Blood, salt, and Siberian fire

The vibration of the ATV had hummed through my bones for over six hours by the time the flickering light of the cabin appeared. My fingers were cramped into frozen claws around the handlebars, and every mile of that hundred-mile trek had been a battle against a wind that felt like a physical weight pressing against us. Behind me, Vic was a silent, solid anchor, his weight shifting with mine as we navigated the treacherous drifts.

As I killed the ignition, the sudden absence of the engine’s scream was jarring. The only sound left was the whistling gale tearing at the eaves of the cabin.

Anya pulled the heavy door open before we even reached the porch. She looked older than the last time I’d seen her, her face etched with the weariness of someone who lived on the edge of the world. She didn't offer a greeting, just stepped back into the amber glow of the interior, gesturing for us to hurry.

The transition was violent—from the biting, lethal cold to the suffocating heat of a wood-burning stove. We moved like robots, peeling back layers of ice-crusted Gore-Tex and heavy wool until we were down to our charcoal-colored base layers. The thin, moisture-wicking fabric clung to us, steaming slightly in the warm air.

"The storm is getting worse," Anya said, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. "You look like you're running from the devil himself rather than a blizzard. You’re staying the night."

I looked at Vic. His eyes were scanning the room, never lingering on Anya, always returning to the pack at his feet.

"We're on a clock, Anya, but yes, we’ll stay the night," I said, my voice heavy with a fatigue I couldn't hide anymore. "We only stopped to eat and refuel the ATV. We’re heading back out for the next leg before the sun even tries to come up."

She let out a frustrated breath, looking around her modest kitchen. "I don’t have much fresh food left as I have canned most of it. While I plan dinner and make it, get the rest that you can. Please take the spare room at the back. It’s better insulated than the loft.”

As we stood to gather our bags, the air in the cabin grew thick with unspoken tension. The history between us was there, but the current stakes had buried it under a layer of cold pragmatism.

"I appreciate it, friend," I said, pausing at the entrance to the hallway. I met her gaze, making sure my voice was steady despite the exhaustion. "I’m truly not trying to be rude or disrespectful towards you as our host, but with the situation that we’re in, we’ll be taking our stuff into the room with us."

Anya’s shoulders tightened. A flash of hurt crossed her eyes before she masked it with a hard, cynical stare. "I understand," she said, her voice dropping to a low rasp. "You don’t trust anyone but each other right now. Not even the woman who saved your life many years ago from a similar blizzard."

"It's not personal, Anya. It's the only way we both make it to tomorrow," I replied. I reached into the hidden placket of my vest and pulled out a small, tight roll of money. I pressed several hundred rubles into her hand, the paper feeling unnaturally crisp in the humid room. "Thanks for understanding. When we’re clear and finally safe, I’ll send word that we’re safe. I'll return the favor once settled."

"This is more than I make in two years," she whispered, looking down at the notes, then back at me, her expression unreadable. "Just make sure you live long enough to do it."

Vic didn't say a word. He grabbed our bags and followed me into the dark mouth of the hallway toward the spare room. Once the door clicked shut, the silence was absolute. We stripped down naked, the air in the room cooling our skin as we hung our sweat-damp clothes to dry. We threw our skivvies in a pile on the floor, too tired to care about neatness. Our plan was simple: rest, shower, eat, and clean up after ourselves. We’d even ask for permission to use her wash basin for our dirty clothes and the towels we’d need.

"I could sleep for days," Vic muttered, his voice cracking. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face. "How have you dealt with life like this for so long?"

"I thrive on stress and limited sleep," I sighed, pulling back the heavy blankets and the top sheet. The bed looked like heaven. "Vic, let’s just sleep for an hour and shower before we head downstairs. After eating, if we can wash our clothes and the towels we’ve used, we’ll go back to bed for one more round of rest."

Vic nodded, his eyes already half-closed. He climbed in next to me, the mattress groaning. Before we fell away, he pulled me close against his chest, wrapping his heavy arms around me. It was a dreamless nap, the kind born of pure physical depletion.

Forty-five minutes later, my internal clock snapped me awake. I slid quietly out from his arms, leaving him dead asleep to the world. I took a quick, scorching shower, scrubbed the grime of the road off, got dressed, and headed downstairs.

"Feeling better, Maria?" Anya asked as I entered the kitchen. She used the only legal name she knew me to have, her voice soft in the dim light. "Food should be ready shortly."

"Somewhat better, Ya-Ya," I said, using the old nickname from our twenties. The familiarity felt strange and heavy. "I’m sorry that he’s still sleeping. He isn’t used to this lifestyle, though that isn’t an excuse."

"Glad that you’re feeling better. I’ve missed you," she whispered. She stepped into my space and leaned in and gently kissed me on my mouth, a lingering, familiar heat. "God, I have waited for this day for years."

"I’ve missed you, too," I admitted, kissing her back as the memories of our past resurfaced. "He’s a heavy sleeper. We have time."

The air in the kitchen changed. Anya and I undressed in the glow of the stove, the orange light flickering over our skin. She took my hand, her fingers interlocking with mine, and led me to the worn couch positioned directly in front of the fire.

"Sit down and spread your legs for me, Maria," she commanded softly.

"I love when you use your linguistic skills," I whispered, obeying her. The heat from the fire was nothing compared to the pulse in my pussy. I knew I was wet when I sat down.

"Use a pillow if you need to," she said, her eyes dark with intent as she moved between my knees.

She didn't hesitate. Anya clamped her mouth onto me, her teeth, tongue, and lips working with a practiced, hungry precision. The sound of the blizzard outside faded, replaced entirely by the rhythm of her breath and the fire popping in the hearth. My hands went straight to her head. I tried to bring her closer to my pussy. Seconds later, she slid her tongue deep in my pussy and hit my gspot and used her tongue to linger on my gspot. After I came on her tongue several times, she bit my clit. I moaned then grabbed a pillow to place over my mouth. Anya continued to bit and nibble on my clit. I continued to cum and used the pillow to muffle my moans and screams.

