Chapter 29: Our First Crisis

The car service Molly had hired showed up to take us to the airport on Friday. Both ‘Mountains’, Todd and John, agreed to act as our security on this trip. That left the others to have a nice weekend with their spouses. We left Heathrow Airport just after 1 PM local time, and we landed in Moscow four hours later.

We had a problem with one of the immigration agents at the airport. The immigration official insisted that he had to pat Karen down after lecherously eyeing her. I repeatedly showed the idiot our diplomatic passports and started a scene, drawing attention to the agent. Several other agents came over, and they let us pass after seeing our passports and listening to my ranting. I witnessed one of the other agents smack the customs agent on the back of the head as we passed...

The Embassy arranged for one of their vans to meet the four of us and drive us to the Embassy. The driver let us off in the parking area at the back of the Embassy. We made our way to the main part of the complex where I knew that we had to report. We went to the residential complex where I had reserved two studio apartments after registering.

I went next door after we settled in our quarters, and told the ‘Twin Mountains’ that we wouldn’t need them until morning. They thanked me, and I went back to get Karen. We decided to stay in the Embassy compound for the evening, grab a meal, and maybe see a movie at the Embassy’s movie theater. It had been a while since we had been to a movie. We were disappointed at the theater’s offerings. We had seen one feature, and weren’t interested in the other one. We ventured to the Embassy lounge and saw what passed for entertainment instead. I looked around as we walked in to see if I recognized anyone. I spotted the ‘Twin Mountains’. and my friend the Gunny was sitting with them. He had been part of the team that rescued us in Leningrad and had ridden with us to Moscow in the Embassy van. Taking Karen by the hand, I led her over to the table to see if we could join them. I wanted to introduce the Gunny to Karen.

We went over to the table, and I said, “Hello, Gunny, it’s been a while since we last saw each other.”

One of the ‘Twin Mountains’. Todd, acted surprised and said, “You know each other, Pop?”

To make a long story short, the Gunny Sergeant from my Russian adventure was Todd’s, one of the Mountains, father. Everyone was as surprised, as I was, that we knew each other. I then introduced Karen to Gunny. He made the comment that he now knew why I kept saying that I had to get home to my Viking Princess. That brought tears to Karen’s eyes, and looking over at Gunny, I was amused to see that he was teary-eyed as well. He had to tell the story about how they found us in Leningrad and drove us all the way back to Moscow. He made sure to let Karen know I was one of the most wanted people in the Soviet Union at the time. They didn’t have a name, but did have descriptions of me and my team. Gunny asked me about the latest on Mike, and I informed him about Mike’s avoiding capture, and that his current location was unknown.

We sat around and told war stories for the rest of the evening. Karen told her fair share about me. I did get my revenge by grabbing the table’s centerpiece and pretending that it was a microphone and doing a sound check. Karen turned flaming red and refused to answer any questions directed to her. That was when Karen decided that it was time to call it an evening and go back to our apartment. I got the dagger look all the way back to the room and the cold shoulder in bed.

Our day started early the next morning; we were up at 6 AM. Karen was determined on Saturday morning to see as much this weekend as possible. We went to the Embassy’s cafeteria for a passable breakfast. Karen told me, between bites for the next 30 minutes, everything that she wanted to see and do before we left late Sunday afternoon. We were just finishing breakfast when the ‘Twin Mountains’ rolled in looking a little worse for wear. I greeted them and asked what they wanted for breakfast. It seems that juice and toast would be their main cuisine for breakfast. I told them that we probably wouldn’t need them until 11 AM local time. I told them to be prepared to do a lot of walking. They both groaned and went to get in line for their breakfast orders.

I suggested that we go to the small park in the middle of the Embassy compound instead of going back to our room to wait until Simon opened his shop. Karen was agreeable to that and we headed that way. We weren’t the only ones that morning, I saw a few Tai Chi practitioners going through their movements congregated over near the back wall. I thought Tai Chi was the most graceful of all the martial arts. Each movement flowed like fluid into the next when done correctly. I was most impressed at the practitioners’ flowing moves.

Looking further around, I saw a few others sitting on benches while reading. They all had their noses in their books and absorbing the early morning sunshine. Further away from everyone was an individual with a stole around his neck, who I took to be a Catholic chaplain, going through his morning prayers. I couldn’t think of a better place to pray and offer praise than outside in the early morning light. It was a great way to start one’s day. I thought maybe I would do the same thing back in the UK. Meditation and prayer were good mood enhancers and ways to manage stress.

