: Amelia Again

The van drove all night. Whit pulled the van over at a gas station at daybreak. Whit and Patrick got out. Whit showed his passport to the clerk inside a tiny building. He paid for gas and bought several food items.

After Patrick helped pump gas, he got back into the VW. Whit put the food in the tiny refrigerator in back.

Patrick grabbed a paper map of the Moscow area. He held the large map on his lap. His finger was on the thick line for the main highway. It went northeast.

Whit closed the van’s back door and got into the driver’s seat. He leaned over and studied the map.

“The pastor lives in an apartment complex,” he said. “It’s just off Red Square on Gorky Street.” He put his index finger on the map.

“See how the streets form a circle?” Whit asked.

Patrick nodded.

“Inside the oval is Red Square,” Whit said. “It’s the heart of the city and the Soviet headquarters.”

Patrick looked at the map’s legend. He did some math in his head. “We’ve got only five kilometers to go,” he said.

Pastor Lars had been sleeping in the backseat. He sat up and stretched his arms. He rustled the beads hanging behind the front seats.

“Let’s have some music!” Pastor Lars said. “It’s Easter Sunday, after all.”

Patrick flipped on the radio. He searched for music by twisting a knob. But there was nothing on the Soviet radio stations that sounded like hymns.

Whit turned off the radio. “Let’s sing our own songs.”

Pastor Lars began singing a song Patrick recognized. “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” the pastor sang. Whit joined in. The two men sang with gusto about Jesus and His reign “forever and ever.”

They arrived at a city. Whit parked the van at the curb. It was in front of a long, five-story building with many windows. The building had tiles that formed colorful art at the top. On the bottom floor were shops and restaurants.

“This is the Hotel Metropole,” Whit said. “Hopefully the police won’t notice the van here. A lot of tourists stay here.”

Patrick helped Pastor Lars put Bibles inside his violin case. Whit led the way across a wide street. He was holding the brown sack with food in it.

A tower clock chimed once in the distance. Patrick glanced at the Roman numbers on the clock face. It was six thirty.

The dogs panted and seemed to be enjoying this game of chase.

Beth looked at Amelia. “I won’t help you,” she said, “unless you read this to me.” She held out the brochure.

Amelia took the paper. “It says, ‘Visitor’s Guide to the St. Basil’s Museum.’”

“The part written in pencil,” Beth said.

Amelia scrunched her nose and studied the paper. “That’s an address for one of those enormous apartment buildings,” she said. “Four Gorky Street.” She handed the brochure back. “Now help me get the dogs away from here.”

“Why?” Beth asked.

“Because the Soviets are planning on sending one of them into space,” Amelia said.

To Beth, the dogs looked like healthy, happy mutts. She gulped. Death was a high price to pay for science, even if it was just the death of a dog.

“You’re getting soft too,” Beth said to Amelia. “You care about them, and you’re going to save them. Like Noah saving the animals on the ark.”

Amelia flushed. And just then, one dog sat at her feet. It licked her hand.

“I’m not getting soft,” she said, yanking her hand away. “But the Soviets won’t let me orbit the earth. So I’m leaving and I’m taking these dogs away from here.” She lifted her bag. “I had to empty my desk out.”

Another of the dogs whined as if it wanted to be petted.

“Shoo!” Beth shouted at it. She waved her hands. “Go away. Find a new home.” But it just sat there with its tongue hanging out.

“Why do you want to go to Gorky Street?” Amelia asked.

Beth was silent. She didn’t know what the address meant. But it might be where a church group met. She didn’t want to tell Amelia that.

“You’re keeping a secret!” Amelia said. “I bet it’s something to do with that Bible smuggling. Whit is always doing something like that. At least when he’s not ruining my programs.”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone?” Beth asked. “Go back home.”

“I’ll go home when I feel like it,” Amelia said. “Maybe after the dogs find new homes. Maybe the people who live on Gorky Street will take the dogs. Plus, you’ll find the building faster with my help. I can read the street signs.”

