CHAPTER THIRTEEN
_High Stakes_
The sound was akin to that of an invisible giant of the sky tearing offa section of a tin roof with his bare hands. It began high up in theblack night sky, and grew louder and louder until it seemed that theireardrums had been driven clear back into their brains. And then suddenlyit turned into a gigantic explosion that made the very earth lurch andshudder, and seemed to stop spinning for a moment and go staggeringacross limitless space.
"If there was only a night fighter handy! Boy! What I wouldn't give fora night fighter right now!"
Dave Dawson muttered out the words aloud, hardly conscious that he hadspoken them. With Freddy Farmer, and Senior Lieutenant Nasha Petrovski,he was standing out in the back yard of the Russian girl's home, andstaring up at a sneak night raid by Nazi bombers on Moscow a dozen or somiles away. It was only a nuisance raid, and Soviet anti-aircraft gunsand Soviet night fighters were making the Luftwaffe pay a heavy pricefor the few Moscow buildings they hit with their bombs.
However, though the Nazis were unable to hit anything, that fact did notcurb Dawson's desire to be up there in the searchlight-laced sky,dealing out his share of trouble and doom to the raiding vultures. And,incidentally, complete inactivity for three days and nights addedgreatly to his desire to be aloft in all the fuss. And so it was onlynatural that such an expression should slip off his lips automatically.
"That is the way all good soldiers should feel, Captain Dawson," hesuddenly heard the Russian girl's voice at his side. "To do nothing,when there is so much to be done, hurts more than the wounds of battle.I know just how you feel, yes. And I sympathize with you. Time neverwaits."
"You've got something there, Senior Lieutenant," Dave said, taking hiseyes off the sky battle to look at her. "And I've been wondering. Do youthink Colonel General Vladimir has forgotten about us? Or maybe thatsomething has happened to him? It's been _three_ days now."
"Quite," Freddy Farmer joined in the conversation. "He said he expectedto join us the very next day. But we haven't even heard a word. Or haveyou, Senior Lieutenant?"
The Russian Intelligence agent shook her head, and made a faint gesture.
"To me there has come no word," she said slowly, as though selectingeach English spoken word. "But I do not worry. The Colonel General neverforgets anything. And nothing will ever happen to the Colonel Generalbut good things. If it were to be different, the bad things would havehappened long before this time. Like you I wait, and I am restless to bein action again. But I do not worry. When it is the right time, theColonel General will arrive."
Dave considered that in silence for a couple of minutes and watched thesky battle move across the heavens farther and farther to the southwest.The Nazis had dumped their eggs hastily and were trying to scurry backhome, but the Red Air Force was chopping down not a few of them enroute. Over toward Moscow there were the crimson glows of half a dozenfires. But even as Dave stared at them the glows grew fainter andfainter, indicating that the city's fire fighters were quickly gettingthe flames under control. The "flak" fire had died out almost entirely,and the only sounds to be heard were the muffled roar of distantaircraft engines, punctuated now and then by the short, stabbing chatterof Red night fighter machine guns.
"Well, that's that," Dave finally spoke again. "The Berlin newspaperswill probably scream tomorrow that there isn't anything left of Moscow.But Uncle Goering will know different when he gets the raiding reports.And maybe he'll worry another ten pounds off his bay window."
"But he'll no doubt put it right back on as soon as he has breakfast,"Freddy Farmer grunted. "And speaking of food--Oh, so sorry, SeniorLieutenant. I beg your pardon."
"For what?" the Russian girl asked with a flashing smile, and a teasinglilt to her voice. "Because you speak the truth?"
"But I say, really!" the English youth stammered, and his face went beetred in the darkness. "I didn't think, you know. And it was mostimpolite. I--"
"Stop making pretty speeches!" Dawson ribbed him. "Be yourself, andtruthful. I'll try to apologize to the Senior Lieutenant for you. Yousee, Senior Lieutenant, my friend has a hollow leg, so no matter howmuch he eats he never can seem to get enough. Confidentially, theBritish Air Ministry seriously considered dumping him off in OccupiedFrance for a spell so that he could get used to going without food. ButI put in a plea for him, and--"
"And why should not one of England's heroes eat, if he likes?" SeniorLieutenant Nasha Petrovski demanded quietly. "But of course! Come,Captain Farmer. Let us return inside the house. My mother will find us agood meal, have no fear."
