Chapter Seven: Not Alone

He rubbed his eyes and yawned letting out an exasperated sigh, Why does father insist in bringing me out here so early in the morning? Can't I sleep at all anymore? He heard his father open the back door and greet him in his shack, "Ah there's my little Nikki'!" Nikolai groaned rolling his eyes, "How many times must I remind you father, I HATE it when you call me that! It is girls' name!" His father laughed and patted him on the back, "Ah well come, come, we have chairs and matryoshka dolls to carve, da?" He nodded and trudged through the thick snow that blanketed his entire backyard. "Brrrr, it's getting colder, no? I love mother Russia but sometimes she can be a harsh woman." "Ah but that is woman's job my son. You work and give her money, she spends it and nags you til' your hair is gray; supposedly a win-win right?" They shared a long laugh as his father pulled out a few bottles of the one drink you could never get tired of in Russia… vodka. "Oh father when are you going to quit? I thought you promised me you would stop drinking if I got mother out of the house?" He popped the top off and took a sip eyeing his son's worried look. "Da, I was going to I swear, but this stuff is addicting. And it's good! No way could I beat that. Why don't you drink, it'll relax you." He sighed, his father's health was all he ever worried about anymore, especially since his mother left him and basically visits him only for money. He leaned over and grabbed one of the bottles, popped the top off and took a few sips before getting a surprising look from his father, "I didn't know you drink?" "Da, I enjoy it but I am not a drunk like you, I can control my intake. Besides, I am younger and healthier than you father. It is only your well-being that worries me day after day, and I just wish I could give you more than just my company, like money to care for you or a better house. I must have really disappointed you."

Nikolai's father scooted next to him and held his shoulder, "Nikolai, you are my son, and the best I will ever have. I would even go as far as to say I love you more than your sister considering she mooches money from me and has gone into prostitution with that wretched husband of hers, but I love you both. There is nothing you will ever do to make me stop loving you ever, and you have never, nor will you ever, disappoint me in any way. You are my son, my little bear cub, and you always will be." Nikolai wasn't the crying type but he could feel the tears behind his eyes, "Ah don't cry son, it will make you look like girl. But at least then I could call you Nikki'!" They laughed and clinked their bottle together when there was a knock at his door, "Ah I'll get it papa, you just stay there and finish cutting that arm chair." He set his bottle down and walked across the backyard, through the house and towards the front door.

There was a man in a long overcoat and dark cotton pants standing there, wearing sunglasses to hide his face and had a nametag attached to the breast pocket on the front. Nikolai blinked, Uh oh, he doesn't look very friendly. What's with the glasses, it is 6 am, there is no sun out? He cleared his throat, "Uh, can I help you?" The man went from serious to smiling, tipping his glasses down to meet his gaze, "доброе утро, good morning my friend! My name is Viktor Bogrov and I understand you have financial issues, no?" Nikolai squinted in suspension, "Da, who wants to know?" "Well, you see- is there a more private place we may speak? Out in the open isn't very safe for the information I possess."

Though still suspicious he allowed him inside and sat him down in the living room, "Would you like a drink?" "нет, no thank you." He walked over sat across from him crossing his arms, "So what is this so called 'secret information' you wish to share with me, eh?" Viktor pulled out a file from his coat pocket and slid it to him, "I work for a man named Dr. Edward Richtofen, do you know him?" He nodded no and he continued, "Well Dr. Edward is a brilliant man and a great physicist at that. His ideas on quantum mechanics and string theory have blown my mind. Any who, he is looking for volunteers in his line of work for experimentation within his field and if you sign this contract not only will thousands of dollars in cash be rewarded for your generosity but you will be reinstated with new life insurance as well for people of your choosing." Nikolai thought about this for a moment, if he signed this… he basically be signing his life away. But father needs the money and insurance. He is close to losing his house as it is. Nikolai looked back through the screen door at his father. He was still drinking and carving that arm chair, smiling happily and coughing cold smoke from the outside chill.

He turned back to Viktor after ending his deep thought, "If I do this, the money will be brought here? And the insurance should I choose to do so with it?" He nodded, "Da, everything will be delivered here if you choose to do so before departure." Nikolai grew confused, "Departure, where would I be going?" "You won't be far from home I assure you, just in a top-secret location called Eagles Nest in Siberia. Unfortunately, your contact with any family here would be extremely limited to almost virtually none at all for you and your families safety." "Safety, from what?" "I'm sorry but that's classified Mr. Belinski." He paused looking at the mysterious man, "How do you know my name?" The man stood up leaving the file on the table and heading towards the door, "I work for Group 935 Mr. Belinski, and we know everyone's names. If I were you, I would consider this offer. You'll never get another chance at this." He opened the door letting the cold bitter air flood inside, "I'll take my leave Mr. Belinski. My number is in the file should you make up your mind." And with that the mysterious man left without a trace, leaving Nikolai to his thoughts. "Little Nikki', are you going to help me with these matryoshka dolls or not, hahaha?"

