The rose of a desert. Volume 3. "Book of Flame" Chapter 5

The next day Kai spent as usual. However, it was without horseback riding, but there was a full-fledged training session with Gifar and his warriors.

For lunch, Kai was invited to the Sheikh's table, where he did not take his eyes from him, blazing in the depths of the fire of passion. Kai saw it and now knew what that look, turned to him, expressed.

He didn't want to eat at all, but in order not to draw attention to himself, he ate a little and asked permission to go to the library. There he tried to focus on the text. It was the biography of the great Japanese military leader Takeda Katsuoria, whose years of life were fifteen forty-six -fifteen eighty-two. Kai understood that the lines floated before his eyes, the hieroglyphs jumped, their meaning escaped, but at the cost of great effort, he forced himself to read and even began to realize the essence of what was written. He was fascinated by the description of the Time of Troubles under Otate and that Takeda betrayed his allies from the Hojo clan and sided with Uesugi Kagekatsu.

Kai closed the book, realizing that he was tired of deceiving himself that he was now worried about Katsuori's problems. He leaned back in his chair, knowing that evening was approaching, and Arshad did not change his plans for him. And if last evening everything finished with a kiss, then it was stupid to hope for the same outcome of this evening. Arshad, of course, restrained himself, and he was amused by this game with him, like a cat with a mouse, but Kai knew that when a person was thirty, he would not remain at the level of the bouquet-candy period.

What then should he do? Standard plots from films and books about the behavior of girls in such a situation climbed into his head:

"It is poisoning with not clear what and then if you mistake with the dose, all this will result in vomiting and diarrhea," Kai winced, imagining how his stomach would be washed.

"To throw myself off the tower of the castle - I can, of course, try to climb somewhere and from there fall onto the rose bushes," the thorns in his ass did not attract him very much.

"To cut my face, but how much I have to booze in order to do it?"

To pierce theatrically the chest with a dagger! Well, I’m a doctor, perhaps it will be difficult to do, knowing the consequences of such injuries.

So what else is there? To drown myself, to hang myself ... Enough! Stop! I am a military officer, and I behave like a hysterical young lady. Such nonsense creeps into my head ... "

Kai found cigarettes from Maksud and lit up, knowing that he had not come up with anything reasonable in this unreasonable situation.

Maksud came for him came and took the dying cigarette butt from his hand, extinguished and led him, holding the hand as if he was a child.

"It necessary to start resisting, not to let them dress me up, put on makeup, combed my hair ... Stop! This is all suitable only for girls!"

Kai sighed, seeing that the X-hour was approaching, but he never made any decision.

When he was brought into the night apartments in his yesterday's outfit, which he mentally called for himself "for fuc*ing", he stopped in the middle in confusion. Maksud went out and returned a minute later. Gently took Kai by the hand, led him to the table with fruits, sweets, and drinks.

"Arshad will be a little late, don't be bored, eat something tasty."

Maksud bowed and left.

Arshad really was a little late, his father called him, and he could not cancel or reschedule this conversation. And his father liked to talk with his son slowly and for a long time.

Kai stared blankly at the table in front of him, realizing the words of Maksud and realizing that his X-hour was not postponed for long. His throat was dry from tension and constant thoughts. He was thirsty.

Looking for water, he opened the wine and drank the glass. It relieved his thirst at least a little. He drank some more. It was expensive red dry French wine. He read all this on the label and drank the whole bottle being nervous.

He looked around the table. The abundance of various fruits did not attract him, he did not like oriental sweets at all, but his nerves demanded something else to chew or drink. He saw a bottle of champagne "Veuve Clicquot", pink, as he liked.

"There is a reason to drink!" Kai exclaimed, opening the bottle. The bung flew out with a bang. He filled his glass, "For the loss of anal virginity!" famously, in a hussar, he said a toast and drank.

The soft sparkling champagne tingled so pleasantly the tongue, that was just one "but": it was warm, and he liked to drink cold champagne.

"I must tell Arshad! There is such a significant event here, but I have to drink warm champagne," he drank another glass. Kai looked at the bottle through the light, saw that there was a little pink drink left in it, - Why should a good thing be wasted - it will die!" the guy poured the leftovers into his glass and drank it simply, without toast.

The champagne gave him a positive mood. Life seemed not to be so gloomy and hopeless anymore. He glanced around the table again. After the champagne, he wanted to eat something sweet.

"This one," Kai's hand reached for the bottle of Sheridan's liquor.

Kai took a clean liqueur glass and poured himself.

"It is delicious!" two colors, dark and white, were mixed in his glass. He drank, topped up more, licked the sweet sides of the glass with his tongue, smudged himself, smudged the table, some clothes on himself.

He got upset, tried to wipe it off, but only smeared everything worse, then left this occupation.

"Shit! How quickly it ended!" Kai licked the neck of the bottle and wiped his sweet fingers with napkins.

After such a sweet one, he realized that he urgently wanted to eat something savory. He looked around the table and saw what would come in handy now. His hand reached for the whiskey bottle.

"This is what I want. Otherwise, it turned out very sweet."

He reached for a bottle of Cathy Sark, a fifteen-year-old Scotch whiskey, found a glass with whiskey, generously splashed himself half of the glass. He breathed in its scent and drank it all in one gulp. Then, looking up, Kai saw that he was reflected in the mirror, sitting at the table, with an empty glass and a bottle of whiskey in his hand. He winked dashingly at his image.

"Don't chicken out! We won't get drunk. We'll just remove the nervous stress," while pouring, he turned to his reflection in the mirror. "Prokhor taught me to drink. He's a real man. You know what he said: What is the most important thing to know when drinking?" the image in the mirror looked at him inquiringly but did not answer. "You do not know! And I know and will teach you. Remember! When you drink, the main thing is to increase in degree! Here, look here," Kai pointed to the drunk bottles, "first wine, then champagne, then liqueur, we slightly increased the degree with it and now we have increased it normally to forty!" he showed a bottle of whiskey.

The guy from the mirror nodded approvingly at such a reasonable speech of his interlocutor.

"Oh, and your glass is empty. Well, what is it I ... you've come to visit me, and I keep chatting and chatting. Put the glass down, now we'll drink one more."

Kai poured himself a glass, raised his glass, and turned his gaze to the mirror, making sure that he also had a bottle, he said:

"Well, what do we, like drunks, drink without toasts? It's wrong! Here, you know, let's drink to me ... not ... not like that. In short, I have an important day today, just don’t laugh," Kai saw the guy in the mirror writhing with laughter. "Well, don’t laugh. Listen. Today I will become a fag ***t, " he said almost clearly and loudly. "Let's drink to this."

The guy opposite supported this toast, clinked glasses with him, raising his glass, and drank everything to the bottom.

"Well, you drink a lot!" looking at the empty glass in the guy's hand, said Kai. "Now I will pour more. Put the glass on the table."

Kai poured, looked into the glass, then looked at the guy.

"Well, I haven't told you everything yet. Imagine, Arshad has a crush on me. Well ... well, don't laugh, listen!" Kai again saw how the guy in the mirror nickered, bending in half and splashing the whiskey from the glass. "Uh ... don't let it go to waste, let's have a drink, and then I'll tell you further," Kai raised his glass and, clinking glasses with the guy, drank. "So, he fancied me! He has a whole harem there, there are probably girls with such boobs and beautiful, well, and he wants to fuck me! Can you imagine? Well, stop laughing already, listen to me! So what did he find in me? Look, how beautiful you are, your eyes are so beautiful ... your hair is curly, and in general, I like you ... but I'm thin, bony, and what did he like when he had girls with boobs there? In short, I don't understand anything ..."

Kai looked up at the guy in the mirror.

"Uh, look here ... why are you so sad? Come on, prepare a glass, we'll have another drink now. It's me must be sad. Imagine what I'll tell Prokhor later, and the bros ... well, just guess. I’ll come and say - I’m a fag***t! Damn it ..."

Kai poured another one and drank in silence.

"Now I sadness came over my spirit, but you know, Prokhor told me right away, even if you became a fag***t, come anyway. Imagine what a great friend I have. He will not leave a friend, even if his friend is a fag***t."

Kai looked at the guy in the mirror again.

