Текст книги "Destiny's Puppets"

Автор книги: Henri Mallet

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7

Major Lazarev was sitting at a small table in a cozy café. He was sure the talk in a natural, familiar setting would set his interlocutor at ease and be more productive than the one in the bleak office on Dzerzhinsky square. Larisa Panko with a regal bearing was sitting near Anatoly, her legs crossed beautifully. Capron stockings emphasized the elegance of her perfect legs. The girl was dressed in the latest fashion, her hair was neatly and elegantly styled. Larissa beautifully drank coffee from a tiny cup and favorably accepted enthusiastic male gazes.

«So, in exchange for the main parts in films and, if I do well, the rank of the Merited Artist, you are suggesting that I should bear Svetlov’s child? May I ask how am I going to live all these months while I am pregnant? OK, you will take away the baby, but how shall I explain it to my relatives?»

Larisa was casting voluptuous glances at Anatoly Lazarev from behind her false eyelashes. The fashionable shoe nearly fell off her heel and was graciously balancing it on her toes.

«How interesting, she is worried about everything, but the main thing – how to get pregnant by Gleb, bearing in mind the fact that, to add to all, he is going to marry the other girl. Is she so sure about her sex-appeal that it does not worry her in the least? Under no circumstances would I jump in her bed. She is overdoing it,» speculated Lazarev, watching his interlocutress. He had to admit, though, that there was something magnetic and charming about the girl. Suddenly he felt like touching her soft skin, and the sound of her voice resonated so pleasantly in his heart.

Larisa Panko was gazing at the major, «humph, to bear Gleb’s child – I’d prefer to bear your child. I could go to bed with you right now. With you being a KGB major, I doubt I can even try to seduce you.»

Larisa Panko was somewhat of a dreamer, but she had an uncommon, virile character, and one could only envy her stamina and perseverance. She obviously loved men, but tried not to get involved in the relations limiting her freedom, the relations which could become a burden to her aspiration for fame and perfection.

Larisa spotted this well-built macho at once, when she even did not know who he was and why he had come to their theatre. She liked Anatoly Lazarev immediately when she saw him during the rehearsal. When he approached her at the stage door and invited her to the nearest café to discuss her future career, she decided to seduce him at once and started smiling amiably.

As soon as they sat down at the table, ordered coffee and cakes, major showed her his ID, Larisa lost all her appetite, including for cakes.

«And I cannot reject this offer – in this case my career will go to hell,» the girl thought a bit irritably, continuing to smile nicely.

The young actress had long realized that she could rely only on herself in this world – men should be used, not loved. She remembered perfectly well the request of the other KGB officer and what had come out of it. Everything went the wrong way – she gave birth to a girl who now practically all the time stays with Larisa’s parents and she had to hastily divorce her husband. Despite the successful completion of the task, she received little gratitude and she had been practically out of movies for two years. After her hiatus, she was remembered and even given several leading roles. The offer on the table would result in leaving the stage for several months to act in films, but in reality, she was left with no choice.

«As far as I understand you are leaving me no choice.» Larisa beamed with her most charming smile, «pray tell me what is to happen to my child when I give it up for adoption? I have to see it; will you be updating me on its life?» The girl leaned back on the chair and was peering at the major. Her light golden eyes irradiated warmth and confidence, her eyelashes quivered.

«You won’t have to worry about the baby’s fate; neither will you have to take care of it. It will be provided for, it will be under our supervision and protection,» said Major Lazarev in a cocksure uncompromising tone.

He leaned forward a little, put his palm on the girl’s fingers and was looking at her calmly. His clear blue eyes reflected all the power of his words and his total assuredness in what he was saying. Larisa did not move away her hand, and for a moment golden sparkles of amazement appeared in her eyes.

«Holy mackerel,» she thought, «the KGB needs not just a baby, but a baby whose natural parents are Gleb Svetlov and myself, or the mother even does not matter, but Gleb must be a father by all means. What is so peculiar about this youth, if KGB got so interested in him, or, to be more precise, in his offspring? In any case, I can either agree or tell them to fuck off and refuse to play their games. Then the major is sure to find another girl as this baby’s mother and my career will be ruined. Indeed, I don’t have much of a choice – either to help KGB in their foul play or to refuse and lose everything.»

