Wind in the Hands

Chapter 19. Report

  The Chief of the internal security service received a report on

  disappearance of the Soldier and Stranger, and immediately called the head of the hunt group on the carpet.

  “How come?” he stared at his subordinate.

  “I have made a report on all our actions,” uttered the latter guiltily.

  “Tell me in your own words!”

  “We set the hunt group at the station entry, held the conference call…”

  “I need all details,” the Chief interrupted him.

  “Two officers at the entry, an additional observation post on the second floor. A group next to the ticket office. A musician was attracted on purpose. Set a direct line with the ticket office computer. At about twelve, two suspected persons were observed. One of them directed steps to the station, where he was taken a picture of, while the other remained on the spot. The checkup identified him as our object, the Stranger. He came up to the station arch, looked around, and gave a wink to our agent.”

  “Why did he wink?” the Chief frowned. “How, on earth, he realized that this was a security staff member?”

  “I do not know. This was a professional; he looked quite ordinarily, like a tourist.”

  “Go on,” the Chief saw that the case was much more complicated it seemed at first glance.

  “Then, something quite unexpected happened. The Stranger asked the musician for the guitar to sign a song.”

  “What a song?” the director was surprised. The officer held forth the note with a text. Having read the words of the song, he directed burst laughing:

  “But this guy has a sense of humor. You, bullheads, couldn’t see what ‘there are wenches at the station’ means?”

  “You mean the Stranger wanted to warn the Soldier in such an original manner?”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “Well, say it were true. I cannot believe that an amateur could lay open our group,“ the officer’s voice was scornful of sarcasm. “But, above all, the Soldier quite openly bought tickets and met with his accomplice inside the building.”

  “And where are they now?” the Chief was ready to burst with range. “You have underestimated them. They twisted you around the finger. What was next?”

  “We bought two next door compartments, fixed wires.”

  “The wire data! Straight away! What is here?”

  “Nothing out of the common. They almost were not talking. The Soldier went out to the corridor, and spoke to our agent, a young pretty officer. Shortly, he went to smoke. Our agent who replaced the first girl and was permitted to get in contact with the object saw him. She was immediately sent to control her. All clear, she doesn’t lie. The Stranger remained in the compartment. The tape shows some sounds, but we couldn’t identify them. Perhaps, some technical defects. When, in forty minutes, the Soldier did not return, our agents checked up the compartment, then the entire train set, but found nobody. And this is an enigma.”

  “Did you monitor everything?”

  “Yes, even the ticket office of the station, where the Soldier was likely to get out the train. He couldn’t shape the invisible.”

  “Well, say it is true. The Soldier gets out at the station and somehow disappears. He is a professional. But what about the Stranger? Where? You say he was remaining in the compartment? Has the taping shown the door slam after the Soldier left the compartment?”

  “No. Nothing of the kind. The Stranger did not leave the compartment. We lost them, but if you give us the warrant to arrest, we shall find them soon, after all, then we can involve the police, they have their eyes and ears everywhere,” the agent tried to find excuses.

  “Well, but without the warrant. We shall operate on our own,” the Chief has made a decision. “The minute you find the Stranger, take him and bring to me, I will examine him myself. Do not let the Soldier get into the City, you can do what you like, but do not cripple him! Interrogate the ‘tail’ once again, especially, the maiden. Put through it! There must be a catch somewhere. The Stranger could not slip through. I cannot believe this.”

  “Sorry, but we cannot interrogate the girl. She handed resignation and went somewhere, her mobile phone number is unavailable. Sure, we can find her, but should we waste time and efforts? And why, indeed?”

  The Chief half stood, kept silence for an instance, and threw off:

  “Dismissed.”

  He understood that nobody supports the Soldier and Stranger, and put his foot down. The Soldier was suspended from serious tasks after change of the leadership, and several scenarios were in the making. The best one is to recruit the guy, although the shift from one service to another one was not in common practice, this was considered to be betrayal.

  The Stranger is not connected with any service at all, but to work with him will be difficult. It is hardly possible to overplay the man who can read thoughts and practices hypnotism, after all, somehow he escaped observation. “But never mind, be sure, we shall make him talk.”