The Last POW

by Howard Cohen

  “Did you kill my dad?” He asked. No tears or sign of fear.

  “No, he’ll be okay in a bit. What’s your name?”

  “Peter, after Saint Peter.”

  “Where’s your mother?”

  “She left a few years ago to buy supplies and never returned. Father said life was too hard for her here. Can I go to my father?”

  “Go. We do not intend to hurt you or your father. He came at my friend Thomas with a knife. We had no choice.” Jax said softly. Peter kneeled by his father and felt the lump on the back of his head. The bleeding from a small cut had stopped. He went to a bucket, grabbed a towel that was hung nearby and washed the blood away. His father groaned, opened his eyes tried to get up but failed and slumped back down.

  “Best you stay where you are for a while. You’ve had a knock on your head. We are not here to cause you harm. “Nickolai said.

  “When the door burst open, I thought you were forest bandits.” He grimaced as he slowly rose first to a knee then standing. Thomas brought him a chair and he sat. “My name is John. I live here with my son Peter whom you have already met and trap.”

  “John, you are a miner. Trapping is your cover. Where is the mine? “Jax asked.

  John didn’t bother to argue. Maybe it was their guns, fear for his son, or the fact that Thomas had given him his knife back. These men were not here to harm him or his son. Whatever they wanted they would tell him when they were ready. “Walk to the rear of the outcrop. You’ll see the tire tracks the truck has made when I drive it back there to load up the dirt. The entrance is covered with brush. The tunnel is well supported and goes back a hundred meters. I dug out one room in the middle of the tunnel to sleep in or hide. In case of a problem Peter knows to run there. Nickolai found some tea, stoked the woodburning stove, filled the kettle from a bucket of water and put it on the stove. Jax stood. He walked over to the fireplace and looked at the glowing embers,” We are being pursued by soldiers. They will be here in a few hours. If we try to outrun them, they will catch us. We need another plan. Out trail leads here. They will come here looking for us. We will tie John up securely and then the three of us and Peter will go to mine. The men will arrive. You will tell them we burst in here clubbed you, show them the bump, took food and left. I noted when we came to the cabin that there was a well-worn path from the cabin to the stream. Probably your water source.” John shook his head in agreement.

  Jax continued, ”Tell them you heard us say we would use the stream to hide our trail. I will go over a story for you to tell them about where your son is. If they go to the mine, you will tell them to be careful as there have been a few cave-ins lately. You will ask them if it’s okay to drive out of here once you fix the door and get some sleep. You ask them to tell any other troops in the area that you are leaving in your truck, so you don’t get shot. Can you do this John?”

  “You have my son. I can do it. I would do it even if you didn’t have my son. All you had to do was ask.”

  An hour later they tied John up and made their way to the mine. Peter showed them how to separate the brush then replace it from the inside.

  “You know if they find us in here, we’re all dead?” Nickolai said

  “If we hid in the forest, we would leave a trail. If they can track us here, they would see that trail and find us anyway. When we came up here, we walked single file in the tire tracks, and I was in the rear brushing any dirt off the trail. It’s well worn. and maybe they’ll buy the trappers story.”

  69

  Forest near Latvian border

  Sunday night June 28, 2019

  Ten men of Special Forces team Alpha One landed where the cold spots had been located. Using their night vision goggles they searched the area.

  “Found their trail!” one of the troopers called out. The rest of the team gathered around Lt. .Zagorsky, the team leader.

  “Radio, let Col Baranov know we have located the fugitives and we are going to pursue at maximum speed. If the other spots do not turn out to have evidence of at least three people send them to our coordinates. Move out.”

  An hour later the second helicopter dropped ten additional men at Lt. Zagorsky’s position. They fanned out following the trail. It was almost noon when they arrived at the cabin. “Surround the house, check those sheds,” Zagorski ordered. He hand signaled two men to move forward with him. When he got near the cabin, he saw the damaged door partially open. They moved to either side of the door. Zagorski pushed the door open with the end of his rifle. When he saw John tied to a chair, he and two men entered the cabin. Once they had assured the house was otherwise empty, they untied John.

  “What happened here?”

  “Three men broke in last night. Beat me unconscious “ John pointed to the large swelling on the back of his head. “Took food, water and left.” John said standing and stretching.

  “Did you overhear them say where they were going?”

  “ Something about upstream to cover their trail.”

  “Did they look like these men?” Zagorski asked showing him a photo of Sonkin and Jax.

  “Yes, these are the bastards.”

  “What do you do here? Where is the child whose clothes I saw in the other room?”

  “My son Peter. He is with his mother in Plotnik visiting his grandmother. It’s a small-town north of here.”

  “I know where it is. Where is the mine? I know you’re not a trapper. “

  “It is behind the copula up the hill. Just follow the truck tracts. It’s covered with brush. Be careful I have had a few cave ins recently.”

  Zagorsky went outside and instructed two men to check out the mine. He warned them about the cave-ins. The Men found the opening, pushing the brush aside, then shined their highpower flashlights into the tunnel.

  “Empty.” one said.

