“You had every reason to leave. You had every reason to stay away.”
She didn’t reply. As her face fell, he turned and stalked out the room.
Scott went directly back to his quarters. Not once did he stop along the way.
5
Sunday, November 6 th , 0011 NE
0925 hours
Two hours had passed since Scott had abandoned Svetlana in Room 14. The process of unpacking took longer than it might have otherwise, as the burden of sunken spirits weighed on her. Every motion of folding or hanging clothes took every ounce of effort she could muster. When she finally finished, she was too exhausted even to have a shower that might have soothed her. And she was too distraught to relax.
The letter—Varvara’s letter—lay on the tile floor beneath her. She’d reread it several times from her bunk, before her fingers relinquished their hold.
She was still on her bed when she heard a trample of footsteps from the hall. As she strained to turn her head, the door swung open.
“ That’s bull, man,” said a shirtless Jayden. He threw his towel to the floor. “If you’re gonna drive a girl three hours to see some dumb movie, you better get a kiss when it’s done.”
“ Tha’s wha’ I said,” Becan followed in behind him. “But the problem was, tha’s exactly how I said it.”
The moment they saw Svetlana, their eyes lit up.
“ Sveta!” the Irishman blurted, running full speed across the room. He wrapped his arms around her as soon as she stood. He almost bowled her over. “Sveta, yeh really came back!”
Svetlana laughed as she fought to stay upright. “Becan! You are sweaty—stop!” She pushed him away.
“ Svetlana’s here! Svetlana’s here!” he sang.
“ Becan, stop . That is good enough.”
“ Yeh don’t understand, Sveta,” the Irishman said. “You’re the reason we’re in a good mood for the first time in months.”
“ Welcome back, ma’am,” Jayden said as he approached. Behind them, several others trickled in.
Svetlana touched the Texan’s arm. “Please do not call me ma’am. You are same rank as me now.”
“ Oh. Well, you’re probably still older than me.”
“ Wrong answer,” Becan said, coughing indiscreetly.
“ Hey, Sveta!” said Travis as he approached her. “It’s good to see you back. How was the flight?”
Svetlana turned her attention to the pilot. “Hello, Travis. I knew you would ask about flight. It was a good experience.”
Several steps behind the pilot was Max Axen. His own towel was slung over his sweat-drenched shoulder and an awkward smile quivered on his lips. He waited as Travis and Svetlana conversed until a brief pause occurred. “Hey Sveta—”
“ Sveta!” Varvara exclaimed, pushing past Max to make her own greeting. “It is so good to see you!” She examined her own sweaty outfit then looked up again. “I want to hug you—is it okay?”
Svetlana gave her a hug. “Becan already got me gross. What more could it hurt?”
As the women embraced, Max backed away.
“ I’m so glad to have you back,” Varvara said, continuing their Russian exchange. “You have no idea what it’s been like here.”
“ I have a feeling I do.”
Across the room, away from the conversation but not oblivious, Esther Brooking watched Svetlana greet her cronies. The black British scout pulled her hair into a ponytail as she continued to observe. Behind her, David placed dirty clothes in his locker.
“ Did she really come back for the lieutenant?” Esther asked without turning around.
David looked across the room at Svetlana. He watched the blond woman with expressionless eyes. After a moment, he answered Esther back. “Yeah.” His voice was tired as he returned his attention to his clothes. “That’s why she came back.”
Esther said nothing in reply. She simply watched Svetlana in silence, her eyes narrowing as if summing up a competitor—and being left unimpressed. She resumed her own work.
The others continued to fawn over Svetlana. “Look at
She didn’t reply. As her face fell, he turned and stalked out the room.
Scott went directly back to his quarters. Not once did he stop along the way.
5
Sunday, November 6 th , 0011 NE
0925 hours
Two hours had passed since Scott had abandoned Svetlana in Room 14. The process of unpacking took longer than it might have otherwise, as the burden of sunken spirits weighed on her. Every motion of folding or hanging clothes took every ounce of effort she could muster. When she finally finished, she was too exhausted even to have a shower that might have soothed her. And she was too distraught to relax.
The letter—Varvara’s letter—lay on the tile floor beneath her. She’d reread it several times from her bunk, before her fingers relinquished their hold.
She was still on her bed when she heard a trample of footsteps from the hall. As she strained to turn her head, the door swung open.
“ That’s bull, man,” said a shirtless Jayden. He threw his towel to the floor. “If you’re gonna drive a girl three hours to see some dumb movie, you better get a kiss when it’s done.”
“ Tha’s wha’ I said,” Becan followed in behind him. “But the problem was, tha’s exactly how I said it.”
The moment they saw Svetlana, their eyes lit up.
“ Sveta!” the Irishman blurted, running full speed across the room. He wrapped his arms around her as soon as she stood. He almost bowled her over. “Sveta, yeh really came back!”
Svetlana laughed as she fought to stay upright. “Becan! You are sweaty—stop!” She pushed him away.
“ Svetlana’s here! Svetlana’s here!” he sang.
“ Becan, stop . That is good enough.”
“ Yeh don’t understand, Sveta,” the Irishman said. “You’re the reason we’re in a good mood for the first time in months.”
“ Welcome back, ma’am,” Jayden said as he approached. Behind them, several others trickled in.
Svetlana touched the Texan’s arm. “Please do not call me ma’am. You are same rank as me now.”
“ Oh. Well, you’re probably still older than me.”
“ Wrong answer,” Becan said, coughing indiscreetly.
“ Hey, Sveta!” said Travis as he approached her. “It’s good to see you back. How was the flight?”
Svetlana turned her attention to the pilot. “Hello, Travis. I knew you would ask about flight. It was a good experience.”
Several steps behind the pilot was Max Axen. His own towel was slung over his sweat-drenched shoulder and an awkward smile quivered on his lips. He waited as Travis and Svetlana conversed until a brief pause occurred. “Hey Sveta—”
“ Sveta!” Varvara exclaimed, pushing past Max to make her own greeting. “It is so good to see you!” She examined her own sweaty outfit then looked up again. “I want to hug you—is it okay?”
Svetlana gave her a hug. “Becan already got me gross. What more could it hurt?”
As the women embraced, Max backed away.
“ I’m so glad to have you back,” Varvara said, continuing their Russian exchange. “You have no idea what it’s been like here.”
“ I have a feeling I do.”
Across the room, away from the conversation but not oblivious, Esther Brooking watched Svetlana greet her cronies. The black British scout pulled her hair into a ponytail as she continued to observe. Behind her, David placed dirty clothes in his locker.
“ Did she really come back for the lieutenant?” Esther asked without turning around.
David looked across the room at Svetlana. He watched the blond woman with expressionless eyes. After a moment, he answered Esther back. “Yeah.” His voice was tired as he returned his attention to his clothes. “That’s why she came back.”
Esther said nothing in reply. She simply watched Svetlana in silence, her eyes narrowing as if summing up a competitor—and being left unimpressed. She resumed her own work.
The others continued to fawn over Svetlana. “Look at
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