ONE

Kiev

"He's skinny." The tall heavyset man said as he eyed me up and down. He turned to his companion, a man with the coldest blue eyes I had ever seen. Even colder than my mother's. I shivered slightly under their intense gaze.

The other man shrugged, then took a deep drag on his cigarette. He spoke in English, but I could not understand what it was that was being said.

The tall man answered him in the same incomprehensible language. I stood there in front of them in the small untidy living room in my grandmother's house. Mama had brought me here that morning, telling me in that scolding tone she constantly used, that I was going to meet a couple of American gentlemen. Friends of my father's, Mama had explained, her voice sounding rather strange. Distant, as though her mind was elsewhere.

I said nothing as I was dragged along the busy streets to my grandmother's small house. After all, I knew from experience that arguing with Mama was useless. She was small boned and thin to the point of emaciation, but she was as strong as an ox. She could fetch you a clout across the head that would have you seeing stars for a week. No, she was not the kind of woman you wanted to argue with if you wanted to keep your scalp on your head.

When we had gotten to my grandmother's small run down home, Mama had parked me in my grandfather's old overstuffed easy chair and then she and Grandma had gone into the kitchen to talk. I sat there waiting for them both, wondering uneasily what they were talking about.

After they had spoken, Mama had left saying that she would be back soon. A few moments later these two men had arrived. Grandma quickly ordered me to stand up and greet them. I did so, staring at them with curiosity. They both looked like they had a lot of money, the way they were both dressed and both of them wore expensive looking watches that looked like they were made out of real gold.

Both men finished speaking now and turned to look at me in a way that made me want to run from the room. I hated being scrutinized like this. It made me feel as though I was a tender piece of meat being sized up between two ravenous dogs.

The man with the cigarette spoke again. I managed to catch a couple of words in English that I had managed to pick up here and there. Money, that was one, and merchandise. I frowned, puzzled. What could they be possibly be discussing?

Suddenly the taller man, the one who spoke fluent Russian addressed me again.

"Tell me Sascha, how old are you?"

"Fourteen Sir." I replied as politely as I could. The man turned and said something to the smoker who nodded.

"And you go to school?"

Why all these questions. I was thoroughly confused now. "Of course Sir." I replied, still forcing myself to be polite. After all these were friends of my father's not that I had ever known him. He had died when I had been a baby. It had only ever been just my mother and myself.

"What subjects do you like doing in school?" The man asked. He was eyeing up and down, taking in my old ill fitting clothes and run down shoes. They were both neatly dressed in dark suits and ties. Their polished black shoes gleamed in the light. Next to them I felt downright shabby.

I thought for a moment before answering. Then I said. "I like maths, and geography. History is okay too. And I like to read." That was the truth, I loved books and practically devoured every one that I could get my hands on.

The tall man spoke again, rapidly this time while the smoker nodded and looked at me thoughtfully.

I could not help but squirm a little, there was something about that other man. I could not describe it, but the way he kept eyeing me, almost hungrily. He made me feel like I was a mouse, and he was the snake.

I dropped my eyes away from him and turned to look for my grandmother, but she had left the room practically the moment these two men had arrived. Nervously she had muttered something about making some tea on her way out, but I could see that she had been almost eager to leave.

Fervently I wished that she had not left me all alone with these two and I wondered when Mama would be back. She had told me that she would not be long but that had been over two hours ago.

I glanced out of the window, it was nearly dark now. I was hungry and tired, all I wanted to do was go home. I was rapidly growing weary of having to answer all these questions.

"Sascha, how would you like to take a trip?"

That particular question caught me off guard and I found myself staring at these two men, my mouth hanging open. I must have looked like a half witted yokel to the both of them.

"A trip?" I stammered out. " Where to?"

"To America." The Russian speaking man replied. He gave me an easy smile, showing me a mouthful of even white teeth. American teeth, I thought to myself resentfully, thinking of my own rather poor looking ones.

"No thank you." I replied, still polite, but firm this time. I had no wish to leave Kiev. After all, that would mean having to leave my mother and my granny as well. I simply could not do

"No?" He seemed surprised. "But you would like it in the States Sascha. There are lots of things that a boy your age would love doing over there."

I looked up at him, my curiosity piqued now. "Like what?"

"Like swimming and fishing. Going hunting. You could have your very own stereo and television. Things that a boy likes. Wouldn't you like that?"

I thought about it for a moment. I had to admit, it sounded tempting. After all, my own stereo and television. What boy wouldn't want these things? But the truth was these two men frightened me. I had no intentions of going anywhere with either of them. Not for all the televisions and stereos in the world.

I looked directly at the both of them, my chin high in the air. "Thank you but no. I am happy here."

The smoking man said something to the Russian speaking man. Something that made them both chuckle, then he fixed me with that cold clear gaze of his.

He said something to me in that strange unmusical language of his. Then he turned and walked out of the living room, leaving us both standing there. Confused I stared up at the other man.

"He said that you were going to go to America whether you liked it or not." The Russian speaking man told me, his tone implacable.

Fighting the panic that was starting to well up inside my chest, I shook my head. "No, I don't want to go. Thank you all the same though." I added as politely as I was able to manage under the circumstances.

The Russian speaking man merely shrugged. "Mr Spender likes you Sascha. He thinks that you will do well in the organization that he works with."

"What organization?" I asked weakly. I was beginning to feel completely frightened and helpless now. Who were these two men? What right did they tell me that I had to go to America with them? And where the hell was my mother?

Giving me a broad smile, he reached over to pat me on the shoulder reassuringly. "You'll see." He answered.

TWO

Kiev

"Mama, please I don't want to go." I was painfully aware of the fact that my pleas were becoming more desperate, more tearful now. I stood in my tiny bedroom beside my bed watching as Mama packed the last of my things into an old battered suitcase. It was the brown leather one that had once belonged to my father. It still had his initials engraved on it. V.K. Vladimir Krycekovski

"You have to go Sascha." Mama replied, her voice firm as she closed the suitcase with a sharp snap. "It's already been decided. You have been chosen."

"Chosen? For what?" I was almost yelling, the tears of anger and fear threatening to start spilling over any minute now.

"Calm yourself Sascha." Mama snapped, her own patience wearing thin. "They will be here any minute. And you are not to give them any trouble either young man. You are to do everything that they say. Is that understood?"

"I won't." I shouted at her, stamping my foot like an angry three year old. "I am not going and that's final! You can't make me!"

"Sascha, please..." Mama lifted her hand to wipe away a lock of dark hair already prematurely graying. "You must understand, I have no say in this. You have to go with them."

