Read Online The Factory by Brian Freemantle - Free Book Online

possible?’
    â€˜No,’ admitted Whitehead. ‘But net against what?’
    â€˜Against a boat – anything – crossing to Sweden!’ said the woman, exasperated. ‘What are we talking about?’
    â€˜Many boats,’ said Whitehead simply.
    â€˜I don’t understand,’ she protested.
    â€˜The Soviet patrols are against one vessel, obviously making for the West. What about a small fleet of fishing vessels, apparently trawling in no particular direction but all the while actually moving gradually westwards? And not right to Sweden: the island of Gotland is much closer.’
    Tanya looked at him doubtfully. ‘Too many people,’ she said. ‘I told you. Some we could rely on, some we couldn’t. Someone would expose us.’
    â€˜Give me a figure,’ demanded Whitehead. ‘How many fishing boat captains could you trust absolutely? Don’t bother about the crews.’
    â€˜Seven. Maybe eight,’ said Tanya, doubtful still.
    â€˜Enough,’ said Whitehead. ‘Only they’ll know what’s really happening. And we’ll swap constantly, once we’re at sea, from boat to boat so that we’re never long enough on one vessel to incriminate anyone. If there is any Soviet naval interception it won’t be of every fishing boat, will it?’
    â€˜You’re asking a lot of them.’
    â€˜You’re owed a lot, like Vadim was. Make an approach, to those you can trust. For tonight.’
    â€˜Tonight!’
    â€˜There’s nothing to stay for except arrest and imprisonment and losing Natasha.’
    Only six agreed to help. It was late afternoon before Tanya came back from the port, dragging her feet with weariness and disappointment. She said: ‘The two fishermen I told you about? They have been arrested. Everyone’s frightened.’
    â€˜Any doubts now about getting away?’
    â€˜Just frightened, like the rest,’ said Tanya.
    Natasha was clearly frightened too, although they did not tell her everything and certainly not that she was leaving her home for ever. Luggage was impossible, of course. Tanya squeezed into a handbag a photograph of Vadim and another of him with herself and Natasha. With childlike intuition Natasha asked if she could take something and chose a toy bear that Vadim had bought her, the year of his arrest. At the moment of leaving, Tanya gazed longingly around the tiny house and Natasha said: ‘I don’t want to go!’
    â€˜I don’t want to either,’ said Tanya. ‘We must.’
    As always they used the alleys to approach the port and they were practically at the entry gate before they came upon the arc-lighted roadblock, soldiers, plainclothes KGB men and vehicles sealing everything off.
    Tanya turned, horrified, towards Whitehead and said: ‘Someone talked: someone who refused to help today.’
    â€˜It’s got to be this way,’ insisted Whitehead when he finished telling her what he was going to do.
    â€˜You can’t!’
    â€˜Yes,’ he said. ‘Do exactly as I say. When you get ashore at Gotland go to the British consul. Show him the British passport and tell him to contact London. Its number will be recognized. Someone will come to get you.’
    â€˜Please don’t!’
    â€˜Remember,’ insisted Whitehead. ‘Don’t stand and watch. As soon as everything starts, get through that gate.’
    â€˜I don’t …’ started Tanya but Whitehead was already moving, briefly retreating up the alley to emerge from another exit further along the main port road, striding obviously towards the dock gate. About twenty yards from the roadblock but in full view of it he suddenly stopped, appearing uncertain. Then he turned, hesitated again, and began to run.
    â€˜There!’ came a shout from someone at the barrier. ‘He’s running, there!’
    There was a moment of inactivity. Then the chase began,