Daniel diligently stretched his muscles in a lunge, rubbing his right thigh where his femur ached from the prolonged exertion - a grim reminder of the beatings he endured in prison. He straightened up and shifted his weight onto his left leg, beginning to sway slightly. The ligaments and tendons in his groin tightened, and his anus tingled with the memory of the previous night.

He stood up, snorting in annoyance - yesterday, Alexander had dismissed his objections with a kiss and had fucked him anyway, the horny bastard. The horny bastard caught his disgruntled look, leaned on the control barrier, and beckoned him over with an ear-to-ear grin. Daniel shook his head and pointed to his watch - there were only a couple of minutes left before the start, so he wouldn't be running up to the fence to humor Alexander. Alexander comically feigned despair and clasped his hands together, making Daniel smile involuntarily and look away.

He shot a glance at Maxim, who was warming up next to him, and felt a twitch of discomfort. Sometimes he wanted to ask Alexander to fire Maxim so he would never have to remember that incident again. Even though Maxim now behaved with utmost caution, unlike he had in the first months, Daniel couldn't forget the aggression and the humiliating blows.

Sensing something, Maxim straightened up, briefly met Daniel's eyes, and then backed away. It seemed he understood that he was walking a fine line, dependent on someone who had transitioned from a voiceless slave to the Master's favorite pet. Not wanting to cause any discomfort, Maxim moved further back.

Running felt easy. His physical condition and emotional state were in perfect sync, maintaining his race pace. The fresh, clean air carried a delightful mixture of aromas, filling him with a sense of impending happiness. With each springy stride and each heartbeat, seconds turned into minutes, then hours, bringing him closer to the much-desired release. Soon, he wouldn't just be free; he would be cleared in the eyes of the law and everyone else. No more prison record, that would disappear from all documents; no restrictions, no professional downtime - the first year didn't count. Everything was moving in the right direction, guiding him forward.

Accepting his feelings for Alexander had eased unnecessary tension, making him calmer and more balanced. It didn't matter if it was Stockholm syndrome; eventually, he would be able to rid himself of it entirely, especially since Alexander wouldn't be constantly around. Or would he? The thought made Daniel stumble, but he quickly steadied his breathing and pace. He wasn't stopping now; he had a plan. He'd keep the compromising files as a solid shield against any potential threats. One day, Alexander would calm down and squash this unnecessary affection.

And now he was safe, he was objectively fine with Alexander.

Maxim appeared suddenly in front of him, moving to the side, and Marat jumped out instead. Daniel shook his head, unable to help himself - Alexander had gone overboard with his security measures. Who in this open, hilly space would be able to kidnap him? Foolishness. First, they should have found out he'd registered for the marathon; second, they should have grabbed him in front of the other runners and dragged him off the course, drawing attention to themselves. He'd only caused trouble for Georgy, who was probably giving Daniel a bad name, preparing fourwheel drives along the route and picking up bodyguards to take them further. His watch and the phone on his forearm vibrated, signaling a call, and Daniel looked up and stumbled again - Sonya was calling.

Sonya had suggested meeting yesterday, but Daniel clumsily evaded it, unsure of what to do. He wanted to meet, but how? They were watching him closely, and none of the bodyguards would eat or drink with him for fear of being drugged. The mission seemed impossible. Daniel sighed, deep in thought. He could request a visit to Startcom under the guise of discussing an upcoming digitalization project with the analysts. There, in the bustling environment, he might find a chance to slip away. Alexander should have already removed the tracking on his phone as promised, so they wouldn't be able to trace him.

And then what? Spend a few pleasant hours with Sonya during the day, only to face Alexander's snarling frenzy in the evening? Not exactly appealing.

The road inclined more steeply, forcing Daniel to set aside his thoughts and concentrate on his breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale - focus on the small but important now and leave everything else for later. The perfect strategy for this year.

Daniel finished with a good time - an hour and thirty-eight minutes. It wasn't his personal best, but it was still satisfactory. His right thigh ached, and his lungs burned, yet a euphoric hormonal wave swept over him, just like the other runners who were glowing with happiness, shifting to a brisk walk to cool down their muscles.

