Chapter 100

From his prison room atop the tower, Alex watched Vlad, Peter, and a large group of men climb into several SUVs. When all the passengers and luggage were packed, the vehicles drove down the road and out the gate that surrounded the Russian castle. If his count was correct, there were only a small number of guards left in the house. Hopefully, those were the guards Devin had sent here. Or at least, guards Vlad didn’t particularly care for. Alex had absolutely no intention of leaving any witnesses to their escape.

At midnight, dressed in the darkest clothing they had, Alex unlocked the door to the tower stairs, and he, Seth, Tony, Greg, and Erich descended the ancient wooden staircase, their footsteps barely making a sound. They each carried a few possessions in a pillowcase, including the Elder Tome in Alex’s. Despite being out of practice, they moved with the usual stealth, ready to launch an attack on anyone who crossed their path.

The door to the house they’d walked through hundreds of times awaited them at the bottom of the stairs. Despite months of being unguarded, was it now protected in Vlad’s absence? As he pressed his ear against the crack, he caught the sound of subtle movement. He pressed himself against the wall by the door, motioning to his men that there was someone outside.

Alex turned the handle and let the door swing open. The guard grunted and poked his head through the doorway. Alex grabbed the man’s head and twisted violently, breaking his neck with a bone-chilling crack.

After dragging the guard into the tower, they searched his body and discovered a handgun, along with several loaded magazines. There was also a wallet and a throwing knife, which he tossed to Erich, who grinned.

Alex stuck the gun in the back of his waistband, and the men tiptoed along the side of the hallway, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. They didn’t encounter any more guards until they reached the staircase in the corner of the house that went down to the kitchen.

Tony wasted no time as he charged towards the guard, overpowering him and snapping his neck. Tony and Greg disposed of the body, hiding it in a nearby closet, returning with the guard’s wallet and weapons.

They cautiously descended the stone staircase that led to the kitchen, uncertain if they would encounter another guard. The kitchen was dark except for where the moonlight streamed in through the high windows. Alex listened for a long time and finally heard a soft movement of another guard. He nodded to Tony, who dispatched this guard the same way as the others.

As Tony and Greg took care of the dead man, Alex, Seth, and Erich searched the kitchen. The only thing Alex knew for sure was that the storage room containing their gear and the escape tunnel was nearby. They also gathered as much food as they could, dropping bread and fruit into the extra pillowcases. He chuckled to himself as he fondly recalled the times he and Kurt would embark on similar escapades during their childhood.

A low whistle from Erich signaled he had found the door at the back of the pantry. Alex produced the heavy iron key and unlocked the door. The first creak made everyone hold their breath, and Alex signaled for Greg and Tony to keep watch. It took a while to open, as the door as it was was loud and didn’t move easily. Once it was opened, they slipped inside and slowly closed the door behind them. Tony flipped on a light switch and Alex snapped his eyes shut at the pain of the sudden bright light. Once their eyes had adjusted, though, they stared in awe. All their gear was in here, plus some he didn’t recognize. The passage of four years had left it covered in a thick layer of dust, untouched and forgotten.

The realization that they’d spent so much time in Russia made Alex flinch. On one hand, he’d been acutely aware of the passing days, but now, as they were beginning their journey home, he felt the weight of that time pressing down on him. How much had the world changed during their captivity? What about his family—had they changed? And Anna... oh, Anna!

He pushed the dark thoughts away. There would be ample time for contemplation during the long trip home. Right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand.

They rummaged through the bags on the floor, dividing the extra gear and personal belongings of their fallen brothers. Checking their weapons could wait until they found a more secure spot. Escaping the castle and distancing themselves from danger was their immediate priority.

After slipping into their black “sneaking” clothes and coats—Alex smiled at the memory of Anna calling them that—he found a nearly hidden door on the opposite side of the room. Another key on Vlad’s keyring unlocked it. It swung open and the scent of wet earth and another unpleasant odor wafted in, but he trusted it led off the property, as Vlad had said.

Once their flashlights were on, Greg turned out the overhead light and they filed into the tunnel, shutting the door behind them.

The tunnel was long and straight, with damp stone walls and floor, and a wood plank ceiling. Their boots made little sound as they hurried through the narrow passageway. After about fifteen minutes, they came to a rusted iron and wooden door. There was no visible keyhole or latch. Alex poked around the edge and found a hidden latch near the bottom, and pushed the door open. Fresh, cold air rushed into his face and he sucked deep gulps.

