by Lee Stephen
“What’s wrong, man?” Scott asked.
The wind whipped up with a gusty blast, and William said nothing. His stare remained dedicated to the nothingness that stretched out in the distance. It wasn’t until David took a half step toward him that he answered. “Joe’s dead.”
Scott’s jaw gaped. Joe’s dead? Joe Janson’s dead? He blinked. “What did you say?”
“He’s dead,” William answered dully. “You want me to spell it out for you?”
David’s expression fell. “I didn’t know anybody got called out…”
“Nobody got called out,” William said, turning to face them. “He died in his sleep.”
Every trace of conversation slammed shut. For thirty seconds, Scott and David stood speechless. Died in his sleep? How could Joe have died in his sleep? Old men in their nineties died in their sleep. The chronically ill died in their sleep. But healthy soldiers? Scott asked the unavoidable question. “How?”
“He went to bed early, said he had a headache. When we woke up this morning, he was dead.” William looked away.
“He died of a headache?”
William shot him a glare. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
The conversation lingered in awkwardness, as neither Scott nor David spoke a word. William broke the tension. “I want to be alone right now.”
David hesitated. “Sure thing, man. Whatever you want.”
Scott was quick to affirm. “If there’s anything we can do, let us know. Definitely.”
“I appreciate it,” William answered.
They turned back to the sidewalk and left William on his own. When they were out of earshot, Scott shook his head. “How does that happen? You think he had some kind of a problem?”
David looked at him. “If he did, you think he’d be here?”
Scott’s gaze sunk. “They came in together from Atlanta.”
“I know,” David answered soberly, “I know.”
They resumed their trek to the cafeteria, despite the news from William. Neither had known Joe beyond a handful of short conversations, though they nonetheless felt the inevitable emptiness of one less conversationalist at the table. The man had been good company.
They picked at their plates, finding themselves devoid of the desire to eat, at which point they rose from the table and once again journeyed across the grounds, back to the barracks.
The Room 14 they found when they returned was different from the one they had left. Laughter saturated the walls, and when they opened the door to step inside, they realized that the whole of the unhospitalized crew was back from their morning workout. David pushed the door open, and they stepped inside. They were welcomed immediately.
“Remmy! Dave!” Becan leapt from the foot of his bunk, skipping across the room to greet them. “It’s abou’ time they let yis ou’!”
A wide grin spread across Jayden’s face. “Hey guys!”
The room bustled as a mist of warm steam rose from the occupied showers and shrouded half the room. Conversation flowed back and forth in Russian and English, as was the custom whenever operatives returned from the morning session.
David slapped a hand out to Becan. “You guys missed out,” he said as he hit the Irishman with a fist-hug. “Med-bay is where the party’s at.”
“I bet it is, but I’m sure it’s not as happenin’ as the pool,” Becan laughed.
Scott grinned. “Is that where you guys have been?”
“All mornin’, nice an’ warm!”
Scott scanned the room, looking at the rest of the operatives. Sure enough, their damp hair affirmed it. It made him jealous. Every time he went on a morning workout, it was a bitter-cold jog.
“You should see the pool, man,” Jayden said. “It’s awesome. I hope we go there all the time.”
“Yeh just like seein’ Varvara in a swimsuit,” Becan smirked.
“Man,” Jayden said, “she’s hot.” He glanced across the room to the showering medic.
Scott grinned. Saying she’s hot wasn’t exactly making a move, but for Jayden, anything was progress.
Travis joined them and slapped David on the arm. “Congrats on the promotion.”
“Thanks,” David answered. The two exchanged smiles for a moment before Galina scooted past from the direction of the showers.
“Welcome back,” she said, whisking a pink towel through her hair.
Clarke and Dostoevsky emerged from the lounge a moment later. “How goes it, gentlemen?” Clarke said with a grin. “Glad to see you both back here in once piece! I trust your recovery went well?”
“Yes sir,” they said.