"Friend, you are something completely limp there. Come on, don't worry. I've seen how people become fag***ts. Prokhor showed me. Fuck, it probably hurts. That guy was yelling like that. In short, we need to drink to it. Oh - the whiskey is over."

Kai got up to see better the table and the bottles on it.

"Eh, where did you go?" he glanced at the guy in the mirror. "Well ... sit down ... look what I've found. Now we will drink some brandy! Here's what," and he stammered, "Albert de Montabert"," then added syllables, " X and O - in short, cool. Don’t think, I’m fooling you. Do you know how much it costs? It doesn't matter, Arshad pays for everything, I'm a kind of like his beloved woman here," Kai giggled again, and then poured brandy into a glass.

"Well, for me. I'm almost a fag***t," Kai giggled again, then showed the bottle to the guy opposite. "By the way, can you imagine, we drink the right way? We increase the degree. This cognac is forty-five degrees. This is what you need to drink for."

Having drunk one glass at a time with the guy, Kai remembered the important thing and began to pour the cognac into the glass again.

"Between the first and the second there is a small gap," he quickly clinked glasses with the reflection, drank some brandy, and immediately poured another one. "Well, now we can also talk, -uh ... just don't fall asleep there, okay? In short, I've chatted with you too much. He'll come to fuck me now, and I'm not in bed yet."

Kai looked at the bed in the middle of the room.

"Well, I'll go there," he waved in the direction of the bed, "and I'll take some booze with me for courage. Let's drink the last glass, as they say, for the road!" he clinked glasses with the guy, waved his hand and tried to get up.

He immediately realized that it would not be possible. Then, getting on all fours, he confidently moved towards the bed, not forgetting to hold the unfinished bottle of cognac in his hand, having carefully twisted it with the lid.

He managed to walk part of the way to bed like this, but then when he decided to stop and have a drink, as he explained, "during the way", he was led to the side, and therefore he crawled the rest of the way.

He was crawling along the luxurious red carpet with a bottle in his hand, as if across a field to the trenches of the Mujahideen with a grenade. When the bed was in front of him, on the fourth attempt he managed, pulling off the coverlet for which he was clinging, to climb onto the bed, having previously thrown a half-empty bottle of cognac onto it.

On the bed, he crawled to the bottle and sat down, unscrewed the cork, poured the rest of the cognac into himself, and then just fell off on his back, spreading his arms and legs in different directions.

It was in such a pose of a starfish, thrown out on the coastal rocks, with an empty bottle in his hand, Maksud found him.

Maksud looked at the cognac the guy had drunk, then at Kai, and then his gaze fell on the empty bottles lying at the table, and he realized that his legs were giving way from weakness. But there were footsteps in the corridor. Maksud rushed to the door and ran into Arshad, nearly knocking him down.

He fell at his feet and began to cling to the hem of his master's robe.

"Arshad, oh Great Arshad, oh Great Arshad," Maksud lamented.

"What's going on?" Arshad tried to unhook Maksud from his robe and go into the room. Finally, he succeeded.

He saw Kai's sprawled body on the bed, rushed to him in horror.

"He is poisoned!" Arshad's voice sounded pain and fear from the realization of what had happened.

"No, he got drunk," the stern voice of Gifar sounded, who ran into this room, attracted by the cries of Maksud. "Yes, look for yourself," Gifar nodded towards the lying bottles.

Arshad walked to the empty bottles, rolled them with the toe of a slipper embroidered with gold, then returned to the bed, bent over Kai, and finally made sure that he was not just drunk - he was drunk completely out, absolutely hammered ... out of his mind!

Arshad took a bottle of cognac from his hands and turned it over. A pitiful drop of the drink came out of the bottle. Arshad began to laugh. Probably, neither Maksud nor Gifar had heard such a sincere laugh from their Sheikh for a long time. Arshad laughed, curled up with spasms of laughter, sitting on the bed, and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Gifar and Maksud also smiled, realizing that the storm had passed them, and Arshad reacted to this extraordinary event in his own way, as they had not expected.

Slightly suppressing his laughter, the Sheikh got out of bed.

"Tomorrow, when he wakes up, call me," he turned to Maksud. "First I will enjoy his sight, and then you will begin to save him."

"I think tomorrow it will be very bad for him," Gifar said pointedly.

Arshad and Gifar left the chambers, Maksud remained standing beside Kai. Oddly enough, he did not even take offense at him for this, although Arshad could have done anything to him for such an offense. But this amused Arshad, which meant that everything was going very well for everyone.

***

When Kai tried to open his eyes, he realized that the "Morning of the Shooting Execution" had already come for him. He felt sick, his head was splitting from a thousand hammers pounding in it, his temples throbbed with terrible pain, and everything floated before his eyes.

"My beautiful rose," he opened his eyes again, it was Arshad. "How do you feel?"

Arshad, indeed, now enjoyed the sight of the pale green Kai, who tried to open his eyes and relieve his headache, pressing his hands to his head.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been drinking like that?"

"Sorry, Arshad, can I talk to you later? .." Kai muttered through his teeth, trying to crawl out of bed. "I'm going to vomit now."

The servants quickly grabbed him from both sides and dragged him into the bath.

Arshad laughed again.

"Go and save him," Arshad continued to smile. Maksud bowed and went to the bath for Kai.

There, Kai was already hugging his "white brother". Maksud literally forcibly poured one of his tinctures into it. From its taste and smell, Kai began to spew again. So Maksud mocked him several times. Then he was stripped and shoved into a bath filled with fragrant herbs. And again Maksud made him drink the medicine brought in a cup. Kai did not resist, even when they took him out of the bathroom and smeared everything with a very smelly ointment, and when Maksud again forced him to drink warm tincture, and then, finally, he was left alone, laid on the bed and wrapped in blankets.

After sleep and all the procedures, by the evening Kai felt better. At night, Maksud again soaked him in a bath with herbs, rubbed him again with a strange ointment, and made him eat. Then he again gave his medicinal elixir to drink and put the guy to bed.

***

The next morning, Kai was like a reborn. He was awakened early by Maksud, saying that Arshad was waiting for him for a horse ride. Kai liked this occupation. Here Arshad was a normal guy, no problems. They rushed through the desert, overtaking each other and forgetting about everything.

Today he was not invited to dinner, Arshad had guests, obviously, these conversations were not intended for Kai's ears. Therefore, having dined under the supervision of Maksud, he went to the library, where he continued reading about Takeda Katsuori and his defeat in the battle with Oda.

In general, after all, Kai did not think about the future, he just lived. When in the evening he was again dressed in the appropriate clothes, "it oppressed him". Dejectedly, he walked after Maksud, who tried not to meet his gaze.

Entering the night chambers, Maksud brought him to bed.

"Lie down," again, without looking into his eyes, said Maksud.

Kai sighed and lay down. Immediately, four servants grabbed his arms and legs and, pressing him to the bed, began to hold him. Kai jerked, but they held tight.

Maksud without looking at him bowed and left.

Literally a minute later, Arshad entered.

He smiled, walked over to the bed, and sat down next to the sprawled Kai.

Then, without taking his eyes off him, he began to bend over him.

"What are you doing? .." Kai tried to pull his hands away.

"I want to kiss you."

"You're out of your mind, we're not alone!" Kai turned his gaze to the servants holding him.

"Oh, that. Never mind, they don't look. I didn't think such little things bother you."

He began to lean towards Kai's lips again.

Maybe Arshad was not bothered by such trifles, but it unbalanced Kai. He put up with it when all this happened between them alone. But when the servants were standing on four sides, Kai was horrified at the realization of what was happening. He started to twitch.

"Arshad, stop! Handcuffs were enough and to spare."

"You were twitching too much, handcuffs leave marks on your beautiful skin, and I don’t want that. Therefore, they will hold you."

Arshad again began to catch his face with his hands, showering his cheekbones, cheeks, chin, and neck with kisses.

"Arshad! Not! Please! Do you hear?!" Kai was beginning to have something in between panic and hysteria.

Even Arshad froze and pulled away, seeing how Kai was beating on the bed.

"Arshad. I will lie still. Do you hear! Just let them go. Please, Arshad!"

"Will you let me kiss you and not resist?"

"Yes. Just let them go!"

Arshad looked at Kai, then waved his hand, the servants immediately released him and, bowing silently, left.

