Barricade

by Lindsey Black

  ‘You could have been infected.’ Raikkinen refused to budge.

  ‘No, I couldn’t have.’

  ‘You were exposed.’ Sasha tried to be reasonable. The pair of them were just the amusement with his evening meal while he sipped his broth.

  ‘I wasn’t. The people there were not infected.’

  ‘We didn’t know that,’ Angelo added from the couch, rubbing Anna’s belly.

  They would never understand. Jett sighed and quietly finished his stew, putting the bowl in the sink and heading for the stairs.

  ‘You don’t want seconds?’ Raikkinen checked and Jett just shook his head. Whoever wanted his share was welcome to it. He wanted a hot shower and a warm bed to curl up in. With a full belly and the day’s events, weariness washed through him and it was a struggle just to get to the bathroom.

  The room was humid and steamy from the scalding water when he felt a presence behind him and turned to find Sasha standing there, completely naked, just watching him.

  It really was ridiculous that anyone could look like Sasha Stepanova. He was the perfect Russian soldier; tall, dark, impossibly handsome with the body of a demigod. He was the sort of man Jett had fantasised about in the middle of the night whenever he was cold and alone in his bunk pondering a different life. Not the usual fantasy of a hero coming to pluck him from the gates of hell, but just a strong hand and warm kisses to soothe the aches and share the dark with. Jett had known there was no escape from his reality. He’d just longed for someone to share it.

  ‘How are you real?’ He murmured, mostly to himself because it was inconceivable that his fantasies could in any way be mimicked in the real world, despite the proof in front of him. Laughing at him. Stepping under the hot water to share the heat and wrap him up in the echo of his dreams to assure him he was indeed solid and corporeal.

  ‘I like what I see too,’ Sasha assured him, leaning down to brush his nose along Jett’s temple and jaw, settling in the groove of his throat and biting down gently on the sensitive flesh. Jett gasped but didn’t bother trying to pull away, not wanting to and knowing the futility of the action, when Sasha’s hands clasped his forearms tightly and held him pinned against his chest.

  Dubiously, because he was nervous that Sasha would pull away or not appreciate the gesture, Jett pulled back just enough to free one hand, twisting his arm easily out of the lock Sasha had it in. He grabbed the soap and tentatively swiped it across Sasha’s collarbone, watching his face for any sign of displeasure, but there was none. Jett took that as consent and set about exploring Sasha’s body under the pretence of washing it. He marvelled at each ridge of muscle and bone, surprised that anyone could be quite so well put together. But the children of the revolution always were, their parents hand selected, the children groomed to a particular standard.

  If he was honest, the only truly surprising thing about Sasha Stepanova was that he was interested in a POW. By any set of standards that had to be frowned upon but Jett couldn’t bring himself to care because Sasha was looking at him, and he liked what he saw and Jett would do almost anything to keep Sasha looking at him just like that.

  Because if he knew the truth, maybe he wouldn’t.

  12

  C-SGT-NREBUD666-21651666

  Howling winds tore him from sleep, sweeping through narrow streets, battering houses in the long winter night. Sasha wrapped the blankets closer around his shoulders but they were thin, overused with time and scratchy. Around him more boys huddled together for warmth, shivering in their dreams.

  ‘Do you think they’ll make us run if it’s still raining in the morning?’ Someone dared to whisper in the dark.

  Sasha didn’t bother to respond. Of course they would. They would make them run faster. Harder. And again. Russians didn’t falter in the rain.

  Sasha woke with Jett curled into the curve of his body, ensconced under blankets that for once felt hot and stifling with the additional body heat. It had been so many years since he’d shared a bed with anyone it almost felt like a new thing. He doubted the novelty would wear off anytime soon.

  Careful not to jostle his sleeping companion, Sasha reached over the pillow to the art supplies on the corner of his desk. He grabbed his latest sketchbook and a pencil and shifted until he had Jett curled around his thigh, hugging it like a pillow, head in his lap, blanket drawn up over his bare shoulder. Perfect.

