Fuck.

He listened further for any sound, heardnothing, then got to his feet silently.

Perhaps he ought to check it out'? Butwhatever way you looked at it, he shouldn't stick around waiting. He cocked theKalashnikov and started to move out of the shadows.

As he did so he heard a crackle ofgunfire explode down the street. He froze.

At the kitchen door, Stanski peered outinto the moonlit back garden.

Behind him Anna and Irena waitedexpectantly. Massey was out in front, his hands still tied, and Stanski had thegun pressed into the base of his skull.

"You first, Massey," hewhispered, and turned to the others. "We're going to move to the car. Keepit quiet and remember what I told you."

He pushed Massey out into the flagstonedcourtyard. He crouched, half expecting gunfire, but when none came they movedhurriedly across to the woodshed and the Skoda.

He opened the rear door and pushed Masseyquickly inside, then Anna slid in beside him.

. lrena was already in the passengerseat, and as Stanski jumped into the driver's seat beside her he said, "Sofar so good."

He rolled down the driver's windowquietly and then his fingers found the ignition key and he tensed. He shiftedinto first gear, but kept his foot firmly down on the clutch. He hesitated, andstared out toward the driveway and the snowcovered street beyond it.

It looked empty, no traffic in sight.

The distance was about thirty meters andhe could clear it in seconds if he could get quickly up to speed.

He turned the ignition key.

The engine spluttered and died andStanski's heart sank.

But at that exact moment all hell seemedto break loose.

A crackle of gunfire erupted likefireworks from somewhere off in the darkness, followed by the screech of tiresand brakes.

Everyone in the Skoda tensed and Stanskiwent deathly still. "What the hell ... ?"

There was another burst of gunfire fromfar away. Stanski turned the ignition key again and this time the engineexploded into life.

He flicked a switch and the headlightsflooded the driveway. At the Same time he eased off the clutch, hit theaccelerator, and the Skoda shot forward and tore down the path.

As Lukin approached the dacha he tensed.

Blood pumped furiously through his veinsas the sound of gunfire still raged in the distance. He had the white rag inhis hand, and as he jogged toward the driveway he caught sight of a figuremoving out of the bushes at the front of the garden.

A big man, ruggedly built. He had aKalashnikov in his hands and was moving toward the front of the dacha.

Lukin froze.

The man was partly in shadow and hecouldn't make out if it was Stanski.

Before he could react an engine suddenlyburst into life and two powerful beams of light illuminated the driveway. Lukinstood there totally confused. The man with the Kalashnikov seemed to freezetoo, but then a car roared out of the darkness and down the driveway,headlights blazing.

Lukin stood stunned as the man in thegarden.spun around and fired off a rapid burst as the Skoda shot past.

Lukin flung himself down as the weaponchattered, and he heard the sound of lead rip into metal as a volley of fireanswered from the driver's window.

The Skoda shot onto the street and theman with the Kalashnikov ran after it, firing wildly.

Windows shattered as the car skewed andslid on the snow, then it suddenly righted itself and swung left out into themiddle of the street.

As it swung, a rear door burst open withthe sudden force of the turn and a figure came hurtling out onto the snow androlled across the street.

Lukin watched in disbelief as the manwith the Kalashnikov kept firing at the Skoda, and then suddenly he caught aglimpse of Stanski at the steering wheel.

The man with the Kalashnikov had emptiedhis magazine and he tore another from his pocket and hastily reloaded andcocked the weapon.

Lukin wrenched out his pistol just as theman turned, horror on his face when he saw Lukin.

As he went to raise the Kalashnikov,Lukin got off two shots, hitting him in the chest and neck and punching himback into the snow.

He ran out into the street and saw theSkoda's taillights disappear, racing over the snow.

"NO ... ! " he roared.

There was a groan of pain from behind,and when he turned back Lukin saw the figure from the car writhing in the snow.He was wounded in the chest and his face was twisted in agony. Then he saw thathis hands were tied behind his back.

"Jesus ... help me ..."

The man spoke in English.

For several moments Lukin stood there intotal confusion, then suddenly he heard shouts and saw a knot of men come downthe street, flashlights in their hands as they moved toward him at a trot.

Romulka led the way, his pistol out."Halt! Stay where you are! "

Where the hell was Pasha?

Lukin turned back frantically and sawthat the taillights of the Skoda had vanished. He knelt and gripped the woundedman by the collar and dragged him back to the BMW.

After ten seconds Lukin was almost out ofbreath. A volle of shots rang out, kicking up Puffs Of snow in front of him. YHe glanced back. Romulka and his men were less than fifty meters away.

"Halt! Do you hear me? Halt!"

Lukin kept going, the man's weight likelead. When he reached the driveway, he flung open the passenger door of the BMWand lifted the man inside, into the driver's ' seat, turned the ignition keyand the engine roared.

As he reversed out onto the street twomen ran up, firing Pistols at the car.

Lukin heard shots puncture metal andglass and the rear window shattered.

As Lukin glanced back, Massey suddenlybecame conscious and Lukin heard a moan and a voice saying drowsily, Where am I... ?"

"Keep down!"

He didn't wait to see if Lebel hadobeyed. He shifted fran tically into gear as he ducked his head, hit theaccelerator and the car roared forward.

Bullets cracked into the chassis as heraced down the street.

The last thing Lukin glimpsed in therearview mirror was Romulka running after him in the middle Of the street, firingwildly, his face twisted in rage.

Lukin sweated as he drove.

He had kept the headlights off in case hecaught up with the Skoda, but the road was unlit and he found it difficult tokeep the BMW straight.

Every now and then he got too close tothe curb and the front wheel hit the right side of the road and He had towrench the steering wheel over.

What he had done was crazy, but he knewhe had to follow Stanski. All he saw up ahead now though was night and emptyWhite streets.

The Skoda had a head start of maybe onlya minute, but the, BMW was faster, so it couldn't get far ahead. Besides, Lukincould just make out the single set of tire marks in the virgin snow and knew ithad to be the Skoda.

He came to a fork in the road. He sawtire marks leading left and followed them, picking up as much speed in thedarkness as he dared.

What had happened to Pasha? Lukin guessedthat once the firing became too intense he had tried to double back to thedacha.

Unless Romulka had killed him? At thatthought Lukin sank into despair. But then he knew Pasha. He was headstrong buthe had the native cunning of his Mongol blood. Lukin guessed-hoped-the manwould somehow find his way out of it.

The Frenchman was conscious now in theback, the drug wearing off. The shooting had obviously startled him awake. WhenLebel finally saw the wounded man in the front seat he suddenly seemed to comealive, a bewildered look on his face as he spoke.

Lukin didn't know what the word meant orif it was French or English. The man beside him was barely conscious. His headwas slumped on his chest and he was gurgling and coughing up blood. TheFrenchman leaned over shakily and felt the passenger's pulse and said inconfusion, "What's going on? For God's sake, can't you see he'sdying!"