1967 - Have This One on Me (18 page)

Smernoff flicked another switch down that brought him in contact with a patrolling helicopter.

‘There’s a truck heading away from the scene of operation,’ Smernoff said. ‘Have you seen it?’

‘Yes ... It’s heading towards the Austrian border,’ the pilot told him. ‘It has been checked and passed.’

Smernoff hesitated.

‘Standby,’ he said and flicked down another switch that gave him contact with various road blocks.

A voice told him, ‘A truck with two soldiers is returning to headquarters by order of Colonel Smerzh. They have passed ten minutes ago.’

Smernoff cursed. He got back to the helicopter.

‘Go after that truck! Square ten!’ he shouted.

‘Don’t lose it! Keep contact and don’t fly too close.’

Malik said, ‘So they have got beyond your clever barrier, Boris. I will be sorry for you if they get over the frontier.’

‘You mean you will be sorry for yourself,’ Smernoff said, his face flushed. ‘You could never be sorry for anyone except yourself!’

chapter seven

I
think he’s got us spotted,’ Girland said, raising his voice above the roar of the truck’s engine. He was driving fast down a narrow lane, bordered either side by fir trees. Following Jan’s directions, he had turned off the main road soon after passing the roadblock. Now, a helicopter was circling overhead.

‘We are within twenty kilometres of the frontier,’ Jan said and glanced at his watch. ‘We have at least nine hours ahead of us before we can make the attempt to cross. We’d better leave the truck and use the forest path.’

Girland nodded. He could imagine the pilot overhead sending back a stream of radio reports. The net was getting uncomfortably tight.

‘Tell me when.’ After another five kilometres, with the helicopter still overhead, Jan said, ‘We’re coming to it now. A little bit further ... now, stop!’

The lane had become even more narrow, and the trees formed a canopy, hiding the truck from the helicopter. Girland pulled up.

As they all descended to the road, Jan said, ‘This will have to be fast, and it’s going to be rough. They must be after us by now. Follow me.’

He slid down the bank and into the forest. Each of the three men carried an automatic rifle and a rucksack. Blanca had Girland’s automatic and a sack of canned food. Mala struggled with the blankets ... it was as much as she could manage. They had left Worthington’s suitcase in the truck.

Girland kept dropping behind to help Mala, urging her on.

He could hear Worthington panting as he forced himself to keep up with Jan’s pace.

During the next quarter of an hour they covered a lot of ground, then they came suddenly on a small, fast moving river.

‘We’ll use this . . . they are certain to have dogs with them,’ Jan said and slid down the bank into the water which came up to his knees. He started downstream, wading forward while the others followed him.

Girland had his arm around Mala and was forcing her along. Worthington began to fall behind. Jan didn’t look back.

He kept on, knowing time was running out for them.

Very faintly they could hear the barking of dogs.

Worthington, gasping, his face white with exhaustion, made an effort and began to catch up with Girland who was having trouble with Mala. She was clinging to him and she would have fallen if he hadn’t supported her.

After struggling through the water for a nightmare ten minutes, Jan headed for the bank again and grabbing hold of a tree branch, he hauled himself out on to the bank. He leaned down and helped Blanca out, then Girland passed Mala to him and turned to help Worthington.

They stood on the top of the bank, the trees forming a dense umbrella above them while they listened. They could hear the barking of dogs, but still in the distance. They could also hear the drone of the helicopter as it circled overhead, vainly trying to find them.

‘Not much further,’ Jan said, ‘then we can rest. Come on!’

He started down a narrow path, then abruptly turned off and plunged through undergrowth. They struggled after him, and after walking for a kilometre or so. Jan waved them to halt.

‘There’s an airshaft to this mine quite close.’ he said. ‘It wants some finding. Wait here,’ and he moved off into the forest.

Mala dropped to the ground. She felt as if she could never move another step. Worthington too was exhausted and leaned against a tree.

After a five-minute wait, Jan returned.

‘I’ve found it ... let’s move.’

Girland helped Mala to her feet and the party moved off, following Jan. They came upon a mass of tangled undergrowth to the side of the path. Jan forced his way through, holding back the dead branches and the brambles so the girls could follow him. They finally came upon a large hole in the ground.

