Page 16

16

Raven

Looking around Ukraine, we all shook our heads. The place was devastated—shells of buildings stood like ghosts of what once had been. Homes, schools, hospitals... all reduced to rubble. We’d seen war zones before, but this one hit differently.

We needed to figure out how we were going to cross into Russia without getting ourselves killed. I wish I had seen Beatrice before I left, but she didn’t make it home before I left.

“Should we stay here tonight?” Tag asked as we picked our way through the remains of a bombed-out hospital. The sun was fading fast. Traveling in the dark wasn’t an option.

“Yeah,” I said, scanning the area. “Let’s clear a spot for the night. I thought we would’ve found a vehicle by now. They said some were left behind—keys still in the ignition. Hopefully, we’ll get lucky soon.”

We all sat down against what was left of a wall. Dinner was water, beef jerky, and granola bars. Probably more granola and jerky than any other unit eats—Gage makes both from scratch, and honestly, they’re better than anything store-bought.

I took first watch. Three hours later, Tag tapped me awake and took over. I was just drifting off when a deafening boom rocked the building.

“What the hell was that?” I shot up.

“Missile,” Cyclone said, already on his feet. “Hit a nearby building. We need to move. Now.”

We grabbed our packs and slipped out into the night. Another explosion went off, this time closer.

“Why the hell are they bombing places that are already destroyed?” I muttered. “This makes no sense. We need to get out of here and head for the Russian border.”

We started running.

“Glad I started jogging again,” Cyclone huffed. “How are we gonna know when we hit the Russian border?”

Cyclone had that southern drawl. He was from Louisiana, and he talked slowly and didn’t waste words.

“I’m sure the giant guns and unhappy Russians will clue us in,” I said, pointing ahead. “Let’s check that vehicle.”

We jogged to the car.

“No keys,” Tag said, annoyed. “So much for the whole ‘keys in the ignition’ rumor.”

“Think you can hotwire it?” I asked.

“I don’t know how to hotwire a car,” Cyclone said.

“I’ve got it,” Tag replied, popping the panel under the steering column. “I had a buddy in high school who hotwired his brother’s car every weekend. I learned a thing or two.”

Ten minutes later, the engine roared to life. The tank was full.

We hit the road and didn’t stop until we crossed the Russian border—only to be greeted by rifles pointed at our heads.

We raised our hands and stepped out. I was the only one who spoke Russian, so I did the talking.

“We’re here to pick up my mother-in-law,” I said. “My wife won’t stop crying until I bring her home. She’s pregnant—due in a month. These two came with me because they got drunk and promised to help. I made them keep their word.”

One of the guards burst out laughing. “You’d be better off without a wife. Bring her mother back, and you’ll have two women yelling at you. That’s why I never go home—my mother-in-law lives with us.”

I smiled. “I get it. But my son’s going to need me around.”

“A boy, huh?” The man nodded. “That’s different. We’ll let you through. But don’t come back this way. If you do, we’ll kill all of you—even your mother-in-law.”

We climbed back into the car, keeping an eye on the soldiers as we drove away.

“I can’t believe they let us go,” Cyclone said. “What did you say to them?”

“I told them my wife wouldn’t stop crying unless I brought her mom back. Said she was having our son soon and he needed his father.”

“Damn,” Tag said. “How the hell did you come up with that on the spot?”

I shrugged. “No idea. My mind was blank—then boom, I had a crying wife, a mother-in-law in Russia, and a baby boy on the way. Just rolled with it.”

They both laughed as we kept driving.

Eventually, we pulled into a gas station to refuel. I asked for directions to the town where Sam was hiding. After eight long hours on the road, we reached it.

We cruised slowly down G Street, watching for any sign of him.

Then we heard a sharp whistle. I hit the brakes, and Sam bolted from the shadows and jumped into the vehicle.

“They were getting close,” he said, breathless. “Thank God you made it into Russia. How’d you even manage that?”

I told him the story.

“Where’s your family?” I asked.

