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After a few hours, with no warning they could detect, the train would slon and come to a small station There would be local people on the platforathered to sell local delicacies and staple food—fresh fruit, bread, hot tea, and various kinds of pastries

The first time this happened, their new friends the Cs ca roos for you I promise you’ll like all of them” The man whispered to Sam, “Stay here Station yourself by aand see if you recognize anybody you’ve seen before”

Through the curtained s, Remi and Sam watched the transactions on the platform at the first stop There were peasant faoods and fruit, and plenty of other dishes to choose froos’ new friends returned with a picnic for them They did the same a few hours later at the second stop Sam and Remi scrutinized the faces but spotted nobody as fa it his business to study the passengers

After dinner, when they had spent nineteen hours on the train, CC ca room and held out his phone “It’s a woman named Selma” Remi took the call “Hi, Selma,” said Remi

“Hi, Res you have because you’ll need to get off at Ekaterinburg”

“Any trouble?”

“No A chance to leap ahead Sa about your passport Do you still have it?”

“Yes He had rabbed All I lost was my phone Sam lost his too”

“They’re easy to replace I’ll send each of you a new one at your next hotel At Ekaterinburg, we have you on a plane to Astana We want to get you there as quickly as possible”

“What’s in Astana?”

“Your papers have been waiting for you there We also want to get you out of Russia It will be harder for Poliakoff to operate there, harder to find you, and harder for hi to you if he does He’s as much an alien there as you are Call when you’re at Ekaterinburg Airport”

Sam and Remi had little to pack and they did as Selma asked They went to the berth of their friends and told the and thanked them for their help Just before they pulled into the station, Sam said to the tall man with the white beard, “CC, I think I should tell you that I don’t believe that the next tiers will just happen to be passing by to pick me up in a rare antique car” The ely “I think that’s probably wise, given the odds”

“Are you CIA?”

Thea car to Vladivostok when somebody I met at the Aht be co that route who could use some help”

“Just that?”