Karen grabbed hold of my hand and led me over to a bench where we both sat down and talked about everything and anything for the next hour. This was something that we used to do and hadn’t done in ages. I told Karen that the move to Washington and the related minutia that went along with it was why I felt stressed at times. Karen let me know that she feared losing me to Andi until she knew her better and realized that our closeness was more like brother and sister. We both had bonded, having gone through that stressful situation that we had. It was the same with Randy; he was almost a brother to me. His marriage to Olive made the bond between the two of us that much tighter. Karen also revealed that she feared the attraction Washington held for me. It was similar to an addictive drug, and I was an addict according to her. I feared that she was correct in her assumption. We promised each other that we would talk like this more often and assured each other of our love for each other. It was hard to believe we had been here for over two hours when I looked at my watch. I knew that Simon had opened his small shop by now. I helped Karen up and we went back into the Embassy complex.

We walked to where the Embassy shops were located. These were for Embassy employees and guests to shop without having to leave the Embassy grounds. I directed Karen down the side corridor where Simon’s shop was located. Simon was at his door as if he was waiting for us. He recognized me, smiled, and waved as we came closer. He warmly greeted us when we went in to his small shop.

“Ah, my friend James Mercer. It is so good to see you again,” Simon warmly said, “And who is this lovely creature beside you?”

I thought that he was laying it on pretty thick, but I didn’t want to ruin his compliment to Karen who was totally enthralled by the man.

“This is my lovely wife, Karen, who is also known as the ‘Viking Princess’, Simon,” I responded. “You may have heard rumors of her when I was here the last time.”

“Yes, yes, I remember the talk of the others when they commented on her beauty after seeing her picture,” Simon added. “The envy shown by the others towards you was well-founded. She is indeed a Viking Princess.”

Karen was completely in his power by this time. She would no doubt agree to whatever he suggested from here on out. I almost broke out in tears because I knew that my wallet would be taking a major hit. Karen would make sure that I had a complete new wardrobe.

“What can I get for you this time, my friend James Mercer?” Simon asked, reaching for his order book and tape measure.

Karen didn’t even give me a chance to speak. “He needs at least four new suits and accessories. You may want to retake his measurements. His current suits are getting a little tight on him. He has been sitting behind a desk and not exercising as he should,” Karen volunteered.

I took offense to Karen’s saying that I was getting fat. Simon took it all in and snickered. “Come, my friend, let me retake your measurements and see if we need to let the seams out just a little,” Simon chuckled.

“I need a wardrobe as well after you are done with him, Simon. Do you do women’s clothing as well? James is now working closely with our President and other important people in Washington, DC. I don’t want to embarrass him by being seen with him in an outfit a peasant would wear,” Karen sweetly asked.

“Yes, I do women’s professional clothing, and I could make you a wardrobe that would make you the talk of Washington society,” Simon answered.

“I have some special requirements that may make you think twice before agreeing, Simon. First, I am three months pregnant and want the suits you make to be adjustable so that I can wear them through my pregnancy. In addition, I want to be able to wear them after I give birth. Is all that possible?” Karen anxiously added.

Simon asked us to excuse him for a moment and stepped out of his shop. He soon was back accompanied by several matronly women. Simon said something to them in a foreign tongue that I wasn’t familiar with, and they seemed to understand what he had said.

“Would you please step behind the room divider and allow my assistants to take your measurements, Mrs. Karen?” Simon requested.

With Simon’s people busy taking Karen’s measurements, Simon took mine. He would look at his tape several times, and then at a card he had with him. He made a noise that sounded a whole lot like, “Tsk, tsk” each time. It didn’t sound good whatever it was. Maybe Karen was right; I had picked up some weight.

Karen and the women stepped around the room divider a few minutes later, and Karen came back to stand next to me. Simon went over to the shelving unit where he kept his bolts of cloth and selected four different ones. He brought them over to us. These would be the fabrics for my new suits.

Simon directed his conversation more towards Karen than he did to me.

“These are the fabrics that I would suggest we make his suits from. They are well-made and would look good on James, Mrs. Karen,” Simon said, waiting for Karen’s approval.

Karen closely examined each bolt of fabric and nodded her approval after her close examination of the fabric each time. At least that part of our business with Simon was completed. Now on to the important part, Karen’s wardrobe.

Simon briskly said something to the women in that foreign tongue, then they scampered out of the room and came back carrying six bolts of cloth.

“These bolts of cloth will make the best impressions on others; your suits will let others know of your position as a dignitary’s wife!” Simon said, smiling, and anxiously looking at Karen.

Karen smiled and nodded her head in agreement, then looked over at me in satisfaction. I had no clue what that look was all about, as usual.

