Third Person - Complete

Salt, Holly, & Blood

Stepan stood in the wide concrete and tile room, unarmed, feeling sweat bead up on his lower back as the three women stood in front of the door. They were dressed in the remains of their uniforms, faces mutely showing the abuse they had suffered but their back unbowed. Stepan could feel their defiance even ten feet away. They glanced at Comrade Captain Lobanov, who was bound, on his knees, blindfolded, gagged, in in the middle of the room. Sergeant Molitz stood behind Captain Lobanov, ready in case he tried to escape.

It was the first time that Stepan had seen him since the helicopter ride where the Beast had bruised Molitz's brain with a single savage blow to his temple.

The Beast, looking fat and shapeless in her uniform. Scarface, taller than the Beast but shorter than the Amazon, who's eyes were flat and merciless as she looked at the KGB Colonel. The Amazon, who looked calm and unruffled despite the repaired tears in her uniform and the bruising on her face.

"If you screw us in this," Scarface was glaring as she spoke, "I promise you..."

"Yes, yes, dire things will occur," The KGB Colonel said. One of the other soldiers of the First Main Directorate was standing next to him. "I intend on having you returned as soon as possible to Western Germany, back to Site-317 until war breaks out between our nations or your US Army ships you somewhere else and brings in replacements."

The Amazon chuckled, shaking her head. Despite her size Stepan found her attractive. Long eyelashes, lush lips, bright eyes full of humor and intelligence, healthy and strong body. Stepan looked away as the woman began speaking.

"You assume Ant is going to leave," She smiled widely, "Perhaps fate and destiny have placed him there as a warning."

There was a crashing sound and the heavy steel door shuddered in its frame. Concrete dust puffed out in narrow lines around the frame and something cracked in the wall.

"He's coming," The Beast said. She held up the jar of white salt. "Out of the way."

Everyone moved while she drew most of a circle, eight feet across, with a three foot gap on the side facing the door.

"I need a knife," She said softly.

The KGB man next to the Colonel stepped forward, holding out a cruel looking knife made of black metal.

The Gerber Mark II that Chernobog had used to carve apart Stepan's face. The man felt the healing wounds twinge in response to seeing it.

Stepan expected her to cut her hand, like he had seen in black and white Western movies, but instead she cut the outside of her forearm, deep enough to draw blood but not deeply into the muscle. She cut the other two women's arms, pressing her arm against their's for a moment, with the Amazon and Scarfare pressing their wounds together last.

The Beast took the holly leaves, smearing the trio's blood onto the spiked green leaves. She handed them to Scarface.

"If you will?" The Beast asked, turning around. To Stepan's ears she sounded nervous.

Scarface silently undid half of the Beast's braid then wove the holly leaves into the hair before braiding it again.

"Are you sure this will work?" Scarface asked.

The Beast shook her head. "If it doesn't, he'll rape us to death then go on his killing spree."

Scarface shrugged. "He won't hurt me like that. He might kill me, but he won't do more than that."

"You guy's nervous too?" The Amazon said. The other two women nodded as Scarface used a rubberband on the bottom of the Beast's braid.

Beast rubbed her hands together then picked up the jar of salt, pouring it in her hand and rubbing it on the other two women's wound before her own. Stepan knew that had to have hurt but none of them showed the slightest sign of the pain rubbing salt into a gash.