‘This is it. It’s not deep,’ Jan said, ‘and it leads into the mine. I’ll go first.’ He sat on the edge of the hole, his feet dangling into darkness. ‘I’ll be at the bottom to catch you as you come,’ and he slid out of sight.

A few minutes later, they were all standing in an inky black tunnel that dripped water. Girland lit a candle and they looked around. Mala shivered and put her hand on Girland’s arm for comfort.

Lighting another candle, Jan said briskly, ‘Follow me and watch your heads.’

Crouching, he started off down the tunnel.

It seemed to Mala they walked for hours then suddenly they came into a vast cave, and Jan thankfully put down his rifle.

‘Here we are. We should be safe here for a day or so, then we will make the crossing. It would be too risky to try tonight. Do you agree?’

‘I guess so,’ Girland said. ‘But how do we get out of here?’

‘The exit leads right to the frontier,’ Jan said and blew out his candle. ‘Keep yours alight ... one is enough.’

Thankfully they sat down on the dry sandy floor of the cave.

‘Suppose we have something to eat?’ Jan said.

Blanca began to unstrap one of her rucksacks. Girland found a can opener and opened the can of sausages Blanca gave him.

While they were beginning to eat, the pilot of the searching helicopter was radioing back to Smernoff.

Malik was pacing around the room. A radio engineer had rigged up a small loudspeaker so both he and Smernoff could follow the hunt.

The pilot reported that the truck had stopped in a forest on Map reference 15. Checking his map, Smernoff alerted the nearest patrol.

While waiting for their report, Smernoff leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. His face was lined with fatigue. He had been without sleep for thirty-six hours and even his iron constitution was beginning to feel the strain Malik came over to the table and stared down at the map. ‘They are within ten kilometres of the frontier,’ he said. ‘Yes.’ Smernoff flicked ash on to the floor. ‘Suk has moved additional troops there. The whole frontier is alert.’ He looked up at Malik. ‘You want them alive. This gives them a chance to get across. Remember, my friend, it is your order to capture them alive. This means the guards, even if they see them, can’t shoot at them. So ...’

Malik frowned.

‘They have important information.’ Smernoff shrugged. ‘They could get across. They now have automatic weapons. What do you expect our men to do if they are shot at? I told you ... to try to capture Girland alive is impossible. If you think you can take such a risk, then at least, you give me a genuine excuse should I fail to catch them.’

‘They must not get across,’ Malik said.

‘That is different. Then I have your permission to cancel your order to take them alive?’

Malik hesitated. He knew Kovski would engineer his disgrace if he let these people slip through his fingers. He also knew Kovski wanted the information the girl and Worthington had.

‘Yes, cancel it,’ he said finally. ‘They must not get across the frontier.’

‘So now we are quite sure of stopping them,’ Smernoff said. ‘Suk has fifty of the best riflemen at his disposal . . . each equipped with telescopic sights. They are already in position. They cover the whole length of the frontier where these people have to cross. Have a cigarette.’ He put his pack of Benson & Hedges on the table. Then picking up the microphone, he began to talk. ‘Dead or alive,’ he kept repeating. ‘Previous instructions cancelled. Repeat: dead or alive.’

As Malik lit the cigarette, he said, ‘I’m going out there. I’ll take a radio truck and keep in touch with you. Suk is a fool. I don’t trust him.’

‘Please yourself,’ Smernoff said. ‘They will probably have them before you get there.’

Malik stared at him and then went out into the warm sunshine. He got in the passenger’s seat of the radio truck and told the Sergeant to take him fast to section 15 on his map.

The Sergeant studied the map, nodded and started the engine.

‘How long will it take?’ Malik demanded.

‘Two hours. Comrade ... the roads are dangerous and narrow.’

‘I will give you an hour and a half ... then, if you are late, you will lose your rank.’

The Sergeant shrugged.

‘I would prefer to lose my rank than my life Comrade.’

Malik smiled. It was not often that he smiled, but he appreciated frankness

‘Very well ... drive as fast as is safe.’

* * *

Lieutenant Jan Stursa came out of the forest to where Suk was waiting in a jeep parked off the road.

Stursa was a young, ardent Communist with a growing reputation for ruthless efficiency. Slightly built, fair, thin-lipped, he was a man to inspire confidence. He stopped before Suk and saluted smartly.