Simon excused himself, left the shop once again, and reappeared shortly with what looked like photo albums in his arms. He placed them on the table and started leafing through them, stopping ever so often and marking the page with a scrap of paper. He then turned the albums around and showed Karen the styles of clothing that he thought would be the most appealing on Karen’s frame. For the next hour, he showed her the picture of the style he thought would be best for her and then laid the bolt of cloth next to the picture that he envisioned to make the suit or dress.

Karen was satisfied with his selections and was happy with his explanation of why. The last part of business was paying for the new clothing. “How do you want to be paid, Simon?” my wife asked.

“A check will suffice, Mrs. Karen,” said a smiling Simon

Karen looked alarmed when she realized that neither of us had brought our checkbook. “I am embarrassed to tell you I left our checkbooks at home, Simon. We are terribly sorry to have wasted your time. Please forgive us,” a very embarrassed Karen sheepishly said.

Simon said in response, “Not to worry, Mrs. Karen. Your husband is a good customer and meets his obligations. I will include the bill when I ship the clothing to you. You can pay me then.”

“You are a wonderful and trusting man, Simon. I will make sure we will promptly pay you. You will need to ship the clothing to our new address, as James recently accepted a new position, and we are now in Great Britain,” Karen proudly told him.

Karen wrote our new address down. Simon and I exchanged a handshake, and Karen kissed him on the cheek, as we left his small shop.

Karen was still excited about the shopping high that women get after being in a retail establishment. She bounced along beside me, all happy, and mentioned that she wanted to go sightseeing after lunch. I asked her to name some of the things she wanted to see. She rattled off the usual places that the tourists went to in Moscow. I observed the ‘Twin Mountains’ standing watch, always alert for threats. I asked Karen to go stand near them because I had some things to take care of.

One of the ‘Mountains’ looked over at me while Karen went on about her shopping, and rolled his eyes. I chuckled at his reaction as I went to see about arranging a tour of Moscow. I went looking for the information desk/concierge that most US Embassies had. The Embassy sometimes arranges tours for VIPs and government employees visiting the city. I asked what was scheduled for today at the desk. We were in luck as they had a tour scheduled for later that afternoon. It would go to most of the places that Karen had said she wanted to see. I made a reservation for the two of us and headed back over to where Karen was boring the ‘Mountains’ to death. They looked relieved when I returned.

I told Karen what I had arranged for us. I figured that it would be best for us rookies to stick to an organized tour than to strike out on our own in a foreign city not known to be friendly toward visitors from the West. I suggested lunch for the four of us and decided to have it at the Embassy’s cafeteria once again. We had enough time after a quick lunch to go back to our room and change into more touristy clothing. It was a pair of khakis and an Embassy polo shirt in my case. Karen decided on one of my unbranded polo shirts and a pair of navy blue slacks. She didn’t want to advertise the fact that she was pregnant and be bothered by some well-intentioned Muscovite. We met at the information desk at the agreed-upon time and were then herded on to an Embassy extended passenger van. The tour disappointed us. We drove past the Kremlin, Red Square, a cathedral, and the Bolshoi Theater. We trotted off the van at several locations, and jogged through the place we were visiting. We were both thoroughly exhausted by the end of the tour. We elected to take a nap when we got back to the Embassy just before suppertime, and then see what we could scrounge up later. I think the ‘Twin Mountains’ were glad our outing was as short it was, the night before had taken its toll on them and they were ready to drop.

There was someone knocking at our door two hours later, waking us both up with a start. I looked through the security peephole and saw somebody there that I didn’t recognize. I asked what they wanted through the door. He said that there was an emergency message for me at the Embassy’s communication center. I wasn’t sure how to locate the ‘Twin Mountains’, so I asked that Gunny be available to escort me there. I would wait for him and stay in my room until then. Karen was fully awake by then and concerned about what was happening. We waited a couple of minutes until Gunny showed up with four armed Marines in tow. I asked Gunny to escort me to the communication center as I had concerns about our personal safety. I was in the communications center ten minutes later, and a clerk handed me the message. The British Press had learned of my involvement in a secret mission to Russia and had a field day with it. The State Department suggested that Karen and I get out of Russia as soon as possible and safely be back to the Manor.

Well, so much for a quiet weekend. I quickly went back to our room and told Karen to pack. Gunny left a Marine guard outside our door for extra security and went to look for the ‘Twin Mountains’. I didn’t know who to call or what to do, and I was starting to get worried. I knew that Karen would show stress if I did, and it wouldn’t be a good thing with her pregnancy. We had our things packed and Karen sat on the bed. She asked me what was going to happen, and I didn’t have an answer for her.