"But why?" I whined. "Why do I have to? I don't want to?"

She reached over and grasped me by my shoulders, her grip as strong as ever. Years of hard work had made her strong, it had also made her old before her time.

"Sascha, there is so much that you don't know. So much that I never told you. I realize now that it was a mistake, I should have told you but I thought I could keep you safe..."

"Mama..." Tears started to fall down my cheeks. Here I was a lad of fourteen and already I had started to blubber like a baby. I lifted one hand to wipe the tears away, despising myself for them.

"Oh my darling." Mama whispered and for the first time I could see the grief deep in the depths of her green eyes. With an inarticulate cry, I launched myself into her arms feeling her gather me up and hold me to close to her.

"Please don't make me go." I begged. "I want to stay here with you and Grandma."

"You must go my darling." Mama said as she stroked my hair gently with her hand. "You must and you will. Anyway, it's for the best. You will have a fine future over in America. I just know that you will. They will give all the things that I cannot. And I know that they will take good care of you. Just as I know that you will make me proud."

Suddenly the sound of a vehicle pulling up out of the front of our home made us both look up. I felt a shudder ripple through me. It was them, they had arrived to take me away.

A cursory knock, then the front door opened. The smoker and the Russian speaking man entered our small living room. They had brought a third man with them. He was slightly taller than the rest. His dark brown hair was swept neatly away from a thin and very aristocratic face.

He offered me a smile, but I noticed how cold his eyes remained while he swept a speculative gaze over me. He was sizing me up.

The Russian speaking man stepped over to my mother, taking her by the arm and drawing her to one side spoke to her in low tones. I could not hear what he was saying but I saw the large wad of money exchange hands. By the look of it, enough to keep her in relative comfort for a very long time.

True to the nick name that I had given him, the smoking man lit a cigarette. He drew on it, his eyes never leaving my face. I looked at him for a moment, then looked away. I did not want to go with these men. My stomach rolled sickly at the very thought of leaving my home and my mother.

"It's time to go Sascha." I could hear the tears in my mother's voice although I did not see any in her eyes. No, they remained bright and clear even as she handed my suitcase.

"Mama..." I opened my mouth to plead with her one last time, but I saw that it would do me no good. The wad of rubles were stashed securely away in the pocket of her old house dress. I had in effect, been bought and sold.

"Go Sascha." Mama whispered to me as she bent down to kiss my cheek good-bye. Her lips felt cold against my flesh.

"Go with them my darling and don't forget about me."

Numb with feelings of anger and betrayal warring inside of me, I turned away from her and walked towards the door. My legs were trembling so hard I thought for a moment that they would give way underneath me.

The large black van sat out the front of my house shining and new against the wet cobblestones. It stood out against the general shabbiness of the quiet street.

A large heavy set man sat behind the wheel of the van. He grinned at me as I climbed into the back seat. "Hello there little comrade." He said cheerfully. I did not reply, instead I silently settled myself into the backseat of the van.

The other three men climbed into the van as well. The Russian speaking man sitting in the front seat next to the driver. The smoker and the aristocrat sat beside me, their bulk making me feel small and insignificant.

The van pulled away from the curb, and that was when I noticed my suitcase was still sitting in the pavement near the kerb.

"My clothes!" I cried, hands pressed against the window. "My things! You have to stop... please!"

The Russian speaking man turned in his seat to face me. "You won't be needing them Sascha. You have a whole new life now and that means leaving all of your old things behind. Including the old you." The last words sent a chill down my spine. What did he mean by that? What did these people want from me? Swallowing hard, I said nothing but I could feel the sting of tears behind my eyes.

"Lucky little boy." The driver remarked and he and the Russian speaking man shared a laugh.

I felt the colour slam into my face when I realized that the laughter was at my expense.

I turned towards the two Americans sitting beside me, but they were deep in conversation ignoring me completely. Suddenly I had never felt so lost and alone in all my life. So I turned and stared out of the window watching as my home was left far behind me. I wondered what America would be like, then suddenly found that in my misery, I did not care.

THREE

The Facility, West Virginia

"You have to eat something Alex." Sergi said as he set the tray down in front of me.

I glanced down at the tray laden with food, then looked back up at him again.

"That's not my name." I replied listlessly.

"It is now." He said cheerfully. "You are no longer Soviet Alex. You are American now. You have to speak and act like you have lived here all your life and that means Americanizing your name."

"You haven't Americanized yours." I snapped back resentfully. Sergi chuckled and shook his head. "I don't have to little man." He replied. He went to leave my room, then turning back, pointed to the tray. "You are far too skinny to be American little boy, so eat."

I watched as Sergi closed and locked the door to my room behind him. I heard him whistling as his footsteps receded down the corridor. Sitting up, I lifted the warming lid off the plate of food and sighed. Meatloaf again. I hated meatloaf. Mashed potatoes and peas and carrots were smothered in a thick brown gravy. I set the lid back down once more.

Vanilla pudding for dessert, surprise, surprise. Didn't these cooks ever do anything different?

I was rapidly growing tired of meatloaf and pot roasts and fried chicken. I sighed as I fondly recalled my grandmother's cooking. Her rich goulashes and borsht.

Here they had me living on hot dogs and hamburgers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I laid back down against the cool pillow, my mind already wandering back to Kiev and to my mother's house.

Lost in my reverie, I did not hear the door to my room open.

"Hello Alex." It was the smoker and Piotr, the man that I had met back in Russia. The one that had spoken Russian. They had used him as a translator when they had been in the process of bargaining for me back in Kiev.

Quickly I sat up, watching as Piotr closed the door behind him.

"Hello." I greeted them in my hesitant English. I had been in America now for three months living in the Consortium Facility and already I had managed to pick up a little English.

That was where they had taken me after we had arrived in the United States. Piotr was now my personal tutor and trainer. He was given the job of teaching me how to pass for a normal ordinary American boy.

"Mmm, something smells good." The smoker said with a smile. Piotr quickly translated what he had said for me. Even though I was slowly learning this strange and difficult language I still had quite a way to go.

"It's meatloaf." I replied sullenly in Russian. "Again."

Even before Piotr had translated what I had said, the smoker seemed to understand. He said something to Piotr and the both of them chuckled.

I could see that the smoker was trying to be friendly but I was not about to be taken in. With a child's instinct, I could tell that he was as ruthless and as cold blooded as they came. So I sat on my narrow bed and waited.

