Surviving Prague Excerpt 2

The Hollow Man    |     The Hollow Man Series, International Espionage​

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“Is the traitor dead?”

“The kill was clean.”

“No one saw you?”

The smell of Turkish tobacco filled the room with an acrid odor. The man seated behind the desk picked up a still lit cigarette and flicked the ash into a full ashtray. The fire burned dark red as he inhaled.

“Comrade Vlček, you hired an elite Soviet SDM marksman with twenty-seven confirmed kills during the suppression of Dubcek’s reforms in ‘68,” said the sniper.

“Yes, quite an impressive achievement, Comrade Major. Your eyesight is not in question.”

The sniper shifted his weight from one foot to the other at parade rest. He looked down at the Czech Communist Party Leader with a faint odor of disdain. Politicians were so pompous, he thought.

“There was another. Perhaps it was a woman. The two spoke briefly.”

“And you failed to eliminate her with Jersic?” The sitting man gazed curiously at the sniper, mocking his failure. “Well, I see. You left a witness. Perhaps we hired the wrong man.”

“She was athletic and I am still managing the new night scope. In my defense, sir, no one else could have succeeded with two kills under the circumstances.” The soldier hesitated then tried to change the subject. “I assume she is his handler.”

“Yes. We know who she is.”

“Then I’ll find her and finish the job.”

The fat bureaucrat smiled as he lit another cigarette. He slapped the lighter back onto the desk. Vlček squinted up through thick smoke at the sniper standing in front of him. How wonderfully uninformed this stupid man is, he thought. He knows nothing of what’s really going on. He’s only interested in fulfilling my irrelevant taunt while everything around his pathetic petty life’s about to change within days.

“I have a better idea, Comrade,” Vlček began, “Do not let your misplaced pride come between us on this. An opportunity presents itself with this woman slipping through your grasp.”

The bureaucrat peered at the sniper’s face to be certain there was no objection. It was difficult to read his emotionless face. The soldier stared at the wall above Vlček’s head.

“We have five witnesses who swear she was with Jersic and each is positive she brutally murdered Jersic. You see… two flies with one hit.”

Vlček opened a top drawer and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He glanced at it before dropping the document on the desk and spinning it so the snipper might read it.

“I have taken the liberty of drafting this official report which will be released to the 6:00 AM morning wire for major news desks across Europe,” Vlček continued.

The soldier looked down at the paper. He read the words not quite understanding.

Czech authorities are looking for a female British national in connection with the brutal assassination of a Communist Committee Member last night. The young woman is also a suspect in the suspicious deaths of three other British nationals in recent weeks.

Airports, trains, and border crossings have closed to foreign travelers until each can be properly secured. Eastern Bloc troops moved to the western highlands as a precautionary measure. Prague has also closed to international commerce and all public gatherings in the city are cancelled until further notice. These steps were taken to ensure the safety of our citizens. We apologize for your delayed schedules.

“I don’t understand,” the soldier said. “How did you know she was there and that she lived? Were you following me?”

“We have been watching her and the others for some time. She just happened to intersect with your op and my people were there to witness the event,” Vlček waved a hand in the air.

“Sir, I request a day to find her,” requested the Major.

“I’ll give you a day,” Vlček responded. “…to report back to your unit. You have done as we asked. Enjoy the city. Sample its food or savor its women; whichever you prefer. But stay away from the Brit.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Major, do not betray my generosity.”

“No, sir.”

“We’re fighting for our survival here in Prague. And, at this moment we have been offered the unique opportunity to finally destroy Britain’s spy network here. Let politics finish this.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” the sniper repeated.

The fat bureaucrat wondered why he felt the need to explain such a complicated matter to this animal who had been trained to do only one thing. It was beyond his kind to understand. He cared for nothing except his Kalashnikov.

“You are dismissed, Major Akulov.”

The sniper came to attention and saluted. He retreated through the door, along the hall, down the stairs and into the street, all the while thinking about the target he missed.