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The Russians wielded a high hand at the airbase, but I had one to his feet as I entered. They were mature men, in the forties, and power they respected. Though Lend-Lease planes were delivered wore beneath leather jackets the inevitable blue suits of Russian to them at Great Falls, they were flown by American pilots as far _ civilians. Under each coat, from a shoulder holster, protruded the as Fairbanks. No American pilot could leave without clearance, butt of a pistol. and I had authority to ground any plane at any time. In my It had been no more than a guess that a fresh installment of suit- absence, permission was given by the Flight Officer of the Day. I cases might be due. My first thought was: "Another bunch of called the control tower, gave the number of the restaurant, and those damn things!" The second was that if I was ever going to issue a positive order that no cargo plane was to be cleared for open them up, now was as good a time as any. With signs I made Russia except by myself. the Russians understand what I intended to do. Occupied by these thoughts, I drove to "Carolina Pines"... The Promptly they went insane. They danced. They pushed at me gathering consisted of five Russians and a single American, with their hands and shrieked over and over the one English word myself. Colonel Kotikov acted as host, and among the guests was they appeared to know. It was "deeplomateek!" I brushed them Colonel G. E. Tsvetkov, head of the fighter-pursuit division of the aside and took from my pocket a metal handle containing a safety Soviet Purchasing Commission... razor blade which I carry in preference to a pocket knife. With the vodka under our belts, Sensing its purpose, the lean courier we moved to chairs about the table. flung himself face down across the But at 8.30, when we were two- suitcases, with arms and legs out- thirds finished, the waitress hande "I'm going to open more of this spanned to shield as many as possible me a message in pencil. It notified baggage. | want you to watch with his body. I dragged one of the me to call the control tower at once. containers from under him, and he Ata public telephone, in the corri- these two Russians. Both are eaped up again as I started to saw dor, I learned that the C-47 ha armed. | don't expect any through the first cord. At this sight warmed up and that a couple of their antics and shouts redoubled. newly-arrived couriers were trouble. But if one of them alms a While opening the third suitcase, I demanding clearance. Without i ad a mental flash that brought sweat returning to the dining room, I threw gun at me, | want you to let him to my forehead. The Russians were on my great-coat, scuffled down the have it first. Understand? alf mad with fury and terror. They stairs and ordered the driver to race were on both sides of me, in front and full speed for the hangars, four miles behind. Supposing in desperation, away. one of them shot me in the back? It was mid-winter in Great Falls. Snow was deep on the There would be no American witnesses, and my death could be ground, and stars glittered frostily in a crystal sky. The tempera- passed off as a "deplorable accident". ture that night was about 20 degrees below zero. I called a Yank soldier who was on patrol thirty feet away. He As we neared the Lend-Lease plane there loomed up, in its crunched over through the snow. Bending down from the plane, I open door, the figure of a burly, barrel-chested Russian. His back asked whether he had had combat experience. He answered that was propped against one jamb of the portal. An arm and a leg he had, in the South Pacific. I stooped lower and murmured: were stretched across to the opposite side. I clambered up and he "I'm going to open more of this baggage. I want you to watch tried to stop me by pushing hard with his stomach. I pushed back, these two Russians. Both are armed. I don't expect any trouble. ducked under his arm, and stood inside the cabin. But if one of them aims a gun at me, I want you to let him have it It was dimly lighted by a solitary electric bulb in the dome. first. Understand?" Faintly visible was an expanse of black suitcases, with white After a moment's thought, he looked me in the eye and said, ropes and seals of crimson wax. On top of them, reclining on one "Sir, is that an order?" I replied that it was an order. He clicked elbow, was a second Russian, slimmer than the first, who sprang the bolt of his rifle to snap a cartridge into the chamber and brought the weapon to ready. He was tall enough for his head to clear the doorsill. The muzzle was pushed forward to command the interior. One courier jumped from the plane and sprinted for the hangars, where there were telephones. The other, his face contort- ed as if to keep from crying, began reknotting the cords I had sev- ered. There was little trouble getting into the suitcases because the Russians had brought the cheapest on the market. They had no locks, but only pairs of clasps. All were consigned to the same address. The entry on the bill of lading read: "Director, Institute of Technical and Economic Information, 47 Chkalovskaya, Moscow 120, U.S.S.R." I decided to attempt only a spot check—one suitcase, say, in every three. I examined perhaps eighteen out of fifty. Otherwise the search was fairly thorough, as I was looking for morphine. (Incidentally, none was found.) The light was so weak that it was impossible to decipher text without using a flash lamp. I had to take off my gloves, and my fingers grew numb with cold. "I'm going to open more of this baggage. | want you to watch these two Russians. Both are gun at me, | want you to let him have it first. Understand?” el ih Meza Ny Ml LEE T 28 - NEXUS Continued on page 82 DECEMBER 1996 - JANUARY 1997