It was a dark night, moonless and starless.  It was a cold one at that, according to the thermometers the temperature had dropped to minus 32 Celsius.  But of course, it could always drop even further, at least if the Russian winter was to be taken into account.  It was January, and no one could tell how the weather would shift, even in the next couple of days. 

Large flakes of snow fell slowly, almost as if dancing, towards the ground, adding to the masses that had already coated everything under open sky.  If it not for the intense cold biting every bit of exposed skin, the night would have been beautiful.  There was no storm or wind howling through the streets or rumbling in pipes.  It was just silence, everything muffled by the snowfall.    

Alexei brushed the snow from the binoculars and watched it fall to the ground between his feet.  When he moved to get into a more comfortable position on the iron hatch the powder creaked beneath his heavy boots.  He realized that he was already getting covered with snow.  He raised the tip of the hood and put the binoculars to his eyes.  The world of green, white and dark shadows filled his sight, as well as the quiet buzzing from the batteries inside the device.  His gaze slowly swept over the streets below, up over the grey concrete facades of the buildings and then over the roofs.  Their ten storey structure rose high above the surrounding blocks, giving a perfect overview over the area.  Although the reach of the binocular at night was limited, he could still see a good portion of the western parts of the city.

Darkness ruled below and everywhere, only parted thanks to the technology in his hands.  Instead he saw shadows in different shades of dark and green.  The broad street going at the foot of the building was long and straight, one of the major roads cutting though the city, it seemed.  But no streetlights burned, they only stood there as rusty pipes, sticking out as masts from sunken ships out of the white sea.  The rows of old, soviet-era concrete apartment cubes gave no light either.  The windows were black against the grey facades, empty eye sockets in a skull.  Alexei could even see the glass missing on many of them and the rust on the small iron balconies.  Below them at ground level there was no light or movement either.  There was no late cars speeding to get home, no night wanderers or even drunk tramps.  Even from the roof of the tenth floor Alexei could make out the cars and trucks, standing in long congested lines.  They were almost completely covered with snow, but they appeared as small hills above the level of the asphalt, not that you could see it.  In some places the jam was so bad that vehicles were standing at the sidewalks, pressing against the walls of the surrounding buildings.  Some had even crashed.  Alexei raised his binoculars and pointed them into the distance, where the range of them was ending.  He could see the tall silhouettes of factory chimneys, rising up somewhere on the outskirts of the city. 

Alexei put down the binoculars.  The snowfall still showed no signs of stopping, on the contrary - it had already begun covering him with a layer of it.  He brushed of the hood and his shoulders, shook his feet to get rid of what lay on his boots.  The cold was slowly but surely seeping into him - through the white camouflage coat covering his body, the thick winter uniform under and through the synthetic textile of his boots.  The winter had the world in a sure grip, and he could feel it.  He pulled at the balaclava to adjust it over his face.  It protected the face from the worst of the cold, but he could still feel its icy fingers.  Alexei pulled down the hood deeper over his face and then took to the binoculars again.  He searched in the distance for movement, signs of life or just anything uncommon.  But the city was dead and silent before him.

"See anything?" asked the lieutenant from a few metres away.  Dressed in the same fashion as Alexei, he appeared as a white shadow sitting next to the ledge of the roof, staring down into the darkness through his own set of sights. 

"No, nothing." Alexei replied, the same message being heard from the other two in the group, muffled through the densely falling snow.      

"Alright." The lieutenant let the binoculars fall from the strap around his neck, pulled out the radio transceiver out of a pocket on his chest and put it to his mouth.  A second of scratching static and then he spoke. "Captain, Kovalevsky speaking.  The skyline is clear, the ground as well.  We see nothing."

The static returned and everyone listened for the answer.  It came soon enough.

"Understood.  Return to base, we will be leaving soon.  Over."

"Yes captain. Kovalevsky out."

He put back  into the pocket and rose to his feet, picking up his assault rifle in the process.

"Alright guys." the lieutenant hung the rifles strap over his shoulder and looked around. "We are done here, let's move out."

"Roger that."

The group gathered quickly.  They travelled light, carrying little more than their rifles and a few magazines of ammunition.  Alexei put on the night vision goggles and fastened them at his head.  He pulled down the hood again, hanged the AK on his back and joined the others.  They had reached the top of the house by climbing the fire staircase, going along the side of the building.  The rusty iron creaked and banged beneath their feet, and the sound was unpleasantly loud in the otherwise silent night.  But there was no one to hear it, and if there were any birds in the area they would probably not care. 

They reached the ground and stepped out into the snow.  The large yard in the centre of the cluster of buildings was covered by pristine snow, only broken by the metal racks of an old playground in the middle.  They almost looked like the remains of a skeleton, sticking out of the desert.  But Alexei pushed those thoughts away, they were entirely pointless.  The deep tracks they had made had been covered during the hour they had spent on the roof and now they had to push a new way through it.  Small ice crystals whirled around them, the snow creaking with every step.  They walked in silence.  The mission was over and they were going back.  There was nothing important to say, and therefore they did not. 

They walked in a line - lieutenant Kovalevsky first, after him came Vladimir and then Egor.  Alexei was acting rearguard, walking in the others footsteps.  From time to time he looked back to make sure that the it was clear, but it seemed almost superfluous.  They had not seen any signs of humans on the way to the vantage point or from it.  It seemed like the city was since long abandoned.  It had been three years after all, and any survivors would probably have escaped into the countryside or wilderness.  Of course, there could be some people scavenging through abandoned houses and shops, but in that case they knew what was best for them and kept out of the way. 

They walked on the sidewalk, close to the side of the building.  Cars, trucks and busses were everywhere, covered by snow but still blocking the way.  The group had to dodge and cross between them, often haviing to scale the roofs or jump from hood to hood.  The congestion had been bad when the vehicles were abandoned, with almost no room to move between them.  People had been in a hurry to flee, but unless you were at the edges of the city, using a car was futile.  Russians roads - especially in industrial and post-soviet cities like this one - were seldom easy to navigate.  Especially when buildings, cars and people were being crushed left and right.

Lieutenant Kovalevsky took his rifle in one hand and started scaling the pile of debris that blocked the street from side to side.  A building on the corner of a crossing had collapsed, spreading concrete and steel over the street, crushing anything caught beneath it .  You could still see iron support beams sticking out of the heaps.  The metaphor with a broken skeleton came to Alexei's mind once again.  The snow covering the sharp points and pieces made the climb treacherous, but everyone managed to climb it without any accidents.  On the other side the street continued, just as empty, dark and congested as before. 