A knock came from the door, and I looked through the peephole. It was the Embassy’s Master of Dirty Tricks; I recognized him from when we got on that diplomatic flight out of Russia almost a year ago. The man didn’t seem the least bit worried; he just smiled at Karen and asked her if she was ready for a fashion makeover. She looked at the man as if he was insane, and was about to tell him so. I quickly asked Karen to go with the kind man and listen to what he told her. She looked at me as if I was crazy as well. It was only after she was gone that I could drop the act and let myself deal with the emotions I was feeling. I broke out into a sweat and found myself starting to hyperventilate. There was another knock at the door, and the Master of Dirty Tricks was back for me with the ‘Twin Mountains’ in tow, still looking pretty rough.

He looked at me and made the comment, “A bit upset, are we?” I think that I got a little wobbly on my feet as he took hold of my arm, and he and the Marine guard assisted me down the hall with Todd and John following closely behind covering our exit. He did an amazing job of altering my looks; he darkened my complexion and put on a fake pair of glasses. He instructed me to put on the coveralls that identified me as a member of the Embassy’s maintenance crew. He asked me to follow him after he finished his handiwork. The Marine who had been with me all this time carried my travel bag and all our other personal items. The ‘Twin Mountains’ went to pack their gear and get ready for the next part of our adventure. There was another individual dressed similar to me in the room. I looked around for Karen, and not seeing her, I wondered what was up. The Marine put my things in a metal container he closed, locked, and then attached a seal to it. The Marine and another individual placed it in the back of an Embassy van. I and the other individual were instructed not to speak another word, no matter what, until we were told to. We both nodded our heads in agreement. We took a seat in the van, the doors closed, and the van soon left the Embassy with a Soviet military car as an escort. The ‘Twin Mountains’ followed in another Embassy vehicle driven by Gunny. Wherever we were heading, our ride took us almost an hour. I soon saw where we were and had no idea how we were going to pull this off.

The escort vehicles and the van pulled alongside a USAF Gulfstream jet configured as a freight hauler. The side cargo hatch was open, and there was a crew loading boxes on it. Our van’s side door opened, and a ground crew member instructed us to carry the cargo container to the jet. The other person and I expected it to be heavy, but the two of us easily handled it. We joined crew members that numbered close to a dozen in a line waiting to load cargo into the waiting jet. The jet’s engines started up when we came close to it, and I could smell that familiar smell of burnt jet fuel. The other handler and I were next in the queue to load our container onto the jet. They had us board and carry the container to the back of the jet. We hurried as the plane was already behind schedule. The loadmaster pointed to where he wanted us to place it, and after we set it down, he pointed and said, “You and you over there, now!”

We quickly moved to where he indicated. Other crew members positioned us on the floor when we got there, then placed crates in front of us. A crew member whispered “Good luck” to us when we were in place and covered!

I heard the crew leave the jet and the hatch close. I watched through a crack at the activity getting the jet ready to leave while we were sitting behind the shipping containers. The ‘Twin Mountains’ got on the jet and made their way up front where there were passenger seats just before the side door was sealed shut. Soon the jet started to move, and I felt it taxiing out toward the runway. The next sensation I had was of the jet coming up to speed and taking off. The loadmaster came over after takeoff and moved some cargo so that we could stand up. He offered his hand to help us up. He led over to seats placed in front of the freight area. He had us sit and strap in. We took seats right behind the ‘Twin Mountains’ who were already asleep.

“Next stop is the United Kingdom; welcome aboard Dr. and Mrs. Mercer,” the loadmaster said. I looked over at the person beside me and was shocked. There was no way that I could tell it was Karen, let alone a female, as shapely as Karen is. The Master of Dirty Tricks at the Embassy had done his magic once again. Karen reached over and grabbed my hand. That was the only way that I knew the person sitting beside me was Karen.

We were making our approach to an airport a little over four hours later. They told us to keep our disguises on after we landed. We mingled with the crew unloading the plane after the jet landed, the hatches were opened and we exited. We and our cargo container were loaded onto another van and made our way from the airport. The ‘Twin Mountains’ stayed behind to see if anyone was paying way too much attention to the jet and its cargo. We were on the road heading away from the city; I didn’t feel that we were going in a direction that would take us back to the Manor. It had been several hours since I had been able to use a restroom, and I am sure Karen was feeling it as well, if not worse, since she was pregnant. I was about to say something to the driver when he turned off the main road and headed for what appeared to be a warehouse.