Destiny's Puppets
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The shooting process made him concentrate and forget about everything around him; he heard and saw nothing. The world around him shrank and turned into a narrow cone, whose end stopped at the spot on the target and his own heartbeat was the only sound he could hear. And when the head was freed from all extraneous loads, then he loaded his task. The brain obediently began to free from the depths of memory the options suitable for solving, and then analyzing one by one, he left only the best in consciousness.
Major Lazarev reloaded the gun and stood at the ready. He saw that the targets had started to rotate and pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! It was the fifth round and, laying the gun down, Anatoly Lazarev began examining the targets. He was pleased and complimented himself with satisfaction.
Just yesterday he was bathing in the sea and basking in the sun. He loved resting in the KGB sanatorium among palms and manicured lawns, but he soon got tired of doing nothing. When the communications officer found him on the beach and sent forward an order to break off his vacation and return to Moscow promptly, Anatoly gladly complied. The same officer took him to the airport and Major Lazarev took the first flight to the capital city. At the Moscow airport the Committee car was already waiting for him.
The sun illuminated only the roofs of Moscow houses, but from the western side, plunging the city streets into a kingdom of violet, reddish and bronze shades with emerald shadows. The day was drawing to a close. The hubbub of the birds fell silent, and in large flocks they settled on the roofs and trees for the night. On the vibrant and bustling city streets the smell of doughnuts was mingled with the odor of fallen leaves and the whiff of car fumes.
Major Lazarev was sitting in the spacious, but uncomfortable office of his boss. It was already his second visit there today, but there was now a file with the documents and the plan for the new mission on the table in front of him. Anatoly was describing his project of the fetation of the Crown Prince or Princess, and was supporting every stage of this plan with arguments and details. Usually, it was impossible to understand what was going on in the general’s head judging solely by his expression, but Anatoly Lazarev saw a tiny sliver of a smile one of approval. It was well known in the office that General Yershov was not capable of smiling, but it was obvious that the general liked his plan. Moreover, he had given Anatoly a free hand, limiting his discretion in no way.
«Larisa Panko belongs to European nobility; she has nice looks and good manners. She is ambitious, wilful and determined. She and Gleb work in the same theatre “Youth”. They are friends, and, what is more, they were once seen kissing. Larisa has already worked for us. She was used for recruiting a foreign agent. It went OK, but she got pregnant. As soon as the Committee found out that she was in a familiar way, it was decided that this fact should be used as an additional pressure factor for the recruited agent. After that Larisa has not been involved in work. I have placed all my bets on her this time, because she is really blue-blooded. In order to ruin Gleb’s wedding with that actress Roshin I will use the director of “Youth” theatre Mikhail Fedorov. He is our active collaborator and I am sure there will be no problems. That’s all from me.» Major Lazarev took the file with the documents from the table and stood up, waiting for instructions.
«Well, on the whole, the plan is good. You will polish the details in the course of the operation. Off you go, down to work.» concluded General Yershov.
4
The autumn sky hung over Kronstadt. Low, dark gray clouds pressed heavily and breathed moisture. Screaming seagulls deftly maneuvered in the air currents on spread white wings, creating the illusion of confusion and anxiety. Gusts of wind brought splashes of sea water and the smell of diesel fuel. The project 613 submarine was visible at the long pier. In the light of the lanterns, its wet body shone silver.
The girl from radio communications was standing on the pier trying to protect her face from the gusts of the chilling wind. Her nearly black eyes were watching the submarine closely. Finally, people began coming down on the shore.
One of the sailors, short and lean, went straight to the girl. He was buttoning up his pea coat in motion and turning up his collar, trying to protect himself from yet another blast of wind. Surprise and aloofness could be discerned in his eyes, which were colored like the sea on a cloudy day.
«Nelly! What are you doing here? I told you that when I get free, I will call on you and we will go somewhere together,» almost shouted the man, his voice mingling with the sound of the wind and the waves, his low brow furrowed.
«Victor! I really need to talk to you! Now!»
The girl nervously took the young man by the arm and they walked fast to the host of lights on the shore. The sound of their steps was buried in the thunder of the waves beating against the pier and turning into greyish foam. Shrieking seagulls were a part of this familiar cacophony of relentless movement of salty water.
Several sailors who had come ashore from the submarine, exchanging remarks and chuckling, were watching the receding couple. The soggy autumn rear wind stole under their clothes and the sailors hurried to shore.
The low skies were getting darker by the second, making the street lamps along the road near the red brick barrack buildings of Kronshtadt seem brighter. Victor was walking with his head down, protruding his lower lip so that it nearly touched his nose. He always did it when he was displeased. And now he was extremely displeased! He had to solve another one of his girlfriend’s problems instead of enjoying his dinner and a game of chess in the club.
«Nelly, I am very tired, let’s meet and talk tomorrow,» Victor rolled his eyes up languidly, losing all hope of being released.
«No! Tomorrow may be late!»
The girl’s eyes turned into narrow black crevices, and her stiff dark hair looked as if she had been dragged through a hedge backwards. Victor looked at the rolling roaring waves.
«We have to get married! Without delay! All because of that apartment on Nevsky avenue! Let’s go to the general immediately and make a formal written request to get married!»
«Nelly! I have already told you: we shall get married. We do not have to do it on the spur of the moment! Calm down. I’ll go get some rest, and you do the same and we’ll discuss everything tomorrow,» Victor mumbled in an obsequious way, speeding up his pace.
«You don’t understand! This is our chance! I’ve already done everything myself, but in order to get the whole apartment we have to get married immediately, and it would be better if I got the certificate that I am pregnant!» Nelly’s voice turned into a kind of roar, she was clutching the sleeve of his pea coat and was hopping next to him.