  The scratching of the pencil woke Jett when Sasha was shading in his dark hair, but all he did was look up at Sasha, blink and close his eyes again. It was nice, that he was comfortable and Sasha felt terrible when he had to put the sketchbook aside. He tried to free his leg from Jett’s clutches.

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘I have to get ready to leave with Matti.’ Sasha chuckled at Jett’s loud huff and managed to free himself of man and blanket, but he turned and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of Jett’s mouth.

  Jett watched him dress, pulling on thermals and then his cargo pants, grabbing a beanie, neck warmer and gloves. Even with the heating he could tell the temperature had continued to drop overnight. He guessed it was around minus ten, and if he was going to be walking a good forty kilometres he wanted to be warm doing it.

  ‘Don’t let Enzo go into town,’ Sasha whispered sternly, amused by Jett’s startled concern.

  ‘Like I can stop him?’

  ‘You’ll manage.’ Sasha gave him one last kiss and tucked the blanket around him. It was ludicrous, the way his heart swelled and warmth flooded his belly just being able to tuck in a man he was attracted to. It shouldn’t have been easier to leave for the day knowing he was leaving someone in bed, but it was.

  Sentimentality was frowned upon in Russia. Love was a luxury only the very powerful were permitted. Sasha had been taught from birth that feelings were to be suppressed and urges sated only when completely necessary. He’d known, of course, that it was farcical and such things weren’t controllable, but he’d not understood how stupid it all was until he stood there looking down into dark eyes that didn’t blink as they stared back.

  ‘See you tonight, hopefully.’

  ‘Stay safe,’ Jett advised, closed his eyes and fell immediately back to sleep. Sasha idly wondered what Enzo would think, if he found Jett in the Sergeant’s bed. He didn’t care, but he suspected Enzo would think it hilarious and was strangely okay with that.

  Matti’s door was closed, no lights on, but Sasha had heard movement so he headed upstairs and was not surprised to find Matti sipping a steaming mug of coffee, a second mug waiting on the table.

  ‘Thanks.’ Sasha inhaled the slightly bitter scent and sighed in pleasure. The caffeine was welcome.

  ‘Not a problem,’ Matti assured him. ‘Though you seem better rested than usual.’

  ‘Shut up.’

  Matti just smirked and sipped his coffee. He was dressed in his customary black skivvy and scarf with cams, and apparently didn’t think it was cold at all.

  ‘Are you at least going to wear a coat?’

  ‘Of course, I’m not a complete idiot,’ Matti grinned at him. ‘Though, really, it won’t be cold until it’s at least minus thirty-five.’

  ‘You’re insane. It better not get that cold or my balls will freeze.’

  ‘Can’t have that when they might finally get some use,’ Matti agreed. Sasha choked on his coffee, the hot liquid trying to go down the wrong tube. His eyes watered and he struggled to suck in air while he coughed and Matti rubbed his back, laughing.

  ‘You’re going to be a complete shit about this, huh.’

  ‘You and Pavlova? Oh, hell yes.’ Matti pushed back his chair and drank the rest of his coffee in a few large gulps, putting his empty mug in the sink for Enzo to clean later. He wasn’t waiting, the echoes of his soft laughter drifting down the stairs as he wandered upstairs. Sasha drank the coffee as quickly as he could without burning his mouth and dumped his mug in the sink before following.

  Matti was shovelling snow away from the doorway, the door
wedged open but held in place by the white wall that had grown outside overnight. He had the shovel handy and was pushing the snow away, letting it tumble over itself until it was thin enough to push the door the rest of the way.

  Sasha checked his pack one more time. He knew Matti had packed everything the night before, but it was habit to check even when he’d packed it himself. Food, water, a blanket and a dry set of clothes in a dry sack. Matti had minimal first aid supplies in his pack. He’d also put in maps so they could reference them if needed and binoculars. Satisfied they had what they needed, Sasha put his pack on and handed Matti’s over before charging out the door, amused when it swung closed almost immediately. Enzo was going to have fun digging that out.

  The snow was still falling in lazy spirals, the wind kicking up a gentle drift that swelled over the Barricade like an ivory wave. It was a relief, to finally have snow instead of rain.

