What can upset you to tears?”

“Goodbyes.”

(from Rina’s interview for the program ‘Everyone is Dancing’)

Where they had barely gotten out of, twilight reigned, which, in contrast to the bright day, seemed infernally dark. Will he be able to forget what he saw? Unlikely. Nikolai still remembered the fetid breath of the creature approaching him and the wave of icy cold down his back at the moment when he realized his finale.

He involuntarily shuddered and glanced sideways at Rina, who was quiet in the next seat. She didn't say a word the whole way, didn't even ask where they were going. Either she trusted him unconditionally, or she was so weak after the experience that she didn't care anymore. Rina wrapped herself in his jacket, but could not get warm in any way. Nikolai sighed and turned up the temperature, even though he himself felt unbearably hot from the stove turned on. This time he drove the car very carefully. The only reason he didn't feel sleepy was because his hand was very sore. Moreover, the strong coffee brought by Vitaly cheered me up.

Traffic jams were expected at the entrance to Moscow. Nikolai took advantage of the moment and sent Lev a message. Rina emerged from her slumber, turned around and looked at Nikolai with eyes glistening from the temperature

“You have blood all over your hand,” she remarked.

“And your temperature is rising,” he retorted. “Therefore, now we are going to a doctor who doesn’t ask unnecessary questions.”

Rina said nothing, but continued to look at him, and under her gaze Nikolai felt uncomfortable. Now he was afraid of questions to which he had no answers. They were going to the doctor now, and he didn't know where to go after that. Nikolai couldn't promise Rina that everything would be fine - as usual and calmly, either. Because it won't be familiar anymore, it's unlikely to be calm. But Rina, fortunately, didn’t ask anything and remained silent the rest of the way.

Lev was already waiting for them at the clinic. Rina was sent to the doctor first. She just walked into the office, wrapped in a man’s jacket and plunging her nose into the collar.

“It's like you've come back from the war,” Jaguar grumbled when the door closed behind Rina.

“You could say that,” Nikolai replied without a smile.

Lev leaned his lower back against the windowsill, crossed his arms on his chest and raised his eyebrows, making it clear that he was listening.

He listened to the story of his adventures in the amusement park in the same pose, never interrupting. Only when Nikolai fell silent, he sighed loudly.

“You will not have a normal life now. And it's not Lebedev you need to be afraid of.

“I understand,” Nikolai replied calmly, although everything inside was boiling with rage at Lebedev: what had he managed to do with Rina? She was silent, and Nikolai did not question her. However, he secretly asked the doctor to examine whether there were traces of bullying on her body.

“Lebedev will be drowned,” Lev confidently declared, as if in response to his thoughts. “Violet’s family will not forgive threats against his granddaughters. Svetakov’s wife, Natasha, is preparing material about illegal transactions, the disappearance of three businessmen and the abduction of Rina. But, most importantly, those who are at the top, it is not profitable for such a young and greyhound to get into politics, so all the dogs will hang on him. Lebedev will be destroyed. But you and Rina are also on the ‘fly’.”

Nikolai nodded. Lev didn't need to explain anything, everything was so clear. Only inside everything was bubbling because of injustice: Rina was dragged into all this against her will. They ruined the girl’s life, staged a ‘witch hunt’. She got out of the fire and into the flames!

“You need to leave. Right now,” Lev said. “Until Merinov and his men blocked all your entrances and exits.”

“How? Rina has no documents with her.”

“Documents are not a problem,” Lev drawled thoughtfully. “We will make new ones. The main thing is to have time. Kolya, I'm serious! Gennadiy Sergeevich met with one person before his death. They drank tea, talked about something, and then Koshelev died… the man he met was from Merinov. Gennadiy Sergeevich had a heart attack, and let's say they'll arrange an accident for you.”

“Take Rina somewhere,” Nikolai asked. “It's easier to arrange an escape for one person than for two. Besides, I still have some things to do here.”

“I'm talking about not sticking your head out, and you're talking about business!” Lev got angry.

Nikolai was about to tell his friend what he had learned from Rubik, but at that moment the doctor came out of the office.

“Your girlfriend has earned bronchitis for herself,” the doctor announced, looking over his glasses.

“Bronchitis. Ah?” Nikolai began and cut himself off in mid-sentence. Doctor correctly guessed his omission and smiled.