The lieutenants radio crackled to life, a red light blinking from it.  Kovalevsky pulled it out and put it to his face.

"Kovalevsky listening."

They kept walking.  Alexei tried to hear what was said, but the signal and the distance to the lieutenant was too bad to make anything out.

"How long?" Kovalevsky looked backed at the others, the goggles and balaclava covering his entire face and making it impossible to make out any emotions.

A few more words were said and the lieutenant nodded.

"Roger that.  We are on our way.  Kovalevsky out."

He once again turned to his team, still without stopping. 

"One scout team spotted a big one.  Still far away but it might get closer.  If you don't want to get left behind, then let's put some move on.  Quickly."

There was no need for further explanations and no one asked.  They obeyed and changed their fast paced walk into a slow run, as much as the snow allowed it.  Alexei made sure his rifle hung comfortably from his shoulder and joined in.  His breath became quicker, white steam coming through his balaclava and quickly rising up through the air.  They slowly picked up pace, forcing their way through the snowdrifts and leaving a cloud of ice crystals and snow dust in their wake.  

It was not too far to the station.  They had ventured just a few blocks to set up an outlook, moving further away would be dangerous.  Scout teams were armed and more than able to defend themselves, but not against everything.  And getting cut off from ones only escape because you had ventured too far away would be stupid. 

They passed buildings and houses, many destroyed and in ruins.  In the gaping holes in their sides you could still see traces of floors and the support beams still sticking out.  Sometimes you could even see into a room that had lost its wall. But they paid it no attention, having seen familiar sights many times before.  The lieutenant did not even have to look at his map, the way to the railway station was almost completely straight from the building they had scaled.  Soon enough the station came into sight, on the other side of a long street that led to it from the centre of the city. 

Alexei was panting now, his steps becoming heavier.  The textile in front of his mouth was becoming wet and uncomfortable from his breath.  But he did not slow down and neither did the others.  The lieutenants radio came to life again and this time Alexei could hear what the voice on the other side was saying.

"Team, what is your position?  How long until you arrive?"

"Soon there.  Maybe three hundred metres until the station." Said Kovalevsky between his breaths.

"Good." That was the only answer and the radio fell silent again. 

"Almost there guys, just a little more." The lieutenant waved with his hand in the direction they were running, as if to prove his words true. "Almost there."

"Please, stop!"

Alexei acted on instinct, took the rifle from his shoulder and grabbed it with both hands.  They stopped, their weapons ready and pointed at the direction from where the voice came. 

A man came running towards them from an adjacent street, waving his hands at them.  Alexei looked down the iron sights, aiming for the middle of the man's chest.  His finger was ready on the trigger.

"Stop!" barked the lieutenant and held up his hand to deter the stranger, still holding his weapon pointed at him. "Stand down!"

The man slowed down and stopped, threw his hands up into the air.

"Please, wait!" he yelled, and instantly his arms dropped down.  Four set of hands clenched their assault rifles, ready to fire, but the man was only stretching his hands forward towards them, as if begging. 

"Stand down!" snarled Kovalevsky, waving at the stranger. "Stay back and don't come closer.  You hear me?"

The man stayed where he was.  Alexei studied him through the night goggles, waiting for what was coming next.  He has still the sights set on the man's heart, his own pumping strong and fast after running.  The man carried a thick winter jacket over what seemed to be a jumpsuit, on his feet a pair of boots and on his head a fur hat with side flaps and a screen.  He could not make out the faces, only the eyes which seemed to gleam through the optics of night vision. 

"Please!" said the man again, holding up his palms to show that they were empty. "Take us with you.  I have a family, wife and children..  We can't stay here.  Please take us with you, we saw the train and..."

"Silence!" the lieutenant threw a quick look around and pulled out his radio with his free hand.  Alexei and the others stood still, aiming and ready.

Alexei swallowed a lump of saliva and moved his feet to get better footing.  Two figures emerged out of the house on the corner of the street and came running towards them. 

"Stop right there!  Hands up and stay there!" Alexei shifted his aim at them.

"Don't shoot, we're all people!"

This time it was a female voice, high pitched and worked up.  The two figures slowed down but did not stop before they reached the man in the fur hat.  A short woman and a tall man, both under a thick layer of clothing.  He clenched his teeth together and looked nervously at the lieutenant who held the transceiver up to his ear.  The strangers had started to yell, talk, beg and interrupt each other, making gestures at them. 

"Shut up!" shouted Kovalevsky and pressed the radio to his head. "Yes, captain, this is Kovalevsky!  We encountered a group of civilians, they want to come with us.  Orders?"

He fell silent, trying to hear what was being said over the sound of the begging voices. 

"Shut your mouth, suka!*" barked Egor angrily and made a movement with his rifle as he was going to attack them with it. "If not, I will shoot you like dogs!"

The threat did not help, instead it made matters worse.  The woman started sobbing and crying, the men kept yelling.

"We are just normal people, don't shoot.  There are many of us, we need to get away from here.  Are you not a human being?" asked the tall man, shaking his hands at the lieutenant.  When he took a step forward Egor threateningly raised his weapon  

"I said, stay back!"

Alexei felt his heart pumping faster and faster, even sweat breaking out under his clothes.  He looked from person to person, moving his aim from one to another.  This was bad, really bad.  So much for hoping that any survivors would stay out of their way.

"Are you sure captain?" Kovalevsky made a grunting sound, pulled the radio away from his ear and shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.  Then he turned to the civilians, holding the transceiver away from his mouth. "How many are you?  And quickly, for god's sake!"

"There are nine of us." Said the man in the fur hat and nodded eagerly. "They are in the building."

Kovalevsky pressed the radio to his face again.

"Nine, captain.  What?" he made a slight pause, listening. "Oh, blyat.*  Yes, roger that."

He looked at Alexei and the two other soldiers and then swore.

"You can come if you can keep up with us." He said, turning to the three civilians. "And do it fast, or else you are getting left behind.  Now move!" the last words he yelled at them, raising his hand as if to throw the radio at them.

The three turned around and ran for the building from which they had appeared.  Vladimir turned lowered his rifle and turned to the lieutenant, his voice low but agitated.

"Are we taking them with us?" he asked, looking from Kovalevsky to the building into which the civilians had disappeared.

"Seriously?" said Egor, disbelief in his voice. "Just like fucking that?"