“They’re six hours away. But the police have eyes on the house—everyone going in or out is being watched. It’s going to be hard getting near them.”

“What’s the plan?” Cyclone asked.

Sam looked tired—beyond tired. “Sam, have you slept?”

“No. I don’t have time to sleep. I’ve tried everything. I kept my distance, hoping they’d leave my family alone. But my kids… the last time I saw them, they were terrified. Thought they were about to watch me die. They would’ve, too, if I hadn’t wrecked the car and escaped.”

I glanced at Tag, then back at Sam. “So what happens when we get to the town?”

Sam exhaled. “I was hoping you could figure that part out. I just want my family back—and to get them out of here alive.”

“Why don’t we all collaborate during the six-hour drive?” I said as we continued driving. “You can share the approaches you’ve tried, and then we’ll explore something different.”

We all talked and planned until we drove into town, then we got a room. I’m going to pretend to be her brother. And I’ll tell her I’m taking her and the kids out to breakfast. So, get some sleep, everyone, because we'll be driving until we reach a friendly country. If this works. I’ll fill the tank and get some snacks. When I get back here, I’ll drive to the back and be ready. We won’t have time to visit.”

I found her mom’s home faster than I thought I would. I knocked on the door and noticed the two men sitting in the car across the street.

When the door opened, I smiled. “Pretend you’re my sister,” I said as I hugged her.

“We missed you. Mother, look who is here, your long-lost son,” she said as we closed the door.

“Where is my husband?”

“He’s safe. You and the kids are going with me. We are going for breakfast. You can’t take anything with you, only your purse and the clothes you are wearing. If you want to dress you and the kids in two or three outfits, you can do that as long as it looks normal. My name is Raven Ledger.”

“Hi Raven, thank you for your help. My name is Mary.” She sat down and began to cry. I sat in the other chair and let her cry. She probably hasn’t had much sleep. Her mother sat in the other chair.

“This is the only child I have left. Can I go with you?”

“Yes, you’re welcome to join us. It might be a little crowded, but that’s fine. No one will mind if the kids sit on laps,” I said.

“We can take Mary’s vehicle, which is larger than most SUVs. We keep it full of petrol so we won’t have to stop,” her mother said.

“That’s great. You all get ready. I told Mary that she could wear a few outfits as long as they looked normal,” I said.

“I’ll put them on now. Come along, Mary, we need to get busy.”

The daughter stood up and raced upstairs, calling for her two kids. I went out to the car to get my bag and the snacks I bought. The police were leaning against it.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“We noticed that this car is from a different place.”

“Yes, I stole it from Ukraine. They won’t need it anymore. If you're taking it away, let me grab the snacks I got for my sister’s kids,” I said, reaching inside to retrieve the bag. I also took my pack. In doing so, I knocked both men out and placed them in the trunk before anyone noticed.

I saw it in their eyes: They wouldn’t let me leave. I ran back inside and hurried everyone up. I explained that I had to knock the guys out, and they were in the vehicle's trunk. “We need to hurry before the neighbors wake up.”

“We are ready. Let’s hurry, kids,” Mary said. “Momma, hurry before we are left behind.”

We got into the vehicle, the grandmother and kids went to the back of the SUV, and Mary climbed into the back seat. I drove behind the motel, and there they were waiting. I stopped, and they climbed inside. I wished I could have given the family some privacy, but we didn’t have time for that.

It sounded like an army was crying. They all cried when Sam got into the vehicle. He had Mary and the kids on top of him, and the mother had him around the neck. I looked over at Cyclone, who climbed into the front seat. We both looked at Tag, who had half of Mary’s mother on him and some little arms and legs.

I couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped. Sam looked at Tag, and they both laughed. “Let me trade seats with these kids; they want to be with their father,” Tag said.

“We’ll hold them on our laps for now,” Sam said.

We all took a deep breath. “Now what do we do?” I asked.

We can’t go back the way we came because they said they would shoot us. We need to get to the nearest country that isn’t our enemy,” I said. I felt like my eyes had sand in them; I was so tired.

