"How are you feeling?"

The voice was soft, inquiring, and whenshe didn't reply Lukin removed a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from histunic pocket and placed them on the table. He pulled up the chair opposite andsat.

"Please, sit down. Cigarette?"

Again Anna didn't reply and Lukin lit acigarette and glanced at her shoulder. "My fault, I'm afraid. You've got anasty dislocation a physician had to reset. Nothing's broken but it's going totake a couple of days before the pain goes away." He smiled faintly andtapped his own arm. "Quite a pair of walking wounded, aren't we,Anna?"

Now that she saw him close up the manlooked exhausted. There were swollen dark rings under his eyes, the strain andtiredness making him look older.

"Sit down, please."

She sat facing him.

"Even though we've met beforeperhaps I should introduce myself formally. My name is Major Yuri Lukin. I'msorry you were hurt. I had hoped it wouldn't come to that. Can I get yousomething? Tea? Coffee?

Water? Some food?"

"I'm not hungry, or thirsty."

"That's impossible. You haven'teaten or drunk anything in almost twelve hours. If you think by accepting myoffer it would seem like a sign of weakness, you're being foolish, I assureyou." When she didn't reply, Lukin said, "As you wish."

There was another scream from somewherefar away, the sound of a dull crack, as if a human skull was being struckagainst a wall. Lukin's eyes flicked to the door, a look of distaste on hisface. He sighed and stood up. "I know what you're feeling, Anna. Fear.Anxiety. Confusion." He glanced at her shoulder, then back at her face."Pain is the easist and least part of it. Do you know where you are?Dzerzhinsky Square, Moscow. You passed out when I made you cough up this."

Lukin took the cyanide pill from hisbreast pocket and held it up. "I managed to stop you crushing it just intime."

She looked at the pill, then turned herface away. "How long have I been here?"

"You were brought in late lastnight, by military transporter. I'm afraid it's not the most pleasant ofplaces, with a deservedly bad reputation." He paused, and said withouthumor, "Some call it the First Circle of Hell, and perhaps they'reright."

He dropped his cigarette on the floor andcrushed it with his shoe, then opened the file on the table and flicked throughthe pages.

"I've been studying your file.You've had quite a life, Anna Khorev. A lot of pain. A lot of grief. So manytragedies. Your parents' deaths. Your husband's trial." He paused."Not to mention everything that happened afterwards. And now this."

Anna looked at Lukin in amazement andsaid suddenly, "How ... how do you know who I am?"

"We've known you were involved inthis for a long time. Even before you landed on Soviet soil. You and Stanskiboth."

Anna started to speak, but she felt soshocked the words wouldn't come.

Lukin said, "Anna, if you help me bytelling me everything you know, it will be easier on both of us."

She looked at him steadily. "I havenothing to tell you."

"Anna, there are people here whocould make you talk. People who would take pleasure in hurting you. Takepleasure in hearing your screams. Raping you. Torturing you. I am not one ofthose people. But I've seen their work and it's not pleasant. And if you don'ttalk to me, they will make you talk, please believe that." Anna didn'treply. Lukin said, "I know Stanski came to kill Stalin."

She looked up at Lukin suddenly, her facedeathly white. Lukin continued to look at her. "I believe you were simplyused by the Americans to help him get to Moscow, to pretend to be his wife andhence avoid arousing suspicion. But Stanski's mission has already failed. Lastnight he escaped, but he can't have gone far. And most certainly one of ourpatrols will hunt him down and find him. In the meantime, you may as well helpme by telling me all you know. Who your contacts were when you landed inEstonia. Who were meant to be your contacts in Moscow and en route. I want toknow how you were trained and by whom. And everything you can tell me of Stanski'splan to kill Stalin. Help me answer those questions and I will do my best tohelp you in return."

For a long time she stared at Lukin, theenormity of what he had said still ringing in her ears. "I know Stanskicame to kill Stalin." Lukin said, "I can help you by pleading formercy when your case comes to trial."

There was a look of resignation on her faceand she didn't reply.

He said quietly, "Anna, you'reeither being very brave or very obstinate, but I have a job to do. To find AlexStanski dead or alive and arrest whoever else is involved in thismission."

He picked up the folder and put it underhis arm. "I'm going to give you a little time to reconsider. For your sakeI hope you will talk to me, rather than the others. I really don't want to seeyou hurt any more than you have been."

He picked up the cigarettes and lighterfrom the table. As he stood there a moment Anna looked up at him. There wassomething in the soft brown eyes which seemed to suggest compassion, the way helooked at her and called her by her first name, but she dismissed the thoughtfrom her mind.

He crossed the room and unlocked thedoor. As she went to step out, he looked back at her.

"I'll have some food and water sentto you. We've a lot to talk about and you'll need to keep up yourstrength." He paused. "May I ask you a personal question, Anna?"

"What?"

"Are you in love with Stanski?"

She didn't answer.

Lukin stared at her for a moment, thenthe door clanged shut.

Only when she heard his footsteps fadebeyond the door did she bury her face in her hands.

There was a message on the desk to callBeria's Kremlin office rgently. Lukin ignored the message and pushed it aside.

He had sent a report that morning. Nodoubt Beria would have some sharp comments on how he had allowed the Wolf toescape, but right now he felt too exhausted to worry about it.

The pain in his stump came and went inshort, savage bursts. He looked at his hand; the primitive metal hook wouldhave to do for now. He picked up the telephone and dialed the operations room.Pasha Kokunko answered.

"How did the interrogation go?"The Mongolian sounded tired. He had been up all night manning the telephonesand communications equipment in the operations room.

"Not too good. Can you come overhere, Pasha?"

"I'm on my way."

Lukin put the receiver down. He rubbedhis eyes and felt the tiredness take hold, flooding his body. The woman hadbeen unconscious in the military transporter to Moscow, despite the llyushinaircraft's buffeting in bad weather, out cold from the sedative she had beengiven. But he had slept for less than ten hours in almost three days. He feltexhausted, the words in the file a blur now. There was a cup of steaming coffeeon the desk and he picked it up, sipped and swallowed.

The woman's capture had been a smallvictory, but really the whole business had been a defeat. The Wolf had escaped.And Lukin didn't like the look he had seen on her face when he questioned her.He knew from experience the kind who talked under interrogation and she wasn'tone of them. There was a firm resignation in her face that was almost a deathwish.

She was afraid, of course, but everyoneimprisoned in the Lubyanka was afraid. He sensed that if he tried to cajole herinto talking it wouldn't work. He decided the best approach with a woman likeher was honesty. There was another way that might make her talk and heshuddered thinking about it.