The Charm School

trust you’ll agree that you would both rather be here than in an unmarked grave.”
    Hollis stood. “My answer is no.”
    Burov looked at him incredulously. “No, you will not work for us here?”
    “That’s what I said.”
    “Then you will be thoroughly interrogated, then shot.”
    “Then I have nothing to lose if I killed you right now.”
    Burov set his cup on the stove and stepped away from Hollis.
    Hollis took a step toward Burov.
    Lisa rose to her feet.
    Burov seemed undecided if he should call out for the guard or not. He said to Hollis, “Are you armed?”
    “I don’t need a weapon to kill you.”
    “No? You think you’re so strong? I keep myself fit also.”
    “Good. That should make it interesting.” Hollis moved closer to Burov.
    Burov snapped, “Stay where you are.”
    Lisa spoke. “Sam. Please.” She said to Burov, “I’ll work for you.” She turned to Hollis. “Please, Sam. We discussed this. It’s not worth our lives. Tell him yes. Please.” She grabbed his arm. “What difference does it make if there are two more instructors?” She turned back to Burov. “He’ll do it. Just give me some time.”
    Burov seemed to consider. He stared at Lisa awhile, then said, “I have orders to get an answer from you today. If you don’t say yes by six this evening, you’ll be taken to the cells forthwith. Do you understand?”
    Lisa nodded.
    Burov said, “I’m in a good mood today, and I’ll tell you why. Major Dodson has been captured. He was not two hundred meters from the west wall of your embassy. So whose side is fate on?”
    Hollis didn’t reply, but turned to leave.
    Burov said, “Yes, you may go now. Report to me at my office at six P . M . with your answer.” He pointed the way out.
    Hollis and Lisa went out to the foyer, and the guard opened the door. They walked down the path to the guardhouse, where one of the KGB men opened the gate. As they headed back along the main road, Lisa said, “You want to buy time, don’t you?”
    Hollis nodded. “But you didn’t have to do that.”
    “I did it for you, Sam. I saw your ego was getting in the way of your brain. I never thought you’d lose your cool like that.”
    Hollis replied, “I was okay when I went in there. But… I started thinking about him.”
    “About what he did to me? I shouldn’t have told you that.”
    Hollis didn’t reply.
    “And you were also angry at what he was saying about America.”
    “All of the above.” Hollis said, “Thanks for cooling the situation. I’m sure that wasn’t an easy act for you.”
    “You owe me one.”
    “Right. And dinner.”
    They continued their walk away from Burov’s dacha. Lisa said, “They captured Dodson.”
    Hollis nodded. “Damned bad break for Dodson. But maybe that takes the pressure off Burov to break camp.”
    “If you’re concerned that this place stay put, you obviously believe someone is coming for us.”
    “That’s a good deduction. You’re starting to think like an intelligence officer.”
    “And you talk like one. Answer the question, Hollis.”
    He smiled. “I think it’s better that we’re here and not someplace else if a rescue attempt is made.” He added, “Don’t press me on it, Lisa. I think out loud sometimes because I have no one to talk to about any of this. I’ll think to myself now.”
    Hollis thought that undoubtedly Alevy knew he and Lisa were kidnapped and, in fact, had anticipated their kidnapping, which was why Alevy, in an uncharacteristic display of sentiment, had tried to talk Lisa out of taking that flight. And in the two early-morning sessions he had with Alevy, Alevy hinted at some sort of rescue operation at the Charm School—perhaps, as Burov had guessed, an operation to get at least two or three men out of here as evidence. Thus, all Alevy’s questioning about the Soviet Mi-28 helicopter, which was obviously how Alevy planned to do it.
    But then Alevy, at Sheremetyevo, had indicated a swap, now that they could lay their hands on most of the three thousand Charm School graduates in the States. Alevy never actually lied to his peers; he just gave ten correct answers to the same question.
    He tried to get into Alevy’s mind, which was not totally impossible because they were both in the same business and ostensibly had to think alike to solve the same sort of problems. He thought that Alevy not only knew he and Lisa had been kidnapped, but guessed that they had probably been taken to the Charm School. Alevy