Kai exhaled. He lay there, breathing heavily, like after a hundred-meter race.

"Can I have a drink?"

"You can," Arshad sat on the bed and watched as Kai rushed to the bottle of wine.

"Don't worry, I'm a little. I won't get drunk."

Arshad vaguely shrugged his shoulder, watching as Kai took a couple of sips of wine.

"I'll smoke."

Kai took the cigarettes and a lighter lying here on the table.

Arshad continued to silently watch the picture as Kai lit a cigarette, took a couple of nervous puffs, then put out his cigarette, drank wine. The guy took a couple of steps in his direction, then came back again, lit a cigarette again, inhaled, nervously put out a cigarette, finished his glass, and, with the air of a man walking on a scaffold, went to the bed. He resolutely flopped down on it, lifted his chin, and grabbed the sheets with both hands.

"My rose ... of a desert," having heard the voice of Arshad, Kai, who had previously screwed up his eyes, opened one eye, "you are not in the dentist's office. Let go of the sheet."

Kai forced himself to unclench his fingers, which were convulsively gripping the scarlet silk sheets.

"Maksud will come for you," Kai saw Arshad, getting out of bed, went to the exit from the chambers.

Then Maksud came in. Kai sat up on the bed.

"Arshad ordered to take you to sleep," said Maksud calmly.

Kai realized that he was being returned to his room.

Probably, if not for Maksud's tincture, he would not fall asleep today. But Maksud, at his request, brought him something stronger, and his sleep was calm and serene.

When Kai fell asleep, Maksud with the same strong tincture went to Arshad and, upon hearing his request, immediately gave him a miraculous drink for a restful sleep.

***

The next day there was no horseback riding, only training with Gifar, then meals in solitude, if it was possible to call the solitude when Maksud was standing next to him and five more servants. Then Kai went to the library.

Maksud went to Arshad. Gifar was already in his office. They heatedly discussed the vital issues of the life of their people. But from the look of Arshad Maksud understood that he was now worried about completely different problems. Finally, Arshad could not resist and started talking about it himself.

"I don’t understand him. I don’t understand him at all. What am I doing wrong? In general, what is wrong? I'm not in a hurry, I'm ready to wait, but he is not ready at all for a relationship with me. Maksud, why?" Arshad nervously walked around the office. "When I kissed him, I saw - he felt good, he liked it, he was mine, he responded to me ... and then again everything starts from scratch. Even worse ... I understand why he got drunk. He doesn't want this. Do you understand? He wants nothing. And yesterday, he lay there looking like this, clutching the sheets like a man awaiting torture. But I'm gentle with him. I do not understand him…"

"Maybe he is not ready for such a relationship?" Maksud watched Arshad walking around the room again.

"Don't tell me he's afraid. He who landed the plane in the desert. The plane that cannot be landed. Why, the plane, I know, there was a crew, and they all jumped off, but he stayed. He sacrificed himself for the sake of others, knowing that the last parachute was stitched with bullets," Gifar told Arshad this, having examined the plane. "He's not afraid of anything at all. He was dying a month in the desert, I arrived, and instead of throwing himself at my feet, he pretended to be a tough nut, and he is like that. Then he trudged through the desert on foot - if I had seen him then, I would never have allowed it," Arshad sighed.

"To understand a person, you need to learn more about him," Maksud uttered, looking at the Sheikh's torment.

Arshad perked up.

"Gifar, did you find out anything about him?"

"No," seeing the darkened face of Arshad, Gifar began to make excuses. "Usually you are not very interested in the biographies of your boys."

"Do you say that about him?"

"Sorry, Arshad. I'm not talking about him, but about the fact that you have never been interested in knowing the details of the lives of those who are in your bed."

"You're right, Gifar. But here is another case. I want to know everything about him. You hear, everything! And as quickly as possible," Arshad walked briskly around the room. "By the way, what do you think is his nationality?"

"American, English, German?" Gifar suggested.

"With such a brilliant education and at the same time he is so lively, real ..." doubt slipped through Maksud's voice.

"Spaniard, Italian, French ... " Gifar suggested thinking about a more "lively" nation.

"Not! There is something about him ... I can't explain it yet ... but this is definitely not Spanish, not Italian or French."

"Australian, Canadian, Latino," - to all enumerations, Gifar received a convincing answer from both - no.

"Stop guessing. I want to know who he is!" Arshad stopped at the window, then looked at Maksud. "Until I find out everything about him, I do not want to see him. Does he get bored?"

"No, in the morning he has a training session with Gifar, then he spends time in the library, in the evening he plays the console."

"What does he play?" Arshad's eyes widened.

"Didn't I say?" Maksud smiled slyly, who liked to leave in stock different news for Arshad. "He loves to play, you know, there in all sorts of adventure games, shooters. I'm not very good at this. There are some freaks, he fights with them."

Arshad sat down exhaustedly on the sofa.

"A person who sacrifices himself to save his comrades plays a video game."

"He's still a child!" Gifar blurted out.

"Well, in general, you are right," Arshad thought. "Probably, too much has fallen on him. And he doesn't even complain, he carries everything in himself. It must be hard for him."

"He feels good when you are riding horses, haven't you seen his happy eyes?" Maksud tried not to let Arshad get bogged down in self-flagellation.

"Maksud, what do I not know about him yet?"

"He is very fond of chocolate and cocoa."

"And you have been silent!"

"Arshad, do not be offended, but Gifar is right, having told you that before you were not interested in those with whom you sleep."

"With him everything is different ... well, Gifar, go! You have a lot to do. You hear - I want to know everything about him!"

The rose of a desert. Volume 3. "Book of Flame" Chapter 4

It was a great day - a day of falconry. They left before dawn. The falcon was carried separately in a cage tied to the saddle. We were not going fast. The desert was just beginning to wake up from sleep. The sun was rising in the east. The sky was colored by its rays.

Arshad put on a large leather glove on his right hand, they brought him a falcon with a cap on his head and a chain on his leg, which was fastened to the glove.

Having put the falcon on his glove, Arshad moved forward, all the others followed him. Kai kept to the right, slightly behind, realizing that he should not go in front of the Sheikh.

There were about thirty riders in total, at first they rode at a trot, then went into a gallop. Arshad vigilantly scanned the space ahead, at last, he saw a point in the already blue sky. Without stopping the horse, he unfastened the chain on the bird's leg and took off the cap from it. The falcon instantly saw the victim and soared up. It was beautiful and so exciting.

They spurred their horses, trying not to lose sight of the falcon flying towards its prey.

An eternal drama unfolded in the azure blue of the sky: the hunter and the victim. Here the chances were equal. The victim also saw the falcon and soared upward, and then began to maneuver, changing the angles of flight. The falcon kept up with it, took aim, and finally made a throw. Together they fell from heaven.

The riders screamed and rushed to the place of their fall. There, a falcon was sitting on the sand, clutching still the warm body of its prey. The riders whirled around them, continuing to scream. There was noise and chaos.

Arshad jumped off the horse, put a cap on the falcon, and put it on his arm, fastening a chain on its leg, then bent down and lifted the carcass of a bird by its paws, from whose chest a scarlet trickle of blood was flowing. Arshad triumphantly lifted it, everyone around again shouted in a greeting. Arshad's eyes were burning, he was in the heat of the race and the adrenaline because of the caught prey. He looked with his eyes for the one whose eyes he wanted to see now and saw - these eyes were sad, the face bewildered. The young man lowered his gaze and turned his horse away from Arshad, immediately hiding behind the backs of the other riders.

Arshad was confused, froze, then called the servants, handed them the falcon from his hand, and jumped on his horse. He found him a little to the side, looking into the distance of the desert.

"What's wrong?" Arshad drove up close to him and looked into those sad eyes.

"You know, I read so much about such a hunt and really wanted to see everything myself ... but now when I've seen the red blood on a dying bird ... I've realized that I do not want this. Sorry…"

Kai touched the sides of the horse and walked slowly to the side. Arshad looked at him, realizing the meaning of what he had said.

"Wait!" he caught up with him, their legs were touching, so close now their horses were walking with each other.

Arshad suddenly hugged him around the waist and held his hand there. Kai threw up his head and faced the very strange look that Arshad was looking at him with. In those impenetrable dark eyes, there was something that frightened Kai.