«All right, what do I have to do?» Larisa said quietly, shut down her eyes and straightened in her chair.

« It's nice that we agreed. I hope you understand that everything that has been said, as well as everything that will happen next, you must keep in strict confidence. You continue living the way you did, only you will have to move in with Gleb at the Burdins’ apartment. I’ll help you to do it. And then, it’s your responsibility. As you soon as you get pregnant you can stop sleeping with Gleb. We will be helping you during the pregnancy and the birth. When the fact that you are expecting a baby becomes obvious, you’ll disappear from the city. It will be announced officially that you have gone to the film set, while in fact you will stay in one of our sanatoriums till you give birth to the baby. This is the outline of our plan. Now a car will take you to the Committee. You will be in time for the evening show.»

In response – a wave of eyelashes. Anatoly Lazarev almost physically felt how with this wave he was carried away somewhere far. He smiled, «yes, she is a brilliant actress.»

To save time Anatoly asked the other officer from his group to take care of Larisa, while he would be busy preparing the apartment.

«We are making a little progress,» he thought, as he was driving to Gorky Street in the center of Moscow, where the Burdins had a big apartment. There, he planned to update the previously installed listening equipment, since in the evening he was going to send Larisa there.

Major Lazarev and two surveillance officers went up to the second floor and stopped in front a massive wooden door. One of the officers took out duplicate keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors. The men entered the apartment and silently closed the door behind them.

«Get down to work and I’ll look around,» ordered Anatoly. They started the inspection of the apartment.

About an hour passed, and the listening devices were installed and tested. The men still quietly left, locked the door and went down to the car. Major Lazarev told his agents to stand down. They had been covering for him in case Gleb or the Burdins decided to go home. The agents were to accurately prevent them from entering the building until Anatoly and his associates left.

8

The evening slowly covered the city, filled the streets and avenues, lit lights and shop windows. People hurrying after work got home long ago. Several officers specially selected by Major Lazarev for today's operation, dressed in civilian clothes and in the uniform of patrol policemen, sat in the car and waited for the actors to start leaving the theater after the performance. They talked languidly and joked.

The performance was over; the audience was leaving the theatre. Finally, it was time for the actors to exit. Gleb Svetlov, Tatiana Roshin and several other girls went to the bus stop, but a group of loyal fans came up to them, asking for autographs.

At that moment a bulky, well-dressed man came running to Roshin, knelt down, and, embracing her legs, began kissing them. He began wailing in a singing voice that he could not live without her, that she had to return to him because their daughter missed her mom terribly. Everybody stood still, and Tatiana nearly fell down in surprise, but the man caught her up deftly, and loyally looking into her eyes, repeated that he loved her and implored her to come back.

«George, what are you doing here?» the shocked Roshin was nearly suffocated.

Naturally, the witnesses of these scene, who have formed a semi-circle, were waiting for the denouement, holding their breaths.

«Mister, who are you? What do you want? What's going on here?» The voice of Gleb Svetlov, who had overcome the first shock, finally rang out in silence, « yes, I ask you to explain what is happening here?»

«What's going on here? Nothing special. This lady left me, her daughter-angel and does not want to return to our home, and refuses to raise her baby,» the man sobbed and kissed Roshin relish on the lips. Amazed, she sank in his arms and embraced him by the neck in order not to fall down altogether.

To an observer they looked like lovebirds. Everybody got silent and Roshin embraced the man’s waist with her second hand and was trying to stand up, but it was not so easy, because George was pushing her slightly and she was drooping in his arms again. Everybody was rooted on the spot.

«Citizens, make way! What’s going on here?» А command voice was heard and two sturdy policeman appeared at the scene.

At that moment the ones that had had a little sanity left in them seemed to have lost it altogether.

«I am asking the witnesses of the incident to stay, all the rest – away you go, immediately!» ordered one of the policeman.

The onlookers immediately dispersed. Suddenly, everybody seemed to have some important business. Only Tatiana Roshin, the man who was embracing her, Larisa Panko, Gleb Svetlov and two patrol officers stayed.

«What’s going on here?» оne of law enforcement officers asked.

The man embracing Roshin, kissed her on the lips again, rolled up his eyes and said in a doleful voice, «Tatiana, this is the love of my life and the mother of our wonderful baby. Officers, please, bring her to reason and return the mother to her child!»

