Chapter 9

Inside the boot, there were legs clad in black stockings. After taking off the stockings, the ankles appeared slightly red.

"It's nothing, just a twist. I'll be fine after a few days of rest!" Just as Andrei was about to speak, he heard Byelinko say, "Comrade, where do you live? I'll take you back. Your foot is injured, you shouldn't move too much."

Take her back? Women and alcohol, it seems women are more lethal. Looking at Byelinko's red face, Andrei knew this guy was the type who usually kept to himself and just drank, but now he was acting like a lustful boar upon seeing a woman.

"It's fine, I live in the hotel across the street," the girl said. "I can walk back on my own."

"That won't do. I have a car, get in." Byelinko said, pointing to the open-top GAZ-69.

The girl glanced at the car and finally nodded.

Smelling the alcohol on Byelinko's breath, Andrei knew he would have to be the driver. He started the car, and Byelinko in the back seat began chatting with the girl, "Comrade, why are you staying in a hotel? Where are your family?"

"I'm a student in the Geography Department at the University of Berlin. I'm in my senior year. I really like it here, so I chose to intern in the Far East. I arrived a week early and got bored in Vladivostok, so I came out to explore," the girl said.

So, a college student! And from the University of Berlin, a prestigious institution. Byelinko became even more interested, "Great, our Soviet Far East has many interesting places. I can show you around."

"My name is Annie," the girl said. "You can call me by my name, no need to call me comrade."

"Comrade," this term, commonly heard in the Soviet Union, seemed inappropriate for the girl in front of him. Hearing her words, Byelinko immediately followed, "Annie, I'm Byelinko, a soldier in the Soviet military."

A soldier? Annie's eyes were full of curiosity, "You're still a soldier here? You're not in the Air Force, are you?"

At that moment, a roar sounded overhead as a MiG-25 flew by.

Byelinko looked at the girl seriously, "Not the Air Force, the Air Defense Force. Actually, I'm a MiG-25 pilot."

"Screech." At that moment, Andrei, who was in the front, rudely stepped on the brakes, "Miss Annie, we've arrived at the hotel."

Watching the girl limp up the stairs, Andrei said, "Comrade Captain, are you going up with her?"

"Comrade Captain?" Andrei raised his voice.

"Let's go, we should have a drink." Back in the car, Byelinko took one last look and said.

The bar was very clean, made from wood split from the mountains outside, preserving the natural grain. A middle-aged, bearded owner watched the two of them sit down.

"What would you like?"

"Two bottles of vodka." Facing the glasses the owner had brought, Byelinko pushed them aside, took the bottle, bit off the cap, and took a few swigs directly from the bottle.

Vodka, a strong liquor! Besides the aroma, it was just spicy. Swallowing a mouthful, his stomach felt like it was on fire.

Soldiers can drink, and Andrei could drink before he came to this time, but the strength of the vodka was too intense. After just one sip, Andrei felt the air coming out of his nose was spicy.

"Andrei, do you know? You're the first person in the unit to buy me a drink." After a few sips, Byelinko finally started to ramble.

In the Soviet Union, alcohol was a necessity for every man. Drinking together was very common among men, and now Byelinko was saying this was the first time someone had bought him a drink?

"In my old unit, I was sent for a psychiatric evaluation for arguing with my superior. After coming here, no one wanted to talk to me. Andrei, do you know? I hate all of this. My wife came with me to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, but she found it too remote and kept asking for a divorce. Two months ago, she took my son Kimka and went back to Moscow."

"I feel that my life has no meaning under the current system, but I am powerless to change or overthrow it... I have no home. I haven't heard from my mother in 25 years, and I haven't seen my father in 8 years. Now, my relationship with Lyudmila is over. My son Kimka, even if I see him a few more times in my life, he will be a complete stranger to me. I need to find a new path in life..."

Andrei suddenly felt his eyelids twitching. He finally remembered who this guy was!

Viktor Ivanovich Byelinko, a notorious figure in history, but infamous for flying the Soviet pride, the MiG-25, to Japan and giving it to the Americans!

Before his defection, the Americans revered the Soviet MiG-25, believing it was a top-secret aircraft made with high-tech titanium alloys. But upon closer inspection, they found it was a low-quality aircraft made of stainless steel. This aircraft, which once terrified the West, lost all its secrets and its deterrent power. The consequences of this incident were severe, to say the least!

Absolutely, Byelinko must not defect! I have to prevent this from happening! Although the Soviet system has many problems, this country is still the homeland of the Soviets! No matter the reason, defection is unforgivable!

At that moment, Andrei wanted to return to the base immediately and report Byelinko's defection to his superiors, but he stopped himself.

Although Andrei was certain Byelinko would defect, this drunken rambling alone was not convincing. Byelinko would feel extremely wronged and would not admit it until it became a reality. Reporting now would just result in a verbal battle with the commander, or even the KGB agents, after Byelinko sobered up.

It seems I need to find another way!

...

In Japan, 45 kilometers west of Tokyo, in Tama District, Fussa City.

The American flag flew overhead. As the victor, the United States had proudly stationed troops in Japan to balance the power of the Soviet Union and China. This was the location of the U.S. Forces Japan Headquarters and the Fifth Air Force Headquarters, Yokota Air Base.