We near our destination

Hobbs only needs a few minutes to disable the truck when we pull it off the road and hide it among some trees. They will still find it, but hopefully this buys us enough time to get away. We proceed on foot for a few hours, before we stop to rest, and recount the events of the night. A lot of praise goes around. Everybody in every position seemed to step up in the moment, and delivered when it counted most, but the loss of one of our own still looms over us.

After our break, we carry on again. Eventually, a large bridge comes into view, and Clarke stops us so he can sneak up for a closer look.

“Did you notice how he does this every time we see something even mildly interesting?” Hobbs asks me.

“Yes, he always has to sneak up for closer look.”

“He’s a daredevil. He’ll do anything, no matter how dangerous.”

“I guess is good, for job like this.”

“Maybe, but I just can’t help but worry that he’s going to get himself killed one of these days. Then where would we be?”

“In USSR.”

He laughs. “Obviously.”

We turn to the sound of footsteps, Clarke returning.

“What you see?” I ask him.

“Too heavily guarded. We could take them, but we’re too close to our destination, and I don’t want them to know we’re here. We have to keep their guards down.” He explains.

“Then it looks as if we’ll have to find another place to cross the river.” Hobbs concludes.

“We’ll head downstream and try to find a place shallow enough to ford it.”

We move out again, and eventually find a spot where we can climb down the river bank. There’s a spot shallow enough for us to cross, about waist deep. Nobody wants to get wet, but it’s a necessity and we wade across, holding our weapons above our heads to keep them dry.

“Sir.” Zhukov approaches Clarke after we cross.

“What is it?”

“I know this place, sir.” Zhukov explains. “My aunt Lyudmila lives nearby.”

“Really?” Clarke asks. “What kind of place does she have? It’s not in town, is it?”

“No, sir. It’s in the country.”

“Excellent, do you think that she would help us?”

“Yes, sir, absolutely. She hates them just as much as anybody, since my uncle was killed. She would help anybody who is fighting them, especially me.”

“I’m sorry about your uncle.” Clarke says. “Can you lead us to her?”

“Yes, sir. I will show you the way.”