He tried to move away, but the hand at his waist was holding him too tightly.

Arshad saw this fear in his eyes, but he also saw his lips, which were too close, his breath, his smell - intoxicating vanilla with chocolate. Arshad inhaled and touched his lips with his lips.

Just a fleeting touch. Arshad removed his hand and pulled away from him.

"If you don’t like it, I don’t want to force you to be present on such a hunt. Don't worry, I'll hunt without you. Do you mind just riding?"

"Yes."

Kai was still in a strange state, not understanding how to evaluate what Arshad had done now. It was too difficult for him to understand. He clearly could not attribute this to a friendly action. What then?..

Kai saw Arshad spur his horse and galloped forward. He followed him. This galloping - flying over the desert - made it possible for him to forget about everything! They galloped, overtaking each other, laughing and fooling around. Now everything was clear and understandable to Kai, but he forbade himself to think about what had happened before ...

On this day, after returning from the hunt, they had lunch, and then Kai was taken by Maksud to make him beautiful. However, he allowed him to spend several hours in the library, then before going to bed, Kai played with the console and fell fast asleep after such an active day.

***

The next morning, Maksud woke him up and said that Arshad was waiting for him for a horse ride. Kai jumped out of bed with joy and, hurrying and scolding Maksud for his careful dressing, finally went towards the stables.

Now their escort was not so numerous. There were ten riders in total. Immediately leaving the gates of the palace, they took a very fast pace of riding. Basically, they walked at a gallop, moving a little to a trot, then they walked, giving the horses a rest, then again they made them move in a gallop.

Kai realized that Arshad loved such intense horseback riding in the morning. It was a joy to him. Therefore, they briskly galloped in a race or stirrup to stirrup. Having met the morning so well, they returned before the onset of the heat.

Kai unsaddled his horse himself. Arshad did not interfere with him, on the contrary, he was there. They again discussed their favorite topic - horses. After completing everything with the horse, Kai took it into the stall, where the hay lay. The horse rushed to it and, crunching, began to swallow.

Kai turned to leave the stall and saw that Arshad was standing right in front of him. He stepped back, but immediately rested his back against the wall of the stall. Instantly Arshad's hands were on both sides of him, and Arshad's face began to approach. Kai froze, unable to look into his burning eyes and see in them what he was so afraid to see. He watched the horse eating hay at their feet. He felt Arshad's breath on his temple, the imperceptible touch of his lips cracked from sand to his cheek, then again his breath on the earlobe, then again on his cheek, and a light touch to his lips.

Kai didn't know what to do. He just stood there, forgetting to even breathe.

Arshad's hand lay on his shoulder and very slowly crawled down his arm, then felt his palm. He took his hand in his, squeezed it.

"Well, why have you petrified? Come on, let's have breakfast!"

Arshad went to the exit from the stall, dragging Kai by the hand.

Kai again forbade himself to think about it, he just walked, and then, sitting at the table, ate, trying not to meet Arshad's eyes.

Then the Sheikh, referring to the deeds, left, and Kai followed Maksud, who noticed his strange detached condition.

Only reading books in the library helped Kai to distract himself from what he was afraid to remember.

In the evening, Maksud informed Kai that tomorrow morning he would have another horse ride in the company of Arshad.

***

Riding on horseback, Kai forgot about the sad thoughts that began to visit him after such a strange behavior of the Sheikh. On horseback, he generally forgot about everything. Returning to the stable, this time he did not occupy himself with the horse, immediately went with everyone towards the palace, Arshad caught this change but did not say anything, only said that he was waiting for him at the table.

After breakfast in the company of Gifar and Maksud, Arshad again left to do business. Kai went to the library and became interested in reading.

Now he was reading Imagawa Yoshimoto, the commander of Suruga, who in 1560 with an army of twenty-seven thousand went to Kyoto and was defeated by Oda Nobunaga at the Battle of Okehazama, where he died. All this was written in hieroglyphs; Kai was carried away so that only the touch of hands on his shoulders took him out of the battlefield at Okehazama.

Kai shuddered.

"I didn't mean to scare you," hot breath burned the guy's ear.

Arshad bent over him, standing behind his chair.

"Oh," Arshad saw the hieroglyphs in front of Kai, "is it interesting?"

"Yes. Extremely."

"And what is it about?" Arshad again approached Kai's ear and now slightly touched the lobe with his lips, then transferred light touches to the neck.

"About Warlord Surugi, who subdued Hojo in Sagami and Oda in Owari," Kai felt the breath, a strange shiver ran through his body.

"I’m glad you’re attracted to such things. And what else is interesting there?" Arshad continued to touch him with light kisses.

"These are the best days of the Imagawa clan during their alliance with the Hojo," Kai's voice broke off as he felt the heat of a kiss on his neck, which sent goosebumps down his body.

"Go on," whispered Arshad, now touching his lips to the guy's ear.

"You’re not interested," Kai didn’t know what to do now, so he just sat holding on to the table.

"Yes, maybe now I'm a little indifferent..." he touched his lips to Kai's hair, inhaled its aroma, then straightened. That was a cocoa smell, how it inebriated him! Because of it, Arshad's voice was now hoarse and low.

Then Kai felt the fingers touch his hair again, very gently, neatly.

"I thought it was soft, silky," Arshad passed Kai's elusive curls through his fingers, which again took the form of curls.

Kai sat, felt Arshad's hand caressing his curls, twisting them around the fingers, and then letting go.

Then he squeezed the hair and pulled it towards himself, Kai's head lifted, and Arshad, bending down sharply, touched the lips.

Kai shook his head and lowered his face.

Arshad froze, then laughed and left the library.

Kai looked at the open book in front of him and realized that he did not see the inscriptions, he put his hands on it and dropped his head.

Now everything was so obvious that deceiving himself was already foolish. He got up, left the library, went to his room, wandered aimlessly onto the veranda, and, feeling that his legs were not supporting him, sat down on the floor, pressing himself against the wall. He found cigarettes and a lighter in the pocket.

Maksud was against his smoking, but at the same time brought cigarettes for him at his request. Kai practically did not smoke, but now he needed it.

He dragged on, trying to calm the complete mess in his head and deal with what was happening.

So, what became clear as day was Arshad's intentions towards him.

"But what are the intentions?"

When Kai tried to remember everything he knew about such a relationship, an illustrative picture, arranged for him by Prokhor, when his boys raped a guy, emerged in his mind. But there was something completely different! No one then kissed that guy so tenderly and breathed in his ear, they violated him there, harshly, roughly, without preludes.

What Arshad was doing now was incomprehensible to him. After all, if he wanted to deal with him, like the guys of Prokhor with that guy, then Arshad only needed to give the order, and he would be undressed and tied with his ass up.

Then why did Arshad do all this if he only needed his ass?

Kai realized that his head was a complete mess. On the one hand, like in a kaleidoscope, pictures of rape that he had seen appeared, on the other hand, Arshad, his actions were not unpleasant to him. They were rather incomprehensible.

Kai tried to combine rape pictures with the image of Arshad, it meant ... it meant nothing!

He lit a cigarette again.

"Maybe Arshad thinks I'm a girl? Of course, all these earrings, eyes, brocade, silk. No, do I believe myself? Who is the girl? Arshad is not a moron to think that ... "

He started another cigarette.

"But why does he pay attention to me as if I am a girl?" Kai finally said what he was afraid to voice even mentally for himself.

"Arshad pays attention to me! That is, he is going after me, seduces. But I'm a guy! And he's a guy! What stupidity!"

Kai heard footsteps. Maksud came out onto the veranda. He saw Kai, went up to him, squatted down, lifted the chin with his hand, looked into the eyes.

Kai saw that Maksud knew a lot. But he could not be angry with Maksud. In this man's eyes, he saw sincerity and kindness to himself.

"Come with me," Maksud took his hand and pulled him up. "Now there are two not very pleasant things for you. But you have to find out about them."

Kai tensed. In addition to everything that had already happened, there were two more unpleasant things - in one day it was too much!

"Well, don't be so scared. It's not so scary. Let's go. Now you will understand everything yourself."

Maksud walked down the corridors, holding Kai by the elbow.

Passing numerous halls and stairs, they went out to the inner courtyard, there they went down the stairs to another one, then to another, and there Kai saw three people sitting on the ground, one boy and two girls.