"Alex." Piotr began as he settled himself carefully down onto the edge of bed. "How do you like it here?"

I stared at him for a moment, not quite understanding the question. "What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"How do you like being here in America?" Piotr asked patiently, drawing out his words as though he were speaking to a backward child. Which he probably thought he was.

"I don't know." I replied truthfully. After all, I had not seen much outside of this facility that they had brought me to. Except for Piotr and the dutymen, I had very little contact with anyone at all. Sometimes one of the Elite would come in to visit with me. It was usually Mr Spender, the smoker. But other than that, there was no one else.

Piotr nodded thoughtfully, then he said. "We have been monitoring your progress ever since you arrived here and I have to say that it has been quite impressive."

I said nothing, just continued to wait. I knew that he would tell me what was going on all in good time. Lately I had become very good at waiting.

"You are a very bright capable boy Alex." Piotr continued. "We, and when I say 'we' I mean the members of the Consortium feel that you are going to have a great future here."

"Thank you." I replied, more because I could not think of anything else to say.

Piotr gave me a smile, then got to his feet once more.

"Continue to study hard Alex and try your best to learn English. I know that it can be a difficult and at times confusing language, but all this will be to your advantage one day."

With that, both men left the room, leaving me sitting there wondering what exactly had my mother gotten me into?.

FOUR

The Facility, West Virginia

Six months later

"...And whatever walked there, walked alone." I finished as I closed the book. I looked up at Piotr who nodded satisfied.

"That was fine Alex. You're English is coming along quite nicely now."

"Thank you." I replied. Actually my English was dammed good. I was aware that my accent was still as thick as mud, as Sergi often liked to point out. But I could make myself understood and more to the point I could understand what was being said to me. That had become the most important thing of all.

Now Piotr was teaching me to be able to not only speak this odd language, but read and write it as well. Hence the book.

"So what did you think of it?" He asked now, indicating towards the rather battered paperback I was still holding.

I turned it over in order to look at the dull beige cover emblazoned with large black letters.

"The Haunting of Hill House." I intoned, then I looked up at Piotr. "I liked it."

He chuckled. "I thought you might." He said. "It had always been one of my favourites as well. Scared the hell out of me when I first read it myself."

"I did not find it scary." I replied cautiously. "I thought it was well...kind of sad really."

I was aware of Piotr's gaze fixed on me now. "Really." He replied, his voice mild. "That's interesting Alex. Why do you say that?"

I shrugged, turning the paperback that Piotr had given to me over in my hands. "I just thought that Eleanor was a rather sad character that's all." I said diffidently.

"I see." He said with an encouraging nod. "Go on."

"Well, there she was, all alone, she had never been able to fulfill any of her hopes and dreams because she had spent her entire life caring for a sick and demanding mother. Finally her mother dies leaving her all alone, and then she is forced to live with her selfish sister and her horrible family. Poor Eleanor never had a chance. And the one time she is able to escape, to have an adventure on her own, it all ends in tragedy. The house would not let her go."

"I guess it needed her." Piotr replied, settling himself back against the hard backed chair.

I shook my head. "The house was selfish." I stated firmly. "It should have let her go. It should have let her live." Suddenly I found myself hating the dreadful house that this middle aged housewife had written about.

"Perhaps Eleanor had a destiny to fulfill Alex." Piotr's voice was almost gentle. "After all, we all have our destinies to fulfill."

I did not answer, after all what could I say? I handed him back the book. "I like this Shirley Jackson." I told him. "I want to read more of her stories please."

Piotr chuckled as he accepted the book. "Wait until you read, 'The Lottery'," he replied.

I frowned. "Someone wins a lottery?" It did not sound like something that she would write.

"Something like that, yes."

"Oh, okay." I replied. "So what now Piotr?" I asked. I had finished most of my lessons for the day. Together we had covered American pop culture and popular music. I discovered I really liked Credence Clear Water Revival and Kiss. Janice Joplin was okay, but I did not like Bob Dylan very much. I found his voice to be too harsh, too gravelly for my taste. And of course Elvis was the King.

"Ever hear of Bugs Bunny?" He asked me with a grin. I shook my head.

"How about Daffy Duck? Mickey Mouse? Tom and Jerry?"

"No." I replied, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

Piotr laughed as he slapped his hand down on my shoulder. "Come with me my young friend because your education is about to continue."

FIVE

The Facility, West Virginia

I yawned as I looked up from the large colour television set that sat in the Lounge. Several dutymen were sitting around drinking coffee and eating these thick pastries that they called danishes. They were all laughing at the action going on in the screen in front of them.

One of them winked and grinned at me broadly. I quickly turned back to the television once more.

Another burst of laughter sounded from behind me. They were all laughing at the antics of the three men on screen as they attempted to build a barn. All they did was slap at each other and poke each other in the eyes. Try as I might, I could not find any humour in this.

I watched, trying to make sense out of three grown men constantly injuring each other in a way that was verging on sadistic.

The dutymen loved it though. They howled with laughter at these three morons as they went through their definitely unfunny paces.

Suddenly I longed to be able to hold a book in my hands. Perhaps another Shirley Jackson, or something by Steinbeck. I had also been allowed to read To Kill A Mockingbird, a beautiful story that had brought me near to tears. And The Catcher In The Rye, that had been another story that I had loved. The words had just seemed to leap off the page and into my very mind.

How horrified I had been to learn that many schools had banned this magnificent book. It made feel sad that this wonderful book had been so utterly misunderstood.

With an inward sigh, I turned my attention back to the television screen. Now they were all throwing pies at each other. This seemed to absolutely delight the dutymen. I glanced up at the clock on the wall, wondering idly when this would finally end.

Mercifully the pie throwing seemed to be the grand finale and finally to my relief, the credits rolled.

I got up off my place where I had been lying on the carpet and went over to the long low couch that was placed towards the back of the room.

I settled down to wait for Piotr to come and take me back to my room. Even though I had been here at the Facility for over six months now, I still was not permitted to move around freely by myself.

I was only allowed to move about the large and very well guarded compound without an escort. That usually included Piotr or the whatever dutymen were on guard at the time.

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

I looked up at the sound of the voice. It was one of the dutymen, the same one that had smiled at me before.

I shrugged noncommittally. "It was okay." I replied. The truth was, I had found it stupid and boring to the extreme, but I had discovered over the time I spent here that it was often better to keep my opinions to myself.

He gave me another grin, wider this time showing his white even teeth. "I kind of got the feeling that you didn't like it very much. You didn't laugh once."

I stared up at him, surprised. "You noticed?"