"If there are only nine of them, then yes." The lieutenant sounded as if he was talking through clenched teeth. "And if they can run.  Otherwise we leave them behind.  Hurry up!" he added, seeing that people had started coming out of the building.

"But lieutenant, isn't there a giant coming for us?  It is still three hundred metres to the station..."

"I know." Kovalevsky cut him off. "But it's alright, we can easily make it.  But we better keep pace."

A group of people were coming towards them, huddling together as scared cattle.  Alexei caught himself realizing that in one way, they were.  Dressed in thick winter clothes and with scarf's around their faces,  carrying bags and backpacks, but still frightened and dumb cattle.   The lieutenant counted them and nodded.

"Alright people." He said, turning around and hanging his rifle on his back. "Follow us and move fast.  That who can't keep up is left behind.  Go!"

"But we can't run that fast.."

Kovalevsky did not wait to hear the rest.  He started running, his men close after him.  The civilians hurried the best they could, yelling for the them to slow down and calling to each other to pick up pace.  The soldiers were much quicker - they were grown men and carried nothing more than rifles on their backs.  The others were slower and carried more.  They instantly started to fall behind, their shouting becoming fainter as they left them behind.  Alex looked over his shoulder, trying to get a good look of them.  What he saw did not make him feel better.  The small figures running besides the adults seemed like teens or children, some others had the gait and movements of elderly.  This was bad.   He turned around and kept running, trying to ignore their cries.  Alexei had his orders and he did not want to fall behind.  Missing the train would mean the end. 

"Captain, we are on our way.  The civi's are coming after us, but we are not waiting." The lieutenant spoke into the radio again. "We will be there in a few minutes. Over."

They ran along the sidewalk, lucky due to there being a long stretch that was not blocked by any abandoned vehicles.  In the distance, steadily coming closer was the view of the station building; large and square like a mansion, the white stone still visible under the snow.  It was made in the old soviet style, with a high spire in the middle which was crowned by a red star. 

But then their luck ended and the congestion on the street got worse.  In the middle of the road were the wrecked remains of a large truck.  It had been smashed into the ground, blocking of half of the lanes with is long hull.  The cars around it were pressed up against the buildings where the drivers had left them, huddled together as if they were trying to keep warm.  Kovalevsky climbed on top of the first one - a large foreign SUV.  His feet banged against the metal, the sudden sound very loud in the dark street.  From the roof he jumped to another car, then took a step to the next one.  He did not seem concerned with staying silent anymore.  Vladimir climbed after, then Egor.  Alexei jumped on top of the hood and felt the metal buckling under his boot.  There he stopped and turned around, his muscles urging him on to continue running.  But he did not, he wanted to see. 

The group had actually managed to keep up with, even though they had fallen a good bit behind in the beginning.  They were pulsing through the tracks the soldiers had made, steam rising from their mouths.  They were not longer yelling or calling for them slow down, instead trying to just breathe.  The man in the fur hat ran in front of them, carrying a massive bag on his back and dragging a smaller figure along.  A child, thought Alexei and the thought made him curse.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Egor had stopped on the next car and was looking back at him. "We gotta go before the damned giant shows up."

"They have children, look, even a fucking grandma!" Alexei pointed at the silhouette that, even though it was covered by a coat, still had the walk that so many old ladies had. "They won't get over this."

"To the devil with them and their grandma!  Come, don't lag behind."

Alexei knew that Egor was right.  But despite his heart racing and every nerve screaming that he should go, he could not.  He stayed. 

"We need to help them." He said, barley comprehending what words were coming from his lips. "At least over the cars."

"Are you crazy?" Egor grabbed a hold of Alexei's sleeve and tugged at it. "They are civi's, just leave them."

"Get off." Alexei jerked and pulled himself free, leaving Egor standing at his car.

The man in the fur hat had come up to the car.  Alexei stretched out his hand, still not really realizing what he was doing.  Strong fingers grabbed a hold of his wrist and he helped the man pull himself up.  The child reached out and Alexei grabbed it's tiny gloved hand as well.  With a powerful yank he lifted it up and almost threw it to the man.

"Go." he said, finding balance to help the next person

"You are fucking crazy!" that was Egor's voice, furious but with a tone of resignation in it. "Fuck!"

He took a step over to the car Alexei was standing one, perching on the roof.  Together they helped up the woman that had come running out into the street earlier.  They pulled at her so hard that she gave a little yelp and almost fell when her feet bounced against the metal hood, but Egor grabbed her by her waist and held her in place.

"Move your ass." He grunted and gave her a slap in the back.  She did not need another hint and jumped to the next car, trying to keep out with the man and the child. 

They helped the next person and then the next.  Alexei did not have the time to see their faces, he only new that there was both men and women, young and old and dressed as warmly as they could.  He briefly saw a pair of large and scared eyes in the face of a young woman, staring at his covered face from under a hood.  He almost pushed her to get her moving.  At the end there indeed was a grandma, an old lady with a noticeable limp, supported by an elderly man with moustaches and beard.  The later managed to get up on the hood almost by himself, but the woman did not even attempt it.  Her heavy, whistling breathing made it clear that she would was more likely to fall over dead than scale the car. 

"Just lift her up!" snarled Egor and grabbed the woman under her one arm.  Alexei grabbed her as well, and together they lifted her up.  She was heavy, but together they managed to carry her with her arms slumped over their shoulders.

"Now go!"

It was hard to move from car to car with a body between them, but they managed.  Egor was swearing between his breaths.  Their boots thundered against the metal, at one point Alexei almost slipped.  He managed to regain his balance and kept moving, ignoring his aching muscles.  After about ten metres the congestion eased and they jumped down into the snow.  They put down the woman, but either she was too tired to stand up she had lost her consciousness.  She started to fall over as soon as her feet hit the ground.  Wildly swearing, Egor pulled of the rifle from is back and threw it to Alexei.

"Take it." He murmured, crouching down and putting his shoulder against the woman's stomach.

Alexei hung the rifle over his shoulder and helped Egor to lift her up at his shoulder.  He grunted from the weight, stumbling when he tried to take a few steps.  Then he grabbed the woman by the waist with both hands and got into a slow run, carrying her as if she was a wooden log.  Alexei ran next to him, ready to support him if he lost his balance again.  Kovalevsky was waiting for them a few metres away, the rest of the group had already continued past him.

