el.angeleyes-第104部分

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　All　the　way　out　to　the　insane　asylum　he　thought　of　the　sinking　feeling　he　had　gotten　as　he　waited　for　Natasha　in　the　lobby　of　the　old　Moscow　Arts　Theater。　It　was　still　with　him；　and　it　was　accelerating。
　Natasha　was　absolutely　reliable。　On　the　one　occasion　when　she　could　not　make　their　rendezvous；　she　had　used　the　dead…letter　drop　at　the　International　Post　Office　in　Kohisomolskaya　Square　he　had　described　to　her。　Before　every　rendezvous；　Valeri　went　to　the　post　office　box　there　to　make　sure　there　was　no　message　from　her。　There　had　been　none　today；　and　she　hadn't　made　the　scheduled　rendezvous。　He　could　not　ask　about　her　at　the　old　Moscow　Arts　Theater　without　calling　attention　to　himself；　so　he　had　left；　fearing　the　worst。　Then；　at　the　public　phone　bank　at　the　post　office；　he　had　called　her　apartment。　A　man　had　answered　in　an　officious　voice。　His　blood　turned　to　ice；　Valeri　put　down　the　receiver　as　if　it　had　turned　into　a　serpent。
　All　the　way　out　to　Arkhangelskoe；　Valeri　was　thinking　like　a　chess　player；　three；　four；　five　steps　ahead。　He　was　moderately　successful　in　keeping　his　mind　free　of　Natasha；　because　surely　she　was　lost　to　him　now；　and　there　were　larger　issues　at　stake；　something　Natasha　knew　and　accepted　when　he　had　recruited　her。　Because　her　beliefs　coincided　with　his；　she　had　made　herself　into　a　professional。　But；　as　he　well　knew；　even　professionals　had　their　breaking　points。
　It　was　a　question　of　time　now。
　If　the　KGB　had　picked　her　up…which　it　appeared　they　had…　they　would　break　her；　no　question。　It　was　merely　a　matter　of　how　long　before　she　broke。　There　was　no　blame　here。　Valeri　knew　that　were　he　in　Natasha's　position；　he　too　would　eventually　break；　tell　them　everything　he　knew；　everything　they　wanted　to　hear。　There　would　be　no　shame　in　it；　only　the　secret　knowledge　of　how　many　more　lives　would　be　saved　by　holding　out　that　much　longer　before　the　will　gave　out　and　the　damaging　information　began　to　flow。
　He　arrived　in　Arkhangelskoe　free　of　ticks；　and　skirted　the　magnificent　estate；　the　birch　forest；　but　he　did　not　park　in　the　lot　outside　the　insane　asylum。　Instead　he　pulled　into　a　badly　rutted　dirt　track　that　cut　diagonally　through　the　forest　and　switched　off　the　ignition。
　He　sat　listening　to　the　ticking　of　the　hot　engine。　The　bluebirds　and　cardinals　sang　in　the　trees；　the　insects　droned　and　whirred；　life　went　on　here　no　different　than　it　had　the　day　before；　than　it　would　the　day　after。　If　only　that　were　true　for　Valeri　Bondasenko。
　Valeri　pulled　open　the　locked　glove　partment；　extracted　the　handgun。　It　was　of　West　German　manufacture；　and　extremely　reliable。　He　slid　it　into　the　waistband　of　his　trousers。　It　was　unfortable　there；　but　that　was　good；　he　thought　as　he　began　his　nerve…racking　trek　toward　the　grim　Victorian　facade　of　the　insane　asylum；　it　would　remind　him　of　what　had　to　be　done　now。
　He　took　out　a　slender　switchblade　with　a　long；　wicked　blade。　He　tested　the　action　of　the　blade；　then　strapped　the　knife　in　its　sheath　to　the　inside　of　his　wrist。
　If　he　was　expecting　a　contingent　of　KGB　Border　Guards　to　have　surrounded　the　place；　he　was　mistaken。　By　the　time　he　arrived　near　the　front　steps；　he　had　almost　convinced　himself　that　Natasha　was　still　holding　on；　that　she　hadn't　spilled　everything　in　her　mind　into　their　laps。　He　said　a　little　prayer　as　he　turned　away　from　the　main　lobby；　entering　the　building　through　the　rear　service　doors。
　He　was　immediately　hit　by　the　familiar　noxious　odors；　but　he　was　too　concerned　to　be　repelled。　He　went　quickly　up　the　south　staircase　to　the　third　floor。　He　stood　just　outside　the　door　to　the　floor　corridor；　peering　through　the　meshed　square　of　glass。　In　a　moment　he　saw　a　plainclothes　man　ing　in　his　direction。　Valeri　ducked　back　into　the　stairwell。　The　man　passed　by　the　door；　and　Valeri　watched　him　as　he　went　into　his　daughter's　room。
　His　heart　sank。　Natasha　was　as　good　as　dead。　She　had　told　them　everything　she　knew。　Poor　Natasha。
　The　only　good　news　for　him　was　that　it　appeared　that　she　had　just　been　broken；　otherwise　all　entrances　would　have　been　guarded；　the　place　would　have　been　surrounded。　Time　was　running　away。　He　knew　that　the　Border　Guards　contingent　must　be　on　its　way。