Alexander, unbothered by his sweat, gave him bear-like hugs, pecked on the cheek instead of on the lips. Daniel hissed and managed to dodge.

"Well done, great result, Danny. Drink up," he said, thrusting a bottle of sports drink into Daniel's hand. Daniel greedily drank it all.

"Thanks," Daniel said, accepting the towel gratefully and wiping his face and neck. "Hey, where are you going? I need to pick up my finisher medal."

"They'll get it for you. Let's go already," Alexander insisted, wrapping his arm around Daniel's waist and pushing him forward.

"I want to do it myself," Daniel protested weakly. "Stop it, it's not funny. I want to cool down my muscles, have a snack, and get my medal. You go home; I'll follow."

"I'll wait, though I don't have much time; I need to finish some work. I wouldn't recommend eating here," Alexander grumbled, looking at the cauldrons of food with a look of distaste. "You'll catch some kind of a stomach bug. Would you like that?"

"I'll enrich my microflora," Daniel laughed lightly, stepping away. "I still need to walk for about ten minutes, and you can work in the car if you want."

Alexander reluctantly headed to the car, while Daniel, with Marat following him, looked at the cauldrons as he walked by. He couldn't stand buckwheat and had never understood everyone's love for it, but here, in the fresh air and seasoned with a subtle smokiness, it smelled divine - enough to make his mouth water.

"Shall I get some for you?" Marat, also hungry, stared greedily at the food.

"Yes, please. And two cutlets."

"Just don't go too far away, okay?" Marat moved to the end of the line. "Or grab some tea for us in the next queue."

For the first time, Daniel craved sweet tea - the lack of energy from the race was catching up with him. He quickly got two paper cups of tea, took a sip of his own, and approached Marat.

"I'll walk around you, OK?" Without waiting for an answer, Daniel circled the long line, sipping the hot, divinely sweet tea. He squirmed in pain when someone suddenly bumped his elbow, spilling nearly boiling water on him.

"Easy!"

He stooped to discard the cup and recoiled: several men surrounded him, gripping his elbows, pressing something sharp against his side, and whispered.

"Don't move."

They guided him, hunched over, toward a nearby grove. Daniel sprinted, his breath shallow with fear, fixating on his sneakers sinking into the damp soil. Damn, damn, damn! Where's the supposed safety?! In the grove, the abductors quickened their pace, dashing downhill towards the narrow country road where several Gelandewagens were parked, generously coated in mud. Just as the sharp end disappeared, he yelled out.

"Help! Help!" only to be silenced by a swift yet forceful blow to his kidney.

He was shoved into a car with tinted windows, the lock clicking audibly. Daniel yanked at the handle in panic, not even sparing a look at the man in the back seat. However, the man's voice sounded painfully familiar as he spoke.

"Chill, Daniel. Ain't nobody gonna lay a finger on ya. I just wanna chat. Sorry 'bout the rough start, but you were tough to reach."

Daniel tensed, still clutching the handle, remaining silent for a few moments to collect himself before slowly turning around. Sennoy looked at him calmly and confidently.

"Well, hey there, Daniel. Seems like you ain't too excited to see me, but I sure am. You're lookin' sharp, been workin' out, huh? Good for you."

"What do you want?" Daniel pressed his back against the door, attempting to steady himself and analyze the situation.

"I promised to get you out, so I am getting you out."

Daniel stared, unable to believe his ears, feeling a hysterical laughter welling up within him. Unable to withstand the irony of the situation, he let out a shrill laugh. Sennoy furrowed his brow, clenching his hand into a tight fist, but remained silent, waiting for Daniel to calm down. Daniel rubbed his face, abruptly silenced by the buzzing on his wrist and forearm - it was Alexander calling. Declining the call, he retorted venomously.

"Confused, Sennoy? I'm already out, and not because of your efforts."

"You ain't really free," Sennoy cut in dryly. "You're livin' under Sashka Bystritsky's roof, always bein' watched. A real free man ain't watched like that."

