Necessary Retribution (28 page)

The general leaned back in his chair and looked at the phone for a moment…then he burst out laughing. “Tell me Ernest, would their mothers approve of their conduct?”

“Not in the least, General.”

The general laughed even harder. Still smiling, he leaned toward the phone. “Ernest, I think it is the best interest for us to make an exchange. Do you have a location in mind?”

“We would prefer the Zurich airport, Sir.”

“Ah, excellent choice. The most neutral place in the world. Do you have a date and time?”

“Is tomorrow evening at 2000 hours Zurich time convenient for you?”

“Yes, that will be fine.”

“You'll be directed to a clear holding ramp north of the terminals and east of the runway. We can park side by side and make the exchange.”

“Excellent. We will see you then.”

“Yes, sir. Good afternoon.” The connection ended.

“I suppose, Robin, the call cannot be traced.”

“Of course it can. It'll just be a dead end. I wouldn't waste time and manpower tracking it down.”

The general smiled. “You play along a fine line, but you play it well. I can see why you are so confident of your organization. You are most definitely not CIA, although I suspect they are a client, as you say. Alex tells me you would accept us as clients under the proper circumstances.”

“Yes, sir, we would.”

The general looked at his watch. “I have several appointments I must attend to, but I hope you will accept my invitation to dine with me this evening. I would enjoy lively and interesting conversation.”

“I would be delighted. May I check on my party now, General?”

“Yes, of course. I will have Alex escort you so you will not be bothered and he will bring you to dinner.”

Robin rubbed the side of his head. “Alex is a good man, with a hell of a punch.”

“Judging from the look on his face, I don't think he enjoyed hitting you.”

“Oh, I didn't take it personally.”

The general smiled. “I hope not. Alex is one of our best officers…and he is my nephew.”

Robin chuckled. “I thought I recognized a similarity. I hope he's not too upset over my grabbing you at gunpoint.”

“If he is, I'll take care of it.” The general rose and opened the door. “Alex!” He called out.

A moment later, Alex entered the room appearing tense. He looked at his uncle and then at Robin.

“Alex, we have resolved this situation. Your analysis of Robin was accurate. We are dealing with honorable people. Please take Robin to his party and make arrangements for them to stay at the Leningradskaya Hotel. Then take him to get some decent clothes at my tailor, after which I want you to bring him to dinner.”

Alex did nothing for a moment and then simply said, “Yes, sir.”

The general saluted Robin and left the room. He and Alex just looked at each other for a moment and then Robin said, “Are we going to be pissed at each other or are we going to call it even.”

A slight smile came across Alex's lips. “I suppose we call it even.”

Robin held out his hand. “Good.”

Alex shook Robin's hand. “I'm not sure I would want to fight you anyway. I have never seen a man move like you did going over the table.”

“My friend, the body can do amazing things when the mind is terrified.”

Both laughed. “Come, let's go reassure your friends.”

When Robin entered the room where the others were being held, the apprehension was palpable. He noticed Rada checking on Mark's bandages and felt thankful for her presence. All eyes turned to Robin.

“Hello everyone. General Yamurov, the head of the GRU, has agreed to release us. We will be in Switzerland tomorrow evening.”

Relief flooded the room and Lev pulled his children to his chest and held them.

“What are we being exchanged for?” Rada asked.

Robin ignored the question. “Are you folks hungry?”

“Yes!” Lev's son, Ilya, chirped.

“Well good, Ilya. You are all going to the Leningradskaya Hotel. I'll be there later this evening. You can eat there. If I don't see you tonight, be ready to travel by nine in the morning.” Robin turned to Lev. “Lev please make sure Mark is put in a room with two beds and tell the front desk I'll be coming in later.”

Alex appeared at the door with a tough looking female in a military uniform. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Good. This is Lieutenant Sonin and she will escort everyone to the hotel.”

“I assume they can order meals there.”

“Yes, of course.”

“If the food they order exceeds any allowances, I'll send you the money. In fact, please see they are put in the best rooms. We'll pay for everything.”

