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Alexis spoke while Kate finished eating, and Kate kept her eyes closed and focused on the flavor of the food and the soft lilting of Alexis’s voice.
“The rest of the journey will be either through or around the ruins of old cities. This area is war torn and weary. They kept rebuilding for a while, but their cities continued to be destroyed by falling mortar shells and enemy bomb runs. Eventually, most of the civilians left the area, realizing it wouldn’t be worth it to rebuild within the valley where so much conflict thrived.”
Kate nodded, impressed with the scope of her knowledge. “So most of the people in the area will be enemy combatants.”
Alexis nodded. “This area is well known for its different dangers. There’s Syrian militia, Iraqi rebels, Iraqi militia, sandstorms, and freezing cold nights. We have to be really careful we don't let a sandstorm sneak up on us at night. We need to keep low, but most importantly we need to be as quiet as possible. There will definitely be enemy patrols out, and we can’t afford a run in with trouble.”
“Are we going to be able to get over the border without detection?”
Alexis shrugged. “That kind of depends on what their patrols are looking like. There’s every chance they’ll be patrolling the specific section where we need to cross, or they may be sixty miles down the borderline doing checks there. Since it’s nighttime, we have the advantage. Any patrols will be visible. They’ll have trucks with lights.”
Kate nodded her understanding but said nothing. She didn’t trust herself to speak. Alexis would lead them through this. She had no other choice but to trust her. The chance that patrols wouldn’t be in this area were low, especially if the enemy wasexpecting any survivors to head south. If the ambush had control of the territory surrounding the border, it was likely they were going to hit. Not if, but when.
When the sun finally went down, Alexis poked her head out of their shelter to check for any nearby patrols. Agile and strong, as if she didn’t even have a bullet hole in her shoulder, Alexis climbed out and Kate followed, slightly annoyed at her causal treatment of the wound. She took the hand Alexis offered her and pulled herself up out of the hole. Night had fallen, and the temperature had dropped rapidly again. The sand was cold, and the air was dry. Kate swallowed, her throat dry and scratchy. As Alexis took in her surroundings, she stretched her arms, neck, and legs.
“Stretch a bit,” she whispered at Kate. “We’ll be jogging for a while. I’ll stop occasionally to rest and drink water, but if you feel weak or as if you’re going to pass out, just say my name and I’ll catch you before you hit the ground.”
Kate nodded, stretched, and prepared herself for a long run. The desert was still cooling, and it would be a while before the temperature would really drop and night fully set in. They’d need water sooner or later, and Kate kept her eyes busy looking for any signs of danger or water. Alexis kept them at a run for over thirty minutes and then slowed to a fast walk. She shoved a canteen in Kate’s hands and ordered her to take small sips.
“Don’t throw it up. That’s all the water we have.”
She sipped slowly, unwilling to waste their water. The water, though air temperature, was refreshing on Kate’s dry tongue.
I hate the desert.
“Me, too,” Alexis said, surprising Kate.
“Shit, did I say that out loud?”
Alexis chuckled at her between deep breaths. “Yes. Yes you did.”
After a few minutes of rest, Alexis took the canteen from her, stuffed it into her pack, and pushed them forward into a fast jog again, encouraging Kate to keep up.
“Come on, Little Lieutenant. We have a few more miles to cover. The quicker we go, the better our chances at avoiding a patrol.”
They pushed on, determined to make the best time possible. The sand scrunched under their feet, and Kate had to focus in order to move through it as smoothly as possible. Alexis moved seamlessly, having no apparent issue with the shifting ground and the darkness. Kate breathed in raggedly and tried to regulate her airflow, fully focusing on the task of running smoothly for at least twenty minutes at a time. Eventually the burning in her lungs and legs stopped and she could move forward with a runner’s high rather than gasping for breath.
In the distance, shadowy spires rose into the night, indicating they’d arrived at the southernmost ruins of the valley. They approached the crumbling city at a run. The village had clearly been under siege at some point but had not been bombed. Much of the city had damage, including holes in buildings from RPG’s and grenade or rocket launchers. If they were lucky, they could navigate their way through the mess and to its opposite side in order to make a run for the border through the valley's southern inlet. The city stretched out for miles in all directions, and dread twisted Kate’s gut. She didn’t want to go in there, but she had the sinking feeling this shitty option was the best one they had.
Coverwouldbe easier to find, but there was also a serious increased risk that they’d run into a patrol, or that there was even a small encampment hiding within. Alexis trotted forward, steering them toward the ruins of the fallen city, obviously aware of the danger, but willing to brave it and face it head on. Kate tried to dig deep and find her backbone.
On approach, Alexis pointed out a few trucks parked three or four blocks in from the entrance to the city. They’d have to avoid that patrol, and Alexis veered off, changing their heading to the opposite direction. She didn’t think it would affect their time, but Kate was worried about getting caught. There were definitely enemies within the city, but it was also their best chance at finding cover.
Alexis navigated through the rubble leading them into the city, turning immediately into an unlit block of buildings. Most had minor damage, crumbling walls or roofs. This area was bathed in darkness, allowing them to slowly jog through alleys. Piles of rock, rubble, trash, and abandoned vehicles littered the paths, making it difficult to traverse. The smell of garbage rose from the ground and made Kate's stomach feel sour. She fought down the nausea that rose, making her mouth taste like acid. Alexis seemed unaffected by the debris and the smell and jogged fluidly through the mess as if it weren’t even there. Kate was impressed with Alexis. She’d demonstrated knowledge, intelligence, the ability to adapt at a moment's notice, and a cool head during conflict. She had nerves of steel. She appeared unaffected by the fear and danger that had been choking Kate. A sliver of hope returned to her. They might make it out of there with Alexis leading the way.
Kate’s thoughts screeched to a halt as Alexis came to an abrupt stop. She nearly crashed into the back of her but managed to stop in time. They crouched and went silent. Kate’s heart thrashed in her chest, her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She tried to remember not to hold her breath. She couldn’t hear anything over her heartbeat, and the alleyways seemed clear, but Kate didn’t dare move.
Down the next alley, a trickle of light jumped out at her, and Kate realized why Alexis had stopped them. They’d practically run straight into a foot patrol. The beam came from a flashlight.Someone was walking through the alley a block ahead of them checking the areas behind the debris field for anyone that shouldn’t be there. Great. They’d run into the most thorough bloody foot patrolman Kate had ever seen.
She rested her hand on Alexis’s back, anxiety flaring through her, and she didn’t know what to do. The fear was overwhelming, but Kate waited for some sort of signal from Alexis. She would know what they were supposed to do and how to act in this situation.
The figure moved slowly in the distance, and they crouched in the darkness behind some sort of crate. Their hearts pounded as they waited for him to make his way across the intersection and into their alley. Kate felt like she wasn’t getting enough oxygen, her breaths coming too slow, shallow, and silent.
Alexis' muscles relaxed, and Kate raised her head to see the man turn down the alley to their left, his light flickering out of their view and his footfalls going quiet as he walked farther away. To be safe, Alexis made them wait at least ten minutes, and they moved forward at a turtle's pace until they were certain the man hadn’t spotted them or turned around. Kate wanted to vomit from the tension of almost being discovered. They advanced through the night, trying to maintain a decent speed, but silence was their new priority.
After they’d advanced another few blocks, Alexis slowed them to a walk, and Kate wondered what she’d seen or heard.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Alexis whispered. Dread filled Kate’s gut, and she glanced around warily.
