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Authors: David Lee Marriner
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around?”
“Yes.”
“You’re right. There are cameras everywhere here, and right
now half of my team are looking at the records.”
“There’s no way those who committed this could have evaded
all the cameras. They must have known this,” James said with amazement.
“It didn’t bother them, obviously. This means they had come
prepared. Nevertheless, something may come out.”
CHAPTER NINE
Russia
1913
“We would like help for our wounded. Take care of my
hussars. Bring them up on the sleigh. If necessary, make camp stretchers. And
the road must be unblocked,” Nikolai II said.
“Aye, Your Majesty. I have two men amongst my people who are
good at managing wounds,” responded Batka.
“If some of the bastards who attacked us are still alive,
patch them up as well. I need to interrogate them,” said Semeon Laptin.
“Do it!” Batka ordered his men.
“Whom do you serve, Ivan?” Laptin asked.
“We are on our way to Saransk, Excellence. We accompany
merchant caravans to the Far East and back. In Saransk, traders from all over
the region gather. They will travel to the Eastern Provinces and China. We’re
hired as guards.”
“How did you find yourself in that forest?”
“We decided to take a short cut. We heard shots and rode
this way,” Batka explained. “We were close, though.”
“Thanks God for that,” said the Tsar.
A loud, short whistle made everybody turn in the direction
from where it cut through the air. On the road, the second sleigh from the
cortège was gliding towards them with one of Batka’s men as coachman and
the fugitive Poruchik tied up in it. Another of Batka’s men was riding next to
the sleigh, pointing his revolver at him.
“I gave orders to my men to capture that runaway,” Batka
explained.
“Semeon, I leave the traitor to you,” said the Tsar.
“I’ll make him cough up his mother’s milk.” The Secret
Police officer gnashed his teeth.
Suddenly, a muffled gunshot was heard. The Poruchik tilted
sideways. A red speck appeared on his grey tunic and grew.
“The heel killed himself, Batka,” the man riding next the
sleigh said in astonishment. “He had a hidden revolver.”
Anger dimmed Batka’s mind at once, but he immediately
regained composure. In other circumstance, he would have killed on the spot the
man who had stupidly revealed his well-known nickname. “You should have
searched him. Both of you give up your weapons to Stephan. I’ll deal with you
later.” Batka’s tone was low and cold. “Apologies, Your Majesty. I accept the
blame for this.”
“Don’t be too harsh on them. Anybody can make a mistake,”
said the Tsar.
Batka smiled inwardly at the Tsar’s softness. In the
underground empire Batka had built during last ten years, such a man would only
be able to give commands to his horse. “As Your Majesty wishes,” he responded.
During their conversation, the wounded hussars had been
brought up on the Tsar’s sleigh and the dead ones put on the second sleigh next
to the body of the Poruchik. Stephan approached, bowed clumsily to the Tsar and
reported that only two of the attackers were still breathing but unconscious,
dying.
Semeon Laptin looked around discreetly and said, “May I talk
to Your Majesty?” He took the Tsar by his arm and they walked several steps
away. “Your Majesty, what I’m going to say may sound strange. But I’d like you
to consider it well.”
“Say it, Semeon.”
“I think we must keep what happened here secret.”
The Tsar looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “What are
you talking about?”
“Please, consider it. The news about one almost successful
assassination attempt against Your Majesty will demoralize the ordinary people.
Our internal enemies will become more embittered. I already told you that the
socialists want to start riots in Petersburg, Moscow and other towns. Now
divisions tear them apart, but such news could unite them. Also, the
“Yes.”
“You’re right. There are cameras everywhere here, and right
now half of my team are looking at the records.”
“There’s no way those who committed this could have evaded
all the cameras. They must have known this,” James said with amazement.
“It didn’t bother them, obviously. This means they had come
prepared. Nevertheless, something may come out.”
CHAPTER NINE
Russia
1913
“We would like help for our wounded. Take care of my
hussars. Bring them up on the sleigh. If necessary, make camp stretchers. And
the road must be unblocked,” Nikolai II said.
“Aye, Your Majesty. I have two men amongst my people who are
good at managing wounds,” responded Batka.
“If some of the bastards who attacked us are still alive,
patch them up as well. I need to interrogate them,” said Semeon Laptin.
“Do it!” Batka ordered his men.
“Whom do you serve, Ivan?” Laptin asked.
“We are on our way to Saransk, Excellence. We accompany
merchant caravans to the Far East and back. In Saransk, traders from all over
the region gather. They will travel to the Eastern Provinces and China. We’re
hired as guards.”
“How did you find yourself in that forest?”
“We decided to take a short cut. We heard shots and rode
this way,” Batka explained. “We were close, though.”
“Thanks God for that,” said the Tsar.
A loud, short whistle made everybody turn in the direction
from where it cut through the air. On the road, the second sleigh from the
cortège was gliding towards them with one of Batka’s men as coachman and
the fugitive Poruchik tied up in it. Another of Batka’s men was riding next to
the sleigh, pointing his revolver at him.
“I gave orders to my men to capture that runaway,” Batka
explained.
“Semeon, I leave the traitor to you,” said the Tsar.
“I’ll make him cough up his mother’s milk.” The Secret
Police officer gnashed his teeth.
Suddenly, a muffled gunshot was heard. The Poruchik tilted
sideways. A red speck appeared on his grey tunic and grew.
“The heel killed himself, Batka,” the man riding next the
sleigh said in astonishment. “He had a hidden revolver.”
Anger dimmed Batka’s mind at once, but he immediately
regained composure. In other circumstance, he would have killed on the spot the
man who had stupidly revealed his well-known nickname. “You should have
searched him. Both of you give up your weapons to Stephan. I’ll deal with you
later.” Batka’s tone was low and cold. “Apologies, Your Majesty. I accept the
blame for this.”
“Don’t be too harsh on them. Anybody can make a mistake,”
said the Tsar.
Batka smiled inwardly at the Tsar’s softness. In the
underground empire Batka had built during last ten years, such a man would only
be able to give commands to his horse. “As Your Majesty wishes,” he responded.
During their conversation, the wounded hussars had been
brought up on the Tsar’s sleigh and the dead ones put on the second sleigh next
to the body of the Poruchik. Stephan approached, bowed clumsily to the Tsar and
reported that only two of the attackers were still breathing but unconscious,
dying.
Semeon Laptin looked around discreetly and said, “May I talk
to Your Majesty?” He took the Tsar by his arm and they walked several steps
away. “Your Majesty, what I’m going to say may sound strange. But I’d like you
to consider it well.”
“Say it, Semeon.”
“I think we must keep what happened here secret.”
The Tsar looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “What are
you talking about?”
“Please, consider it. The news about one almost successful
assassination attempt against Your Majesty will demoralize the ordinary people.
Our internal enemies will become more embittered. I already told you that the
socialists want to start riots in Petersburg, Moscow and other towns. Now
divisions tear them apart, but such news could unite them. Also, the
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