“That will not be necessary. They will be comfortable.”

“Thank you, Alex.” Robin nodded to the Lieutenant. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

T
HIRTY
-O
NE

GENERAL YAMUROV AND ROBIN
sat in large wing backed chairs in front of a picture window looking out over Moscow. They smoked Cuban cigars with a glass of one hundred year old fine champagne cognac. Robin wanted to ask the name of the cognac, but didn't want to seem impolite. He just enjoyed the marvelous drinking experience.

The dinner was delicious wild caught Russian salmon seasoned with ginger and dill. Their conversation was indeed lively and interesting. The general loved good books and his extensive library provided great starting points for conversation.

The discussion did touch upon contentious issues between the United States and the Soviet Union, but it soon faded when both men agreed the Soviet Union was about to drastically change. Neither man professed to know the future. As the evening progressed, they were on a first name basis.

Robin dragged smoke from his cigar and exhaled. Then he sipped his cognac. “You know Yosef, I really don't know why America and Russia aren't partners in this world. Even if the governments are at odds, the people have more in common than differences.”

“There is some truth to that observation. While I serve the Soviet Union, I am not particularly in favor of communism. I think it creates more poverty than it cures. It certainly does not eliminate the upper class. Very few Russians can enjoy the dinner we just did.”

“I study war. Not because I like it, I think it is a stupid endeavor. I study it because it brings out the best and the worst in the human race. Your country's stand against Germany in World War II was heroic in every way. So much so, that I am proud of your country,
even though I'm not a Russian. On the other hand, I don't understand why you have to control the other countries that make up the Soviet Union.”

“Actually, there is a very logical reason. Our borders are vulnerable, especially along our borders with Europe. Throughout history, we have been repeatedly attacked from the European Plain. We are also vulnerable to attack by China from the Mongolian Plateau, although to a lesser extent because of the harsh wilderness of Siberia. So, we extend our borders with satellite countries by forming the Soviet Union to protect Moscow and the Republic of Russia.”

“I've never considered that before. I now have a better understanding of your nation's motivations.”

Yosef smiled. “And what nationality are you? I believe you are American, but you have never said.”

“Out of necessity, I've become a citizen of the world.”

Yosef shifted in his chair and looked directly at Robin. “Do you know why you are still alive?”

“Not really, I've just played the hand I was dealt the last couple of days.”

“The Council of Ministers want you dead. You have angered them and you worry them. You have brought home the reality that no one is really safe in this world. I have been stalling the ministers because you remind me of myself in my years as a young agent and I think you can be useful in the future.”

“Apparently, I haven't given them the same impression.”

“No, and I assure you if any of those boys are hurt in anyway, you will not survive the following twenty-four hours. That is the only certainty of your situation. It's not personal, you understand.”

“I do.”

A man came into the room and whispered something into the general's ear. He swallowed the last of his cognac and stood up. “It is time for me to retire for the evening.”

Robin stood and Yosef took him by the elbow and led him to a door.

“This is the door to my study. There is somebody in there who would like a word with you. I will see you in the morning. Have a good evening, Robin.”

“Good evening, Yosef.” Robin opened the door and stepped into the room. A woman who stood at the window turned to face him. He recognized her as the KGB agent he rescued from the terrorists in Mindanao. She stepped closer to him and in the low light, her face seemed the color of porcelain accentuated by her black hair which lightly curled around her dark eyes, small nose and lips appearing like oblong rubies in the low light. She was indeed beautiful…and dangerous, Robin reminded himself.

She came closer and touched his face as she did the morning he rescued her. “My angel, it is good to see you again.”

“It's good to see you're healing.”

“I am, but I still have much healing to do.”

Robin simply nodded. He looked into her eyes and saw a jumble of pain, fear, love and hardness he found unsettling. “I hope you're being given the time to become well. After what you went through, you need a lot of rest and time to sort through your feelings.” Robin felt like he talked just for the sake of it. He really didn't know what say. “What's your name?”

The woman hesitated for a moment. “Svetlana, but I am called Lana.”