Clarke drew nearer and motioned to the protective bandage wrapped around Scott’s shoulder. “How long will you need that?”
“Doctors say just a few days, sir. It’s precautionary. I have a checkup Sunday and if it looks good by then, I’m good to go without it.”
Clarke smiled. “Brilliant! Well, I’ll let the two of you go ahead and get reacquainted with your comrades. If you need me or the lieutenant we’ll be in our office.” He smiled and gestured to the lounge. “It’s good to have you two back with us.”
As Clarke and Dostoevsky returned to the lounge, David remarked, “This place has livened up since we were here last.”
Becan smirked. “I wonder if tha’s indicative o’ annythin’.”
David stifled a laugh. “Right.”
At that moment, Scott realized that someone was absent, someone he knew had already been released. Svetlana. She was nowhere to be seen. “Hey,” he said as he leaned toward Travis. “Where’s Sveta?”
Travis’s smile faded. “Svetlana?”
“Yeah.”
Travis cast his eyes upon the floor and slid his hands into his pockets. “She’s gone, man.”
“She’s gone?” said Scott incredulously.
The pilot nodded. “She left this morning. Well, she might be still here—there aren’t any flights scheduled to leave for another hour and nothing else is scheduled to arrive. But yeah…she’s leaving EDEN.”
Scott felt his stomach bottom out. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I wish I were,” Travis answered. “Supposedly she talked to Clarke about it last night—I don’t know what she said exactly—but…she packed her things this morning, told everyone bye…”
Becan chimed in. “If yeh could even call it tellin’ everyone bye.”
“Yeah,” Travis nodded. “A few hugs…she really didn’t say much of anything, Clarke did all the talking, but…yeah, she left before we started our workout.” Galina, who stood within earshot of the conversation, listened quietly.
Scott slumped against the wall. Gone? She couldn’t be gone…he had just gotten to know her. “I can’t believe it. I mean…I can believe it, it’s just…”
“We know wha’ yeh mean. We feel the same way…it wasn’t righ’ wha’ happened, but…at the same time it’s never good to see someone leave like tha’…it’s a bloody mess.”
“Everything’s been all gloom and doom around here,” said Travis. “It wasn’t exactly the best way to start the morning, but…what can you do? Who’s to say any one of us wouldn’t have done the same thing in her shoes?”
No one could say that. Scott knew for sure that he couldn’t. But…gone? He couldn’t believe it. Not Svetlana. Not the Svetlana he had known. He stopped at that thought. He hadn’t even known Svetlana well. They’d had only one meaningful conversation, and prior to that they’d almost been enemies. She was an acquaintance. She was an acquaintance who had listened to him when he needed someone to listen. What if Galina had been in the lounge that night instead? She would have done the same thing. Wouldn’t she?
Scott came out of his reverie. “You said she might still be here?”
Travis glanced at his watch. “It’s almost 8:30…I’m pretty sure the first flight out of here is at 8:50. She’d likely be in the hangar if you want to catch her. To say goodbye, or whatever.” He frowned. “I thought about goi
ng, but…what would I say? I don’t see how anyone could even try to convince her to stay. I don’t know how she would after what happened. I wasn’t one of her closer friends, so it’d be awkward. That’s kind of how everyone felt, I think.”
Galina cleared her throat with a soft cough. She said to Scott, “I was going to stay with her until she left, after I finished this.” She tilted her mug of tea. “I had morning workout, so I could not go until now. If you would like to come, you may do that.”
Scott stared at her. What would he say to Svetlana if he did go see her? One conversation. That was all they’d had. One conversation that had lasted for only a short while. It would be just as awkward for him as it would have been for Travis. His being there would only make Svetlana more uncomfortable. It would be stupid to go.
“Yeah,” Scott answered. “I’d like that. If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Galina smiled. “I’m sure she would love to know that you cared. In fact, I can finish this drink on the way over there. Do you want to go now?”