He realized what attracted him to them. They were beautiful, very beautiful, but they had no hands. Instead, there were bandaged stumps.

Kai froze. Maksud took his elbow tighter and began to speak in a slightly strange, distant voice:

"The great Sheikh Arshad is the son of the great and almighty Sheikh Harib, may Allah prolong his years. Just like his father, he is a representative of the ancient clan of sheiks. The Almighty Himself blessed this clan for reign. No mortal can touch the Great Sheikh Arshad. Those who violate this law are punished by cutting off their hands! Only in this way can they wash away the sacrilege that they have committed!" Maksud waited for a pause and added more calmly. "Great Arshad can be touched only if he permits it himself."

Now Kai understood everything: who these beautiful young people were and why they did not have hands. He felt sick, Maksud squeezed his elbow harder, feeling that the guy was shaking.

"And what will happen to them now?" Kai turned to Maksud.

"The helicopter will take them to the city. Their fate has already been decided. There are brothels where clients like these cripples. They have everything else to work there."

Kai began to turn deathly pale in front of Maksud's eyes. The man pulled him to himself and, hugging him around the waist, led him back.

Kai didn't resist. He walked, realizing that he was not ready to learn and see this.

Then he remembered that Maksud spoke about the second not very pleasant news for him.

"And what is the second thing?"

"You will find out now."

Maksud finally led him to the inner chambers and, passing through the next corridors and halls, they entered a room that corresponded to a well-equipped medical office.

Maksud sat Kai in a chair and sat down next to him. The doctor came in, judging by the white coat he was wearing. He greeted them and immediately, without any explanation, turned on the plasma panel on the wall, where the video went, which he began to comment on, leading the pointer over the screen.

Kai turned from pale to red from a rush of blood to his face after the first seconds of this video. There they showed a detailed section of the male anus, from a medical point of view they explained the passage of food through the stomach, then its accumulation in the intestines and exit in processed form.

Further, he spoke in great detail about the function of the enema, how it works, and how long this effect lasts afterward.

It was a medical film, but Kai guessed why he was shown it.

The screen went blank. The doctor turned his gaze to Kai.

"I will help you with bowel flushing."

Kai wanted to jump up, but Maksud restrained him.

"You can do it yourself if you promise me that you will do it."

"Are you going to check?" Kai asked in a trembling voice."

"I am glad that you still have a sense of humor," this made Maksud laugh, then he became very serious. "If you promise me to do this, I will believe you and will not check."

By the tone in which it was said, Kai knew that, despite the absurdity of what was happening, Maksud was not joking. He tried to imagine Maksud's verification of the fulfillment of his promise, and he again felt bad. And then he remembered the guy who was raped by the bros of Prokhor, who then from his ass, in addition to blood and sperm, also sh*t flowed out. Now he knew why and what kind of flushing the thug was talking about then.

It would be better for him to do this enema to himself than the sh*t would flow from the *ss.

"I promise I will do it."

"Regularly! Your bathroom will have everything for this. You must always be clean. It is useful for hygienic purposes."

"I promise," Kai realized that the hygiene goals here were very different. But he did not say anything to Maksud. He wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. "You've said that there are only two bad pieces of news, I hope that's all."

"Yes, all. Let's go."

Maksud got up and as if nothing had happened left the office, also leading Kai under the elbow.

"Where are we going?"

"It's time for you to take a bath."

Kai didn't argue. Now he didn't care. There were too many things. But most importantly, he was never able to figure out and understand for himself what was happening in his life.

***

That evening, after all the baths and rubbing, Kai was dressed strangely. Previously, he had not been dressed like that: too thin trousers, a translucent tunic on top, then a thin belt, then a dressing gown, again too thin and transparent, then again a belt, again a dressing gown, a little denser. They put on beautiful, oriental-style sandals without heels. There were bracelets on his hands, earrings in his ears, and strings of pearls hung around his neck. A young man came and began to put on mascara, shadows, gloss on his lips.

"Maksud, am I going somewhere?"

"Yes. You will find out everything," Maksud answered calmly, watching the process of the guy's transformation.

Kai first decided to ask again, but what for? If soon he found out everything himself. Trying to resist such dressing was also stupid - with so many servants and wonderful tinctures of Maksud, they would tie him up, give him a drink, and then he definitely would be trapped. Better to be conscious and remember everything.

When Maksud was convinced of the guy's beauty, as he called it himself, they walked along the corridors in the direction of the night half of the palace.

Kai didn't allow himself to think about it ... he just walked.

Maksud led him into a room too large for a bedroom, but in the center was a huge bed with red canopies hanging from it. A luxurious red carpet covered the entire space. On it there lay cushions of silk with gold ornaments. Low soft armchairs and sofas stood against the walls. On an elegant table, there were fruits, oriental sweets, and various drinks. Half of the wall was decorated with a mirror, and another one was on the ceiling.

In general, the situation did not inspire optimistic thoughts about what they were doing here.

Maksud led him to the center of the room and bowed out.

Kai drove all thoughts away again. He just stood there and waited. He heard footsteps, turned around.

It was Arshad. The Sheikh was wearing clothes similar to those that were now on Kaya. Kai decided that this was some variation of the nightgown adopted here.

At first, Arshad froze, looking him from head to toe, then began to approach - softly, smoothly.

Kai was frightened by Arshad's eyes, they were too frank in his desire. He retreated, but Arshad made a dash and embraced him. The man hugged, felt that the guy was not twitching, let go. Arshad moved his hands from the guy's back to the shoulders, then began stroking them, then going down to the elbows, then again rising to the shoulders.

He touched Kai's chin with his hand, ran over it, lifted it, and began to lean towards his lips.

"Arshad, don't," Kai breathed into his lips.

"You are so beautiful, my Desert Rose," Arshad's lips touched his lips.

"Don't," Kai tried to twitch, but immediately felt that he was enclosed in an iron embrace.

"A beautiful Rose of the Desert ..." Arshad's lips almost covered his lips.

Kai put two hands forward and rested on Arshad's chest, and then remembered that he had done something that these same hands must be cut off for.

He turned pale, looked up. Arshad's gaze was deathly black.

"Do you know how it is punished?"

"Yes," Kai whispered, dropping his hands, trying not to touch him anymore.

Arshad released him, took a step back, and continued to look. Kai stood pale and confused, realizing that losing two hands when you just start living was very scary.

"Lay on the bed!"

Kai, in a state of frustration, wandered over to the side of the bed and lay down on it.

Arshad sat down next to him, took the guy's hand in his.

"You have very beautiful hands," - he examined Kai's hand, "such thin fingers," then the Sheikh brought the guy's hand up and fastened the handcuff on the wrist. He did the same with the second hand.

Kai did not notice that this bed was also equipped with all sorts of devices in advance.

"I will forgive you for your act. But remember - this is the first and last time," then Arshad's voice softened, "for this, you will give me a kiss."

"I cannot."

"Why?"

Kai turned away. Arshad turned his chin.

"Why?" he looked into Kai's eyes.

"Men cannot kiss each other."

"Why? You are saying nonsense."

"Arshad, I'm not a girl. Why don't you kiss a girl?"

"I want to kiss you."

"It is not right. I can't kiss you."

Arshad caught the guy's chin again, turned the face towards himself.

"Have you ever kissed a guy?"

Seeing the answer in Kai's eyes, Arshad let go of his chin, his face expressed amazement.

"You are so handsome. Why haven't you ever kissed a guy?"

"You mustn't kiss guys," Kai replied stubbornly again.

"Have you been brought up in a monastery?"

"No."

Arshad fell silent again, thoughtfully began to run his fingers over Kai's face, traced the thin line of his nervously compressed lips.

"Okay, but you're interested in trying how it happens?"

"No. Not interested."

"How intractable you are. Then it is even more interesting for me to kiss you for the first time in your life."

Arshad bent down sharply, Kai turned away, twitched, feeling that the handcuffs were holding him tightly.

Arshad laughed. Apparently, the whole situation amused him very much. He began to catch the face of Kai, who turned away from his lips now to the right, then to the left, and then Arshad's lips fell into his cheeks, cheekbones, neck, and the man kissed him and then again resumed trying to catch his lips.

