Away From the Sun - Part 4

He could feel his heart beating in his chest; pounding so hard, Justin was afraid it would come bursting out.  His fingers wrapped tightly around the wheel of the car, foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal, Justin directed the car to their next destination. 

He made sure to check the rearview mirror every few seconds to confirm they were not being followed.  From time to time he would look over to his right – at the man in the passenger seat.  The single thought that brought some comfort to Justin was the fact that Brian seemed to be doing much better now, more coherent than he was when Justin had first found him.  But the man was still in poor shape – thin, drugged, bruises and cuts covering his face and, Justin guessed, his entire body as well. 

He knew the Russian’s way of getting the information they needed out of their enemies.  And it wasn’t one of diplomatic negotiations.  They beat the information out of you.  He didn’t even want to imagine what his lover had gone through after being captured.  Instead, Justin focused his attention on the road in front of them.

Finally, he pulled onto the side of the road where another car was waiting for him.  A man jumped out of the driver’s side and ran over to their car.  Justin hadn’t even put the car in park when the other man, yet another one of Craig Taylor’s men, was helping Brian out of the car and into the other one – another way to make sure that they were not followed by the Ukrainian army or police.

Getting behind the wheel, Justin pulled back onto the road, feeling a little calmer now.  But he didn’t dare let himself relax completely. 

It was thirty minutes later that Justin pulled the car onto a narrow, unpaved road.  The car shook as it took them up to a small house in the wooded area, hidden by the tall trees surrounding it.  Turning off the lights, Justin drove under a tent that was set up to hide the cars – there was another car already parked next to the house.  He shut off the engine.

It was so quiet, just a random howl of a dog from a nearby farm echoed through the air.  Justin exhaled loudly and sat back in the seat.  When he first heard his father propose the plan of the rescue, Justin wasn’t sure it would work.  Not because it was a bad plan, but because he could not trust anybody involved in it.  He had to be on guard not only with the Russians, but also with the people who he was supposed to be working with.  But those men were either very loyal to Craig Taylor or they were paid a lot of money, probably both.  Whatever the reason was, though, for their help, Justin didn’t care anymore.  It worked.  Brian was out.

Justin looked over to passenger side.  Brian’s head was pressing against the window, his eyes closed.  Justin reached out his right hand and brushed his fingers against the older man’s unshaven cheek. 

Brian’s eyes fluttered open and he looked at Justin questioningly.

“We’re here,” Justin explained quietly.  He thought he got a nod from the other man, so Justin stepped out of the car and walked around to the passenger side to help Brian get out as well.    

The two of them walked slowly to the house.  Justin shut the door behind them and trying not to hit anything in the dark, helped Brian over to the couch.  He knew it might attract some unwanted attention if he turned on the light, so instead Justin lit a gas lamp and put it next to the couch – giving him just enough light to examine Brian, who seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness the moment his  body connected with the soft pillows of the couch.

All he wanted to do at that moment was to lie next to Brian, wrap his arms around his lover and just stay like that for the rest of their lives.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.  Not while they were still in the hostile territory.  He had to focus now. 

Justin walked to the other side of the room.  He unzipped the duffel bag that was sitting on an old oak chair under the window and took out the neatly folded clothes and returned back to the couch.  Placing the clothes on the arm of the couch, Justin began unzipping Brian’s pants.

“On the first date?” He heard coming from the head of the couch.  Justin looked up only to meet a pair of hazel eyes staring back at him.  “How easy do you think I am?”

Justin couldn’t help but smile.  “What do you know?  I guess you’ll live,” he said jokingly and was relieved to see a tiny smile gracing his lover’s lips. 

“Yeah,” Brian responded in a raspy voice.  “Thanks to you.”  Brian’s long fingers covered Justin’s.  “You saved my life.”

The blond’s smile faded, his gaze dropping to Brian’s hand on top of his own.  “You saved mine,” he said quietly.  “I think we’re even.”  Slipping his hand from under Brian’s, Justin picked up the clothes he prepared for the brunet.  “Come on,” he said, clearing his throat.  “We gotta get you out of these clothes.”

Brian didn’t object.  He let Justin help him sit up and change him into a pair of jeans and a sweater. 

“You’re still shaking,” Justin noted.  He picked up a small blanket from a chair and wrapped it around the other man.  “I think it’s the drugs they gave you.”

“They’re wearing off,” Brian replied, wrapping the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

“Did they give you any food at all?” Justin knew the answer to the question before he even asked it.  Brian was always on the skinny side, but now he was skin and bones.  He wasn’t the least surprised to see the brunet shake his head.  What did surprise him was Brian looking away as he answered, as if he was somehow ashamed, like it was his fault. 

Justin glanced at Brian briefly before opening a small fridge in the corner of the room and taking out a large package.  He opened it quickly and took out a couple of sandwiches.  He quickly brought them back to the couch.

“I don’t have a plate, sorry,” he said, handing the food to Brian.

