Pursuit of Demons by D.J. Maughan

Author:D.J. Maughan [Maughan , D.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

Peter

Peter feels his anxiety rise as the shudder of brakes indicates they’re arriving in Kyiv, a city he’s never been to. Actually, he’s never been east of Hungary. Although he grew up in Hungary, then a part of the Soviet Union, he had lived most of his life in America. The United States in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, saw Russia as the enemy. Peter believed that more than most Americans, having grown up in a Soviet state. He saw firsthand the adverse effects of communism. The difference between West and East was evident when he arrived in New York City. Technology, healthcare, education, and quality of life were all better in the West. The first time he had ever seen an orange was in NYC.

A pang of guilt hits him as he looks at the girl sitting across from him. Should she be here? Maybe he was wrong to bring her. This is a country he’s unfamiliar with. In his mind, the closer you get to Russia, the more you can’t trust the government or police. How is he going to keep her safe?

He knows he can’t let any of these concerns show. Agnes will be scared already; she’ll be relying on him. In the Budapest train station, he picked up a map of Kyiv. During the long train ride, he spent hours studying it. Now, he feels more confident about his knowledge of the city. But he knows looking at a map and traveling in a city are two different things. They would be coming into Pasazhyrski train station, the largest in Kyiv. From there, they would need to somehow get to Thirty-One Serhiia Paradzhanova.

Heads bob as the train stops. People rise from their seats and scurry toward the exit.

Agnes turns to him. “Where do we go?”

Peter smiles. “To an address I can’t pronounce. Come on, get your bag. Let’s get off this train and figure it out.”

It’s been a few hours since he’s stood to stretch his legs. He feels the tightness of his muscles and joints as he moves. It’s taken an entire day to travel the 693 miles, and he can’t wait to get some fresh air, even if it’s frigid. After descending the stairs, they follow the mass of people toward the exit doors. Peter’s been to many train stations, and this one doesn’t feel much different. As they exit, the wind bites through their clothing. Hungary gets cold in the winter, but this feels worse.

Peter scans the horizon getting his bearings. A busy street runs in front of the train station and, beyond that, a bus stop. Further away, he can see tall buildings indicating the city center. A row of white cars with yellow trim sits between the busy street and the bus stop. Each has a number assigned. Those must be taxis. He turns to look at Agnes. Her nose and cheeks are already turning red from the cold.

“Moment of truth now,” he tells her.

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s see if any of these taxis can communicate with us enough to take us to Renata.

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