His words deceived his thoughts. He had to go see her. He didn’t know why. But he had to. “Yes,” he answered. “We can go now.”
“Let me go get my boots on.” Galina stepped away, leaving Scott with his thoughts.
It was right. It was the right thing to do. She was sitting in the hangar right now, by herself, waiting for a transport that was cold and lifeless. Everything around her was cold and lifeless. Someone else had to go, someone aside from just Galina. She had to know that someone else cared.
“Are you ready?” Galina asked as she returned.
“Ready.”
As they stepped into the hall, Scott said to David. “Don’t forget to tell them about Joe.”
David nodded, and Scott and Galina departed. David’s gaze lowered for a moment before Becan stepped to him and cocked his head.
“Wha’ happened to Joe?”
As Scott and Galina traversed the halls, Galina offered Scott a faint smile. “She will be happy that you’re coming. She likes you.”
Svetlana liked him. For some reason, that gave him a warm feeling. He remembered why. She was the first person he’d won over. When they first arrived at Novosibirsk, every reception had been so cold. But she turned warm. She proved that it could be done. But it was more than that. He felt warm because she wasn’t simply an acquaintance. She was his friend.
And she was about to leave.
“I like you, too,” smiled Galina.
“I just tried to be friendly. That was it.”
“She noticed,” said Galina. “Nobody else here gave her that when they first met her. Not even Tolya.”
“I don’t understand why not,” Scott said. “She’s a nice girl.”
Galina hesitated a moment, then smiled. “Yes. She is.”
Though snow no longer fell outside, the stark coldness of the wind still burned through the air. The scent of open oxygen brought the only aspect of life to the grounds of Novosibirsk. The land itself was devoid of activity; Galina and Scott found themselves a rare couple in the outdoors.
The walk to the airstrip was bleak, as the whole of Novosibirsk seemed on the verge of mechanical hibernation. A lull of extra-terrestrial activity justified the recent stillness, and no one complained.
Vultures and civilian transports were perched outside the hangar doors, as mechanics tended to prepping and charging. It didn’t take Scott and Galina long to find Svetlana. She was the only woman in sight, seated alone on a bench along the far wall of the hangar. Her only company was a duffle bag. Scott saw her for the first time since Siberia.
She sat with her head bowed and her hands clasped together. A cascade of recently washed hair shone down the sides of her face, and as she lifted her head to see them approaching, it fell back behind her ears. She brushed several of the loose strands from her forehead, and her blue eyes widened.
As she rose to greet them, Scott saw her body perk up. She gazed from Galina to him, and then back to Galina again, and she trembled for the first time. As she took her first step toward them, Scott noticed the shimmer of tears beneath her lids. When their paths finally met, Svetlana collided into Galina’s embrace just as her arms opened up to accept her.
Svetlana wrapped her arms around Galina’s back and pressed her face against her chest. A burst of sobs choked out as she gripped the back of Galina’s uniform. Galina’s expression softened; she placed a hand on Svetlana’s shoulder as Svetlana began to whimper. She was saying something. Scott couldn’t understand it, but she was saying something through her tears. The Russian words were repeated over and over.
Galina slid her hand to massage Svetlana’s back. “Shhh…it’s all right.”
Svetlana sniffed and took in a deep breath. Her face remained buried in Galina’s chest as she continued to cry.
“It’s going to be okay,” Scott said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He didn’t know what else to do. “You’re going to be okay.” He looked past Galina to the technicians as they went about their business. He watched them for a moment as they traveled back and forth across the hangar. They were completely oblivious to the scene. Or completely uncaring.
His attention returned to Svetlana, as she lifted her eyes to regard him. “Thank you,” she said shakily, “for saving my life.” The words were sincere, but forced. Scott felt his heart break. Her grip tightened on Galina again, and her face fell back into her fellow medic’s jersey.
“Let’s go sit down, okay?” said Galina.
Svetlana looked up at her. “I am sorry,” she said.