‘Well?’ Suk snarled.

He was worried. He knew Malik could have him dismissed.

The search had been going on too long now. He couldn’t bear to think what failure might mean to him.

‘They are somewhere in the forest. Comrade Suk,’ Stursa said. ‘They can’t escape. A battalion of men and dogs have encircled the forest. Now, we are preparing to close in. Within an hour we must have them.’

‘Why are you so sure they are here?’ Suk demanded.

‘They left the truck thirty-five minutes ago. The dogs have picked up their scent but lost it at the river. So we know they entered the forest. My men were already in position beyond the river so they couldn’t have gone that way. They haven’t come back here. So they must still be there, hiding somewhere.’

‘Well, get on with it!’ Suk snapped. ‘Find them!’

Stursa saluted, then turning, he started back into the forest.

He waved to a waiting N.C.O. who began blowing a whistle.

Other distant N.C.O.s hearing the whistle also began to blow their whistles. Then almost shoulder to shoulder, the circle of troops began to move forward.

As Suk watched the beginning of the operation, the N.C.O. in charge of the radio passed the microphone to him. Smernoff told him that Malik was on his way to the scene. Sweating and uneasy, Suk cursed to himself.

‘He is wasting his time,’ he said into the microphone. ‘In less than an hour we will have them ... they are surrounded.’

‘I told him that,’ Smernoff said. ‘He doesn’t believe it. It would be a good thing for you. Comrade Suk, if you did have them by the time he arrives.’

The warning wasn’t lost on Suk He left the radio truck and walked into the forest. Standing on a slight hill, he watched the troops, urged on by Stursa and his N.C.O.s disappear into the interior.

The forest now became alive with the sound of men moving forward warily. Stursa soon realised that the operation was going to take much longer than an hour. The constant messages coming through the walkie-talkie, alerting him of the progress of his men on the far side of the forest, told him how slow the progress was going to be. There was so much undergrowth, so much cover and every metre of the ground had to be checked. Knowing the fugitives were armed, the young soldiers became more and more nervous as the search proceeded.

The N.C.O.s following behind, cursed them on, confident that they were safe from the first blast of fire should the fugitives appear suddenly from the undergrowth Seventy minutes of tenseness dragged by, then Stursa’s men reached the river. They paused while Stursa looked across the river at the opposite bank. In a few minutes, he told himself, he should be seeing his troops advancing from the far side of the forest He could hear them as they came, trampling through the undergrowth. There was no point in crossing the river. Any moment now there must be a cry and a shot to tell him the fugitives had been flushed from their hiding place.

Unable to contain his impatience and uneasiness, Suk had gone into the forest and now joined Stursa ‘What are you waiting for?’ he demanded furiously. ‘Are you afraid of getting your feet wet?’

‘The ring is closed,’ Stursa said. His expression was tense and there were sweat beads on his upper lip.

‘Closed?’ Suk’s voice shot up. ‘Then where are your prisoners?’

Even as he spoke, he could see the line of advancing troops coming through the trees on the far side of the river.

‘Where are they?’ he screamed, livid with rage. Then seeing on Stursa’s face the admission of defeat, he began to shake his fists at the young Lieutenant. ‘You imbecile! I’ll have you before the Tribunal!’

Stursa remained stiffly at attention. This was a bitter moment for him. He had been so sure of success.

As Suk continued to scream curses at him, a cold, flat voice said, ‘You sound agitated. Comrade Suk.’

Words died on Suk’s lips. Blood drained out of his face.

He turned to find Malik standing a few yards from him, his green eyes like glass, his face like stone.

‘Comrade Malik.’ Suk recovered himself and tried to bluster. ‘This fool assured me they were in the forest. We have employed nearly five hundred men. Nothing ... they are not here!’

Malik motioned him to silence. He walked over to Stursa ‘Why did you think they were here. Lieutenant?’ he asked quietly.

Steadying his voice, Stursa explained.

‘The dogs picked up their scent from the truck. They lost it about here,’ he said. ‘This must prove they entered the forest. They took to the water and the dogs could not follow them. Every metre of the forest has been searched. Somehow - I can’t explain it - they have managed to evade the ring I threw around them.’