Amelia spoke to dogs in Russian. They heeled beside her quietly.

“How do you know Russian?” Beth asked.

Amelia rolled her eyes. “I speak seven languages,” she said. “Now follow me.” She headed down the road.

Beth walked beside her and the dogs. Beth’s stomach growled.

“Where can I get something to eat?” Beth asked.

“Blech,” Amelia said and scowled. “Soviet food is boring. I’d rather have my chef prepare healthy food for me.”

Beth eyed the bag Amelia carried. Could a working remote be inside that bag? she wondered.

Suddenly she heard a familiar voice.

“Beth!” Patrick called.

Beth turned around. She ran toward them and shouted, “Patrick! Pastor Lars! Mr. Whittaker!”

The friends greeted each other on the sidewalk.

Whit had a paper bag in his hands. Pastor Lars carried his violin case.

Amelia joined the group.

“Who is this?” Pastor Lars asked, nodding toward Amelia. “And where did those dogs come from?”

“The dogs need a home,” Beth said to the pastor. “And this is Amelia. She’s the one we were looking for. She wants to go into space.”

Pastor Lars and Amelia introduced themselves.

“Is that violin case hiding a weapon?” Amelia asked.

“Of course not,” Pastor Lars said. “I’m a man of peace.” Pastor Lars studied Amelia. “You’re a cosmonaut?” he asked.

Something told Patrick that he should hide the transmitter pin from Amelia. He unhooked the pin and slipped the odd little device into his pocket.

“I quit the cosmonaut program this morning,” Amelia said. “I’m just an ordinary tourist now.”

There was a long, awkward pause. It was obvious that neither the two cousins nor the two men trusted Amelia. The government scientist shifted her duffel bag to her other shoulder in a nervous gesture.

A uniformed guard approached. He was marching stiffly, like a tin soldier come to life. He carried his rifle using the palm of his hand. It leaned against his shoulder, the muzzle pointed at the sky.

Everyone was quiet, even Amelia, as the guard walked near.

Can Amelia be trusted? Patrick wondered. Will she turn us all in? Pastor Lars has Bibles in his violin case. Is he safe?

The guard passed. He didn’t seem interested in them at all.

Whit raised his head and looked around Red Square. He seemed worried.

“Amelia,” Whit said, “it’s very odd that you’re still here. Shouldn’t you be on your way home?”

“How odd that you are here following me,” Amelia said back. “You’re the one who should go home.” She put her hands on her hips. “This is my program.”

She pointed at Patrick and Beth and said, “Beth got me fired by bringing that fuel mixer.” She motioned toward Pastor Lars. “And what is this pastor doing here?”

Whit turned to Beth. “Maybe you and Patrick should let me talk to Amelia alone. But first you should have something to eat.” He handed Beth the brown sack.

“Thank you!” she said. “I haven’t eaten in ages.” She took a sandwich out of the bag. She glanced at Amelia. “Mr. Kozlov and the other KBG agents weren’t very good hosts.”

Pastor Lars and Whit both said, “KGB?” at the same time.

“Yes,” Beth said. She swallowed a bite. “They questioned me at the science building. Eventually they believed that I wasn’t a spy.”

Whit glared at Amelia. “Why are the KGB involved?” he asked her.

Amelia shrugged. “There’s nothing to tell. I’ve been fired from the space program. The KGB agents now think I’m working with you.”

“That’s right,” Beth said to Whit. “Everything was fine until I mentioned your name.”

Whit put a hand on Patrick’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Take Beth back to the van and wait there.”

Patrick nodded and turned to say goodbye to Pastor Lars. But the man had already vanished with his violin case.

“That’s why they call him the Musical Ghost,” Beth said. “He’s never been caught.”

The two cousins hurried away from the clock tower. Patrick looked over his shoulder.

Whit and Amelia were talking. Amelia waved her arms. The dogs barked and ran around in circles.

Suddenly Amelia shouted something in Russian. And a guard started running toward them.