"It doesn't matter whether I am or not. I don't need your help. Open the door," Daniel demanded, pulling at the handle and raising his voice. "Open this door!"

" Let's have a chat first," Sennoy advanced, his tone escalating. "I messed up, no doubt about it. I ain't here to debate that. That's exactly why I'm extending a hand, Daniel. You told me what Bystritsky's put on the table for you. Ain't you itching to shake off those shackles and ditch him?

"Perhaps," Daniel sighed wearily. "But I don't trust you."

"You don't trust now," Sennoy said firmly, "but believe me, things gonna change real soon. You been tryin' to dig up info 'bout them old colleagues of yours, any luck with that?"

"Only to a certain extent," Daniel reluctantly replied. "I wasn't able to access the foreign accounts of all of them through my connections."

"I can," Sennoy interjected, a faint smile crossing his lips. " If you couldn't, it means your connection's weak. Nowadays, you don't need a full-blown criminal case to crack open offshore accounts. Ever heard of Wirenet?"

"Sure. It's a payment system that started with high-risk industries like online gambling, dating sites, and porn, then expanded to become the largest payment system in Europe," Daniel explained, sensing where the conversation was headed. "Can you breach their security?"

"I can," Sennoy said casually, grabbing his phone. "I'm tight with the main Austrian guy at Wirenet. Use this phone to reach me; the number's in there. Send me all the names you want, and I'll sort it by our next sit-down."

"Why meet in person instead of online?" Daniel asked cautiously, eyeing the hand toying with the phone.

"Because I want to see you," Sennoy responded with a smile, extending the phone. Daniel accepted it tentatively, his old prison instincts kicking in as he gingerly held the device, flinching when Sennoy seized his wrist and pulled him closer.

"W-what? Don't you fucking dare! Let go!" Daniel exclaimed, jumping up and jerking his arm. Sennoy released him as abruptly as he had grabbed him.

"Still as scared as ever," Sennoy said gently. "Well, go on, Bystritsky must be looking for you. And remember, not a word about me, understand?" Sennoy took out another phone and dialed a number. "Open the car."

"Understand," Daniel responded, falling into the mud as he exited the car. He waved away the men who tried to help and, with trembling hands, swapped the phones on his forearm. Two didn't fit into the armband holder, so he had to get rid of the old one.

He tossed the old phone into the ditch and scrambled up the steep slope on weakened legs, still trembling from the stress he had gone through. The meeting had only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like hours had passed, taking him from the calm satisfaction of a half-marathon to the intense fear brought on by Sennoy.

The terror ingrained in his mind at the sight of those cold gray eyes hadn't dissipated; instead, with such a sudden appearance, it had intensified a hundredfold. Daniel crawled, stumbled, felt his strength ebbing away, but kept moving. He emerged from the grove covered in mud, shaking from the cold and the waning adrenaline. He exhaled in relief when he saw Marat, Tengiz, and Alexander rushing toward him.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Alexander shouted, first shaking him, then asking with concern, "What happened, Danny?"

"I went into the grove to take a leak, slipped, and fell into a ravine. I couldn't get up," Daniel gritted his teeth. "Where are my clothes?"

"Woe is me," Alexander sighed, wiping his face with a towel like a child and leading him toward the car. "You'll change clothes in the car. I won't let you go to the tent, or you'll disappear in broad daylight again."

In the car, Daniel stripped naked and wiped himself with clean towels, glancing out the window at Alexander, whom he had asked to stay outside. He dressed quickly, slipped his cell phone into the inside pocket of his hoodie after switching it off, and collapsed exhausted on the seat. His thoughts were a chaotic wave, jumping from one thing to another, losing linearity. One thing was clear - Sennoy could find the valuable missing information and identify the real culprit. With the evidence in hand, Daniel could renegotiate terms with Alexander.

Freedom glimmered so close that his throat constricted spasmodically.

__________________________________________________________________________

A few people have been asking about Sennoy recently... Here he comes :)

One of my favorite characters. Leave a comment why you like him.