Book 2: What We Had After the Beginning

Chapter 2: New

Ivan woke me up this morning and rushed me to the washroom to get ready. He gave me a black pair of pants, a dark grey shirt, a pair of shoes, and a black coat. When I was done getting dressed, Ivan handed me a medium sized bag and told me to hurry up and pack my things. I didn't really have many items to pack considering I only had a few pieces of clothing, so it didn’t take long. When Nikolay had his head turned, I made sure to slip my hand under my mattress and place the Soldier's knife at the bottom of my backpack. I'm now sitting in the dining room eating breakfast as Ivan barks orders outside. Nikolay’s the only one in the room with me, the others packing the rest of the boxes in trucks. Once I'm finished eating, Nikolay guides me outside where 4 military type trucks are parked. The other officers have already started piling into the trucks and are driving off towards a road that leads through the trees. As I'm climbing into the vehicle, I catch a glimpse of the Soldier exiting the building and heading to the truck behind this one. The truck only sits 5 people, so I scoot all the way down towards the window to make room for Nikolay and Sadovsky. Shrugging off my backpack, I place it on my lap and turn towards the window. Anton gets behind the wheel and starts the truck, while Ivan sits in the passanger seat. We're soon pulling out and driving down a road with trees on either side. No one speaks as the vehicle moves and I'm thankful for that. The quiet is nice, it’s making the drive feel more relaxing. Last time I got to leave the building, then we were on our way to the Bolshoi, there weren't any windows for me to look out of. Now, I'm trying to take in as much as possible. As we pass more and more trees, I try to imagine how someone could survive out here. Starting a fire is difficult but possible in weather like this and if the snow is fresh enough, you can melt it and drink it. But food, however, would be more of a challenge to acquire. I’ve never recalled hearing any wolves around here but there may be deer or rabbits. So food is somewhat manageable and on top of that staying warm, especially during the night where it gets much colder. Fire will help and if you're wearing the right type of clothes, that could be helpful too. As well as being active will keep you from getting hypothermia or frostbite.

A bump in the road jolts me out of my thoughts and makes me turn my head to see out of the front window. A grey building can be seen through the trees, looks to have 6 stories. Anton drives into a clearing where we can see the building more clearly and continues to drive towards it. It gets closer and closer and eventually we stop right in front of it where 2 other trucks are already parked as well as some other vehicles off to the side. Looks like Kovalev and his men are already here. Ivan and Anton are the first to get out which leads to officers getting out of the other trucks. The 4th truck pulls up next to us and Dominik, the Soldier and a number of other officers exit the vehicle and gather at the front doors. Sadovsky opens the door to the truck first and slides out, Nikolay then follows him and I'm close behind. Putting my bag back on, I follow Nikolay until we're with everyone else. The doors to the building open and out comes Kovalev followed by a few of his officers. The General greets Ivan and leads him inside. When we enter the building I almost gasp out loud. The inside is nothing I've ever seen before. There are square-shaped white tiles along the floor that look like no one has ever set foot on them yet. The walls are made up of brick, painted a cream color which smells as though it's just been freshly painted. Off to the left is a wide staircase and further down is a room with rows of tables. To the right, down a fairly wide hall, are 2 pillars that meet at the ceiling to form an arch. The pillars lead to a giant room where there are 3 large bay windows lined up next to each other, they're not boarded up. Bright light shines through each of them, illuminating the entire building making the lamps on the walls almost useless compared. What really catches my eye in this room is the grand piano sitting in the corner. The entire building is magnificent, almost like I'm in the inside of a castle. It's not as grand as the Bolshoi but it is magnificent. On either side of the walls are 2 hallways that I'm just itching to explore. Ivan, Anton, the Soldier and a few other Red Room officers follow Kovalev and his men down one of the halls. A KGB officer stays behind and begins making his way up the staircase. Assuming I'm suppose to follow him, I trail behind him up the stairs until we pass the 2nd floor which looks just as beautiful as the 1st. Then we continue up until we reach the 3rd floor and the officer leads me down a hallway where he stops in front of a door. He opens the door and turns the light on to reveal a decently sized room. Stepping inside, I take in every detail. There is a twin sized bed in the far left corner against the wall with a nightstand. On the right side of the room is a dresser with 3 drawers and a vanity table next to it. In front of me is a window near the foot of the bed with dark grey curtains keeping the light from entering the room. Taking a few steps further in, I suddenly hear the door behind me shut and turn around to find myself alone. Shrugging off my coat, I place my backpack on the bed and spread out everything that's inside. I first place the Soldier’s knife under the mattress then proceed to pack away the little clothes I have in the dresser. Turning my head towards the vanity table, I find a hair brush. Picking it up, I start to run it through my hair. I close my eyes and spend the next few minutes enjoying this little luxury. A knock at the door makes me put the brush back down and turn towards the person opening the door. General Kovalev steps in and assesses the room.