IT TOOK US ALL DAY TO REACH VLADIMIR’S PLACE. I LOST TRACK OF TIME. IN MY HURRY TO LEAVE I HADN’T THOUGHT TO BRING WATER OR FOOD. WE FOLLOWED THE MAIN ROADS, but always walked a good forty or fifty feet from them. Not only did I not want to be seen — in the unlikely event that Axel and Petr headed south — but I didn’t want anyone to see Thor, either.
My fear was soon justified. We were on a section of road that was impossible to follow with our forty-foot buffer. We had to walk along the soft dirt shoulder for about half a mile. It was an isolated area; I hadn’t seen a farmhouse or a vehicle of any kind for miles.
A low rumble announced the presence of an open-backed truck coming toward us. Next to the driver sat two women. The back part held six or seven children, who caught a glimpse of us as they drove by. None of them looked older than twelve. Once they were behind us, I heard a high voice cry, “Traitor! Traitor!” I was so horrified, I couldn’t help but turn around and stare. The screamer pointed his finger at us. Soon he and all his friends were chanting, “Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!” Their voices grew fainter as they sped away. Thor and I didn’t stop running until we were able to get off the road again and maintain a safe distance from behind the veil of scattered birch trees.
The injuries I received when Axel kicked me settled in as dull, constant pain. I could tell Thor was tired and hungry. Several times we rested, especially when we crossed streams and creeks, but never for very long.
By the time we got to Vladimir’s, it was early evening. We heard laughter floating out of the open windows, along with the smell of dinner cooking. We went to the back door and knocked.
“Ivan!” Auntie exclaimed when she opened it. “What happened? Are you all right?”
It was only then that I let myself feel my pain, my hunger, my weariness, my upset. I collapsed against the door frame. “Thor needs water,” I answered. “Do you have some food you could give him?”
“Yes, yes,” Auntie said, her distress clear. “Vladimir! Natalya! Come here!” As she filled a bowl of water for Thor and a glass for me, Vladimir and his wife came rushing into the kitchen. They gasped when they saw us.
“What happened?” Vladimir demanded, sounding almost angry. Natalya was wetting a dish towel that she quickly and gently applied to the side of my head that I’d hit when I fell. It occurred to me that I must look pretty awful after the fighting in the barn and the long hours on the road. Vladimir pulled a chair up next to me and took my hand. “Where’s Petr?” He must have feared the worst.
“I don’t know. Axel Recht found us. There was a fight. I was knocked out. They were all gone when I woke up.”
“Zasha, too?” he asked quietly. I nodded, leaned back in my chair, and stared at the ceiling. “Do you think …”
“No. Petr fought so hard, he can’t be dead. He just can’t.”
Auntie put a bowl of stew on the floor for Thor and one on the table for me. “How did Axel find you?” she asked.
“The widow —”
“I knew she was trouble the minute I saw her!”
“— was talking to a stranger at the street market in Sviritsa. He mentioned how much he loved German shepherds —”
“And she said she knew two of the best!” Auntie finished for me.
“We should have made you more secure up there,” Vladimir said, looking anguished.
“Nothing short of a barbed-wire fence would have kept her out,” his wife said dryly, having had several interactions with her.
“Was Petr injured?” Auntie asked, putting her hand on my shoulder.
“Yes. A deep cut on his upper arm.” I felt fear ripple through the room. A cut like Petr’s wouldn’t kill you, but the germs that caused infection could.
Vladimir stood up. “We have to find him. I’ll go get Josef and Yeshka. Polina, too. Natalya, pack some food for me. I’m leaving now for Vilnov. Ivan, you eat and rest. I’ll bring them back here. We’ll leave for the cabin before dawn.”
I nodded, so weary I could barely speak. “Zasha will be so tired. We can’t let her lose her puppies.” My voice cracked. “Petr was so brave….” Tears leaked out before I could stop them.
Vladimir slipped his arms through a coat Natalya handed him. “Sit and eat, then rest. But be ready to leave when I return. We’ll take Thor with us.”
I did as he asked. Auntie awakened me at three A.M. and helped me prepare for our journey.
Coming down the stairs ten minutes later, I saw the sweetest sight anyone could have asked for. Yeshka, Josef, and Polina stood waiting for me. Polina grabbed me in a giant hug and held me tightly. “Don’t worry. We’ll find them.” I hugged the others, who whispered words of encouragement before we headed outside, where Vladimir was preparing a cart with an open top and benches built into the sides.
“Ready?” he asked, turning around to look over the good friends who had come to help us.
“Ready,” came the murmured replies.
So began the hunt for Zasha and Petr.