Chapter 1
If the train trudged any slower into the station, American missionary Gracie Benson would be dead by sunset. Five minutes. Twenty steps. Then she'd be safely aboard.
God obviously wasn't on her side. Not today, at least.
Then again, He certainly didn't owe her any favors. Not after her fruitless two years serving as a missionary in Russia .
Gracie purposely kept her gaze off heaven as she hunched her shoulders and pulled the woolly brown scarf over her forehead. Please, please let her guise as a Russian peasant work. The train huffed its last, then belched, and Gracie jumped. Hold it together, Grace. Long enough to fool the conductor, and find her berth on the train for Vladivostok . Then she could finally slam the compartment door on this horrific day - no, on this entire abysmal chapter of her dark life. So much for finding redemption as a missionary in Russia . She'd settle for getting out of the country alive.
She tensed, watching an elderly man dressed in the ancient Russian garb of worn fake leather jacket, wool pants, and a fraying beret gather his two canvas duffels and shuffle across the cement platform. Would he recognize her and scream, "Foreigner!" in the tongue that now drove fear into her American bones?
Without a glance at her, he joined the throng of other passengers moving toward the forest-green passenger cars. A younger man, dressed mafia-style in a crisp black leather jacket and suit pants fell in behind the old man. Gracie stiffened. Did he look her way? Help me, Lord!
Just because God wasn't listening didn't mean she couldn't ask. The irony pricked her eyes with tears. This morning's events had whittled down her list of trustworthy souls in Russia to a fine point. She'd give all the rubles in her pocket for someone like her cousin, Chet, FBI agent extraordinaire, to yank her out of this nightmare into safety.
Not that she should give any man a chance to introduce himself before decking him. She'd been down that road once. Never was too soon to trust another man within arm's distance.
Gracie shuffled forward, in keeping with her disguise of tired village maiden. She clutched a worn nylon bag in one hand -- her black satchel safely tucked inside -- and fisted the folds of her headscarf with the other. The smell of diesel fuel and dust soured the breathable air and cries of goodbye from well-wishing relatives pooled grief in Gracie's chest. Poor Evelyn.
Biting back grief, Gracie cast a furtive glance beyond the crowd and caught sight of a militia officer. The soldier, dressed in muddy green fatigues, hung an AK-47 hung over his shoulder like a fishing basket, and leaned lazily against a cement column, paying her no mind.
Hope lit inside her. Freedom beckoned from the open train door.
Stepping up to the conductor, she handed the woman her wadded ticket. The conductor glared at her as she unfolded the slip of paper. Gracie dropped her gaze and acted servile, her heart in her throat. Please, please. The conductor paused only a moment before punching the ticket and moving aside.
The train resonated with age in the smell of hot vinyl and polished wood. The body odor of previous passengers clung to the walls, and grime crusted the edges of a brown linoleum floor. Gracie bumped along the narrow corridor until she found her compartment. She'd purchased the private berth with the intent of slamming the door, locking it from inside and not cracking it open until she reached Vladivostok . The U.S. Consulate, only ten minutes from the train station, meant safety and escape from the nightmare.
Escape from the memories. Surely Evelyn's killer wouldn't follow Gracie to America .
Tossing her satchel onto the lower bunk, Gracie untied the headscarf and shook out her shoulder-length damp hair. Blowing out a deep, shuddering breath she willed her pulse to its regular rhythm.
So maybe she'd been too hard on God. He had gotten her this far. Perhaps He hadn't turned his back, completely, on Gracie Benson, a.k.a foreign missionary flop cum fugitive.
Gracie grabbed the handle and began to roll the door shut.
A man's black shoe jammed into the crack.
Oh no, please!
"No!" Grace stomped on it with her hiking boot. The assailant grunted and yanked his foot back. She threw all her weight into the door. "Get away!"
An arm snaked through the opening and slammed the door back, nearly ripping Gracie's hands off. She stumbled back onto the bunk, fumbled for her bag.
How had he found her? "Get out!"
Gracie's heart lodged in her throat. The man was huge. Dark eyes, knotted brow, muscles and menace in a tweed jacket, he stomped into her compartment.
She screamed and flung her bag at him with all her five-foot-two inch, one-hundred-and-twenty-pound strength.
He sidestepped and caught it.
God, please, now. Help! Gracie scuttled to the furthest end of the berth "Get out!" He reached inside his jacket - for a knife?
She kicked at him, panic blurring her vision, and pain stabbed her foot as she connected with his shin.
He winced. "Calm down!"
English?
She jerked. Sucked a breath. "Get away from me." Curse her shaking voice. What happened to six months worth of self defense class?
"Are you Grace Benson?"
He knew her name. Every muscle turned to liquid. She pushed against the far wall, vowing that this time it would be different. If he touched her, she'd go down bruised and kicking and clawing his eyes out.
"I'll take your silence as a 'yes'."
Was that a smile on his face? She calculated the distance to the door. Trample over him. Run!
"I've been searching all over for you," he said, with a sigh of exasperation.
I'll bet you have. Had he taunted Evelyn before he slit her neck, too? Her breath left her.
His blue eyes glinted, as if in victory.
Where was the scream that filled her throat? Why, oh why, in times of terror, did she go into lock-down? She shot a glance into the hall.
Where was the conductor?
Her assailant turned and slammed the door closed, cutting off her escape.
Gracie went cold. Oh God, this is it! Please help me!
She watched the man drag a hand through his hair, as if contemplating her demise. Would he slit her throat? Or did he have different plans?
Not again.
She erupted like a woman possessed, and dove at him. "Get away from me!"
He grabbed her forearms in an iron grip. "Stop it! Please. I'm not going to hurt you, trust me!"
She wrenched away from him. Fell back onto the bench seat. Her breath burned her lungs.
"Perestan!" He shook his head as her roaring pulse filled her ears. "My name's Vicktor. I'm with the KGB and I'm trying to help you."
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