  “No need to go further, I hate to get trapped in a cave in.” the other agreed. They returned and told the Lt. that it was empty.

  “I’m going to get some rest then drive my truck to Plotnik. Could you tell any army units around that I’m not who you’re looking for, so I won’t get shot by mistake?”

  “No problem.” Zagorski signaled his men to move out. They did not enter the stream but formed two columns one on each side of the stream and disappeared from view. They would be looking for the point where the fugitives had left the stream John thought. It will be rough going as the forest was quite thick along the stream. Before too long they would be walking in the icy cold water.

  70

  Forest near Latvian border

  Sunday night June 28, 2019

  John ran up the hill and called the all-clear down the tunnel. They returned to the cabin. Jax took Sonkin, Thomas and Nickolai off to the side.

  “I’ll ride with John and Peter in the cab while you three will be under a tarp in the bed of the truck. Let’s move out”

  “John, Peter, take what you need and let’s get out of here. John, you will drive, Peter you will sit in the middle and I will sit by the door. If we’re stopped, I am your brother. We’re on our way to Moscow. One mistake and the bullet will pass through Peter into you. Clear.?”

  “ No need to threaten. I told you I would help you. Would you really shoot Peter?” John said looking at Jax’s eyes.

  “What people say and what they do are sometimes two different things. I take no chances. I’ll do whatever it takes to assure success. Don’t test me.”

  John looked away. In a few minutes, they were on a dirt road headed north away from the cabin. Sonkin, Thomas and Nickolai were in the back of the truck under a tarp.

  Jax watched the road ahead. A trail of dust swirled behind them.

  “Would you really shoot me,” Peter asked as they exited the dirt road on to a paved two-lane. John had the old truck up to its maximum speed. It rattled with random backfires.

  Jax lea
ned over and whispered into Peter’s ear. John looked over. Peter was smiling.

  71

  Forest near Latvian border

  Sunday late night June 28, 2019

  They had gone nearly a mile upstream and had seen no tracks exiting the stream. Overhead a helicopter scanned for heat signatures.

  “Anything on scan?” Zagorski asked the chopper pilot.

  “Nothing. Techs at base report no cold spots. They are not in the area. Could they be that far ahead of you?”

  “Ahead of me, not ahead of you. I’m heading back to the cabin. Continue to scan the areas ahead of us. Have the other chopper meet us at the cabin.”

  Baranov turned to Bykov,” They’ve lost them. Damn! At least we know the general area they’re in. I’m calling general Katanski. We are going to flood that area with troops and helicopters.”

  On the way back to the cabin Zagorsky considered the choices. They left the stream, but we missed it. Not likely. They never went into the stream just let the miner hear that to throw us off the track and are heading to the border. Or, they were hiding somewhere and after we left, they took the miner and his truck and are heading north or west towards the border. From the time we left the cabin until we reach it again will be over an hour and a half. The damn stream was slow going. They could have made forty or fifty miles. We need to widen the search area, need more helicopters.

  When they reached the cabin, he called Col Baranov and reported in. He told Baranov his thoughts about the truck and how far out they would have to start looking. Baranov told him to return to base to await the new sightings. Helicopters were on their way. The entire area that they could have traveled would be scanned

  72

  Forest near Latvian border

  Monday morning July 1, 2019

  They were making good time. One-stop for gas and food took only a few minutes. One hour later they entered the outskirts of the small town of Opockpa.

  “Pull over,” Jax commanded. John pulled into a side road. Everyone got out of the truck and gathered around Jax.

  “Across the road is a logging company. They must know the roads into the forest. I think we can convince them to help us.” He then looked at Peter and John. “A reward has been placed on us for quite a lot of money. More than you can make in a lifetime. If you believe they will give it to you. You are a danger to us. I should kill you both.” He looked at John.” I will let you go. When we get to safety, I will make sure you are rewarded. It’s your choice. They will be looking for you. Tell them we forced you. I did threaten to shoot Peter and you.” Jax smiled.

  The logging company office was in a small two-room wooden building with peeling paint and tin roof. Outside, three men were fastening logs on a flatbed truck. Jax, Nickolai and Sonkin entered the office. Thomas had lagged behind and waited outside.

  A man in his forties sat behind a rusting metal desk working on a ledger. He looked up at two men with automatic weapons. To his credit, he did not panic. He looked up, put down the pen he was holding and stood. “What can I do for you men.”

  “You can take us to the border on the logging roads that you know so well. For a price.” Jax said putting a stack of euros on the desk.

  “And what if I refuse?” he asked defiantly.

  “Then,” Jax said, “I will kill you and your men, find your logging map, then take that old jeep I saw in the back to the border.”

  He pushed the euros off the table on to the floor. Nickolai bent down gathering them up. “I don’t want your money. I know who you are. Get out of my office.” Jax moved quickly. Before the man could move or say another word Jax had the point of his knife at his throat.

  “Yes, and you live, no and you die. Your choice. 5...4...3...2...1” The silence in the room was broken by a Pffit sound. A red spot appeared in the center of the man’s chest. He looked down, a groan escaped his lips and he crumpled to the floor. They all looked at Thomas who held a silenced Glock 40mm in his hand.

