Dennis Wheatley - The Forbidden Territory

They obeyed quietly; there was nothing else to do. They were marched away, each with a Red Guard on either side, down the corridor, up a broad flight of stone stairs into an office on the upper floor. A few clerks were busy with files and papers. For some minutes they remained standing there, then they were taken into an inner room.

De Richleau smiled slightly as he recognized Leshkin seated behind a heavy table. The Kommissar looked more like a great red gorilla than ever. His low forehead, small eyes, and great protruding jowl sparsely covered with hair, all lent to the resemblance.

“You may go,” he ordered the guards sharply. He smiled slowly at the Duke.

“So we meet again, and for the last time, Mr. Richwater.”

“That causes me no concern, since I set no value on your acquaintance,” the Duke murmured.

“Last time we met you alluded to an acquaintance that you did not possess — I refer to Stalin!”

“It pleased me to amuse myself by frightening you a little.”

“It is you who will be frightened tomorrow morning.” The big man nodded heavily.

“I trust not,” the Duke replied evenly.

“That we shall see — at least, the firing squad will do so — I shall be comfortably in bed. It was for that reason partly that I thought to have a last look at you tonight.”

“Well, if you’ve done looking, I guess we’ll get back to our cell,” said Rex.

“Not yet.” Leshkin sat back and lighted a thick black cigar. “To you, American, I wish to talk. You came to Russia for a purpose; with the aid of this man here and the little Jew you reached your destination. There is a possibility that I might save your life.”

“Now that’s real kind,” Rex grinned.

“You have not the Shulimoff jewels upon you,” Leshkin went on. “You have been searched; but you know the secret place of hiding. No man would take such risks as you have done if he did not. Perhaps you foresaw that you must be captured and left them in that place; perhaps you hid them a fresh time when you came to earth in the aeroplane. Where are these jewels?”

“What a hope you’ve got! D’you think I’d tell you if I knew?”

“Why not, young man? In prison you must remain — but that is better than the cold earth tomorrow.”

Rex shook his head. “I guess you’ve got me all wrong. I wouldn’t let on to you, not if you offered me the Woolworth Building.”

“Accept this proposal, Rex,” said the Duke, suddenly.

“Not on your life I don’t. If we’ve having a party tomorrow we’ll have it together and get done with it. This bird would do me in anyhow in a fortnight’s time.”

“You’re young, Rex,” urged the Duke; “with myself it is different. Accept this offer.”

Rex smiled. “No, there’s nothin doin’.”

“So you are obstinate, American?” Leshkin puffed out a cloud of smoke. “Well, you have had your chance — that is all, I think.”

“I demand a trial,” said De Richleau sharply.

“Frightened a little after all?” Leshkin’s small eyes came back to the Duke’s face.

“You boast that Russia is a civilized country — to shoot us without a trial is murder. Let us be tried, and executed if we are found guilty.”

“There will be no trial, because you have no official existence, either of you. That ceased when you went outside the laws laid down for tourists in the Soviet.”

“Then I wish to be prepared for death by a priest of my own religion,” replied De Richleau. “I ask for a postponement of execution till after Sunday in order that I may have time.”

“Time, eh? Leshkin scowled. Time for the little Jew to help you to escape — that is what you wish, is it not? Let me tell you, then: Do you think that I, Leshkin, would let him do what he has done to me, and do nothing?... Stalin did not know the truth when he listened to Madame Karkoff; he did not know that men... eight men of the Ogpu, had been killed. I had to go to Moskawa to arrange; had it not been for that you would have been dead a week ago. The decision regarding Aron is now reversed... he will be arrested tonight, and with you tomorrow when the time comes, and I … he chuckled suddenly: “I shall be in bed in the hotel!”

The Kommissar spoke with such quiet enjoyment that neither Rex nor the Duke doubted the truth of his statement. It was a terrible blow to them to know that their last hope of help was gone, and Simon, whom at least they had believed to be out of danger, was to be re-arrested. Nevertheless De Richleau was a great believer in the old proverb that “while there is life there is hope”, so he persisted.

“I am not ready to die — give me time.”

“So you still think God will help you when men will not?” sneered Leshkin. “I am surprised that a man like you should believe these effete superstitions. What is death, after all, but a cessation of activity?” He leaned back and touched the bell.

“Remove the prisoners,” the Kommissar ordered when the guard appeared, and to the officer he added in a lower tone: “The orders for tomorrow morning stand.”

They were marched down the broad staircase again, and this time across a yard into another block of buildings. Then they were locked into a bigger cell than the one they had previously occupied.

“This’ll be the death house, I reckon,” said Rex, looking round at the bare stone walls. “Sort of condemned cell.”

“Probably,” agreed the Duke. “I fear that there is little hope for us now. I wish, though, that you had accepted his offer about the jewels.”

“Oh, nuts,” exclaimed Rex, irritably. “Even if I’d been willing to quit I don’t know where the damned things are.”

“If you’d insisted on being taken to Romanovsk, that would have meant another ten days of life at least — some opportunity of escape might have presented itself.”

“Don’t you believe it. They know us too well by now to take any chances. They would have hooked a dynamite bomb on to my pants. D’you think he was giving us the straight talk about Simon?”

De Richleau nodded. “I see no reason to doubt it. I was delighted when he was released, but I was surprised. After that night at Romanovsk I felt that, in spite of anything that Madame Karkoff might attempt, it would be certain death for all of us if we were caught. Personally I am glad that we are spared the mockery of a trial.”

“We certainly bumped off those bums at Romanovsk all right,” Rex agreed, “but I’m damned sorry for little Simon.”

“Do not distress yourself too much about him. He is a philosopher, and for the first time he is really in love — the last week of his life has been spent with the woman of his desire. He will be arrested tonight and shot tomorrow at dawn... he will step from the pinnacle of happiness into darkness and will not suffer disillusion. If you must think tonight, think of all the pleasant things that have happened to you, and tomorrow morning try to recreate in your mind the pleasantest episode of all.”

At eight o’clock the evening inspection was carried out, and Yakovkin came on duty. They were pleased to see him, because they had feared that he would remain at the other cells. He brought them their frugal evening meal, a single bowl of greasy soup and a hunk of bread apiece. In addition he brought them on his own account a couple of handfuls of dried plums.

They ate the sorry mess in silence, and then sat talking for a long time in the darkness. Both looked up with surprise when the gleam of Yakovkin’s lantern showed at the door of the cell.

“Quick,” whispered the gaoler, “I have much to say.”

Rex and the Duke rose immediately to their feet, and Yakovkin spoke in a hoarse whisper: “There are friends outside who arrange for your escape. Shubin tells me of this today... I would not believe him, thinking it a trap, but I have now spoken with them also — a woman and a man. Take this...” he thrust a marlinspike into De Richleau’s hand. “Shubin arranged for your transfer to this cell. Raise up the flagstones in the left corner there; beneath them is a tunnel leading to the sacred caves. Quickly to work, and I will be back.” He left them as silently as he had come.