He grinned back at his friends. “Freedom.” They filed out into the empty field, closing the door behind them.

They were south of the castle. A few miles away was a small town. Several miles beyond that was another town that had a train station offering daily rides into St. Petersburg. Or, at least it had four years ago. From there, they could catch a train to Warsaw, and then on to Frankfurt and Alex’s home. With Vati’s help, they would decide what to do next. Maybe his father even knew where Anna was.

The five men headed southeast, silent and focused on reaching their destination. A few miles into their journey, they were huffing more than they ever had in the past. Confinement and beatings had taken its toll. Erich was in pain, and Seth was limping more than usual.

A grove of trees surrounded the town. The men walked a few steps inside and collapsed against the tall sentinels, gasping for breath. Even Tony and Greg’s past injuries were wearing on them.

Their plan was to “borrow” a car and drive it to the train station in the second town. Greg and Tony would find a suitable vehicle while Alex, Seth, and Erich waited on the edge of town. Two men walking around weren’t as noticeable as five.

The men lay on the ground, chests heaving for several minutes before Greg and Tony nodded to one another and stood.

Alex stood with them. “Are you sure you don’t need to rest? I can go.”

Tony shook his head. “You can’t hot wire a car. I can.”

Alex grimaced and looked at Greg, who was leaning over, his hands on his knees.

“We stick to the plan.” Greg straightened. “We always stick to the plan.” He nodded to Tony, and the two men disappeared into the shadows of the town.

Alex sat down next to Seth and Erich. Erich was rubbing his legs and Seth leaned against a tree, staring up into the starry sky. Alex reached for his backpack. “You want something to eat?”

“Sure,” Seth said. Erich nodded.

Alex unzipped his pack and tossed each man an apple and a sushki , a mildly sweet Russian bread ring he’d grown fond of. They ate in silence, waiting for Greg and Tony to return.

After what seemed like an eternity, a dark sedan pulled up nearby and Alex heard the signal whistle. He helped Erich to his feet, and they shoved their things into the trunk before squeezing into the tiny car.

“Think you could have picked a smaller car, Tony?” Alex asked in English. “I feel like a sardine.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Tony shrugged. “They’re not exactly known for their large cars around here.”

Seth laughed.

Alex frowned. “What?”

“You better practice your English. Anna won’t be able to understand you.”

Alex growled. “She hasn’t had problems before.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “Maybe the dreams interpret better. Even I’m having a hard time understanding you.”

“Is it really that bad?” Alex asked Greg.

“You have an interesting mix of a Russian and German accent.” Greg shrugged. “She’ll figure it out, I’m sure.”

“Or you won’t need to speak at all.” Erich laughed. “Just kiss her.”

The drive to the other town wasn’t long. Tony parked the car in the back of the lot. Greg went to buy the tickets with the cash they’d brought with them four years earlier. Whenever they went on missions, they always brought both local currency and prepaid debit cards. But Alex wanted to be out of the country before he used the cards. Cash was always the better choice.

Greg returned a few minutes later. “The trains don’t start running until a few hours from now. It might be better to just drive into the city. The train to Warsaw doesn’t leave until almost midnight.”

Alex ran his hand through his hair. He’d wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible. “Does anything else leave earlier?”

“There’s a train to Helsinki, but we’d be trapped there. I think it’d be better to go to St. Petersburg and wait somewhere for the Warsaw train. Unless you want to go through Moscow.”

“Absolutely not. That would be walking right into the lion’s den.” Alex sighed. “Alright. Let’s drive into the city and find a place to stay, get rid of the car, and get the tickets to Warsaw.”

Nine nerve-wracking hours later, they finally boarded the train to Warsaw. They’d found a hotel near the station and stayed there until it was time to leave for the station. Tony had gone out and bought them new clothes so they didn’t look like criminals or, well, assassins.

Aboard the train, Alex shared a cabin with his cousin, who snored in the bunk above him. He was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. His heart ached for Anna and he was filled with restlessness as he anxiously awaited their reunion.

Would she want him back? When she’d thought he was a dream, she wanted him, but what about in reality? Would she still think he’d abandoned her? What was the best way to approach her? Just show up wherever she was staying and announce he was back? Could she handle such a dramatic reunion? Or should he ease her into it, giving her hints that he was alive and then revealing himself?

No answer settled right with him, and he drifted off to sleep, still wondering.