Konigsberg, Safe House
July 26, 1944, 1330 hours
Vladimir and his team had settled into the safe house to await their orders from The Center without any lingering animosity between his team and Sasha's team. Vladimir had learned that everyone in the house was a fisherman by trade. That gave them the opportunity to "notice" the German maritime traffic on the Baltic Sea while making a living.
As it turned out, Vladimir and Sasha had much in common, and had spent their time discussing these common interests over games of chess. Tadeauz and Grzegorz had also befriended the rest of the Konigsberg team, spending their time swapping tall tales about fishing and hunting. Jacinta had been an instant favorite. With everyone in the house being male, she immediately took command of the kitchen, much to the delight of Sasha and his men. After a very rocky – and for Vladimir, painful – start, this leg of their escape had turned out to be very pleasant.
Now, Vladimir was on the radio with The Center, waiting for their orders to be transmitted. When the message began, Vladimir transcribed the words – becoming more and more dumbfounded with each letter he wrote. When the message concluded, he stared at the paper. This can't be right. He tapped out a request for a repeat and when the reply came, it matched the previous message exactly. He acknowledged receipt and signed off.
"What is it, Wladimir?" Tadeauz said as he approached. "You look like you just got some bad news."
Vladimir shook his head. "Not bad," he said. "Just unbelievable." When Tadeauz's brow furrowed in question, Vladimir added, "Round everyone up – Sasha and his men as well – and I will tell you."
While Tadeauz went to gather people from the various rooms of the house, Vladimir stared at the message he had transcribed. If I wouldn't have written this with my own hand, I just wouldn't believe it.
After everyone had gathered into the small room, Vladimir looked around. "The Center finally sent us our orders," he said. "And yours as well, Sasha." Sasha nodded his head in anticipation. Vladimir kept looking at Sasha. "You and your men have made deliveries along the coast before, correct?" he asked.
Sasha nodded. "Many times," he replied. "Do we have another delivery to make?" Vladimir nodded. "What are we to deliver?"
Vladimir couldn't hold it in anymore and began smiling. "Me," he said. "They are ordering me back to Moscow so I can tell them what happened at Rastenburg."
"Are we to go to Moscow with you?" Jacinta asked. Vladimir could tell by the tone of her question that she was hoping the answer was no.
Vladimir shrugged. "That is up to you … and Tadeauz and Grzegorz," he replied. "They give you the option of remaining here to work with Sasha's team, or travel to Moscow with me to report." He paused and looked at Tadeauz. "I should say that if you return to Moscow, your next assignment location will not be your choice." Tadeauz nodded.
"We would be pleased to have you remain with us," Sasha said, prompting nods of agreement from his men.
"Our stomachs will also be pleased if Jacinta stays," one of Sasha's men added. Vladimir could see the woman blush in happy embarrassment. One thing Vladimir had found out from his time with the couple was that Jacinta was never happier than when she was feeding a hungry mouth.
"I cannot speak for Tadeauz and Jacinta," Grzegorz said, "but I would prefer to stay here." He looked at Tadeauz and Jacinta and added, "But I will only remain if you do, my friends. I wish for us to remain together."
Tadeauz looked quickly at Jacinta, who nodded. "We have the same thoughts, my friend," he said. Turning to Sasha, he continued, "We would like to remain here. Fishing is much different than farming, but we are willing to learn." He turned back to Vladimir. "We have spent our entire lives in this area, you understand. Moscow would seem so … foreign to us."
Vladimir smiled as he nodded. "I understand," he replied. "And now that we have that settled, we have some planning to do," he said happily. "I have to get home!"
"When do they want us to go?" Sasha asked.
"Rendezvous is tomorrow night," Vladimir said.
"So soon?" Jacinta asked. Vladimir nodded. Jacinta smiled. "Then you men do your planning," she said. "I have a special going away meal to prepare!" She gave Vladimir a hug and whispered, "I am happy you are getting to go home again, Wladimir."
Vladimir watched her scurry into the kitchen to begin her preparations. He too was happy that he would be going home … but he was going to miss the friends he had made here.
- - - - -
When Vladimir had first settled at Tadeauz's farm, he thought that the farm chores were the hardest work he had done in his life. After four hours on the fishing boat helping deploy and haul the nets from Sasha's little trawler, he had changed his opinion. Work on the farm was easy compared to this! Not only was this harder, the smell of fish permeated everything. He was sure that he would smell of fish forever, no matter how many baths he took when he arrived home.
The boat was slowly making its way north and east along the coast. They were to meet with another fishing boat that night in Russian waters. As he looked at the vastness of the water, with the coastline far off to the south, he wondered how they would ever find another small boat when it became dark. But Sasha had done this before and Vladimir was confident that they would arrive safely.
Sasha had warned him that the journey would not be without its potential hazards. There was always the possibility, Sasha had said, that they could be boarded and searched – or even sunk outright – by the German navy if they saw anything suspicious. Vladimir had tried his best to put that thought out of his mind. He had never been this far away from dry land before, and the thought of not having the firm boat deck under his feet was not a pleasant one.
- - - - -
But the daylight cruise passed uneventfully, and as the darkness drew near, Sasha readied everything for the last leg. There would be no fishing, no lights, and no noise as the boat made its way towards the rendezvous point. Sasha had even warned Vladimir that there would be no smoking, as the light from a cigarette could be seen for miles in the flat, open sea.
Once they had started towards the rendezvous, there was nothing more for Vladimir to do except sit … and think. He thought about the events of the last few days and how his new friends from Rastenburg would now become part of the team in Konigsberg. He thought about the events that had triggered his exodus from German territory. Was Michael safe in Berlin? He had not heard from Marya – was she on the run as well? Would Jack still be able to operate as Major Josef Freitag, or would he too find himself on a list of suspects?
He tried to push those thoughts aside and think about what was ahead of him. He was going home! He wasn't sure how long he would get to remain in Moscow, but even one day of seeing his wife and family would be a joy.
He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Sasha moving around on deck. "I hear something," Sasha said quietly to one of his men. "Give the signal."
The man held up a flashlight and turned it on and off repeatedly in a set sequence that reminded Vladimir of the code used for radio messages. He looked out over the edge of the boat into the total blackness beyond. In a second, he saw return flashes in a similar pattern.
"It is them," Sasha said. "Your troika awaits," he said to Vladimir.
Vladimir scrambled up and stood next to Sasha. "How can you see them in this darkness," he asked.
Sasha chuckled. "When you have been at sea most of your life, you get a feel for using all your senses," he said. "At this distance, it is mostly by ear … but when they get closer, you will be able to see them."
Over the next few minutes, Vladimir discovered that Sasha was correct. He first heard the boat moving in their direction and then saw it emerge from the black curtain of darkness. The two boats moved along side each other, and one of Sasha's men threw a rope to a man waiting on the other vessel. Immediately men began to pull the boats together.
"You will need to climb over the side and into their boat," Sasha said. The man stuck out his hand. "Good luck," he said. "Have a safe journey home."
Vladimir shook his hand. "And to you as well," he said.
Tadeauz appeared next to Vladimir. The two friends embraced. "Be well, my friend," he said.
"Be safe," Vladimir replied. "I hope our paths cross again someday."
Vladimir climbed over the edge of the boat and accepted a helping hand onto his new transport. Almost immediately, the rope was thrown clear and the boats began separating. As he watched Sasha's boat fade into the darkness, Vladimir felt a conflicting mix of emotions. He was sad to leave his friends behind, but his insides churned in eager anticipation of what lie ahead. I'm going home!