Chapter 4

There was a long lull in the cell block broken only by the delivery of barely edible food, someone snoring or the splash running some water from the tap in their cell either to get a drink or to wash down the smells in the hole beneath the tap. Chris noticed a difference in the uniforms and attitudes of the soldier delivering food and those responsible for the torture and sexual assaults. He asked Vasile what he knew about that.

“The private delivering food is part of the Russian Army that has been stationed here since 1992 as part of a protection force after Transnistria separated from Moldova. We have many ties to old Soviet Union and still have statues Lenin in Tirospol. Our flag still shows hammer and sickle. Many of the old people that grew up as Soviets did not want to leave when Moldova wanted to abandon Russia and turn west. Our war with Moldova before I was born was short but bloody but still remembered by many when Russia sent protection troops. Most young people don’t care about politics. Many Russian army from then married local women and have families here. The other soldiers who torture and rape are new, just come here recently.”

Chris mulled over what he was hearing. “It sounds like the relations with Russia is very complicated for locals and for Russian soldiers that have been here for a long time.”

“Some of the Russian soldiers are actually born here and joined the army as best employment. Many here say our feet are in Europe but head is in Russia.”

“So do the people support the invasion of Ukraine?”

“Some of the older people do and hope if Ukraine becomes part of Russia again, Transnistria will also be taken in and accepted by Russia. Most young people until now didn’t care. We are a poor country and most were just looking to make a living. You need to understand that one man, Viktor Gusan, owns most of the business here is former KGB. He is biggest employer. Many afraid to lose jobs.”

“I understand. But how do they feel now that these new soldiers got here.”

“I think many young people are starting to very much care where they did not before. I hate these pigs.”

Suddenly the entrance door swung open and two officers in airborne uniforms walked in together laughing. It was obvious they had been drinking. Every prisoner shrunk back to the rear of their cells. Chris recognized one of the officers as the English-speaking soldier that was the main interrogator of the American reporter.

They started looking in their side of the cells starting first harassing the married couple in their 30’s in the first cell. They ordered the woman forward and one guard started to play with her breasts and they laughed at something causing the poor woman to hang her head in embarrassment. They pushed her back into the cell in a demonstration of their rejection and she quickly retreated to her husband on their cot and she buried her head on his shoulder as he held her.

They staggered to the next cell occupied by the two sisters. They indicated to both and they stood. The older of the two sisters immediately dropped her blanket and stood clad only in her skimpy bra and panties, who looked in her 20s. The younger one said something and the older sister waived her off. She was obviously exposing herself to save her younger sister who was now crying. The non-English speaking officer evidently liked what he saw and motioned her forward.

When she reached the front bars of the cell, he immediately started to paw her breasts and then pressed down on the top of her head pressing her to her knees. He issued an order and the young woman started to open the officer’s pants and pulled out his cock. She briefly looked up into his face to see him nod and she began to suck his semi-hard penis.

The other officer clapped his companion on the back and laughed and moved to the next cell. He motioned young Julia forward. She began crying and begging him in Russian but he insisted she come forward, patting the side arm on his belt as a threat. When she forced herself to take the couple of small steps forward, he reached out and grabbed her by the front of her jeans and pulled her roughly up against the bars. She yelled more in surprise than by the impact with the bars and Vasile started to make a move to stand but Chris grabbed his shoulder through the bars to convince him not to make a foolish mistake that might cause the sadist to kill him.

The officer mauled Julia’s breasts for a while and pushed a hand down the front of her jeans to her crotch as she cried. Suddenly Janet spoke up. “Hey, wouldn’t you rather get a blowjob from someone that knows what they’re doing? Better than some kid that might end up biting you by accident and probably doesn’t know how to swallow your cum without throwing it up all over you.”

Chris, Vasile and Julia all looked stunned at Janet. Like the sister two cells down, Janet was sacrificing herself to save the young girl. The officer didn’t seem to mind. He looked at Janet in his drunken stupor. “Why should I want to fuck an old slut like you rather than this juicy bitch?”

“Because this slut will give you the best blowjob you ever had and take that big prick in her throat. That’s why.”

“OK, British whore. You better make this as good as you advertised or else.” He moved to the front of their cell and Janet immediately went to her knees.”

“I want to see your tits while you suck me.”

“Not a problem, sir.” Janet stripped off her jersey and unhooked her bra, tossing both garments behind her. She cupped her breasts and held them for inspection and opened her mouth, sticking out her tongue invitingly.

He unzipped his pants as he leaned down to cup one of her breasts. “You got some nice tits for an English whore!” He swayed back and forth as he grabbed the bars to steady himself. “Now suck this all the way. Show me you can swallow my cock.”