Kai knew that if Arshad wanted, he would just do it. But, apparently, Arshad was amused by this game.

Then Arshad climbed onto the bed and sat on top of Kai's thighs, thereby completely depriving him of the opportunity to wriggle on the bed. Now it was much more comfortable for him, hanging over his face, catching his lips.

Arshad was in no hurry, he liked it. Kai, on the other hand, was already tired of this pointless game.

"Are you tired of spinning around and running away from me?"

Kai threw a haunted look at Arshad.

"But I'm not tired. The night is long - let's play some more," and Arshad again began to hunt for his lips.

Having tortured Kai in this way, he straightened up again and looked at him.

"Give me just one kiss and I'll let you go today. Let's come to an agreement?"

Kai understood that if he did not agree now, then Arshad would simply take this kiss himself. But the prospect that this was all for today pleased Kai very much.

"Will you let me go?" he asked hopefully.

"Do you doubt the words of the Great Sheikh?"

"Kiss!" Kai breathed doom and, closing his eyes, prepared his lips for the kiss with the look of a man who decided on a desperate act.

Arshad again ran his fingers over the guy's lips and slowly approached them, then began to gently bite them. Kai felt his breath, then his tongue, which penetrated between his teeth and began to touch his tongue very gently - it was pleasant to Kai, strange, unexpected ...

Kai, without even realizing it, opened his mouth, and then Arshad hungrily kissed him with such passion, with such desire ...

Kai gasped at the kiss, his body twisted from the wave of heat he felt inside him. No one had ever kissed him in such a way, and he had never kissed anyone like that, he did not even know that this was possible.

The room began to blur, a strange wave went through the body again, the muscles became amorphous, it seemed to him that he was melting in the sun and spreading into a shapeless mass.

Arshad was kissing, coming off only for breaths of air, and then falling to his lips with a renewed passion ...

How long this went on, he did not remember. Everything suddenly disappeared and dissolved in his mind, only these lips remained, which were so hot and gave forbidden caresses, and then everything disappeared. And something like a groan of disappointment flew from Kai's lips ...

He opened his eyes, suddenly feeling that he no longer felt those lips, which turned out to be so intoxicating.

Arshad looked at him with a strange smile. Then he unfastened the handcuffs, examined the guy's wrists, there were traces of metal on them.

"And was it worth it to twitch? A silly boy ... you felt good," he breathed into his lips.

Then he got up and left the room.

Kai just lay, it seemed to him that he was a jellyfish in the sand, an amorphous mass. Moreover, the same mass was in the head. Or rather, there was nothing there at all.

He heard footsteps - it was Maksud who helped him to get up. Then he detachedly followed Maksud along the corridors of the palace.

Already going to bed, he looked at Maksud for the first time with a meaningful look.

- Give me, please, something from your wonderful tinctures to sleep.

Maksud, as always, smiled knowingly.

Making sure that Kai fell asleep, Maksud went to Arshad.

"Great Arshad, whom would you wish for your chambers today?"

"That's enough, Maksud! Nobody's here. Can you talk normally?" Arshad said this with mock irritation. " I would not wish anyone. I'll go to sleep. By the way, please give me one of your wonderful tinctures for sleep.

Maksud, as always, smiled at understanding.

Stars are reflected in your eyes. Volume 4. "Book of Flame" Chapter 1

 

Continuation of the events of the first volume.

Returning in the evening from his next assignment, Kai drove into the tent to Bartholomew, as had promised. During this time, they practically did not see each other, constantly either he or his group were on assignments. Only when they met at the headquarters, Bartholomew each time friendly patting Kai on the shoulder invited him to their tent, to sit in the evening, to have a drink, and to chat.

He didn't want to get drunk today but wanted to see all the guys - Pepper, Torpedo, Ivan, and Frol, to listen to their news, to learn about life.

Going into their tent, he found all the guys except Frol. They perked up with his arrival, immediately pulled to the table, especially since they were just about to have supper. Torpedo and Pepper were cooking in the kitchen, it smelled of fried onions and meat.

Bartholomew began to ask Kai about his recent raids into the mountains with other groups, then he told about how they had regularly traveled for the second week to patrol the road in the valley area, where it was not very calm.

Ivan supplemented the dry story of Bartholomew with various funny details, Pepper and Torpedo, sometimes looking out of the kitchen, told about the events that had happened to them.

Kai immediately drew attention to the absence of Frol, but at first, did not attach any importance to this. When Frol did not appear for half an hour, he became worried but did not raise this topic in front of everyone, only casually clarified when he would finally come. Torpedo, not attaching importance to his question, replied that Frol should have returned long ago, but apparently delayed.

He immediately felt that something was wrong, but, not having a firm conviction in his premonitions, he did not want to tell the guys about it. Fortunately, his phone rang, and, referring to an important conversation, he left the tent.

Lieutenant Ivchenko called, who reminded the guy that the colonel was waiting for him in the office tomorrow at nine. Having heard this, he did not return to the tent but went to his jeep.

Arriving at the thieves' barracks, Kai asked the guards if Sebastian was here and he received a not very affirmative answer and at the same time an invitation to wait for him with them. With peripheral vision, he saw that the car was beginning to be surrounded - he did not like this state of affairs. Kai did not want to find out the reason for such actions now, he just sharply pressed the gas and, without giving anyone a chance to come to his senses, left.

It was clear that something was happening. Frol was gone. Sebastian and his men were absent. Kai didn't want to put these two facts together, assuring himself that they were just coincidences.

Now he was trying to think logically where there could be quiet, secluded places in the garrison, and immediately remembered that the unfinished barracks building, which was abandoned and located in the farthest part from residential buildings, fit the description. There was usually no one there even during the day, and even more so in the dark.

He turned the jeep around and drove to the building. Coming closer, he turned off the headlights and reduced the speed to a minimum, trying to remain unnoticed. Going inside the building, he heard voices and noise and also saw the light from the headlights of cars. He realized that the cars were parked at the back of the building, and judging by the voices, it was quite lively there.

Kai quickly followed the noise, wandering in the dark corridors and rooms. It seemed to him that his approach was detected, and he was not too hiding. This was no longer necessary.

Finally, he went out into the corridor overlooking the courtyard, and saw exactly what he expected: Sebastian's people, led by himself and Sher, stood in a semicircle, in the center stood Frol with handcuffs in his arms.

"Kai, I'm always glad to see you," Sebastian said, turning his head towards Kai, "but now you'd better leave."

"No need to arrange to lynch. Let him go."

Kai walked forward and saw that the grate of the gate blocking his way out was padlocked. Footsteps and the creak of a door were heard from behind. He rushed back, but did not have time - the door closed, the key turned, and he was locked in this space.

Having tugged at the door, which had just been locked, he returned to the grate, tugged at it, and realized that it could not be opened. Through the bars, he could see everything, but he could not do anything.

Kai pulled out a pistol. All this time, Sebastian and the others watched him throw.

"If you shoot, everyone will come here. You're going to court all the guys. After all, we kidnapped an officer," Sebastian looked eloquently at Frol.

"In any case, you will end up under the tribunal if you harm him," Kai held a pistol in his hand until he dared to use it.

"Nobody can prove it. His word without witnesses means nothing," Sebastian nodded at Frol, "unless, of course, you confirm it."

Kai shot an angry look at Sebastian.

"Do you think I’m capable of this?"

"So, enough empty arguments!" Sher stepped up to Frol and hit him with a fist in the solar plexus with a swing, Frol bent in half and hung in the arms of the boys holding him. "Here, nit, get for everything."

Then Sher began to strike blow after blow. Two guys were holding Frol by the hands cuffed behind his back. Now he was like a punching bag to Sher.

"Enough!" Kai shook the grate, "Sebastian!"

Sebastian stood with a blank face, watching how Cher beat Frol brutally.

Kai understood that he would not open the door with a pistol anyway, but the shooting would definitely attract the attention of everyone here. And this was not only the abduction of an officer, this was already a beating of an officer. For this, and the execution can be. So he didn't know what to do now.

He tugged at the grate in vain, but when he saw that Frol was thrown to the ground and was being kicked, he turned away and slid down his back on it, sitting down on the floor. He knew too well how painful such blows.

Sebastian saw Kai sitting by the grate and how he covered his ears with his hands, but restrained himself, did not do anything.

