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Vital Mission

A Jake Fortina Series Love Story

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Vital Mission

By: Ralph R. Rick Steinke
Narrated by: Duke Holm
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About this listen

Jake Fortina can’t believe the news. Children—over 20,000 since February 2022—are disappearing as Russia invades Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force Colonel Hennadiy Kovalenko and his wife, Mila, suffer heart-rending losses. Private Margarita Romanova, a medic in the Russian Army, faces a terrible dilemma, one that also holds the possibility of love and redemption. And in the background, Sergiy and Gleb, two young Ukrainian boys deported to Russia, must endure devastating and hellish circumstances. An unlikely confluence of Ukrainian, American, Italian, and Russian citizens unites to mount a rescue. The stakes have never been higher.

©2025 Ralph R. Steinke (P)2025 Ralph R. Steinke

Critic Reviews

"Steinke captures with chilling accuracy the harsh reality faced by families devastated by Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The novel’s portrayal of children orphaned, abducted, or killed is stark and unflinching—but also necessary. What sets this novel apart is not just its raw truth, but its humanity." — Lauren Anderson, Former Senior FBI Executive and Global Women's Advocate

"Rick Steinke delivers a gripping and gut-wrenching story rooted in today’s brutal realities. This tale of courage, sacrifice, and redemption pulls on every heart string; especially for those who have served, are parents, and who love their country. It’s storytelling with purpose, and Fortina’s fight has never felt more real or more urgent." — Command Sergeant Major Daniel Pinion, (US Army, Ret); Iraq War Veteran and Award Winning Author

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