The Charm School (72 page)

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Authors: NELSON DEMILLE

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BOOK: The Charm School
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“Why don’t we first talk about the physical assaults on Ms. Rhodes and myself by Viktor, Vadim, and you?”
“That was not assault. That was official business, and as it happened before you entered the world of the school, it cannot be discussed. Why did you hit Sonny? Because he insulted Ms. Rhodes?”
“No, I was on official business.”
“
I
make the rules here, Colonel Hollis. I’m very strict about law and order. And very fair. I’ve given students jail time for fighting, harassing women, stealing, and so on. I shot a student for rape once. If this place is to work, there must be law and order. Unlike America.” Burov added, “If you decide to stay on here, I will conduct a full inquiry into the matter and see who was at fault.”
Lisa said, “The Landises were not at fault. We put them in a difficult situation. It was between me and Sonny. The man is a pig.”
Burov smiled. “Yes. He was a fine boy before he started seeing American movies.” Burov laughed.
Lisa stood. “Good day.”
Burov motioned her back to her seat. “No. Please. Enough verbal jabbing. I have things to discuss with you.”
Lisa sat reluctantly.
Burov looked at Hollis and Lisa for some time, then said, “You’ve probably heard a few things about me and how I run this camp. And you’re probably wondering what makes me tick. That’s what you people wonder about when you meet a strong personality.”
Hollis said, “Yes, and when I meet an abnormal personality I try to guess at the type of psychosis that is affecting his brain.”
Burov smiled thinly. “Don’t delude yourself into thinking I’m crazy. I’m not. I have developed here the finest espionage school in all the world, Hollis. Every premier and each member of the Central Committee and the Politboro for the last ten years knows my name.”
“That’s not always an advantage,” Hollis reminded him.
“So far, it has been. But I’ll tell you what motivates me. Two things. One, my deep abiding hate for the West, which I think you know. And ironically, it is only since I have had to deal with hundreds of Americans that I’ve grown to hate them, hate their culture, their filthy books and magazines, their shallow movies, their selfish personalities, their total lack of any sense of history or suffering, their rampant consumption of useless goods and services, and above all, their plain dumb luck in avoiding disaster.”
Hollis smiled. “That about covers it.” He asked, “But certainly you didn’t learn all that from your prisoners?”
“Instructors
. No, I learned from the Western filth I’ve been exposed to. The irony of these fliers is that they’re probably the best you’ve got to offer in your childish society. And your government and nation wasted them like it wastes every resource you have. As I suggested to you in Lefortovo restaurant, you might agree with that.”
“I might, but I won’t. I’ve already worked all that out, Burov. I don’t feel betrayed or used. So if this is the standard psychological pitch to get me mad at America, forget it.”
Burov leaned back in the sofa and crossed his legs. “All right. But
think
about it. I’ll tell you something else that is ironic and that amuses me. My students, when they get to America, will make better, harder working, more knowledgeable, and more law-abiding citizens than you’re able to produce yourselves over there.”
“And they’ll probably pay their taxes too.”
Burov regarded Hollis for some seconds, then said, “And my second motivation is purely intellectual. Quite simply, I am fascinated with the challenge of turning Russians into Americans. I don’t believe anything quite like this has ever been done on such a scale. And it has other ramifications for the future. Do you follow?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Yes. There are other schools in the planning.”
“And where will you get the instructors?”
“Kidnap them as we kidnapped you and the American women here. But on a larger scale. I think we will use submarines to capture entire boatloads of pleasure sailors.” He smiled. “Perhaps in the Bermuda Triangle.”
Lisa said, “How can that make you smile? That’s so cruel.”
Burov replied, “It’s war. We know that. You don’t.” He turned his attention back to Hollis. “Within ten years we will have a school for every major Caucasian nation in the world. All of Europe, South America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand—any place where an ethnic Russian can pass for a native—we will have Russians burrowing into the very fabric of those nations. By the end of the century we will cover the globe with men and women who look and act like Germans, Frenchmen, Englishmen, or whatever, but who work for Moscow.” Burov asked Hollis, “What do you think of that?”
“That’s very ambitious for a country that has had seventy years to create the New Soviet Man and can’t.”
Burov leaned toward Hollis. “You’re entirely too glib.”
“I know. Gets me in trouble.”
Burov nodded. “So that’s what makes me tick.”
“Good. Can we leave now?”
“No. There are some other matters.”
An elderly Russian woman entered the room carrying a tray on which was a teapot and cups. She set the tray down on the stove, stared at Lisa and Hollis, then left.
Burov said, “Help yourselves.”
Lisa replied, “If that woman is a prisoner, I won’t touch a thing that has been served by your slave.” Burov made a clucking sound with his tongue. “What scruples you have. That was actually my dear mother.” Burov stood and poured three cups of tea. “Yes, I have a mother. And a wife and my little darling, Natalia.” He handed Lisa a cup, which she accepted, then he gave one to Hollis and remained standing by the stove. He stared at Lisa awhile, then asked her, “I was wondering if you would like to work here. In this house. To teach my Natalia English. She is ten now. Perhaps you could be a sort of governess.”
“Colonel Burov, you must be joking.”
“I wasn’t. Do you want to meet Natalia?”
“No.”
“Do you find us all so repulsive?”
“I have many Russian friends. You are not among them.”
Burov shrugged. “We’ll see. Time heals many hurts.”
