Price nodded again. “I asked Thomas to get Maxwell back up here. We need to make sure he gets in on all of this. Papers need to be written and patents filed. This is one young man I want to watch out for.”
Hammond smiled. “I’d appreciate that. He was one of my people on the Iowa. Anything you can do to help him out would be welcome.”
Price held up his hand. “Well, I do have ulterior motives. I am hoping he will allow us to manufacture it for the military. We’ll pay him for it, but then we’ll also help him sell this second version to the power companies across the country. Unless I’m mistaken, he’s just become a billionaire.”
Petyr and Freda had just finished their lunch when her phone rang. The message had been clear. Get to the hospital. Her mother had taken a turn for the worse. The look on Freda’s face told Petyr all he needed to know. The news had been very bad.
After several weeks of going around together it was obvious to anyone, they were meant for each other. Petyr had become one of the family — even sitting and talking to her parents until late on some evenings. Likewise, Freda had become a staple with Petyr’s family. On two separate occasions, the families had come together for a meal. They were becoming close friends.
It took fifteen minutes for the two to get to the hospital on the tram. Rushing into the room they found Mr. Polski sitting beside the bed, holding his wife’s hand. Her brother sat alone in a chair in the corner of the room. His face was a mask of concern and confusion. It was obvious he didn’t really know what to do.
Letting go of Petyr’s hand, Freda rushed to the opposite side of the bed and looked at her mother. She was very pale and her breaths were more like gasps. She could tell her mother was having a very bad time breathing. Looking at the gauge on the wall, she could tell the oxygen supply had been turned all the way up. The heart monitor barely showed the beatings of her heart. You could hear the oxygen coming out of the tube under her nose. Looking at her father, she saw the sad look she rarely saw on his face.
Turning back to her mother she called out to her. Mrs. Polski’s eyes fluttered open. She gently squeezed Freda’s hand.
“We came as soon as we heard,” Freda told her mother.
A faint smile crossed her mother’s face. Taking a very bubbly, heavy breath, she said, “You need not worry about me. I think it is my time.”
A tear appeared at the corner of Freda’s eye. “But there’s so much we still need to do,” she said with a forced smile.
The smile appeared again and her eyes focused in. “Now, now. No tears. You and Rudy have always been the pride of my life,” she said with difficulty. Her voice was faltering and she had to pause between each sentence. “Watching the two of you grow up has been wonderful. I only wish I could always be there for you. Rudy will have his Papa, but who will take care of my little girl?” she asked slowly.
It was a steady and determined voice that answered. Everyone turned as Petyr said, “I will.”
A look of calm came over Mrs. Polski’s face. The smile brightened and a little color returned. Petyr stood next to Freda now and she could tell by his look that he had meant what he said. Slowly, she lifted her frail hand and took his. She then placed both his and Freda’s hands between her own. “I believe you will,” she said steadily. The smile widened to a grin. “Now I can leave content,” she said. Her hands seemed to go limp as she let go of them. They fell to the bed.
She turned to her husband. After taking a long breath, the paleness returned as she turned almost white. “Hector, you made me very happy,” she said.
Mr. Polski took her hand again. “And you have done the same for me. But let’s not talk. Just get some rest,” he said.
She nodded weakly before her eyes closed. No one took their eyes from her. The heart monitor let out an alarm as her heart took its last beat, then rested. Despite the rushing of the hospital staff, the family kept their eyes on her face. It was the most serenely happy expression any of them could remember seeing. After a minute of trying, Mr. Polski urged them to stop. He would not prolong her suffering.
Freda turned to Petyr and placed her face in his shoulder. There were tears, but no weeping. Petyr held her closely as the nurse pulled the blanket over her mother’s head. Rudy stood stunned. He had never witnessed death and he stood there not knowing what to do. At fifteen, he knew that as a man, he shouldn’t cry. He looked at his father, who stood stoically beside the bed for a moment. There were no tears there. Rudy took a gasping breath and turned away.
Mr. Polski walked over and put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. He nodded at Petyr. “Petyr, can you take Freda and Rudy home? I’ll stay and take care of things, then meet you there later,” he said. He turned to Rudy. “Go with Petyr and your sister. I’ll be home soon.”
“No, I want to stay. I’ll help you out if I can,” Rudy said.
Mr. Polski smiled at his son. “I guess a young man needs to learn about these things. You can stay and help,” he said nodding approvingly at his son. He gave Petyr a nod.
Petyr pulled Freda around. “Let’s go home.” He led her out of the room and out of the building. The sun warmed them as they made their way to the street. She didn’t say anything, just walked beside Petyr staring blankly ahead. Even on the tram she remained silent, but when he started to let go of her hand, she tightened her grip and wouldn’t let go. He called home to let his family know.
Getting back to the apartment, they found that Petyr’s mother had everything arranged. She would prepare their meals and take care of the house. Petyr nodded and led Freda to their apartment. Sitting down together on the couch, she again laid her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, she looked up at him. “You meant it, didn’t you?” she asked.
He looked at her questioningly. “Meant what?”
“That you would take care of me.”
He smiled at her. “Yes, I meant it.”
“She could tell. She knew it, and it made her so happy.”
Petyr smiled. He didn’t know why he had said it, but he knew it was the truth. He chuckled slightly. “I don’t think I realized it until I said it. But I think for the rest of my life, I will take care of you,” he said.
She looked into his eyes and could see the same thing her mother saw. He loved her. She suddenly realized that she felt the same way. Placing her head on his shoulder again she said, “Then we can be happy together.”
Petyr held her for more than an hour before the family returned. Sometimes there were tears, others just quiet contemplation. She didn’t speak again until Mrs. Kursov called them to dinner.
Captain Leonid Kronovsky watched the seawater as it came up over the bow of his ship, the Oscar Class submarine, Voronezh, and pour off to either side. It was getting cold in the Baltic and his heavy jacket was pulled up tight against him. He and his crew had been training for months to get ready for this day. The reactor had been overhauled and his ship loaded full of 24 SS-N-19 “Shipwreck” cruise missiles. On this trip, there would also carry 23 torpedoes. His orders had been handed to him personally just before departure and would not be opened until the third day at sea. Until then, he was to take his ship into the North Atlantic. His orders would spell out the rest.
There wasn’t much doubt what they were about to do. Their job would be to take on the United States Fleet. What else would they do with these weapons, he thought to himself. Kronovsky had started his career in the Soviet Navy. In those heady days they had dreamed of sinking all those large ships the Americans boasted about. An aircraft carrier would look nice painted on the side of the ship’s sail. He only hoped this wasn’t just a drill, like they had always had before. The mood at headquarters had changed recently and it appeared that the days of drills were over. His thoughts were interrupted by a report from his watch officer.