“Just beginning bronchitis. If she follows my recommendations, unlike you, young man, then everything will pass without complications. Bed rest and prescribed medications - that's all I ask. Now let's get on with you. Again.”

Rina came out of the office and looked questioningly at Nikolai. He winked at her without a smile.

“I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere, please.”

She smiled a little, wrapped herself in his jacket and sat down in a dermatin chair. Lev followed Nikolai, and for some reason the doctor didn’t object.

“Where are you, young man, so circus performing that the stitches parted,” the doctor could not restrain himself, examining the wounds. He scowled angrily, Nikolai winced in pain, and Lev grinned and ‘supported’ his friend in his own way:

“You'd better sew a zipper on him right away, Doc.”

“Shut up, Jaguar,” Nikolai managed.

“Or you can stitch it on a typewriter,” Lev persisted.

“Shut his mouth, Doctor!”

“This is not a sewing studio for you, young people,” the doctor retorted, hiding a grin in his beard. Nikolai hissed in pain, and Lev immediately cheerfully ‘encouraged’ him:

“Be patient, goat, otherwise you will be a mother!”

“I'll gore you, Jaguar! Doctor, stop being sadistic already…”

“Already, already. It remains to be bandaged. And I hope not to see you both here for a long time. At least for a few days.”

“I'll personally make sure he doesn't do any more circus performances,” Lev promised. And all the time that the nurse was bandaging Nikolai’s hand, he was already silent.

Lev spoke when they were already heading for the exit together with Rina:

“I'll take you to a quiet place. Kolya, we'll stop by your place on the way. You'll take everything you need. While you're getting ready, I'll run for groceries and to the pharmacy. Let Rina write a list of what she needs. Yana will buy everything for her, and then I'll bring it back. Alas, I don't understand women's stuff, I always buy the wrong thing that they ask me. The first wife threw real tantrums. Yana just laughs. Melnik, give me the keys, I'll take you in your car, and then I'll come back for mine.”

“Thank you, Lev,” Nikolai thanked from the bottom of his heart, trying awkwardly with his left hand to get the keys from the right pocket of his jeans. “If it wasn't for you…”

“That's what friendship is for. You, most importantly, don't go anywhere else and stop ‘circus’, as the doctor put it. Take care of yourself, otherwise…”

That ‘otherwise’, Lev did not finish, opened the car and took the driver's seat. Nikolai waited for Rina to take a seat in the back and sat down next to her. And then he put his arm around her and drew her to him. And when she clung to him trustingly, he couldn't help smiling.

 

 

 

 

Vitaly didn’t let Yura and Vika go without rest and lunch. The food put on the table turned out to be simple, but very tasty, rustic: new potatoes with herbs and fragrant sunflower oil, crunchy radishes, which are so delicious to dip in coarse salt, pimply cucumbers, salted pears and dark bread with sourness. It was only during lunch that Yura realized how hungry he was. Vitaly just grinned and added potatoes and pears to the guests' plates. Vika also ate with an appetite, and Yura liked it. He generally liked to look at her: how she dips radishes in salt, how she brings a fork to her mouth, how she pulls a thin hand with white skin to a bowl for a cucumber. Sometimes she looks up at him, Yura, and then, as if embarrassed, looks away.

Three men, sheltered by Vitaly, dined with them. And when everyone had more or less satisfied their acute hunger, Vika, not Yura, began to ask questions. She started from afar, asking for their names, then carefully asked about what they liked - from music to food, then moved on to questions about families. But none of the men could give a clear answer. Two were still silent, the third said that he had lived here all his life, drove a tractor. Vika sighed ruefully and fell behind with questions. Dinner was finished in complete silence. But when the men thanked him with restrained nods and left to continue the interrupted work, Vika turned to Vitaly:

“We know who they are. They are considered missing, but they are looking for them. If, once in their usual life, they don’t remember anything, specialists will be able to help them.”

“Do I mind if they come home!” Vitaly exclaimed. “I am not a gentleman, and they are not serfs. But where should they go? I photographed them and took the pictures to the local police station. But there is no news yet. Yes, it is understandable: requests and responses take time. They live with me because they have nowhere to go. And they work because they want to. If you help with the search for their relatives, I will be glad.”

Yura and Vika assured that they would definitely find the relatives of these men and connect them with Vitaly. That's how they said goodbye to him.

