Notes

Alexei's transfer dragged on for many months; he spent almost a year in "Matrosskaya Tishina" before he was sent to the camp. The reason for this was the massive prison reform that was taking place in the country. Colonies and prisons could not cope with the number of new inmates, both political prisoners and those convicted in other criminal cases. Poverty prevailed, thefts, armed robberies, illegal business, and the drug trade were on the rise. In Russia has come the new nineties, which the authorities feared, but not because of the revolution the government feared, but because of the Iron Curtain, rampant corruption, and sanctions from other countries in response to the persecution of the opposition within Russia. The government found a way out of the situation and decided to act according to the principle "all new is well forgotten old," establishing the Gulag. Convicts who couldn't fit into regular prisons were taken to labor camps, where they could work off their guilt before their homeland through sweat and even blood, rebuilding the Russian economy with their practically free labor.

***

After several days in a rusty train carriage, blown to bits by the north winds, and rafting down a wide, icy river on an old barge that threatened to sink at any moment, Alexei and the other survivors of this long, hungry, almost unbearable journey finally set foot on land. It was early spring, but the detainees were shivering in the icy wind, wrapped in their worn jackets, not suitable for the local but Moscow winter.
Navalny glanced at the armed guards greeting them, convicts. One of them, in a military overcoat that barely fit over his broad chest, was evidently in charge here. A stout man of forty-five looked at the prisoners with greenish-brown eyes, as if he were looking for someone in the crowd, and when he met Alexei he stared at him long and hard. Only then did he speak.
- Welcome to labor logging camp number forty-two," Comrade Commandant Alexander Novikov, as he himself introduced himself to the prisoners in this first welcome speech, almost shouted in the icy wind, from which the prisoners learned that they were in fact being deprived of all their rights, and were becoming labor slaves. After this impromptu meeting, the prisoners were told to go to the barracks and get ready to go out to the logging camp with the second shift today.
- And you - wait! - one of the guards poked Navalny with his submachine gun in the shoulder. Alexei stopped and noticed that the warden was talking to his deputy about something. Unimaginably tall and broad, skinhead man stared at Alexei intently and predatorily, while Novikov gave him some instructions. Alexei shivered under the bully's gaze and lowered his eyes.
- Come with me," said the big man who approached.
- Am I something special? All the prisoners were sent to the barracks, and I ... - Alexei gasped in sharp pain in the forearm, which grabbed his guard's huge hand.
- Walk in silence, will you? - The skinhead's voice was quiet but convincing, as his death grip on Navalny's arm, so Alexei walked to the small log building without too many questions.
- Come in," Alexei was pushed through the door that opened in front of him.
The cabin was dirty, smelled of alcohol, cigarettes, and dirty laundry.
- My name is Vladimir Gnidov, and you will address me as Comrade Deputy Commandant. You'll live here with me.
- I do not need such privileges, I will settle down in the barracks, - Alexei objected, wishing he could hurry back to the other prisoners, many of whom he had met during his long journey.
- This is the order of the camp commander Novikov, and it is not up for discussion. Now wash yourself, I don't want to get lice from you. I heated the stove, and heated the water, the bathtub is there.
Navalny was tormented by thoughts of why he had to live together with the deputy commandant, but he had no strength to argue with him. After a long trip he wanted to eat, sleep, but now, seeing the bathtub in front of him, he realized that more than anything else in the world he wanted to wash himself, for the first time in his shameful memory of how many days.
After a while, Navalny came out of the bathroom back into the room in the change of plaid shirt and old pants left for him, he was not given new ones. Gnidov was sitting at the table, on which there was an empty bottle of vodka, an empty shot, and a single pickle in an aluminum plate. The deputy commander was staring at Alexei with watery, faded eyes, and it was hard to tell what this look was expressing.
- Take off your pants," he ordered in the same quiet and unemotional voice.
- What do you mean? - Navalny expected anything, but not that.
- They're filthy, I'll look for others. Take them off.
Alexei obeyed, wanting to get rid of his old clothes as soon as possible. But Gnidov did not move in search of a change of clothes for Navalny, he still sat on the chair and watched Alexei.
- You have beautiful legs, men rarely have legs like that. You know, often they are too thin, too fat, or too crooked. But you have beautiful legs," Gnidov's face for the first time in all the time showed the semblance of a smile, but this smile did not bode well. Navalny felt threatened and began to pull back his pants, but the deputy commander with amazing speed for his build jumped up to Alexei in two jumps and with a single blow on the ground. While Navalny was gasping for air convulsively, his right hand had already been chained to a metal noose embedded in the floor. He tried to hit the bald man with his second hand, but his retaliatory strike was apparently not even noticed, and both of his hands were immobilized.