We hit the road, eyes on the horizon and ears tuned for sirens. The SUV was heavy with bodies and heavier with emotion. No one said much after the initial reunion. Sam clutched his family like they might vanish again if he let go.

I kept my hands tight on the wheel, navigating the narrow, cracked roads that twisted through small villages and remote farmland.

We had six hours to drive without guaranteeing we wouldn’t be stopped.

“Do you think the police will wake up soon?” Cyclone asked quietly from the passenger seat.

“If we’re lucky, not for another hour or two. If we’re not—well, let’s just hope they’re not good at remembering faces.”

Tag gave a low whistle from the back. “Let’s also hope they don’t have GPS trackers on those patrol cars.”

I pressed the gas a little harder.

* * *

We’d made it two hours before I spotted the first checkpoint ahead.

“Hold on,” I muttered. “There’s something up ahead.”

Cyclone squinted through the windshield. “Looks like a checkpoint… three officers, some barricades. There's no way we’ll pass without them asking us questions.

Sam shifted forward. “We can’t turn around. That’ll draw suspicion.”

I nodded. “Let’s play it cool. If they ask questions, I’ll handle it.”

Mary moved the kids off Sam’s lap and whispered something calming. Her mom sat straight, quiet but alert.

As we rolled up to the barricade, one of the officers motioned for us to stop.

I brought the SUV to a slow halt and rolled down the window.

The officer stepped forward, eyes scanning the packed car.

“Where are you headed?” he asked in Russian.

“Family trip,” I replied in fluent Russian. “My sister’s kids haven’t seen the countryside. We’re on our way to visit our other grandmother.”

He raised a brow. “All of you? In one vehicle?”

“We like each other,” I said with a grin. “We make it work. Just don’t get my grandmother going again.”

He looked past me at the passengers. The kids were clutching stuffed animals. Mary smiled softly. Sam nodded politely.

Then came the question I feared.

“This car—who owns it?”

I met his eyes. “It belongs to my sister’s husband. He’s meeting us at the border.”

A long beat. He stepped back and said something to another officer.

Tag’s hand slid slowly behind his back. Cyclone tensed.

Then the guard waved us through.

“Drive safe,” he said. “Watch for potholes.”

I nodded and rolled up the window.

We didn’t breathe until we were five minutes down the road.

“Okay,” I said, exhaling. “That was too close.”

“Your Russian is good,” Cyclone muttered.

“Let’s hope that was the last stop.”

* * *

A black military-style SUV appeared behind us three hours later, less than an hour from the border. It had no lights or sirens, but it kept pace—too close, too steady.

“Tail,” Cyclone muttered, checking the mirror.

“They’ve been on us since the last town,” I said. “Probably caught onto the missing officers.”

Sam’s voice dropped to a whisper. “They’ll take me. And they’ll hurt my family trying to get to me.”

“Not gonna happen,” I said.

We needed a distraction. A delay. Something.

“Tag,” I said, eyes still on the road. “In my bag is a smoke charge. Can you think of something to do with it?”

Tag rummaged in my gear bag, found it, and handed it up. “Toss it out your window; they’ll see me.” I cracked the window and yanked the pin. Thick white smoke exploded behind us.

I turned off the road onto a dirt trail, hidden by trees and overgrowth.

The SUV behind us drove straight through the smoke, then overshot the turn.

We were gone before they knew what happened to us.

* * *

An hour later, we reached the border. Our safe contact was waiting—an older man with sharp eyes and forged documents that would get us through.

He looked at the car full of people and just shook his head. “You really brought the whole damn village.”

“Feels like it,” Cyclone said, helping Mary’s mother out of the back seat. He laughed and wished all of them good luck.

We passed through using the forged IDs, one at a time. My heartbeat didn’t slow until the final stamp dropped.

We were out.

As the sun rose behind us, Sam sat in the back, holding his wife and kids close.

I caught his eye in the rearview mirror.

“You’re free now,” I said. “Let’s get you home.”