"That's so, Major."

"But not west toward the Baltic?You're supposing these people won't turn back."

The adjutant half smiled. "If theyturn back then maybe you've nothing to worry about."

"The object is to catch them,"Lukin said sharply. "We haven't manned the roads to the Baltic. Trafficeither way. In or out." Lukin stared at the man, waiting for a reply.

"Of course, but the question ofmanpower-"

"Arrange it."

The traffic was heavy when they reachedthe Neva River, and Stanski veered left and took the road out toward Pushkin.He drove slowly, still getting the feel of the powerful BMW, flicking switcheson the handlebars to familiarize himself with the machine. When they stopped attraffic lights on Turgenev Square, he spoke over his shoulder to Anna.

"All right back there?"

"Apart from the fact that I'mfreezing to death.

Stanski smiled. "Push your bodycloser to mine. It may help."

"Help you or me? That coat you'rewearing smells like it belongs in a pig sty."

Stanski laughed and she held him tighteras the lights turned green. He was about to change into gear when they bothheard a whistle blow. A young policeman standing outside a traffic kiosk in thecenter of the square was staring at them and waving them over.

"Oh my God," said Anna.

"Relax. Let me do the talking."

"Can't we just drive on?"

"Do that and we're asking fortrouble."

The traffic policeman blew his whistleagain and Stanski nudged through the traffic and drove over. The manscrutinized the BMW as he slapped a black truncheon into the palm of his openhand.

"Just what the hell do you thinkyou're on, comrade?"

"Sorry?"

"A motorbike or a suicidemission?" The man looked at Stanski with narrowed eyes, then tapped histruncheon on the headlamp. "You're driving with no lights on."

Stanski leaned forward to look at theheadlight. He must have switched it off when he had been trying to familiarizehimself with the machine and forgot to switch it on again. He smiled innocentlyat the policeman and began to fumble at the handlebars, looking for the switch.When he couldn't find it, the policeman said, "This your machine,comrade?"

"Yes."

"And you don't know where the lightswitch is?"

Stanski continued feeling for the switch,but the policeman reached over, flicked a knob on the handlebars, and thelights sprang on.

"Well, comrade? What's the matter?Are you dumb as well as blind?"

Stanski tried to look suitably fearful ofthe man's authority. "Thank you, comrade. I'm sorry. I only bought themachine today. I'm not familiar with the switches."

"If you're not familiar with it, whyare you driving the beast? Let me see your papers."

Stanski told Anna to climb down and hepropped up the heavy bike and found his papers. A second policeman, a sergeant,came over from the kiosk, curious.

"A problem?"

"This durak here thinks it's OK todrive with no lights."

The sergeant smiled thinly. "Aserious offense. But if you want to commit suicide you should do it in your ownapartment where you won't hurt anyone. Use gas like everyone else."

The man began to examine the BMW."Good machine. How did you acquire it, comrade?"

"A friend sold it to me."

"His name?"

"Does it matter, Sergeant?"

"It matters if I ask." The facelooked up at Stanski's. "Your friend's name?"

"Grenady Stavinka. FromFlushkin."

"And this is . He looked at Anna.

"My wife."

The sergeant looked at Anna. "Yourhusband, is he always so reckless?"

"It's why I married him. Now I'mbeginning to think it was mistake."

The sergeant laughed. He turned to hiscolleague. "At least the girl's got a brain. Let her man go with a warningthis time, Boris. The woman has more sense than he has."

He looked back at Stanski. "Takeheed of your wife, comrade, You'll live longer."

"She's a treasure indeed ' littlebrother."

"She is that. And if you want tokeep her alive too, learn to use that light switch."

"I will, comrade, thank you."

"Be off, now."

Stanski climbed onto the machine and Annafollowed him. He kicked into gear and the BMW drove away shakily.

The two policemen strolled back to thetraffic kiosk in the center of the square and climbed inside.

"Fine ass on that woman,Sergeant."

"He ought to stick with saddling herand forget about the bike."

The policeman sniggered. The telephonerang in the kiosk. the sergeant picked it up and spoke.

"Traffic Kiosk 14, TurgenevSquare."

The sergeant listened to the sharp voiceat the other e then said finally, "Don't worry, we'll keep our eyesopen."

He slowly put down the receiver andstared out at the ring of lights as traffic flowed around the kiosk. The otherman looked at him.

"A problem, Sergeant?"

The sergeant's face looked a little paleas he scratched his chin. "I'm not sure. That was the central exchange.KGB Headquarters want us to keep a lookout for a man and a woman. Thedescription could have been those two on the BMW."

"Did they say why they wantedthem?"

"The man is armed and dangerous. Anenemy agent. The woman's Russian, probably traveling as his wife. It'simperative they be stopped and arrested. They've already killed an armyofficer."

The other man gave a low whistle."You think it was that idiot on the bike?"

"Unlikely. That fucker wouldn't knowhis ass from his elbow. I've seen the type before. Fourteen years in this gameand you get to read faces, Boris. That durak wasn't a killer. Even my missuslooks a lot more dangerous after she's had her quart of vodka."

"Still, they could have been thecouple. Maybe I should report it?"

The sergeant looked over at his colleagueas if he were a complete idiot.

"And have those guys from Centralcrawling up our asses asking all sorts of questions?" The sergeant shookhis head. "Besides, according to the exchange, half the fucking army, theKGB and the militia are out looking for them. Every road around the city hasbeen sealed off. Rest assured, they won't get far, wherever they are."

Baltic Highway, Leningrad.

As they came around a bend on the BalticHighway, Stanski saw the string of red taillights up ahead. He pulled to theside of the road and doused the headlight. Alarmed, Anna said, "What'swrong?"

"Take a look."

As cars swished past, Anna peered overStanski's shoulder. She could see several army and militia vehicles blockingthe highway a hundred meters ahead, a traffic tailback of rear lights glowingin the darkness. Men in uniforms milled around, checking drivers' papers andclimbing into trucks and cars. Traffic coming from the opposite directionlooked like it was receiving the same scrutiny.

Stanski said, "Whenever I getsuspicious, I get a headache. And right now I've got a blinder. I'll bet you aruble it's us they're after."

"What can we do?"

"There was a minor road a couple ofkilometers back. Let's try our chances there."

He kicked the machine into gear and swungaround. He left the lights off until they had gone a couple of hundred meters,and when they reached the minor road on the right he turned into it. Thecountry road was covered in patches of slush and Anna held on to him tightly asthe freezing rush of air slashed at their faces.