“Peanut butter and jelly?” Brian seemed to look disgusted, although he took a half of the sandwich and immediately bit into it. 

“It’s the best I could do.”   Justin didn’t bother to cover up the smile.  “I’ll boil some water for tea.”  He stood up from the couch and began to move to the other side of the room, but stopped when Brian’s fingers wrapped around his left hand.  Justin looked down, meeting Brian’s eyes once more. 

“You could have gotten killed,” Brian said quietly, his hand gripping Justin’s ever so tighter.  “What the fuck were you thinking?”

Justin narrowed his eyes, ready to defend his actions, but quickly realized that his actions were not being attacked.  Brian was thankful that Justin got him out, but Justin finally realized that Brian cared about him as much as Justin cared about Brian and that thought overwhelmed Justin more than he could ever imagine.

“I was thinking I needed to bring your boney ass home,” Justin managed to get out, squeezing Brian’s hand.  With his free hand, he lightly caressed Brian’s face, satisfied when he finally got a smile out of the older man.

“I do not have a boney ass,” came Brian’s predictable response.

Justin laughed for the first time in days.

“What is this place anyway?” Brian looked around the tiny house, taking in the miniscule decorations.

Justin sighed in relief.  It seemed that the personal part of their conversation was over.  “I used the house from time to time when I was here on my assignment.”

Brian’s only response was a slight nod, which signaled to Justin that the only thing his lover needed right now was sleep.

His fingers slipping out of Brian’s grip, Justin moved toward the stove.  “Let me get you your tea.”

~~~***~~~***~~~

Brian tasted blood as the soldier’s fist once again connected with his jaw. 

“Answer the question!” Another one, an officer, yelled in a heavy Russian accent.  “Who do you work for?”

He tried to concentrate on his breathing, focusing on each inhale and exhale, taking his mind away from the fact that every part of his body was screaming in pain.  With his hands and feet tied to a chair there was little he could do, so with the last strength left in his body, Brian looked up at the officer, staring defiantly into his eyes.

The man grabbed his hair and pulled it back, causing Brian to moan in spite of himself.  “I know you work for the CIA, you American swine.  We received information that the CIA was sending men here.  Now I want to know why.”

Brian remained silent.

“WHY?”

No sound spilled from Brian’s mouth.

“Davai,” the officer said, turning to the other two soldiers.  In the next moment, Brian felt the ropes tying his arms and legs to the chair being untied and he was thrown on the ground.  Before he could react, a heavy boot was connecting with his ribs.  Another hit his kidneys and stomach.  All he could do was close his eyes and hope it would be over soon.

The officer gave the command to stop and leaned over Brian once again.  “We have other ways to make you tell me what I want to know.  Unless you are wishing to cooperate now.  Tell me, what is your name?”

With whatever effort he had left in him, Brian forced himself to keep his head up and glared back at the other man. 

“What is your NAME?!”

Brian felt himself shaking, softly at first, then harder.

“Brian,” a familiar voice called with a note of urgency.  “Brian, come on, you have to get up…you have to go.”  Getting up, going anywhere was the last thing Brian wanted.  Yet he was being shaken awake and he had no choice in the matter.  Reluctantly he opened his eyes, immediately remembering where he was and who it was that was waking him up.  

Then the urgency in Justin’s voice returned and the thought of sleep was gone in a second. 

“What’s wrong?” Brian asked, sitting up quickly.  He was still on the couch, having fallen asleep right after Justin forced two cups of something that passed for tea around here.  He felt dizzy from sitting up too fast.

“They’re coming,” Justin replied, scrambling to pack up different things around the room. 

The sun was just beginning to rise and Brian could see a tint of pink gracing the sky outside the small window.  “What?”

“The army.  They’re gonna be here any moment.  You have to go.”

“How do you know?” 

Justin stopped long enough to cast a brief glance in his direction.  “I listened to the radio, the frequency they use.  They’re close.”  He pulled a windbreaker out of the duffel bag and brought it over to the couch, handing it to Brian.  “Very close.”

Brian quickly put it on. 

Justin piled supplies into the duffel bag and brought it back over to Brian as well.  “Come on, you need to go now.” 

Before Brian could say anything, he was being pulled toward the door and out of the house. 

“How much of a head start do we have?” he asked as they neared the car. 

“I’m not sure,” Justin responded as he tossed the duffel bag into the passenger seat.  “Ten, fifteen minutes tops.”  He turned back to Brian.  “You should get going.”

Only then did Brian finally realize what he was hearing ever since he woke up.  He looked around, realizing for the first time that there was another car parked next to the house.  And the duffel bag was sitting in the passenger seat.  Not to mention that Justin kept saying one thing over and over again – ‘you should get going’. 

“Wait a minute.”  The brunet turned to Justin.  He tried to suppress the panic rising in his chest, but to no avail.  “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” 

“Yes, you will be. You’re coming with me.”

Justin shook his head.  “I’m not gonna risk you getting captured again.”

“Which is why WE should go NOW!”

“Somebody needs to go hold them off.”

“No fucking way!”  He couldn’t believe it.  Justin was ready to throw himself to the wolves.  “We can go now and still have a chance.”

“Brian, you have to go!  This is the only way, don’t you see?  They’ll be looking for the two of us.  Alone you have a greater chance of getting out of here.”  Justin’s voice was full with desperation.  “GO!”  He tried to push Brian closer to the car.

Brian grabbed Justin’s hand, closing it in his own, pulling Justin closer.  “Not without you,” he said quietly.

Justin’s eyes glistened as the two stared at each other.  The blond’s features softened and with his free hand he cupped Brian’s face.  “It’s gonna be ok, I promise you.  I’ll be fine.  You have to trust me now.”

Brian felt his heart skip a beat at those words, remembering all too well the last time those words were spoken between the two of them.  Except, last time he was the one uttering those words, trying to convince Justin that splitting up was the best for both of them.  Justin got shot minutes later.  He wasn’t about to let it happen again.

“Justin…”

“Listen to me, listen,” Justin interrupted him, placing his fingers over Brian’s lips to stop the protests.  “Listen, you have to trust me now, Brian, more than you ever had before.  You have to go, drive to Kiev.  Ben will be waiting for you in the airport with all the necessary papers.”

Brian could only shake his head, but Justin continued.

“He’ll take you to Paris.  Go to this address.”  Justin pushed a piece of paper into Brian’s clutched hand.  “Wait for me there.”

“Justin, no…”

“I swear to you…I promise you that I’ll meet you there.” 

Brian couldn’t let himself agree.  The only thing that was running through his mind was the image of Justin’s unconscious body in his arms, blood spewing onto the snow. 

Justin took Brian’s face into his hands and pulled him closer, pressing their foreheads together.  “I’ll be there,” he said, his voice close to a whisper.  “I promise, but you have to go now.”

Brian didn’t want to let go, afraid that he would somehow lose Justin right there and then, but the urgency in his lover’s voice kept him focused.  Justin had a plan, it was obvious – at least that was what the rational part of his brain was telling him.  And Justin was completely sure that he would be ok. 

“Go,” Justin said again, more forcefully this time. 

“You promise you’ll meet me in Paris?”

Justin nodded.  “Yes.  Go.”  He pushed Brian toward the car once again and this time the brunet let him, opening the door and getting into the driver’s seat. 

Brian started the car, but his eyes were still on his lover.  “Justin…”

“Whatever happens, follow the plan,” Justin told him, shutting the door and stepping away from the car.

Every fiber in his being was screaming at him to grab Justin and force him into the car so that both of them could drive away, but the look in Justin’s eyes told him it wouldn’t be possible.  He had to do as Justin asked and hope that his boyfriend knew what he was doing. 

Putting the car in reverse, Brian pulled out onto the road and began to put distance between himself and his lover.

