Read Condemned for Free Online Page A

something went very wrong in their lucrative trafficking. New K.G.B. agents, ones that neither Vasily nor the Americans knew, unearthed a large network of Russians supplying heroin to Leningrad. The K.G.B. had not traced the heroin back to the Americans. Not yet. And, the Americans, not wanting the drugs to be traced back to them, became very agitated.
    They told Vasily it would be better for he and his family to get out of Leningrad, preferably out of the U.S.S.R., immediately. In exchange for Vasily’s silent cooperation, the Americans agreed to help Vasily and his family obtain papers to leave the country, help them to reach America and Arizona. Vasily was amazed that the Americans knew about everything in Vasily’s life, his wife, her sickness, their daughter, everything.
    Tatiana’s left hand still held Bim close to her. No matter how many toys or presents, dresses, pairs of shoes that her Dad bought with the new riches, nothing, nothing, could ever take the place of Bim. It was he that she carried, then stuffed in the waist of her underpants, when she and her mother made their forays on the hospital trash heaps; it was he that was with her in bed at night, locked in her embrace, keeping her warm when there was little heat. It was Bim to whom she had always confided, when she hoped that her Dad would bring home some money, not so much for her, or for her mother, but for Dad himself, so that he would not feel so bad, would not think of himself as a failure, so he would no longer sit during the day, when his night meanderings resulted in nothing, looking out the window of his room trying to hide his tears of frustration and failure. There was a small hole in Bim’s side where the stitching kept coming undone. But, the imperfection formed a secret place where she could fit the tip of her index finger and tickle Bim inside. Tatiana knew that she would never leave or part with Bim—ever.
    Tears came to Tatiana’s eyes as she glanced at her Dad sitting in the front seat of the car, smoke curling up and out his window. Over the last year, despite their finances improving, his mood darkened, his soul became pinched with suffering, as her mother’s condition worsened. Even when he made arrangements with the Americans to get needed medications, thinking that this would be the magic cure for Inga’s condition, it did very little good. Not even all of Vasily’s rubles could buy or bribe the care Inga needed in Leningrad.
    As they drove, Vasily had to convince the taciturn driver to stop the car because Inga had a convulsion of coughing. The driver was impatient, almost angry, saying something about appointments, people waiting. Inga forced herself to stop coughing, and they were off again in no more than a minute. As they started up again, Tatiana noted that there were only two more tablets left. They would be out of medication soon. They had to get to a doctor or hospital right away.
    About 5:45 AM, while they were still some distance from the Russian/ Finnish border, suddenly, their headlights reflected in the tail lights of a car which appeared to be stopped far ahead on the side of the long desolate roadway. Their car slowed. Why are you slowing? Vasily asked. Their driver said nothing, stopping next to the other car. Who was this? Vasily asked. The driver said he could go no further with them, as it would not be convenient for him to be seen or to have to identify himself to the border patrol. The driver said that he would get out here, and that the other car—driven by another American—would bring him back to Leningrad. Vasily and the family were to travel the last ten kilometers on their own.
    The driver exited their car and walked to the middle of the road to talk to the driver of the other car. The other driver stayed in his car, rolling down his window half way. Vasily opened his door and exited their car as well. Inga and Tatiana watched Vasily and the driver standing in front