"What the hell is your problem!?" the lieutenant grabbed Alexei's upper arm and pulled it with such force that it felt like he would fall. "You disobeyed orders!  Mudak!*"

Alexei was breathing heavily, but he still managed to get an answer out. 

"I had to help them." He said, greedily breathing in mouthfuls of icy air. "They have children and old people.  I could not leave them"

"I am going to break your face.  You idiot." Kovalevsky tugged at him again. "And if not me, then the commanders will.  Disobeying orders like a bloody child!  Let's hope that we get on the train, otherwise I will break it right here!"

At that moment Alexei did not really care if his face would be broken.  He concentrated on letting air seep in and out of his lungs, keeping his pace even and quick.  For now everything else did not matter.  The lieutenant had let go of him and was now just running beside him.  That fitted Alexei well. 

They reached the station building, ran up the stairs leading to the broken wooden gates.  The large waiting hall was filled with snow, chunks of snow and support beams.  Two large holes were gaping in ceiling, showing the black sky above.  Through some wonder the roof had avoided to collapse and the spire that rested upon it could be seen through the openings.  Waiting benches were spread over the floor together with the metal frames from shop booths that had once stood along the walls.  At the open doors leading out on the platforms stood Vladimir, jumping from foot to foot.

"Finally!" he yelled. "You better hurry up, the train is leaving in a few minutes."

"Yeah yeah, shut up." Egor groaned and put down the old woman on the ground, violently rubbing his shoulder. "Vladik, help me with the starukha* here, she is heavy as fuck."

The woman was breathing but her body was still limp and unable to stand or walk on its own.  Vladimir took her by the arm and together with Egor they started carrying her, her feet dragging along the ground as those of a dummy.    

They came out of the doors and found themselves on the first platform, next to the hulk of a tipped over wagon.  The area belonging to the station was massive, stretching far out into the darkness.  Once the city's industries had made many railroad lines intertwine in this place, bringing goods and oil from the depths of Siberia to western parts of the country.  Once large bridges had stretched above the many lines of track, to allow passengers from platform to platform.  Now most of them were destroyed, some even missing completely, with only the foundations visible.  Several locomotives and an even larger number of wagons and railway carriages had remained at the station.  Their hulks lay in piles, thrown on top of each other.  Some had crashed into the side of the station building, others were laying on the far side of the railways territory, out in an open field.  It was as if a titanic storm once had gone through the area.

But they were almost at their goal.  Two platforms away loomed the shadowy silhouette of the train.  Alexei could hear the deep rumbling of from the front locomotives motors, they were slowly rising in strength.  The train was engulfed in darkness, no light came from the its headlights or the small windows.  Instead Alexei could see the beams of many flashlights dancing over the ground and then gathering at them.

A trio of men in snowsuits approached them when they got onto the right platform.  Together with Egor and Vladimir they picked up the woman and carried her towards the short ladder leading up the door into the second ladder. 

"You took your time." said the man who stood in the door, ready to grab her. "Oh, the commanders are pissed, Kovalevsky."

"I can guess." Answered the lieutenant, drawing for breath and resting his hands against his knees, waiting for the others to get into the door.  "Are we too late?"

"Nah, not yet." Said the soldier and disappeared into the warmly lit corridor. "But we better not wait."

Alexei felt someone pushing him in the back, and when he turned his head he saw the sullen yes of the lieutenant looking back at through the gap in the.  He too removed his night sights and climbed the steps into the wagon.  Kovalevsky looked around one last time before climbing after him.  The train had already started moving, the thumping sound of wheels against the rails growing louder and more frequent as they gained speed.  Alexei saw Kovalevsky closing the iron door behind him and ripping off his balaclava.

"The devil take you." He said, shaking the piece of cloth in Alexei's face. "Do you think they are going to like you running off and playing hero?"

"No, lieutenant."

Kovalevsky shook his head in resignation.  His face was red and glistening from sweat in the warm electric light.  He was a man in his early thirties, with a sharp nose and hard features.  The grey eyes looked at Alexei from under heavy eyelids.  He stuffed the balaclava in under his jacket and passed by Alexei into the thin corridor that connected the wagon to the next one.  Before entering it he turned around and looked at him again.

"Seriously" He said calmly, handing over his rifle to Alexei. "If you try to pull this shit at me again, I will crush your nose.  Do you understand?"

Alexei pulled of his own balaclava and nodded, but without lowering his eyes. 

"Yes, lieutenant."

Kovalevsky gave him one final, tired look and closed the door behind him.  Alexei looked down on the metal grid floor beneath his feet and tried to collect his thoughts.  Then he took a deep breath, hanged the assault rifle on his shoulder next to his own and made his way deeper into the wagon, heading for the sound of voices.  The others were already waiting for him. 

Kovalevsky was met with silence as he entered the small room.  Both officers were watching him from their places at the table.  The lieutenant let the metal door close behind him and then took a few steps forward before he stopped in front of the table.  He straightened himself out, raised his hand to his temple and saluted, awaiting a reaction. 

The colonel - Kuznetsov his surname - did not seem to be in a hurry.  He pulled a cigarette out of the packet which lie on the table, put in between his lips and then reached for the large silver lighter.  His movements were slow and relaxed, as if he did not even notice the man saluting him.  But of course - it was probably his intent.  With a loud click he lit the cigarette, put down the lighter and took a deep puff.  A small cloud of smoke emerged from his mouth and rose towards the electrical lamps above the table.  The heavy smell of tobacco in the room made Kovalevsky ache for a cigarette himself.  But he patiently waited, standing still despite the movements of the quickly moving train wagon. 

The commanders room was brightly lit, and more importantly, warm.  It was a pleasant change from the bitter cold outside of the metal walls of the wagon.  Several electric lamps were mounted on the ceiling, and they made Kovalevsky's eyes hurt.  Had had still not had time to adjust to it after the darkness outside.  In here it was almost impossible to know if it was night or day, the thin window slits along the bare walls were covered by iron shutters. A door led deeper into the wagon, to the communications room and the commanding officers quarters. 

The colonel was an older man, probably somewhere in his late fifties.  He was of average height but thinly built, not really the archetype of an officer.  His hair and eyes were gray, the nose reminiscent of a hawks beak and with a small, well trimmed moustache above the thin lips. Kuznetsov was dressed in a simple grey field uniform, the only thing separating him from his subordinates the markings on his shoulder straps.   He took another long puff and then crossed his hands on the table, as if he was now prepared to take notice of the lieutenant who was still clad in a heavy snowsuit. 

