[✔] White over Red (boyxboy)

֍CHAPTER 27: Stepan's Monologue (part 1)

I hate the darkness. But now with this warm hand holding mine, I feel like it's bearable. Guided by the flashlight from my phone, I reach out my hand to one of the lamps on the right side of the bookcase in the room and pull at it. The mechanical sound can be heard and the bookcase was slid to the side, opening an entrance to a narrow staircase that leads downstairs into the darkness.

The only lights that can guide us down the stairs would be the flashlight from my and his phones. I know where the staircase will take us. I had been trained to escape from my childhood. In order to be prepared for the destiny in my adulthood, I was trained from a young age. Self-defence, using all kinds of weapons, survival skills, interrogation skills, and also my favourite lesson; the art of torture. But all that training could not erase my fear of the darkness or of reptiles. Which is why the best I can do is to avoid ever revealing this side of me to anyone.

Kirill was very sharp in his observation. He saw through me that I was afraid of the dark in an instant. It was also probably because I was being too obvious about it. In front of Kirill, I somehow tend to put my guards down a lot. Most of the time, I am both afraid and intrigued to be around him because of emotions that I never knew I could feel, I would feel when I'm around him. It felt both good and terrifying at the same time. But I'm still drawn to him.

It's too late to back out now.

We hold hands until we reach down the stairs and follow through the dark, narrow tunnel which leads us to another stairs going up. A trap door was right above me.... Before I could push open the door, Kirill stopped me. We are both sweating profusely from the lack of air and the heat in the tunnel. I can't wait to come out from the tunnel already. "What's the matter?"

"Turn off the lights. It's not far from the cabin, right? We haven't walked that far. We must be careful not to get caught," he cautioned me.

He is right. I like this. He is very smart and attentive. How can I not be attracted to him after all? I nod my head at him and we both turn off the lights. The darkness immediately made me shiver. But I still push open the door above me slowly and cautiously. The moonlight outside is bright so it eases the fear a bit. I come out slowly and Kirill follows behind me. It isn't that far from the cabin so we can still see the cabin from where we are and see that it is surrounded by silhouettes of people. I can't make out how many of them but Maxim will definitely be outnumbered. I just hope they won't be able to hurt him much by the time back up comes. Or else I really need to find a new reliable bodyguard. It's such a hassle.

We both run into the forest as silently as we can without saying a word. It is Kirill who pulls my hand and leads the way. There's an itch in my heart. I feel cared for. I feel good that someone is worried about me and is taking care of me. I don't know how to describe it but at this moment, I feel like if he asks for the world, I would give it to him.

When he thinks that we are far enough from the cabin and the area is secured enough, Kirill slows down and we eventually come to a stop among the trees in the darkness. Kirill looks around while breathing heavily. He then pulls out his phone to check the signal. I also do the same. I can see that the bar is full so I immediately make a phone call without saying a word to Kirill.

"Dad, someone attacked us at the cabin." ... "I got away." ... "Maxim is still there. Please send backup." ... "He said it's the Germans. Must be the Kaiser family." ... "I don't know. About a dozen I guess. They cut our power line and disrupt our phone signal probably through some sort of device. You know how the Kaiser are." ... "Yes. I'm with my friend." ... "No. Not Alberto. It's someone else." ... "No. Not a girlfriend." ... "Also not a boyfriend. Dad! Have you sent backup?" ... "I'm somewhere in the woods I don't know. Check my GPS." ... "Okay, hurry up."