As a child, I was always told that my great-grandfather was Ruthenian. Not Romanian, but Ruthenian. The problem is, by the time I was born, Ruthenia no longer existed. The entire region had been swallowed whole by the Soviet Union, which had taken a red pencil and a pinko eraser and had reconfigured Eastern Europe to their liking. It didn’t matter how many times I asked my family where Jidah had come from, they could never pinpoint a specific location because Ruthenia was no longer on any maps. The best they could do was narrow it down to the giant blob I referenced above.
Over time, their story seemed to change. Not a lot, but just enough for me to doubt how much they really knew about his birthplace. Keep in mind, these were the same people who had convinced me that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were real, so I knew my family was capable of some pretty devious shit. (Of course, that is not an insult coming from me because I make up stuff for a living.)
How did their story change? Let me give you an example.
As a teenager, I developed a bad case of insomnia, and my mother told me it was only natural because our ancestors were from Transylvania. Not Ruthenia, but Transylvania. Think about that for a moment. My mom tried to calm my fears by insinuating that I might be a vampire. How twisted is that? To the Twilight generation, that probably sounds like the coolest thing in the world. But to me and my overactive imagination, it meant angry villagers were going to hunt me down and stab me with sharp sticks.
Thanks, mom. I can sleep much better after that pep talk.
Anyway, after many sleepless years, I decided to get to the bottom of things in 2005. My extended family had gathered for Thanksgiving, and I realized it was the perfect time to uncover as many details about my ancestors as possible. I went directly to the oldest source in the house (my grandmother) and recorded everything that she said - whether real or imagined. Then I went online and tried to sort the facts from the fiction.
Discovery #1: My great-grandfather was Ruthenian, but that term wasn’t used to describe people from a specific country. Instead, it applied to just about everyone who lived in the Carpathian region, whether they were Ukrainian, Hungarian, Czech, Belarusian, Rusyn, or Romanian.
Discovery #2: My great-grandfather’s village was less than fifty miles from Uzhhorod, a border city in western Ukraine that is within walking distance of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Of course, those borders didn’t exist at the time of his birth, so I still have no idea what ethnicity Jidah was. Instead, the entire region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which stretched across a third of Europe and didn’t collapse until my great-grandfather had boarded a ship for America.
Discovery #3: His departure undoubtedly led to Russian aggression, and - I’m just guessing here - probably triggered the start of World War I.
Discovery #4: I am not a vampire.
So, you’re probably wondering, what does any of this stuff have to do with The Hunters? Well, it was during my investigation on that fateful day that I came across a document that described, in detail, the crates of gold and relics that were shipped from Romania to Moscow for protection. Strangely, I could find nothing about the treasure’s return. Sensing a story, I quickly abandoned my ancestral research and focused on the treasure’s fate - and what a fate it was.
One day it was there, the next it was gone.
Kind of like Ruthenia.
Since both of these events occurred at roughly the same time, I merged the two concepts in my mind and created a single book. To honor my ancestors, I set much of the action in a Carpathian village, named one of the Russian characters after my great-grandmother, and sprinkled in tidbits about my family tree throughout.
For additional flavor, I relied on the pages of notes that I took during the interview with my grandmother in 2005. I would have preferred to ask her specific questions about her parents and their upbringing in the old country; unfortunately, my grandmother got sick and passed away while I was writing this book.
In my heart, I know she would have loved the story.
I also know the story wouldn’t have existed without her.