«Ma’am, do you know this man?» the policemen sternly peered at Roshin, who was still in the arms of her beau.

«Yes, this is George, but…»

«Great! You confirm that you know him. Do you agree to go with him and take care of your child?»

«But I am not the mother of his child. He is simply an acquaintance of mine! He has no children whatsoever!»

«Darling, my love, let’s go home. You’ll feel better and you’ll start taking care of our precious baby and your lovely hippo,» George said with gusto, slapped himself on the belly and kissed Roshin once again.»

«Leave me alone, now!»

Tatiana finally regained her balance, but George was still holding her hand in his.

«Ma’am, I have to detain you until this matter is cleared out. As well as you, George. This way, please,» said the policemen indifferently and motioned to the patrol car parked nearby.

«Where are you taking them? She is my fiancée.» Gleb stepped forward.

«Are you a witness, young man?» The militiaman poked his huge forefinger at Gleb’s chest with such an effort that he had even to move back.

«I am not a witness, I’m her fiancé! There was no incident!» Gleb's voice trembled treacherously.

«Perfect! If you are not a witness, go your own way.»

«I’ll follow you with pleasure!» Exclaimed George, embraced Roshin by the waist and headed for the patrol car with decision. «I am sure you will save our marriage!»

He opened the door, helped Tatiana to the back seat and then sat next to her.

«We can go!» He shouted, «truth will triumph!»

The policemen also got into the car and drove away.

«Why on earth?» Were the only words Gleb could utter, blinking in amazement and ruffling his hair, «I don’t understand.»

«It’s all very clear,» Larisa Panko joined in the game. She had been supporting Gleb by the elbow and stroking his hand tenderly all the time.

«It’s plain as day. I think, Tatiana has a baby from this man and she kept it secret from us. Come on, I think you have to rest after this awful stress. I’ll catch a taxi.»

One of Lazarev’s agents, disguised as a taxi driver, out from behind the corner and Larisa waved her hand invitingly at that moment. The driver pulled up to the curb dexterously and stopped next to the couple. The girl pulled Gleb by the hand, and he resignedly got into the taxi.

When the taxi drove away, a solitary figure detached itself from the wall of the building. The man was walking towards his car slowly and shaking his head slightly.

«What a show! What an impromptu! What talents,» reflected Fedorov with a satisfied smile. He had just gone out of the theatre when a man who called himself George ran up to Roshin.

After that, Mikhail was standing still and, enraptured, watched the show in front of his eyes. It should be pointed out that if the major had not warned him beforehand, he was ready to believe that Tatyana Roshin and Georgy really have a daughter whom she abandoned.

9

It was already past midnight. The streets of Moscow were empty, occasionally cars would pass by the inconspicuous van parked at the side of Gorky street. Two men were sitting inside, monitoring the equipment which the van was stuffed with.

“How are our doves doing? Still cooing?” Major Lazarev questioned while entering the van. He silently closed the door behind him.

One of the employees took off his headphones and winked at Anatoly with a satisfied look, «they have complete order there. They are totally fine. Larisa is really something! What a woman! She has already gutted Svetlov twice,» the man made an indecent gesture and laughed.

«The recording has been going on from the moment they entered the apartment, so everything is recorded. Now they are asleep, everything is quiet there.»

«Keep on monitoring. I’ll go and make an order to let Roshin free. If she turns up here, by no means let her enter the apartment.»

Major Lazarev went out of the van and, using the street phone, called the officer responsible for Roshin. «That’s all. You can let her go.»

“Okay, doing this. George is asking if he can still portray Tatiana’s lover and sleep with her.” A satisfied laugh came from the receiver.

“George has done a good job today. Isn’t he tired? What about Roshin?”

“Oh, they are all normal here, she already kisses and hugs him herself.”

“Let them do what they will. A special thanks to George from me.” Lazarev hung up the receiver and headed for his car.

Anatoly was driving along the streets of Moscow. The city never sleeps – the lights are flashing, buzzes with watering machines, and people are bustling around from one pub to the next. The motor of his brand-new «Pobeda» was rumbling quietly. The fallen leaves were flying from under the car wheels, dancing and then slowly resting back on the ground. There was a scent of autumn in the air and the temperature plummeted as dusk turned to night, causing people to hurry to their warm homes. The withered, and in some places still green grass, was covered with an intricate pattern of frost in the mornings, but this quickly melted as the days were quite warm and sunny.