The dutyman nodded. "I noticed."

"You must have been staring at me the whole time." Suddenly I felt uncomfortable under this man's gaze. He was younger than most of the other dutymen. He looked to be in his mid twenties or early thirties. He had very mild looking brown eyes and a head full of dark curly hair.

"What's your name?" I asked suddenly, then felt the colour rise in my cheeks. Why did I ask that? I wondered to myself. I never socialized with the guards. In fact, except to Piotr and the occasional visit from one of the Consortium Elite, I never had any real contact with anyone.

"Dominick." He told me, then stuck his hand out. I grasped it briefly, feeling the warmth of his skin contact briefly with mine.

"Hi I'm Sascha, um but they all call me Alex." I replied, my face growing even hotter.

"Hi Sascha but they all call me Alex," he said with a laugh. "It's nice to meet you."

"Uh, just call me Alex." I told him, feeling like a complete fool now.

"And you can call me Dominick, or Nicky for short." Suddenly he sat down beside me, settling himself on the comfortable couch. The dull gray of his uniform was in complete contrast to my faded denim jeans and red pullover. Clothes that had been supplied for me the first day I arrived here.

"You are Russian aren't you?"

The question caught me by surprise and I nodded.

"I thought so." Dominick continued easily. "It was your accent. I'm pretty good at picking accents you know." He said that proudly as though to him it was a great skill.

"I come from Kiev." I explained. "I was born there." God, why was I sounding so dammed stupid all of a sudden?

He grinned at me again. "That's great." He replied enthusiastically. "I come from Wisconsin myself. A farm boy I guess you could say."

I nodded. I knew a little about the place that he called Wisconsin. I had been learning all about the various states and cities in America. It was all part of my training.

"That's nice." I said when I realized he was waiting for me to say something.

"So how long have you been in the good old U-S-of-A for?" Dominick asked. I smiled at him. That was the one thing that I was beginning to like about Americans. Their open friendliness and boundless curiosity. In one way, I wished that I could be as open, as trusting as that.

"Six months, give or take a couple of weeks." I told him. Dominick nodded thoughtfully.

"Your English is very good," he said after a while.

"Thanks." I replied, giving him a smile. I was starting to like the young dutyman a lot. He reminded me of a friend that I had back in Kiev. A boy I went to school with. His name had been Pavel. He had the same dark curly hair and bright cheerful smile. Suddenly I found myself thinking about home. About all my friends, my mother. Everything that I had left behind. I could feel a lump rise up in my throat as I thought about how much I missed them all.

The expression on my face must have changed because suddenly Dominick was regarding me closely. I could see the concern in his light brown eyes.

"Is something wrong?" He asked worried now. "You look upset."

I shook myself out of my morbid thoughts and mustered up a smile. "Yes, I'm fine." I assured him. "Just got a little homesick there for a minute. It's gone now, I'm fine."

He opened his mouth to say something, when the door to the Lounge opened and Piotr entered the room. A deep frown of displeasure crossed his face when he saw the both of us sitting on the couch together.

"Alex." He said, his voice stern. I instantly got to my feet. Dominick rose off the couch as well. I could tell by the look on his face that he knew that he was in trouble.

"It's time to return you back to your room." Piotr told me. The tone of his voice brooked no argument. I nodded, saying nothing only aware that the ice under me was extremely thin at the moment.

He turned to Dominick who was still standing beside me.

"I'm sure that you have your duties to attend to."

With a nod, Dominick quickly left the Lounge. Both Piotr and I watched him leave, then he turned to me.

Alex, you are not to socialize with the guards here. Is that clear?"

Face burning, I nodded. I could hear the simmering anger in the older man's voice as he spoke.

"Come along."

With that, he made a curt gesture for me to follow him out of the Lounge. The both of us headed down the long neutrally decorated corridor and back to my room.

Neither of us spoke as we walked. Normally Piotr would be questioning me by now. Asking what I thought of the film, what I thought about Western humour in general. But it was clear that he was disinclined to talk and I did not want to arouse his ire any longer by trying to start a conversation right now.

Finally we both arrived outside my room. Piotr inserted a key into the lock and gave it a sharp twist. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. I noticed straight away that my room had been clean. The floor swept and the sheets had been changed.

It was up to me to keep my room reasonably tidy, but all the major chores such as the laundry and the heavier cleaning was done by the cleaning crew that worked here at the Facility. And that I had to admit, after years of helping my mother with all the housework, that suited me just fine.

Suddenly Piotr stepped into my room behind me. "I think we need to have a little talk." He began.

I stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

"Alex, I know realize that it must get lonely here for you after a while." He began. "I suppose you must long for someone closer to your own age. Someone that you can talk to, confide in. The thing is Alex, you are here for a specific purpose. You have been recruited by the Consortium to work for them. That means having to give them your complete and total devotion. It means having to be absolutely loyal to the Cause. To the Greater Purpose. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

I thought it better to say nothing, instead I allowed Piotr to continue his speech.

"What I am trying to tell you Alex is that while you are here, you are not to have any contact at all with any of the people that work here. That includes the cleaning staff, the cooks, the gardeners and the dutymen. Especially the dutymen. Is that clear?"

"Yes." I whispered, not looking at him now. Piotr leaned towards me, his face cold and stern. I could see the depths of anger and worry in his eyes.

"Yes what?"

"Yes Sir." I replied, slightly louder this time. Satisfied, he sat back, his eyes still on my face.

"Good Alex." He said quietly. "As long as we are quite clear on this. After all I would not like to have to discipline you. You have been quite cooperative and well behaved since you have been here. I have not really been forced to have to correct you so let's not spoil things now shall we?"

I shook my head no. After all Piotr was right, he had not had to punish me once since I had been here. To be totally honest, I had no idea what methods would be used and truth be told, I was in no particular hurry to find out.

Piotr gave me a sudden smile, his eyes crinkling around the edges. "Very good then young man. Well your supper should be here any minute, so I shall go and leave you to it. I shall see you tomorrow bright and early."

"Okay Piotr." I replied, relieved that he was no longer angry at me. I had never seen Piotr really lose his temper, but I could imagine that it would be a most impressive sight if he ever did. After all he was a big man, tall and well muscled. I knew that he worked out every spare moment he got. He had even allowed me use the large well equipped gym on the top floor of the Facility a couple of times as a treat.

"Goodnight Alex." He said almost fondly as he gently closed the door behind him. I heard him turn the key in the lock as I settled down on the bed to wait for my evening meal. I suddenly found myself hoping that it would not be meatloaf again.