"Lieutenant." He said, nothing in his voice betraying his mood or thoughts. 

"Comrade colonel." Answered Kovalevsky and lowered his hand.  He fixated his eyes on the digital clock hanging on the opposite wall.  It was 02.05 in the morning. 

"Report your mission."

Kovalevsky took a deep breath and started talking with the monotonous and factual voice that was to be used at such instances.

"At the captains orders I was dispatched to set up a lookout deeper into the city.  I took my men to a high-rise a few blocks from the station, climbed onto the top and set up an observation post.  We saw nothing of importance.  When the order came we descended to ground level and departed for the station.  Along the way we were approached by a group of civilians..."

"Ah yes.  Civilians." Said the colonel, interrupting him.  Kovalevsky closed his mouth and waited for the commander to continue.  There was a short pause as Kuznetsov took another puff on his cigarette and shook it above the small ashtray standing on the table next to him.  "Why did you bring them?"

"I asked for permission from the captain Babin, comrade colonel.  He allowed it."

Kovalevsky quickly glanced at the other officers sitting at the table and looking at him.  Captain Babin was the archetype of a Russian officer of the post-soviet era - large and bulking with a noticeably protruding belly, barley contained by the broad leather belt, with a broad reddish face and a bald head to go with it.  He had a solemn frown on his face, making the busy eyebrows almost connect and deep wrinkles appearing around his mouth and on the forehead.  Babin remained silent, the small eyes fixed on Kovalevsky. 

"I know what Babin said." The colonel put the cigarette to his lips again. "What interests me is why you acted as you did."

"Excuse me, but I don't follow, colonel."  Kovalevsky felt uncomfortably warm in his clothes, and mixed with the overall tiredness it made his thoughts slow and clumsy.

"You were ordered to return to the train at speed, as a giant had been spotted by one of the other scout teams.  But you and your team slowed down, which in turn put the entire unit under unnecessary threat."

"The civilians, they were slow and needed help.  There was elderly and children with them."

The colonel did not shake his head or frown, he just stared, right at Kovalevsky's face.

"If the situation would have been entirely secure" he slowly said. "Such an action would have been forgivable.  But not when it can endanger the entire expedition.  Do you realize that, lieutenant?"

"Yes, comrade colonel."

"What am I supposed to do with nine civilians, lieutenant?" the colonel reclined against the back of his seat.

Kovalevsky hesitated for a moment.

"I don't know, comrade colonel."

"I don't know either."

Kuznetsov threw the butt of the cigarette into the ashtray and took out a new one out of the packet.  He sighed as he sparked a flame in the lighter. 

"Our orders is to avoid civilians as far as possible.  You know that more than well, I am sure.  We are not on a humanitarian mission.

"That I know.  But comrade colonel, were we just to leave them there?"

"Yes." Was the short and blunt answer. "Stopping to aid them" the colonel pointed the cigarette at Kovalevsky "Was a serious break of regulations."

Kuznetsov lit the cigarette and put it to his lips. 

"It is not your duty to try and rescue anyone, lieutenant.  You are to follow orders.  I will not tolerate any transgressions in matters concerning the safety of this train and those on board.  Is that understood?" there was a hint of steel in his voice as he spoke.

"Yes, comrade colonel.  That is understood."

"Good."

The colonel put down the lighter on the table and a moment of silence fell over the room, only interrupted by the rhythmical thumping of the train wheels against the rails. 

"We will have to find some place for the civilians." Kuznetsov's voice was calmer now, more practical. "I won't have them running around as they please.  That will be on your shoulders, lieutenant."

"Yes, comrade colonel."

"Despite this... incident..." the colonel grimaced, as if the thought was unpleasant. "The stop was a success.  We managed to fill our tanks with fuel from the reserves at the station, and it should last us long and well.  Of course, there is not much left at the station now, but that is of lesser importance."

"Comrade colonel, may I ask a question?"

Kuznetsov raised an eyebrow but nodded in approval.

"Speak."

"The giantess, how close was she?"

Something reminiscent of a smile spread on the colonels thin lips.

"Are you worried?"

"No, just curiosity."

"Not too close.  It seems that she did not spot us, at least if the lookout is to be believed.  Be thankful for that."

Kuznetsov straightened out in his chair and put down his hands on the table.  Kovalevsky noticed how tired his face was.

"Enough." Said the colonel. "There is nothing more for tonight, lieutenant.  You can go.  You and the other officers are called to a meeting tomorrow after breakfast, at 12.  Dismissed."

"Yes, comrade colonel."

Feeling warm and incredibly tired, Kovalevsky saluted the colonel and captain, turned around and left. 

The train kept thundering through the night.  

"Excuse me?" 

The coupé door opened and the face of the young train attendant appeared in the opening.  She quickly looked over the four passengers before continuing. 

"We are arriving in Moscow in twenty to twenty-five minutes."

The  four men cheered loudly, which made a concerned look to appear on the woman's face.

"Please, can you be a bit quiet?" she said when the shouting died down enough so that she could make herself heard. "Other passengers have been complaining, and I would want to ask you..."

"Ah, fuck them!" said Misha, waving his free hand at the attendant. "We are not that loud.  Besides, you said yourself that we are in Moscow soon.  I think they can take some noise until then!"

"But please, you are annoying the others." The woman tried, her voice starting to become desperate as the men cheered at Misha's words. "There has been several complaints and I really..."

"Sure, we will be quiet.  We will try, at least." Alexei smiled at her from his place by the window. "Tell them that we are just happy to be returning home."

"Speak for yourself!" said Oleg and sneered. "Why would we?  And Moscow is your damn city, not mine.  I am not going to be 'happy' for real for a long time."

"Don't worry." Alexei said to the attendant while flipping Oleg off in one smooth movement, without letting go of his bottle. "We will try."

The attendant nodded, clearly unsure if to believe him or not, when Misha reached out and touched the sleeve of her dark green uniform.

"Don't you want to take a drink?" he asked, smiling and trying to at the same time wink and raising his eyebrow in a seductive way.  While he failed at actually being seductive, it made the others laugh. "We still have some bottles.  Just enough to last us until the great capital."

The attendant frowned and blushed at the same time and removed her arm from Misha's reach. 

"Keep a hold on yourself, mister." She said before hastily retreating and closing the door behind her.