  “Much less messy than a cut-throat. Lucky I came in” Thomas said replacing the automatic in his backpack.

  “Let’s get those three in here and give them the same choice Jax said. Outside the three men had completed strapping down the logs. One man got into the truck, started the engine and drove off. The other two were walking to the office when they saw Nickolai and Thomas standing by the door AK-47s pointed at them. At that distance they had were easy targets, so they continued to approach.“

  Nickolai indicated with the AK they should enter the building. Once inside they were obviously shaken by seeing the boss dead on the floor in an ever-enlarging pool of blood.

  “We need you to take us on the logging roads that lead to the border. Will you do this?” Jax asked.

  The taller of the two men spoke,” I will take you where you want to go. Anatoli,” he pointed to the man next to him, “Is slow. A Good worker. He will follow my lead. My name is Krill.”

  “Get us there and you’ll be rewarded. Do you have a vehicle that will carry us all?”

  “Yes. There is a truck behind the office. I will get it.” Nickolai said he would go with him. They returned a few minutes later with a flatbed truck with an old couch tied to the back of the cab. A canvas strap stretched across served as a seat belt.

  “Hold on tight back there, it gets bumpy.” Krill chuckled. He drove. Anatoli who never was more than a few steps from Krill sat in the middle with Jax by the window.

  “Boss man was not a nice guy. Ex-army Sergeant. I bet you asked him to take you and he said “Fuck off.”

  “Something like that.”

  “We log illegally. No permit. Boss paid off officials and they turn their back. None of the roads, are on the map. They don’t go all the way to the border, but we get within a couple of miles. No towns near the border. Few trapper cabins, some illegal miners and one guy who lives alone. I think he is an ex-convict. We traded cigarettes for mink fur with him last year. He only appears when he wants something. Lots of tattoos, scars on wrists and neck. Talks like his throat was damaged.”

  As promised the road was rough. Krill had to drive slowly for miles to prevent breaking an axle or drive shaft. Jax could hear the curses coming from the back. At their first break to use the forest facilities he changed places with Sonkin.

  When they heard the rotors in the distance, they executed the plan they had discussed. Everyone except Sonkin got out of the truck and Krill handed them all axes. They each picked a tree and began chopping. The helicopter passed over and reported the sighting of a group of probably illegal loggers and continued on. When the rotors were again in the distance they continued. There no longer was a road, just tire tracks from the last time they had passed through. Branches slapped against the cab and tore at the men on the couch. Two hours after they started out Krill stopped.

  “This is far as we go. Forest too dense for the truck to go. We cut and drag the logs to the truck.”

  “Krill, I should kill you and Anton,” Jax said. “But my gut tells me that you won’t tell them where we are. I’m going to give you some money and when we are free, I will give you a lot more.” Thomas handed Krill a thick wad of euros. Jax added, “Wait a few hours then return.” They gathered up their things and left.

  “Good luck!” Krill yelled after them

  Jax said to Thomas,” I know you’ve been in contact with your people by Sat phone. What do they say?”

  “The team will not cross the border. Going into Russia is not like going into Iraq or Syria. If Russian troops, try to follow us into Latvia they will engage. I have a locator in my backpack. They know where we are and will be waiting wherever we cross the border.”

  Going was slow and they had made only half a mile by nightfall. They were two miles from the border. It was a chilly night. They sat huddled under their mylar blankets. No one spoke. At first light, they set off. Nickolai walked with Jax, Thomas to
ok the lead followed by Sonkin.

  “There’s something you need to know,” Nickolai said. When Jax did not reply he continued. “ Thomas went back after we left John and again after we left Krill. He caught up with me. He said he forgot something in the truck the first time and that he wanted to give Krill more money the second time. You know what I think?” Jax walked briskly until he caught up with Thomas. He grabbed Thomas’s shoulder and spun him around.

  “What did you do?”

  “I did what you should have done. You know the protocol. Sonkin is the mission, those thumb drives he gave you are only part of our needs. We need him. I think you knew what I would do when you let them go with a promise, you wanted me to do the dirty work.” Thomas shot back.

  Jax walked away. He thought, Thomas was right. I should have eliminated them all. It was Peter. No way was I going to kill a child in cold blood no matter how important the mission. If I let Peter go, I may as well trust the others. Deep inside I knew what Thomas was going to do. I could have stopped him.

  To Nickolai, he said, “Thomas did what had to be done. I couldn’t kill the child. I jeopardized the mission.” They walked in silence as the sun came up.

  73

  Military Headquarters Russian – Latvian border

  Early Monday morning July 1, 2019

  “They found the miner and his son dead in their truck just outside the town of Opockpa,” Col. Baranov growled. “Get the helicopters and a battalion up there now. Search every inch of that town and then sweep towards the border. I want those men found do you understand Major Borsky?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Bykov listened to Baranov issue orders. He was beginning to lose confidence in Baranov. He would call Moscow. They needed more than twenty Special Forces troops.