Tell Tale: Short Stories

“That’s why this Saturday is so important,” said Niko. “Because for once the odds will be stacked in our favor.”

“How come?” said Elena.

“Leningrad are playing Torpedo Moscow in the final of the Soviet Cup at the national stadium, and almost all of the officers will be sitting in a box supporting Torpedo, while most of my fellow workers will be cheering on the home side from the terraces. There’ll be a three-hour window we could take advantage of. So by the time the final whistle blows, you and Alexander could be on your way to a new life.”

“In Siberia?”

4

THEY NEVER LEFT for the docks in the morning at the same time, and they didn’t return home together at night. When they were at work, there was no reason for their paths to cross, and they made sure they never did. In the evening, they didn’t discuss what they were planning until Alexander had gone to bed, and then they talked of little else.

By Friday evening, they’d gone over everything they imagined could go wrong again and again, although Elena was convinced something would trip them up at the last moment. She didn’t sleep that night, but then she hadn’t slept for more than a couple of hours for the past month.

Niko told her that because of the cup final, almost all the dockers had opted for the early shift on Saturday morning, six until midday, so once the noon siren had blasted, the docks would only be manned by a skeleton crew.

“And I’ve already told Alexander I wasn’t able to get him a ticket, so he’s reluctantly signed up for the afternoon shift.”

“When will you tell him?” asked Elena.

“Not until the last moment. Think like the KGB. They don’t even tell themselves.”

Mr. Novak had already said that Elena could take Saturday off, because he doubted if any of the officers would bother to come in for lunch, as they wouldn’t want to miss the kickoff.

“I’ll just pop in during the morning,” she told her supervisor. “After all, they might not all be football fans. But I’ll leave around midday if no one turns up.”

Uncle Niko did manage to pick up a couple of spare tickets on the terraces, but what he didn’t tell Alexander was that he’d already sacrificed them to make sure his deputy loader and the chief crane operator wouldn’t be around on Saturday afternoon.

* * *

When Alexander came into the kitchen for breakfast on Saturday morning, there was only one thought on his mind, and even before he’d sat down, he asked Niko if he’d managed to get hold of a spare ticket at the last moment. He was puzzled by his reply.

“You’ll be playing in a far more important match this afternoon. It’s also against Moscow, and one you can’t afford to lose.”

Alexander sat in silence as his uncle took him through what he and his mother had been planning for the past week. Elena had already agreed with her brother that if Alexander didn’t want to be involved, for whatever reason, the whole exercise would be called off. She needed to be convinced that he wasn’t in any doubt about the risks they were taking. Niko even offered him a bribe to make sure he was fully committed.

“I did manage to get a ticket for the match,” he said, waving it in the air, “so if you’d rather—”

He and Elena watched the young man carefully to see how he would react. “To hell with the match,” he said. “We might never get a better chance to escape from those bastards who killed my father.”

“Then that’s settled,” said Niko. “But you have to understand I won’t be coming with you.”

“Then you can count me out,” said Alexander, jumping up from his father’s old chair. “Because we’re not leaving you behind to face the music.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to,” said Niko. “If you and your mother are to have any chance of getting away, one of us has to stay behind and cover your tracks. It’s no more than your father would have wanted.”

“But—” began Alexander.

“No buts. If we’re to succeed, I must get going and join the morning shift so everyone will assume that, like them, I’ll be at the game this afternoon.”

“But won’t they become suspicious when no one remembers seeing you at the match?”

“Not if I get my timing right,” said Niko. “The second half should begin around four o’clock, by which time I’ll be watching the match with the rest of the lads, and by then, with a bit of luck, you’ll be well outside territorial waters. Just make sure you report for the afternoon shift on time and, for a change, do whatever your supervisor tells you.” Alexander grinned as his uncle stood up and gave his nephew a bear hug. “Make your father proud of you,” he said before leaving.

As

Niko stepped out of the flat he spotted Alexander’s friend coming down the stairs.

“Have you got a ticket for the match, Mr. Obolsky?” he asked, waving his.