Everyone laughed and hit their bottles of cheap beer together with a clang.  Their supply of vodka ran out yesterday, and what they had now was what they had managed to scrounge up during a short stop.  Misha and Egor had returned panting and red from their excursion into the small city, barley avoiding being left behind.  The incident had caused a late train and a frustrated train staff, but it had been worth the bother to have something to drink now.     

The world on the other side of the window was bright and clear.  The sun was shining down from a clear blue sky adorned with fluffy white clouds.  The train was slowly moving towards the heart of Moscow, this titan of a city which in the past few years had flooded the surrounding areas like a great blob. Beyond the concrete walls separating the railway tracks from the city you could see the skyline of the city.  This far out on the edges of Moscow - rundown concrete apartment complexes, former towns or suburbs that had been assimilated by the ever growing city.  They were mixed with factories - some functioning but others long since defunct - storages and ancient garage compounds.   Beyond them and in the distance - massive high-rises, entire neighbourhoods consisting of them.  Some were being built and were surrounded by yellow cranes, others finished and some just abandoned in the middle of the process. 

As the train moved forward it passed many others.  There were long passenger trains, some going as far as to Vladivostok, China and North Korea in the far east, at least if the paper signs on the inside of the windows were to be believed.  Some had come back from the depths of the country and whose goal were the city.  They also met freight trains, which for a short while travelled on the same stretch as them.  They were massive in length, many carrying oil and fuel tanks to quench satisfy the thirst of the capital. 

Alexei drank from his bottle and sighed.  Despite the tasteless beer he felt good.  Sweaty from the warmth, of course (the air conditioning was defunct and the weather outside hot) and slightly tired from the long trip.  But three days in a small coupe was nothing, not when you had drink, bread, just-add-hot-water chicken soup and good company.  And even better - the fact that they were going home. 

Alexei leaned against the wall and looked out of the window.  The summer had just begun, and in a few weeks Moscow would turn into a giant, scorching hot oven, just as it did every year.  A year ago he had been thinking the same thing and the scenery outside of the train window had been very much the same.  But then he had been leaving his city behind, and the modern high-rise districts and old soviet suburbs had grown smaller and more distant instead of surrounding him as they were now.  Alexei guessed that he himself  had been quite different then - a scared nineteen year old leaving for army.  And now a whole year had passed.  He felt weird just thinking the thought.

Alexei was twenty now.  He was sinewy and strong, although perhaps thinner by the waist than he had been before.  His face had become less boyish as well, with the jaw and cheekbones becoming more defined.  The once long blond hair had been shaved away, but during the last couple of weeks before demobilization it had slowly started to grow back.  His eyes, however, had the same colour of deep blue as they had had before.  Now he was returning home, dressed in the simple green uniform and black boots of a private infantryman.  His old jeans, t-shirt and sneakers had not survived the year, but those losses he could live with.

"Almost home, eh?"

Alexei turned to Misha and nodded. 

"Yeah, almost home.  Feels very weird."

"Anyone going to be waiting for you?"

"I hope so.  I have no way of getting home otherwise."

Someone chuckled and Misha slowly raised his bottle.

"For you getting home then."

"For me getting home." Alexei answered and all four drank.

"And you?" said Misha and turned to Egor who sat - or rather tried to lie - next to him on the narrow strip of bench. "You got anyone waiting?"

Egor shook his head.

"Not that I know off."

"Seriously?"

"Pretty much.  Maybe my brother, I don't know."

"Not even your grandmother?" Misha tried to straighten out, but due to his length he managed to hit his head against the bed above him.

Egor waited for the swearing to subside with a light smirk on his lips.

"Probably not.  She's a bit too old to leave the apartment like that, at least that's how it was a year ago."

"Poor, lonely bastard you are." Said Oleg. "Let's hope that you get home as well.  For you and your old granny!"

It was a good a reason as any and they drank to it.  Despite the rather heavy drinking of the last few days, Alexei still felt comfortable.  He had felt a little sick during the night and in the morning, but not anymore.  He was returning home fairly sober. 

Home.  It still felt weird thinking about it.  Like most conscripts, he had been eagerly awaiting this.  Alexei had been making calendars, crossing out the days as they passed.  In the last month before the demob he had been making working hard on 'improving' his parade uniform, adding fancy epaulettes and white cords to it.  The last days of service had almost been agonizing.  To past the time Alexei and all the other demobs* in the company had been making fun of the freshly arrived conscripts, all according to army traditions.  But now he had left everything behind.  Crowded barracks, tiresome and boring work and military exercises in the mud.

 The train was starting to slow down.  The thumping of wagons against the rails was becoming slower and softer.  Through the closed coupé door Alexei could hear loud voices and people already moving their luggage into the corridor.  After such a long trip many were probably eager to get off the train. 

"I guess this is it." Misha looked out of the window with an almost sad expression on his round face. "End of the line for you guys."

"Yeah, seems so." Alexei said, thoughtfully staring out into the air. "End of the line."

He bent forward and pulled out his rucksack from under the bench.  With a grunt he lifted up and put it down next to him.  The little he brought with him had turned out to be surprisingly heavy. 

It was as if the light hearted mood had suddenly dissipated and been replaced wiht solemn silence.  The four sat and waited for the train - now incredibly slow - to stop.  Finally the wagon lightly rocked and came to a stop.  The voices in the corridor grew louder and mixed with steps and the sounds of suitcases hitting against walls and floor. 

"Are you sure that you won't come with us?" Alexei asked, looking from Misha to Oleg. "We could kill a few hours in Moscow before you have to leave."

Misha shook his head.

"Afraid not.  I don't think we would have time for that, and if we hit the city I will probably forget about the train." He chuckled. "I will sit here until we are kicked out, and the whole thing with getting to Leningradsky station we will have to deal with then.  But now I don't have the energy to drag my baggage around Moscow."

"Fair enough." Alexei rose to his feet and put the strap of the rucksack on his shoulder. "Oleg, you?"

"Just to see you off.  A bit of fresh air would be nice, as well as a cigarette.  Misha, you can come as well.  I don't think anyone will have the time to steal your shit if we go out for a few minutes."

"Sure, for a moment."

