I knew that I had already spent more time here than was wise. As quickly as I could, I rifled through everyone’s pockets, filling my own pockets with everything they had. I’d sort it all out later.

I had no clear idea how long it had been since the “incident”, but I didn’t think that it had been hours. Twenty minutes, thirty perhaps. It was time to go. I went from shed to shed, pausing in shadows to assure myself that I wasn’t being pursued, but there was no one.

I had no plan. Almost with surprise, I found myself approaching Redkino Station. Could I catch a train away from here? Was it wise to try? I was tired of running through the countryside, always on the move, hungry and cold, never knowing when they might get close enough to catch me. Hiding in plain sight was a strategy that I hadn’t tried yet. Could I pull it off?

I approached the station from the rear, from the tracks, walking to avoid attention. I climbed a set of stairs from the ground onto the platform and made my way to the station entrance.