2050: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 19: Dimitri

WARNING! Violence ahead over the next few chapters so just be advised. Dedicated to themichaelab for agreeing to be my editor.
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It takes nearly six hours to travel from Paris to London, and by the halfway point I am exhausted. Boredom is setting in, the conversation of Ivanov and his commanding officer droning on in the background as I find myself lost in thought.

It is nearly nine o'clock now, and darkness is falling outside the windows of the SUV. We will be driving for another hour or so, and I know the rest of our journey will seemingly take forever. The radio of the vehicle either doesn't work or is turned off and the lack of music, along with the never ending conversation, draws me toward sleep. Every time I come close to nodding off, Ivanov shakes me roughly, occasionally tapping me with the barrel of his gun.

I close my eyes, trying to wrap my mind around what I am about to do.

Surely they will join us.

Shemik isn't stupid enough to risk getting all of them, especially Emilio, killed.

I wonder what Katerina will think of me for taking so long.

Has she given up on my coming to find her? Does she hate me for leaving and forcing her to return to London?

A voice in the back of my mind tells me that I should have told her to stay, that I could protect her more effectively than Shemik.

True or false, I force myself to ignore that possibility for now.

Ivanov hits me with his gun again, and I can't help myself. I spit a handful of Russian curses in his direction, informing him in the process that I was not asleep and that I have no more intentions of trying to end up that way.

He ignores my rant, continuing his conversation with his commander.

Now that I focus on it, I realize they are talking about the price of cereal.

They killed a group of people earlier in the day, they are daring to threaten me, and all they have to talk about is the price of cereal?

How ridiculous!

I find myself wondering if they have all of their sanity intact.

For mine and Katerina's sake, I certainly hope so.

~*~

"Which way, Orlov?" The commander asks from the front seat. We have reached London, and now Ivanov holds his gun to my head full-time, not daring to move it away for a second. I contemplate lying, but that would most likely result in my immediate death.

I may be desperate, but I am not going to get myself killed.

I give the correct directions, the commander following them as we make our way through the city. A host of SUVs carrying the rest of the group of soldiers trailing behind us. My pack sits at my feet, and momentarily I wonder if I can get to my knives and somehow overpower the soldiers. Like the million other times this has crossed my mind, I dismiss the thought as an unintelligent one.

I am only devoting half of my attention to the turns, the other half of my mind occupied with thoughts of Katerina. If I do what these soldiers want, surely they will not harm her. They have to accept her. The girl has been a sister to me, like the younger and more dramatic sibling I never wanted but love all the same.