Page 87 of Ascendent
Sasha gave him a keychain, a metal SLS, NASA’s current space shuttle. Engraved on the side were the wordsMy Heart is In Space.
They packed Sasha’s binders. His medical records. His suitcases. Stacked everything by the door.
The last night, they stayed in, Sergey ordering a dinner for the two of them before they disappeared into the bedroom and spent the rest of the night in each other’s arms.
When the sun rose, Sasha was still kissing Sergey, their bodies drenched in sweat and aching.
“I love you,” Sergey whispered.
“I love you too.”
* * *
The email poppedup on Sergey’s phone at zero four hundred, Moscow time. He didn’t see it until much, much later.
The sender’s email was a fake account, a burner. It had bounced through thirty-seven proxies before being delivered, and the account had been deleted from a computer in India immediately after sending the message.
One picture.
A single vial of blood.
A warning.
* * *
Sergey didn’t wantto let go. He held on to Sasha’s gloved hands, hidden in the folds of their long jackets, as the private plane waited for Sasha to board. His luggage was stowed, and the pilot had already signaled he was ready to depart as soon as Sasha boarded.
“Come home to me?” Sergey asked.
“I will.” Sasha squeezed his hands.
“Promise?” Had Sasha ever promised before?
“I promise.” His lips puckered for the briefest moment, an almost-kiss, the shadow, the hint of a blown kiss to Sergey. “I will be back in six weeks.”
“I’ll be waiting, right here.”
Sasha peeled away from Sergey, looking over his shoulder as he climbed the jet’s stairs. At the door, he waved. Sergey smiled. There was so much they wanted to do, wanted to say. He pressed his hand over his heart.
Sasha nodded.
And then he ducked inside, and the ground crew buttoned up the plane, and the pilot spooled up the engines. Through the window, he saw Sasha sitting down, saw him press his face against the glass. Wave once more.
The plane turned and started to taxi, making its long, meandering way through Moscow’s Domodedovo airport to the runway. He kept watching, even when he couldn’t see Sasha. Even when the plane grew tiny, seemed to get lost in the mess of jumbo jets and airliners.
“Sir?” Yuri appeared beside him, bundled in his coat as well. September meant the air was turning chilly. Winter was returning to Russia. He thought of his glass rose from Sasha. He kept it in a case on the dresser where he could see it every day and think of Sasha and his iceberg eyes.
“Mr. President, would you like to wait until his plane has taken off?”
“Yes, Yuri. Let’s send him off together.”
“Get comfortable.” Yuri hopped onto the hood of the SUV. The hood groaned, dented. He held out one hand for Sergey. “Climb up.”
Laughing, Sergey clambered after Yuri. Sasha was taking an overnight flight from Moscow to Houston, chasing the evening. He’d land in time to go back to bed and hopefully wake up refreshed and ready to go. The sun was setting, the colors of Moscow’s autumn streaking the sky in tawny auburn and burnt umber, pale cornsilk threads clinging to the daylight as dusk stole over the world. He watched and waited, watching Sasha’s jet make its way to the lineup, then to the departure runway. A jumbo jet roared down the tarmac, lifted off.
Sasha’s jet lined up for its turn.
He remembered another day, another time. Sasha flying away, roaring down the tarmac with the taste of goodbye forever on their lips, no reunion, no return. He’d shattered that day, had realized a truth about himself he’d never faced. He’d wanted to stop Sasha, throw himself down in front of the MiG, beg him to stay.
Instead, he’d saluted him. He’d honored Sasha’s sacrifice, his service, his heroism. He’d tried to love him, the best way he knew how, in that moment.
Now, he watched Sasha’s private plane line up for takeoff and begin the acceleration.My love, you were made for greatness. You were made for the stars.
He lifted one hand, a silent salute, as Sasha’s plane lifted and rose, floated on twilight’s fading glow, and climbed up, into the starry night.
Do svidaniya.
I will see you soon, my love.