Janet proceeded to do just that. Chris knew Janet was an accomplished fellatrix and had been the recipient of her amazing oral talents for their entire marriage. It was still strange to see her deep throat another man’s cock and see her throat bulge when he became fully hard and pressed all the way in. Usually, Chris was looking at the top of her head when she throated him. He could feel his own cock swell involuntarily as he watched her perform. He could see Janet’s tongue swirl under the cock each time he pulled out of her throat. The soldier yelled something in Russian as he unloaded into Janet’s throat as he held the back of her head with her lips pressed tight around the base of his cock.

He was recovering and pulling out of her mouth. He looked down at Janet who was licking her lips and staring up at him smiling. “You are a very good British whore. We are going to have to do that again soon.”

“Any time, sir.”

He started to stumble back up the aisle and stopped to watch his buddy still plunging in and out of the young woman’s mouth who was struggling to get the drunk man off. After several more minutes the other officer grunted and the girl as coughing cum onto his pants pretty much matching Janet’s earlier warning to the English-speaking officer. He cursed her and pushed her away. The two officers stumbled out the door with their arms over each other’s shoulders singing a song.

As the door closed behind them Janet had already put her bra back on and was pulling her jersey back on over her head. She calmly sat down on the cot next to Chris. Julia came over to the bars and wrapped her arms around Janet from behind. “Thank you.” Janet just patted her arm as it encircled her.

Another soldier came through with food or the prisoners. As he came to their end of the row Vasile looked up and said “Florin!”

The young soldier looked startled. “Vasile? Julia?” He went to their cell and they conversed in Russian. Florin seemed somewhat surprised at what Vasile and Julia were telling him.

He motioned to Chris and Janet and started to speak English. “These are British friends. We can trust them. Please speak English and tell them what you told me Florin.” He turned toward Chris and Janet. “This is my good friend Florin since childhood. He is in the Russian army but not with the new units that came in a few weeks ago.”

Florin looked about the same age as Vasile and had a blond crew cut and boyish features compared to Vasile. “Several weeks ago, a new unit of around 500 came in with airlifted heavy armor. Until this time the only thing we did was guard and patrol the ammunition depot in Cobasna in the north. It was easy duty, we just made sure no civilians got close to the depot. Then these new units came in and took over. They are not regular army.” Florin leaned and whispered. “I know they are security forces pretending to be airborne. I hear them talking about making us march into Odessa. I heard some of the officer refer to us as ... how you say ... cannon fodder. This is not what we signed up for. We are all scared.”

Chris looked concerned. “Can you just leave and get into Moldova?”

“I saw two that said how they felt and they said they were quitting. The security officer shot them without warning. I was on the detail that had to bury them.”

“Jesus.”

Florin nodded. “I do not think they will be going into Ukraine now though.”

Chris was determined to learn as much as he could from this kid. “Why? What happened?”

“Yesterday I heard them taking about the army was in Ukraine in the north from Belarus and in the east from Donetsk and in the south from Crimea.”

“Oh my God, they actually invaded?”

“Yes. They call it a ‘special operation’ though. We are not allowed to say ‘invasion’. When the security forces men learned of the operation starting the command here started to fire their artillery into Ukraine getting ready to advance but were told to stand down. They were very upset. Whatever they hit with their guns they were told to say it came from a Russian ship in the Black Sea and not from Transnistria. There is concern the Moldovan Government in Chisinau will attack Transnistria possibly with others backing them. The officers were upset and spent all night drinking.”

Janet piped in. “Yes, we saw the results of some of the drunkenness here.” Julia grabbed her hand through the bars.

“Some of them have said they are not waiting and flew to Crimea to fight. Others just got drunk.”

“Do you know what happened to the blonde American reporter?” Chris was almost afraid to ask, fearing she was dead.

“She was tied in the latrine. Many time she was raped but mostly by security forces not our army soldiers. They kept going to toilet on her there. Some of us tried to clean her up in between and give her water.”

Chris decided he might be able to trust this Russia soldier. “Florin since so many have gone and the others are drunk, this might be the best time to try and escape into Moldova. Are there others you can trust to help that also want to get away?”

“I can see. I cannot stay here much longer or they will be suspicious. I will come back soon.” He hurriedly finished handing the food out to the rest of the prisoners and ran up the aisle and through the door. Chris now at least had a glimmer of hope.

After Florin left the four of them talked. “Vasile, one of two things will happen now that the invasion has started. If the Russians take Odessa and push to the border, I don’t believe they will stop at the border. They will use their connections with your local oligarch, Victor Gusan, to connect Russia physically with Transnistria. They will claim they are liberating Russian speaking people and push across the border and possibly into Moldova. That is why they are sensitive to the artillery attack they now claim came from a ship in the Black Sea. They don’t want to make it look like they will keep going after Ukraine at this time.”