The Charm School (75 page)

Mills said softly, “Jesus . . . Seth, this is bad.”

“I didn’t think it would be good, Bert. You understand now, don’t you?”

“I’m beginning to. I’m not sorry I came.” He added, “Wives?”

Alevy shrugged. “Camp whores, I guess.”

They found the path that ran behind the VFW hall and followed it down a slope into a thickly treed hollow. Mills whispered, “The other guy. Marty Bambach. That was a
Russian
. His English was perfect.”

Alevy nodded.

“And he was protecting Landis.”

Alevy replied, “I can’t even begin to imagine what sort of surreal world has developed here. But we know they have jails and curfews and that the KGB is in charge.”

Alevy reached into the pocket of his greatcoat and took out a small radio receiver, turned it on, and extended the aerial. He put the jack to his ear and listened. “Well, we have a signal. It’s somewhere in this area.” As he walked he said, “Getting louder.” He looked around and noticed for the first time a shingled cottage, set back in the trees with its lights off.

Mills whispered, “It looks like an American Cape Cod. This is eerie.”

Alevy moved through the trees, and the signal got stronger. He tossed the receiver in the bushes and approached the front door. The door had no lock cylinder, only a knob, and it turned, but the door didn’t move. Alevy put his shoulder to the door and pressed slowly. He felt something give, then heard metal hitting the floor. He whispered, “Stay here.”

Alevy opened the door and slipped inside the dark house, closing the door behind him. He turned on a red-filtered flashlight and played the beam off the walls and furniture, then noticed an open doorway in the right-hand wall, through which he could see the glow of an electric heater. He went through the doorway and found himself in the bedroom. His light picked out the icon on the wall over the double bed. Alevy walked softly over the floorboards to the bed and looked down at Lisa Rhodes, bundled under a stack of quilts. Involuntarily he reached out to touch her cheek.

The crook of an arm locked around his throat, and he saw a long serrated bread knife poised in front of his heart. Alevy managed to turn his head slightly and said softly, “Hello, Sam.”

Hollis released his grip. “Hello, Seth.” He motioned toward the door, and they went into the living room. Hollis turned on a table lamp, and Alevy saw he was wearing a warm-up suit similar to what Landis and Bambach had on. Hollis rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, and Alevy nodded. Hollis put a black gospel tape in the player. Alevy said softly, “Hell of a way to greet a friend.”

“You’re not dressed like any friends that I have.”

Alevy smiled. “You’re a cool customer, Colonel.”

Hollis hesitated, then said, “It’s actually good to see you for a change.” He put out his hand, and Alevy took it. Hollis said, “I was beginning to wonder.”

“I came as fast as I could, Sam. I spent five days in Washington selling this operation.”

“What’s the plan?”

“I’ll brief you as we go along. Why don’t you go wake Lisa?”

Hollis went back into the bedroom and closed the door. Alevy went to the front door, opened it, and spoke to Mills, who was crouched behind an evergreen with his pistol drawn. Alevy said, “They’re here. Few minutes.” He closed the door and walked around the room, examining it. He picked up a stack of magazines, then looked at the videotapes on the bookshelves. “Incredible.”

Hollis came back into the room. “She’s coming.”

Alevy nodded and motioned around the room. “Not bad.”

“Not good, Seth.”

“I heard they gave you a rough time.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“From a Captain Landis. Know him?”

“Yes.”

“Looks like a burnout,” Alevy said.

“They’re all burnouts. How did you see Landis?”

“At VFW Post zero zero zero.” Alevy explained briefly.

Hollis nodded. “I could spend a week telling you about this madhouse, but I suspect time is short. How did you get here?”

“I misappropriated an Aeroflot chopper from the Trade Center. Mi-28.”

“Right. The one I briefed you on. Who flew?”

“Your aide. He’s rather fond of you and would also like you to reconsider some of the ratings you gave him on his efficiency report.”

“I’ll think about it. Who else is with you?”