Aaron Cosgrove, Aaron Holcombe, Ada Bohorfoush, Adam Brice, Adam Cryer, Adam Keppel-Garner, Adam Lane, Adam Porter, Adam Seymour, Adey Greaves, Adriana Linh Ma-Luu, Adrianna De Silva, Agnieszka Zajac, Alan Bruce, Alan Fisher, Alan Gregson, Alan Martin, Alena Puhlovska, Alex Houseago, Alex Rossiter, Alex Underwood, Alexis Webb, Alison Footman, Alison Sexton, Allan Gray, Amanda Brewin, Amanda Cannon, Amanda Henry, Amber Mayo, Amy McGovern, Anderw Hassan, Andia Dizon, Andrea Kavanagh, Andrew Appleton, Andrew Mackintosh, Andrew Needle, Andrew Purdon, Andy Francis, Andy Crowe, Andy Francis, Andy Gregory, Andy Wilson, Angela Colby, Angela Guest, Angela Pearce, Ankit Agarwal, Annette Barlass, Annette Day, Anthea Arlow, Anthony Chesshire, Anthony Huet, Apurv Saha, Ashish Borakhadikar, Ashley Bell, Avni Mehta, Avnika Barman, Barbara Long, Barbara Prino, Beki Bradwell, Belinda Knight, Ben Rogowski, Ben K. Lodhia, Bernard Hoon, Besa Kosova, Beth Barham, Beth Earl, Beth Honey, Bethan Mockridge, Bill Earl, Bob Carr, Bonnie Peel, Bridget O’Sullivan, Brooke Ungar, Byron Crook, Calum Rodgers, Calvin Martin, Carlos Heathcote, Carol Brearley, Carole Bending, Carole Wright, Caroline Sampson, Carroll Robinson, Caryn James-Bailey, Catherine Holt, Cerian G. Smith, Chad Halle, Chanelle Dixon, Chanelle K. Dixon, Chantal Kawczynski, Charisse D’Souza, Charlene Pennington, Charles Barsley, Charles Sheffer, Cherei McCarter, Cheryl Dalton, Cheyenne Stephanie Clark, Chris Bainbridge, Chris Hayward, Chris Maycock, Chris Mclean, Chris Wagner-Schultz, Christin Emmanuel George, Christin George, Christina Fragoulidou, Christine Corretti, Christophe Collins, Chuck Hall, Clair Parkinson, Claire Eaton, Claire Fox, Claire Lawler, Clare Davies, Clint Chaffey, Colin Foster, Colin Macdonald, Cristina Errigo, Crystal Wood, Damien O’Keefe, Damon Smith, Dan Barbier, Dani Eadie, Daniel Balls, Daniela Paltan, Danny Kerr, Danny Scholes, Daphne Cochran, Darci Noonan, Darrel Noble, Darren Seath, Dave Brown, Dave Gage, Dave Purnell, Dave Robinson, David Angrave, David Fern, David Grantham, David Huff, David King, Davide Corno, Davide K. Corno, Dayle Hill, Dean Tucker, Debbie Chichura, Debbie Rutherford, Debi Haywood, Dee King, Deepali Dmello, Denise Bell, Denise Donald, Denny Estrada, Deryl Roughsedge, Devon DiNello, Diana Vass, Diane MacPhail, Dianne Acoba, Diego Rodriguez, Dilshad Sattha, Divya Shetty, Donna Harvey, Doreen Culley, Douglas Cadagan, Edith Chiong, Edward Moh, Elizabeth Di Vincenzo, Emil Paul, Emiliya Eneva, Emily Hutchinson, Emma McKeown, Emma Smith, Erica Hunter, Faern Lumb, Fatima Mubarak, Florine Kreeb, Fons Peeters, Fran Lewis, Freddie Haugh, Gabriela McInnes, Perez Cabrera, Gavrila Ariana, Gaz Parker, Gemma Lally, Gill Pilkington, Giso Schouten, Glenda Simpson, Glenn Belchamber, Gloria Green, Gordon Rennie, Graham Taylor, Greg Brotherton, Gwenhael Penverne, Hayley Parish, Hayley Parrish, Heidi Shuttleworth, Heidi Yates, Helen