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Approximately 6 hours later
346 miles west-northwest of Kuybyskev
Harm blinked, slowly waking up. Through some miracle, he drifted off to sleep not long after they'd left the farmhouse. Despite the rough start, Mercedes handled the car smoothly and easily, and soon, the thrum of the powerful engine had lulled him into sleep.
He turned to look at his cousin, who was still ensconced behind the wheel. "Hey."
"Hey yourself," she replied, not taking her eyes from their periodic checking of the road and the gauges in front of her. "I know you slept, but did you get any rest?"
"Yeah," he said, glancing at his watch. Damn. "CD, you've been driving for hours. You should have woke me."
"Relax. I'm fine," she assured him. "But I am going to ask you to take a shift before too long. My butt's getting really numb."
"More information than I needed," he replied wryly. "Whenever you need a break, just say so."
"Believe me, I will. Oh, yeah," she added, "I found something that might be useful. Check behind my seat."
Harm reached back, fumbling around a bit before his fingers closed around a familiar object. "You've got to be kidding me. A cell phone?" he said incredulously.
"Not just any cell, either, but a satellite relay cell. Thing works anywhere," she replied, grinning. "Don't suppose you recall any of those contacts's phone numbers?" she asked hopefully.
"No, but I remember a number that will get me in touch one of them. One problem, though."
"What?"
"I don't speak Russian."
She thought for a moment. "Your contact... he's a guy?"
"Yeah...."
"Single?"
"Far as I know."
"Not a problem, then," she said smiling.
*******************
A few minutes later, the Lamborghini was parked by the side of the road, and Harm had given Mercedes the number to dial. "Captain Alexsandr Volkonov, right?" she asked.
"Right. Mercedes, what are you doing?" Harm asked, slightly nervous.
She grinned. "Watch and learn, grasshopper," she said in a bad Japanese accent, before quickly switching to Russian. "Hello? Is this the Legal directorate? Oh, good. I am *desperately* trying to reach my boyfriend. I have some very important news for him-- really is very urgent.... Why?... Look, I'm at the doctor's office, I don't have his number with me. I tell you, this is important! I must speak with him!! ...You can? Oh, thank you," she finished tearfully, at the same time giving Harm a thumbs-up. "Yes.... yes.... Yes, I have it. Thank you so very much!!" She gasped, then hung up, immediately dialing a different number while Harm watched, grinning in amazement.
She cleared her throat as it rang, then spoke again, this time adopting a nasal tone to her voice. "Captain Alexsandr Volkonov? I have a long distance call for you from the United States. Please hold while I connect you," she said, then covered the mouthpiece and handed the phone to Harm. "All yours," she told him.
He just shook his head, putting the phone to his ear. "Umm...Captain Volkonov?"
A familiar voice replied, the Russian accent thick. "Yes, this is Alex Volkonov. Who is this?"
"Ummm... Alex, it's Harm Rabb."
"Harm! What a surprise! How are you?"
"Well enough, all things considered," he answered evasively, trying to come up with some way to contact Alex without tipping off anyone who might be listening in. An idea came to him, and he continued. "Where they hiding you these days?"
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that, although the weather in Gork'iy these days leaves much to be desired. How about you?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Harm replied dryly. "Alex, I called because I was hoping you could do me a favor."
"What sort of favor?"
"I have a friend touring southwest Russia, and when we were discussing her trip, your name came up. Ever since, she's been dying to meet you," Harm told him, meanwhile grinning wickedly at Mercedes, who only rolled her eyes in response.
"Really. This friend... you said she?"
"Yes." Harm smiled. This was easier than he'd thought. He noticed Mercedes was busy looking at a map and scribbling something on a scrap of paper she'd found. Hopefully, she was coming up with a time and place to meet.
"Hmmm. Where does she want to meet?"
Inside the car, the next 30 seconds resembled a silent version of a Three Stooges movie, starting with Harm making a desperate grab for the paper that sent both it and the pen flying into one of the many tight nooks and crannies of the car and ending with CD bent sideways over the center console as she retrieve the paper from the floor, literally shoving the item in Harm's face. "Uhhh....ummm.... oh, yeah. How about in Ponza?"
Harm felt CD's head hitting the floor in frustration along with a smack to his shin, even as Alex said, "You mean Penza, my friend?"
"Yeah, that's it. I never can read her handwriting," Harm replied with a weak laugh, even as CD began trying to extract herself.
"I think that will work. When will she be there?"
Harm tried desperately to keep his voice even and his face neutral even as CD got stuck... right between the gearshift and his seat. "Uhhh... Is tomorrow evening good? Say, 1900?"
"Fine... How will I know her?"
"Oh, she'll know you," He said, not bothering to fight his grin, even as a string of curses that mixed Russian, German, and English began issuing from somewhere near his hip. "But just in case, she's about 35, tall, blonde, and blue eyed."
"Well...." Harm could almost hear the smile spreading across Alex's face. "I think I shall be *very* glad to meet this friend of yours, Harm. But I'm afraid I must go. Good to hear from you."
"Likewise, Alex," Harm replied, then hung up the phone before turning his attention to his cousin. "Having problems, CD?" he asked innocently.
"Oh, shut up."
TBC.....