　Valeri　opened　the　door；　looked　first　to　his　left；　the　direction　from　which　the　KGB　man　had　e。　The　corridor　was　clear　in　that　direction；　but　to　his　right　another　KGB　man　stood　guard　outside　his　daughter's　room。
　His　heart　thundering　in　his　chest；　Valeri　ventured　out　into　the　corridor。　He　walked　directly　up　to　the　KGB　man；　said；　〃I'm　looking　for　Dr。　Kalinin。　Have　you　seen　him？〃
　The　KGB　man　opened　his　mouth　to　reply；　and　Valeri　depressed　the　stud　that　opened　the　switchblade；　shoved　the　blade　between　the　man's　third　and　fourth　ribs；　in　a　slight　upward　tilt　so　that　the　blade　pierced　his　heart。
　The　KGB　man's　jaws　snapped　together　as　he　collapsed　into　Valeri's　arms。　Valeri　dragged　him　quickly　across　the　corridor；　parking　him　just　inside　the　door　to　a　room　occupied　by　a　atose　woman　in　her　eighties。　He　went　through　the　KGB　man's　pockets；　taking　his　ID　folder；　his　weapons。
　He　strode　swiftly；　confidently；　back　across　the　hall　and　through　the　door　to　his　daughter's　room。　The　second　KGB　man　looked　up；　said；　〃Stop　where　you　are；〃　then　looked　down　in　astonishment　at　the　hilt　of　the　knife　buried　in　his　chest。
　He　went　down　on　one　knee；　but　still　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　draw　his　pistol。　Valeri　kicked　it　out　of　his　hand。　The　KGB　man　grabbed　Valeri's　foot；　twisted　it　from　the　heel。
　Valeri　felt　himself　going　over；　and　the　man　was　upon　him。　Blood　was　seeping　from　the　wound　in　his　chest；　but　Valeri　could　see　how　his　aim　had　been　off。　The　man's　sternum　had　been　pierced；　but　the　bone　had　taken　the　brunt　of　the　wound。
　His　hands　were　around　Valeri's　throat；　and　Valeri　used　his　knee；　kicking　the　man　in　his　crotch。　Pink　froth　flew　from　the　KGB　man's　mouth；　and　his　eyes　almost　bugged　out　of　his　head。　He　growled　like　an　animal；　but　did　not　relinquish　his　stranglehold　on　Valeri's　throat。　His　spatulate　thumbs　were　pressing　into　Valeri's　windpipe。
　Valeri　used　three　kites　to　the　man's　rib　cage；　felt　it　stave　in　on　the　third　blow。　The　man　toppled　to　the　floor。　Valeri　scrambled　to　his　feet；　went　to　the　bed；　gazed　down　at　the　placid　face　of　his　daughter。　He　was　never　so　happy　to　see　her。　Bending　down；　he　scooped　her　up；　stepped　over　the　body　of　the　fallen　KGB　man。
　He　peeked　out　into　the　corridor。　It　was　clear。　He　ran　to　the　stairwell；　headed　downstairs。　It　took　him　seven　minutes　to　ferry　his　daughter　out　of　the　asylum；　back　to　where　the　car　was　hidden　among　the　birches。
　Then　he　hurried　back。　There　was　more　to　be　done。
　He　skirted　the　building；　heading　around　back　to　the　long；　sloping　lawn。　He　looked　back　toward　the　open　doors　to　the　main　lobby。　There　was　the　usual　activity；　with　nurses　passing　this　way　and　that；　some　with　their　charges　in　wheelchairs；　others　shepherding　slow…shuffling　figures　in　tatty　robes　from　one　corridor　to　another。　There　was　a　clot　of　doctors　to　the　left　who　seemed　to　be　huddled　over　a　chart。
　Valeri　saw　Dr。　Kalinin　among　the　clot　of　doctors　and；　at　almost　the　same　moment。　Dr。　Kalinin　saw　him。
　Valeri　saw　the　doctor's　face　go　white；　then　he　began　to　surreptitiously　edge　away　from　his　colleagues；　away　from　the　spot　where　Valeri　stood。
　Valeri　ran　down　the　lawn　toward　the　bench　that　overlooked　the　large　birch　tree　where　he　always　sat　with　his　daughter。　It　was　empty。　He　turned；　looked　beyond　the　tree；　toward　the　birch　forest；　and　he　saw　to　his　horror　the　young　man　with　the　strawberry　birthmark　on　his　cheek　running　from　two　plainclothes　men。　The　young　man　was　heading　toward　the　forest；　but　Valeri　could　see　that　he　was　not　going　to　make　it。
　Valeri　drew　his　pistol；　went　down　on　one　knee；　held　the　gun　in　both　hands。　He　sighted；　squeezed　off　one　shot；　two。　Both　the　KGB　men　fell。
　〃rade！〃
　He　heard　the　shout　behind　him　and　whirled。　Dr。　Kalinin　had　e　down　the　back　steps　onto　the　lawn。　He　kept　shouting；　pointing　at　Valeri。　Valeri　shot　him。　Dr。　Kalinin　threw　his　hands　into　the　air　as　he　spun　around。　By　the　time　he　hit　the　ground　face　first；　Valeri　was　already　off　and　running　toward　the　forest　of　birch　trees。
　He　crashed　into　the　underbrush；　then　was　within　the　w