Clarke, Hemanth Kumar Peela, Henriette Irving, Hilary Frankland, Hiren Dayaramani, Ian Cameron, Ilona Timea Waithe, Inga Palionyte, Irene Cronin, Itziar Garayoa, Jack Cheung, Jake Aldred, Jake Richmond, James Corbett, James Dean, James Hunter, Jamie Cole, Jamie Jonathan Burke, Jamie Mclachlan, Jamie Mileham, Jan Domagala, Jane Allison, Jane Fenn, Jane Thomson, Janelle Argue, Janet Thompson, Jasmin Fowler, Jasmine Harris, Jason Clemson, Jason Keen, Jayne Hemmingsen, Jaz Kaur, Jazmine Morris, Jeanne Templeton, Jeff Circle, Jeff Smith, Jenna Spencer-Briggs, Jenni Westray, Jennifer Ballam, Jennifer Jarock, Jeremy Robinson, Jersey Poon, Jessica Jocher, Jiri Benes, Jirka Bene, Jo Sharpe, Jo Wiszniewska, Joanna Chamiola, Joao Range, Jody Adams, Joe Rusin, John Bowes, John Buckelew, John Gibson, John Ipenburg, John Lemire, John Paul, John Phillips, John Ponsford, John Wood, Jon Aird, Jonas Saul, Jose Antonio Olmos, Jose Chavez, Judith Collins, Judy Anderson, Julia Bingham, Julie Fletcher, Julie Gow, Julie Hodgson, Kaniyamparambil George Joseph Nishan, Karen Povey, Karina Hare, Kashmir Evermore, Kate Gallup, Kate Griffin Burton, Kate Willan, Katie Dutton, Katy Peckham, Kaustubh Rane, Kay G. Larsen, Kay Larsen, Kay Podboj, Kaylea Farquhar, Kellie Ponsford, Kelly Oakley, Kendra Essary, Kerrie Fleming, Kevin Adshead, Kevin Cairns, Kevin Murphy, Kevin Pym, Killeen Fornelli, Kim Angel, Kim Bridson, Kim Usa, Kirk Robi
bson, Kirsten Harvey, Kirsten Murphy, Konstantin Keinemann, Kris Rogalski, Kristin Yackobeck, Kumaara Nanthan, Kveta Pickova, Lacey Lightowler, Lara MacCrimmon, Laura Mastropaolo, Lauren Simko, Leanne Donald, Lee Calderbank, Lee Mcnair, Lee Renwick, Lee Sowden, Leesa Lesmeister, Leigh MacManus, Leisa Duncan, Lene-Marie Eidaker, Leo King, Lesley Holmes, Leslie Coates, Linda Scott, Linda Stewart, Lindabella Holland, Lindabella Twinkeltoes, Lis Nielsen, Lisa Davenport, Lisa Monahan, Lisa Newton, Lisa Pullen, Lisa Wright, Liz Ewing, Liz Thirlaway, Llewellyn Phipps-Magill, Lori Black, Lori Donahue, Lori Hladki-Donahue, Lorna Davidson, Lorraine Bayliss, Louise Bruce, Lucy Barton, Lynn Cobb, Lynn Couper, Madhu Gopal, Magnus Nilsen, Malakye Darling, Malakye Green, Mandy Brett, Mandy Howe, Manole Emil Paul, Manuela Pi, Manuela Piraino, Margaret St. John, Margo Shields, Maria Hohnsbein, Mariann Yeager, Maria-Olga Mimikopoulou, Marion Wilton, Mariusz Meigh, Mark Chapman, Mark Davis, Mark Jones, Mark Landsbury, Mark Scott, Martin Fletcher, Mary Farmer, Mary Lamb, Marylou Jovinelli Shirey, Matt Beard, Matt Jones, Matt Pechey, Matth Ferrier, Matthew McCaffery, Matthieu Ferrier, Mattias Stahberg, Matty Lacey, Maureen McLaughlin, Max De Leon, May Jin Ng, Megan Ringer, Melissa Mcilroy, Michael Hoogkamer, Michael Lorde, Michael Miller, Michala Jury, Michel Fetu, Michelle Vai, Mike Bartram, Mike Branigan, Mike Scott, Mistyann Southgate, Molly Lofthouse, Muhammad Saeed Mulla, Munira Madni, Nadine Brodie, Naomi