***

It became quiet, Kai heard it even through the palms pressed to his ears. He removed his hands, stood up slowly, turned. There, in the yard, Frol was lying, there were no cars and the guys, everyone left. He went to the door, which he had entered, it turned out to be open.

Wasted no time, he rushed to the jeep and, having gone around the building, drove it into the backyard. It was good that Frol was a tough guy and even after all this he practically got into Kai's car himself, he only supported him. He couldn't have lifted it himself.

By the nature of the injuries, Frol Kai understood that he needed to be taken to the doctor in the hospital. As much as he wanted to hush up this story, human health is more important.

His fears were justified. The doctor immediately determined that Frol had two broken ribs and badly repulsed internal organs.

While Frol was being bandaged, all the authorities came to the hospital, since the doctor immediately reported on this emergency. Kai did not resist this, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

The colonel arrived with two of his assistants and Lieutenant Ivchenko. They walked past Kai into the ward, were there for a long time, then went out into the corridor.

"Stand up!" the colonel's voice sounded cold and harsh.

Kai stood at attention.

"Who did this?" looking into the eyes of Kai, asked Pyotr Ivanovich.

Kai guessed that Frol hadn't said who had beat him. Why? Probably he didn't want everyone to think that he was a weakling and ratted those with whom he could not cope with the force.

"I've found Frol in the backyard of the unfinished barracks and brought him to the hospital. I have nothing more to add."

"So you don’t want to talk? Are you covering these freaks?! I know who was sharpening his teeth against Frol! Well, nothing, I'll get to them."

All were silent. Pyotr Ivanovich approached Kai.

"Impudent boy! Do you think you're inviolable here?! Do you think everything is allowed to you?! I'm fed up with your antics and your behavior! I’ll find justice for you!"

Pyotr Ivanovich several times walked past Kai, who did not utter a word.

"Surrender the weapon. You're under arrest. You will dig the trenches; it will be good for you. You've become too arrogant."

Pyotr Ivanovich turned to Lieutenant Ivchenko:

"Place the prisoner in a punishment cell, tomorrow under escort - take him to forced labor. And do so every day, until I say that's enough!"

The colonel and his assistants walked down the corridor towards the exit.

Lieutenant Ivchenko called the guards, took the pistol and his waist belt from Kai's hands, and, with a vile smile, showed him to the exit.

He was taken to solitary confinement. He was no stranger to spending the night in such. Crouched in a fetal position on the hard bed, he fell asleep.

Early in the morning, Kai was raised and escorted through the entire garrison to forced labor. In the distant part of the garrison, defensive trenches were dug. They gave a shovel, and he got down to business.

Sometimes physical labor, especially so monotonous as throwing the earth from place to place, brought peace of mind and inner harmony. Therefore, until lunchtime, he was in a state of immersion in nirvana, not noticing neither the scorching rays of the sun, nor the heat, nor the fact that his palms were bloody from the rough handle of a shovel.

***

Sebastian had been thinking all morning about Kai, about how he had just had been sitting with his face turned away yesterday, covering his ears so as not to hear the sound of the beating. Then Sebastian wanted so much to approach him because he understood why Kai was covering his ears - he knew these blows too well, he remembered them on his body. Sebastian had a conscience, but he couldn't act differently yesterday. His people needed to feel his power and strength. He could not be so human as Kai.

Sher with a puzzled face quickly entered the room where he was sitting with the bros.

"Kai was arrested yesterday at the hospital. He brought Frol there. Frol has several broken ribs."

"Enough about Frol! What's with Kai ?!" Sebastian interrupted him.

"All the authorities came to the hospital. Then Kai was put alone for the night, and in the morning he was taken to dig trenches. He is digging them there now."

"He shielded us. He took it all upon himself," Sebastian said grimly.

"How do you know?" Sher looked at Sebastian.

"If he had said about us, they would have taken us all yesterday. We would sit in solitary confinement instead of him," Sebastian nervously walked around the room. "He shielded us. What else have you learned? How long should he dig?"

"Nothing concrete. They say that yesterday the colonel yelled at him so hard that the walls were shaking. In short, as long as daddy does not have a change of heart, Kai will dig."

"Who is there of our people?"

"There are a lot of ours, they wanted not to let him dig, but in the morning there was a big brass there. They say that after dinner everyone will leave, then our boys won't let Kai dig. He will sit and rest. They'll dig for him."

"Who is there from the leaders now?"

"It seems nobody already," Sher answered.

"Then let's go to him."

Sebastian went to the exit, the guys followed him.

Sher once again contacted his people, and they confirmed that everyone from the leadership had already gone. They calmly drove up to the place where the earthworks were being carried out and got out of the cars.

The shovel had already been taken away from Kai. Although he did not want to give, he saw that it was pointless to argue - the bros would not let him dig anymore, they would do everything for him themselves.

He sat in the shade, keeping hands parallel to the ground, palms down.

Sebastian quickly walked over and grabbed Kai's hands, turned his palms over - they were ripped off and bleeding.

"It always happens. I always rip off my palms as soon as I start digging," Kai said apologetically when he saw Sebastian’s upset face.

"Your hands are not intended for this," Sebastian turned to the frozen boys. "Why are you standing? Bring a first-aid kit from the car and water."

Kai tried to resist, but Sebastian himself washed his palms and, having treated him with an antiseptic, began to bandage him.

"Sorry about yesterday," Sebastian said without looking up and continuing to bandage Kai's hands.

"For what? You didn't beat me."

"I saw how you covered your ears ..."

"Yes, unpleasant memories appear when I hear these sounds of blows."

"What term are you assigned here?"

"I do not know. The colonel was very angry yesterday."

Sebastian finally finished with Kai's hands:

"Do you want to smoke?"

"Yes."

He brought the flame of a lighter to Kai's cigarette.

"Guys, fetch food!" he gave orders, despite Kai's protest. "You will eat. Or do you want to sip the official gruel, which you are supposed to?"

Kai shook his head. Even without feeling the taste, but seeing what the penalty boxers were fed with, he lost all desire to eat it.

"You shouldn't have done that with Frol."

Kai couldn't help but say that.

"It was not in vain. We have taught a freak a lesson!" Sher snapped proudly.

"You've taught me a lesson, Frol is now resting in the hospital ward."

"It's my own fault. Why did you get involved?"

"What if he died there from the beatings? After all, everyone knows who beat him anyway," Kai shook the ash off his cigarette.

Sher didn’t have anything to say. Sebastian was also silent, then he remembered the main:

"Prokhor still can't get through to you all this time."

"Yes, I have seen that he called. But you know that all this time there are constant trips. I couldn't talk there, but after returning I did not remember about his call, fell asleep. Well, tell me what he says - how is he?" Kai's eyes lit up with the memories of his friend.

"I'll tell you, but first about the main thing: he expands his business and wants to send his representatives here, or rather, to Kamrat. These are, like, his people. The main is called Lavr, and there are still guys with him. In general, I am here, Lavr is in Kamrat, Prokhor is in Moscow. The network is getting better. Regular deliveries. Well, you are the key one in everything - you understand yourself."

Kai looked at Sebastian.

"Yes, of course, they have time to play with all this, to establish a network, to supply. And lately, I have only been running around on the outskirts, shootings, shaking on an APC, sitting in ambushes and again swallowing dust ..."

Kai did not like all these Prokhor's things, but he could not contradict his friend.

"Come on, tell me in more detail," Kai leaned against the earthen embankment, realizing that it was still necessary to delve into these muddled up: what, where who, and how would deliver.

Sebastian stayed with him until evening. First, he spoke in detail about what Prokhor had said. Then they brought food, he made sure that Kai ate. Then they began to discuss and adjust Prokhor's plan for couriers since Prokhor planned all this from Moscow, and only Kai knew the features of the local traditions.

In the evening, Sebastian and the guys left, as the authorities could return.

Kai was taken back under guard. Another night he spent on a hard bed in a solitary confinement cell. The next morning, everything was repeated exactly as on the previous day. In the first half of the day, he strenuously dug trenches, as his superiors stood nearby and watched the execution of the colonel's order, then the superiors left, but Sebastian and his guys arrived.

