The International

by Christopher Vale

  “You,” Mikhail said as he pointed to a young man. “You lead the way.” His eyes fell on another. “And you follow him.” He then turned to Brygida. “The Valkyrie shall be third, I will go forth. The rest will bring up the rear.”

  The Red Patriots grumbled, but realized that a refusal to follow orders would likely result in immediate execution. They stepped forward toward the dark tunnel, their rifles in hand with Efreitor Sokolov leading the way and Sergeant Popov behind him.

  Sokolov was relieved to see oil lamps hanging on the tunnel’s support beams. It was still dark, but the lamps offered more light than his flashlight would provide alone. No one wanted to be underground with a “monster,” but it would be much worse to be in the dark with one.

  Sokolov moved slowly and carefully, his rifle raised to eye level, and nervous about every shadow he saw. His imagination ran wild as he speculated about the monster. Was it some kind of vampire or werewolf? He’d heard stories of those creatures since he was a boy. He had discounted them since reaching adulthood, but now he was not so sure. After all, something more than a typical soldier was killing men inside of this tunnel and the command believed the tale so completely that they were sending the Patriots in, to find and—possibly—capture it.

  Sokolov glanced back over his shoulder to make sure the others were still following him and had not been picked off one by one in the darkness, leaving him all alone with some evil creature from the pits of Hell! He was relieved to see the sergeant just six feet behind him and the Valkyrie, just a few steps further back.

  About thirty yards into the tunnel, Sokolov came to another tunnel that broke off to the right. That tunnel was dark, with no lamps illuminating the way. Sokolov continued past it and Sergeant Popov clicked his flashlight on, shining the light inside. He did not notice anything inside and kept moving.

  Each subsequent man and woman passed the dark tunnel with a touch of fear. When the last man, Efreitor Talanov reached the tunnel he pulled out his flashlight and aimed it into the darkness. He expected to turn the light on to see a horrid creature like a red skinned demon with blood dripping from its fangs standing before him. He nervously clicked on the light, and was very relieved to see nothing except more tunnel. He smiled, scolding himself for being so afraid of the dark.

  Talanov turned from the tunnel and continued following the man in front of him. After a few steps he turned around to check their rear. All clear. He turned back around and…

  Without a sound Talanov was gone, snatched into the darkness of the tunnels.

  Up ahead, Brygida glanced back over her shoulder, and was glad to see a line of men trailing behind protecting their rear. The young officer, Mikhail Petrov, gave her a wink and she rolled her eyes as she turned back around to face the front.

  Sokolov continued to lead the way, deeper and deeper into the tunnel. Then, suddenly, they reached a point where the lanterns ended. It was pitch black going forward. Sokolov flipped on his flashlight illuminating the tunnel. There was no demonic beast in front of him, but he did not like how dark it was. Nevertheless, he continued forward.

  After they had traveled into the darkness about fifteen yards, Sokolov heard the young officer give a shriek of panic. He spun around with his flashlight to see the sergeant, the Valkyrie and Mikhail. But that was it! Each of the men walking behind Mikhail had disappeared!

  “Where are they?” Mikhail shouted frantically.

  Sokolov heard the crunch of rock in the darkness and spun his flashlight back around. The light illuminated the most terrifying thing Sokolov had ever seen. He raised his rifle to fire as a scream barely escaped his lips. Before he could pull the trigger, he was snatched into the darkness, his flashlight clattering as it fell to the ground, casting dancing shadows on the wall.

  Sergeant Popov wasted no time. He stepped forward with his automatic rifle raised and squeezed the trigger, illuminating the tunnel with his muzzle flashes as a warrior’s battle cry rose from his lips! When the magazine ran empty, Popov jerked it free from his rifle, dropping it to the ground as he reached into his pocket for a fresh one. Before he could slap the new magazine into the rifle, he was hit, by what felt like a truck, but turned out to be the body of Efreitor Sokolov. Popov fell to the ground, Sokolov’s body collapsing on top of him, as a guttural growl pierced the darkness.

  “What is that?” Mikhail shouted the question in panic, but the creature would not hold still, leaping around too quickly for them to make it out clearly in the darkness. The Valkyrie raised her rifle and squeezed the trigger. The monster, whatever the hell it was, ducked the first two rounds, but caught the next two square in the chest. It jerked back for a moment, and Brygida looked into its eyes. It appeared to be a man.

  It leapt forward, apparently already recovered from the bullet wounds! Was the old soldier correct? Could this thing not be killed?

  The creature landed on Brygida, knocking her rifle away and slamming her to the ground. She stared up at her attacker and saw the face of a man. A handsome face. A familiar face. It placed its hands around her throat strangling her. She grabbed it by the wrists and pulled them apart, off of her throat. Then she felt hands around her throat again. How could that be? She still held its wrists in her hands, spread far from her throat.

  Brygida began to lose consciousness, as the oxygen was cut off to her brain. The face of the monster began to darken. The last thing she saw was Mikhail step up behind the creature, place a gun to its head and pull the trigger. Brygida’s attacker collapsed on top of her, just as everything went black.

  ***

  Moscow, U.S.S.R.