Anatoly loved all seasons in his own way, but early autumn brought a unique touch of melancholy into his soul. It was the time when the setting sun in the evenings made all things crimson, and blue grey shadow enveloped the city with autumn sadness. The dancing of multicolored leaves and the flocks of birds heading south brought back memories, emotions, and an undeniable desire to escape from oneself. Anatoly wished to leave behind the all-consuming feeling of solitude which constantly pulled at his heart.

He was lonely, poignantly lonely. He spent all his free time working or training. At times the major tried to persuade himself that he was actually free, not lonely. He was free from love-affairs, the stress of starting a family, or any potential emotional baggage, but sometimes he had to admit that it was far from the truth.

He drove to his apartment building, parked his car, went up to his floor, unlocked the door and entered the hall, in which his steps resounded loudly.

Anatoly Lazarev went up to the fridge and opened it, «oh, I completely forgot to buy groceries.»

He opened the pantry, «so, what we have,» critically examining the contents, took out a large package of pasta and tinned meat.

He was lucky to have stocked up enough tinned meat. He habitually poured some water into the saucepan and put it on the stove. While the pasta was being cooked, Anatoly opened the tin and dropped the contents out onto the frying pan.

“Well, pasta and tinned meat are not so bad,” he said out loud, “I promise to buy some food tomorrow.”

Anatoly laughed, “Here you are, major, you’ve already started talking to yourself, congratulations!”

10

Gleb opened his eyes and stretched out lusciously on the wide and comfortable bed covered with silky sheets. The room was gleaming with sunlight, reflected in the edges of the beautiful crystal vase standing on the window sill. The air was permeated with the fragrance of fresh coffee, toasts and something else, wonderful and impossible to identify. Svetlov was savoring this pleasant trance between sleep and wokeness and he closed his eyes again. He heard the quiet footsteps, a rustle, and at once a warm palm touched his hand and he felt a kiss upon his lips. The young man opened one eye and stared at the girl in front of him. He gradually began recollecting what had happened in the evening, at night and even this morning. He groaned slightly and sat up in bed.

«Holy Mozes! What have I done that.»

«And what exactly have you done?» he heard the answer and the question at the same time.

Gleb finally woke up and saw Larisa Panko in front of him in an inconceivable lace translucent peignoir, which very favorably emphasized all the advantages of her figure. Blond, silky hair fell in waves over chiseled shoulders.

«You had a pleasant time and relieved stress in a traditional and rather ancient method,» Larisa cooed with a light, inviting smile. Her eyes the colors of gold sparkled invitingly.

Gleb peered at them, but saw there only desire and bliss.

“I’ve spent a blissful night. I think you liked our games, too.” Her hand slipped under the blanket, anticipating the further consequences of quite a predictable climax.

“Never regret something which happened if you were happy at that moment. Do you agree?” Larisa’s eyes were now very close to Gleb’s face and all her features became blurred. A wave of desire surged through him.

Later, when they were sitting in the kitchen, enjoying the breakfast cooked by Larisa beforehand, Gleb suddenly realized that he was smiling and couldn’t help it. He felt so good, there was such lightness inside, that he did not want to know anything about either the past or the future. He felt good here and now and he did not want to leave. He was experiencing true bliss.

“Gleb, honey, eat up. We must leave,” whispered Larisa. She tilted her head to the right, and the lock of her fair hair covered her face. Gleb nipped off a large piece of the toast with marmalade and began chewing it theatrically, with delight.

“Look, I am in a hurry. I am chewing, very fast,” he laughed and sipped his coffee.

Half an hour later they went down the stairs, left the building, and went to the theatre.

“Larisa, please, forgive me, if something went wrong last night,” Gleb took the girl by the arm and they stopped. He was looking at her earnestly, with a question in his eyes. “I will never forgive myself, if the unforeseen happens to you and you get pregnant.”

“Gleb, trust me, it’s not your problem. The last night was great. Moreover, I’d like to repeat it.” Larisa quickly kissed him and took a step back.

