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Kate

The full impact of the last twelve hours only hitsover St Petersburg, Russia I sit up in the double bed where I’ve been sleeping and look out the roundthat’s next to the bed The sky is a nificent thin, winter blue Far below, a city isfro in altitude

I checkin New York City That

The side next to me is undisturbed, the sheets unruffled and the pillow undented There’s no sign of Alex When he ordered me to bed, he was in the uards who boarded the plane with us The usual guys, Igor, Leonid, Dimitri, and Yuri, were there, as well as a fe faces Has he been working all night?

A knock falls on the door, startling hts

“Kate?” a gruff voice calls fro shortly”

Igor

I have a good o to hell, but it’s not his fault I’uard won’t help

He knocks again “Did you hear me? You have to take a seat and buckle up”

I rub iness “Give et dressed”

“You have ten”

I suspect Alex slipped so into the juice he insisted I drink with my dinner My sleep was almost comatose Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been too apprehensive to drift off after the events of last night