I PRETEND TO HELP THEM

HELP

MY WIFE PRISONER

Lockhart could imagine Nicolas’s face. His eyes would be bulging in disbelief at what the wall was telling him. He would be lifting his boot, or whatever it was he was tapping with, and then lowering it again, unable to decide what to knock first.

WHERE WIFE

IN A CAMP

Lockhart waited, listening to the sound of his own breathing. Come on, he urged, come on, Nicolas, tell me what it is you know.

YOU MAD

YES, knocked Lockhart, humoring him.

OR CLEVER

Lockhart left it. He was getting frustrated, angry that Nicolas was keeping him dangling. He would ask him point-blank, and then leave it.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TELL ME

He dropped his boot on the floor and lay back down. His arm was beginning to ache, as was his brain, which was getting mildly irritated at having to visualize the German alphabet on a grid. It was time to do some more exercise—some sit-ups. He clasped his hands behind his head, and with a slight grunt heaved himself up and let himself back down slowly, feeling his stomach muscles tense. He would do a hundred, if possible, and then tap through to Nicolas again.

But Nicolas stopped him on his thirtieth sit-up. Lockhart missed the first few letters, but the message was clear.

…Y HAVE A NEW WEAPON

Lockhart picked his boot off the floor and knocked back.

WHAT WEAPON

NERVE GAS

NAME

SARIN

SARIN, Lockhart confirmed.

YES VERY DEADLY

HOW

KILL MILLIONS

Lockhart swallowed. This had to be fantasy.

HOW, he tapped again.

DON’T K…

But Lockhart interrupted him. He wanted to check Nicolas’s claim.

MILLIONS, he tapped.

YES GERMANS COULD WIN WAR

HOW YOU KNOW

FROM A SOURCE

WMO, tapped Lockhart in a hurry, meaning “who.” Nicolas paused, and then:

CANT SAY

That was fair enough, thought Lockhart, but he needed to know, and told Nicolas as much.

NO came back.

MORE ABOUT GAS, knocked Lockhart.

THIS ALL I KNOW

DO GERMANS KNOW YOU KNOW

NO

GRU

NO BECAUSE CAPTURED

TELL ME MORE

And then Nicolas went quiet again. At first, Lockhart thought he was being reticent, but the reason soon became evident, for Nicolas must have heard the echoing sounds of heavy footsteps a few seconds before Lockhart. He pressed his ear even harder to the wall, in case Nicolas tried to quietly tap something out. But all he could hear were voices and laughter, until, very faintly:

M

The voices were louder now, loud enough for Lockhart to make out the words “Russian filth.” Was this Nicolas’s execution squad? Then came:

I, followed by:

T

The squad was so close that he could hear the sound of keys chinking together.

T

That was to be the last letter, because through the wall, Lockhart heard the sound of Nicolas’s cell door being opened.

“Out!” shouted a crude voice.