heating up a big brass bed-warming pan in the open fire. “They sleep with us now,” Brigda said to Tanoff in Ukrainian. “We keep them warm.”
“Da,” Tanoff said, holding a mug to Dmitri’s lips. The little boy slurped the milk.
Brigda, now bereft of things to do, held her arms out for Lana. “You go now,” she said to Abby in English.
“You can stay, Abby. Use the upstairs room.” He nodded to her. He knew that she kept a computer and other equipment up there in the wardrobe, but presumably Brigda didn’t.
“Thank you. I’m glad you found them.”
As she left the kitchen, Tanoff stood with Dmitri still in his arms and told Brigda to bring Lana. They were going to bed too. Relief poured through her. The upstairs room meant that she could go and get Malone, and they could probably get upstairs without the couple knowing anything about it.
She waited until ten minutes had passed since their lights went off, then donned Tanoff’s coat again and silently opened the kitchen door. She crept out into the night.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
M alone knew he was in trouble as soon as he got inside the barn. His wet legs had gone past pain and were completely numb. He took off his snow pants and rolled up his jeans. His legs were mottled and couldn’t feel his touch. He rubbed them gently, trying to urge blood through them again. He’d also stopped shivering. He recognized all the signs.
Things were not looking good. But he’d had no alternative other than going on after he’d fallen into the stream. It wasn’t as if he could have taken off his wet clothes.
There wasn’t anything in the barn to keep him warm without setting fire to things, and that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. He could hear voices calling but couldn’t tell what they were saying.
He wondered what his sister was doing, but he couldn’t quite figure out the time difference between Greece and the West Coast. But he wasn’t in Greece now. He was in Ukraine with Baston’s daughter. Abby. Lovely, bitchy Abby. He wondered how much trouble he’d be in at work if he married her. Or if he died and left her to deal with the Russians herself.
He tried to dig his legs under some hay, but there wasn’t enough of it. Then he pictured Abby, concern etched on her face, talking to him. Probably talking at him. Thank God his imagination had her on mute. He was sure she’d have little to say that was comforting. Not that he minded; he’d been trained to put the mission before his own comfort. They all had. The whole regiment.
Country first. Country first. Country…
He awoke to a pounding in his head and extremities. He felt like he was trapped under something heavy that was cutting off supply to his arms and legs and hands, and…
He half opened his eyes. Where was he? He lay perfectly still, eyes still closed, in case he’d been captured. Moments during which they thought you were still unconscious were valuable in ascertaining your surroundings. He breathed in slowly. Coconut scent invaded his nostrils as hair was inhaled into his mouth. He coughed and spat the hair out.
“Charming,” the weight on top of him said groggily.
He opened his eyes. Abby’s peered back at him from inches away. She blinked and yawned. “How do you feel?” she asked, rubbing her foot down one of his legs. Her hands touched his sides. “You don’t feel as cold as you did when I found you.”
“You found me? Wait, back up. What happened?” As he said the words, the night’s activities became clearer. “Did you find the kids?”
She huffed out a laugh. “They were keeping the chickens warm, apparently.”
“Good.” His memory touched on the little boy who’d grinned at him when he’d been watching Abby in the fields. He wondered if it had been him.
He suddenly became aware that he was naked, and she was two small garments short of being naked. “Did you undress me?”
“Shhhh,” she whispered. “They don’t know you’re here. I brought you
“Da,” Tanoff said, holding a mug to Dmitri’s lips. The little boy slurped the milk.
Brigda, now bereft of things to do, held her arms out for Lana. “You go now,” she said to Abby in English.
“You can stay, Abby. Use the upstairs room.” He nodded to her. He knew that she kept a computer and other equipment up there in the wardrobe, but presumably Brigda didn’t.
“Thank you. I’m glad you found them.”
As she left the kitchen, Tanoff stood with Dmitri still in his arms and told Brigda to bring Lana. They were going to bed too. Relief poured through her. The upstairs room meant that she could go and get Malone, and they could probably get upstairs without the couple knowing anything about it.
She waited until ten minutes had passed since their lights went off, then donned Tanoff’s coat again and silently opened the kitchen door. She crept out into the night.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
M alone knew he was in trouble as soon as he got inside the barn. His wet legs had gone past pain and were completely numb. He took off his snow pants and rolled up his jeans. His legs were mottled and couldn’t feel his touch. He rubbed them gently, trying to urge blood through them again. He’d also stopped shivering. He recognized all the signs.
Things were not looking good. But he’d had no alternative other than going on after he’d fallen into the stream. It wasn’t as if he could have taken off his wet clothes.
There wasn’t anything in the barn to keep him warm without setting fire to things, and that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. He could hear voices calling but couldn’t tell what they were saying.
He wondered what his sister was doing, but he couldn’t quite figure out the time difference between Greece and the West Coast. But he wasn’t in Greece now. He was in Ukraine with Baston’s daughter. Abby. Lovely, bitchy Abby. He wondered how much trouble he’d be in at work if he married her. Or if he died and left her to deal with the Russians herself.
He tried to dig his legs under some hay, but there wasn’t enough of it. Then he pictured Abby, concern etched on her face, talking to him. Probably talking at him. Thank God his imagination had her on mute. He was sure she’d have little to say that was comforting. Not that he minded; he’d been trained to put the mission before his own comfort. They all had. The whole regiment.
Country first. Country first. Country…
He awoke to a pounding in his head and extremities. He felt like he was trapped under something heavy that was cutting off supply to his arms and legs and hands, and…
He half opened his eyes. Where was he? He lay perfectly still, eyes still closed, in case he’d been captured. Moments during which they thought you were still unconscious were valuable in ascertaining your surroundings. He breathed in slowly. Coconut scent invaded his nostrils as hair was inhaled into his mouth. He coughed and spat the hair out.
“Charming,” the weight on top of him said groggily.
He opened his eyes. Abby’s peered back at him from inches away. She blinked and yawned. “How do you feel?” she asked, rubbing her foot down one of his legs. Her hands touched his sides. “You don’t feel as cold as you did when I found you.”
“You found me? Wait, back up. What happened?” As he said the words, the night’s activities became clearer. “Did you find the kids?”
She huffed out a laugh. “They were keeping the chickens warm, apparently.”
“Good.” His memory touched on the little boy who’d grinned at him when he’d been watching Abby in the fields. He wondered if it had been him.
He suddenly became aware that he was naked, and she was two small garments short of being naked. “Did you undress me?”
“Shhhh,” she whispered. “They don’t know you’re here. I brought you
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