Starts with a Match

Welcome to the Thunderdome

Vera Clementine scares me.

But fucking God bless her.

She refused to take any credit or pats on the back or high fives for catching wind of the gluts before our scouts even had. She went right back to pacing the line, even with her limp and busted jaw from fighting a glut the size of Roz with her bare hands. She lost a tooth. She spat the damn thing out and kept going.

We nearly lost Rokoko. Got bit in the hand. Before any of us could jump in to help, he took a machete to his wrist. He accepted not only pats on the back, but shots in his honor, for knocking down a dozen of the gluts on his own.

I don't doubt that we're all still standing because of those two and their small team. Gives me old Rustavi Red Rover vibes. I think Elijah and Rokoko would get along mischievously well. And I think Margie would be able to coax more words out of Vera, just because that's the kind of person she was.

Five days later, Rokoko's taken up singing The Elegant Captain Hook from Peter Pan after he and Hannah fashioned him a weird hook-hand thing.

It would be slightly menacing if he didn't have such a cheery smile to go with his attempt at looking evil as he twirls a pretend mustache with his remaining fingers.

That's how we get started singing rounds of Following the Leader while we take turns dismantling guns, cleaning them, and loading them back up again, throwing in the occasional expletive because we're tired and still wired. I didn't say anything when I noticed Vera mouthing along.

A jeep rolls up and no one even lifts their eyes, too busy trying to replace as many things as possible in You Can Fly! with curse words. But I look up, and so does Hannah, and my jaw drops.

"You got your grunts singing fucking Disney now?" Seya says, walking over toward us from his jeep with a shake of his head.

Hannah stands first, and it's a ripple effect of the others jumping up and hopping to attention. I think they mistook Hannah getting to her feet as 'oh fuck, Sergeant's here, gotta get our shit together'.

I'm last to stand. And I'm the first one he hugs.

I stumble backward and stutter and mean to pat his back and end up just repeatedly smacking him on the shoulder blade like there's a mosquito there I'm trying to kill. He gives me a hard thump to my back with his fist and moves to Hannah, who's still gawking with confusion.

How the fuck is he here? We heard from Omar just this morning that Seya was still in HQ in Germany, stuck in meetings for the rest of the day.

This is clearly not fucking Germany.

"Good to see you two," he says. Then he remembers the others still at attention and waves his hand. "Fucking chill, everyone, there's no rules here, fuck this place."

Vera snorts, then coughs. Rokoko laughs. The rest relax and get back to their routine, and Hannah and I jog after Seya as he returns to his jeep. "Seya, hold up—"

"I'm never hugging you again Medrano, no worries, was a moment of weakness."

"Weakness—" I scoff, sharing the same 'what the shit' look with Hannah. "What're you doing here?"

"This is my next stop; bunking with Chip and Dale apparently," he sighs, lifting a duffel from his unrolled passenger window. He throws it over his shoulder and turns back to us with a shrug and a grimace on his pointed face. "Haven't heard from Donovan. Getting worried—have you?"

"Heard from him a week ago when he said he would be heading here next," Medrano replies for us. "He should be a two days from now—what're you doing here?" she repeats my question. He blinks at her and she widens her eyes, waiting on a response. "Seya? You're supposed to still be at HQ? In Germany?"

Seya sneers at that, scratching at stubble on his chin. "I was never in Germany, what're you smoking?"

"Are you serious? But we heard—"

"We were all supposed be here—that's what I was told."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He checks both our faces. Then he makes what I'm gonna assume is his attempt at a 'we've all been ignorant fools' smile. It's hideous. "Who sent you two here?"

"To Rustavi? Higher ups," I shrug.

Seya shakes his head. "Who ordered you two, and Donovan, to be sent to this location, this latitude and longitude, this week?"

Hannah and I share another look. "You did," she and I respond.

I think he looks more like his age than ever before. Forty and fucking exhausted. "Wasn't me. Wasn't my order to get you all in one place, and it wasn't my idea to get sent here from the east. Sounds like we're being—"

"Rounded up," I mutter. Hannah's stare darts between us, and I look down to her. I'm close enough I can see the vein in her neck throb with her rapid heartbeat.

Seya lets out a haggard sigh that sounds like 'fucking knew it'. "Welcome to the Thunderdome, people," he whispers. He swallows, loud and thick. "Aside from Don and Jim, the last people you can trust in Russia are right here."

All three of us take steps away from each other at once, the same thought shooting through all our heads. Separate. Now.

"Medrano, you gotta get outta here," he says quickly, eyes up and scanning the rest of our crew behind our backs. "Get in my jeep."

"Go where?"

"West—no, north. Go north. Got a campout still stocked up there, it's near a helipad. You get it ready for a quick escape."

"What about you two?"

"We'll be good. We'll meet you as soon as Torrace shows up then we're getting the fuck out of here."

"That's still days from now," she chokes.

"It's fine. They've kept you on the bench this long, now they're finally starting to move some pieces. You're gold, they'll come after you."

"You'll both be good?" Seya smiles at nothing, and Hannah acts out a laugh. All these soldiers and their secret talents at forcing smiles. I haven't said a word, still glaring, heart in my throat, pulse in my ears.

"So nice that you care. I'll be fine."

"Kevin?" she says, not looking at me, miming that she's nodding and reading over a piece of scrap she just pulled out of her pocket.

"I'll be fine." I fake a smile. It hurts.

He casually passes her his duffel. "Good luck, Hannah."

Hannah looks at me then and we lock eyes. It's five seconds. It's I love you, please God stay safe, I hope to see you again.

Then she's climbing into Seya's jeep and roving off, heading north.

Seya's sigh rattles out of him, shaking his shoulders, heaving through his nostrils. He meets my eye. We just stare at each other.