Ganglands: Russia: Russia Read Online Free PDF Page B

but ordinary people; men, women and children, joining together to beat back Hitler’s hordes.Heroes, all of them.I used to pester my father with questions about Stalingrad, but he’d never talk about it.No one who surviveddid.But I know how proud he was when Alexei’s father and I followed him into the army.’
    Alexei had heard the story countless times before, but he knew better than to interrupt.Stepan was lost in his father’s story, a catch of emotion in his voice as he spoke.
    ‘My mother was born in Leningrad,’ said Valerie.‘She lost her father in 1942.She ended up moving all the way to Israel to escape the memories.’
    ‘All those lives lost, and turned upside down, and for what?’ Stepan said bitterly.‘After all that our forefathers sacrificed, today we have Nazis walking the streets – Russian streets!Like these … scum … who attacked Alexei’s girlfriend.If I was ten years younger myself …’
    His voice trailed off.
    ‘It’s not your battle to fight any more,’ Valerie said. She looked pointedly at Alexei.‘It’s down to the next generation to continue the struggle.’
    Stepan harrumphed.‘Kids these days.How could they understand?’
    ‘It’s up to us to make them, Stepan.’
    There was a long pause.Alexei glanced at his uncle, his eyes misty with emotion, and then back to Valerie.‘OK,’ he said quietly. ‘You’ve made your point.I’ll sign up to your course.’
    ‘I thought you’d come round to my way of thinking.’ Valerie rose from her chair.‘Lovely to meet you, Stepan,’ she said.
    ‘You’re leaving already?’ Alexei’s uncle asked, bewildered.
    ‘Time is against us, and there are a lot of forms to fillin before Alexei can start.Don’t worry – he’ll be very comfortable in university accommodation.’
    ‘He’s going to stay at MSU?’
    ‘It’s a very intensive course, Mr Zhukov,’ Valerie said smoothly.‘I’d imagine Alexei’s going to be very busy for the foreseeable future.’
    Stepan glanced at Alexei.‘What about Lena?’
    ‘I’ll make time to see her,’ Alexei replied firmly. ‘Believe me.’
    ‘Well, if you’re both sure …’ Startled into submission by the pace of events, Stepan waited for Alexei to throw some clothes into a bag and then showed them both to the door.
    ‘Call me when you get the chance,’ he instructed his nephew, giving him a quick encouraging smile.
    Valerie kissed Stepan warmly on both cheeks, then accompanied Alexei out of the apartment building and into the weak spring sunshine.Alexei was unsurprised to see the people carrier waiting for them outside, the driver from the previous night still behind the wheel.Before they climbed in, Alexei grabbed Valerie’s arm.
    ‘If I agree to do this,’ he said, ‘I want constant updates on Lena.When she wakes up, I want to know about it.’
    ‘That can be arranged.’
    ‘And I don’t want to see anyone from Trojan at my uncle’s apartment again.This has got nothing to do with him, and I don’t want him finding out about it.’
    Valerie Singer pushed her sunglasses down over her eyes.‘About time you showed some backbone,’ she said, her tone icy.‘Now let’s get to work.’

6. Dangerous Company
    The people carrier crawled through Moscow, inching its way along motorway lanes banked up with cars.For twenty minutes, none of its inhabitants said a word, until yet another snarl-up made the driver blow out his cheeks with exasperation.
    ‘Bloody traffic!’ he exclaimed in an English accent. ‘This is even worse than London!’
    ‘Moscow traffic jams: best in Europe,’ Valerie replied laconically.‘Why do you think the underground is so good?’
    They headed south-east towards the Taganka district, where the traffic finally began to dissolve, and the driver was able to open up the engine.Roaring up a steep hill, the people carrier turned off the main road at the summit, bouncing through a stone archway on to a gravel track.As the track curved round through a small