I was planning on updating earlier, but then I fell asleep. I had been up all-night feeling like an ice cube was in my throat, which turned out to be just a form of heartburn. I'm not a sports fan, so who knows how often I'll update this thing. I have a basic idea of where this story is going, which I haven't had in a long time.

Chapter Three:

"Where are you?" Sokolov asked as he began to get dressed.

"In the morgue," he said. "I'll be hiding in a box labeled three."

"Is that safe for you?" he asked.

"Safer than out there," he said.

"I'll come and get you as soon as I can, okay?"

"Promise?" he asked weakly.

"Promise."

Sokolov hung up and saw Raisa was watching him.

"Is the tattooed man in trouble?"

He took a deep breath. "Raisa, the man had a tattoo indicating he was a government traitor, yet he's American."

She gasped. "You know if you help him you're as much a marked man as he is. We're in danger also."

"What am I supposed to do?" he snapped. "Let them kill him?"

"Andrei," she said softly. "We don't stand a chance at escaping whoever wants him dead."

"I refuse to believe that," he said firmly as he began to gather things for the journey. "Raisa, you can flee. If they catch you, you can say you know nothing."

Raisa quickly got up. "Don't be ridiculous. I am your wife no matter what. You need my help if you stand a chance at helping him and surviving."

"I'm in no position to turn down help," he said. "Gather only what you think you can carry, including provisions."

"I always hated this apartment anyway," she said with a sigh.

"Thank you, Raisa."

"Thank me when we're safe."

…

Raisa dropped him off a few blocks away from the hospital. They agreed on a meeting point and if he was not back in twenty minutes, she should flee.

Sokolov sprinted to the hospital. He chose to take the entrance closest to the package loading area. The hospital was an old building with locks he could pick with the tools he brought.

Once he entered the main area, he saw officers patrolling everywhere. They had different badges compared to his men. This was not a good sign. He skirted around the hall and found a set of stairs.

The morgue was only one floor up. It was locked. Sokolov made quick work of the lock and entered the room. He opened drawer three and was nearly hit with a scalpel.

"It is only me," he said, trying assure the panic-stricken man. "It is Officer Sokolov."

"You came," he whispered as tears filled his eyes. "Thank you."

"We need to move quickly," Sokolov said as he opened his pack and pulled out clothes.

"That will be difficult," he said.

The man had trouble with coordination. Sokolov ended up dressing him himself, though the clothes barely hung onto his frame. The poor man clearly didn't like being touched and was shaking in the end.

"We're going to get you out, okay?" he said assuredly.

"If you say so," he said nervously.

He was shuffling so slowly that Sokolov ended up carrying him as a quicker alternative.

They weren't far from an exit when he heard someone shout: "Stop!"

Sokolov had no intention of stopping and sped up. He felt a bullet graze the side of his forehead as a result. This didn't stop him though, and he made it through the exit as he heard more gunshots.

He ran in a zigzagging pattern through the parking lot. He could hear more operatives approaching them. They were trapped.

Then he heard the honking of a horn. Sokolov ran to the direction of the sound. He got into the backseat of the car Raisa was driving.

She didn't say anything as she sped up the car and made several sharp turns. The man moaned slightly in terror. He gently rubbed his back to try to comfort him.

They made it to the car park they had decided on earlier. They then quickly got out of the car. Raisa grabbed their supplies.

"Can he walk?" she asked.

"Barely," he said.

They walked to the outskirts of the city. After gently putting the man down, Sokolov found a padlocked fence and picked it rather than break it. Raisa replaced the lock once they were in.

It was an old abandoned factory. They quickly found a side entrance and broke in. Using a flashlight, they followed the signs to the administration wing. They found an office with a couch, where Sokolov gently deposited the man.

He shivered. "I'm cold."

Sokolov pulled out a blanket and gave it to him. He wrapped himself tightly in it.

"Andrei," Raisa said seriously. "I know you don't want to push the man, but we're risking our lives for him. I would like a few answers."

She deserved as much.

"Sir," he said gently. "What is your name?"

He shook his head. "I used to have a name, but now I am a number. They tortured me into submission. I wish I had a better answer."

"Do you know how long you've been abused?"

"Two years," he said. "The girls secretly kept calendars and told me the dates. It helped me keep a grip on reality."

"The tattoo," Raisa said with a note of impatience. "You're American, yet you have the tattoo of that of a Russian government traitor. Do you know why?"

Tears leaked down his face as he shook his head again. "No. I've had this tattoo as long as I have been in captivity. I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry for," Sokolov said. "I'm just curious, how did you escape to the morgue? Russians are not known for missing their targets."

"I know," the man said. "Which is why I had secretly pulled out the morphine drip out after the last nurse checked on me. I heard him approaching and struck him in the arm with the needle before he could do anything."

"You have some survival instincts," Sokolov said with a note of admiration.

"Thank you," he said.

"Now go to sleep. Get some rest."

The man turned away and curled up into himself.

Raisa looked frustrated. Sokolov beckoned her into to the hall.

"Andrei, what are we going to do?" she asked angrily. "The man doesn't even know his own name or why he has the biggest target one could acquire on his back. And now we're accessories!"

"He's been through a lot," Sokolov said.

"I can see that!" she said defensively. "My heart goes out to him, but we need to start thinking ahead, because that is what his and now our enemies are doing."

"I am thinking ahead," he said. "You're not going to like it though."

"What?"

"Your sister."

"What!?" she nearly yelled. "Andrei, no!"

"It's your turn to be realistic Raisa," he said. "Albina is our best hope of finding a way out of this country. If we're going to start acting like Russian enemies, then we should make contact with them."

"I don't even know what country she is hiding in these days," she said with disgust.

"But you know how to contact her."

She let out a sigh. "Yes."

"Then tomorrow we find a house to break into and you find a way to communicate with her. She may have allies in the area who can help us."

Raisa looked in the direction of where the man was sleeping.

"Do you think he is really worth it?"

"All life is precious, Raisa. This man has been through so much. He deserves a chance at survival."

"I know," she said. "I just hope we make it out alive too."

"Let's got back to him," he said. "I'll keep the first watch."

"I'll let you," she said and pulled out a blanket and laid on the floor.

Sokolov watched them both and hoped for the best.