One World Under God

She woke to the sound of her own scream. The light from the fissure in the rock had faded, she had slept a long time. She was lighting a candle when she heard a scuffling sound. Something was moving near the entrance.

No one knows about this cave. It has to be an animal, maybe a bear. I hope it doesn’t live here. She loaded the Luger and waited.

A large backpack landed on the floor of the cave with a thud. A pair of sturdy boots appeared. Two long legs clad in jeans followed by the rest of a young man wearing a deep blue parka and holding a bright flashlight.

He stared in amazement as the light glittered on the gun in Kari’s trembling hand.

“Lady, take it easy with that gun. I am no threat to you. Name is Nick. Nick Preston.

American correspondent. Please, put the gun down. Somebody could get hurt, namely me! Wait…, you must be Askir’s sister.”

“You know my brother?”

“Sure do, he told me about this cave where I could ….”

“Prove it!”

“Prove what?”

“That you know my brother.”

“Oh. Prove it. Well, let me think. He’s a medic with the KLA, speaks excellent English maybe about twenty five or six. Said you came here as kids.”

“That’s not enough. Do you have anything else to prove you know him?”

“Well, I guess not. Please, that gun is making me nervous. Would you mind holding it steady at least! I just came with him. Look, I’ll go get him. They can’t have gotten far. It’s raining hard but I’d rather be wet than dead.” Nick pulled himself through the opening and was gone.

Ten minutes later two men dropped through the entrance. Both were dripping with rain.

Sure enough there was Askir, in his dark uniform with the Red Crescent shoulder patch. She still held the gun in spite of her brother’s presence.

“Kari, what are you doing here?” said her brother. “You manage to get in so much trouble! How did you expect to get back by yourself? Where is Mother?”

“I thought you would know where I would hide.” She told him what had happened, and how she had come to be stranded.

“I was afraid to stay in the cottage. Serb soldiers are there. You have to take me home.”

“Kari, we were just down there. We came to warn them there would be an attack soon.

Grandsir and the other old folks are gone. Most people are getting ready to leave, but there were no Serbs, they are due soon but not there now.”

“Well, they took the car about noontime. Anyway, now you can take me home.”

“I can’t, Kari. I have a patrol up there. They’re just kids. We’re under orders. I can only stay here a few minutes. Did you leave the keys in the ignition again? Why did you think I would know you were up here? Why are you pointing that gun at Nick? In fact where did you get it?”

Her words came out in a rush. “It’s Father’s. Mother needed me to drive the car. She drove the wheelchair van. Grandsir and Tana’s grandparents had no way to get out of the village. And those other two ladies are crippled. None of them could walk all that way. Father couldn’t come, so I had to come. They have to take the hospital patients to Kukes, to the refugee camp. We all have to go.”

“Well, did you leave the keys in the ignition?”

Abashed, Kari answered in a low voice. “I’m afraid I did. All Grandsir’s books were in it, and things that meant a lot to the old folks, I feel so bad.”

Askir paced back and forth in the narrow cave, stopping at intervals to stare at his sister, then at Nick, searching for a solution.

“What the hell am I going to do with you, Kari? You are so lucky Nick needed to use this cave to film. You would be sitting here forever.” Suddenly he turned to Nick.

“Nick, as you can see, I am in a desperate situation. There is only one thing to do. You had decided you would go out over the mountain trail. Kari can’t go back on the road to Pristina alone with those bastards around. The best way for both of you to get to any border from here is over that mountain trail to Montenegro. As I told you it is directly above here. I’ll show you.” He produced a well-worn map from his pocket. The two men bent over it, tracing a route by the light of the candles.

“It’s hard going but safer and less crowded, should take about three days, at most.”

Askir straightened and looked at his new friend. He hesitated.

“Nick, I’m in a tough spot. As my sister, she is my responsibility. I was brought up to protect our women. But I can’t leave the kids alone either. Besides there are several more villages to be warned. And you saw them, they’re already terrified. Some are only twelve.”

After a long pause Askir spoke again.

“Nick, I am asking you to be in my place as a brother to Kari. I feel I can trust you. Take her with you to Montenegro, to our aunt in Podgorica. I’ll get word to her to expect you. You understand my meaning, as her brother?”

“Hey Askir, I understand perfectly. I have two sisters of my own back home. I’m used to sisters. Don’t worry, I’ll see her safely there after I get my story. That’s a promise.”

Askir continued. “Here’s the map. It will be about fifty miles of rough trails through the mountains then mostly hill farms. Whatever you do, don’t cross at a checkpoint. Leave the trail when you get close and slip in at an isolated place. You might get a ride after you cross the border but watch for the Serbs. The Monte special police are O.K, but the Serb army has been holding foreign reporters, mostly for intimidation. But mighty unhandy for you if you get the tape and have it on you. Kari knows where our aunt lives. I’ll get word to our parents that she’s safe. They will be as grateful as I am. I just hope they understand. Now I have to get back.”

“Just a minute, Askir,” said Kari, suddenly realizing what her brother was doing.

“You can’t leave me here with a stranger, a man.”

Askir took her face in his hands