I-5 tells the brutal story of Anya and her journey north from Los Angeles to Oakland on the interstate that bisects the Central Valley of California.

Someone has lied to Anya, and because of these lies she is kept under lock and key, used to service men, and indebted for the privilege. In exchange, she lives in America. "Would she rather be fucking a dog...or living like a dog?" In Anya's world, it's a reasonable question.

It's a macabre journey up the interstate: a drop-off at Denny's, a patch of tule fog, a visit to a "correctional facility," a rendezvous with an organ grinder, and a fiery entry into Oakland. Only one last task stands between Anya and the freedom promised when she was lured away from Russia.