Page 31 of Raven

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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?”

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