Oleg opened the door and stumbled outside, Alexei came close after.  The narrow corridor was filled with people loaded with suitcases and bags, everyone trying to get to the exit at the end of the wagon.  Alexei slowly shuffled forward, past the open coupés still filled with passengers, the large water heater in the left hand wall and to the doors.  Bright sunlight was streaming into the small compartment, almost blinding him.  Squinting, Alexei skipped the iron steps and jumped down on the platform.  He straightened himself up and looked around.  On the far end of the long and uneven concrete platform he could see the large  building of the Yaroslavsky station, with a pointy black roof and a high spire.  People were pouring out of the many wagons, being greeted by friends or relatives or just hurrying towards the station.  The day was hot and the air was filled with voices, clattering of suitcase wheels and the thumping of trains arriving or leaving.  Alexei took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the smoggy air.  It was Moscow alright. 

Alexei came up to Oleg who was already in the progress of lighting a cigarette. 

"Want one?"

"I promised to stop when I came home."

"Ah, I remember now.  Healthy you are." Oleg chuckled and put the cigarette between his lips.

They were joined by Egor and lastly by Misha, his bulking body filling up almost the entire door before jumping down onto the platform. 

"Was the attendant happy to see you leave?" Oleg asked and winked at him. "I bet she was."

"I told her not to worry and that I would be back in a moment."

They stood in a ring, Alexei and Egor with their bags on their shoulders, Misha with his hands in his pockets and Oleg smoking. 

"Well." Alexei decided to break the silence. "It was a long year, guys."

"Too long.  Got tired of ya." Misha gave him a hard slap on his shoulder, almost making him stumble. "Now get the hell out of here and find your folks."

"Goodbye to you too." Alexei gave him and then Oleg a hug.

"It was nice knowing you." Egor put his hands around the other's shoulders and pulled them closer. There was a great smile on his lips, revealing yellowish teeth.  His eyes - already naturally squinted due to his Tatar descent, were almost nothing more than thin lines in the sunlight. "Remember to write from Petersburg."

"You too.  You and Alex should come visit sometime.  Piter* is nice during the summer. You know, white nights and the bridges and shit like that."

"Maybe.  We will see."

Alexei adjusted the strap on his shoulder and raised his hand in farewell.  

"Until next time!  And hopefully not in the fucking army!"

He turned around and started walking, feeling slightly sad.  Egor came up to his side and they walked together in silence, both taking in the feeling of being back.  Alexei sighed and took another deep breath.

"Moscow." He said.

"You don't say."

"Been so long."

"That it has.  I just wonder how I am going to come home."

"Can't see your brother anywhere?"

Egor shook his head.

"Nope.  But that is what I expected.  I guess it is the subway for me.  What about your folks?"

"They promised to meet me, so let's hope that they keep their promise.  Feels a bit sad, you know.  The son is returning home from the army - now a real man - and his mom is not there to cry and hug him.  You know, the classic stuff."

"Yeah." Egor suddenly looked to Alexei and then nodded in the direction they were walking with a smile. "However, can those be yours?"

Alexei looked forward and felt how his heart jumped in his chest.  There they were.

His mother was the first to reach him, almost forcibly grabbing him by the neck and pulling him forward into a hug.  He was over a head taller than her, and it forced him to bend forward a little.  But it did not matter and he hugged her back.  There was more strands of grey in her hair, and a few more wrinkled around her eyes.  But it was she alright.   

"Oh, Alesha*." Larisa said quietly, reluctantly letting go of him. "I can barley believe it."

Alexei opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted when he felt a heavy hand grabbing his shoulder.

"Welcome home."

His father was smiling, his strong teeth showing under the brushy moustache and the ruddy face glistening in the sun.  He had had worse luck than his wife, and the hair on his head had become even thinner.  They hugged as well, and Alexei felt his shoulders almost being crushed in the process.  He let go and took a step backwards, almost overwhelmed with everything. 

Then he saw her.

"Katya." He managed to say, opening his arms to her. "Hi."

He felt her slender arms wrap around him, her skin smooth and warm against his.  Their foreheads almost collided, and for a moment he saw her eyes - beautiful blue and radiant under the light eye shadow.  Then the world disappeared, at least for a moment, when they kissed. 

"Welcome home, Lesha." She said when they released each other from the embrace, and her smile made his heart jump from happiness.

"Thanks."

It was the only thing he managed to say.  Without letting go of her hands he turned to his parents and bowed his head in some sort of awkward gesture acknowledging their presence.

"Thanks.  I..." he was almost stuttering, trying to find the right words. "Just.. thanks.  For meeting me, that is.  You have no idea how much I have missed you."

He looked at Katya again.

"So very much."

Dmitri chuckled and grabbed the rucksack from his shoulder.

"Come on." He said, ruffling Alexei's short hair and passing by him. "Let's not stand her all day, shall we?  I parked the car in a bad spot, don't want the GAI* to ruin everything."

"You drove here?" Alexei briefly looked over his shoulder at his dad before turning back to Katya. "Through fucking Moscow?"

"Alesha!"

"Sorry mom." He hastily said. "Bad habit, I guess."

"Well you better get rid of it.  You can't speak like some sort of thug, not at home."

"Yeah."

They started walking, through the crowd of stressed travellers heading towards and from the station building in the distance.  But Alexei did not care for them, even though someone bumped into him with a suitcase.  He did not care, and at that particular moment he did not really care for his parents either, although his mother kept saying something next to him. 

But for him there was only Katya. 

They were walking hand in hand and somewhere in his mind he realized how cliché it looked.  But did it really matter?  Much to his disappointment, she had put on her sunglasses and her beautiful eyes were hidden from him.  But still could not help himself from almost staring at her, stuck with a dumb smile on his face.  Her long black hair was flowing freely, strands of it lightly moving in a wind that had swept down over the platforms.  She was clad in a white tunic and blue jeans, tightly grasping her slender figure.  Katya looked at him and smiled, and the wonderful feeling in him only grew.  

Home at last. 

♣

Those who remembered the times of the Soviet Union said that you once could drive through the centre of Moscow and only having to stop at crossings and traffic lights, that you could drive through one side of the city to the other in no more than one pesky hour if you were lucky.  It was hard how to imagine those time now.  Twenty-four years since the fall of communism Moscow was a hellhole for drivers, especially on a late Friday afternoon as this one.  The street was congested as far as the eye could see.  The speed with which the cars moved had gone down to a crawl, and there was no sign of the situation becoming any better.  But too Alexei it did the same.

The air conditioner was hard at work, and the air inside the car was pleasantly cool.  The radio was playing some random channel, mixing pop music with loud advertisements.  This background noise, together with the humming of the engine and the cars outside, had a calming effect on Alexei.  He had stretched out as far as the back seat of the car allowed it and was now reclining against the soft leather of the seats.  Although slightly tired, he had as of yet no plans on drifting on to sleep.  Alexei felt obligated to hold Katya's hand as she was sitting next to him, looking at her and at the same time taking part in the general conversation.    

