They had driven another five kilometerswhen Stanski came around a sharp bend and they suddenly saw the blaze of lightsup ahead. It was too late.

Two covered jeeps stood in their path. Anarmy sergeant with a Kalashnikov and a militiaman wielding a rifle stood nextto one of the jeeps, another young militiaman sitting in the front seat,manning a portable radio, his rifle resting across his knees.

The officer in charge stood nearby,casually smoking a cigarette.

Stanski felt Anna's arms tighten aroundhis waist. He slowed the machine as the officer, a lieutenant, raised his handfor them to stop.

Stanski brought the BMW to a halt butkept the engine running.

The lieutenant came forward and saidloudly, "Douse that light and switch off the engine."

Stanski did as he was told. Thelieutenant flashed a light in their faces.

"Well, what have we got here? Twolovers out for a ride in the country?"

The men and the sergeant laughed. Stanskitried to assess the situation. Of the four men, the sergeant and the lieutenantlooked capable enough, big and strong, their necks wider than their foreheads.But the two militiamen were barely out of their teens and they fingered theirrifles nervously.

The officer tossed his cigarette away andstared at them suspiciously.

Stanski said calmly, "What's theproblem, comrade? You frightened the hell out of us. I could have plowed intothose jeeps of yours."

The lieutenant looked at the motorcycle,then Anna.

He said to Stanski, "Papers, both ofYOU."

Stanski handed over his papers and Annadid the same. The lieutenant flashed the light from the papers to their faces.He didn't hand them back but said, "Your destination?"

"Novgorod," replied Stanski.

"That's a long drive on a cold nightlike this. Your purpose?"

Stanski jerked a thumb back at Anna."My wife's mother is unwell. They don't think the old woman is going tomake it through the night. You know how it is, Lieutenant. My wife needs to seeher before it's too late."

"Where have you come from?"

"Leningrad. What the hell's going ontonight? This is the second time we've been stopped on this road."

The lieutenant hesitated. Stanski's replyseemed to ease his tension, then he slowly handed back the papers. "We'relooking for two enemy agents. A man and a woman. They killed an KGBofficer."

Stanski whistled and looked suitablyworried. "Will the road be all right from here on? I mean, I hope we'renot in any danger, comrade? My wife is distressed enough."

The officer smiled. "I doubt you'llbe bothered. But if YOU do see anyone acting suspiciously, inform the nearestmilitia You may proceed."

"We'll do that, comrade." Heglanced back at Anna, "Come, let's do as the lieutenant says."

They mounted the BMW, but then thelieutenant said softly. "One moment."

He stepped closer and shone theflashlight again in Stanski's face. Then Anna's. The light lingered on her.

He said suspiciously, "Where was thelast checkpoint where you and your husband were stopped?"

The question seemed to hang in the airlike a threat. When Anna hesitated, she felt Stanski's body stiffen under herarms. She noticed the two militiamen finger their rifles, taking up the cuefrom the sergeant, who was readying his Kalashnikov.

The lieutenant continued to stare atAnna. "I asked you a question' "

"Three kilometers back. There was acar and two militiamen."

The officer's eyebrows rose. "We drovethat way not half an hour ago. There wasn't a checkpoint." He turnedsmartly to the young militiaman manning the radio in the jeep and called out,"Kashinsky, call up central exchange. Ask them if they have a checkpointwhere the woman says."

The militiaman picked up the radiohand-mike and began to talk into it.

Stanski said to the lieutenant,"Look, comrade, my wife is upset enough ..."

"Relax, it won't take long. Ifthere's a checkpoint back on the road then we're wasting our time hangingaround here."

The militiaman in the jeep was talkingaway on the radio but Stanski couldn't hear the words, just a babble of staticand crackle.

Finally the militiaman in the jeepclimbed out with his rifle, a look of alarm on his face, beginning to speakbefore he reached the lieutenant.

"The bitch is lying! There's nocheckpoint on that part of the road! "

It happened quickly. As the officer wentfor his pistol and the other men raised their weapons, Stanski flicked theswitch on the handlebar and the headlight blazed into the darkness, blindingthe men for an instant.

He wrenched the Tokarev from his coat andshot the officer in the chest, then fired twice at the sergeant, hitting him inthe throat and face and punching him back.

He fired two quick shots at the two youngmilitiamen as they scurried for cover behind the jeep, then he screamed back atAnna, "Hold on tight!"

He kicked the starter and the BMW revvedwildly and roared forward, the front wheel lifting with the sudden burst ofpower, before he tore between a narrow gap in the jeeps.

Lukin was sitting at a table in the staffcanteen eating a plateful of cabbage and pickled beef and potatoes, but despitehis hunger he was barely tasting the food. A dozen or so officers and men sataround, eating and smoking during their break.

He had hardly taken a couple of mouthfulswhen the adjutant burst in through the swinging doors. Lukin put down his forkand wiped his mouth as the adjutant strode over, carrying a map.

"Some news just in. A militia mobilepatrol stopped a man and woman on a BMW motorcycle who resembled the ones we'relooking for. It happened on a minor road west of Pushkin, near the BalticHighway, about three minutes ago. When the couple were challenged, the manproduced a gun and killed a lieutenant and a sergeant. the other two militiamenmanaged to raise the alarm. Right now they're pursuing the culprits in ajeep."

Lukin jumped to his feet and grabbed themap and spread it on the table. "Show me where."

The adjutant pointed to a spot on themap. "Here. About thirty kilometers away. By fast car, maybe half an hourif the roads are not bad. But it's going to be difficult to catch up with amotorbike, and they've got a head start. I've told the exchange the details andordered six other patrols in the area to be alerted. Several are moving tosurround the region right now. Maybe if we can fence them in we've got achance. Make them go around in decreasing circles until we've cornered themlike rats." Lukin grabbed the map and his pistol and holster and said,"Get my car. You have two motorcycle outriders ready?"

"Ready and waiting in the basementgarage, along with your driver ..."

Lukin was already moving toward the doorlike a man possessed, shouting back over his shoulder at the adjutant."You man the radios here. I want to be kept in touch at all times!"

Stanski was sweating as Anna clung to himand the BMW roared along the dark, narrow country road.

He was doing sixty kilometers an hour,taking corners as fast as he dared, skidding dangerously each time he torearound bends.

Anna shouted, "Slow down or you'llkill us both!"

"Those two militia are going toradio in what happened," Stanski roared back. "We have to get awayfrom here fast."

At the next bend he didn't heed herwarning, and as the motorbike rounded the sharp curve he felt the wheels startto go from under him and suddenly the bike skidded on a patch of slush. Therewas a screech of rubber and they careened across the road into a ditch, Stanskiending up on top of the revving motorbike, Anna flung off and landing in somebushes.