The Ring of the Queen (The Lost Tsar Trilogy Book 1)

by Terri Dixon

  Part XXXI

  One must not let oneself be overwhelmed by sadness.

  -Jackie Kennedy

 

  We made the train. I was glad that it was only a few blocks away. Boris, being the manager of the hotel and train station made it easy to hold up the train. I was assured that trains in Russia were not notably efficient, and delays were not uncommon. It was my first time on a train.

  Boris called the engineer from his phone and asked him to wait for us. I exhausted, but I knew that if I wanted to get home, I would have to keep going. I wanted to lay my head down and sleep for a week. The adventure was more than I was accustomed to and the stress was making me ill.

  Boris had a bellman meet us on the platform with our luggage and tickets to St. Petersburg. There was talk of the police coming, but I was sure that they wouldn’t actually try to catch us. They had to make some kind of effort so that the hierarchy didn’t realize that they had let us go.

  The train looked like a fancy subway. That was the only solid reference I had. It looked like the ones that I’d seen on the Travel Channel. At least I didn't see any cops waiting. That made me breathe easier.

  Tania and I ran to the man who had our bags next to what we hoped was our train. When I reached him, I grabbed my bag and ticket and began to make my way to the steps. I realized that Peter and Steve hadn’t come with us. I looked back to see them standing several feet away, watching. I didn’t understand. I thought that Peter would stay with me until the end. At that moment, it looked to me as though he was going to leave me. I wasn’t prepared for that outcome. I wasn’t ready to be alone on the run in Russia. Peter had been the one that I’d trusted from the beginning. I’d slept with him for God’s sake. He couldn’t leave me. I couldn’t have that.

  I walked over to the men. Boris had disappeared, but Steve and Peter were still standing on the platform. “Are you ready?” I asked Peter.

  “I can’t come,” he replied.

  I looked at Steve.

  “He’s right. We can’t come with you girls.”

  I could actually feel the ground falling out from under me. I hadn’t realized it, but the last thing I wanted was never to see Peter again. I had no idea how, but in an extremely short time, I thought that I’d fallen in love with him. He was going to run out on me. I didn’t know what to think. I felt like he’d just punched me right in the gut. I wanted to scream or cry or hit something. I was confused and hurt. I couldn’t make sense of any of it. I didn’t know what to say. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.

  “What do you mean, ‘You can’t come?’” I asked.

  I watched his face and thought that he might cry too. “I’m too well known around these parts. My grandmother has so many connections that everyone knows our family. After what happened here tonight, I think it would be better if someone else helped you on the rest of your journey.”

  Tania reached over and slapped Steve in the face. “Are you bailing out on us too?" He said nothing. “You son of a bitch! You coward! I thought you were different than other guys, but I can see that you’re just the same little boy, jackass, cowardly, self centered pussy as every other guy I’ve ever met!” She turned with her bag and walked toward the train. “Come on Stacey!” she yelled over her shoulder. “I’ll find some way to get us home! I won’t leave you hanging! I’m a woman! We don’t run away from shit!” She started sobbing as she walked to the train, climbed the stairs and went inside.

  Peter was staring at his feet. Steve was doing the same. “I’m sorry, Stacey,” Peter said, not looking at me. “I want to stay with you. I want you to be safe. I think that I’ll put you at risk. Please understand.”

  “I understand,” I replied. “I don’t understand how you could leave me hanging out here. I don’t know anything about riding Russian trains—well any trains, much less any idea about what to do or where to go in St. Petersburg. I can’t just wing this. I’m way too far out of my element here.”

  “We know Stacey,” Steve interjected. “We wouldn’t do that to you. Boris is calling some people right now. He knows a lot of people in St. Petersburg. Remember, he runs the train station and hotel here. Lots of people from St. Petersburg are regulars around here. He has lots of friends. He’ll be back in a minute. He’s going to take you girls to St. Petersburg and make sure that you’re all right until he can get you on a plane back to the U.S.”

  Boris came walking up to us with bag in hand. “I spoke to my sister, Lydia. She’s going to help us. We’ll be staying at her house until resolved. I’m ready.” He looked at me. “We should go. They won’t hold the train forever. Not even in Russia.” He gave Steve and Peter pats on the shoulder and boarded the train; ticket in hand. “I’ll keep you informed. I have your numbers.”

  “My grandmother has known him for years,” Peter said. “I don’t think that she would still have him running this place if she couldn’t trust him.” He kissed me on the forehead. “If only we’d met another way.”

  “I would have liked that,” I said, trying to smile.

  “Tell Tania that I’ll miss her more than I can say,” Steve said to me. “I’ll miss you too, princess. You keep safe, both of you. You never know, you might change your mind and come back to rule this place someday.”

  “I doubt that” I said. “I think I’ve had enough of this whole Tsarina thing. It would take something pretty earth shattering to make me come back here. No offense. This is one of the most beautiful and amazing places I’ve ever seen. I wish I could see it in the daylight before I go.”

  “Well, there’s no hope of that,” Peter smirked. “You think it's dark down this way. Wait until you get a load of St. Petersburg.” He smiled at me. “I’ll never forget you, Tsarina.”

  “Good bye,” I said. I had so many things that I wanted to say, but the train was blowing its whistle, calling to me. I had to go. I turned and walked to the train. One of the last things that I remember about Tver was a skinny young man that for some reason I felt an emotional connection to, standing on the platform behind us, with a tear running down his cheek. Would he really miss me? I thought so.