The Charm School

much too. Her and my wife. Dynamic duo.” Landis fell into a rocking chair and stared at the porch ceiling.
    “Where is Hollis?”
    “Oh…” Landis looked around as though familiarizing himself with his surroundings. “Oh… they gave him Dodson’s place. Behind this building. Couple hundred yards.”
    “And the woman with him? Lisa Rhodes?”
    Landis looked at Alevy and Mills. “What you want to know for? Hey, those two been through enough of your shit.”
    “What shit?”
    “The fucking cooler. You’re all the fucking same. You and Burov and all the KGB shits.”
    “Is Burov here?”
    “Where the fuck else would he be?”
    Mills put his hand on Alevy’s shoulder and whispered, “We have to get moving.”
    “Hold on.” He said to Landis, “The woman. Lisa. Is she with Hollis? In Dodson’s place?”
    Landis rose unsteadily to his feet. “Leave them alone.” Landis suddenly took a swing at Alevy, and Alevy stepped back. Landis shouted, “Go ahead, you bastard, shoot me! Shoot me! I want to die!” Landis staggered across the porch and fell against a post, covering his face with his hands. Alevy and Mills could hear him sobbing, and as they walked away, they heard him cry out, “My God, get me out of here!”
    Mills said softly, “Jesus… Seth, this is bad.”
    “I didn’t think it would be good, Bert. You understand now, don’t you?”
    “I’m beginning to. I’m not sorry I came.” He added, “Wives?”
    Alevy shrugged. “Camp whores, I guess.”
    They found the path that ran behind the VFW hall and followed it down a slope into a thickly treed hollow. Mills whispered, “The other guy. Marty Bambach. That was a
Russian
. His English was perfect.”
    Alevy nodded.
    “And he was protecting Landis.”
    Alevy replied, “I can’t even begin to imagine what sort of surreal world has developed here. But we know they have jails and curfews and that the KGB is in charge.”
    Alevy reached into the pocket of his greatcoat and took out a small radio receiver, turned it on, and extended the aerial. He put the jack to his ear and listened. “Well, we have a signal. It’s somewhere in this area.” As he walked he said, “Getting louder.” He looked around and noticed for the first time a shingled cottage, set back in the trees with its lights off.
    Mills whispered, “It looks like an American Cape Cod. This is eerie.”
    Alevy moved through the trees, and the signal got stronger. He tossed the receiver in the bushes and approached the front door. The door had no lock cylinder, only a knob, and it turned, but the door didn’t move. Alevy put his shoulder to the door and pressed slowly. He felt something give, then heard metal hitting the floor. He whispered, “Stay here.”
    Alevy opened the door and slipped inside the dark house, closing the door behind him. He turned on a red-filtered flashlight and played the beam off the walls and furniture, then noticed an open doorway in the right-hand wall, through which he could see the glow of an electric heater. He went through the doorway and found himself in the bedroom. His light picked out the icon on the wall over the double bed. Alevy walked softly over the floorboards to the bed and looked down at Lisa Rhodes, bundled under a stack of quilts. Involuntarily he reached out to touch her cheek.
    The crook of an arm locked around his throat, and he saw a long serrated bread knife poised in front of his heart. Alevy managed to turn his head slightly and said softly, “Hello, Sam.”
    Hollis released his grip. “Hello, Seth.” He motioned toward the door, and they went into the living room. Hollis turned on a table lamp, and Alevy saw he was wearing a warm-up suit similar to what Landis and Bambach had on. Hollis rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, and Alevy nodded. Hollis put a black gospel tape in the player. Alevy said softly, “Hell of a way to greet a friend.”
    “You’re not dressed like any friends that I have.”
    Alevy smiled. “You’re a cool customer, Colonel.”
    Hollis hesitated, then said, “It’s actually good to see you for a change.” He put out his hand, and Alevy took it. Hollis said, “I was beginning to wonder.”
    “I came as fast as I could, Sam. I spent five days in Washington selling this operation.”
    “What’s the plan?”
    “I’ll brief you as we go along. Why don’t you go wake Lisa?”
    Hollis went back into the bedroom and closed the door. Alevy went to the front door, opened it, and