Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel(193)

It was 8:30. Karolich was nowhere to be found. The guard who reported this was unconcerned, and so was Brestov. He asked that Ouspensky be taken back to his barracks. "We'll check this out tomorrow morning, Comrade Ouspensky."

"Couldn't you just check Belov's cell, Commandant? Just to make sure. It will take two minutes. We can check the jail as you're walking me back to barracks."

Brestov shrugged. "Go ahead, Corporal, walk by the jail, if you want."

Ouspensky and the guard walked back to the gatehouse.

"Havethey seen Karolich?" asked Ouspensky, motioning to the sentries.

"Yes, they said they saw him and a Red Cross nurse get into the jeep and head for the commandant's house about forty-five minutes ago."

"But he's not at the commandant's house."

"That doesn't mean anything."

The guard pushed open the door of the jail and walked inside the cell block corridor. Perdov was sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. He reeked of vodka. "Oh, just great," muttered the guard. "Some f*cking sentry you are, Perdov." He grabbed the master key from him and unlocked cell number seven.

Ouspensky and the guard stood in the doorway. The man on the straw was chained and was wearing a bloodied white shirt and dark slacks. His head was tilted back. He wasn't moving.

"Well?" said the guard. "Satisfied?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Ouspensky walked down to the prisoner and looked into his face. Then he turned around. "I'm satisfied," he said. "Come look for yourself."

The guard stepped down. Dumbly he stared into the open eyes of Ivan Karolich.

"Tania!" She heard his voice.

"Where are you?"

"Down here, come."

She ran down the slope to him. He was waiting for her by the trees. He had already found the weapons and her backpacks. In his hands he was holding the nurse's bag. She wanted to come closer, but he was holding too many bags.

"Will you be all right carrying the smaller bag with the ammo and your nurse's bag?" he asked. "I'll take the rest of the ammo, the weapons and the large backpack. What did you put in here, rocks?"

"Food. Wait. I have clothes for you. Once you change into them, it'll be lighter."

"I'll wash first, then change." Alexander led the way, carrying the flashlight.

"What river is this?" he asked.

"Havel."

"How far south does it run?"

"To Berlin, but it runs along the highway nearly the whole way."

"Ah, too bad." He undressed. "I'll be happy to get out of the uniform of that motherf*cking bastard. And just a lieutenant, too. Do you have any soap? Did you get hurt?"

"No," she said, her head slightly leaden. She handed him the soap.

He walked naked into the water. Sitting down on the embankment she shined the light on him.

"Turn it off," he said. "You can see light for miles in the dark."

She wanted to look at him. But she turned it off and listened to him instead, splashing, lathering, diving under.

She was facing his dark form in the river. He was facing her and the incline to the road. Suddenly he stopped moving. All she heard was his breath.

"Tatiana," he said.

She didn't have to be told anything. When she turned around and looked up, she already knew what she would be seeing. Bright lights, moving down the highway, engine noise getting closer, the sound of men Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

shouting, and dogs barking.

"How could they have found out so quickly?" she whispered.

Quickly she handed him his clothes. He got dressed. He kept Karolich's boots, because otherwise he would have been barefoot. ("I can't think of everything," she said.)

"We have to lose our scent. The Alsatians will find us. The Soviets are really enjoying the fruits of Hitler's superior military machine."

"But they passed us."

"Yes. Where do you think they're going?" he asked.

"To the truck."

"Are we in that truck?"

Ah. "But where can we go?" she asked. "We're stuck between the river and the road. They'll smell us here for sure."

"Yes, the dogs will find us. It's a windy night."

"Let's cross the river and head west."

"Where's the nearest river crossing?"

"Forget about a crossing" she replied. "There may be one five miles down. Let's just cross here. We'll swim across and then move west, away from Berlin, before we turn south and return back east into the British sector."

"Where's the American sector?"

"All the way south. But all four zones in the city have open borders, so the sooner we leave Soviet-occupied territory the better."

"You think?" he said. "The river is not that deep, maybe eight feet."

She was already undressed down to her vest and underwear. "That's fine. We'll swim to the other side. Let's go."

"We can't swim," he said. "If our weapons and ammo get wet, they'll be no good to us until they dry." They stood for a moment, their eyes on each other. "Get on top of my back," Alexander said, quickly taking off the clothes he had just put on. "I'll swim across and you hold all our things on your back."