Page 22 of River

“She said she was visiting a friend in another country.”

“What country?”

“She didn’t say. Now that I think about it, she changed the subject when I asked. I guess she didn’t want us to know where she was going.”

I frowned and shook my head. “Hmm, I think you are right. She didn’t want us to know where she was going.”

“Why wouldn’t she want us to know where she was going?” Gage asked.

“I don’t know. Something feels off. Did she take her puppy?”

“Why would she take her puppy to another country? No, her neighbor is watching Penny,” Gage said as his phone rang, pulling us back to work.

Four days later, I had to leave the country to help a man who was being held in Russia. They wanted to lock him up for spying, and since I knew him and knew he’d never spy, I didn’t hesitate to help—especially with all the shit going on between Russia and Ukraine right now.

I crossed into Ukraine and decided to get a vehicle todrive as close to the Russian side as possible. Along the way, I saw a kid pulling all his gaming equipment in a little red wagon, trying to escape the war. He had to navigate around rubble from bombed-out buildings. Poor kid—all he wanted was to play his game. Why do these fuckers always start wars?

I shook my head, thinking about all the kids who were going to die, just wanting to go home and play.

I crossed into Russia from the Ukrainian side and was supposed to meet Drew five miles in. But when I looked around, I saw soldiers everywhere—Russian soldiers, boys who couldn’t be more than sixteen.

They didn’t look like they wanted to fight any more than the Ukrainian boys did. I waved to them, but they didn’t respond. They didn’t want to cross into Ukraine and kill their friends. I shook my head and kept driving.

My thoughts turned to Kat. I hoped she’d be home when I got back. I needed to talk to her. Something felt wrong, and the feeling wouldn’t leave me.

I drove a few more miles before spotting a building. I parked behind it and saw a group of older men carrying guns. I kept walking, listening to their conversation, understanding everything they said. They thought I was Ukrainian.

“I’m American. I’m not Ukrainian. I’m friendly.” But before I could say more, someone shot me in the leg, and bullets flew around me. The impact knocked me to the ground, and I returned fire. I didn’t want to shoot them, but I had no choice. It was them or me. I had to save myself.

I took down all three and quickly scanned the area. Before anyone else spotted me, I needed to find a place to take care of my leg. I couldn’t believe they shot me. I should have been more careful; they were at least in their eighties.Here I was, thinking they didn’t want to fight, and I got shot.

I hobbled behind a small shed and pulled my pants down to examine the wound. At least the bullet went straight through, but there was a lot of blood.

I grabbed a water bottle from my backpack and poured it over the wound. Damn, that hurt. Then I pulled out a T-shirt, tore it in half, and wrapped it around my leg. I needed to find Drew and get this looked at.

I couldn’t sit there moaning about my injury. I took out my phone and called Drew. It rang twice before he answered. “Where are you?”

“I’m in a building with a bunch of graffiti. It used to be a mattress warehouse. Where are you?”

“I’m not far from those buildings. I’ve been shot in the leg.”

“Damn! Are we going to get shot trying to leave?”

“Not by those guys. My car isn’t far away. I need you to come outside so I can see you.”

“Hang on... do you see me?”

“No.”

“I’ll walk down the street. Do you see me now?”

“Stay close to the buildings. I see you. Do you see the green shed?”

“Yes.”

“I’m behind it.”

“I’ll be right there.”

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