A few days later, as Daniel grew accustomed to his new role and learned to suppress his flinches when potential assailants passed by, got used to his new name, Sennoy finally sought him out. Engrossed in chipping away ice off frozen asphalt, Daniel failed to hear Sennoy's soft call over the crunching sound of his laborious task.

Daniel, in an attempt to stay warm, worked diligently, chipping away at ice covering asphalt with deliberate, sharp motions. Lift the metal bar, swing it down with strength,break the ice's surface. Take another step. Repeat the motion: up, down, step. It's a monotonous and futile task; the moisture in the air mocked his daily toil, transforming the fallen snow into a fresh layer of ice overnight. Each morning began with the same routine, continuing until the much-anticipated smoke break. Amidst the crunching sound, a soft call went unheard.

"Dashka, you got cotton in your ears?!" The yell echoed, causing him to drop the bar. Daniel turned, fixing his gaze on the clean-shaven, determined jaw, hesitated, and tensed, praying it was just a chat. "Grab that bar and come with me."

Daniel obediently stooped to retrieve the bar, his gloved fingers trembling as he grasped it. He then followed Sennoy sluggishly toward the barracks, his usual dining spot. Holding onto the bar like a lifeline, he trailed behind, maintaining his distance and rhythm. With each step, his hope for a conversation dwindled. Sennoy strode with an air of authority, nodding to guards as though they were peers. An irritable growl escaped him when Daniel paused uncertainly before the entrance to the dimly lit cell brimming with crates.

"Move it! Let's go!" he snapped impatiently.

Daniel entered the cell, placing the bar in a corner, but then hesitated. He was at a loss for what to do next. He couldn't undress Sennoy, so he knew he had to undress himself. However, Daniel found himself frozen in place, unable to move.

"Ever been with men before?" Sennoy asked, fumbling with the zipper of his black uniform pants, identical to Daniel's.

"No. Only involuntarily, when-" Daniel halted, stealing a quick peek at the open fly.

"Got it. Get down on your knees," Sennoy approached, impatiently tapping his foot. "Chop-chop!"

Daniel dropped to his knees, his throat tightening nervously as he fixated on the open fly, beneath which he saw blue woolen thermal underwear - not standard issue, indicating that Sennoy could wear what he pleased beneath his uniform. It occurred to him, in passing, that working outdoors in such thermal wear would be far warmer than the scratchy calico undergarments that provided no insulation. Sennoy peeled off his thermal underwear and briefs, revealing a limp, sizable cock adorned with sparse, light curls, and he chuckled softly.

"How much longer are you gonna stall? Get moving."

Daniel shuffled forward on his knees, awkwardly getting closer, parted his lips, squeezed his eyes shut, and hesitantly took the soft tip into his mouth, nearly gagging at the unfamiliar scent of another man's sweat mingled with the musky scent of his groin. No thinking, no thinking, no thinking. He pushed deeper, swirling the tip along his palate and creating suction—he enjoyed it when girls did this to him, so Sennoy should too. Mentally disconnecting from the humiliating task, he let his mind drift to the tropical heat, to the dimness of the pantry, cut through by a slender beam of sunlight with dust motes swirling within it, and he shrank, becoming microscopic, imperceptible, sliding into a safe crevice.

"Hey, that's not how it's done. Look at me," Sennoy nudged him with his knee, redirecting Daniel's focus back to him. Daniel looked up apprehensively, scraping with his teeth against the other man's now hardened and enlarged cock.

"Damn teeth! I'll knock 'em out if you do that again!" Sennoy snarled, glaring down at him. "And perk up, look at me, don't drift off!"

Daniel obediently withdrew his teeth, resuming his mouth work on the shaft, gagging when it went too deep. Observing Sennoy's tough expression soften a bit with satisfaction while sucking his cock, unable to divert his thoughts, became unbearable. Daniel struggled trying to please Sennoy while enduring the taste of salty-musky pre-cum and the sensation of being used like a sex toy overwhelmed him, but he continued with sharper and quicker movements, maintaining his glazed-eyed gaze on Sennoy. No thinking, no thinking, no thinking. It's just a body, it's secondary, unlike the mind. Suddenly, Sennoy grabbed the towel from his shoulder, pulled it taut, and wrapped it around the back of Daniel's head, urging him to go deeper and wider.

Daniel gagged as his throat tightened in a reflex, gripping his jacket tightly to avoid accidentally grabbing onto Sennoy, and whimpered as Sennoy came down his throat in the final forceful thrusts.

"Swallow," Sennoy commanded sternly. "You mess this place up, I'll kill you."

Daniel swallowed the vomit that surged up along with the other man's semen and his saliva, breathing heavily as he fought off the nausea. He struggled to suppress the urge to vomit, but his body rebelled against the nerve impulses. He shuddered violently, attempting to regain his composure and rise. If only he could make it outside, he could vomit in a secluded corner. If only he could get there before it was too late to escape. Meanwhile, Sennoy smoked, nonchalantly waving his hand, as Daniel hastily grabbed the bar and clamped his hand over his mouth, darting out of the room. He barely made it to the bathroom, dropping to his knees and retching, expelling everything he had swallowed. He vomited for what felt like an eternity, purging everything until only bitter bile remained. Eventually, he regained his senses, hurrying back to the workplace. There was nothing left in his soul: no shame, no despair, only the biting cold, much like the one outside.