Miettunen, Natasha Beetham, Natasha Campbell, Nathan Allen, Nathaniel Bird, Neil Levin, Neli Stefanova, Nelia Braganca, Nichole Hertel, Nick Howard, Nicola Dennehy, Nicola Simpson, Niki Purcell Hertel, Nikola Medojevic, Nitasha Gill, Nitesh Mahawar, Nonie Harrington, Novie Pratiwi, Paltan Daniela, Pamela Scholl, Panayiotis Antoniades, Pat Edgar, Pat Wakeman, Paul Ammo, Paul Amoroso, Paul Conway, Paul Duffy, Paul Hewitt, Paul Wood, Paula Dixon, Paula Howard, Paulo Caluna, Penny Tindel, Peter Anthony Bevan Smith, Peter Hoole, Peter McVeigh, Peter Smith, Phil Eaton, Philip Redford, Philippa Jones, Phill Price, Phillip Woolford, Pratyush Nagare, Rachael Holland, Raghusrikanth Thotakura, Rebecca Hirst, Rebecca Nutt, Regan Muirhead, Rene Gisbertz, Rhiannon Griffiths, Richard Allen, Richard Gibbs, Richard Jevons, Richard Luciano, Richard Stanton, Richildis Tonks, Rick Bostick, Rick Pillars, Rihana Said, Robert Gombash, Robert McDermott, Robert Sutton, Roberto Varela, Robyn Marie Sherrard, Robyn Shearer, Roiselyn Clements, Roland Daniels, Roy Geolagon, Ruairi O’Connell, Ruben Echeverria, Russell Finch, Sally Medina, Sally Ringer, Sam Arnold, Sam Williamson, Samantha Hassell, Samantha Hayden, Sameer Khan, Samuel Zachariah, Sandy Clinton, Sandy Linger, Sara Taylor, Sara Turner, Sarabjot Singh, Sarah King, Sarah Maleary, Sarah Wilson, Savannah Brooks, Scott Carruthers, Scott Hamilton, Scott Northall, Scott Silver, Sean Behan, Sean David Poppy, Seanna Espinoza, Sebastian Lassandro, Shane Stafslien, Sharon Craig, Shashwat Pradhan, Shazmey Murray, Shuv Mukherjee, Sian Ellis, Simon Argue, Simon Farquhar, Simon Farrar, Sinead McGuigan Toner, Sinead Toner, Sinead Tongue, Siobhan Nevin, Ste Dillon, Stefan Coetzee, Stefanie Martin, Steph Jones, Stephanie Beaumont, Stephen Gaze, Stephen Gibson, Stephen Haskins, Stephie Beaumont, Steve Cannon, Steve Ellis, Steve Hammond, Steve Jones, Steve Manke, Steven Day, Steven Edward, Steven Garduno, Steven Moore, Stoyan Atanassov, Stuart Best, Stuart Booker, Sue Hilsdon, Sue Walsh, Sumeet Bobhate, Susan Achterberg, Susan Walker, Susan Wood, Susanna Cuervas, Sylvia Cheevers, Tabitha Griffiths, Talena Oliver, Tammy Love, Tammy Stanley, Tanuf Khan, Tasha Adams, Teresa Clarke, Teresa Cox, Terry Parrish, Theresa Clark, Thomas Cranham, Thomas Quinn, Tim Gurney, Tim Kukulies, Tim ‘Wolf’ Gurney, Timothy Davies, Tom Cranham, Tom Oxford, Tony Parish, Tracy Shaw, Trinelle Rebeiro, Trish Patchett, Trudi Gordon, Tsholofelo Mosala, Valerie Beaumont, Vanessa R, Vanessa Redmond, Vicki Atkinson, Vicki Peet, Vickie McCoy, Victoria Dyer, Wendy Frances Wilson, Wendy Wilson, Wes Smith, Wim de Ridder, Younon Chua, Yovanna Vadon, Yovi BV, Yvette Davies, Zoe Durber-Worrall
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
About the Book
About the Author
Also By
Acknowledgements
Map: Railroads of Eastern Europe
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Thanks For Your Help!
The Hunters Page 35