By morning, the dacha looked deceptively peaceful.
Snow glittered across the trees.
Smoke curled gently from the chimney.
Somewhere outside, a chicken wandered through the snow with the quiet confidence of an animal that had absolutely seen a murder before.
Inside, Aries was packing enough weapons to overthrow a medium-sized government.
I sat at the kitchen table eating black bread and staring judgmentally at him over a mug of tea.
"So," I said.
Aries zipped a tactical bag closed.
"So?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"What's the plan now, mister?"
He glanced up cautiously.
"That sounded threatening."
"It was emotionally threatening."
Aries sighed and spread a map across the table.
The map itself looked deeply illegal.
There were markings in three languages.
Coordinates.
Red circles.
At least one coffee stain.
"This region," he said, pointing near the border, "is loosely cooperative."
"Loosely?"
"It's complicated."
"That word has personally ruined my life."
He ignored me.
"There's a contact point outside a transit corridor. If we can get there, Mossad can extract us."
I blinked.
"Extract us."
"Yes."
"Oh my God, you say verbs like a supervillain."
"We'll be processed there temporarily."
"Processed?" I repeated in horror. "Like cheese?"
Aries rubbed his temples.
"No."
"Then why does every sentence you say sound medically unethical?"
He continued like I hadn't spoken.
"Once we arrive, they'll arrange transport for you back to the United States."
I froze.
"...Me?"
"Yes."
"What about you?"
Aries looked down at the map.
"I'll be reassigned."
The room suddenly felt quieter.
The wind outside rattled softly against the windows.
"Oh," I said.
Something complicated flickered across his face.
"It's the safest option."
"Right."
"You'll disappear from all operational visibility."
"Cool."
"You'll be protected."
"Awesome."
Aries studied me carefully.
"You're upset."
"No," I lied immediately. "I love hearing that my boyfriend's government job comes with witness protection breakup packages."
A long silence followed.
Then Aries quietly said:
"You were never supposed to matter this much."
Unfortunately, that was objectively hot.
Which was irritating.
Before I could emotionally process that sentence, Sagittarius burst through the front door covered in snow.
"We have a problem."
I jumped violently.
"Oh my GOD, does nobody knock in your profession?"
Sagittarius ignored me completely.
"There's movement near the eastern road."
Aries was instantly alert.
"How many?"
"Six vehicles. Armed."
"Russian?"
Sagittarius hesitated.
"...Not exactly."
That was apparently the wrong answer.
Because Aries immediately swore in Hebrew.
My stomach dropped.
"What does 'not exactly' mean?"
Neither of them answered.
Which emotionally felt terrible.
Then, faintly through the trees—
gunfire.
"Oh my GOD."
Sagittarius grabbed his rifle.
"They found us faster than expected."
"WHO FOUND US?"
Aries looked directly at me.
"Extremists."
I blinked.
"Like politically?"
Another burst of gunfire echoed closer.
"MOVE," Aries snapped.
Suddenly the cabin exploded into motion.
Sagittarius overturned the table.
Aries grabbed bags, weapons, maps, passports—
SO many passports—
while I stood frozen in thermal socks holding half a piece of bread.
"This cannot keep happening to me."
A bullet shattered through the window.
I screamed loud enough to concern wildlife.
"PISCES."
"I'M MOVING."
Aries grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the back door just as shouting erupted outside in Arabic.
The forest beyond the cabin stretched endless and white beneath the storm-gray sky.
Snow hit my face immediately.
"Oh my God," I gasped. "It's freezing."
"Yes."
"I hate international conflict."
"That's fair."
Behind us, the front of the cabin exploded inward.
We ran.
Or rather:
- Aries ran like a genetically engineered panther,
- Sagittarius ran like a man legally prohibited from fear,
- and I ran like someone trying to escape a SoulCycle membership cancellation fee.
Branches whipped against my face.
Snow soaked through my shoes instantly.
Behind us, voices shouted through the trees.
Gunfire cracked somewhere terrifyingly nearby.
"Aries," I wheezed, stumbling through the snow, "I literally did not consent to this lifestyle."
"You're doing great."
"DO NOT gentle-parent me during terrorism."
Another gunshot snapped through the trees.
Aries immediately shoved me downward.
We crashed behind a fallen log as bullets tore through branches above us.
I lay there panting violently.
"Oh my God."
Aries crouched beside me, calm as ever.
His hair was dusted with snow.
His jaw tense.
Eyes sharp and focused.
Honestly, it was offensively attractive.
"You okay?" he asked.
"No," I whispered. "I miss accounting."
Sagittarius crawled beside us.
"They're splitting up."
"How many?"
"Too many."
I buried my face in the snow briefly.
"This is literally the worst vacation I've ever had."
Aries checked his pistol.
Then looked at me.
"When I say run, don't stop."
I stared at him in horror.
"That sentence has NEVER led anywhere good."
A shout rang out somewhere behind us.
Closer now.
Aries stood instantly.
"RUN."
We bolted deeper into the forest.
Snow flew beneath our boots.
My lungs burned.
My soul left my body somewhere around the second kilometer.
"ARIES," I yelled desperately, "I DO YOGA, NOT THIS."
"FASTER."
"I AM SPIRITUALLY FAST."