"Your slave, Senior Lieutenant," Freddy said, and bowed low. Thenturning to Dave, he said, "You may remain here on guard, Captain Dawson.And you might hunt around for a bit of anti-aircraft shrapnel that Icould keep as a souvenir. After you, Senior Lieutenant."
"But no, no!" the Russian girl exclaimed with a laugh. "No doubt CaptainDawson is hungry, too. And is he not also one of England's heroes?"
"A debatable question, Senior Lieutenant," Freddy Farmer said quicklywith a shrug. "But, if you insist. And to tell the truth, he is afraidof the dark, you know. Very well, Captain Dawson, you may join us."
"And I'll--!" Dave growled, but instantly checked his words, and thequick step he took toward his pal.
All three of them laughed as though there were no such thing as a warexisting, and went trooping back into the house. Madam Petrovski hadturned on the lights, and had also anticipated their wishes, for thetable was set, and three bowls of energy-building hot soup were waitingfor them. As Dave looked at her aged, wrinkled face, and the black eyesthat glowed with the undying faith and determination of Russia, herself,a warm glow closed about his heart, and a polite and sincere complimentrose to his lips.
But he never spoke that compliment, for at that moment a car braked to astop outside, and almost instantly there came the sound of feet on thefront steps, and that of knuckles rapping sharply on the front door. Andbefore Dawson could so much as blink, Senior Lieutenant Nasha Petrovskihad glided out of the room, and opened the door. Split seconds laterColonel General Vladimir came striding into the room. Dave and Freddysprang to attention and saluted. The Colonel General first bowed andsaluted Madam Petrovski, and then he returned their salute.
"Good evening, Captains," he said with his odd smile. "You have perhapsbeen wondering, eh? Well, there have been things to wonder about. Beseated, please, all of you."
As the Colonel General spoke, the old familiar lumps of cold lead beganto bounce around in Dawson's stomach. And it wasn't from hunger, either.The Colonel General's eyes were still flashing with inner fire, but intheir depths Dawson could catch just the faintest tint of worry andconcern. He turned to hold a chair for Madam Petrovski, only to realizethat she had left the room, and closed the door. He must have blinked atthat, for Senior Lieutenant Petrovski suddenly caught his eye, andsmiled.
"It is always like that," she said softly. "My mother prefers to pray,and listen to the story when all has been accomplished."
"But there is no soldier who loves Russia more," the Colonel Generalspoke up gravely. "Nor one who would sacrifice more for his homeland."
The silence that followed the Russian officer's words seemed to say,"Amen," to that. Then a moment later the Colonel General motioned forthem all to sit down, and took a chair for himself.
"There is a decision for us to make," he said bluntly. "A decisionforced by bad news. But no! That is not correct. A decision becausethere has been no news at all."
"Agent Jones!" Dawson breathed softly, as he leaned forward on the edgeof his seat. "I've had a feeling!"
Colonel General Vladimir shot him a sharp piercing look, and thennodded.
"You are correct, Captain Dawson," he said, tight-lipped. "No news ofAgent Jones since he left Baghdad, in Syria, twenty-four hours ago. Hisplane was to land at Baku, in the south Caucasus, but it has notarrived."
A profound silence settled over the room as the Colonel General's wordsdied away to the ech
o. Then Freddy Farmer broke it with a single wordquestion.
"Weather?"
The Russian officer shrugged, and sighed heavily.
"Perhaps," he grunted. "My reports say that it has been very bad in thatsection for several days. True, he may have been forced down, and willcontinue as soon as weather permits. But--but it is also possible thatother things may have happened to his pilot and plane. Who is there totell? Our enemies have ears and eyes, as we all well know. They alsohave guns, and know how to use them. So the truth may be one of manyanswers."
"So what?" Dave murmured. Then, quickly catching himself, "I beg yourpardon, sir. I mean, what is the decision to be made?"
The Russian looked at him, and Dawson had the sudden funny feeling thatthe man was looking straight down into his heart.
"You cannot guess, Captain Dawson?" he suddenly asked softly.
Dave looked blank for a moment, and then felt the rush of hot blood tohis face.
"Yes, sir," he replied as soon as he could. "I think we should decide tocarry on with our end of it, Agent Jones or no Agent Jones. Somebody'sgot to get to Tobolsk and find Ivan Nikolsk. So we're elected."
"Ah! The words of a gallant soldier that all Russia must admire!"