Now he could see her eyes. For a moment, Gleb saw in them not just fear, but a cry for help, but everything quickly disappeared. And now, beautiful eyes filled with tenderness were already looking at him.

«Come on, we have to go,» the girl pulled him with her, and they moved further along the sidewalk to the bus stop.

Gleb let Larisa into the building of the theatre several seconds before himself, because he did not want anyone to think that they had come together. Tatiana Roshin was the first one to meet him in the theatre. She was standing near the dressing-room, obviously waiting for him.

“Gleb, sweetheart, we really need to talk,” she started, but did not finish, seeing Svetlov’s happy countenance.

“Yes, of course,” answered Gleb with a light smile and motioned her to enter the dressing-room.

Inside, Tatiana embraced Gleb at once and pressed herself closer to him.

“No hard feelings. I am not to blame for what happened yesterday. George is my childhood friend, we grew up on the same street, but we haven’t seen each other for ages. I did not expect him to play such a trick on me. This is all a lie. We are childhood friends, and we haven’t got any common children. Do you believe me?” The girl looked into Gleb’s eyes ingratiatingly.

“Tatiana, this all does not matter. What is important is that our wedding is in only days away,” Svetlov leaned towards Roshin and dropped her a kiss.

Everything was not as simple as he wanted it to be. Today, in the morning he realized that there are things in this world miraculously changing everything around him. Only yesterday he was determined to do Fedorov a bad turn and marry his lover Roshin. He quite liked her, so he decided they would be able to live together.

When he woke up today, he felt indecently happy and suddenly realized how beautiful the fallen multicolored leaves under his feet were, how warm the morning autumn sun was, how blue the sky was, and how pleasant the smell of coffee and scones at breakfast was. It dawned upon Gleb that he was not quite ready now to lose something more than a free man’s status by marrying a girl he had never loved. He finally understood that he might lose his appetite for life! And he loved life in all its manifestations. On the other hand, he had promised her to become her husband. Gleb Svetlov considered himself a man of honor, he could not explain what made him think so, but ever since had been a child, he had been going out of his way to keep his promises. So now Gleb was facing a choice: to break his promise to Tatiana or to fulfill it and marry the girl he did not love.

“We shall get married,” he said firmly. Blue eyes gleaming with steel, and a fine line between his eyebrows. Svetlov stepped back slightly, opened the door and went out into the corridor.

Fedorov saw Tatiana and Gleb enter the dressing-room together, but Svetlov soon came out alone and he didn’t look happy, one might even say that he was extremely puzzled.

“Gleb, come in, we need to talk”, Mikhail motioned to the open door of his office.

“The boss is going to knock some sense into me now”, grumbled Svetlov to himself, but, putting on the most benevolent of smiles, he entered the open door.

“Gleb, I know I have no right to interfere with your private life, but you are too young and inexperienced. I’m afraid that you are still not familiar with some of life’s copybook maxims. Sit down and listen to what I’m going to say. You are too young; you’ve still got all your life to live. I respect your talent and your intellect, but I’d like to warn you about the consequences of the hasty marriage to the woman you don’t love. Whether you will be able to live together or not is not the most important thing in life. If you get sick of each other you’ll just run apart, it’s no big deal. But, just imagine… if you have a baby. A family is not only a man and a woman who eat and sleep together. The purpose of a family is procreation. And this is the meaning of life, which is still beyond your reach.” Fedorov put all his actor’s talent and soul into this eloquent speech. He was looking at Svetlov, trying to understand whether he had managed to knock some sense into him.

One had to do justice to Gleb. He was listening very attentively to the speech of his mentor and rival in his fiancee’s bed. Fedorov stopped talking. Gleb was silent for a while, then he turned around with his whole body and began rapping out the words, trying to sound as calm as possible.

“Don’t you understand that I can’t stand back? I promised to marry her and I will! This is the problem. If she renounces the marriage, it will be her choice, not mine.”

Gleb shook his head apathetically. His morning elation had gradually melted away, leaving only a bitter regret and a bunch of autumn leaves behind the window, which the warm wind was tossing and throwing around lazily. Svetlov stood up, still looking in Mikhail’s eyes, and abruptly left the room.

When the door behind the young man closed, Fedorov gave vent to his feelings and even banged his hand on the table, “what am I to do with these stubborn mules? I’ll have to take more radical actions.”