Approximately 6 hours later
346 miles west-northwest of Kuybyskev
Harm blinked, slowly waking up. Through some miracle, he drifted off to sleep not long after they'd left the farmhouse. Despite the rough start, Mercedes handled the car smoothly and easily, and soon, the thrum of the powerful engine had lulled him into sleep.
He turned to look at his cousin, who was still ensconced behind the wheel. "Hey."
"Hey yourself," she replied, not taking her eyes from their periodic checking of the road and the gauges in front of her. "I know you slept, but did you get any rest?"
"Yeah," he said, glancing at his watch. Damn. "CD, you've been driving for hours. You should have woke me."
"Relax. I'm fine," she assured him. "But I am going to ask you to take a shift before too long. My butt's getting really numb."
"More information than I needed," he replied wryly. "Whenever you need a break, just say so."
"Believe me, I will. Oh, yeah," she added, "I found something that might be useful. Check behind my seat."
Harm reached back, fumbling around a bit before his fingers closed around a familiar object. "You've got to be kidding me. A cell phone?" he said incredulously.
"Not just any cell, either, but a satellite relay cell. Thing works anywhere," she replied, grinning. "Don't suppose you recall any of those contacts's phone numbers?" she asked hopefully.
"No, but I remember a number that will get me in touch one of them. One problem, though."
"What?"
"I don't speak Russian."
She thought for a moment. "Your contact... he's a guy?"
"Yeah...."
"Single?"
"Far as I know."
"Not a problem, then," she said smiling.
*******************
A few minutes later, the Lamborghini was parked by the side of the road, and Harm had given Mercedes the number to dial. "Captain Alexsandr Volkonov, right?" she asked.
"Right. Mercedes, what are you doing?" Harm asked, slightly nervous.
She grinned. "Watch and learn, grasshopper," she said in a bad Japanese accent, before quickly switching to Russian. "Hello? Is this the Legal directorate? Oh, good. I am *desperately* trying to reach my boyfriend. I have some very important news for him-- really is very urgent.... Why?... Look, I'm at the doctor's office, I don't have his number with me. I tell you, this is important! I must speak with him!! ...You can? Oh, thank you," she finished tearfully, at the same time giving Harm a thumbs-up. "Yes.... yes.... Yes, I have it. Thank you so very much!!" She gasped, then hung up, immediately dialing a different number while Harm watched, grinning in amazement.
She cleared her throat as it rang, then spoke again, this time adopting a nasal tone to her voice. "Captain Alexsandr Volkonov? I have a long distance call for you from the United States. Please hold while I connect you," she said, then covered the mouthpiece and handed the phone to Harm. "All yours," she told him.
He just shook his head, putting the phone to his ear. "Umm...Captain Volkonov?"
A familiar voice replied, the Russian accent thick. "Yes, this is Alex Volkonov. Who is this?"
"Ummm... Alex, it's Harm Rabb."
"Harm! What a surprise! How are you?"
"Well enough, all things considered," he answered evasively, trying to come up with some way to contact Alex without tipping off anyone who might be listening in. An idea came to him, and he continued. "Where they hiding you these days?"
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that, although the weather in Gork'iy these days leaves much to be desired. How about you?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Harm replied dryly. "Alex, I called because I was hoping you could do me a favor."
"What sort of favor?"
"I have a friend touring southwest Russia, and when we were discussing her trip, your name came up. Ever since, she's been dying to meet you," Harm told him, meanwhile grinning wickedly at Mercedes, who only rolled her eyes in response.
"Really. This friend... you said she?"
"Yes." Harm smiled. This was easier than he'd thought. He noticed Mercedes was busy looking at a map and scribbling something on a scrap of paper she'd found. Hopefully, she was coming up with a time and place to meet.
"Hmmm. Where does she want to meet?"
Inside the car, the next 30 seconds resembled a silent version of a Three Stooges movie, starting with Harm making a desperate grab for the paper that sent both it and the pen flying into one of the many tight nooks and crannies of the car and ending with CD bent sideways over the center console as she retrieve the paper from the floor, literally shoving the item in Harm's face. "Uhhh....ummm.... oh, yeah. How about in Ponza?"
Harm felt CD's head hitting the floor in frustration along with a smack to his shin, even as Alex said, "You mean Penza, my friend?"
"Yeah, that's it. I never can read her handwriting," Harm replied with a weak laugh, even as CD began trying to extract herself.
"I think that will work. When will she be there?"
Harm tried desperately to keep his voice even and his face neutral even as CD got stuck... right between the gearshift and his seat. "Uhhh... Is tomorrow evening good? Say, 1900?"
"Fine... How will I know her?"
"Oh, she'll know you," He said, not bothering to fight his grin, even as a string of curses that mixed Russian, German, and English began issuing from somewhere near his hip. "But just in case, she's about 35, tall, blonde, and blue eyed."
"Well...." Harm could almost hear the smile spreading across Alex's face. "I think I shall be *very* glad to meet this friend of yours, Harm. But I'm afraid I must go. Good to hear from you."
"Likewise, Alex," Harm replied, then hung up the phone before turning his attention to his cousin. "Having problems, CD?" he asked innocently.
"Oh, shut up."
TBC.....