groznyj_grad | Back at base, bugs in the software... [Feb. 23, 1964 11:47 A.M.] (Reply)

As soon as he heard the news, Krauss grabbed his coat and ushanka and departed his office without so much as a nod to Motte.

It wasn't much, but it was good news. Very, very good news, as far as he was concerned, even if the source was a bit sketchy. He wanted to believe it was all true, wanted to believe that someone had caught a glimpse of the murderer leading his second victim to his death in the caves. And as crazy as the whole story seemed, he found himself believing it, because he could find no reason not to. The source had always been reliable and honest before.

So he searched high and low, near and far for Liadov and Rakitin. A man on a fruitless mission; they were nowhere to be found. The mess hall was full of all the wrong people, the war room was deserted, and the only thing he found in Volgin’s office was Volgin, who glowered at the disturbance.

Half way back to his office, he glanced at his watch, and sighed. Slowly, realization trickled into his stream of thought: their laboratory.

He stopped dead in his tracks, turned, and nearly ran into a GRU lieutenant with his arms full of paperwork. Krauss didn’t even spare the time to mumble an apology.

By the time he reached the little building on the outskirts of the Grad, his bad hip was bothering him much more than he cared to admit to himself. He hurried up to the door though, knocking once, then again when he didn’t get the prompt reply he hoped for.

“Liadov! Ippolit!” He called, leaning against the frame of the door for support. “Are you there? Open the door, it’s Major Krauss.”