hitting his Adam's apple with his closed fist. The man crashed to the ground holding both his groin and throat. The other man leaned in mid swing with his right hand. Robin used a circular motion to trap the
on-coming arm in a hold. Grabbing the man's hand, Robin dropped to his knee taking the man's inverted hand with him. This act dislocated the man's shoulder, causing him to scream. Robin jumped back to his feet and in rapid succession punched the man in the throat and kicked him in the groin. That man also fell to the ground incapacitated.

Robin whirled around to look at Mark and with great satisfaction saw Mark had pulled the larger man close to him and put the folding knife to the man's throat. Knowing Mark did not understand Russian, but for the larger man's benefit, Robin growled, “Kill him.”

“Please don't kill me, please! I'm sorry!” The man cried.

“Why shouldn't we kill you? You came to torture my friend. I think he has the right to kill you.”

At that point the man urinated in his pants.

The door flew open and Lev, Rada and the doctor rushed into the room.”

“Stop! Put the knife down!” Lev ordered.

Mark lowered the knife, but didn't drop it.

“Boris, you idiot. You don't come to work for a month and then you show up here drunk?! What kind of fool are you!”

“Up yours, Lev. You're protecting American spies.”

“No, Boris. I'm holding them for the GRU, who will be here from Moscow in four hours, which is just about how long you have to live, I think.”

SergBoris turned white and began to shake uncontrollably. “Lev, y-y-you must tell them we made a mistake. W-we didn't know!”

“Get out of here and take these miserable excuses of human beings with you! To think you are police officers! Go home and keep your mouths shut or I will tell the GRU what idiots you are.”

SergBoris gathered his two cohorts and staggered out of the room. Lev stared at Robin with anger in his eyes.

“You retained weapons. You told me I could trust you.”

“I did tell you that and you can still trust me. We didn't use the knife on you and we wouldn't. I just didn't know who else I could trust here.”

“What other weapons do you have?”

Robin hesitated for a moment and then unbuckled his pants and reached to his inner thigh to a waterproof pocket on the wetsuit. He
pulled out a .22 Magnum Derringer and handed it to Lev. He looked at it for a minute, turning it over and around. Then, to Robin's surprise, he gave it back.

“Please keep it hidden.”

“I will.”

The doctor walked over to Mark and held out his hand. Mark gave him the knife and the doctor handed it to Robin.

“Your friend is going in for surgery. He won't need this.”

Rada and another nurse wheeled Mark out of the room and Robin and Lev followed.

“You know, the GRU almost hung up on me until I mentioned Mindanao. Whatever you did, must have impressed them.”

“It was an interesting situation. I wish I could tell you more, Lev, but you'll have to ask them.”

“I understand.”

They arrived at the surgery area and Rada motioned for Robin and Lev to stop. She came back in two minutes carrying a bag. “You are filthy and you smell. Come with me.”

“But my part…”

“You promised to do exactly as I told you. Please do so. Lev will watch over your friend.”

Robin followed Rada to a room down the hall from the surgery area. She put the bag on a bed and turned to Robin and started inspecting the left side of his neck.