Sebastian immediately came with a first-aid kit and, pushing Kai onto the bench, began to carefully unbind the bandages with dried blood and dirt from his hands. Kai silently watched this touching action. After bandaging his hands, he was fed and given a drink.

He spent the rest of the day in their company, they called Prokhor and continued to correct his plan, the crossing points of couriers, hiding places, and paths along which they would go.

This went on for five days. On the sixth, instead of escorting Kai to earthworks, he was taken to the colonel's office.

Pyotr Ivanovich was sitting at the table with a stern face with his assistants - Lieutenant Colonel Prokhorov and Major Batulin. Lieutenant Ivchenko reported on his arrival, looking at Kai's pitiful look with satisfaction. The colonel and the rest of those present in the office also gazed with a squeamish look at his dirty uniforms soaked in dust and sweat.

"You’re lucky," the colonel finally spoke up, "an urgent task from the center, you’ll get the details from Bartholomew. You will work with his team. Departure is in half an hour."

The colonel turned to Lieutenant Ivchenko:

"Give him back his personal weapon," the colonel turned back to Kai, "but if I had my way, you would have been digging trenches all your life."

"Can I go?" Kai asked calmly.

Even in such a dirty, shabby look, he looked elegant and beautiful. It seemed that the dirt only further emphasizes youthful beauty.

"You are free," the colonel answered dryly and only now saw his bandaged hands. "What with the hands? Oh yes, you are a gentle creature, digging trenches is not a princely business."

"Can I go?" Kai remained calm listening to this.

"Yes."

Pyotr Ivanovich in his heart treated Kai well and even pitied him, but Kai's constant antics, his disobedience to the rules, a complete lack of discipline - all this disgusted the colonel, and, moreover, he could not allow himself to behave like that in his submission. He must maintain power here, which was why he acted so harshly with Kai - the guy gave him no choice in the matter.

Yes, he would have forced him all his life to digging trenches for his self-confidence, for how he puts himself above the rules, and for how he behaves and hides behind people from the center. What was there for him to do? Only such methods somehow put Kai in his place, although not for long.

***

Realizing that time was running out, Kai asked for a lift, stopping a passing car. At home, he immediately rushed to his laptop, opened a secret encrypted file, read his task: to slay the next leader from the group. He would have to do this while Bartholomew's group would be fighting with them. How he would do it, he would think over on the road. Now there was no time.

On the way sitting in Bartholomew's armored personnel carrier, he listened to the part of the assignment that was given to the group, since only he knew about the secret part. The road was long. They arrived in the evening and began to wait for the night to move on under its cover.

This operation took several days. The grouping was constantly moving. The locations for the attack were unsuccessful, because of this, the group followed them, masking their presence and keeping a considerable distance from them.

They moved during the day, went out on reconnaissance at night and monitored their movement until morning, and then again returned to their armored personnel carriers and followed the tracks. In between, they ate and slept in turns.

All this time, Bartholomew and his guys were formal and dry with Kai. Kai realized that this was after the incident with Frol, who was still in the hospital. And he also understood that they knew who beat Frol and knew about Kai's friendship with these people. They did not understand why Kai chose the latter between Frol and thugs. After all, if Kai had testified, those guilty of beating the officer would have been punished. They knew that Kai had said nothing and that he was digging trenches for it. Bartholomew and the guys were offended for such a choice of a friend. But now there was work, and no one began to find out, keeping the distance.

It was hard for Kai to see this, but he could not explain anything to them and, moreover, expect understanding from them. Therefore, he also turned to them only strictly on the case, although it was very difficult when such close people turned away from you like that.

At first, Kai wanted to talk about what had happened, but then, seeing the cold faces of the guys, he decided that this conversation would lead nowhere.

During the next stop, he changed the dirty bandages on his hands to clean ones. Without bandages, his hands were constantly bleeding, dust and dirt penetrated the wounds.

Everyone saw his torment, but no one came to help. Kai was offended for such an attitude towards himself, on the other hand, he understood them. After all, Frol was now in the hospital, the guilty had not been punished, Kai was covering them. How else should they relate to him?

He turned away and began to stare into the distance, forcing himself to think only of the task.

***

One night they saw that the group's camp was located very well for their plan, they returned to the APCs for a night attack.

The plan of action was quickly adjusted: from one side of the gorge, the armored personnel carrier of Bartholomew enters, from the other the armored personnel carrier of the Torpedo, cutting off any attempts to escape, and Ivan's armored personnel carrier drives into a well-located hill, where Kai will be, and from there they pour fire on everyone who is in the camp. The plan was simple; the main thing was that the area was conducive to its execution.

Kai was happy with everything, except that in the panic that would arise in the camp, he could miss the one he should kill. Therefore, he decided to go there before they heard the noise of the armored personnel carriers, and then he would have time to catch in a rifle scope the one he needed.

He slipped out of the APC, grabbing a sniper rifle, and moved along the path, which he had noted in advance, towards the enemy camp. He heard the noise of approaching armored personnel carriers, realizing that the guys did not look for him and wait.

He aimed the optics at the tents, suggesting that the main leaders should be in the largest, in the center of the camp. The noise of the armored personnel carriers caused a commotion in the camp, then voices and commands for the defense began to be heard. It was evident that night guests were not expected. The one, Kai needed, ran out of the main tent. He stopped, peering into the darkness, Kai pulled the trigger. The man fell. Judging by the bustle around him, the shot was a good one.

Panic arose in the camp, and here, finally, armored personnel carriers opened fire on all this chaos.

Kai lay in the same place and shot those who ran in his direction. He saw that a small part of the group went into the mountains along another path, but this did not concern Kai. He completed his task.

Then everything was quiet.

He returned to Ivan's armored personnel carrier. The man looked at him strangely but said nothing. They reached their group.

Bartholomew, seeing Kai, grabbed him by the collar of his uniform:

"Who are you, bitch, working for? You set us all up now! After all, it was you who shot even before we reached the points! You dumped in advance! Are you holding us for idiots ?!"

"I thought that an extra firing point would not hurt. It was too late to agree on this. Everything is right, the task is completed, we can return."

Kai knew he was wrong, but what could he explain? Now he was only trying to smooth over the conflict. Bartholomew shook him roughly again.

Kai closed his eyes, expecting a blow. Bartholomew saw this, froze, and then, releasing Kai, moved away from him.

"Let me at least hit him in the face," advancing on Kai, said Pepper, "if you cannot do it."

"Leave him alone. I've said set aside!" Bartholomew commanded. "We are back, all into cars!"

Pepper spat angrily next to Kai, turned around, and walked into his APC.

They drove back quickly, practically without spending the night only stopped for a couple of hours for rest.

Kai's presence was ignored by everyone. He endured it stoically, knowing they were right.

Returning to the garrison, everyone went to report to the colonel. He silently listened to everything. Now Bartholomew did not spare Kai, he said everything as it was. The colonel was silent. Then he thanked everyone for their good work. He let everyone go to rest, only Kai was unfriendly asked to stay.

Kai remained in the office under the colonel's gaze and the gaze of his assistants.

"Do you play your game?" looking into Kai's eyes, said Pyotr Ivanovich. "Look, don't overplay. If my guys perish, I'll strangle you with my own hands."

The colonel turned sharply and sat down in his chair.

"Why are you standing? You are free. If it weren't for those who are covering you, right now I would have strangled you. And so I can only say that you have a week of leave. This is not from me. It's from the center. You can go."

Kai left, still hearing the colonel's voice and his accusatory speech, and here his phone rang. He pressed the answer button on the machine without even glancing at who was calling.

"My sweet, hello," a voice sounded. " I want to see you. Will you give me such a gift?"

"Arshad, is it you?" Kai had not yet fully recovered from everything that happened.

"Someone else calls you sweet? Of course, it's me. You can rest with me. I want to fly somewhere, so I thought it would be more fun with my friends. For several days. Can you?"

"Yes," Kai did not attach any meaning to the word with friends, now he generally still poorly perceived everything.

"Well, that's good. You make me very happy with this answer. I am waiting for you in Kamrat at the Riviera Plaza Hotel, when will you arrive?"

Kai realized that he didn't even have time to come to his senses, to comprehend everything. But on the other hand - why? It's so good that Arshad called. Now he needed to leave here, change the setting.

"I'm leaving now," he replied.