Inaru Hanshite

"Where are we going?" Xo'oth spoke up in my mind as we rode hidden in the back of the cargo truck. We could hear other vehicles passing by us on the road outside the cargo container, the occasional horn honking as the truck travelled.

"Hopefully down to the gulf," I tell him honestly as we settle into the far corner behind some pallets of various goods.

There was a pause as the truck slowed at what felt like an intersection, "Why the gulf?"

I take a deep breath, my senses open to our surroundings, "Because we're going to find a ship bound for Russia and sneak onto it."

There was a flicker of confusion and surprise, "Why Russia, of all places? I would have thought Canada would be a better option."

"No," I tell him in an analytical tone as I lean back aganst the cold metal of the container wall, "The president is trying to take over Canada, Mexico, and Greenland- we can't trust any of those options. Canada may have opened their borders for Americans seeking assylum from the war, but it's obviously a trick- it's easier to reach Canada and Mexico than it is anywhere else and we all know there is really one world government-"

"But what about Greenland?" Xo'oth interrupts curiously.

"He's trying to take over Greenland because someone of great spiritual importance lives there," I explain, "He doesn't want the people to rise up, and if he controls that country, he can take her out with ease."

There was a thoughtful silence before Xo'oth spoke up again, "But if there is only one world government, why are we going to Russia?"

"Because the Russian underground have been trying to help people since day one of the last world war," I tell him as I shift to sit crosslegged on the container floor, "They may have questionable methods, but we can trust them enough to help us take down the system entirely. After all, Tartaria was in Russia. I'm sure they had picked up some of Tartaria's teachings. Today, it would be called Tartarstan, Russia."

"Interesting," he seems to think for a moment, "And what will you do once we reach Russia? How will you find your way into the Russian underground?"

"I don't know yet- that depends on what we find once we get there," I reply honestly, a hint of worry in my tone, "One step at a time for now."

Alexander Erik Fictorio

"Dammit!" my hand hits the cave wall as I watch the girl's form disappear among the trees of the forest. Moving quickly, I rush back to the black Toyota Rav 4 and climb in, slamming the door. "Get to the docks in Mobile," I tell the driver sternly as I glare through the window, "She'll try to escape via cargo ship, I'm sure- she's too smart for her own good. We'll wait her out there."

"Yes, sir," the driver pulls the car into a roll, not daring to question my intentions or directions. All of my men know better, they know what I do to those who speak or act against me.

My mind wanders back to Inaru as I watch the passing scenery along the roads. That scene in the forest cave- she had caught me off guard, played on my interests. That won't happen again.

Inaru Hanshite

The truck pulls to a stop and I listen intently to the sounds outside. The sound of rushing waves reaches my ears and I know we've reached the docks. Slowly and quietly, I move closer to the doors on the back of the container. Knowing they were locked from the outside, I knock on the walls in a random beat to make it sound like an animal had gotten trapped before hiding quickly behind a stack of pallets. The worker opens the back with an annoyed grumble, shining a flashlight around to look for the supposed animal. He climbs into the container to look around and I carefully sneak around the pallet to avoid being seen before sliding underneath the truck to hide. Once the worker had closed up the container and walked out of sight to do who knows what, I crept out under the cover of nightfall and move to the ships lined up to examine the lettering on the sides of them in search of one bound for Russia.

"I knew you would be here, clever girl," an Italian voice calls out from behind, sending chills through my body. As I turn, I see the familiar muscular form of the mafioso who had chased me through the woods stepping slowly toward me in the darkness.