End Run by Peter S Berman

Author:Peter S Berman [Berman, Peter S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Merseyside Press
Published: 2023-12-11T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-NINE

Sergei Ivanov sat on his bunk with his back up against the wall. The room contained a single cot with a metal frame that was bolted to the floor. A two-inch-thick mattress lay on top of the solid metal platform. A sheet covered the mattress, and a thin blanket lay on top. There was no pillow.

Sergei had given his life a lot of thought since his arrest. Yes, he was a soldier. And yes, he’d done what he’d been ordered to do. But he also gave consideration to who he’d been working for—the man at the top who’d been giving the orders—and he couldn’t help but think that he’d been used. The people in power were in it for themselves. They didn’t give a damn about the homeland, and as a good soldier he had followed orders, but at what cost to himself and his country? What was good for Putin and the Duma—the nest of cronies in lockstep with Putin—was not always in the best interest of the motherland, and it certainly hadn’t been good for him.

There was something to this book he’d been reading. A philosophy about life that he had never been exposed to. Would it cause a change in his immediate behavior? He didn’t think so, but it gave him a whole lot to think about. And as he pondered his present situation, he slowly came to the realization that he owed his masters nothing. He’d given them everything for the good of his country, and they’d used his loyalty as a means to further their own ambitions.

He shook his head. He was disgusted with himself.

How could I have been such a fool?

Bryan entered the cell alone, carrying a thermos and a small plastic bowl. He put the bowl down on the small eating table, then poured the contents of the thermos into the bowl.

“I understand you like borscht,” he said, looking over at Ivanov.

Sergei smiled, put down the Bible, and walked over to the table where he took a seat. Borscht, or cabbage soup, was his very favorite meal. It brought back pleasant memories of his life back home.

“You are very kind, sir,” he said.

Bryan handed him a plastic spoon.

“Enjoy it, Sergei. It came from a restaurant here in town. I’m told it’s the best around.”

Sergei tried the soup. “It’s delicious, sir,” he said, looking up.

“Call me Patrick, Sergei.”

Sergei nodded, but he was wise to the game. A good agent would never reveal his true identity, so he could only believe that the name he’d been given was nothing more than a nom de guerre.

“I have something else for you,” said Bryan. He held up an iPhone that contained a message from Sergei’s wife.

He turned on the video and held up the phone for Sergei to see.

My dear husband. I don’t know what you’ve done, but your children and I are following your orders. We have gone with these men and they have taken us to Petersburg where we were given identification and put on a large passenger boat.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.