I shut my eyes again and let my head sink down. I'd told them all I'd got out of Ignatov and I wanted to sleep and let Croder and the rest of them take over. 'Did you ask him if there was an alternative plan ready to go?' Bracken wanted to know. 'Yes. He said he didn't know of any.' 'Was that the truth?' Croder asked. 'I think so.' Listen, you tried to blow my head off out there in that car park, you think that doesn't mean anything to me? You start lying and by God I'm going to leave you here for dead. I'm not lying. I want to see my children again. The broken sheets of ice touched together on the river's surface, bringing the sound of muted bells. 'I think he was telling the truth,' I told Croder, 'but that doesn't mean Schrenk hasn't got an alternative operation planned.' 'Precisely. Is there anything more you have to tell us?' I took my time to think, in case I missed anything. 'No.' 'Very well.' He nodded to Bracken and they both got out of the car. 'Take him to base,' he told Fenshaw, 'and ask the woman to look after him. Then I want you to come back here and pick us up.'

Periods of waking and sleeping, the smell of wood smoke and antiseptic and the rough woven blanket. At one time the sound of metal on metal and I was halfway out of the bed before I was fully awake, something crashing on to the floor. 'It is all right.' She came over at once and held my arms with her strong fingers, looking into my face. 'I was just putting some more wood on the stove.' 'Oh. Good of you.' The room was cold. 'How do you feel?' She picked up the beaker of water I'd knocked over. 'I was dreaming, that's all.' The big black Zil going up, bursting like a chrysanthemum. 'You should be in hospital,' Zoya said, leaning over me. 'I am worried about infection.' 'You worry,' I said, 'while I sleep.' At some other time I saw the cold grey light of the new day defrosting the grime of the window, and had a run of coherent thoughts for the first time since Fenshaw had brought me back here. It was possible that everything would be all right, provided we could find Schrenk. Croder could stop the Zil operation at any time he chose. Logan and Marshal were guarding it at the warehouse and could smash the distributor or pour dirt in the carburettor whenever they got the instructions. Ignatov was also under guard. If Schrenk hadn't got an alternative lined up, there was a chance that everything was going to be all right. Dreams again, with the soft discordant chimes of the ice on the night-running river, the soft wet phutt of the silenced gun, blood on the snow. Then later I woke to find Bracken leaning over me, speaking softly and with the fear of God in his voice. 'They've shot Logan and Marshal,' he said, 'and taken the Zil.'