The map had been created over weeks of investigation and consisted of A4 pages taped together, scribbled notes surrounding a central spider web of links and conspirators. John rolled out the map and used a pair of his boots to pin down the corners.
Slipping on his reading glasses and warning Alex against making any sarcastic observations, Henry got down on his knees and leaned over the display, frowning as he took it all in. He nodded slowly and shot John a somewhat begrudging smile.
"Pretty comprehensive, eh?" Alex enthused, kneeling beside John and wrapping an arm around his shoulders proudly. "Worth all the sleepless nights, I hope."
Henry took a deep breath and pondered the map in interest. "We've been working on something similar in London."
Alex smiled, "So … we meagre two have done the work of what … twenty or so?"
Henry laughed and shrugged slightly, "Maybe, yeah!" He then leaned in closer and peered at one of the names written at the top of the tree. "Mirojnick?"
"Yup," John nodded eagerly.
Henry took off his glasses and sat back on his heels, sighing loudly. "Mirojnick is a ghost."
"No, he's not!" John declared, "He's here! In Kiev!"
"Not possible."
Alex watched Henry in concern. "Why?"
Henry sighed, "Kids, Mirojnick is not a person. It's the name of a Russian rocket."
"What?" John gasped, "No, it's him!" He insisted and pointed to the open laptop on the end of the bed.
Henry looked up at the image and his frown returned. "I told you … I've never seen him before."
"He was the guy that has been sneaking about doing all the dirty work." John continued, "We have witnesses and evidence of him being the front man."
Alex watched Henry shaking his head and her heart sank as she turned to John. "But no one ever said his name."
"Ted did!"
"Babes …" Alex ventured, "How do we know Ted was for real?"
Henry nodded in agreement, "He could have been anyone … maybe even one of these guys …" He pointed to the question marks that sat at the ends of some of the branches. "Or even a plant to throw you off the scent."
"Which can only mean we're getting close!" John looked between the two of them in dismay and then closed his eyes. "No … he's the key … I know it!"
Henry groaned and watched John in sympathy. "I'm sorry … John, I've been doing this for a long time and - "
"And how many times have you been wrong!" John demanded angrily.
"John …" Alex warned.
"What?" John spun at her, "We've been on this trail for a month now, Al. You must see it, too … it's him! We find him, we find Trangh."
Henry glanced at Alex and saw her anxiety. He looked back at John and took a deep breath. "Believe me, I wish to God that you were right … but it's simply an old fable that has become folklore around here."
John turned to Henry in interest. "What do you mean?"
Henry shrugged, "Mirojnick was sent up from around here about nine years ago now. She had a good launch and a steady ascent but then something went wrong in the guidance system and she plummeted back down to earth." He looked down at the map, "They never found the wreckage. It must have either burned up during re-entry or hit ocean and some even say she was stolen. But some believe she did make it into space and they look up at the night sky hoping to see her."
John listened in silence, sorrow filling his eyes.
"Local people say that if you are an optimist then you are chasing Mirojnick." He saw the realisation on John's face and nodded slowly, "I think that's what Ted meant."
John closed his eyes and hung his head.
"Babe …" Alex soothed, placing her hand on his arm.
"NO!" John leapt to his feet and stormed from the room, heading out into the mid-morning sunshine and slamming the door behind him.
Alex watched him leave and then sat cross-legged on the floor, gazing at the map.
"I wish I had better news." Henry offered gently.
Alex nodded.
"Al … I worry about you."
Alex lifted her head and smiled thinly. "I'm fine."
Henry glanced towards the door. "He needs help, Al …"
"I'm helping!"
"Al …"
Alex sighed and rubbed at her tired eyes, "I know, I know …"
"This has gotten too dangerous now," Henry continued, "People tailing you? Strangers warning him to back off? Al … please … let me take you home …?"
XXXXX
John wandered into the small café and smiled warmly at the cheerful owner. He climbed up onto one of the stools at the bar and asked for a coffee.
