Chernobyl Murders (51 page)

“You’re insane!” shouted Horvath.

Komarov hit Horvath with his pistol again. And when Horvath appeared to lose consciousness, he hit Bela.

“Tell me where they are!” repeated Komarov over and over.

“Tell me where they are!”

When Komarov felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned and saw Brovko staring at him.

“Major, I think it’s time to stop. It’s almost dawn.”

“What do I care what time it is?”

“I thought you might have lost track of time. It’s been a long night. The men are still outside and …”

“The men? You have the nerve to defend idiots who let women and children escape from under their noses?”

“I’m not defending them, Major. I was simply wondering how long this will go on.”

“It will go on, Captain, until these traitors tell me what I need to know or until their faces are changed into borscht.”

“I’m sorry, Major, I don’t understand why we need the women and children. We’ve got Horvath. Nothing has been proven. We should take Horvath back to Kiev now and …”

“Captain! Perhaps you would like to speak directly to Vladimir Kryuchkov at the Lubyanka in Moscow after we leave this cesspool of a farm and find out who is in control!”

Brovko spoke calmly. “I was not aware your authority reached such high levels, Major. Of course, you are in control.”

Komarov turned around, saw both Horvath and Bela looking at him. Both had heard his officer question his actions. Instead of shooting Horvath, the men had let him get inside. Then Brovko had hurried in, interrupting his chance to shoot Horvath and have it appear he was defending himself. No one had been killed. But if there were an escape attempt …

“You may go now, Captain.”

“You don’t want me to stay?”

“Correct. Please leave immediately.”

Komarov turned, watched Brovko move for the door. He released the safety on Detective Horvath’s pistol. As he aimed at Brovko’s back, he wondered if he would be able to unlock Horvath’s handcuffs before any other men arrived. He wondered if he would have time to make it look like an escape attempt. During his moment of hesitation, the door opened inward, causing Brovko to step back.

Nikolai Nikolskaia stood in the doorway, staring at the pistol aimed at Brovko’s back.

Komarov lowered the pistol, spun around, and fired all eight rounds at the feet of Horvath and Bela. When it was over, no one had been hit, but Bela was weeping.

Komarov turned back to Brovko and Nikolskaia. “I hope I did not frighten you. I simply wanted the traitors to know that I am serious!”

Because cars and a van were parked in front of the house, Juli went off the road and climbed the remainder of the hill through the weeds.

When she got closer, she saw several men near the cars. There was also a man at the side of the house, and one in back.

Maybe Lazlo hadn’t arrived yet. Or maybe he had arrived and had been able to kill Komarov. If so he would have had to escape, unless …

No. Lazlo would have escaped. Lazlo would have shot Komarov and run out the door. But where could he go with all the guards and no place to hide? No place to hide except the wine cellar he had told her about.

Juli raised her head and looked through the weeds, but it was too dark to see the entrance to the wine cellar. Lazlo said it looked like a box, most people never knowing it was a cellar at all. If she went to the back of the house, away from the men at the cars, she might be able to see the wine-cellar entrance, or she might be able to see into a back window.

As she crawled, she saw the man at the front of the house go to the door. The door opened, and light swept across the yard. She crawled faster.

Suddenly gunshots erupted in the house, one after another. The men out front and the men at the back and sides of the house ran toward it. Not knowing what else to do, Juli ran into the backyard.

Then she saw it, a box shaped like a coffin. She hid behind the box for a moment, felt along its edge, pushed up one side, then the other.

She lifted the edge of the box, glancing to the house, where two men with rifles stood in the doorway looking in. She lifted the lid of the box farther, felt for the ladder, and started down. As she eased the lid closed, she could see the men with rifles through the crack.

They turned and spread out, going back to their positions.

The cellar was darker than the night had been, but it was warmer.

When she reached the bottom of the ladder, she stepped off onto soft earth. She turned away from the ladder and stood perfectly still.

After a while she heard a sound, something like an animal feeding.

She thought of rats, and a chill went through her. She thought of Lazlo. Lazlo could be here hiding.

“Is anyone here?” she whispered.

“Who are you?” It was a woman’s voice.

“My name is Juli. Have you seen Lazlo Horvath?”

“My God!” whispered the woman harshly. “Lazlo is in the house where the shots came from! He’s with Bela! Tell me they’re all right!