SIX

Nine months later

The Facility, West Virginia

"That's it Alex, now aim the rifle straight at the target."

I held the heavy weapon up, steadying it against my shoulder as best as I could. I took careful aim at the wooden man shaped target ahead of me, then fired.

The wooden head exploded into fragments. Splinters flying up everywhere in the air. I could not help the huge grin that spread across my face as I saw that I had hit the target. Up until now, I had usually missed.

"That was just great Alex."

I turned to face my firing range instructor, a big bear of an ex marine called Harold Kelly.

He gave me a friendly slap on my back that dammed near pitched me over onto my face.

"That's the ticket son. A few more like that and we'll be turning you into a real sharpshooter in no time."

"Thanks Sarge." I said, referring to him by his nick name. He had been a Sergeant back in his marine days and was quite proud of that fact.

"Now clean and secure your weapon boy, then report back to the main building."

"Yes Sir." I gave him a mock salute that brought a grin to his broad good natured face.

"Get moving boy before I land a kick to your rear that will leave you limping for the next week." He growled. I laughed and went to do as ordered.

I had been learning how to use various weapons for the last several weeks now. And I had found that I was very good at it. I was becoming very adept at using pistols, rifles and knives. I had also been given a crash course in other weapons as well, such as coshes and brass knuckles. To say that all this was a learning curve was something of an understatement.

Sarge told me that I had a 'natural aptitude' when it came to any sort of firearms at all. He was correct about that. A combination of good eyesight and quick reflexes certainly helped.

After I had cleaned and stored the weapon away, I headed back towards the main building. The cafeteria was located near the back of the building and that was where I headed for.

It was almost a year ago today that I arrived here at the Facility. I was fifteen now and I had grown several inches. With a combination of physical exercise and natural musculature, I had filled out quite nicely as well. I was becoming aware that I was beginning to receive some interested looks from some of the women that worked here, and from a couple of the men as well.

I spotted Piotr almost immediately. He was sitting at the far table, a bowl of soup in front of him. I collected my food and walked over to where he was sitting.

He glanced up from his newspaper as I sat down.

"How was rifle practice today?" He asked. I shrugged as I picked up my fork.

"It was okay." I told him.

"I spoke to Harold yesterday." Piotr said with a smile. "He tells me that you are one of his finest students, in fact he's quite proud of you."

I felt a flush of real pleasure and I returned Piotr's smile. "I'm glad he's happy with me." I replied.

"Your progress continues to be a success Alex." He said as he swirled the chicken and noodle soup around with his spoon. "In fact Alex, your training has been so successful, we are considering advancing you to the next level."

I glanced up at the older man, surprised. "But I thought I had already been advanced." I replied, confused. "I mean, I am allowed to walk around the compound without having to have any of the dutymen escort me. My room is no longer locked at night and my weapons training has now been stepped up to the advanced level..."

"So because of all that, you thought that we had advanced you in the ranks so to speak." Piotr replied. I could see the amusement in his eyes.

I nodded, of course I had. Under the circumstances, anyone would have. I watched as Piotr finished his soup, then pushed the bowl to one side.

"Alex," he began. "You are still very young and you have a lot to learn about many things. You were recruited into this organization for several reasons, one of which was your high level of intelligence and your physical skills. But there are still many things that you have yet to learn."

"Such as?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at him. Piotr chuckled.

"All in good time little boy. All in good time."

Suddenly a shadow loomed across the table. We both looked up at the large figure that was currently blocking the light. It was Sergi.

"Piotr, you are needed in the Board room. They have called a last minute conference."

With a nod, Piotr got to his feet. "Thank you Sergi," he replied.

The other man gave him a polite nod, as Piotr made his way past him and headed towards the cafeteria's exit.

"Another last minute conference." I remarked as I watched the door swing shut behind my tutor. "That's the third one this week."

"Nothing to do with you little boy." Sergi told me with gruff good humour. "This is Consortium business so you would do best to keep out of it."

"I am being trained by them so maybe it is my business." I retorted with a grin and in return I received a playful cuff to the back of my head.

"Stay out of things that don't concern you boy unless you want to find that cute little ass of yours in a sling." Sergi growled, then he wandered away intent on his own duties once more.

I finished the rest of my lunch, then went to get up from the table when I caught sight of him. It was Dominick. He was sitting by himself reading a book while he ate.

After a moment's hesitation, I left my table and walked over to where he was sitting.

"Hi there." I said giving him what I hoped was a friendly smile. Dominick put his book down onto the table in front of him and glanced up at me.

"Hi there yourself."

"Mind if I sit?" I asked, indicating towards the empty chair sitting opposite. He shrugged. "Sure, go right ahead."

I sat down, then reached over to pick up the book that he had been reading. I studied the cover for a moment.

"This looks interesting." I remarked. "Is it any good?"

"Yes, it's great, really creepy as a matter of fact." Dominick replied. "You can borrow it after me if you like."

"I have never read anything by this Stephen King before." I said. I frowned at the picture of the blood covered face of the girl underneath the large white letters.

"Carrie." I read the title out loud. Then I asked. "Why is she covered in blood?" Dominick gave me a grin as he leaned back against his chair. "You'll have to read it to understand why." He replied.

I laid the book back down onto the table, making a mental note to borrow it later. It looked interesting in a ghoulish kind of way. And I always liked the try new authors.

"So how have you been?"

I looked up at Dominick for a moment, then replied. "Fine, I am learning how to use different weapons now."

"Yes, I saw you out on the rifle range earlier." Dominick replied. "You are very good you know."

I felt my face grow hot. "Thanks." I mumbled. "My instructor seems to think so as well."

"I haven't seen you around for awhile." Dominick said giving me a grin.

"I've been busy." I replied. I found myself briefly wondering if Dominick knew I was not allowed to socialize with the dutymen. Oh sure, I had been given more privileges and freedoms but socializing with staff here at the Facility was the one thing that Piotr refused to budge on.

Not that it bothered me much, there were not many people here that I had that much in common with anyway.

To most of the people here, I was just a recruit, a drone being trained to serve the Consortium. There was little to interest them in me. And to me, they were just the same faces I saw everyday. Wage slaves that did their jobs and left to go to their mortgaged homes every evening.

Except of course for Piotr and Sergi...and Dominick. There was something about the young dutyman... something that seemed to draw me, but I could not for the life of me, explain what it was.

