Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel(191)

She nodded. "Plus my backpack over there."

"Weapons? Ammunition? Knife, rope?"

"Yes, yes."

"A flashlight?"

"Below in the compartment."

He grabbed it.

"In."

He squeezed in sideways, and she slammed the hatch shut. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," came his muffled voice. He opened the hatch from inside. "But knock loudly so I can hear above the noise of the jeep. What time is it?"

"Seven forty."

"Get them in as soon as possible and start driving."

"Right now."

Before she climbed into the jeep, Tatiana ran to the side of the path and threw up.

"I don't know what the hurry is," said Penny plaintively. "I'm tired, I had some wine, why can't we just go to sleep and drive back tomorrow?"

"Because we have to be back here tomorrow," said Tatiana, pushing her to the jeep. "Dr. Flanagan, are you coming?"

"Yes, I'm coming, I'm coming. I just want to make sure I haven't forgotten anything."

"We'll be back tomorrow, even if you did."

"That's true. Should we say goodbye to the commandant?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"I don't think that's necessary," said Tatiana as casually as she could. She wanted to scream. "I already made our goodbyes to him. Besides, we'll see him tomorrow."

They walked outside, dropped their bags in the back.

"Where areyour bags, Tania?" Penny asked.

She pointed to them.

"You have so many bags," Martin said. "More and more, it seems like."

"You're never sure what you're going to need on a trip like this. Would you like me to drive? My head is clear. I've had no wine."

"Yes, why don't you?" said Martin, sliding in past the wheel. "But do you know the way in the dark?"

"I mapped out our route earlier to make it easier for us. We go down to Oranienburg and make a left."

"I guess." Martin closed his eyes. "Let's go."

Tatiana drove away from the commandant's house and made her way slowly in the darkness, and then faster and faster. It impressed on her that she wanted to be as far away as soon as possible from Special Camp Number 7.

At 7:55, Nikolai Ouspensky opened his eyes and screamed. He jumped out of bed and ran waving like a madman to the guard by the door of the barracks.

"I must see the commandant!" he yelled. "I must see him now! It's a matter of great urgency, believe me, great urgency!"

"Easy now," the guard said calmly, pushing him away. "What's so urgent all of a sudden?"

"One of their prisoners is about to escape! Tell Commandant Brestov that Captain Alexander Belov is about to escape!"

"What are you talking about? Belov? The one who is shackled in isolation until the trains come?"

"I'm telling you, one of the Red Cross nurses is not an American. She is his Russian wife, and she is about to help him escape!"

Tatiana drove for a minute, two, three. Time and distance suddenly stood still. She could not drive fast enough, nor get enough time to pass before they needed to make their move. She couldn't remember if there was a checkpoint at Oranienburg, and didn't know if she should chance it. Could Special Camp communicate with the checkpoint? Was there a phone? What if someone came into the cell block? What if Karolich came to and started screaming? What if Perdov fell off his chair and became revived by the fall? What if, what if, what if. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"Tania, we're talking to you, did you hear us?" Martin said.

"No, sorry, what?"

They reached Oranienburg and made a left onto a paved road. As soon as the dim lights of the small town were behind them, Tatiana rapped her knuckles twice on the cabin. Penny and Martin were talking and didn't notice.

Ouspensky was brought before Brestov at 8:15.

"What is this all about?" Brestov said, inebriated and smiling. "Who did you say is escaping?"

"Alexander Belov, sir. The Red Cross nurse is his wife."

"What Red Cross nurse?"

"The black-haired one."

"I thought they both had...dark hair."

Ouspensky through his teeth said, "The small one."

"They were both small."

"The thin one! She was a Russian nurse by the name of Tatiana Metanova, and she escaped from the Soviet Union some years back."

"And you're saying she came back for him?"

"Yes."

"How did she know he was here?"

"I don't know that, but sir..."

Brestov laughed and shrugged. "Where is Karolich?" he said to the guard at the door of his quarters. "Ask him to join us, will you?"

"I haven't seen him, sir."

"Well, find him."

"Why don't you talk to the nurse?" said Ouspensky. "She's his wife, why don't you talk to her?"

"I'll have to do that tomorrow, prisoner."

"Tomorrow will be too late!" Ouspensky nearly screeched. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html