Galina smiled. “Sorry for what? You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Svetlana stepped away from Galina and wrapped her arms around Scott. Scott had known that an embrace was coming. He just wasn’t sure how he’d feel when it did. It felt good. Surprisingly so. Something felt right about holding her. They stood together for several moments until Scott pulled away and peered at Svetlana’s face, where he reached up to brush away a strand of hair. Svetlana managed a small smile. “There we go,” Scott said. “That’s what we want to see.”
Svetlana remained silent, her lips still curved faintly.
“Yes,” Galina said, “it is. Now, let’s go have a seat. I know you are tired.”
They returned to Svetlana’s bench, where the two women lowered themselves. Scott knelt on the concrete floor and propped his hand against the bench’s frame.
“Did you eat today?” Galina asked as she rested her hand on Svetlana’s leg.
Svetlana nodded.
“Good. What did you eat?”
Svetlana made no immediate response. Her feet moved restlessly and then crossed. “Just some bread…”
Galina raised a brow. “That is it? You know you need to eat more than that. When you get back home, tell your mother to cook you something nice. A warm homemade meal will be good for you.”
Svetlana sat in silence, feet crossed and head bowed. Behind them, the footsteps of technicians tracked across the concrete floor. Svetlana slumped against Galina, and her eyes glazed over.
“Sveta…” Galina said as she angled her body to support her friend, “are you sure you want to do this?”
Svetlana was quiet for a moment, then she nodded her head and sniffed. “I cannot stay here,” she answered. “I cannot work for him.”
Galina closed her eyes, and her expression faded. “I understand.” Her hand massaged the edge of Svetlana’s back.
“I am sorry,” Svetlana whispered.
Scott’s own gaze sunk as she spoke, and he rested his hand on her knee. There was nothing he or Galina could do. Her decision was made. It was a decision nobody could hold against her. Her spirit was dead. It had been murdered by the most fearsome leader in the modern world.
“I am sorry.”
Scott saw a single tear droplet trace down the side of her cheek, a small stain of water barely visible behind it. She lifted a hand to wipe it away.
Had he been in her shoes, Scott k
new he might well have made the same decision. What if Thoor had killed Nicole? What if her life was tossed in the trash like a piece of debris, an unnecessary expense for an unnecessary assignment? Anatoly had spoken with Svetlana until the moment of his death. There had been no Bakma voices in the background, no pounding on the door of the room where he hid. The bomb stayed secure. Anatoly had stayed with it for nothing. He died for nothing, and there was nothing anyone could do to make it different.
“You Voronova?”
It was a new voice. Scott turned to face an oily technician observing them, wooden clipboard in hand.
Svetlana looked from Galina to Scott. Her transport. Her ticket out of Novosibirsk. Her escape. Scott watched as she offered the technician a nod. For a fleeting moment, Scott swore he saw hesitation.
The technician continued. “That bird over there’s gonna fly in about five minutes.” He pointed to one of the civilian airbuses. “Might wanna go ahead and board right now.”
Svetlana rose, sliding her hand from beneath Scott’s.
All Scott knew to do was be there and remain calm. “Do you need any help? With bags or anything?”
“No,” she paused. “I will be okay.”
Galina placed her hand on Svetlana’s shoulder, and Svetlana pulled her in for a final hug. Galina whispered something into Svetlana’s ear, to which the blond-haired medic nodded.
Galina smiled as they separated, then Svetlana turned to face Scott. “Be safe with yourself,” she said as she stepped toward him and fell into an embrace. “There is a beautiful young woman in America waiting for her love to come home.”
Scott fought to hold back tears of his own as he held her close. A week ago, he had known nothing of Svetlana Voronova. Now, the thought of her leaving knotted his stomach. “You too,” he said. “You’d better come back and visit us, all right?”
Svetlana dipped her head, and she peered into his eyes. “Don’t let them change you,” she whispered. “Please.”