It was Senior Lieutenant Petrovski who had spoken the words, and Davecould almost feel the blood burst out through the skin of his face. Notfor a million dollars would he have dared glance at the expression thatmust have been in Freddy Farmer's eyes. To do so would undoubtedly havemeant the end of a beautiful friendship. So he kept his gaze riveted onthe Colonel General's face. But there was no glint of merriment in theRussian's eyes, just the flash of fire and grim resolve.
"You speak wise words, Captain Dawson," he said quietly. "The stakes areso high they demand any and every effort. Without this Agent Jones thedifficulties are increased six times over. But there is hope. And wemust cling to that, always."
The Russian paused a brief moment to nod his head at Senior LieutenantNasha Petrovski, seated on the other side of the table.
"The Senior Lieutenant knows every foot of ground in the Tobolsk area,"he continued presently. "She is sure she even remembers the old farmwhere Ivan Nikolsk was last seen. If anybody can find Ivan Nikolsk, itwill be the Senior Lieutenant. And when she finds him--"
The Colonel General paused and frowned slightly. The Russian girl seemedinstantly to guess what thought was in his mind, for she spoke upquickly.
"And if he will not tell to me, a Russian woman, the secrets that areburied deep in his brain," she said evenly, "then we will bring him toMoscow, to the Kremlin. And then the Russian in him will speak. It willhave to be so!"
Dave, looking at the girl, suddenly didn't see a girl at all. He saw asoldier; a fighting soldier of the Soviet, who would not stop atbullets, or shells, or fire and flood to gain through to an objective.Nasha Petrovski was a girl, but hers was the bravery, the courage, andthe fighting spirit, to be surpassed by no man's!
"Yes, it will have to be so!" Colonel General Vladimir echoed the words."And when Ivan Nikolsk speaks we will have only to match in his wordswith all that Agent Jones has reported to Air Vice-Marshal Leman, which,of course, has been transmitted to me in secret code. Yes! The decisionis to go to Urbakh, and if Agent Jones has not arrived, to go on overthe enemy positions to Tobolsk, and find this Ivan Nikolsk. That isagreed, eh?"
Dave, Freddy, and the girl Senior Lieutenant simply nodded gravely.There was no need for words.
"Good!" the Colonel General said, and stood up. "So there is no timelike this time to begin. Senior Lieutenant Petrovski! Five minutes tosay farewell to your mother. Then you will conduct the Captains to theaircraft. I will be waiting for your return to Moscow, and like allRussia, praying my prayers for your safety and success!"
As the Russian officer stopped speaking, the girl sprang to her feet,saluted smartly, and then left the room. The Colonel General waiteduntil the door was closed, and then looked hard at Dawson and FreddyFarmer.
"There is one thing of which I will speak, Captains," he said quietly."The Senior Lieutenant is a woman, and there are those who do notbelieve that a woman's place is in the line of enemy fire. But here inthe Soviet we are all soldiers of the line, men and women. Their courageis the same, their eyes just as sharp, and their trigger finger just assteady. And have no thoughts about the Senior Lieutenant under fire, orin the face of any danger. She has won her rank the same as any Sovietman soldier. She has won medals for valor, though she does not wearthem. So have no worries because she is a woman. Three hundred and sixNazi soldiers have died from a rifle or a machine gun in her hands. Keepthat truth in mind. And now I salute you in the name of the SovietRepublics. God's speed, God's courage, and God's blessings be with youfrom the beginning of your journey to your safe and successful return."
The Colonel General saluted, and by the time Dawson and Freddy werehalfway up on their feet, he had whirled and walked out of the room. Thetwo youths checked themselves, and sank back into their chairs. Daveswallowed hard, and whistled softly.
"Suffering catfish!" he gulped. "Three hundred and six Nazi tramps! Mygosh! And me thinking _I'd_ seen some of this war!"
"Quite!" Freddy Farmer murmured. "Makes a chap feel like he's only beenplaying at soldiers. But--"
"But what?" Dave grunted. And then as he saw the glint in FreddyFarmer's eyes he wished he had bitten off his tongue, instead.
"But _I'll_ be in safe company," the English youth shot at him. "Oh,quite! With _two_ gallant soldiers that all Russia must admire!"
Dave's eyes flashed fire, and he started up out of his chair. But hedropped quickly back as he heard the footsteps of Senior LieutenantNasha Petrovski returning to the room.
"Remember it always, you bum!" he whispered to Freddy. "That a girl oncesaved your life, by coming through that door over there!"