- Cute enemy of the people. Now, that's lucky for me," the big man looming over him breathed his breath in Alexei's face.
- If you lay a finger on me, I'll sue you," Alexei tried to keep his voice calm.
Gnidov grinned and let out something like a laugh.
- If I want, you will not live to see any court, sweetheart. Lie still.
Alexei tried to object, but the big man squeezed his palm around his neck; Navalny began to choke. Gnidov took his hand away and came closer to Alexei, who was pale from the lack of air.
- You know, I've fucked so many men in my life, but I've never kissed one of them. It's kind of a shame, you know, kissing a cock where you fuck. But your lips drive me crazy for some reason, said the deputy commander and licked the lips of Alexei, who grimaced with disgust.
- Bastard! - Navalny only had time to shout before he received another blow to the solar plexus. The big man again dug into the lips of his caught victim.
- So soft," followed a wet kiss, "so sweet. I wonder how many bitcoins it cost to be able to kiss you every morning?
Navalny could not believe this was really happening. So much of the horror and pain he had endured was behind him, but he hadn't expected the rape. Alexei frantically sucked in air with flushed lips after insistent kisses. The tears of despair that came out made his already beautiful blue eyes sparkle like jewels. Gnidov buried his palm in Navalny's light-blond, silky hair.
- I love blondes. They usually have pink nipples. Not brown, but gently pink. I bet you have those, don't you?
And in the next second, the skinhead unbuttoned the shirt of Alexei, who had no time to answer. It was cool in the cabin, especially after a hot bath, which made Alexei's pink, as his rapist had supposed, nipples harden and his skin covered with goosebumps.
- I told you," Gnidov squeezed Navalny's nipple and grinned predatorily.
- Don't touch me! Don't you dare! Take your hands off me! I'll kill you, you bitch! - Navalny shouted and choked again with another blow.
The deputy commander moved closer to Alexei's neck, and drew in his nostrils the smell of cheap soap and freshly produced sweat, the smell was subtle, intoxicating, maddening. The rapist slid the tip of his nose lower, across his chest, across Navalny's shuddering belly, stopping at the elastic band of his boxers. Alexei felt as if some animal was sniffing at him, predatory, dangerous, and insatiable, which sent a shiver through his body. Gnidov ran his tongue from the rubber band of his underpants back upward, now not only savoring the smell of the desired body but also tasting it. Navalny almost did not have the strength to resist at all, he had not eaten for a long time, he was very tired. But thanks to the adrenaline rush Alexei began to try as hard as he could to free his hands from the metal bracelets, wriggling his whole body, thus giving more pleasure to his rapist.
- What a hot oppositionist. Unruly, unruly. I should make love to you, not rape you..." A hot whisper burned Alexei's ear.
- You smell so good, so sweet. I'll lick it all off, and then I'll fuck you good, and you'll ask me for more.
The rapist moved lower, caressing the soft skin. Then, he forcefully spread his legs that were trying to close. He began kissing the soft skin of his inner thighs, going up from the knee to higher and higher. Reaching the line of the pants of boxers Deputy Kommandant ran his tongue over the velvet skin of his legs, and then began to kiss his cock right through the fabric. The rapist licked, kissed, smelled his victim's crotch, getting himself hotter and hotter. He enjoyed the smell of Navalny, the scent of his fresh male sweat, fear, and sex. Burying his face in Alexei's crotch, the rapist made vulgar, disgusting sounds, smacking and moaning. The fabric of Navalny's boxers began to soak into the saliva of his tormentor.
Alexei could no longer hold back his tears. He probably felt so helpless for the first time in his life. Navalny clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping only that the horror happening now would end as quickly as possible.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Gnidov clamped his hand over Alexei's mouth in the next second. The knocking repeated, this time it was more insistent. The deputy commander was visibly nervous, even frightened. Single, but stronger knocks fell on the door; the flimsy lock could withstand only two such knocks. In the next instant a bright light burst into the semi-darkness of the room, and Navalny, lying on the floor in his underwear, was pelted with cold, but fresh air compared to the musty hut. On the threshold stood the camp commander, Commandant Novikov, the same one who had greeted the prisoners on the shore with an introductory speech. The face of the commandant showed surprise and then anger.
- Is this how you keep an eye on him, Gnida? - He asked Gnidov, who hated to be called by a nickname derived from his surname. - I gave you an important mission, to watch over the enemy of the people, and you? He must be dealt with severely, but... not like this! Not a hair of his head should fall off!
- A hair would not fall from his head," said the deputy commandant, with a swagger.
- Undo these handcuffs, quick," Novikov ordered.
- Come on, comrade chief, join us, there's enough for everyone. Look at this nipple, what a working mouth she has, - winked Gnidov to the chief.
- I said quickly let him go!
In the aftermath, Alexei could not remember how he got up from the floor, how Novikov wrapped him up in the first blanket he could find, and how he took him through the snow to the neighboring hut. His own, the commandant's hut.