Red Winter

48

Marianna walked with one arm around each of our sons so they couldn’t look behind them and raise the suspicion of the guards. Pavel tried to turn, but Marianna held him tight.

Side by side with Krukov, I followed the tracks they left in the snow. I stared at their backs and controlled myself, but tears came to my eyes no matter how hard I tried to hold them at bay.

I wiped them away with a gloved hand and turned to Krukov to acknowledge my thanks.

‘What now?’ he asked.

I cleared my throat, taking a chance to compose myself. ‘I’m going home,’ I said. ‘I’m taking my family home.’

‘And your unit?’

‘I thought for a moment back there that you might betray me,’ I said, watching my family once more and feeling a lump rise to my throat.

‘It can be difficult to know who to trust,’ he agreed.

‘But I can trust you,’ I said.

‘Yes.’

‘Even if I told you I have no intention of commanding this unit any longer?’

Krukov nodded. ‘How could you command a unit when you’re dead?’

His words surprised me, and without thinking, I turned to him.

My hand reached for my pistol.

Krukov saw the movement and shook his head. ‘That’s not what I meant. We’re the only men who know you’re alive. Anyone who accused you of desertion is dead. That’s why you used Ryzhkov’s papers in there. You don’t want anyone to know that Nikolai Levitsky is alive.’

‘You know,’ I said. ‘And the others too.’

‘All of us loyal to you. All we know is that you’re dead. We’ll swear to it.’

And for once I believed it.