“I'm Robin, Lana.”

“I know.” She put her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear. “Be very careful, Robin. Powerful men do not want you to leave this country alive. If they do let you leave, the KGB will still be looking for you.” She pulled her head back keeping her arms around him. Robin started to say something when she put her finger on his lips. Then she rose on the balls of her feet and put her lips on his. She trembled and her tongue touched his lightly and briefly.

Robin felt her fear and anxiety. She moved her head back and looked at him with those confused eyes. He pulled her to him, gently holding her trembling body. The embrace wasn't one of passion, but an embrace of healing. He felt her clinging to him and tasted the tears running down her cheek. Lana let her arms drop and ended the embrace. She touched his face again and left the room.

Robin took a deep breath.
That was one of the strangest experiences of my life.
His thoughts were interrupted by Alex, who entered the room.

“It's time to go to the hotel, Robin.”

“Okay, Alex.” Robin looked at the door Lana went through. “Is she going to be all right?”

“Do not be concerned for her.”

“I already am.”

“Robin, some day she may come to kill you.”

“I don't think she'd kill me.”

“You don't understand. She has no choice. She will do as she is told.”

“Why?”

“Please, Robin, we must go.”

Robin looked back at the door and then at Alex. He walked out of the room without saying another word.

T
HIRTY
-T
WO

THINGS MOVED FAST THE NEXT MORNING.
Alex came to the room Robin shared with Mark. He insisted the group leave immediately, but Rada hadn't finished changing Mark's bandages, so Robin and Alex had a few tense minutes. They finally made their way to the van waiting for them at the front of the hotel. The van had an escort of two black Volga sedans in front and a limousine and third Volga in the rear. Robin then understood Alex's urgency. Not everyone was willing to let his group leave. They were in the middle of a conflict in the Russian government.

The convoy sped through the streets of Moscow with the Volga sedans displaying flashing blue lights and screaming sirens. They weaved through heavy traffic as vehicles careened out the way, causing some accidents. This further raised Robin's concern. It pegged when Alex, seated in the front passenger seat, turned and handed Robin his Colt .45 and extra magazines.

“Is it that bad, Alex?”

“It could get very bad. Our government is in a crisis and you are part of it.”

“Glasnost versus hard line communism?”

Alex nodded.

Robin checked to make sure a round was in the chamber and inspected the magazines. He put the extra magazines in his pocket and slid the gun into his waistband. He looked at Lev and Rada whose eyes were now large and fearful. “We're taking this one step at a time. We do as Alex says and we don't panic.”

Robin could see a military airfield up ahead. He looked back and saw more blue lights behind the convoy. Up ahead, he saw vehicles gathering around the gate to the airfield. “Are they on our side, Alex?”

“We are about to find out.”

As Robin looked ahead, he saw gunfire erupt between the cars and people at the gate. He heard Alex say something to the driver and the van shot forward with a burst of speed. The lead Volga also increased speed and as it neared the gate, the people scattered. Only a few rounds were fired as the convoy crashed through the wooden bar across the road. The Volga smashed into two cars blocking the entrance, sending them spinning in opposite directions, but the Volga veered sharply to the left on a deflated front tire and rolled. The rest of the convoy raced to the tarmac.

Robin could see a medium sized jet passenger aircraft on the tarmac with a platoon of soldiers around it. One of them waved the convoy forward and the van skidded to a stop next to the stairs leading to the door of the plane.

“Get in the plane now!” Alex ordered.

Robin jumped out of the van and helped Rada and the children get out. “Get in the plane, Rada!” Then he and Lev opened the back doors and lifted Mark's stretcher and headed for the stairs. Robin could see vehicles surrounding the plane. “Come on, Lev. We gotta move fast.” The two men went up the stairs as quickly as they could.

Alex followed them into the plane. “Robin, get everyone into the rear compartment.”

Robin and Lev carried Mark and Rada followed with the children. Alex came in and handed Robin his MP5 and tactical vest. He then hurried out of the plane. Robin stepped over and handed Mark his pistol and the extra magazines for it.