Chapter 21
Onboard a Swedish ‘Statens Järnvägar’ night train, Stockholm to Alvesta, with connection to Karlskrona, 10:05 pm, Tuesday, 16th January, 1940.
" Kan jag hjälpa dig?" Ivarsson smiled as the pretty girl addressed him in his native tongue. These days, with people moving all over Europe in whatever manner they could manage, one never knew what language you would hear next!
He continued in Swedish, nodding as he took a seat next to her acknowledging her question asking whether she could help him, watching as she carefully put away the envelope that had seemed to be taking her attention.
As Sune Ivarsson turned towards Elena Aleksandrovna Anosova, smiling at the enquiring look on her face, he noticed that her hat was removed, and placed neatly beside her, a savage looking pin to hand should she need it.
Clever girl, he thought. A pretty young thing travelling on her own was always best prepared with something to hand to detract would-be admirers. He would need to be careful if she was to become another notch on his metaphorical bedpost.
Her pristine white gloves were with the hat and since replacing the envelope in her purse, her coat was now also folded neatly to the side, revealing a smart navy suit, the skirt hugging her thighs to the knee with a four-inch slit at the right side. The jacket was fitted, with a high collar, covering everything that she might be wearing underneath. Then finally, as his gaze moved up her body, Ivarsson saw her beautiful eyes. Jade-like in a colour that stood out from her paler complexion. This girl, travelling on her own, was a stunning beauty, whoever she was. That fact alone should maybe have risen a red flag to an experienced Agent like Sune Ivarsson, but it did not. Her beauty was his weakness, his Achilles heel, and in his head, nothing mattered more than having her.
"This train is heading to Alvesta and then onto Karlskrona isn’t it?” He replied, feeling his throat go a little dry, and his pulse begin to quicken.
Elena laughed at the weak reason for his interruption to her journey. But he had a more than pleasant face. Handsome in fact, and so she humoured him.
“Yes, it is, but if I might say so, this is a little late to be asking that question.” Her statement was accompanied by a beautiful smile that sent a small shiver of desire through Ivarsson’s body.
Elena reached for her purse, navy like her suit, the brass clasp clicking smartly as she opened it. Delicately manicured hands and painted nails held the ticket out and she read out the destination.
“Stockholm to Alvesta, with connection to Karlskrona.”
“That is a relief, I would have hated to have to get off the train at Alvesta and leave behind a beauty such as yourself, Madam.”
Elena laughed at his audacity, but truth be known, having company like this settled her nerves for the upcoming task ahead when she reached Karlskrona. She needed a distraction and the handsome man was it.
“Sune Ivarsson,” he held out his hand.
“Elena Aleksandrovna Anosova,” she replied offering her full name. Neither of them said anything more, another potential red flag to any straight thinking Agent.
"Nice to make your acquaintance Fröken Anasova.” Ivarsson said making no comment about her soviet sounding name, so spellbound by her beauty, was he.
She wore no ring and he called her Miss, and she did nothing to correct him.
Elena was sitting back on the bench, arms to either side but slightly behind her, and stretched out such that her chest was pushed forward, her back slightly arched. Her legs crossed at the knee left over right. "Might as well get comfortable. It is a long trip." She smiled at him. It was another three hours to Alvesta and the same again then onto Karlskrona.
Ivarsson draped his coat onto a spare seat and perched his own hat on top. When he then unfastened the button on his dark suit jacket, he revealed a beige coloured waistcoat, the pressed white shirt, and a black tie.
Business, strictly business – she thought.
They made light conversation for the next hour or two. Both avoiding too much talk about themselves, concentrating instead of the issues facing the world at this time, of which, of course, there were many.
"Would you like a little tipple,” Ivarsson asked cordially, when he believed they had reached a level of suitable familiarity.
Elena smiled and widened her eyes. “Well, it’s now after eleven o’clock in the evening and so yes please, that would be very nice.
Where each of these strangers were heading to alone on such a late train, neither one asked the other. He was handsome and she was pretty, very pretty. For a few hours the war could be put on pause, and that was the only thing on their minds right now.
Onboard the Swedish trade boat “Kalmar”, on the Baltic Sea, 11:15 pm, Tuesday, 16th January 1940.
As the day gave way to night, even with countless cups of hot tea and a thick blanket around her woollen overcoat, Barbara began to feel the cold.
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“You should go below deck now Fräulein, we already have a small berth prepared for you. there are still several long hours of sailing to go before we reach Karlskrona and so maybe you should get some sleep.” Stig Hallgren was genuine in his concern for this girl, who despite her obvious connections, had so very clearly suffered way more than enough in the recent past.
Smiling up at ‘Kalmar’s’ Master, she nodded, put down her cup and stood, pulling the thick blanket more tightly around her body.
Hallgren accompanied her the short way to the stairs where she passed several other men, members of the ship’s crew, all of whom nodded deferentially, and for the first time in a very long while, Barbara didn’t feel threatened or afraid.