  The lighthouse was freezing. It took them a few minutes to dig the door out and by the time they climbed inside Enzo had come down from the lights and had cleared the other door so they could walk straight through.

  ‘How was your shift?’ Sasha checked.

  ‘No one was out in that storm.’ Enzo looked a little dazed but that was likely because he’d been sitting in the lighthouse since three am. ‘It was beautiful, there was this amazing green light a few hours ago when the storm passed and the snow eased a bit. Everything glowed. Not quite northern lights, but just that starting haze you get sometimes.’

  ‘Hold down the fort.’ Matti slapped him on the shoulder and headed out onto the wall.

  Sasha looked sternly at Enzo and the man just laughed at him and shoved him out the door. ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of Pavlova.’

  ‘Isn’t that a dessert?’

  Enzo blinked at him, completely stumped for a moment before he nodded. ‘Yeah, some meringue thing.’

  ‘Makes sense.’ Jett was sweet. He stepped out into the biting cold, listening to Enzo laugh behind him before the door closed and cut off the sound.

  The world was quiet. A low rustle of the snow brushing over the Barricade taunted his senses and the wind whistled against the stone whenever it picked up but otherwise they walked side by side, feet crunching in the snow.

  ‘It doesn’t make sense that they’ve got a tunnel and aren’t using it to go north,’ Matti finally said.

  ‘It is winter,’ Sasha reasoned, kicking the snow to make his point.

  ‘Yeah, but the snow only just hit. They’ve obviously known about the tunnel for a while, for so many people to have come so late in the season, so why didn’t they use it before the snow came? They could have made it to the next town in a week or two.’

  ‘Maybe that’s why they wanted our supplies.’ Sasha adjusted where his backpack strap was sitting on his shoulder so it didn’t rub awkwardly against the seam of his coat.

  ‘You think it’s weird, too.’ Matti shoved him sideways and snickered when he tripped in the snow drift, barely catching himself from falling.

  ‘It doesn’t make sense. It’s obvious we’re missing something but maybe the other districts have more information.’

  ‘Did anyone else contact Moscow?’

  ‘Almost every district on the wall has radioed Moscow in the last few weeks, and everyone has been told to stand down and wait out the winter,’ Sasha admitted while shoving his hands in his pockets. ‘Honestly, I feel like they’re distracted. The Barricade’s not gonna fall down tomorrow, so they’re just letting it go and focusing on something else.’

  ‘It would have to be a pretty huge something else for them not to worry about the Barricade, it’s the only thing keeping the Infection out,’ Matti rumbled, looking north as if he could see Moscow and figure out what they were thinking.

  They were less than a kilometre out when Nowak came wandering toward them, buried inside his winter coat, rifle slung over one shoulder.

  ‘Welcome back,’ he grinned, falling into step beside them. ‘Thanks for your help yesterday.’

  ‘Anytime. We’re heading through to Six-Six-Eight. Have you heard anything from them?’

  ‘Nah, but there’s been a lot of activity there. They’ve been in the town every day this week, not sure what they’re doing. Pretty sure Nine’s been out as well.’

  Sasha and Matti shared a look. Increased activity in that area matched their suspicions, though Jett seemed to think it more likely the tunnel was in District Six-Seven-Zero and for some reason Sasha agreed with him.

  Nowak came out of the tower to meet them, holding out two mugs of hot tea with a small bow.

  ‘My hero,’ Matti joked, pulling his hands from his pockets and wrapping them around the mug. They all knew he wasn’t actually cold, he never was; he just liked to pretend while everyone else was having a genuine whinge.

  ‘Thanks.’ Sasha took the second mug, downed the tea as fast as he could manage and handed it back empty just as they wandered through the tower to the next section of wall. The lighthouse was covered in a thick layer of white but someone had cleaned off the windows. With the lights turning lazily in gold circles inside, it looked like it was glowing and as if it would be warm and cosy inside. It was incredibly deceptive, since Sasha knew that even inside it was freezing.

  ‘What are you hoping to find out?’ Nowak asked from the tower doorway.