  1945

  The smoke was thick at the train station as Brygida stepped from the car onto the platform. She wore a grayish blue dress with matching hat, and white gloves. The clothes had been procured for her in Berlin. She did not know where they came from, but she had received orders to return to Moscow and Polkovnik Utkin had insisted she dress as a lady. In fact, he had accompanied her back, eager to see his own family since the war was over.

  A band was playing songs from the revolution as Utkin joined Brygida on the platform. He offered his arm and she happily accepted it, as he led her away from the crowd of other passengers. “Do you need a place to stay?” he asked her as they walked.

  “No,” she smiled warmly. “I’m told it has all been arranged.”

  “Good to hear,” Utkin replied. “I have a car waiting for me. May I drop you somewhere?”

  “I expected to be met by…” she began, but then heard a voice call out.

  “Brygida!”

  She turned and saw Mikhail Petrov smiling at her over the heads of the other passengers crowding the platform.

  “Mikhail!” she called back.

  “I’ll see you later, then,” the polkovnik said with a smile and a wink.

  Brygida nodded and then lifted herself up on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you for everything,” she smiled.

  “My pleasure, comrade,” he replied. “You were the greatest soldier I’ve ever seen. If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

  Utkin then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I have some pull you know, and the politics of Communist Russia can be pretty dangerous.”

  “Thank, you,” she replied. “I will certainly remember that.”

  Utkin tipped his hat to her and then walked away in search of his car and driver. Brygida turned to see two children racing toward her. She fell down to her knees and scooped Alena and Alexi up into her arms as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Comrade Mikhail says that you are going to be our mother now,” Alena shouted excitedly.

  Brygida looked up to see the handsome young officer shrug. “I put in a good word for you.”

  Brygida stood and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” she said.

  Mikhail returned the hug. “Children need a mother,” he said. Then he let his hand slip below her waist. “And a father,” he whispered
into her ear as he hand moved to her buttocks.

  Brygida, pushed away, but not too coldly. She knew she had to walk a tightrope here in Moscow. “Well thank you very much, comrade,” she smiled.

  Mikhail looked at the ground, wishing his advance had not been rebuffed, but still confident. “There is an apartment ready for you,” he smiled. “Why don’t you go and freshen up and then we can all go out to eat.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” she said.

  The apartment had only one bedroom, a small den and tiny kitchen, but it was private. Which was more than most people in Moscow could boast. “The luxuries of being a war hero,” Mikhail explained.

  After stepping out for a small dinner, they returned and Brygida tucked the two children into the bed.

  “I’m so glad that you are back,” Alena said in excellent Russian. Alexi’s was not very good yet, but he spoke German well enough.

  “I’m glad to be back as well,” Brygida smiled brightly.

  “I’m glad we’re going to be a family,” Alena said.

  “Me, too,” Brygida replied. “And I promise to never let you go.”

  “I wish Axel and Rolf were here with us,” Alexi said in German.

  Brygida suddenly teared up. “Me too, darling,” she replied as she wiped her eyes. She had searched for them after Germany had surrendered, but could not find them. She had been told that the lab where they had been kept was bombed out. Completely destroyed by the Americans. The children had likely died.

  “You two get some rest,” Brygida said in German. “I’ll come to bed a little later.”

  “Alright,” Alena replied as Alexi flashed a giant smile. Brygida kissed each one on the forehead, then stood and walked to the door. She turned and gave them a little wink as she closed the door behind her.

  Mikhail rose from the sofa as Brygida stepped into the den.

  “Please sit down,” she said in Russian.

  “Join me?” he asked politely.

  Brygida nodded and they both sat on the small sofa.

  “Thank you again for everything you’ve done for us,” she smiled.

  “My pleasure,” he said.

  “Really,” she said. “From the day you saved me from, whatever that thing was in the tunnels, to how you’ve taken care of the children and made sure we…” the emotions welled up inside of her and she turned her head as she fought back tears.

  Mikhail pulled a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his jacket and handed it to her. “It’s alright,” he said. “You’ve been through a lot.”

  Brygida nodded as she accepted the handkerchief, wiping her eyes. As she did so, Mikhail placed his hand on her knee and then leaned in to kiss her pressing his lips to hers.

  She pulled back and when she did she saw the hurt expression on his face. He began to stand, but she placed a hand gently on his arm to stop him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s not that I’m not interested in you, but there are some things you have to understand about me.”

  Mikhail shrugged, “Like what?” he asked.

  “Well for starters,” she began, but hesitated.

  “What?” he prodded.

  “I’m Jewish,” she said.

  Mikhail threw his head back and laughed. “I know that Brygida,” he smiled. “But your status as the great war hero Valkyrie will overcome your status as a Jew.”

  “Well, I’ve also been married before,” she said.

  “Yes, I know,” Mikhail said. “And you’ve had children. Sheesh, Brygida, everyone in the Soviet Union knows the story. Poor young woman who saw her husband, a common worker, and her children murdered by the Germans right in front of her. She was rescued from her captors by the Red Army, to whom she pledged unfailing loyalty forever. She then went on a rampage, killing Nazi after Nazi in a quest for vengeance and to secure the freedom of the Soviet people and workers throughout Europe, whom she loves as her own family.” He sat back proudly.