When Anya came up for air and asked if I was ok. I told her that I was as I got up. We headed to the kitchen to get dressed. I went back to the living room to flip the couch cushion that I had just cum all over. Seconds later, Vic came down with our dirty clothes and the towels that we used.

“Just leave everything near the fireplace,” Anya said. “Dinner is almost ready.”

“Ok, thanks, Anya,” he said. “Is there anything that I can do to help you?”

“I’m good,” she said. “I got most everything taken care of while you guys were resting and cleaning up. Deppgrl helped a little bit when she came down.

About ten minutes later, Anya placed two steaming wooden bowls on the scarred pine table. It was a thick stew of meat and shriveled root vegetables—the best "fresh" meal we could hope for in the middle of a Siberian winter. We ate with a desperate efficiency, the only sound the clinking of spoons against wood. We were also careful not to eat too much as Anya needed to have food until the blizzard stopped.

“Thank you, Ya-Ya,” I said as I stood up to clear my spot. “We’ll clean up while you just watch us.”

It took Vic and I a few minutes to clear up and put the remaining food in a container on her porch. I then grabbed a banged up pot from the porch, added snow and brought it and put it on the fire in the fireplace. In no time, the water was boiling. I added lye soap and Vic’s and my dirty clothes. After letting the clothes boil in the soap water and move them around with a metal rod, I trudged outside with the pot to the edge of the property to dump the water. I added more snow to the pot. I went back inside to put the pot back on the fire to melt the snow and rinsed our clothes. I trudged outside again and poured the water on the edge of the property. Once inside, I rung out the clothes and hung them on a line near the fireplace to dry.

As Vic and Anya were talking, I went back to the spare room in the back of Anya’s cabin. I picked up the burner phone and made a call that I thought I would never make in my life. I called Sera’s government to get a hold of her. Within one ring, someone answered and before I could identify myself, I was told that I was getting transferred directly to Sera on her burner. I sighed in relief that she was still alive.

“Deppgrl, I am so glad you’re still alive,” Sera said. “I just heard that my twin came after you.”

“Sera, I’m so happy to hear your voice,” I said. “Mimi somehow found me but didn’t necessarily come after me but she also did. When we hang up, I’ll send you coordinates of where I left her though I doubt she’s still there.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “What can I do to help you?”

“Vic found me but he and his wife still need some protection,” I started with. “Also, I feel like someone is impersonating my uncle Charles. If someone is, we need to fake my death and host a funeral before I get to the next safehouse.”

“Ok, I can get someone on the wife but it’s going to take some time to get people on you and Vic due to the weather,” Sera said. “While I work on that, I am going to verify if your uncle is truly dead or just faked his death. Where are you now?”

“With Ya-Ya,” I admitted. “We told her we’re leaving before the sun is up.”

“You do realize that gives me about three to four hours to get all of this done, right?” she asked.

“I’m sorry to put you in such a bind,” I sighed.

“If it were an hour or two, that would be a bind,” she laughed. “Try to be ready to move soon, ok?”

“Ok,” I said.

We hung up without any pleasantries. As I headed down the hallway back into the living room to check on the clothes that were drying, I could hear the voices of Vic and Anya. Vic was annoyed and Anya was clearly persistent. I stopped while I was still in the shadows and slowed my breathing in order to hear their conversation.

“Anya, we may need to leave now if you keep insisting on me fucking you,” Vic said. I could hear the anger and frustration in his voice.

“But yet you’re cheating on your wife with her!” Anya said.

“Hey, guys!” I said cheerfully. “Just wanted to check on the clothes before I go to bed. The less to do in the morning, the better.”

Both Vic and Anya couldn’t look at me nor say anything to me. I checked the clothes and thankfully, everything was dry. I took them off the line and headed back to the spare room. Once I knew that they couldn’t hear me, I stopped.

“Anya, I really don’t need to explain myself to you,” he said. “Deppgrl and I have a connection that can’t be broken. I feel guilty for hurting my wife however, my wife and I are over emotionally. There’s no love nor is there any passion. I get that plus more with Deppgrl. Please stop pushing the issue or we’re going to leave.”

“Ok,” she said dejectedly.

I hurried to the room and started folding the clothes. Vic walked in the room a moment later and he looked pissed.

“Everything ok, Papa?” I asked.

“No and you know that,” he said. “I know you heard everything.”

“I wish I could explain her desire away but I can’t,” I said. “She doesn’t get many visitors due to how remote it is and she lost both her husband and her lover within a few years of each other. The death of both of them is no excuse in trying to pressure you to have sex with her. I don’t question her desire of you, though, Papa. You’re quite handsome.”

“You’re fucking me for my looks or for my dick?” Vic asked with a smirk on his face.

“Both,” I said. “And because you love me.”

“Gods, I would love to take you to pound town just to show her what it’s like to be with me but who knows what she’ll do with my cum or DNA,” he said.

“I don’t know either but let’s not risk it,” I said. “I got a hold of Sera.”

“What did she have to say?” he asked.

I whispered what the plans were – to see if anyone was impersonating Charles or if he was truly dead and also to fake my death so Vic and I could move about to get to safety. I told him that once we leave and go some distance from Anya, we will have to check our belongings to see if there are any tiny trackers. He nodded.

We got into bed and tried to sleep but it was rough. Thirty minutes before we were to leave, we got up. We showered, dressed, brushed our teeth and had a few granola bars. Without leaving a note, we left Anya’s. Last night would be the last time she and I would ever see each other.