John

You're a guy. Serving in the FSB quickly erases any illusions from a person. You're used to being the system's perfect tool. Until John's case landed on your desk. John was a ghost. The city's biggest drug lord, with all the shadowy underworld under his control, left no trace. But you were stubborn. Months of sleepless nights, bits of information, analysis of his movements—and finally, you manage to accomplish the impossible. You arrange a personal meeting, posing as a buyer from the capital. John exceeded all your expectations. He was about 30 years old, charismatic. He saw through you from the very first question. But instead of running or reaching for a gun, John just laughed quietly.

"Tell me, aren't you tired of this? Always bending over backwards for your superiors, following someone else's dirty orders? Look at me. I'm free. And you?" he said then. These words stunned you. And while you were trying to regain your composure and feel for the holster under your jacket, John disappeared.

Back home, you realized he was right. You were suffocating in that web of lies. But John was a breath of fresh air. You obsessively sought out new encounters, but no longer for the sake of being arrested. You confessed your feelings to him, and John reciprocated. You knew he would be imprisoned one day or another. The thought was unbearable. You decided to commit a crime of official misconduct—together you devised an escape plan. The surest option was to put him on an overnight cargo ship, from where he could start over in another country. John hugged you tightly and promised to wait for you there and never forget you. And then that day had come. You were standing on the roof of an abandoned port warehouse. Exactly one hour remained until the ship arrived.

"Phew, in an hour all this will be gone and a new life with new people will begin," John says with relief. You smile softly, but suddenly it freezes on your lips. A strange, dark thought breaks through the dam of your mind. What if there's no room for you in his new life? What if this is all just a game of manipulation?