Corovich’s glassy eyes found the lieutenant. “You’re okay, right?”
Corovich nodded. “Fine, sir.”
Barkov lead Radchek through the trees, then came upon a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a large arch made from pine saplings. Hanging from the arch, a hunk of rusted sheet metal as big as an automobile’s hood swayed in the wind. The fainter tracks lead here, circled the arch, then trailed off, continuing north.
Radchek touched the edge of the metal, flicked it with his finger. It clanged dully. “Strange,” he said as he looked off into the forest. “I wonder if there are any more-” He jumped at the sound of a gong-like boom.
“ It’s a bell,” said the colonel, holding the luger by the barrel. He had struck the sheet metal with the butt of his sidearm.
The noise brought Vukarin and the rest of the squad running. Barkov turned to them, then began circling the arch. “Comrades, you are tired and hungry,” he said, studying the hanging metal sheet. “I understand that.”
Radchek didn’t trust Barkov’s jovial exterior, and from the look on his face, Vukarin didn’t either. Both were pleased, though, that Barkov had addressed the issues.
“ But,” the colonel continued. “We have before us an unfolding mystery.” He faced the soldiers, leaving Radchek and Vukarin out of the picture. “A mystery that now involves more than just one American spy. If you will join me in a search, I will see to it that each and every man here gets a week of R and R at Firlinsk on the Adriatic Sea.” All of a sudden, the soldiers weren’t hungry anymore, and Radchek and Vukarin shuddered at the men’s downright jubilation.
“ There are four of them,” Barkov said to his dumbfounded officers. They followed the prints away from the arch and into the woods. “The injured pilot was placed on a toboggan and dragged south by one person. Two others went this way, to the north.”
“ To the north? Why?” said Radchek. He didn’t want the colonel to think he was as gullible as the rest of the squad.
“ That, captain, is an excellent question. We know there is nothing to the north but more taiga.” Barkov stopped as the prints trailed off into an even thicker part of the woods. “I suspect there is more to this situation than we are seeing here, however.” Barkov turned to Vukarin, who eyed him suspiciously. “Lieutenant, choose four men. I want them to follow these tracks north. I want to know who’s up there.”
Vukarin was ready to object before Radchek intervened. “Sir,” said Radchek. “What about rest and food?”
“Give it to them,” said Barkov. “But I want this trail followed before the snowfall covers everything.”
“ What about the rest of us?” Radchek hoped Barkov was going to say that they would return to Yenisey.
“ We’ll follow the other trail south.” And with that, the colonel headed back to the trucks. Vukarin shook his head and waited until he was out of earshot.
“ Captain,” he said looking at Radchek with a tinge of desperation. “ Maksim. You have to do something.”
“ What, lieutenant?” Radchek said. “What would you have me do?”
“ We’re not trained or equipped for this kind of search.”
“ I know that,” said Radchek. His mind was going in 50 different directions, and every one of them was a dead end. He was powerless to do anything and the frustration was evident in his face. He looked 10 years older. “The colonel has the support of the men for now,” he said. “We’ll just wait and see how long that lasts.”
Removing his hat, Vukarin wiped his bald head, the occasional snowflake melting against his scalp. “What if we do find something? “ he said. His hushed voice was subtle and foreboding.
Radchek didn’t answer. He was still a soldier, and although he thought Barkov’s behavior irrational at best, he wondered if he himself hadn’t somehow provoked the colonel. Barkov sounded magnanimous while talking to
Corovich nodded. “Fine, sir.”
Barkov lead Radchek through the trees, then came upon a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a large arch made from pine saplings. Hanging from the arch, a hunk of rusted sheet metal as big as an automobile’s hood swayed in the wind. The fainter tracks lead here, circled the arch, then trailed off, continuing north.
Radchek touched the edge of the metal, flicked it with his finger. It clanged dully. “Strange,” he said as he looked off into the forest. “I wonder if there are any more-” He jumped at the sound of a gong-like boom.
“ It’s a bell,” said the colonel, holding the luger by the barrel. He had struck the sheet metal with the butt of his sidearm.
The noise brought Vukarin and the rest of the squad running. Barkov turned to them, then began circling the arch. “Comrades, you are tired and hungry,” he said, studying the hanging metal sheet. “I understand that.”
Radchek didn’t trust Barkov’s jovial exterior, and from the look on his face, Vukarin didn’t either. Both were pleased, though, that Barkov had addressed the issues.
“ But,” the colonel continued. “We have before us an unfolding mystery.” He faced the soldiers, leaving Radchek and Vukarin out of the picture. “A mystery that now involves more than just one American spy. If you will join me in a search, I will see to it that each and every man here gets a week of R and R at Firlinsk on the Adriatic Sea.” All of a sudden, the soldiers weren’t hungry anymore, and Radchek and Vukarin shuddered at the men’s downright jubilation.
“ There are four of them,” Barkov said to his dumbfounded officers. They followed the prints away from the arch and into the woods. “The injured pilot was placed on a toboggan and dragged south by one person. Two others went this way, to the north.”
“ To the north? Why?” said Radchek. He didn’t want the colonel to think he was as gullible as the rest of the squad.
“ That, captain, is an excellent question. We know there is nothing to the north but more taiga.” Barkov stopped as the prints trailed off into an even thicker part of the woods. “I suspect there is more to this situation than we are seeing here, however.” Barkov turned to Vukarin, who eyed him suspiciously. “Lieutenant, choose four men. I want them to follow these tracks north. I want to know who’s up there.”
Vukarin was ready to object before Radchek intervened. “Sir,” said Radchek. “What about rest and food?”
“Give it to them,” said Barkov. “But I want this trail followed before the snowfall covers everything.”
“ What about the rest of us?” Radchek hoped Barkov was going to say that they would return to Yenisey.
“ We’ll follow the other trail south.” And with that, the colonel headed back to the trucks. Vukarin shook his head and waited until he was out of earshot.
“ Captain,” he said looking at Radchek with a tinge of desperation. “ Maksim. You have to do something.”
“ What, lieutenant?” Radchek said. “What would you have me do?”
“ We’re not trained or equipped for this kind of search.”
“ I know that,” said Radchek. His mind was going in 50 different directions, and every one of them was a dead end. He was powerless to do anything and the frustration was evident in his face. He looked 10 years older. “The colonel has the support of the men for now,” he said. “We’ll just wait and see how long that lasts.”
Removing his hat, Vukarin wiped his bald head, the occasional snowflake melting against his scalp. “What if we do find something? “ he said. His hushed voice was subtle and foreboding.
Radchek didn’t answer. He was still a soldier, and although he thought Barkov’s behavior irrational at best, he wondered if he himself hadn’t somehow provoked the colonel. Barkov sounded magnanimous while talking to
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