"Do you like the car?" asked his father from the driver's seat.

Alexei nodded.

"It is really nice.  Can't say I miss the old one, or it's air-condition."

"True.  It's Japanese - the conditioner and everything else.  I am really going to appreciate it during the summer.  They promise it to be very hot this year."

"I did hear something like that on the radio on the train."

"How was the weather in Irkutsk?" Alexei mother turned around in her front seat and looked at him.  She had been doing that for most of the trip, almost as to make sure that he would not disappear into thin air if she did not.  "I heard that it was unusually cold during the winter and spring.  Is that true?"

Alexei shrugged.

"The winter was cold, that I can say.  But the spring... can't say it was too bad."

"Thank God.  I worried through the entire winter that you would freeze.  There was several cases of frostbites in the army this year, they reported it on the news.  The boys did not get the right clothes for the winter..."

"It was okay.  I survived as you see, everything is in place." He said jokingly, at the same giving Katya's hand a discrete squeeze.

Alexei glanced at Katya and saw how she winked at him behind the glasses.  Neither of them said anything, why he was not sure.  But it felt as if nothing had to be said.  Right now it was enough just to feel her hand in his. 

"Really, it was not that bad.  Most of the field exercises were during the summer.  We did not exactly have to live outside in minus 30 Celsius.  Although we had this asshole of a colonel that wanted us to trek through the taiga over Christmas.  But luckily for us it did not really work out for him."

"Alesha, language!"

Alexei shook his head and chuckled.

"Sorry." He said looking up.

"You know how mothers are." Alexei's father said from the driver's seat and chuckled. "No matter how old you get they are always the same."

"Dmitri, what does age have to do with being able to speak in a cultural manner?   Without swearing every five seconds?"

"Come on, I haven't been swearing that much." Alexei said and leaned forward, resting his free hand on the seat in front of him. "Give me some slack."

"That is not an excuse." Larisa said sternly, but Alexei was quite sure that she was not as dead-serious as she could be. 

"You should let him be." For the first in a while Katya made her wonderfully soft voice heard. "It is only a matter of time.  He will get civilized soon enough.  Trust me, I will make sure of it."

"Then we put our trust in you." Dmitri chuckled. "Talking about being civilized - what are you going to do now?"

"But he just came back!  Can't we take it at home, when he has rested a little?" Larisa exclaimed.

"What?  It is not as if I am kicking him out of the car or something.  I am just asking a question."

Alexei shrugged.

"I don't know.  I have not really thought about it."

"Well, there is no hurry." Dmitri said. "Not yet anyway.  Just joking, don't worry." He quickly added after a few seconds.

"Do you want to continue your studies?" Larisa asked.

Alexei grimaced.

"I don't know.  It feels as if I have forgotten everything."

"I think that you must go back to the university.  I knew this would happen when you were drafted, but you have to complete your education."

"I know."

The song that had been playing on the radio ended and was instead replaced with the tune which preceded the news.

"It must be about what happened earlier today." Said Dmitri, turning up the volume.

"What exactly?" Alexei sat back and reclined against the seat.

"They reported on the news about an explosion on the  city outskirts today." His mother said, her voice becoming solemn. "We heard it in the car when we came to the station.  Seems that it was some pipe that burst, nobody is quite sure.  It's horrible."

"Why?  Many casualties?"

"They said so.  It happened right in an apartment complex."

"Oh."

That was everything that he could think up to say, but he was spared the need to think something up.  The announcers voice calm voice replaced the silence.

"And now for a short update on the incident in Mytishchi this morning.  Today at approximately ten in the morning a explosion occurred in the city of Mytishchi.  Authorities believe that this is due to a gas pipe bursting and the gas being ignited.  As of now there is little information of what exactly happened.  According to early reports at least one house has been damaged.  As of now there are no information if there are casualties, but emergency services are on the spot to assert the damage.  The affected area has been closed off by the police.  More information will come as the story develops.  Now over to..."

"Horrible." Larisa said. "Just think of it."

"It does sound bad." Dmitri concurred. "Let's hope that no one came to harm."

"One can always hope."

Suddenly the world shook.  Not much, only enough to have the car jump on its suspensions.  The movement was gone almost as quickly as it came, but there was no doubt about if it happened. 

"What the hell was that?"

Alexei looked out of the window.  They were still stuck at a congested crossing, surrounded by cars in all directions.  Nothing out of the ordinary, in other words.  Then he heard the roar of engines, louder and deeper than those of the cars.  Trying to find the source of the sound he looked up.  Above the roofs of the surrounding houses he see three helicopters, quickly flying overhead.  The rumble grew of their engines quickly grew louder but started to fade just as quickly.  The helicopters soon disappeared behind a skyscraper in the distance, but it did not make Alexei feel any better.

"What was it?" his mother asked.

"Crocodiles." He answered, still looking to the skies. "Mi-24's."

"Crocodiles?"

Alexei looked back at her.

"Military, twin seated gunship.  They are called Crocodiles because of the paintjob."

"Military?" He felt Katya's hand around his. "Why?"

"I have no idea."

"Look!"

Everyone looked in the direction Dmitri was pointing, and Alexei felt an unpleasant knot forming in his belly.  A pillar of dark smoke was rising from behind the skyscraper over which the helicopters had flown.  The world shook again, and this time the jolt made the car almost jump into the air. 

"What the fuck is happening?"

Alexei opened the door and took a step outside, completely disregarding his mothers attempts to have him stay.  The road had come to a complete standstill.  More and more people were getting out of their cars.  Some were already busy filming the smoke pillar with their phones.  Alexei's phone was tucked away in his baggage, and he did not feel any urge to go get it.  He stood with arms crossed and just watched. 

"It looks bad." Dmitri also stepped out of the car, soon joined by Larisa and Katya. "Could it be another leak?"

"Looks like something bigger." Alexei answered. "Maybe a fuel depot exploded?"

"Could be.  But how?"

The ground shook again.  Alexei almost lost balance and had to grab a hold of the cars roof.  Around he heard people swearing and yelling.  When he straightened out again he froze in position, his hand still one the car's roof.  His muscles refused to function and he could just stand there, staring.

"Holy shit."

That was everything he could say as the screaming around him grew louder.