  “That’s not exactly what happened,” she smiled “but I suppose it’s close enough”.

  “Look,” he said. “I knew the moment I laid eyes on you, that I wanted to be with you. And when I saw you in action…your bravery…well,” he stopped, looked at the floor and then back up at her. “I knew that you and I could become one of the most powerful couples in the country.”

  “Powerful?” she asked.

  “Well, yes,” he replied. “I mean that’s what everything is about right? Power?” He took her hand in his. “People love you,” he said. “And with my connections and ambition…”

  But she cut him off. “I’m sorry, Mikhail,” she said. “I like you, but I’m not really interested in ambition.”

  “That’s alright, Brygida” he smiled. “I have enough ambition for the two of us.”

  “I just want to live a quiet life. Raise those two little children, maybe have a couple of more,” she said. “Get a quiet job.”

  Mikhail sat back. “I’m sorry, Brygida, but I’m afraid that’s going to be quite impossible.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Well, you keeping Alena and Alexi is contingent on you—and them for that matter—working as agents for the KGB.”

  “The KGB?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he replied. “We need you. And them, to counter the fascists who are trying to take over the world.”

  “But we defeated the fascists,” Brygida said confused.

  Mikhail chuckled. “Don’t be so naive, my dear,” he smiled. “Who do you think is running the United States and Great Britain?”

  Brygida placed her face in her hands. Her head was spinning.

  “Look,” Mikhail said as he placed his hand on her knee. “Don’t worry about the politics of it. All you need to know is, we need your help. And if you want to continue to see Alena and Alexi, the KGB is going to insist all three of you work for them.”

  Brygida looked up at him.

  “It’s the best I could do,” he said softly.

  Brygida nodded. “I understand,” she said. “Thank you.”

  He started to slide his hand up her leg, but she placed her hand on top of his stopping it.

  “I really am grateful to you,” she said. “And you are a very handsome man.”

  “But?” he asked.

  She smiled. “But, it’s been a long war. I am extremely tired.”

  “Alright,” he said.

  “I like you Mikhail. Truly, but I need to take it a little slower than this.”

  He forced a smile and then stood. “Very well, Brygida,” he relented. “I’ll let you get some sleep.”

  Brygida stood, placed her hand on his shoulder and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. His disposition brightened immediately.

  “Perhaps I could take you out later in the week?” he asked.

  She smiled brightly. “I’d really like that,” she replied.

  He nodded, smiling like a boy. “Well then, good night,” he said.

  She walked him to the door. He opened it, stepped through, put on his hat and turned back to face her.

  “Slow?” he asked.

  “Yes, Mikhail,” she replied with a sweet grin. “Slow.”

  “I can do that,” he said with a wink. “Good night.” He then turned and walked down the stairs.

  “Good night,” she replied as he exited the building.

  Brygida closed the door and then stepped into the bedroom to ready for bed, excited for the future, for the first time in a long time.

  Chapter 16

  A few days later, Brygida, Alena, and Alexi were picked up in a car by two bruiser looking men in gray suits and driven out of Moscow to a KGB training facility on the outskirts of the city. Mikhail met them there. He smiled brightly when he saw them, and came over hugging each child. Brygida was surprised by his warmth to the children. He seemed almost too friendly, but she pushed that thought from her mind. He’s a nice man she told herself.

  Mikhail stood and smiled at her. “It is nice
to see you Comrade Valkyrie,” he said formally.

  “You as well, comrade,” she replied.

  He gave her a little wink and she realized that he was attempting to keep a professional distance while in front of other agents of the KGB.

  “Comrade Valkyrie,” said another man who had been identified as the Director of Special Operations for the KGB.

  “Yes, comrade?” Brygida asked.

  “I think it best that the children be trained separately from you,” he said. It was clearly a command and not just a suggestion.

  “As you say,” Brygida replied.

  “Comrade Mikhail Petrov will be in charge of their instruction,” he continued.

  Brygida smiled, relieved that it would be Mikhail and not a stranger who would be training the children. After some more conversation the Director excused himself, leaving Brygida, Mikhail, and the children alone.

  Mikhail leaned over and whispered in Brygida’s ear. “Can I see you tonight?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I’d like that,” she said, excited. She had been thinking about him a lot since the night he had made his intentions known to her.

  “Excellent!” he replied with a wide smile. “I’ve arranged for someone to come and watch the children.”

  “Oh?” she asked.

  “Do not be concerned, Brygida,” he smiled. “She’s spent a good bit of time with them while you were in Germany.”

  “Oh, alright,” Brygida said.

  Mikhail then looked down at Alena and Alexi. “Well, children, let us go begin your training.”

  “Yes, comrade,” Alena said with a smile.

  Brygida watched them stroll away.

  “Everything will be alright,” she whispered to herself.

  Later that evening, Mikhail took Brygida to the theater, and then the two of them stopped at a pub for a drink. The air was thick with smoke as they sat at a dirty table, sticky with spilled liquor and beer, discussing the play they had just seen. As they did so, Mikhail placed his hand atop Brygida’s and she did not pull away.