~~~***~~~***~~~

Justin stood still as he watched the white Fiat drive further and further away from the house.  When he was sure that Brian would keep on driving and not do something stupid, like coming back for him, Justin jumped into the red Toyota and pulled onto the unpaved road as well.  But instead of turning right, he went in the opposite direction from Brian’s, driving his car toward the Ukrainian army.  He knew exactly where they were, thanks to the radio. 

He didn’t have to wait long before finally coming across the army cars.  He stopped his car and turned off the ignition, waiting to see what would happen next.  The soldiers cautiously got out of their cars and trucks as well, surrounding him, their guns on ready. 

“Vihodi is mashini!” One of them, more likely an officer, yelled. 

Justin did as told.  He slowly opened the driver-side door and carefully climbed out of the car, making sure his hands were visible at all times.

He was immediately grabbed and pushed hard down on the ground, his face smashing into the mud.  He flinched when his arms were pulled behind his back and handcuffed, a soldier’s knee pushing him deeper into the ground, causing him to nearly suffocate.  Then, just as quickly as he was pushed down, Justin was picked up, his shoulders protesting loudly at the roughness with which he was being handled. 

Justin spit out the mud from his mouth, unable to wipe it away to stop it from getting into his eyes and nose.  The man that ordered him to get out of the car stood now in front of him.

“Gde drugoy?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Justin responded. 

“You American?”

“Yes.  I’m here on vacation.”

The man was obviously not convinced, so Justin decided to play the one card he had going for him.  “I would like to speak with your boss.”

The officer eyed him carefully.  Justin wasn’t sure whether he intended to grant Justin his request or simply realized that he wouldn’t get much out of him on the side of the road, but he ordered the other soldiers to put Justin into the car to take him back to the base.

As he was being pushed toward the car, Justin risked a glance in the direction Brian left minutes before.  The two blurs that were the lights of the Fiat had just disappeared behind the hill and Justin couldn’t help but smile. 

He did it.

Go to Part 5

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