AUSTIN, Texas — America's longest war has ended, but Afghans left behind are finding their way out thanks to an Austinite.
"My fellow Americans, the war in Afghanistan is now over," said President Joe Biden this week.
They were peaceful words for some, but for an Afghan family still trying to escape, it means they're on their own.
"We escape from a person who want to kill us, which is very dangerous for our lives every day," said an Afghan man escaping Kabul. "I am afraid and stressed."
The family of seven, whom we won't identify for safety reasons, fled Kabul with only biscuits to eat and a stranger's word.
"I literally gave them five minutes," said Darbie. "I said, 'Pack up your family. I need you to memorize these different checkpoints. I need you to memorize what I tell you to say and you can't fail.'"
Darbie lives in Austin. She's taken on the dangerous role of helping this family through every risky checkpoint.
"What the Taliban is doing right now is, they will check your phones at the certain checkpoints, and if they see that you have American numbers on your phone, they have been killing people," said Darbie.
Darbie said her group called, Underground Railroad, has helped hundreds of Afghans to safety.
For this family, death was literally knocking at the door. After seeing a family member executed in the street this week, they said they've been going from safe house to safe house, keeping their motivation close.
"My daughter is in the 12th [grade] and wants to study at the university, and when the Taliban come, it's very difficult for her to study at university," said the father.
Darbie said hundreds of more families are making the same deadly trek for a better life. If you know someone who needs help leaving Afghanistan, email afghanistanundergroundrailroad@gmail.com.
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