We talked a little more, about this and that. I learned that Dominick was not quite as old as I thought he was. He was only twenty three. It was the dull gray uniform that he wore, it made him look older. I also discovered that like me, he loved to read. We sat and talked about the various books that we had both read, then moved on to other topics like music and then finally movies. We were both delighted to discover that we both love Clint Eastwood westerns and old Humphrey Bogart movies.

The discussion turned lively as we debated which was his better film, Casablanca or the Maltese Falcon. Finally we agreed that both were great films.

Suddenly Dominick looked at his watch and sighed. "I have to Alex." He told me with real regret. "I'm already over ten minutes late for my shift."

"Sorry." I replied contritely. "I didn't meant to hold you up." The truth was, I had been enjoying our conversation so much that the time had gotten away from me as well. I knew that I was taking a risk going against Piotr's express orders by sitting here talking to Dominick, but what the hell. I was growing tired of having no company except for that of my instructors.

"I have an idea." Dominick said suddenly. "How about I come and visit you after my shift. I know where your quarters are." He added almost as an afterthought.

I agreed almost straight away. I figured that as long as we were careful, Piotr and Sergi would never have to find out.

SEVEN

The Facility, West Virginia

I looked up from the book I had been reading as the light tap sounded at the door of my room.

"Come in." I called out. The door opened and Dominick entered. He had changed clothes and now he was wearing chinos and light flannel shirt.

Suddenly I became aware of good he looked out of that drab uniform that I always saw him in.

He gave me a bright smile, and pulled up a chair so he could sit down. Even though my room was comfortable, it was not very large and there were only a few pieces of furniture in it. My bed, a small wardrobe and chest of drawers. A table from where I both worked and ate my meals from when I was not eating in the cafeteria. And a single chair.

"Not much is it." I said with an embarrassed grin, waving my hand around the small room.

"It looks fine to me." Dominick replied easily enough. He settled himself back in the chair, his eyes on me. "What are you reading?" He asked.

"Valley Of The Dolls." I told him. He gave me a strange look and I could not help but laugh.

"It's Piotr's idea actually. He thinks that I still need to brush up on my 'American culture education' as he puts it."

"I haven't read it myself." Dominick replied with a shake of his head. "Not really my thing."

But you read books with a girl's bloodstained face on the cover, I thought privately. Aloud I replied. "It's not too bad." I reached over and laid the book onto the nightstand face down.

"So here we are." Dominick said. I glanced up at him.

"So here we are." I echoed softly. He smiled down at me, his face suddenly gentle.

"It must get lonely here for you Alex, all alone with no one to keep you company." He spoke softly, leaning forward in the chair.

I shrugged uncomfortably aware of his proximity now. "I guess." I mumbled, not meeting his gaze.

"Do you ever think about women Alex?" He asked. My head jerked up as I stared at him, the question taking me by complete surprise.

"I guess so." I stammered out. "Sometimes." The truth was, lately I had started to wonder about women. Nothing concrete, just vague formless thoughts usually late at night.

"Do you ever get to..." He let the question taper off. I shook my head. "No, I haven't... that is to say, I'm not really allowed..." I was aware of how flustered I was starting to become now.

Dominick laughed and shook his head. "You must be one horny bastard then." He replied.

"No, not really." I answered him, then felt my face go bright red. I was not used to having conversations like this.

"Well either you are, or you must jerk off a lot."

"I stared at him confused. "Jerk off?" That was not a term I was familiar with.

"Yes, you know." Dominick said impatiently. "Jerk off, wank, spank the monkey. Work the sausage, spend time with Mrs Palmer and her five daughters."

I blinked at him in total confusion, it was like he had suddenly started speaking in Swahili or something.

"Masturbate." He said clearly exasperated by my ignorance now.

"Ah, right." I replied relieved. Now I understood what he was talking about. Then I felt the blood rush to my face. How was it that Dominick was able to talk about such things so easily. I had always been taught that matters of sex were private, never to be discussed and here he was making jokes about it.

He must have seen the look on my face and decided to take pity on me.

"I'm sorry Alex." He apologized contritely. "I did not meant to embarrass you."

"That's all right." I told him. "It's just that..." I trailed off, if I told him that I was not used to talking about sex, I would end up sounding like a half wit, or a child. I did not want him to think that I was either.

Sensing how I was feeling, Dominick laid his hand on my shoulder. I could feel the warmth of his flesh through the thin cotton of my plain white shirt.

"You my friend need to get out and have some experiences." He said with a wink.

"That is kind of difficult for me right now." I replied somewhat drily. He grinned at me again, his eyes sparkling.

"Then I shall bring an experience to you." He replied. "After all, if Mohammed won't go to the mountain, then the mountain shall have to come to Mohammed, won't it."

Before I could frame a reply, Dominick bent his head down and before I knew what was going on... he kissed me.

I went to jerk my head away from his, more out of shock than anything else. But he had placed his hand behind my neck, holding my head firmly in place.

Finally he broke the kiss, pulling away to look at me. His eyes were shining now.

"Do you know how long I've been wanting to do that for?" He said. Dumbly I shook my head.

"Ever since that day I first saw you sitting in the Lounge." He told me. "Remember? You were watching a Three Stooges movie as I recall."

"And you had been watching me." I replied. "You noticed that I did not think that the movie was very funny."

"That's right Alex." Dominick said, obviously pleased that I had remembered. "You were bored out of your mind."

"That's right." I told him with a smile. "I never did grow to like those three you know."

"Well that's all right Alex." Dominick said as he laid his hand against my cheek. "You are far too intelligent to be satisfied with such mindless entertainment anyway."

I stared a him for a moment, then suddenly feeling shy I dropped my eyes away from his face.

"What's wrong Alex?" he asked, suddenly concerned. I shrugged trying for nonchalance, but failing miserably.

Nothing." I replied. "It's just that..."

"It's just that what?" He prompted.

I lifted my eyes up to meet his gaze. "I'm not used to being kissed by a man, that's all."

"I think that you are not used to being kissed by anyone." Dominick replied. "Man or woman. Am I right?"

I sighed inwardly. As much as I hated to admit this, he was right. And right now, I was totally out of my depth.

"Alex." Dominick said as he reached up to stroke my collar length black hair. "I would never do anything to hurt you. You have to believe that. If nothing else, I need you to believe that."

Wordlessly I nodded. Somehow I found myself wanting to believe what he said. Needing to believe it. Before I realized what was happening, I found myself being pushed back gently onto my narrow bed. Dominick's hands roaming over the front of my shirt and downwards to the front of my jeans.

