"Anna, what I did was necessary, youknow that."

"Yes, I know." She shivered.

"What's the matter? Cold?"

"And frightened."

"We can be in Leningrad in less thantwo hours. With luck, "Anna ... no one's going to know Zinov's missing forsome time."

His hand touched her face, then heremoved his jacket and pressed it gently around her shoulders. Anna protested."You'll freeze."

"Take it."

She looked up at him. "Alex .."What?"

She started to say something, then seemedto change her mind and shook her head. "Nothing."

She turned to look back at their footprintsin the snow. "What about those?"

"There's more snow on the way, bythe look of it. They'll be covered up quickly enough. Come on, let's go. Thequicker we're away from here the better."

He stowed the suitcases in the trunk andthey climbed into the car. He turned on the headlights and lit up the trackthrough the woods that led back to the highway.

There was a sudden dull chopping noisethat filled the air, high above them, and they saw a powerful beam of lightsweep through the forest behind, the sound growing louder until it became adeafening thunder.

Suddenly a helicopter reared above thetrees, the light from its dazzling beam caught them in mid-stride.

A shot rang out and the passenger windowshattered.

Anna let out a cry as the bullet zingedpast her.

"Hold on!" a roar and theStanski frantically started the Emka. It gave wheels spun wildly before theygripped in the snow, then it shot forward down the, forest track.

Lukin rubbed his eyes and peered down.

They were over forest now, skimming acresof dense birch trees. The searchlight was on, its silver finger probing thefoliage below them, swinging left and right as the pilot controlled the yaw ofthe aircraft. Every now and then the man looked over at Lukin nervously. Lukinstill held the gun in his hand. If they dropped too low they might clip thetrees or the electric power lines running close to the highway.

They had been sweeping along the road foralmost@ ten minutes, crisscrossing to the woods on either side, but had seennothing. Lukin swore in frustration.

There was sweat on the pilot's brow as helooked over and said nervously, "Major, if we don't turn around now, we'regoing to be in big trouble. We won't have enough fuel to get back to Tallinnand the weather's going to be against us ..."

Lukin peered out through the dome. Theman was right. There was a dirty-looking bank of snow clouds moving toward themfrom the west. "Keep flying."

"Major ... I must protest!"

"I'll take responsibility for theaircraft. Do as I say!"

The pilot gritted his teeth and turnedback to the controls. There was a growing edge of desperation in the man'svoice. It happened then. The searchlight passed over a narrow road in theforest and Lukin suddenly picked out the tire tracks of a car.

"Over there!" He pointed andthe pilot saw the marks. Up ahead Lukin glimpsed a small rise in the forest andbeyond it what looked like the outline of a frozen lake.

"Go lower!"

"Major, if we get too close to thosetree tops ... "Do it, man!"

The pilot shook his head in exasperationbut obeyed the order, the searchlight picking out the twin snail-like trackscutting along the woodland road. They led up through a rise to the frozen take.As they came sweeping over the lake shore, suddenly Lukin saw the black Emkaand his heart skipped. He saw the two figures fleetingly as they climbed intothe car. He screamed at the pilot, "Hold it here! Hold it!"

The noise in the cockpit was almostoverwhelming as the MIL suddenly halted in midair, shuddering as it hoveredabove the Emka, tossing the trees furiously and kicking up flurries of snow.

Lukin saw the couple's surprised facesthrough the windshield, frozen in the searchlight for an instant, the samecouple from the checkpoint.

There was a moment of frantic indecision,then he tore open the small window at the side of the helicopter, aimed hispistol at the car and fired.

He saw glass shatter on the passengerside and then suddenly the car lurched forward and sped through the forest.

"After them!" Lukin roared.

The pilot turned the MIL in an arc andbegan to clatter over the trees after the car.

Stanski sweated as he gripped thesteering wheel hard, the car bumping down the narrow road. Freezing air blastedinto the cab from the shattered window but he was hardly aware of the icy chillas he drove, all his senses concentrating on the way ahead. Every now and then thecar bumped violently as it hit a rut and Anna held onto the door for her life.

Seconds later the noise of the helicopterroared above as it suddenly overtook them, spun around and hovered in midair,the searchlight cutting into their eyes. Stanski swore as the light blinded himand for an instant he lost control of the car as it lurched and he fought forcontrol.

The Ernka skidded. He put on a burst ofspeed and then they were ahead of the beam again. There was a narrow track offto the right and he yanked the wheel around and turned into it, the helicopterfollowing until it was ahead of them once more. Then they heard a metallicthump as a bullet flipped through the roof of the car and Anna screamed as thelead embedded itself in the rear seat.

"Hold on tight!"

Stanski gripped the steering wheel withone hand, rolled down the side window and wrenched out his Tokarev. He eased onthe brakes and slowed. Seconds later the helicopter came tearing over the treesand floated directly ahead of them, the machine swinging left and right as ittried to settle itself. Slan ski suddenly saw the major's face in the cockpit.

He aimed, fired three quick shots, andsaw holes blossom on the glass dome as the pistol cracked.

The helicopter lurched but continued tohover and then Stanski saw the major aim out through the side window. Puffs ofwhite exploded in the snow to the left of the Emka.

Seconds later Stanski saw the main roadfifty meters in front. Off to the left, ahead of them, was a towering electricpylon, thick metal cables running high on either side. He yelled at Anna,"Keep your head down!"

He gave a sudden burst of speed and theEmka roared toward The throaty clatter of the blades was deafening as the MILtore through the air. There was an atmosphere of desperation in the cockpit asthe pilot fought to control the machine, turning in sharp banks, following theEmka as it twisted and turned and snaked through the woods.

Lukin's eyes were on the car. He had theTokarev stuck out through the side window, trying to get a clear shot at thedriver, but it was almost impossible. Every time the MIL got ahead of the carit veered off onto another track and the helicopter yawed violently to keep up.

He roared at the pilot, "Try to keepthis damned thing steady, can't you!"

"I'm doing my fucking best!"

The Emka suddenly slowed and theyovertook it again. As the MILITARY CHOPPER swung around and the pilot tried tosettle the searchlight on the car there was the sound of rapid gunfire andthree holes cracked in the glass above their heads. The MIL lifted as Lukinducked his head instinctively, aimed through the window and got off two quickshots, but both went wide. The Emka started to move again, turning right, thenback onto the forest road that led down to the highway.

"Keep after them! Don't losethem!"

They were fifty meters from the highwaywhen Lukin suddenly felt a frightening shuddering.

The pilot screamed, "Oh my God ...In horror Lukin saw the towering electricity pylon almost dead ahead. The pilottried frantically to veer away at the last moment, but a second later theblades clipped the electric cables and there was a powerful blinding flash ofblue corona, sparks bursting like fireworks in front of their faces.