Red Inferno: 1945 by Robert Conroy Read Free Book Online Page B

Something clanged. The car had been hit.
    As the car careened wildly toward the gate, Steve saw the first two guards drawing pistols and two more men with rifles appearing from the shadows. He waited until the last second and slammed on the brakes. The mystery car did an abrupt and high-speed U-turn and sped away.
    An MP with a .45 automatic drawn and aimed at them approached cautiously. He lowered the weapon only slightly when he saw Burke’s rank. “Sir, just what is going on?”
    “Get the officer of the guard,” Burke ordered.
    A second MP took up station on the other side of the car. “He’s on his way, Colonel.”
    A few moments later, a very young lieutenant arrived and seemed stunned when Burke told him to contact General Marshall immediately.
    D ESPITE THE MP lieutenant’s understandable reluctance to call the general at that late hour, they finally did make telephone contact with someone at Marshall’s residence, and Burke insisted that it was extremely important that a lowly lieutenant colonel see the chief of staff immediately.
    Marshall received them in his library and in uniform. The short drive from the gate had given the man a chance to dress.
    Marshall glanced at Natalie and seemed to glare briefly at the stains on Burke’s uniform. Whatever Burke had, he clearly thought it both too important to wait for morning and to change into a clean uniform.
    “All right, Colonel, what do you have for me?”
    Burke quickly explained about the party and how Korzov had delivered the message. He handed the folded paper to Marshall, who looked at it briefly while Burke gave a summary translation and then put it aside.
    “Burke, you are certain this says what you think it does?”
    “I am, but please have the translation confirmed by others.”
    Natalie interrupted. “I’ve read it as well and I agree with Steve’s interpretation.”
    If Marshall thought it strange that she, a civilian and a female, had been allowed to see such an important document, he didn’t show it. “You have a Russian background?” the general finally asked her.
    “I was born there,” she answered. “My parents were minor nobility and what are now referred to as White Russians. Those of us who survived the revolution and the wars left in the 1920s and made it to the United States. My first language was Russian and I am now employed at the State Department.”
    Marshall nodded. “What do you think of Stalin?” he asked her.
    “He is a thief and a murderer.” She said this with a venom that caused Marshall to blink. “He had several members of my family, including my father and sister, executed for the crime of being born.”
    Marshall turned to Burke. “This Korzov, is he reliable?”
    “General, I have no idea. I’ve spoken to him a couple of times, but never anything like this. Until tonight, I really wasn’t certain he knew I existed. I have no idea why he chose to give me the message. On the other hand, I know of no reason for him to lie about something like this. What does he have to gain?”
    “A bullet to the back of the head,” said Natalie. “If he’s lucky.”
    Marshall rose and Burke knew he was being dismissed. “I don’t know why he selected you either, although perhaps out of desperation. Why he did it doesn’t matter if the information is correct. The point is, you were chosen and now I’ve got to do something about it. You did the right thing by coming here right away, even though—” he smiled briefly—“you’d ordinarily fail inspection. Because of the attack on you, you will both stay on the post until we are certain that you are safe.”
    Back in the car and heading toward her temporary quarters in Fort Myer, Natalie rested her head on the back of the car seat and turned toward Burke. They both were exhausted by the events of the night.
    “Two divisions,” she said. “The papers are full of terms like that and have been since this damn war started. And that’s what you’ve been talking