Space & Time

Chapter 21- Who Can be Trusted?

As the bus closed in on Volgograd, Ivan woke from his nap and looked around. "Is the

aircraft still on our tail?" he asked his son.

Toly nodded his head.

The pair had no weapons only their wits. Ivan grabbed one of their bags, "let's move up

to the front of the bus, I want to have a good view of things from here on out" he said as Anatoly

grabbed the other two bags and followed his father to the front of the bus. "Excuse Me," Ivan

said to the older couple sitting behind the driver, "my son is feeling quite ill in the back of the

bus, would you be so kind as to allow us to have these seats for the remainder of the ride?"

The older folks looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders as they stood and let

the two take their seats directly behind the driver. Ivan thanked them for their kindness and

suggested some available seats in the rear of the bus.

Ivan caught a glimpse of the blue interstate sign advising them of Volgograd approaching

in ten miles. The sign was barely visible through the rain coming down outside combined with

the pre-dawn darkness. Ivan clenched his fist as he thought how the sky was always darkest just

before dawn.

The RIB team of four black Toyota Landcruisers rapidly accelerated from under the

overpass behind the sign Ivan just finished reading. The SUVs formed a single file line and

followed right behind the bus. Ivan caught a glimpse of the trucks due the new seats they

acquired providing an unobstructed view of the busses side rearview mirror. His Special Forces

mind quickly plotted a course of action. He saw the four sets of headlights bounce up onto the

interstate and form a line directly behind the bus. Ivan unzipped the backpack he was carrying

and grabbed out a pair of socks. Tying the socks together to make them longer he whispered to

Toly.

"Once I remove the driver and take control of the bus you must use any means necessary

to keep the passenger in the back of the bus, can you do that?"

Toly clenched his jaw and nodded as he hardened himself for the task that lay ahead.

Waiting for the right moment, Ivan sat patiently wrapping the ends of the socks around

each hand. He saw the sign for the next exit out of the front of the bus and then he struck.

Jumping up and leaning over the driver, he used the socks to wrap around his neck and

then leaning backwards pulled the driver out of his seat and into Toly‟s lap.

The driver was grabbing at his throat when Ivan gave his instructions to his son, handing

him the ends of the socks around the driver's neck Ivan commanded to his son, "Grab these and

squeeze tight until he is no longer moving, and keep everyone back." Then Ivan jumped over to

the drivers chair and took command of the bus.

The bus hardly swerved during the commotion. Everything happened so quickly the