Anna held a flashlight while Irenasupported Lebel and Stanski Carried Massey inside. The Frenchman had difficultywalking, but when she shone the light on Massey she put a hand over her mouthin horror. Blood streamed through his clothes from his wounds and his face wasdeathly white.

Once they were inside the room, Stanskiput Massey down and said to Irena, "Take off his coat, quick as youcan." Irena went to do as he said but when she had opened a couple ofbuttons and saw the wounds she said, "You're wasting your time. He's notgoing to make it. He's lost too much blood."

She turned on Lebel, anger blazing in hereyes now she had got over the shock of seeing him again. "What a messyou've got me into."

:"I could say the same formyself."

"Lebel, I could cheerfully kill you,you bastard."

"Not my doing, my love. Sometimesthings have a way of going wrong. Just be grateful we're both stillalive."

Something seemed to snap in lrena then,and she raised a hand to slap Lebel's face, but he deflected it in midair andsaid, "Don't, try, can't you see I'm in enough pain?"

Stanski was feeling Massey's pulse and heshouted over at them, "You too can slug it out later. Irena, go outsideand see if you can find some water. We need to clean these wounds."

Irena went to protest but when she sawthe look on Stanski's face she hurriedly left the room.

Lebel said to Stanski, "I was toldto give you these." He held out the file and the Tokarev."Compliments of a Major Lukin. I presume you two know each other?"

Stanski went very still and his facetightened.

Lebel said, "Lukin drove us here. Hewas alone and told me to tell you he means you no harm, He said to assure youthat it's no trick, and that he hasn't been followed." He saw the look oftotal confusion on Stanski's face and said, "Take it from me, whoever'sside the major is on, it's not the KGB'S, He just rescued me. And by the way,that's Lukin's gun you're holding-he's unarmed."

"Do you mind telling me what's goingon?"

"My sentiments exactly. This wholething gets more confusing by the minute. One moment I'm in Paris, the next I'mbeing tortured in a stinking cell in Moscow, having one of my testicles reshaped.Then, to cap it all, I'm set free by a one armed renegade KGB major playing therescuing angel. Life certainly has its surprises."

"Where's Lukin now?"

"Outside by the river waiting foryou to join him. He says he wants to talk and it's important." Lebelpointed to the file. "But you're to read that first. Something else hesaid to tell you. That Major Yuri Lukin has discovered the reason why he waschosen to find the Wolf. Whatever that means."

Stanski switched on his flashlight,confusion on his face, and opened the folder.

Lebel turned to Anna. "You must beone of my intended passengers? I'm afraid after tonight we'll be lucky to getout of Moscow, let alone make it to Finland. It looks hopeless."

Before Anna could speak, Massey groanedand she turned to him. He was losing blood fast. She put a hand on his feveredbrow, leaned closer and whispered, "Don't die on me, Jake."

Suddenly Massey's eyelids flickered andhis voice gurgled. "Anna ..."

"Don't move or talk, Jake. Take iteasy."

"Anna ... forgive me ..

"No talk, Jake. Please."

Massey coughed up blood and it dribbleddown his chin. His eyes closed and his head slumped to one side. There weretears in Anna's eyes as she turned to Stanski. "For God's sake, can't youdo something?"

But he wasn't listening. As he stoodthere holding the file there was an odd look on his face, which was dazed andsuddenly very pale, paler than she had ever seen it before, and he was verystill. He held a photograph in his hand and he stared at it silently. Annascreamed at Lebel, "Do something!"

Lebel moved closer and felt Massey'spulse, just as lrena came in carrying a battered zinc bucket stopping withliquid.

"It's all I could find, some icewater from an overflow barrel."

Lebel looked up and let Massey's limpwrist fall.

"I'm afraid we're wasting our time.He's dead."

Snow started to drift down and the icyriver looked ghostly white in the darkness.

Beyond the silver birch trees on the farbank, Lukin could see the lights of Moscow. In the distance the red star on topof the Kremlin winked on and off like a beacon through the mist of lightlyfalling snow.

Stanski sat beside him. There was atimelessness to it all both men were conscious of. The look of shock hadn'tleft Stanski and he still held the file in his hand. He had made his way downto the riverbank, warily at first, until he had seen the trauma on Lukin's facewhen their eyes met, a look that told him he had nothing to fear. For a longtime the two men sat there, neither speaking, and then, as if to break the tensionand silence, Lukin said, "Your friend. Will he make it?"

"He's dead."

"I'm sorry."

"It comes to us all. Nothing couldbe done."

Lukin looked at Stanski intently."You read all of the file?"

"Yes."

"And you believed everything youread?"

"I had my doubts, but now ... now Isee you up close, yes, I believe it. And from what Lebel tells me you saved hislife and ours. You wouldn't have gone to that trouble if you weren'tserious." '

Lukin looked out at the darkness."Who would have imagined it? Now you know why I was picked to track youdown and kill you. A sick joke of Stalin's. Pit brother against brother. Bloodagainst blood." He sucked in a deep breath and blew a cloud of steam intothe air and shook his head. "I still can't believe it."

Stanski's voice softened. "Tell mewhat happened the night I left the orphanage. Tell me what happenedafterwards."

Lukin looked at him. There were tears atthe edges of his eyes and his voice was thick with emotion.

"Do I have to?"

"I need to know, Petya."

"It's been a long time since anyonecalled me by that name, it seems strange, from another life. So much of whathappen in my past I've locked away. It seemed such a terrible nightmare. UntilI read the file, I thought I'd managed to bury it all."

"You have to tell me."

Lukin shook his head. "it won'thelp. For over twenty years I've tried to forget. And maybe it's better youdon't know."

For some reason, Stanski reached over andtouched Lukin's hand.

And then Lukin was overcome with emotion.Stanski put his hand gently on his brother's shoulder and said, "Take iteasy, Petya."

They sat there for several moments, notspeaking, then Stanski said, "Being with you and Katya seemed like theonly reality I knew. When I left you both behind that night at the orphanage itfelt like I'd lost everything. I had no idea of what happened to you both. Andafterwards worse than knowing you were dead. It was my heart out there andthere was a hollow where you should have been. I need to know."

Lukin looked away. Towards the city hesaw the lights of traffic moving beyond the mist of snow. The scene seemed sonormal, and yet the turmoil in his own soul was so extraordinary. He felt astab of anguish in his chest and turned back. "The night you escaped Katyaand I watched you from the window. It was like losing Mama and Papa all overagain. The same grief, the same pain. Katya was inconsolable. She loved you,Mischa. You were father and Mother to her.

"It must have been about four in themorning when you escaped. Katya was broken-hearted, she was shaking withconvulsions. I couldn't stop her. One of the wardens came to the dormitory andfound us. When she discovered you were gone she raised the alarm and put USboth in one of the basement cells. Two men came from the Secret police. Theydemanded we tell them where you had gone. They threatened to kill us if wedidn't." His voice shook with anger. "Katya was five years old butthey beat her, tormented her, just as they did me-.