"Not exactly, but something just asshocking. First things first. Have you any of that Siberian vodka ofyours?"

Pasha grinned. "I always keep anemergency supply, just in case I start to sober up. But be warned, it's likesticking a lighted candle down your throat."

"Pour me one."

"On duty? It's not like you. I'msurprised, Major."

"Not half as surprised as you'regoing to be."

Pasha locked the office door and took abottle and two glasses from his desk. He handed one to Lukin and poured.

"Chase the devil away and put alittle sunshine in your stomach. Za zdorovye. So what's up?"

Lukin swallowed. "Keep the toast foranother time. You're on a case with me."

:"Who says so?"

"I do. I've just had the dubiouspleasure of being summoned to the Kremlin."

Pasha frowned, his eyes thin slits in hisyellow face. "Are you serious?"

" A visit to the Kremlin is notsomething I'd joke about, Pasha."

"What was the occasion?"

Lukin told him everything, then gave himthe file. Pasha read it, whistled softly and crossed to his desk. He threw offhis overcoat and put his feet up, taking a sip of the vodka.

"There's not much in there, but whatlittle there is makes for interesting reading."

"There was even less on thisAmerican, Stanski, the one they call the Wolf. And as you probably noticed,there were a couple of pages missing from his file, if the page numbers wereproperly sequenced."

"I wonder why?"

"Probably classified."

"But it's usual that an investigatorbe given access to all information for the case he's working on. Why leave outjust two pages?"

"When has Beria ever been known totell everything? He'd only tell us what we need to know. Still, I agree, it'sodd." Pasha said, "It's a pity about the woman. She's obviously had adifficult time. She must have been pretty desperate to escape the Gulag. Thephotographs won't be much help. The woman's must have been taken after she wasarrested. She looks scrawny and her hair's cropped short. And this one ofStanski was taken from a distance. The shot's too fuzzy to be of real use.Besides, a man like that will know how to alter his appearance, and they'llboth probably have enough false documents to paper the walls."

Lukin nodded. "The First Directoratekept the file on him. His background seems to be something of a mystery. Butthey know he speaks fluent Russian and suspect he had a military background.They seem to think he was responsible for the deaths of at least half a dozensenior KGB and military officers, including Colonel Grenady Kraskin in Berlin acouple of months back."

Pasha almost smiled. "He soundsformidable. But Kraskin was one evil bastard I wasn't sorry to see go."

"I'd watch your tongue, Pasha.Especially where Beria is involved."

"You think Beria's right about thesetwo trying to kill our lord and master? That the Americans would really sendthis Wolf to try to kill Stalin?"

"It's possible." Lukin paused."Did you ever hear of a Colonel Romulka on Beria's staff" Pasharaised his eyebrows and said, "Colonel Nikita Romulka?"

"I didn't hear his first name."

"Then I'll give you a description. Abig ugly bastard with half his left ear missing. A face that looks like itcaught fire and they tried to beat out the flames with a shovel."

Lukin smiled faintly. "Sounds likehim."

"From what I heard, he's one ofBeria's henchmen, with special responsibility for security affairs in theGulags. Why?"

"He's working with us. It seems hehas a special interest in the case. Beria wants him to liaise with us."

Pasha stood and said bluntly, "Thatkind of help you can do without. Romulka's just a vicious thug. I heard BeriaSometimes uses him for the really dirty work, like torture and rape, to extractconfessions from special-category prisoners. A word of advice, Yuri. Don'tcross swords with Romulka. He's dangerous, and he never forgives or forgets.And he'll suck your eyeballs out like grapes if the mood takes him."

"I'll try and keep that inmind." Lukin scratched his head absently. "You know what reallybothers me?"

"What?"

"Why did Beria pick me? It's been along time since I did this kind of work."

Pasha grinned. "He picked youbecause you were the best tracker the directorate had. You ran down every topAbwehr agent the Nazis sent at us. There were three names everyone in thedepartment knew in those days. Guzovsky, Makorov and Lukin."

Lukin shook his head dismissively."A long time ago, Pasha, or maybe it just seems like it. I'm just apoliceman now. And frankly, I'd rather stay that way."

"It seems you don't have muchchoice. Besides, you're being modest and you know it."

Lukin looked down at his false hand."Maybe I've earned the right to be."

"Because some German girl shootsyour hand off with a machine-pistol?"

"I stood there and let ithappen."

"A temporary lapse of judgment. Youshould have shot her first but you couldn't. Personally, I've never killed awoman in my life, even during the war, and I don't think I ever could, but itwas you or her. You hesitated because it was a woman and it cost you half alimb. It could have cost you your life if someone else hadn't shot her."

"Perhaps, but why didn't Beria pickGuzovsky or Makorov?"

Pasha poured another drink for himselfand topped up Lukin's glass.

"Guzovsky's too old. Sixty-four nextbirthday and his eyes are almost gone. And he drinks so much he couldn't tracka fucking elephant in snow. As for Makorov, he's got so lazy and careless Iwouldn't send him out for my shopping."

Lukin smiled. "Still, there areothers more capable. And besides, working directly for Beria has its dangers.He could have me up against a wall and shot if I fail. And I don't trusthim."

"Who does? Not even Stalin himself,I hear. The little beady-eyed bastard would scare a ghost. Only you can'trefuse. But if you ask me, he knew what he was doing and picked the best. Sowhat happens now?"

Lukin thought for a moment. "I'llneed you to stay in Moscow for now and organize an operations room. I'll needtelephones. Lots of telephones. And a telex. Tables, chairs, a couple of beds.Large- and small-scale maps. A couple of Emkas for transport. Anything youthink we might need. Beria's orders are clear. This Wolf has to be found. Andthe woman. With luck, the patrols already in the area may find them, but ifnot, it's up to us." Pasha said, "Then God help the poor bastards ifBeria and Romulka get their hands on them, that's all I can say." Helooked over at Lukin and smiled. "And what will the major be doing whileI'm up to my ears in the shitty work?"

"There's a Mig standing by. The dutyofficer's going to phone just as soon as the weather improves or anything turnsup I should know about."

As Lukin drained his glass the telephonerang.

Bylandet Island.

Massey came awake on his back with asplitting headache. Jesus.

Slowly, the pain and fog washed away. Heopened his eyes and looked about the room. He was in one of the bedrooms of theisland house, the blankets tossed carelessly around him on the bed. He heardthe wind gusting wildly outside and the brightly lit room was bitterly cold. Heremembered the darkened figures bursting in through the front door and the blowacross the back of the neck, but after that, nothing.

Who the hell was it who had struck him?He got to his feet in a panic and stumbled to the window, ignoring the dizzyingspasms of pain. He pulled back the curtain.