Chapter 57 the same day

Vasily sat on the hotel bed smoking, let the ash fall on the carpet, and drank straight from the bottle.He had no illusions: if he had not delivered the fugitives—Leo and Raisa—to his superiors, they would have regarded Fyodor Andreev's death unceremoniously.They had dealt with it before he left Moscow.He knew that only if he brought Leo back would they believe his story about Fyodor's collusion with Leo, and that Fyodor wanted to attack Vasily when he learned the truth.The Ministry of State Security was disgraced by the inability to capture the defenseless and penniless couple, who seemed to have evaporated.If Vasily can catch them, all his crimes will be pardoned.Officials at the Ministry of State Security were prepared to accept the fact that Leo had fled the country and was already in the hands of Western diplomatic services.Their own underground operatives abroad have been instructed to send photos of Leo and his wife to their country's embassies and consulates around the world, and they are making plans to assassinate them.If Vasily can help them avoid such an expensive and diplomatically complicated international manhunt, his history will be cleared.

He dropped the cigarette butt on the carpet, watched it smolder on the carpet for a long time before crushing it with his heel.He had been in touch with Rostov's Ministry of State Security, the rabble.He had shown them photographs, and he had told the officers that they should be aware that Leo might have had a beard or a short haircut; Individuals may die; they may also travel together with the help of others.Officers should not only pay attention to documents, because Leo knew how to forge all kinds of documents.As long as there is a little bit of suspicion, no matter who they are, they should detain them, and Vasily has the final say on whether to release them.He had thirty men in total, and he set up a series of sentries and random searches.He ordered every officer to record all incidents, no matter how trivial, so that he could examine them himself.Day and night these reports were brought to him for review.

Haven't seen any clues so far.Could this be Leo's chance to humiliate him again?Maybe that idiot Fyodor got it wrong, maybe Leo went somewhere else entirely.If so, then Vasily is dead. There is a knock on the door. "Come in." A young officer with a flushed face stood at attention outside the door, holding a piece of paper in his hand.Vasily motioned for the officer to hand him the paper. Roster Massey Plant Administration.The two were attacked and their employment papers were stolen. Vasily stood up: "Here he is."