Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Exposition
Night Terrors
Alex wakes up one morning to a startling discovery: His entire family has been arrested by the Soviet secret police in the middle of the night. With no one else to turn to, Alex goes to his favorite teacher, one Katriana Sergyeva, for advice. She provides Alex with shelter for a few days, but tells him to head to Moscow and stay with his Uncle Dmitri until he can figure things out. She also tells him about her brother, Basil, who smuggles Russian citizens out of the country from his home base in St. Petersburg.
Rising Action
On the Road
Although Alex gets on a train headed toward Moscow, his journey is cut short when a group of soldiers commandeer the train, forcing him and the other passengers to walk all the way to the city. It's a long, painful trek, but Alex eventually makes his way to Moscow and heads to his uncle's apartment.
Climax
Band of Brothers
Unfortunately, Alex learns that his uncle has been arrested as well. He walks through the city in a daze until he witnesses a group of boys steal a bunch of food from a nearby market. After he helps one of the kids evade some soldiers, he's invited to hang out with the group (and enjoy some much-needed grub) by their leader, Peter.
Falling Action
Winter is Coming
Though he's resistant at first, Alex eventually becomes a card-carrying member of Peter's crew, even joining them in their thievery. But winter is coming, and that spells bad news for Moscow. The group decides to head south in hopes of finding better weather, but their vacay is abruptly cut short when two members of the group, Boris and Grigory, betray their friends to the police and have them locked up in a children's home. Thanks for nothing, twerps.
Resolution
Leaving Home
Tragedy strikes once again when Miska, the youngest member of the group, is killed by the director of the children's home. Devastated, the boys escape the facility, but not before Peter sneaks back in and kills his friend's murderer. This prompts Alex to tell Peter about Katriana's brother in St. Petersburg. Peter eventually agrees to give Basil a shot and the boys make it to Finland, though Peter decides to head back to the Soviet Union to help smuggle more kids out of the country. Additionally, Alex is met on the shore of Finland by Katriana. Yay.