Three days later, Sennoy intercepted him in the same spot at the same time, once again nodding toward the barracks. Daniel, bracing himself for the torment, gazed at Sennoy's broad back with a heavy heart, trudging along reluctantly.

Two weeks later, Daniel found himself sucking with more confidence, managing to swallow saliva and suppress the gag reflex through sheer willpower. It became easier to obediently watch Sennoy's face as well - the repetitive, repulsive routine no longer stabbed as sharply as it did the first time. Daniel instinctively understood why Sennoy insisted on eye contact. He sought to assert dominance, to revel in the primitive transaction of overpowering a weaker male. In the normal world, such satisfaction was derived by alpha males through verbal dominance or business victories, but in this distorted, twisted semblance of society, it was achieved through primitive means. It was logical, understandable, and nauseating.

After three weeks, Sennoy introduced a change to the routine of sucking and rushing to the toilet by stating.

"Take off your pants and face the wall."

"Can I give you a blowjob instead?" Daniel pleaded, looking up at Sennoy, but Sennoy shook his head.

"No. I'm tired of blowjobs."

"Can I prepare myself then?" Daniel's hands trembled as he grasped the button of his pants, awaiting a response.

"Next time, be ready beforehand," Sennoy sat down on the sofa and lit a cigarette. "You've got a couple of minutes."

Daniel, hastily pulling down his pants and underwear to his knees, retrieved the baby cream he had carried with him all this time but hoped he wouldn't need to use. He squeezed the greasy yellow substance onto his fingers and inserted two fingers into himself at once, exhaling shakily - it was unpleasant, but bearable. Spreading his fingers, he pressed against the resistant walls, inserting a third finger with a cringe of pain, but moving fast - judging by Sennoy's heavy breathing, the sight of Daniel stretching himself excited him. Stretching himself under someone else's unyielding scrutiny, standing in an awkward pose with his bare buttocks, listening to the other man's increasingly audible breaths - all of this pushed him to the limit, emphasized his utter vulnerability, and heightened his fear. He flinched when Sennoy rattled something and approached him.

"Bend over," he ordered, passing the towel under Daniel's stomach and pulling the edges tightly. Daniel complied, leaning against the wall, biting his lip hard, and suppressing a groan as Sennoy quickly unwrapped the condom, snapped the rubber band, and quickly pushed himself in. The entry burned with pain - not as sharp and frantic as during the rape, but enough to break out into a cold sweat. The large, hot shaft slowly pressed into him, widening the passage, and violating him once more. And Daniel squirmed, allowing himself to escape into the crevice this time, seeking refuge there, shielding himself from the nauseating humiliation. The unpleasant stretching and pain brought him back intermittently, especially when Sennoy accelerated, thrusting forcefully into him and nearly driving him into the wall. An involuntary moan of wrenching pain escaped him. The sickening sensation of another man's cock inside him - unnatural, destroying, trampling. Harder, whipping, chaotic. Nausea rose up again with a twist, stirring up the urge to pull away and push back. Daniel struggled to conjure up a soothing image, exhaling rejection sharply in sync with the thrusts and sliding his weakened hands against the wall. Sennoy pounded into him particularly sharply and chaotically several times, groaned briefly, savored the orgasm, and pulled out. Daniel pressed his soaked forehead against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut as self-loathing engulfed him. He had given himself, willingly! Despite the circumstances, he had chosen to do so.

"Sit down, I want to talk," Sennoy lit a cigarette and blew out smoke with satisfaction.

Daniel squirmed uncomfortably, pulling up his underwear and zipping up his pants. He glanced sideways at the sunlight flooding in from the window, watching the dust motes dance in the rays, and gradually calmed his breath, zoning out on the mundane motions instead of dwelling on the fact that he just gave himself up to another con.

"Feeling better?" Sennoy smirked wickedly, perching on the sofa by the tiny barred window. Daniel turned and eyed him wearily, realizing Sennoy had been patiently waiting for him to snap out of it – the cigarette was now stubbed out, the smoke nearly faded. "You'd be done for with those tricks in the gen pop. Tell me about yourself."

"Daniel King, sentenced for..." Daniel started flatly, shaking himself out of it.

"I know that," Sennoy cut him off. "Tell me who ordered you. Chop-chop! Marinka spilled the beans."

Marinka – Daniel blinked, puzzled, then it clicked – Marina Lvovna! The nurse, or whatever they called her when they fetched meds.

"Alexander Bystritsky," he sighed glumly, straightening up and staring at the floor.

"Say it again," Sennoy demanded tensely, leaping to his feet – he'd been lounging on the sofa before. "And look at me!"