The small cabin was cosy and warm, a small heater in one corner and a flickering candle in the opposite one gave off heat and light, as Barbara stood and turned to face the small porthole that looked out into the dark, foreboding ocean.
She gasped and staggered backwards when a wall of waves rose high to smash against the boat, as the monsoon-like rainfall tumbled heavily down from the menacing sky.
The waves were high and mighty, and the swaying of the boat became more and more intense. Barbara fell with a thump onto the small meagre cot, and lay there until, eventually, the boat seemed to still a little as the noise from outside calmed … and unexpectedly she was being gently rocked to sleep.
As she began to drift, she thought of Henry. Where was he? Was he safe? Was he alive? Were they still lovers?
Then suddenly the door burst open and the winds howled into the cabin, causing the lit candle to flicker in its fight to stay alive.
Master Hallgren stepped through the doorway bringing a deluge of water inside with him, and as he did, he shouted "Crew switch, men! Get some rest and let the others take over for remainder of the night. You've done well!" he shouted after them as he pushed the cabin door closed.
He was soaking wet and crossed quickly to the small heater where he stood to warm his hands. Barbara watched him as he pulled off his leather jerkin and sweater to face her wearing only his vest on the top of his body. He was not standing on ceremony and his brazenness took the girl by surprise.
Then he turned to face her, water dripping from his hair, and Barbara could see that his skin was tanned and leathery, his muscles flexing with every movement, the body of someone who has worked an arduous life.
“How are you Fräulein?”
“Cold and tired, and just a little hungry,” Barbara replied sounding more pitiful than she had intended.
Hallgren nodded. “I will fetch dry clothing for myself and bring you food and drink …”
Barbara looked at him, smiled and said, “Thank you Master Hallgren, I am very grateful.”
Onboard a Swedish ‘Statens Järnvägar’ night train, Alvesta to Karlskrona, 01:15 am, Wednesday, 17th January, 1940.
The chill of the night inside the draughty carriage was being kept at bay by virtue of the empty hip flask that lay on the bench seat.
They stood, looking out of the window, edging ever closer together as the train steamed on into the night.
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Elena had an almost sad look upon her face and brought her hands to her arms cradling them from the cold. Ivarsson pulled off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders while placing his arms around her waist from behind. "Warmer now?" His lips close to her ear, his breath whispering across her skin.
"Mmmm, a little." She moved her hands to cover his and raised them to her fabric covered breasts. "Now that is better!" Elena grinned her cheeky smile as she turned her head to let him see, before leaning her head back and placing light kisses along his hard jawline.
Sune’s hands responded, cupping her breasts, and he could clearly feel the stirring as his cock acquired the blood which was rushing through his body.
Then he moved in, his lips seeking hers. "Elena," he whispered as he claimed her mouth.
A, bitter-sweet taste of whisky lingering on her warm breath, as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip asking for entrance. Her mouth eagerly opened and their tongues battled for dominance. Elena reached a hand around between them, seeking and finding his now fully erect cock, gripping and massaging through the material of his suit.
“Does … the … door … lock … Sune?” She gasped.
“No, but now we have pulled out of Alvesta the guard shouldn’t bother us anymore until we reach Karlskrona.
“Good,” she moaned pushing her peachy rear into his groin. In response Ivarsson slid his right hand around her body and under the hem of her jacket, to dip into the waistband of her skirt. Her whimper masked the sound of a zipper being lowered and his sigh when he felt her hand reach inside.
“Fuck me Sune,” Elena purred as she twisted into him, his free hand moving to cup her bottom, squeezing her cheeks as his touch pushed against the unforgiving tightness of her skirt.
“Let me,” she whispered as moving her arm Elena dextrously unzipped the garment in question, and, as seeking fingers immediately took advantage of the now freely available access, their tongues continued to battle for supremacy.
“You’re … so … big …” Elena groaned as she stroked his full length through the bulge at the front of his suit pants.
******
Shaking her head at her lover, a smile playing softly upon her plump, swollen lips, Elena Aleksandrovna Anosova stood and tucked her blouse back into her skirt, before pulling the zipper back up.
“Excuse me a moment or two please, I need to visit the ladies’ room to … clean up.” Her smile became coy.
“Of course, Elena.” Ivarsson had already straightened himself and his clothing and now sat upright in his seat. He watched Elena leave, offering her one last smile before his mouth twisted into a more menacing shape. Chuckling to himself that whoever this girl really was, apart from being a wonderful fuck that is, she had made the rookie error of leaving her purse on the seat while she was away from the carriage.
With a glance at the entrance to their compartment, he moved stealthily to where the small bag sat and looked inside.
The envelope was what he sought.
As he took the folded white wrapper in his hands, and took out the picture of Barbara Mohr, he heard the click and felt the barrel of a Tokarev TT-33 pressing into his skull.
“Now mister, you can tell me who you really are,” Elena said, her voice a low growl.
TBC