Page 1 of Queen’s Gambit

The Crash

Yulianna

My hands shook so badly that I didn’t think I could get the car started. Christov wasn’t supposed to wake up. Running was one thing, but killing him…shit. I should have upped the dose of the sleeping pills.

In the rearview mirror, Lilya held Mr. Bunny to her chest. She was rubbing his ear over her face, a habit she picked up to calm herself whenever she was scared or nervous.

The wipers squeaked back and forth, smudging long wet lines as the heavy snowflakes hit the windshield.

What the hell was going to happen now?

The car skidded a little, and my clammy hands tightened around the steering wheel. Flashing lights and signs warned of the road closure up ahead and sent my already panicking heart pounding out of control.

I couldn’t go back now, and I didn’t dare drive anywhere near anyone who would know me or my car or could have check points. To avoid that I would have to detour two hours into the country where there was no telling the condition of the roads.

Slowing down, I maneuvered around the roadblock. With the snow cover on the road, it was impossible to see a lane. The car shook as the winds picked up. I thought we were in the middle, but then we hit a drift, and a wall of white came up over the hood.

Making it through safely, I rolled my shoulders and looked back as Lilya hummed her favorite song. I couldn’t see anything out the rear window.

The car jerked again.

“Shit,” I swore as the wheel yanked violently.

“Mommy, you said a bad word,” Lilya gasped, her eyes wide. I smiled to reassure her.

“I know. I’m sorry ba…Ahhhhh.”

We hit a patch of black ice and spun like a top out of control. I slammed my foot down on the brakes, but the car picked up speed. I was powerless as we slid off the road. Lilya’s scream pierced the air as we barreled down the side of the snowy bank toward rushing water. We jerked to a sudden stop, my chest hitting the steering wheel as the grill smashed into a tree. I stared in disbelief as it bowed but didn’t break with the weight of the car. We were halfway into the fast moving water with only the back tires still on land.

God help us, this tiny tree is the only thing keeping us from being swept away to our deaths.

“Ouch,” Lilya cried.

I looked over my shoulder to see her bottom lip jutted out and big tears glistening in her eyes.

Fumbling with my phone and swearing in my head, I tried to calm the terror threatening to take over.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s going to be okay. I’m calling for help,” I said to calm Lilya. I didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was.

Ice clumps thudded against the car as I stared out the passenger window at the water flowing toward us. Even though I couldn’t see very far in either direction, I knew that the deep creek we had crashed into was very dangerous this time of year. No one was allowed near it, and the few who had been too adventurous were not seen again until the spring thaw.

It seemed like it took forever for the phone to connect and ring.

“Hello?”

“Uncle Dimitri, it’s me, Yulianna. We need your help,” I said, running my hand through my hair as I fought off tears.

“I was wondering why you were running late. Everyone has already arrived at the hangar. What’s going on?”

“Things didn’t go as planned. I….” I lowered my voice. “I shot him.” My body quaked with the reality of what I’d done. Forced or not, this changed everything. “And we slid off the road. I’m really scared. Water is hitting the side of the car, if it pushes us….” I covered my mouth.

“Yulianna, pull yourself together. You protected yourself, and I don’t blame you. As for the car, I’m coming to get you. Send me your location.”

“The road was blocked off. I shouldn’t have gone around.”

“We’ll find you,” he said, and I could hear doors closing and a vehicle starting, including the roar of snowmobiles. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to get my growing fear under control. “Send me your location, Yulianna.”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Okay.”