A heat washed over me as he kissed me once more, our lips meeting with hungrily.

I suddenly found myself returning his kisses with a passion that I had never really suspected was there before.

Before I realized what was happening, Dominick had my shirt and jeans unbuttoned. He removed my clothes, dropping them in a heap on floor beside my bed.

He must have sensed my nervousness because he leaned forward and whispered gently in my ear.

"Relax Alex, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

I stared back up at him, eyes wide. I suddenly found myself wanting to trust him, no, needing to trust him. It had been so long since I'd had any real human contact, other than my instructors that was.

Sensing my need, Dominick leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. His kiss spreading a flush through my entire body. I returned the embrace feeling myself becoming hard against him. My virginal cock now a throbbing aching need.

I felt Dominick's mouth leave mine and find it's way down to my left nipple. I moaned and arched my back as sensation after sensation flooded me. His tongue lapped at my left nipple, then wandered over to the right one nipping and sucking at it until it became a hard little peak.

"Lift your legs up Alexi." He panted. Without thinking, I obeyed him. It was the first time anyone had ever called me 'Alexi' before. It had always been just Alex and before that...Sascha. My real name.

"Wait while I prepare you properly." He whispered. I watched while he took a small tube and an even smaller plastic wrapped item. It was a condom. This was the first time I had ever seen one.

I stared at him with fascination as he unwrapped the rubber and rolled it onto his erection. Then opening the tube, he squirted some clear jell onto his fingers.

I could not help but let out a cry as he smeared the cold lube into my anus. His fingers spreading me, opening me up.

"Just breathe Alexi." He told me gently. "Breathe and relax. I'm not going to be rough. You have my word."

As good as his word, he entered me as gently as possible. I let out a sharp yelp reaching out to grasp at his shoulders as the blunt head of his penis found it's way into my asshole.

I could feel tears gather in my eyes at the burning sensation in my rear. But I felt something else as well. Something that my fifteen year old self could neither explain, nor understand.

"That's it Alexi." I heard Dominick mutter as he thrust into me, his hands clutching at my legs, holding them up so as to give him better access to my posterior.

"Oh God." I moaned, the words coming out in Russian, the language I still naturally tended to revert to.

"OhgodohgodohGOD!" I yelled as I felt Dominick's cock push against my prostate. Sweating profusely now, I arched my body towards him, taking his thrusts again and again until my own cock either in sympathy or protest spurted semen over the both of us.

"Oh...oh shit." I stared embarrassed at the mess I had made. Then I looked up into Dominick's eyes, they were sparkling with a mixture of sex and laughter.

"Never mind baby." He said with a grin. Slowly, mindful of my now sore ass. He removed his cock from my no longer virginal opening. That was when I noticed that he too had come.

"You okay?" He asked. The concern in his voice touched me and I nodded.

"Yes." I told him, striving to keep my voice steady. "I'm fine."

Dominick helped my to sit up, smiling when he noticed me wincing.

"You'll be sore for a couple of days." He told me, reaching out to stroke my face.

"Sore." I muttered under my breath. "I don't think I'm going to be able to sit down for a week."

With a laugh, Dominick leaned forward to kiss me again. "It will get better Alexi, scout's honour."

I nodded, then gave him a grin. "It was good though." I admitted.

"Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it Alex."

Suddenly I felt my heart freeze in my chest. Slowly I turned around to face Piotr who was leaning against the now opened doorway.

"Well Alex, what have you to say for yourself?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but all I would manage was a strangled croak. Face grim, Piotr pushed himself away from the doorway and walked into my room.

I had absolutely no idea how long he had been standing there for. I could feel the colour slam into my face as he took in my naked sweat and cum slicked body.

"Go and clean yourself up, then report directly to my office." Piotr snapped at me. I cringed at the disgust that I could see written clearly across his face. Then he turned, spinning on his heel and stalked out of the room.

Too humiliated to speak, I pushed past the now silent Dominick and headed towards to tiny bathroom that was part of my quarters.

Running the water as I hot as I could stand, I stepped under the stinging spray until all evidence of our coupling had disappeared.

By the time I had finished toweling myself dry and I had stepped back out into my room, I found it empty. Dominick had gone.

EIGHT

The Facility, West Virginia

Piotr was sitting behind his large walnut desk. He was going over some files when I timidly knocked, then entered the office.

He did not so much as glance up at me, but merely continued to peruse the files instead.

"Uh, Piotr..." I hesitantly began, but was instantly cut off by one raised hand.

So I stood on the thick Turkish carpet, waiting until Piotr deigned to notice me. Although I had a sneaking suspicion that I was going to be very sorry when he finally did.

After a couple more agonizing minutes, Piotr gathered up the thin folders and carefully placed them to one side. He glanced up at me and I felt my mouth go dry.

"Well Alex." He began, his voice deceptively calm. A very bad sign. "Here we are."

"Well, what have you to say for yourself?"

Swallowing hard, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing would come out. After all, what explanation did I have for Piotr. His instructions had always been quite clear. I was never under any circumstances to have any contact with the staff. Including the dutymen. Especially the dutymen.

And now Piotr had caught me in the middle of having sex with one of them.

"What's wrong Alex, nothing to say for yourself?" He asked, his tone mild. Another bad sign.

"I...I'm sorry." I managed to stammer out. I stared down at the richly coloured carpet, unable to meet Piotr's eyes. I could not bear to see the anger in them right now, nor the disappointment.

"You're sorry." I could hear the undercurrent of anger in his voice now as he spoke.

I lifted my head slightly, watching from under my eyelashes as he stood up and walked around his desk to stand directly in front of me.

"Look at me boy!" Piotr ordered. I obeyed instantly, lifting my eyes to look directly into his.

"So you are sorry." He continued, his voice cold. "Tell me boy, what did I tell you before about socializing with the staff here at the Facility?"

"That I was not to Piotr." I answered him.

"That you were not to." He echoed my words. "And yet, not only did you disobey me by having contact with one of the dutymen, I find you both...fucking!"

Piotr's voice was quivering with outrage now. He towered over me, his face a mask of suppressed fury. Feeling real fear now, I took a step back away from him.

"Not only do I discover your disobedience Alex, I discover that you are a fag also. A filthy little fag!"

Turning away from me, he ran his hand through his thick dark hair. I stood silently watching him, wondering what was going to happen now.

"You disappoint me Alex." Although the words were spoken softly, they still cut through me like a knife.

"Piotr..." I began helplessly. "Please..."

He spun around to face me, the raw anger in his face made me feel sick to the pit of my stomach.

