immediately shut. Snow breathed out a sign of relief. Webb slapped him on the back. “You did it Aidan, you got me out. But why did they let us go?”
“General Varchenko, I helped him once.”
“You’re a very helpful bloke aren’t you Aidan?”
Snow chuckled. “Come on we’ve got to move. This way, towards the woods.”
“You want to take me on a teddy bear’s picnic?”
“Silly Sod.”
Blazhevich waited around the corner by a path that led into the woods. Snow climbed into the front of the Passat and told Webb to get into the back.
As they moved off Blazhevich passed a can of beer to Webb. “You look like you need a drink.”
“You must be my guardian angel.” Webb pulled back the ring-pull and gulped down the Obolon.
After Snow had handled the introductions he said to Blazhevich, “I don’t understand why Varchenko was there.”
“Neither do I Aidan. I have no idea why, but you are lucky that he was.” Blazhevich was also struggling to understand what all of this meant for his on-going investigation.
Snow thought back to the last time he had met Varchenko. It had been four years before and Snow had prevented a paramilitary group from relieving Varchenko’s bank of ten million dollars. Snow had been injured in the assault and Varchenko had visited him in hospital to give his thanks.
“Here, call your wife.” Blazhevich handed Webb a mobile phone.
“Thanks, I’ll just finish me can first or she’ll smell the beer.”
Snow looked at Blazhevich. “Did you see where they took Kopylenko?”
“Who?”
Snow explained as Webb spoke to Katya.
“I saw a Militia van leave a few minutes before you appeared. It was going deeper into the village.”
Webb reached forward, handed the phone back to Blazhevich and then quickly grabbed Snow’s head. He kissed him on the cheek. “That’s from Katya.”
“I won’t ask if I get one.” Blazhevich kept his eyes on the road as they headed back towards the city centre.
Snow wiped his cheek with his hand in mock disgust. “We need to go after Kopylenko. Imyets means to get rid of him.”
Webb shrugged. “He is Ana’s father after all, even though he is knob-head.”
Blazhevich would have used a stronger term. “There is also the small issue of kidnapping but I agree, we need all the Intel we can get on Imyets. I’ll get the boys back at HQ to ask officers Brovchenko and Klyuyevs if they have any idea where Kopylenko may have been taken.”
“Please do more than ask.”
“Aidan, we are not going to water-board them.”
“Pull over.” Webb pointed. “There’s an Opteka there and I feel like me skulls splitting open.”
The Passat left the Zhytomyrska highway and glided into the bus station that served long distance travellers. All three men got out. The car was not parked in an official bay but its SBU number-plate would avoid any fine or complaint.
“Can the SBU lend me some cash?”
“Here.” Blazhevich handed Webb a two hundred Hryvnia note. He then shook his head and gave Snow one too. He retrieved his phone and stepped away to call HQ.
Webb gestured at a stall selling draft beer, snacks and water. “Get the drinks in lad, I’ll be back in a mo.”
Snow ordered two cans of ‘Burn’, a couple of ‘Nuts Bars’ and a half litre of Lvivski beer from the overly attractive girl and sat on the long green wooden bench seat that was affixed to the front of the concrete building. As he drank the energy drink and munched the chocolate he saw Blazhevich gesticulating into his phone and then to his right he heard raised voices. He glanced over. A thin drunk was waving his arms at a chubby woman who also appeared the worse for wear. She told him ‘where to go’ and stormed off, her tight jeans barely concealing her large buttocks. The drunk caught Snow’s gaze and raised his plastic beer glass. Snow looked the other way but the man was not dissuaded and shuffled over.
“Where are you going?” The man asked in
“General Varchenko, I helped him once.”
“You’re a very helpful bloke aren’t you Aidan?”
Snow chuckled. “Come on we’ve got to move. This way, towards the woods.”
“You want to take me on a teddy bear’s picnic?”
“Silly Sod.”
Blazhevich waited around the corner by a path that led into the woods. Snow climbed into the front of the Passat and told Webb to get into the back.
As they moved off Blazhevich passed a can of beer to Webb. “You look like you need a drink.”
“You must be my guardian angel.” Webb pulled back the ring-pull and gulped down the Obolon.
After Snow had handled the introductions he said to Blazhevich, “I don’t understand why Varchenko was there.”
“Neither do I Aidan. I have no idea why, but you are lucky that he was.” Blazhevich was also struggling to understand what all of this meant for his on-going investigation.
Snow thought back to the last time he had met Varchenko. It had been four years before and Snow had prevented a paramilitary group from relieving Varchenko’s bank of ten million dollars. Snow had been injured in the assault and Varchenko had visited him in hospital to give his thanks.
“Here, call your wife.” Blazhevich handed Webb a mobile phone.
“Thanks, I’ll just finish me can first or she’ll smell the beer.”
Snow looked at Blazhevich. “Did you see where they took Kopylenko?”
“Who?”
Snow explained as Webb spoke to Katya.
“I saw a Militia van leave a few minutes before you appeared. It was going deeper into the village.”
Webb reached forward, handed the phone back to Blazhevich and then quickly grabbed Snow’s head. He kissed him on the cheek. “That’s from Katya.”
“I won’t ask if I get one.” Blazhevich kept his eyes on the road as they headed back towards the city centre.
Snow wiped his cheek with his hand in mock disgust. “We need to go after Kopylenko. Imyets means to get rid of him.”
Webb shrugged. “He is Ana’s father after all, even though he is knob-head.”
Blazhevich would have used a stronger term. “There is also the small issue of kidnapping but I agree, we need all the Intel we can get on Imyets. I’ll get the boys back at HQ to ask officers Brovchenko and Klyuyevs if they have any idea where Kopylenko may have been taken.”
“Please do more than ask.”
“Aidan, we are not going to water-board them.”
“Pull over.” Webb pointed. “There’s an Opteka there and I feel like me skulls splitting open.”
The Passat left the Zhytomyrska highway and glided into the bus station that served long distance travellers. All three men got out. The car was not parked in an official bay but its SBU number-plate would avoid any fine or complaint.
“Can the SBU lend me some cash?”
“Here.” Blazhevich handed Webb a two hundred Hryvnia note. He then shook his head and gave Snow one too. He retrieved his phone and stepped away to call HQ.
Webb gestured at a stall selling draft beer, snacks and water. “Get the drinks in lad, I’ll be back in a mo.”
Snow ordered two cans of ‘Burn’, a couple of ‘Nuts Bars’ and a half litre of Lvivski beer from the overly attractive girl and sat on the long green wooden bench seat that was affixed to the front of the concrete building. As he drank the energy drink and munched the chocolate he saw Blazhevich gesticulating into his phone and then to his right he heard raised voices. He glanced over. A thin drunk was waving his arms at a chubby woman who also appeared the worse for wear. She told him ‘where to go’ and stormed off, her tight jeans barely concealing her large buttocks. The drunk caught Snow’s gaze and raised his plastic beer glass. Snow looked the other way but the man was not dissuaded and shuffled over.
“Where are you going?” The man asked in
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