"Alexander Bystritsky," Daniel repeated, surprised, meeting Sennoy's eyes obediently and feeling himself shrink – Sennoy's intense gaze had shifted from chilly indifference to fiery anger, ready to lash out. Was it rotten luck again, that Sennoy was some distant pal of the Bystritskys?

"Matvei Bystritsky's spawn, huh?" Sennoy fished out his cigarettes again, pulling one out anxiously and lighting up, quickly waving the smoke away so he could size up Daniel better.

"Yeah, he is," Daniel shivered nervously, not catching what sparked the anger. It felt like Sennoy was about to land a blow, but Daniel oddly sensed the fury wasn't all aimed at him. So, not a Bystritsky buddy – that's a plus.

"Now spit it out, clear and steady, how everything went down," Sennoy exhaled smoke through flared nostrils. "And make it snappy!"

"I came to Moscow for a consulting project for Alexander Bystritsky's investment fund. It was a month-long due diligence project, doing an investment assessment of a company he was looking to acquire. We finished it on time and handed over successfully, though there was one discrepancy in the financial model."

"Bystritsky gave us another project, growth strategy for the acquired start-up, so they asked me to stay on," he explained, feeling a bit confused. "But when Bystritsky closed the deal with the startup owner and made the transfer, the guy vanished. Then Bystritsky turned around and accused me of being in collusion with him. And just when I tried to leave, he planted drugs on me. That's basically what happened."

"You, not the higher-ups of the company?" Sennoy asked, disbelief coloring his tone. "Why'd he finger you?"

"The partner supervising the project arranged for me to meet the startup founder at a club, and it happened to be during a party, so a photo was taken of me at the table with everyone. Somehow, that photo got leaked to Bystritsky, and he assumed I was in collusion with them."

"You got played, huh," Sennoy muttered, his fingers crunching as he scowled. "Now I see. Your partner threw you under the bus, didn't he?"

"I doubt it," Daniel replied, briefly pursing his lips. "If he had framed me, he would have vanished as well, similar to the founder. However, my consulate confirmed during the trial that the partner was still with the firm, and Bystritsky himself said that he had been cleared by his security and that he hadn't received any suspicious or substantial sums of money."

"He could've stashed 'em offshore and bided his time to swipe 'em later," Sennoy shrugged, clenching his teeth. "You're hiding something, lay it on the line."

"Bystritsky had his eye on me right from the start... in a sexual way. He propositioned me to be his partner, to make up for the stolen money, but I turned him down," Daniel responded grimly, feeling the absurdity of rejecting the role of an oligarch's lover to satisfy a convict in a grimy cell just for basic protection.

Sennoy stayed quiet, his routine of stubbing out his cigarette on the sole of his boot and carefully depositing it into an empty can serving as an ashtray.

"Pride, huh?" he remarked after a pause. "Well, ain't that somethin'..."

"It is what it is," Daniel retorted sharply. It felt like a slap in the face from Sennoy, diminishing his effort to resist and highlighting his helpless situation. It seemed Sennoy didn't understand that even a scrappy rooster could have some pride.

"Can I leave now? I don't want to get penalized for missing work."

"They won't bust you; just say I gave the order," Sennoy mused, giving Daniel a curious gaze, as if seeing him for the first time. "So, how many years have you been alive? You seem kinda fresh for a consultant."

"Twenty-three," Daniel admitted with reluctance, then elaborated, "I graduated magna cum laude in nuclear physics from MIT and had an internship at an energy company, which landed me the job. And I started off as a junior analyst, that's the typical path in consulting."

"A proud, smart-ass dupe," Sennoy jeered, his tone mocking. "What's with the glare? I'm just spitting facts. You got conned big time, and now you're doing a bid for zip."

Daniel suppressed the sarcastic comeback, that Sennoy was also in prison and had fallen from a higher position than he had. He fell into a gloomy silence. Sennoy could have beaten him senseless for such sarcasm, and it would have been justified: roosters weren't supposed to sass, especially not to the boss. They could have beaten him for hours until he begged for mercy. Sennoy stretched lazily and, on his way to the exit, said.

"Be ready next time, I won't wait."

"OK," Daniel nodded, staring at his boots.

He should probably have thanked Sennoy for enduring his retching, clumsy attempts at blowjobs, and speedy escapes as soon as he allowed him to leave. Daniel had seen other downgraded forced into "running a train"- sucking off multiple cons, taken to the barracks for the night where they were gang raped, piled together and beaten for minor infractions.

But instead of gratitude, he felt remorseful. Daniel harbored some silly, baseless resentment: Sennoy rarely used roosters, so why did he use him so often? There was a dull ache and pull between his legs, an unpleasant reminder of unnatural sex, which would recur many times during his sentence. Daniel groaned softly, scratching his palm, and, finding slight relief in the scratch, he dug his fingernails vigorously into thecalloused flesh of his palm and released a long sigh. It would pass eventually. He would find justice, but for now, he had to endure the ugliness.