“My man, Bert Mills. He’s outside. And Bill Brennan.”

“Brennan? He’s back?”

“Just for the day.”

“Explain the plan to me.”

“Well, I dropped four canisters of something called THX, a new sleeping gas—”

“Sandman.”

“Yes, that’s the code name. Very potent. The canisters are on timers. We have about an hour and a quarter left.”

“For what?”

“For this and that.”

“Who are you taking out of here?”

“You and Lisa and two others. That’s all I can take on an Mi-28, and that’s all the evidence I need to effect the release of everyone else.”

Hollis nodded, “I’d be willing to stay here.”

“I know you would, Sam. But you know too much, and I can’t leave you in their hands.” Alevy hesitated, then asked, “They grilled you?”

Hollis nodded. “Burov did. Minimum damage. The heavy guns come in tomorrow from Lubyanka with polygraphs and electric shock.”

“I was just in time.”

“Right. Are Surikov and his granddaughter out?”

“Yes. Last Saturday. Leningrad route.”

Hollis stared at him in the dim light. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Hollis said, “You have to negotiate for the wives and everyone else here too, Seth.”

“Landis mentioned his wife. Who are these wives?”

“Russian women. Mostly politicals. And sixty some children—”

“Good God. . . .” Alevy shook his head. “I figured there would be women for them. But
wives
. . .
children
. . . ? Are they attached to . . . ? Well, I guess they must be. My mind is trying to process this—”

“Plus there are six kidnapped American women, and there are other Russians from the Gulag, such as the camp doctor and nurses. They go into the deal for the three thousand moles that we’re going to swap.”

Alevy looked at Hollis. “You know something, Sam, you’re a real American. I mean that. You really want to save the world, or at least as many of its inhabitants as you meet and like. Well, okay, we’ll be in good shape to bargain after tonight.”

Hollis asked, “How far do you intend to fly in an Mi-28 with eight people aboard?”

“Depends on how the winds are blowing.”

Hollis said, “I don’t think the ambassador or Charlie Banks would appreciate seeing a hijacked Soviet helicopter landing in the embassy quad.”

“We can discuss this after we’re airborne.”

“Seth, you can’t get an Mi-28 with eight people to any part of the free world from here. Do you have a refueling station, a relay chopper—?”

Lisa came into the room, wearing a blue warm-up suit and running shoes, and Alevy guessed that this must be the camp uniform. She stood back a moment, taking in Alevy in his KGB uniform, then moved quickly to him and put her arms around him. “Seth. Oh, my God . . .”

Alevy disengaged himself. “We have to move quickly.”

She nodded and took her ski parka from the coat hook. “I have to get my icon—”

Alevy held her arm. “It’s not your icon.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a reproduction, Lisa. It’s got a transmitter in it. That’s how we found you.”

Lisa stared at him, then at Hollis.

Alevy said, “It was a contingency plan. In case something like this happened. I checked out Lubyanka and Lefortovo with a radio receiver and got a negative signal.” He added, “I hoped with the hammer and sickle carved in the icon, they’d let you keep it. They probably think the Kellums did that. The real icon is safe.”

Lisa stood quietly a moment and looked from one to the other, then moved close to Alevy. “Do you know what they
did
to me here?”

“I’m afraid I probably do. That’s the point: what they do to people.” He said to Lisa, “Bert Mills is outside. He, I, and Sam have a few things to take care of here. You will have to make your way to the helipad by yourself. Brennan is in the radio shack there. He could use some help with his Russian if anyone telephones him. Captain O’Shea is on the pad with a helicopter. We’ll be along shortly.”

Lisa replied, “Forget it, Seth. Sam and I have come this far together, and we’re not separating.”

Hollis said to Alevy, “Don’t even bother to argue with her.”

Alevy nodded. “I know.” He drew two 6.35mm Tokarev automatics with silencers from the inside pockets of his greatcoat and handed them to Lisa and Hollis.

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.