Since there were no other students in the class, Leo was about to send her home when Captain Vashchenko entered. It amused Leo that the captain appeared to consider knocking a weakness and barging into a room an act of strength, a triumph over etiquette. They’d spoken on several occasions since the Christmas invasion and Leo found him to be straightforward to deal with. Ruthlessness was often far simpler to understand than moderation. If presented with a choice, the captain always took the most aggressive approach. He didn’t stand on ceremony. He wasn’t interested in privilege, nor seduced by the comforts available to a military officer. Not particularly tall, he was physically robust, well built; everything about him seemed dense and compact, his body, shoulders, chest and his jaw. To his own surprise, Leo found it hard to dislike him – it would be like disliking a shark, or another lethal predator. There was no outward or obvious psychological darkness, no sadism or perverse relish in violence – he was interested only in expediency. In short, he would do whatever it took and he would never back down.

The captain impatiently addressed Leo, speaking in Russian:

—A high-ranking officer from the 40th Army disappeared last night. There was no security breach in the headquarters. No sign of a disturbance. We believe it to be a desertion. A car is missing from the grounds. My men are looking for him. We have checkpoints on all the roads. We have found no sign of him. We need your help. No one knows Kabul as well as you.

—No one except the Afghans.

The captain had no time for Leo’s flippancy, pressing his demands:

—If he’s in the city, you’ll find him, I’m sure of that.

—How important is this man?

—He’s important. More important, we must show desertion cannot be tolerated.

It was the first desertion that Leo had heard of. He was sure many more would follow. Summers were long and hot, sickness was common, and they were far from home.

The captain seemed to notice Nara Mir for the first time.

—Is she one of your students?

—A trainee.

—Bring her with you.

—She’s not ready.

The captain shook the concern off with a wave of his hand.

—She’ll never be ready if she stays in here. See how she copes with a real investigation. We need agents, not students. Take her with you.

Understanding that she was the subject of the conversation, Nara Mir blushed.

Headquarters of the 40th Army

Tapa-e-Tajbeg Palace - 10 Kilometres South of Kabul

Same Day