Tell me they’ve escaped from the madman!”

“I don’t know,” said Juli. “I was coming up to the house when I heard the shots.”

Juli moved closer to the woman’s voice. She heard a murmur. A baby! Lazlo had said Mariska had a baby.

“Did Lazlo tell you about the wine cellar?” A voice from Juli’s left, a different woman.

“Yes.” Juli knew she did not have to ask, but she did anyway.

“Who are you?”

“I am Nina Horvath, Juli. You must recognize my voice.”

Juli backed away, found the ladder, sat on the dirt floor, and wept.

33
The cellar, at first warm in contrast to the cold night, soon felt like a tomb. The tomb was damp and cold, conspiring with Nina Horvath to make Juli feel as though she should die. This was the place Mihaly and Lazlo had spoken of, the wine cellar deep in the ground behind the house, the wine cellar with its wine-cellar smell making tears seem bitter and self-serving.

After Juli’s arrival, she heard Mihaly’s daughters whispering to their mother, asking who this woman was. “She’s a friend of Uncle Lazlo,” Nina had said. “Now be still, little dears. Try to sleep. Soon it will be a new day, and we’ll be out in the sun.”

Mariska’s baby had been nursing when Juli arrived. Now the baby was asleep. Mariska left the baby with Nina’s girls at the back of the cellar. Juli could not see Nina or Mariska, but she could hear them gently shushing the children before they made their way to her, so close she could feel their warmth. The three of them stood near the ladder at the entrance. They spoke quietly, whispering in case one of the guards surrounding the house should happen to walk close to the cellar entrance. While they spoke, Juli felt Mariska’s arm on one side and Nina’s on the other.

“What could be happening up there?” asked Mariska in an excited whisper.

There was a pause before Nina answered in a more controlled voice, her composure reminding Juli of the night Nina had called her at the apartment and asked for Mihaly. “We have no way of knowing,” she said. “At first I thought Komarov was only after Lazlo and Juli. Now I’m not sure. He’s insane. I’m convinced of it, and I’m certain Lazlo was convinced of it when he told Bela to have us hide down here. The only reason Bela isn’t here is because he provided a diversion. There were too many men to do anything else.”

“My Bela,” gasped Mariska, choking back tears. “He could have escaped during the day while out in the fields if it weren’t for us!”

Juli held Mariska to calm her. Then she felt Nina’s hand on hers, Nina also trying to calm Mariska. Neither pulled away, and their hands stayed in contact.

Mariska continued, this time careful to whisper. “I heard the madman threaten Bela before he left for the fields yesterday. He reminded Bela about the well-being of his family. And now, with all that shooting up there …”

“I don’t think Komarov shot Bela,” said Nina.

“Why not?” asked Mariska. “What else has he got to do? You said yourself he’s insane. He questioned you in Moscow. And last night he hit you …”

“He was trying to frighten me,” said Nina, her voice still composed. “He succeeded, and now we have a dilemma. I’ll do what I must to stop him from hurting my daughters.”

Nina and Juli let go of Mariska, their hands sliding apart in the darkness.

“I’ll do what I must,” repeated Nina, with determination.

They were silent for a time. Juli felt like telling them she wanted to help. But she sensed Nina needed to say more. Finally, Nina spoke again.

“If we give ourselves up, we might delay Komarov’s plan for Bela and Lazlo. But we can’t allow the children to fall into his hands. We can only stay down here so long with nothing but wine to drink.

You’ve been quiet until now, Juli Popovics. What do you think we should do?”

“It’s what I should do,” said Juli.

“What do you mean?” asked Nina.

Juli knew what she needed to say. She took a deep breath and began. “I’m the one Komarov is after. I’m the one who worked at Chernobyl. Komarov is trying to create a conspiracy. Because Mihaly isn’t here to defend himself, Komarov wants to build a conspiracy around him by pursuing Lazlo and me as if we are co-conspirators.

Lazlo said it’s an old KGB trick. If you pursue someone long enough, they begin to take on an implied guilt, especially if they hide, as we have done. Lazlo doesn’t know I’m here. I was supposed to escape into Czechoslovakia. I’m not here because I want to be a heroine.

I’m here because of my guilt. I am responsible for what Komarov is doing. There is no conspiracy. But if it weren’t for my relationship with Mihaly, none of this would have happened.”