  ‘Just see what’s happening,’ Sasha shrugged. He didn’t want to freak everyone out and then find out they were wrong and there was no tunnel. Better to confirm and then give them the bad news, as long as they could all handle what was happening, which hadn’t been a problem so far. It was obvious Nowak wasn’t convinced, but that was okay. He knew they would tell him anything important when they knew about it and until then it was mere speculation and there really was nothing to tell.

  They didn’t waste time, aware they had a long way to walk. They were making good time, and if the weather stayed calm they shouldn’t have trouble getting back in the late evening. The closer they got to District Six-Six-Eight, it was obvious no-one was there. No lights and no welcoming committee. Frowning, Sasha hauled open the tower door and Matti shuffled inside ahead of him.

  ‘The heating’s off,’ Matti observed and Sasha cursed under his breath. It was like an ice box inside, the heating clearly hadn’t been on in a few days. They did a walk down through to the ground floor but the doors were sealed.

  A corpse lay rotting in the cage.

  ‘Fuck!’ Sasha covered his mouth and nose with his neck warmer but the scent was too pungent.

  ‘Looks like it’s two or three days old,’ Matti observed, seeming oblivious to the stench. He walked around the cage and then shrugged. ‘Should we get rid of it? It’ll start rotting soon and could contaminate their food supply. Not to mention if it gets into the water supply, it could contaminate the whole Barricade.’

  ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’ Sasha agreed. They checked the hooks on the stair wall and found the keys, working together to open the doors and dump the body outside. They contemplated burning it, but decided against it in case there had been a reason for them having a dead body held prisoner in their cage.

  ‘This is fucked up, right? I mean … the hell?’ Matti waved a hand at the corpse and then helped close the door, muttering about the weird shit people kept getting up to on the Barricade.

  ‘It’s definitely weird,’ Sasha agreed. ‘I’m more concerned with where they went. It’s not like Vasiliev to stay out too long.’ If the corpse had been left there a few days that meant the team had been absent that long.

  ‘Maybe they got stranded in the town?’

  ‘Then why were the doors closed? They clearly packed up with the intention of being out overnight at the very least.’

  They were silent, staring at the closed doors, neither having a good explanation. They went back through the tower, checking each level but the place was abandoned. They checked the lighthouse on the way through. The lights were turning and nothing appeared out of the ordinary apa
rt from the distinct lack of guardians, so they left it and continued on toward District Six-Six-Nine.

  This time someone spotted them halfway to the next tower and came to meet them.

  ‘They’re in armour,’ Matti rumbled and Sasha nodded to show he’d noticed. ‘This is not going to be good.’ With that, too, Sasha agreed.

  ‘Stepanova, Raikkinen.’ Jussi Ivanov strode straight up to them, putting a hand on Sasha’s shoulder and squeezing firmly. He had a pinched look to his face and the circles under his eyes were dark. It was clear he hadn’t had a lot of sleep. It was never a good sign when the medical officer had sleepless nights.

  ‘District Six-Six-Eight is empty,’ Sasha said immediately and Ivanov just nodded.

  ‘We know. They got into trouble a few days ago in the business district, not long after you had some issues, I think?’

  ‘Yeah, our new kid got knifed,’ Matti grumbled. ‘He’s clean though, no infection so that’s good.’

  ‘There was a corpse in their cage?’ Sasha cut back in, pushing them gently toward the tower.

  ‘Yeah, they weren’t sure he was infected at first so they locked him up to be sure, since they suspected and everything.’

  ‘Why’d they take him inside? Why not just let him go, if he was infected he would just die in the town anyway,’ Matti reasoned. It was always surprising how easily they all spoke of death, as if the infection stripped away one’s humanity and left a lame animal in need of being put down. Sasha thought it a sign of how long someone had served on the Barricade. The colder one was to the human conditions south of the wall, the longer they’d served there.

  ‘Because the guy was Russian,’ Ivanov nervously explained. ‘And they found him on the north side.’

  ‘Wait … what?’ Sasha stumbled and turned to check he had heard that correctly but Ivanov just looked grim and resigned.