“I think, I hope, they all gone now, the men with guns I mean. But I hear something.”
“What did you hear?”
“I hear two men talking. They come into room where I am hiding! They speak in Russian. I know Russian. I can speak it, yes.”
“What did they say?”
“They say they have list of names and every name is dead.”
“So they knew who worked in the building?”
“I think they do, yes.”
“What else?”
“They talk about someone else coming in building. But they don’t have his name. And they don’t think he is dead.”
Katie immediately got it. “They were talking about you!”
Lesnik nodded. “I think this too. I think they search building again and this time they find me. I am trapped. I know I am going to die now.” The tears slid down his face.
She poured him some more coffee. “So why didn’t they find you?”
“One man say to other that they must leave now. A window has been broke in office. A woman has screamed out window. They must go in case police show up.”
“So then they left?”
“Yes, but as they go they keep talking. One man, he say Gorshkov will be pleased when he hears from them that mission went good.”
Katie nearly dug a hole in the paper with her pen. “Gorshkov? Russian president Gorshkov?”
Lesnik nodded. “I hear his name and it frighten me much. Everybody know that like Putin, Gorshkov is ex-KGB. He spits at democracy. Everyone in Poland know this.”
“Why would Gorshkov target a think tank in London?” Katie said in a confused tone.
“I do not know.”
“How did you get away?”
“I wait for men to leave. I hear door close and wait some more, to be sure. Then I go out back door. That is way I come in.”
“Why not the front?”
“The man I talk to, Mr. Harris, he say come in that way. He say it is easier for me when I tell him where I coming from.” His face clouded over. “And I no go out front door because… because there is two bodies there. One old man, one young woman, shot in face.” He pointed at his right eye. “Shot there. I can no go by them. I go out back door. And then I run. I run all the way to where I staying.”
“And you haven’t told anyone else about this?”
Lesnik shook his head. “If I tell, then people come kill me. I just go there for job. I no want to die.”
“Okay, okay,” Katie said, laying a calming hand on his slender shoulder. “This was a big first step.”
“You write story now? You no use my name?” he added anxiously.
“I promised that I wouldn’t. But where can I reach you if I have any more questions?”
“I stay at hostel by river.” He wrote down the address for Katie on a piece of napkin. “It is all I have money for.”
Katie again ran her gaze over his old, patched clothing and emaciated body. She reached in her pocket and handed him some pounds. “It’s not much, but I’ll try to get you some more.”