"(More?)" The lady queried in amusement. "(Had a bad night?)"
John nodded and then caught sight of himself in the reflective tiles that lined the wall behind the bar. He had to admit he did look pretty terrible.
"(Did your friend find you?)"
"(Yes. Thank you for your note.)"
The lady grinned merrily, "(It was easier than trying to explain it to your wife.)"
John laughed.
"(You had a fight?)"
John saw the lady's concern and guessed that she must have seen him storming from the room. "(No. It's nothing. Thanks.)"
She shrugged slightly, "(My husband and I never fight. He just does as he is told.)"
And John laughed again, glad for the company. He looked out across the car park towards the petrol station and smiled, sure that the old guy was revelling in his own space and probably eating sweets and doing all the things his wife nagged him not to do.
And then John had an idea. "(How long have you run this place?)"
"(Seventeen years.)" She replied.
"(You don't get lonely?)"
She laughed, "(Lonely? No! With all the people coming and going and stories to hear?)"
"(True.)" John agreed, his heart racing as he saw the opportunity, "(What's Mirojnick?)"
"(It was a rocket.)" She answered.
John groaned inwardly and nodded his thanks.
"(Russian scientist named it after himself.)" The lady continued, rolling her eyes in disbelief. "(Full of himself, he must have been! All others are given poetical, pretty names. He just wanted to say 'mine!')" She laughed softly, "(Serves him right that it disappeared!)"
John nodded and sipped at his coffee.
"(I heard that he's trying again with a new rocket.)" The lady offered, tapping her nose with a conspiratory wink.
"(Oh?)"
She nodded and leaned closer to him. "(My husband heard some folk talking about it a few weeks back while he was filling up their car.)"
"(What did they say?)"
"(That there was a new project heading for the moon.)" She chuckled and shook her head. "(Quite why, I have no idea. I mean, isn't there enough room for us all down here? Surely we could spend that sort of money a bit better.)"
John smiled.
"(They were excited because the American test had failed which meant they had a good chance of getting there first.)"
John frowned. Okay, so he'd not quite been himself lately but surely he hadn't missed something as big as this?
"(They were meeting up with the scientist in the city.)" She went on, "(My husband said they looked very rich and important.)"
John's heart was galloping as he finished his coffee and thanked the helpful owner, tipping her well before heading down to the petrol station. He smiled in greeting at the greying man and politely began to question him.
The old guy was not as enthusiastic as his wife at having eavesdropped, no doubt remembering a time when it would get a person into some serious trouble, but he confirmed the story she had told John.
John pulled from his pocket a small copy of the photograph he had shown to countless people over the past month. The man shook his head and shrugged an apology. He then gasped and hurried into the small office at the back of the store.
"(I kept the clippings from the launch.)" The man began excitedly, "(It was so much fun! I took my grandson to watch it. We drove all through the night and got there only just in time.)"
John took the large scrapbook from him and looked at the newspaper article in interest. He peered closer at the grainy, faded photographs and suddenly saw a familiar face among the group of scientists. His hands were shaking as he read through the list of names beneath the image and suddenly the world was spinning.
XXXXX
John was breathless after his dash across the car park and burst in through the door. He gasped as he saw Alex packing her clothes into a large hold all and he shook his head in disbelief.
Alex looked up and sighed loudly, "Baby, I think we should go home now."
"What? No!"
"Please …" Alex dropped her handful of t-shirts onto the bed and hurried round to him. "We've reached our last dead end … it's time to let it go."
"No!" John insisted, grasping her shoulders and squeezing them in urgent excitement. "I found him!"
Alex frowned at him.
"Mirojnick!" John said hurriedly, "In the photo. He was there!"
"Who?"
"The Russian scientist from Kazakhstan!"
Alex's face paled and she braced herself. The mention of that place was normally in the wake of one of his nightmares and she had heard enough to fuel her own bad dreams for many years.
John laughed in delight. "I only fucking know him, Al! It's Ustin!"
Tbc …
