Kazimir goes to a metal box on one wall, finds a set of keys, and comes back, quickly, then slides into the driver’s seat, starting up the engine. He fishes in his coat pocket and hands me something—a protein bar, I realize, as he presses the slick plastic packaging into my hand. He glances around the car as it warms up and reaches into the back, plucking a water bottle from somewhere.
“Eat. Drink,” he says flatly. “It’s going to be a while before we can get you anything else. But slowly. Don't eat too fast or you'll be sick."
I stare at the bottle like it might be a mirage. My hands shake as I unscrew the cap and bring it to my lips.
The first sip is heaven. The second is agony—my throat is so raw that swallowing hurts. But I keep drinking anyway, unable to stop myself. The water is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted.
"Slowly," Kazimir warns again as he puts the car into gear, hitting a button on the roof that I realize must open the garage.
I ignore him. I drink until the bottle is half empty, until my stomach cramps with the sudden influx of liquid. Then I force myself to stop and recap it, saving the rest for when I can handle it.
The garage door begins to rise with a mechanical whir that makes my pulse spike. This is it. This is where we get caught. Someone will hear the door, will come running, will drag me back to that cell?—
"Get down," Kazimir says. "Stay down until I tell you otherwise."
I slide lower in the seat, pulling the coat over my head. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. Through the fabric, I can hear the garage door finish opening, feel the SUV start to move.
We're rolling forward. Slowly, carefully. I wait, heart pounding, and I see Kazimir moving again, pressing a button that opens the front gates.
I hear the sound of the guards calling out to him, asking for a pass, his identification, and where he’s going. He rolls down the window, and I wonder what excuse he’ll have for me being here, for there being a woman in the seat next to him.
He doesn’t give an excuse. I hear two quick shots,pop, pop, and heavythudsas the gates creak open and Kazimir floors the SUV.
The car lurches forward. I jerk in the seat as cold air rushes in through the vents, carrying the scent of pine and snow. We're outside. We're actually outside.
"Stay down," Kazimir repeats, his voice tense as we speed up. I think I hear shouting from behind us as someone responds to the shots, and then the sound of more shots, but we’re ahead of them now. I feel the pavement give way to something bumpier. We’re going onto a side road, I think.
We're leaving the compound behind.
"Okay," Kazimir finally says. "You can sit up."
I push myself upright slowly, my body protesting every movement. Through the windshield, I can see trees. Endless trees, dark and towering, their branches heavy with snow. Thecompound is behind us, its lights growing smaller in the side mirror.
We're on a narrow road that cuts through the forest. Snow is starting to fall, light flakes that drift lazily through the headlight beams. It's beautiful, I realize. Peaceful. Nothing like the hell I've been living in.
I stare at all of it, unable to quite believe what I’m seeing. I’ve never been in more pain in my life, but I’m outside. I’m breathing fresh air. I can see the sky, the stars, the trees. A rush of joy cramps my chest, making me feel for a moment like I can’t breathe as Kazimir slows the car a bit, driving more carefully as we go deeper into the forest.
"How far do we need to go?" I ask. My voice sounds strange—hoarse and rough, but also lighter somehow. Like a weight has been lifted.
“Hard to say exactly. We need to get to a spot where I can radio for a helicopter to come for us. Then we’ll have to get to where they can land. We’ll need to not stop, if at all possible, until we’re there. I slowed them down, but I’m willing to bet they’ll change tires on one of those vehicles before too long, and someone will come after us. We need to stay ahead of them.” He glances at me, and in the dashboard light, I can see the concern in his eyes. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," I lie.
I'm not fine. I'm so far from fine that it’s not visible from here. But I'm out of that cell. I'm in a vehicle that's putting distance between me and that nightmare with every second that passes. The car is warm—for the first time in days, I’m actually warm. I can feel my fingers and my toes, and even though they hurt, I’m not so cold that I can’t remember what warm feels like.
That has to be enough for now.
We drive in silence for a while. The forest presses in on both sides of the road, dark and oppressive. The trees are so thick Ican't see more than a few inches into them. Anything could be hiding in there. Anyone could be following us.
I push that thought out of my head as quickly as it entered. We made it out. We're going to make it to the extraction point. We're going to be okay. I have to believe that. I have to, because if I have no hope, I might as well have stayed in that cell.
I might resent that Kazimir was the one to give me that hope, but I should cling to it regardless. It’s the only way I’m going to make it through it.
I notice the snow is falling harder now. The flakes are bigger, more numerous. They swirl in the headlights like tiny ghosts, accumulating on the windshield faster than the wipers can clear them away. I press my lips together, a different worry clouding my mind now, but I remind myself that Kazimir picked a vehicle that can handle snow. Even if it gets heavier, we’ll be fine.
The silence remains between us as Kazimir focuses on the road. I take a few more sips of water and a small bite out of the chocolate protein bar, but it feels hard to swallow. My throat is so tight that the dense bite doesn’t want to go down, and it hurts when I finally do swallow.
"Svetlana," Kazimir says after a while. His voice is careful, like he's testing the waters. "What happened? After you left that warehouse, what?—"
