'Major,' she began, not attempting to pronounce the last name, 'tell those soldiers to stop where they are and drop their guns, or you're dead.'
The Russian officer smiled, beginning to laugh. 'Madam, I am not so important that I can be used as any sort of bargaining—'
Sarah fired a burst into the cobbled street in front of the officer's gleaming boots, then looked up into his eyes. 'For your sake you'd better be.'
The major shouted something in guttural Russian and the soldiers stopped in their tracks. Sarah smiled at him. 'See— you're more important than you thought. Doesn't that make you feel good?'
The Soviet major had ceased to smile.
'Let's go,' she said. As the major began walking ahead of her in the direction in which she'd gestured with the submachine gun, the other women started coming from the doorways and alleys, their guns in their hands, advancing toward the Soviet soldiers and the open prison gates. Sarah's stomach churned. She had just murdered a man— for all she knew a good man, perfectly innocent, not trying to harm her.
She promised herself she would vomit later— there was no time now.
The soldiers parted in a wave in front of her, one of them moving and gunfire— from Mary Beth—
cutting him down. 'Nobody should try that again,' Sarah screamed,' or he gets killed!' Then, on second thought, she shouted to the major a few paces ahead of her, his hands upraised,
'Major, repeat that in Russian. And remember that if anyone tries anything, you die first— I swear it.' She heard the conviction in her own voice, realizing that she actually meant what she said.
The major passed through the gates, Sarah a few paces behind him. There were at least fifty Soviet soldiers there, all with guns, but Sarah kept walking.
The major said, 'What is it you want, madam? Surely, you cannot—'
'You're right,' she interrupted. 'That's what I want. Those fifteen Resistance fighters. Get them out here, let them take arms, and we leave— nobody gets hurt.'
The major stopped, not turning around, but looking over his shoulder at her. 'You are insane!'
'Don't you forget it, either, Major,' she told him, her voice trembling slightly.
'If you make it away from here alive, madam, I will find you,' the major said, his voice velvety with hatred, she thought.
'You know you won't. If I thought that I'd kill you. Now give the orders.'
'I— I cannot. I am not the commandant here.'
'Give the orders— now!'
He looked at her again over his right shoulder, then just nodded.
The major shouted something in Russian. None of the soldiers moved. Then, his face reddening, he shouted again, louder. One soldier, then another started moving, and soon the ranks of Soviet soldiers opened and beyond them she could see the fifteen men, faces drawn, clothes torn and incredibly filthy. She listened as the major barked another command, then saw the first Russian soldier hand over his weapon to the Resistance man nearest him.
She almost fainted with relief. She shouted then, 'No killing unless we have to!'
The haggard Resistance fighter turned, glared at her a moment, then lowered the muzzle of the rifle, just nodding. In a moment, the other fourteen men had armed themselves. 'Order us a truck, Major,' she told the officer still standing, hands up, in front of her.
'No!'
'Major, please. I'll kill you,' she said softly.
He turned and looked over his shoulder at her again, then nodded. She heard him shouting in Russian, then in a moment heard the sound of an engine starting. She shouted, 'Mary Beth, get everybody on board. Have them keep their guns trained on the courtyard here-and no shooting unless the Russians start it!'
She watched over the major's shoulders as the truck loaded, Mary Beth at the wheel.
Sarah said softly, 'All right, Major, you come with us. Behave and you'll come out of this alive and unharmed. I promise.'
He turned and looked at her. 'And what if I do not?'
'This.' She gestured with the muzzle of the submachine gun in her hands.
'Agreed,' he almost whispered, his voice tight, as though he were about to choke on the words.
'Thank you.' Sarah Rourke smiled.
In another two minutes, she judged, she and the major had boarded the truck, the major sitting between her and Mary Beth behind the wheel. She said to the major, 'I know they'll follow us, but say something to make them follow at a distance. Tell them I'll kill you if I see anyone following us.'
'Would you, madam?' he asked her.
'Of course,' she said with a smile.
The major shouted in Russian and the Soviet troops by the gates fanned back. Mary Beth started the truck forward, then between the gates. It was starting to rain and Mary Beth had the windshield wipers going as the truck cleared the gates and turned into the street beyond. Then she cut a hard left into the intersection.
'Step on it, Mary Beth!' Sarah shouted.
'You'll never escape,' the major told her, smiling.
