Heads You Win Read online

  * * *

  As if Elena’s problems at home weren’t bad enough, things were becoming worse at work, as the major’s advances became less and less subtle. She had considered pouring boiling water over his wandering hands, but the consequences didn’t bear thinking about.

  It must have been about a week later, as she was tidying up the kitchen before returning home, that Polyakov staggered in, clearly drunk, and began to unbutton his trousers as he advanced toward her. Just as he was about to place a sweaty hand on her breast, a junior officer rushed in, and said that the commandant needed to see him urgently. Polyakov couldn’t hide his frustration, and as he left, hissed at Elena, “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back later.” Elena was so terrified, she didn’t leave the kitchen for over an hour. But the moment the siren finally sounded, she pulled on her coat and was among the first to clock off.

  When her brother joined her for supper that evening, she begged him to tell her the details of his plan.

  “I thought you said it was far too great a risk.”

  “I did, but that was before I realized I can’t avoid Polyakov’s advances any longer.”

  “You told me you could even bear that, as long as Alexander never found out.”

  “But if he did,” said Elena quietly, “can you imagine what he might do? So tell me what you have in mind, because I’ll consider anything.”

  Kolya leaned forward and poured himself a shot of vodka before he began to take her slowly through his plan. “As you know, several foreign vessels unload their cargo at the docks every week, and we have to turn them around as quickly as possible, so any waiting ships can take their place. That’s my responsibility.”

  “But how does that help us?” asked Elena.

  “Once a ship has been unloaded, the loading process begins. Because not everyone wants bags of salt or cases of vodka, some vessels leave the port empty.” Elena remained silent while her brother continued. “There are two ships due in on Friday, which after they’ve discharged their cargo will leave on the Saturday afternoon tide with empty holds. You and Alexander could be hidden on one of them.”

  “But if we’re caught we could end up on a cattle train to Siberia.”

  “That’s why it’s important to take our chance this Saturday, because for once the odds will be stacked in our favor.”

  “Why?” asked Elena.

  “Zenit F.C. are playing Torpedo Moscow in the final of the Soviet Cup, and almost all of the officers will be sitting in a box at the stadium supporting Moscow, while most of the workers will be cheering on the home side from the terraces. So there’ll be a three-hour window we could take advantage of, and by the time the final whistle blows, you and Alexander could be on your way to a new life in London or New York.”

  “Or Siberia?”

  3

  ALEXANDER

  Kolya and Elena never left for the docks in the morning at the same time, and they didn’t return home together at night. When they were at work, there was no reason for their paths to cross, and they were careful to make sure they never did. Kolya came down from his flat on the sixth floor every evening, but they didn’t discuss what they were planning until after Alexander had gone to bed, when they talked of little else.

  By Friday evening, they’d gone over everything they imagined could go wrong again and again, although Elena remained convinced something would trip them up at the last moment. She didn’t sleep that night, but then she hadn’t slept for more than a couple of hours a night for the past month.

  Kolya told her that because of the cup final, almost all the dockers had opted for the early shift on Saturday morning—six until midday—so once the noon siren blasted, the docks would only be manned by a skeleton crew.

  “And I’ve already told Alexander I wasn’t able to get him a ticket, so he’s reluctantly signed up for the afternoon shift.”

  “When will you tell him?” asked Elena.

  “Not until the last moment. Think like the KGB. They don’t even tell themselves.”

  Comrade Akimov had already told Elena that she could take Saturday off, because he doubted if any of the officers would bother to come in for lunch, as they wouldn’t want to miss the kickoff.

  “I’ll pop in during the morning,” she told him. “It’s just possible they might not all be football fans. But I’ll leave around midday if no one turns up.”

  Uncle Kolya had managed to pick up a couple of spare tickets on the terraces, but he didn’t tell Alexander that he’d sacrificed them to make sure his deputy loader and the chief crane operator wouldn’t be around on Saturday afternoon.

  * * *

  When Alexander came into the kitchen for breakfast the following morning, he was surprised to find his uncle had joined them, and wondered if he’d managed to get hold of a spare ticket at the last moment. When he asked him, Alexander was puzzled by his reply.

  “You could be playing in a far more important match this afternoon,” said Kolya. “It’s also against Moscow, and one you can’t afford to lose.”

  The young man sat in silence as his uncle took him through what he and his mother had been planning for the past week. Elena had already told her brother that if Alexander didn’t want to be involved, for whatever reason, the whole enterprise would have to be called off. She needed to be certain that her son wasn’t in any doubt about the risks they were taking. Kolya even offered him a bribe to make sure he was fully committed.

  “I did manage to get a ticket for the match,” he said, waving it in the air, “so if you’d rather—”

  He and Elena watched the young man carefully to see how he would react. “To hell with the match,” was his immediate reaction.

  “But it will mean your having to leave Russia, perhaps never to return,” said Kolya.

  “That won’t stop me being a Russian. And we may never get a better chance to escape from those bastards who killed my father.”

  “Then that’s settled,” said Kolya. “But you have to understand I won’t be coming with you.”

  “Then we won’t be going,” said Alexander, jumping up from his father’s old chair. “I’m not leaving you behind to face the music.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to. If you and your mother are to have any chance of getting away, I’ll have to stay behind and cover your tracks. It’s no more than your father would have expected.”

  “But—” began Alexander.

  “No buts. Now I must get going and join the morning shift so I can supervise the loading of both ships and everyone will assume that, like them, I’ll be at the football match this afternoon.”

  “But won’t they become suspicious when no one remembers seeing you at the match?” asked Elena.

  “Not if I get my timing right,” said Kolya. “The second half should begin around four o’clock, by which time I’ll be watching the match with the rest of the lads, and with a bit of luck, by the time the final whistle blows, you’ll be outside territorial waters. Just make sure you report for the afternoon shift on time, and for a change, do whatever your supervisor tells you.” Alexander grinned as his uncle stood up and gave him a bear hug. “Make your father proud of you,” he said before leaving.

  As Kolya stepped out of the flat he met Alexander’s friend coming down the stairs.

  “Have you got a ticket for the match, Mr. Obolsky?” he asked.

  “I have,” said Kolya. “In the north end terrace with the rest of the lads. So I’ll see you there.”

  “Afraid not,” said Vladimir. “I’ll be sitting in the west stand.”

  “Lucky boy,” said Kolya as they walked down the steps together, and although he was tempted, he didn’t ask what he’d had to do in return for his ticket.

  “What about Alexander, will he be with you?”

  “Sadly not. He’s having to work the afternoon shift, and I can tell you, he’s pretty pissed off.”

  “Tell him I’ll drop by this evening and give him a blow-by-blow account.”

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