Hollis put his cup on the floor beside his chair. “Is that the only reason you asked us here?”
“No. Unfortunately something has come up. My superiors in Moscow did not agree with my decision to extend you a week to meditate. So I must have your decision now. I trust you’ll agree that you would both rather be here than in an unmarked grave.”
Hollis stood. “My answer is no.”
Burov looked at him incredulously. “No, you will not work for us here?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Then you will be thoroughly interrogated, then shot.”
“Then I have nothing to lose if I killed you right now.”
Burov set his cup on the stove and stepped away from Hollis.
Hollis took a step toward Burov.
Lisa rose to her feet.
Burov seemed undecided if he should call out for the guard or not. He said to Hollis, “Are you armed?”
“I don’t need a weapon to kill you.”
“No? You think you’re so strong? I keep myself fit also.”
“Good. That should make it interesting.” Hollis moved closer to Burov.
Burov snapped, “Stay where you are.”
Lisa spoke. “Sam. Please.” She said to Burov, “I’ll work for you.” She turned to Hollis. “Please, Sam. We discussed this. It’s not worth our lives. Tell him yes. Please.” She grabbed his arm. “What difference does it make if there are two more instructors?” She turned back to Burov. “He’ll do it. Just give me some time.”
Burov seemed to consider. He stared at Lisa awhile, then said, “I have orders to get an answer from you today. If you don’t say yes by six this evening, you’ll be taken to the cells forthwith. Do you understand?”
Lisa nodded.
Burov said, “I’m in a good mood today, and I’ll tell you why. Major Dodson has been captured. He was not two hundred meters from the west wall of your embassy. So whose side is fate on?”
Hollis didn’t reply, but turned to leave.
Burov said, “Yes, you may go now. Report to me at my office at six
P
.
M
. with your answer.” He pointed the way out.
Hollis and Lisa went out to the foyer, and the guard opened the door. They walked down the path to the guardhouse, where one of the KGB men opened the gate. As they headed back along the main road, Lisa said, “You want to buy time, don’t you?”
Hollis nodded. “But you didn’t have to do that.”
“I did it for you, Sam. I saw your ego was getting in the way of your brain. I never thought you’d lose your cool like that.”
Hollis replied, “I was okay when I went in there. But . . . I started thinking about him.”
“About what he did to me? I shouldn’t have told you that.”
Hollis didn’t reply.
“And you were also angry at what he was saying about America.”
“All of the above.” Hollis said, “Thanks for cooling the situation. I’m sure that wasn’t an easy act for you.”
“You owe me one.”
“Right. And dinner.”
They continued their walk away from Burov’s dacha. Lisa said, “They captured Dodson.”
Hollis nodded. “Damned bad break for Dodson. But maybe that takes the pressure off Burov to break camp.”
“If you’re concerned that this place stay put, you obviously believe someone is coming for us.”
“That’s a good deduction. You’re starting to think like an intelligence officer.”
“And you talk like one. Answer the question, Hollis.”
He smiled. “I think it’s better that we’re here and not someplace else if a rescue attempt is made.” He added, “Don’t press me on it, Lisa. I think out loud sometimes because I have no one to talk to about any of this. I’ll think to myself now.”
Hollis thought that undoubtedly Alevy knew he and Lisa were kidnapped and, in fact, had anticipated their kidnapping, which was why Alevy, in an uncharacteristic display of sentiment, had tried to talk Lisa out of taking that flight. And in the two early-morning sessions he had with Alevy, Alevy hinted at some sort of rescue operation at the Charm School—perhaps, as Burov had guessed, an operation to get at least two or three men out of here as evidence. Thus, all Alevy’s questioning about the Soviet Mi-28 helicopter, which was obviously how Alevy planned to do it.
But then Alevy, at Sheremetyevo, had indicated a swap, now that they could lay their hands on most of the three thousand Charm School graduates in the States. Alevy never actually lied to his peers; he just gave ten correct answers to the same question.
He tried to get into Alevy’s mind, which was not totally impossible because they were both in the same business and ostensibly had to think alike to solve the same sort of problems. He thought that Alevy not only knew he and Lisa had been kidnapped, but guessed that they had probably been taken to the Charm School. Alevy would not want Lisa to spend much time in Burov’s hands, because Alevy, above being an intelligence officer, was a man in love. And Alevy would not want Hollis to spend too much time in Burov’s hands either, because Alevy did not want Hollis’ brain in Burov’s possession too long.
Lisa broke into his thoughts. “I think we underestimated Burov’s intellect.”
“Yes, I was impressed with his little speech.” Hollis added, “What makes him tick is a weighted chain. He’s cuckoo.”
Lisa laughed. “You
are
too glib for your own good. Let’s go back and tell him that one.”
“Later.”
“What do you want to do between now and six
P
.
M
.?”
“Explore. Discover. Are you up to a long day?”
“Sure. I like watching you work. You intrigue me.”
He put his arm around her, and they continued down the main road.
They passed the shopping plaza, then the headquarters building and approached the VFW hall. Hollis said, “I’m to run into Poole here by accident at ten
A
.
M
.”
They climbed the porch steps and went into the building. There were about a dozen instructors in the rec room and twice that many students. Four men played billiards at one end of the room, and a group was in front of the television watching
Platoon
.
They found Poole at a card table with three students playing poker. Poole had a stack of chips in front of him and a wad of camp scrip. One of the cardplayers was Jim Hull, the young man whom Lisa had caused some discomfort in the gym. He smiled at Lisa, but she gave him a frosty look that sent him back to his cards.
Poole looked up from his hand. “Oh, hello, Colonel. Ms. Rhodes. Do you want to sit in?”
“No, thanks. Someone told me you were on the firewood committee.”

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