Chapter Seven.
The first evening of Kirov's occupation was quiet but not without incident. Sarah and Marta had remained in the room together, as Sarah did her best to Marta's abrasions and cuts, the bruising she could do nothing about. They stayed quiet and gave the two guards no reason to check on them after night fell. Marta had told her everything after she had left the camp and gone out into the countryside looking for Kirov, finally, without any prompting she unburdened herself with the events that happened after her capture.
"We sighted the stragglers of his column after three days and signalled the Colonel to let him know our position, he had ordered me to send but not receive signals to prevent any triangulation from Kirov or anyone else. Our radios are supposed to be encrypted but we took no chances.
Sarah sat listening with rapt attention, she wanted to know how far Adam was and what he planned to do. "Go on, "she urged.
"Then as we followed them, a flanking patrol stumbled upon us. There was a firefight and we scattered. I ran back along the tree line and found a wooden cabin, used for keeping animals in winter and then waited. For three hours, I heard nothing. I ditched my radio after one more signal and then moved out after dark. As I moved through the forest, I was caught by two camouflaged 'werewolves' and knocked out." She sighed, as she told her story, she wrung her hands anxiously.
"Where were you?" Sarah asked, breaking the mounting tension,
"Near the bridge, Kirov had doubled back and retook the village," She nodded, confirming her recollection.
"We don't have to talk..." Sarah gave her the chance, but Marta shook her head.
"I woke up tied to a chair and then Kirov came in. He questioned me and I refused to answer and then one of his men started on me and he watched. They started with waterboarding; you know what that is?" Marta turned to Sarah, who sat horrified.
"Yes, I know..." Sarah nodded at the practice of 'enhanced interrogation' techniques such as simulated drowning. She scrutinized Marta, who now sat still, a far-away look in her eyes.
"Well, after an hour, they decided to have some 'fun' with me!" She hissed. Marta breathed slowly now, her recollection harrowing as it was, gave her a sense of herself again. The broken pieces were slowly reforming like coloured pebbles disturbed in a mediation garden, forming new patterns from the chaos.
"Marta, you survived them, and you'll survive this," Sarah's words sounded hollow.
"You would think after two or three men being inside you, the body would be numb to it, but biology is cruel, isn't it? For women, I mean. After Kirov and his interrogators used me, they tied me to the back of a truck and let his officers have their way with me. After them, he threatened me with the whole company, do you know what he said?" Marta smiled ruefully, the abstract humour of her ordeal causing her emotions to rip like tissue paper, "He said he would like them fuck me to death!"
"Marta, stop! You are safe now," Sarah soothed, knowing that neither of them was safe at all. Kirov was a convict commander of a penal company abandoned by his central command and left to roam a foreign country as bandits, they did not retreat as they had nowhere to retreat to. All of them had death sentences upon their heads or many years in prison. However, Kirov was no fool, he operated along the border and he could buy some protection from another foreign state, he could march across the border, to avoid capture and then cross back whenever he wanted. His reputation was hugely important, if people feared him and his men, it made their life easier. The stories of pillaging, looting and rape were true and often exaggerated but that worked for him, a terrified population would be easier to control and subjugate.
"We are not safe, "Marta hissed, "He will come for me and you. When they tied me to the truck, he used me as a reward for the men who had pleased him, one after another," Marta's tears welled in her eyes and tumbled down her cheeks.
Sarah knew what she said was probably true, in a war, rape and sexual assault were weapons to be used against civilians and prisoners. In war, men who were given guns rarely became examples of good human beings. The chances of them both being abused were near certain, she wasn't sure her status as a war correspondent would protect her and it was certain that it would not protect Marta. Sarah's mind was working overtime, it seemed stupid for Kirov to make for the hotel. If he was being pursued, as Marta's presence was ample evidence of, he should have made for the border, to avoid any reprisals. There was no reason to move further away from safety to a location that made him vulnerable- unless there was another reason!
"Marta, when you signalled the Colonel, what position did Kirov make you give him?" Sarah, always one to see patterns in the world, had begun to put pieces together, but lacked evidence.