“Your relationship caused Chernobyl to blow up?” whispered Mariska.

“That’s not what she means,” said Nina. “Perhaps she is here for forgiveness.”

Juli reached out and touched Nina’s arm. “No. I want to help Lazlo’s family.”

There was a long silence. Juli let go of Nina’s arm. Then Nina spoke.

“Komarov insists there was a conspiracy. He wants to prove you and Lazlo and … and Mihaly were involved. Mihaly is gone.

Komarov has Lazlo. Now he wants you. Is that it?”

“There’s more to it,” said Juli. “A cousin named Andrew Zukor might also be implicated.”

“Cousin Andrew?” asked Mariska.

“Andrew is from the United States,” said Nina. “I can understand how the KGB might have made the connection. I remember Andrew asking questions about Mihaly’s work at Chernobyl.”

Juli wished she could see Nina’s eyes. She recalled Aleksandra’s eyes and the eyes of the farm wife in the hospital. “Komarov wants to capture us. But he also wants to use our capture and the Chernobyl situation in a push for power.”

“If this is true …” said Mariska.

“Go on,” said Nina.

Mariska continued. “If this is true, if his goal is to uncover a conspiracy where there is no conspiracy, he’ll want to capture you in order to torture you or kill you.”

“I agree,” said Nina. “Komarov is a hard-liner. I saw it in him in Moscow. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants. No matter who gets hurt.” Nina’s voice grew somewhat louder as she turned to Juli. “No matter who gets hurt.”

Juli was silent, realizing Nina’s last statement referred to her affair with Mihaly. Finally, Juli took another deep breath and spoke.

“I want you to understand how Mihaly and I became involved, Nina. I’m not seeking forgiveness, but I want you to know. My father, the only person I was ever close to, died the previous winter.

I was quite alone when Mihaly came along. It wasn’t his fault. I …

I needed someone then. It’s my fault. Please …”

Silence except for one of the children sighing deeply in sleep.

One of Mihaly’s little girls dreaming of her father and mother and happier times. Juli continued.

“I’m not seeking forgiveness.”

“I hear you,” said Nina, her voice less composed. “But what else can you do with Mihaly gone and all of us down here together in a hole that may end up being our grave?”

Another long silence, the only sounds the fidgeting of the children at the back of the cellar. Finally Nina spoke.

“Enough about forgiveness and what happened between you and Mihaly. We’ve got the children to consider. Earlier you said you could help. What can you do? There are men with machine guns up there.”

“I know,” said Juli. “I saw them. But there’s got to be a way. If we knew what was going on up there …”

“Perhaps …” whispered Mariska. “Perhaps we can spy out the trapdoor without them seeing us.”

“It’s possible,” said Juli. “When I came inside, I saw a small crack where the door doesn’t quite close all the way. I know we couldn’t see much now. But soon it will be light. Maybe we’ll be able to see something during the day to help us decide what to do.”

Nina and Mariska and Juli agreed. For now it was the only thing they could do.

They took turns standing on the ladder peering through the small crack at the entrance. The two not at the entrance tried to keep the children warm and quiet.

The hour or so until dawn passed slowly. The crack at the entrance faced the house but was too low to the ground to allow them to see windows beyond the weeds. Only the dark roof of the house and the shadows of trees in the yard were visible. Eventually, when it was Juli’s turn on the ladder, the gray of dawn began. It was then that Juli saw a movement against the gray sky. At first she was not certain what it could be, perhaps clouds. But then, after studying the movement, and as the dawn grew brighter, she realized she was looking at the legs of a man, a man standing very close to the entrance to the cellar. As it grew lighter, she could also see, to the side of the man’s legs, the barrel of a machine gun.

From below, Nina touched Juli’s ankle gently to let her know it was time to trade positions on the ladder.

Before dawn, a man was sent to relieve Nikolai. Nikolai sat in one of the Volgas with the engine running and the heater blowing warm air over his face.

Two hours earlier he had opened the front door to the house and was confronted by a scene he would never forget. Bela Sandor and Lazlo Horvath were tied to chairs in the middle of the room beneath the overhead light. Their faces were covered with welts, their eyes were swollen, their shirts were ripped open, and burn marks were on their necks and chests. Both men looked to the door when he opened it and, with their eyes, pleaded with him for help.