Lena watched as Dieter slowly collapsed a few yards away, his blood staining the snow red. She rolled on the snow and pulled herself to a sitting position. Dazed, she touched her chest, her arms, her face. Her ears rang with the reverberation of the shots, but she was alive. And she wasn’t wounded. Dieter was dead.
Gradually her ears cleared, and she heard the wail of sirens. About a dozen men swarmed across the field, most of them shouting. She watched in a detached confused state, unsure what was happening. Then, through the blur of motion, she heard a familiar voice. “Lena, are you all right? Answer me.”
She tried to focus.
Agent Lanier appeared in her sightline. He ran over, crouched down, and draped his arm around her shoulder. “You’re okay. Do you understand? It’s over.”
“I—I shot them,” she whispered.
“Yes. You did.”
Lanier glanced over at Josef and Hans. Lena followed his gaze. Hans lay unmoving, but Josef was writhing on the ground, moaning. Lanier’s men surrounded him, blocking her view.
“Dieter was going to shoot me. How…?” She looked up at him.
“We got him first.”
She blinked several times, trying to process the information. “But how did you know we were here?”
“We’ve been tailing you all day. Ever since you called last night. I haven’t been more than a few feet away.”
She licked her lips. The frigid air made them sting. “I had to do it, Terry. After what he did… to me… and Karl… and…”
Lanier cut her off. “Lena… do you realize what you’ve done?”
“I committed murder. Twice.”
Lanier shook his head. “You have broken up one of the most important Communist espionage rings in the United States.”
Her brow furrowed. “No. You don’t understand. I—I…”
“Shhh.” He raised a finger to his lips. “I know you’re upset. You’re probably in shock. But you are a hero, Lena. No one has ever done what you have. For as long as you.” He took a breath. “You have been privy to the inner workings of a major spy ring. And Josef, the leader of the cell, is still alive.”
Four men bent down, lifted Josef off the ground, and carried him to a waiting ambulance.
They both watched in silence. For Lena it was surreal. Then she asked, “What happens now?”
Lanier smiled. “We’ll make sure his wounds heal. Then turn him, of course.”
“Turn him?”
“Don’t worry. You won’t be involved. You’ve already told me everything you passed him.”
“But wait.” She raised her palms in a warding-off gesture. “What about Colonel Collins? What is he going to do?”
“He’s been informed. He’s elated. He’s calling you a true patriot.”
“But I committed treason.”
Lanier leaned over and offered his hand to help her up. “You were forced to. Fortunately, you came to me in time. You’ve been a double… no… a triple agent during a time of war for your country.”
She frowned. “Are you saying you knew Hans and Josef weren’t Nazis? Did you know they were Communists?”
He didn’t answer for a moment. Then he hung his head. “I told you before. I’ve been working on this case for over a year, Lena.”
“So that means yes?”
He nodded.
She dropped her hand from his. Her expression turned steely. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
A pleading look came over him. “I wanted to. My superiors forbade it. They were afraid you wouldn’t work as hard against the Communists as you would against the Nazis. After all, Nazis are your mortal enemies.”
She gazed at him. In a way, he was no different than Hans or Collins. He’d been manipulating her too. Using her. She should hate him. Except that he had just saved her life.
“Not telling you was wrong,” Lanier went on. “We know that now. You’ve proven that you are willing to sacrifice your life for America. You are a star, Lena. In fact, there are a lot of people who want to shake your hand.”
She stood up unsteadily. Her world had suddenly turned upside down.
“But I’ll bet you just want to go home to your son.”
She nodded.
“Look. I have work to do, but I’ll come by as soon as I can. We have a lot to talk about.” He called out to one of the men. “Archer, take the lady home, will you?” He turned back to her. “People will be talking about you for years to come, Lena.”
She shook her head in confusion. “You’re talking as if I am someone special. But I’m not.”
He laughed. “Oh, but you’re wrong. I’m nothing special. A normal red-blooded American. Born and bred in Iowa. You are remarkable.”
“Normal,” she repeated. Perhaps he was right. She’d been a refugee, a widow, a spy, and now, apparently, a hero. But since she’d come to America, she’d never been normal. Even though that was the only thing she’d ever wanted.
“Normal,” she said. “An average American. What is that like?”
“Maybe I can help you learn.” He took her elbow and guided her across the field to the car. “We can talk about that, too.”
“Yes. Let’s.” She smiled.