"You will be punished for this Alex." He told me coldly. "And I promise you that it will be the most memorable punishment that I can devise."

With that, I was given a curt dismissal. Two dutymen were waiting to escort me back to my room.
As I left the office, I turned to look at Piotr but he had turned his back to me, refusing to meet my gaze.

NINE

The Facility, West Virginia

Slowly I opened my eyes, trying to penetrate the solid mass of dark. I had no idea how long I had been in the Box for. All I knew was though that it was sweltering in here.

With a sigh, I leaned my head back against the hot metal wall wondering how long Piotr was going to keep me in here for.

One thing about it though, Piotr had promised me a memorable punishment and he had not disappointed me.

After having been locked in my room for a couple of hours, the door had opened and Piotr and two dutymen had entered. One of them had been Dominick.

I had sat up on the narrow bed, my mouth hanging open with pure astonishment. In return, he had given me a jovial smile.

"Dominick...what the..." I had stammered, totally confused now. I turned to stare at Piotr uncomprehendingly, and that was when I saw the thick oiled strap dangling loosely in his hand.

My mouth went completely dry at the sight of the deadly looking piece of leather. "Piotr, no please don't." My voice rose in panic at the thought of being whipped with that thing that he held in his hand.

"Don't make this any harder Alex." He said, his voice cold and implacable. "You deserve this thrashing Alex and you are not going to talk your way out of it so I suggest you take it like a man."

"No, no please... Piotr, I'm sorry." I whimpered, terrified now. "I promise I'll never disobey you again."

Piotr only shook his head sadly. "It's too late Alex. You failed the test and now you have to answer for that failure."

I froze at his words, not quite able to understand what he was telling me. Test? What test?

Seeing my confusion, Piotr decided to take pity on me. "Alex, it was all a test." He explained gently. "Dominick here was ordered to seduce you, to see whether you would succumb to the temptation of the flesh, so to speak."

"What?" I stared first at my tutor, then at the still grinning dutyman. Dominick had changed out of the street clothes that he had worn to seduce me and back into his uniform.

"But why him?" I cried out, my heart breaking at this treachery. "Why?" I desperately needed to understand.

"Because I needed to know whether you could stand strong against something like this and clearly you cannot." Piotr replied calmly. "And the reason I chose a male instead of a female Alex, well let's just say that your...sexual orientation has been something of a subject of speculation for quite some time now."

"My sexual..." I shook my head, unable to believe that this was happening to me. "But why?" I was painfully aware that my question sounded more like a plea. I needed to understand what was happening here.

"Think about it Alex." Piotr said quietly. "There are plenty of good looking women around here. The secretaries and the girls that work in the cafeteria. You haven't noticed any of them, and quite a few of them have noticed you."

"So because of that, you thought that I was...homosexual?" I could not believe this. Fear and outrage warred within me, outrage finally winning the day. This was now beginning to verge on the completely insane.

"Just because I did not pay any attention to those...stupid, vapid, giggling girls, you just assumed that I was a homosexual!" I was aware of how my voice rose, bouncing off the walls of my small room.

"And were we wrong Alex?" The question, calmly put had stopped me in my tracks. The answer was... no, they had not been wrong. Not in the slightest. I felt my face flush with shame. After all I had allowed myself to be fucked up the ass and I had liked it. Piotr was right, I was a fag. A filthy little fag.

Seeing the look on my face, Piotr nodded. "So I thought." Was his reply. Then he signaled to Dominick and the other dutyman. Stepping forward, they both grabbed me. Their hands dug into my flesh, leaving imprints that would take days to fade.

Before I knew what was happening, I found myself stripped naked and bent over, my posterior well presented to Piotr who had now moved to stand behind me.

As futile as it was, I still struggled valiantly against their hold. I knew I was going to be beaten but at least I would show them all that I still had the balls to fight back.

"Keep still Alex." I heard Piotr snap impatiently.

He just wants to get this over and done with, I thought dimly. He is not taking any pleasure in this at all. Somehow I did not find that thought particularly comforting though. After all it was Piotr that had betrayed me. My own teacher. The man that I had gradually learned to look up to as my guide and mentor

The same man that was now preparing to thoroughly tan my bare ass with a leather strap.

Suddenly I heard the whistle of the strap and then flinched as the leather bit into my tender flesh. I bit back a cry, not wanting any of them to have the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

The strap landed again and again, searing my rear. Sweat and tears mingled, running down my face but still I refused to cry out. Instead I bit down onto my bottom lip until I could feel the pain lance behind my eyes and the coppery taste of blood filled my mouth.

Finally the whipping ended and I was allowed to straighten up once more. Both Dominick and the other dutyman backed away from me warily, but I had no more fight left in me now.

I was aware of Piotr's gaze as moving painfully, I bent to gather my clothes together. I went to pull them on, but Piotr stopped me.

"Not yet Alex, this is only the first part of your punishment." He said, speaking firmly. I glanced up at him, my face still wet and tearstained. Carefully I licked at my lower lip, tasting the blood as it trickled down from the small cut where my teeth had dug in.

"Three days in the Box."

I felt my stomach plummet. The Box? I had no idea what that was, but judging by the look on Dominick and the other dutyman's faces, it did not bode well.

Face flaming, I was led naked outside, my strapped backside on display for all to see. Ignoring the comments and wolf whistles, I was marched across the quadrangle to a small metal shed that sat right at the far end. I had seen the shed many times, often walking past it on my way to the firing range, but I had known what it was used for.
The door was unlocked and I was unceremoniously shoved inside. The door was slammed shut behind me and I was left all alone in the dark.

Time passed slowly as I waited for my incarceration to end. Every now and again food and water would be pushed through a slot in the door. I was forced to piss and shit in a bucket that was emptied once every evening by a dour faced guard.

I sat in the dark, my thoughts chasing each other around as I nursed my bruises and welts... and my anger at the way I had been so brutally tricked. The memory of Dominick's grinning face, of the strap as it bit into me. Of the look of disgust on Piotr's face when I had looked up to see him standing in the doorway as I was being fucked by another man.

That was what hurt more than anything, that and the sheer raw betrayal of it all. And as I sat in the hot sweltering blackness waiting to be released, I made an oath to myself.

I would never allow anyone to get that close to me any more. I would never risk another betrayal like this. No, my mother had not raised any fools. With all the passion and emotion in my fifteen year old heart, I swore never to place my trust in anyone ever again.

And it would been many years later when I was to learn that this was only the first of the many betrayals that I would experience...and survive.