Lukin tried to imagine what she wouldlook like with more flesh on her cheekbones and her hair longer and wearingmakeup. Impossible, really. A woman could completely change her appearance withcleverly applied make-up. Still, instinct told him something wasn't right. Andthe checkpoints had turned up no other likely suspects.

He picked up the phone and quickly dialedKaman's extension.

"Lukin here. I want a Captain OlegPetrovsky checked out immediately. See if he's with the 14th Armored atLeningrad. Get onto his commanding officer, or whoever's next in line. I wantdetails from his personal file. Background, marriage, and so on. And verify ifthe division is planning winter maneuvers at Novgorod. Have them call me."Kaman said, "Who is he?"

"Never mind that for now, just doit. And phone the local air force commander and have a helicopter stand by incase I need it. If he quibbles, put him onto me. And find out where a KGBcolonel named Zinov was staying in Tallinn."

Lukin replaced the phone. There was stillplenty of time to stop the Emka before it reached Leningrad. The drive tookfive hours, so that left Lukin the best part of three.

He checked his watch. Nine A.M. Withluck, the information should be back from the Leningrad Divisional Headquarterswithin ten minutes.

February 27th 1953 9::15 A.m.-6:30 P.m.

Estonia.

February 27th They took the main highwayto Kivioli, then once past the town followed the coast road for Leningrad.

Brightly painted fishing boats layrotting on the shoreline, abandoned nets like giant spider's webs. The skieswere clear but off to the west a mass of threatening snow clouds hovered abovethe frozen Baltic.

It was over three hundred kilometers toLeningrad, five hours on the highway, but once they left Kivioli the roads wereclogged with military traffic. A long column of tanks and trucks trailed jetsof muddy slush in their wake as they moved westwards, and Zinov had to driveslowly until they reached the coast.

"Good to see Stalin still likes tolet the Baits know that we're in business," commented Zinov. "Smoke,anyone?"

Stanski accepted a cigarette. As Zinovhanded back his lighter, he said casually, "I must say, that major back inTailinn seemed very uncertain about you."

Stanski smiled. "I must have asuspicious face, Colonel."

Zinov laughed. "Well, if you hadbeen enemy agents you certainly would have picked the wrong traveling companionin a KGB colonel."

After another hour there was almost notraffic apart from occasional peasants on horses and donkeys and carts andZinov made up for lost time.

They passed squalid Estonian towns andvillages, and here and there the ruins of houses dotted the countryside, stilldeserted since the war, charred buildings and derelict cottages with theirroofs caved in. Rusted, scavenged hulks of German Panzers and artillery pieceswere still decaying, lying abandoned in open fields.

As they passed through a deserted villageStanski and Anna saw that the timber houses had been recently razed to theground and the local church gutted. Two black paint strokes on a sign hadobliterated the village name.

"A couple of months ago that was athriving village," Zinov remarked. "Until some partisans decided toblow up an ammunition dump in a nearby barracks. The local commander shot allthe men and had the women and children sent to Siberia. Drastic, but thendrastic measures are sometimes called for, I think you'll agree, Captain?"

"Of course."

Zinov turned back and smiled. "Thesecrazy partisans think we can be defeated. But they're wrong. Like that madmanHitler and that fool Napoleon. Do you know the famous monument in Riga? On oneside it reads: "In 1812 Napoleon passed this way to Moscow with twohundred thousand men.' On the other side it reads: "In 1813 Napoleonpassed this way from Moscow with twenty thousand men.' Zinov laughed.

They passed Narva half an hour later andZinov suggested they stop and stretch their legs before they pressed on toLeningrad.

"We'll have some food and vodka.Nothing like a little refreshment and fresh air to clear the head."

Stanski glanced at Anna. Something aboutthe major at the checkpoint in Tallinn had made them both uneasy and unwillingto delay getting to Leningrad.

He said to Zinov, "Perhaps we oughtto press on?"

"Nonsense, we've plenty of time. We'llbe in Leningrad in under two hours. There's a perfect spot up ahead. Isometimes stop there for a break."

It was still dark, a gray twilight andthe moon out, as Zinov turned off the highway minutes later and drove along aforest road. Either side narrow lanes led off into the woods and after ahundred meters they dipped over a rise and came out in a clearing beside asmall frozen lake.

The view over the lake was really ratherbeautiful, the towering birch trees along the shoreline sugared prettily withsnow, and there was a sense of peaceful isolation after the highway.

Zinov climbed out and said to Stanski,"Splendid, isn't it?

Get the vodka and food, man, it's in thetrunk. There's some smoked eel and bread. I bought it from Flinn. I'm sure yourwife's hungry."

Stanski went around to the trunk andremoved a picnic basket. As he turned back he heard a small cry from Anna andsaw Zinov grab her savagely by the hair, his pistol pointed at her head.

"Put your hands in the air," heordered Stanski. Zinov's face looked stern and he was suddenly all business."Undo your pistol belt very slowly. And I mean slowly. Then throw it overhere. You do as I say or the woman gets a bullet in the head."

"What's going on? Is this some kindof joke?"

Zinov's eyes narrowed suspiciously."Something's not right with you two. That major back in Tallinn, he wasright. You're both enemy agents."

"Colonel, this is nonsense,"Stanski said reasonably. "Our papers were in order at the checkpoint. Putthe gun away. You're making my wife nervous." Zinov said sharply,"Shut up. I've listened to your accents. Neither of you are fromLeningrad. I've lived there all my life. The woman here, she's from Moscow, butyou, I can't figure you Out. A little while back something else occurred to me.Last night you told me you were with the 17th Armored. But you told the majorat the checkpoint you were with the 14th. Perhaps you'd care to explain?"

"A mistake. I don't know what I wasthinking of. And I never said my wife was from Leningrad."

"Mistake, my ass."

Stanski shifted his stance, ready tomove, but he was standing well back, too far to get closer to the colonel.

Zinov fingered his pistol. "I reallywouldn't try anything. I'm an excellent shot." He aimed the pistol at Stanski."Now, you're going to tell me just who you really are or I pull thistrigger.

Lukin sat in the freezing dome of the MILas his eyes swept the ribbon of highway that snaked below the helicopter.

They had taken off in darkness from theTondy barracks an hour before, flying at barely fifty meters above the mainLeningrad road. Acres of endless birch forest ran either side, coated white,the lights of villages and street lamps burning in the winter grayness thatstretched ahead.

The helicopter pilot turned to Lukin andshouted above the noise. "We can't go much farther, Major. There's a bankof snow cloud moving in from the west. Flying in both darkness and bad weatheris not permitted by regulations."

Lukin had had difficulty convincing thepilot's commander to allow the helicopter to fly in darkness, until he producedthe letter from Beria, and the man had given in grudgingly, warning Lukin ofthe dangers of flying in poor light. The MIL wasn't equipped for it and thepilot would have to stay close to the ground.