Takeo stared at him with suspicious eyes. What an oaf. He tries to drown his past in vodka. It will consume him one day. He studied him as he slept, face twitching, body moving with every breath, half-empty bottle of vodka clutched tightly in his hand and mumbling to himself in his sleep. He must have been dreaming about something pretty unpleasant… but he always seems so happy when he's awake. What could he possibly have to regret in his past? He's just a drunken fool with absolutely no honor within him… just alcohol. Takeo shrugged it off and tilted against the wall of the plane to try and get some sleep of his own while Richtofen stared out the window. No one had said a word to him since they left; perhaps they thought he was in mourning? Nonsense, I am a doctor! I do not mourn my friends or comrades! Even if ve vere closer zhan most. *Sigh* vhy did sacrifice himself like zhat? Did he even know ze base vas surrounded, or vas he just completely unaware of his incoming demise? Aua mein Kopf, mein head is starting to ache, und I am feeling a multitude of emotions. I do not like zhis! I need shleep'. He leaned against the window as his eyes fluttered in and out of consciousness, he couldn't recall the last time he got any sleep. Considering the constant flashbacks and memories hording his mind and now these new so called "emotions" that he rarely has felt, sleep sounded like the inevitable. His mind was always under constant surveillance and thinking continuously. The voices in his head wouldn't leave him alone, pestering him, mocking him, sometimes even intimidating him to where shouting and screaming at his undead children would be his only option of drowning them out.

The others thought he was crazy… him crazy? Zhey don't know vhat crazy is. I'm certainly not crazy. It's all the voices in mein head's fault! He spoke a bit too soon:

"Fool. Idiot. Liar. You need us."

He grabbed his head and tried to ignore them:

"Ha! You cannot ignore us! You cannot ignore what you have become! You are trapped, cornered, damned until the end of your miserable life when all hell will be waiting for you!"

I am in control of my mind, not you! I have control. I am in control.

He rubbed his temples until the aches began to fade away and the voices died down again. Sighing, he rolled over and attempted to sleep.

Dempsey looked around the cargo hold of the plane with annoyance, everyone but him could sleep. Well this is just fucken' great. Damn nightmares were keeping me up anyways. He shifted his position and looked out his window considering there were only two in the entire cargo hold. It had only been about eight hours, which meant they had about three hours left before they arrived in the outskirts of Breslau, Poland, where this supposed "factory" is. As much as Dempsey wanted to believe the doc's story it just didn't add up. How would he know about this factory in the first place anyways? Doc must've done a lot of travelin' in this 'job' of his. He shifted again staring at him. He watched him twitch and move along with his other comrades, Damn, everybody must be gettin' nightmares around here. Wonder what's causing them cuz' it wasn't like this before. He stared back out the window when he noticed something: the fog that was thousands of feet below them was now hundreds, and they were cutting through it as it blanketed above them. What the hell, why are we lowering? We still got at least another two hours or so. He got up to investigate the cockpit, make sure the pilots didn't fall asleep. After cracking his knuckles on the way there he knocked, "Hey, you guys ok, we've been lowering kinda' rapidly? Are we low on fuel er' somethin'?" The silence just echoed the metallic walls of the plane. He cringed, "Uh, hahaha, guys I know ya don't speak english but at least make an asian noise er' somethin'," Still no response, "Ah son of a bitch!" He rammed his shoulder into the door, desperately trying to break it down. "This ain't funny anymore you fucken' nobjockies!" As he clashed his shoulder against the door repeatedly it eventually awoke and alarmed his sleeping companions. "Scheiße, was zum Teufel Dempshey'?!" "Dempsey, why did you have to wake poor Nikolai, eh? I was having eh… an ok dream." "What is the meaning of this?!" He continued to ram against the door frantically, "Damn asians ain't respondin' and this plane is driftin' downward!" They all shifted towards the nearest window, he was right. The plane was now about 5,000 feet out of 10 in the air, and they were descending a lot faster now. "Scheiße ve need to get zhat door open!" "I'm workin' on it doc!" "Vell vork harder or ve'll all be dead soon!" "I would if *grunt* you would help!" They each took a side next to one another and began slamming each other as hard as they could, almost leaving dents in the door. Just as bruises began to form on their shoulders, the door burst open and they fell inside. "Ah shit I spilled my vodka! Any luck with the pilots though?" Richtofen gathered himself up and approached the main pilot who was slouched against his own shoulder drooling blood. He removed his glove and pressed two cold fingers against his neck… nothing, "Zhey're dead both of them." They looked in horror at the two deceased pilots and then allowed their eyes to wander towards each other, "Anyone uh, know how to uh, fly a GOD DAMN PLANE?!"

(доброе утро:1: Good morning :: нет:2: No :: Scheiße, was zum Teufel :3: Shit, what the hell)