We arrived in the capital in the evening. Yura first of all stopped by his sister to return the car. He took Vika with him as a support, hoping that in her company his sister would not give vent to anger. And so it turned out. Manya only put her hands on her hips to give her brother a thrashing, but saw the girl looming behind him, relented, invited him into the house and set the table for dinner. But a lively conversation did not work out, because Manya was upset by the news of Gennadiy Sergeevich’s death. Yura said that he would take the orphaned Shusha to himself, and Manya didn’t object, moreover, she gave her brother the car until the morning to take the dog and Vika

Greyhound sat in Vika’s arms all the way and felt so calm, as if she had found a loving mistress. Vika cooed something to the dog, Shusha in response bared his white teeth as if in a smile. Yura cast glances at the couple and thought longingly that Vika needed to be taken home. But first he will bring Shusha to him.

What a day! Nikolai said goodbye as if he knew something bad about his future. Rina murmured her thanks, but she was clearly sad. Nikolai’s request not to look for Rina anymore added dark colors to the farewell scene. Yura was not a fool and realized that it was unlikely that fans would now wait for the performances of their favorite singer. Therefore, there, at the park, he hugged Rina tightly, trying to express his support.

Vika was sad all the way to Yura’s house, too, looking down, stroking the greyhound and being silent. With Shusha in her arms, clearly not wanting to part with him, Vika went up to Yura’s apartment.

“Do you want to stay…” Yura began, realizing that it was better not to separate these two.

“I want to,” Vika didn’t let him finish and for some reason was embarrassed to blush on her cheeks. “Can I?”

She asked and fell silent, staring at him with heavenly eyes, as if afraid of her courage and Yura’s refusal. And only then did he realize that she wasn't referring to a dog at all. Yura closed the door, took the Shusha from Vika’s hands and put it on the floor. And then he gently pulled Vika to him, touched the back of her head with his palm, looked into her eyes and instead of answering, timidly, afraid to scare her off, touched her lips with his own.

Vika didn't say anything to him, but Yura realized that for the first time she decided to stay the night with a man. And he, who brought so many girls to his house, got excited as if everything was going to happen for the first time. But this time he will not look for excuses in the morning to get the night guest out of the apartment as soon as possible, on the contrary, he will persuade her to stay.

‘Turn off the light,” Vika asked. “I don't want you to see…”

“You're incredibly beautiful,” Yura objected, admiring her. He did not notice the scars that Vika was so embarrassed about, but saw long, perfectly shaped legs that any model would envy. Admired the snow-white skin, chiseled waist, sharp collarbones. He was drowning in huge, alien-like eyes, touched his lips to high cheekbones and kissed sensual lips. He admired her and between kisses whispered about how beautiful she was. It was so important to him that Vika believed him, that she saw herself through his eyes, admired her body and stopped locking her heart from feelings just because she considered her scars ugly.

At night, after everything, hugging the sleeping Vika and afraid to move so as not to disturb her sleep, Yura swore to himself that he would do everything possible to make her happy. So that they could be happy together: she, he and the nervous Shusha. But he woke up in the morning all alone.

At first Yura decided that Vika had gone to the shower, but there was no sound of water coming from the bathroom. Then he thought that she, like his former passions, was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Wrapped up to the waist in a blanket, Yura entered the kitchen with a smile, but found no one there. The cold kettle was pining on its stand, the bread was stale in the breadbox. No one made a fuss, didn’t wake him up with the aroma of fried eggs or, conversely, the stench of burnt toast. Vika wasn't there. Like Shusha. They both disappeared from his apartment, which means from his life. For the first time in a very long time, Yura felt so lost. He ran his hands through his hair and tangled it even more. Not knowing how to fill the void that had suddenly formed in his soul, Yura grabbed the kettle to fill it with water, but lowered it back onto the stand. He didn't want tea. He didn't want anything. Just so that Vika doesn't disappear so suddenly and offensively from his life.

She doesn't even have a phone. And so does he, because they left their smartphones in Rina’s house. Yura sat down on the windowsill in despair and at that moment noticed that something was happening on the street.

People were crowding on the road, someone was waving his arms, telling someone something. Someone stretched out his neck and stood on tiptoe to look at what was on the road behind the crowd. Someone called somewhere. Frozen with horror, Yura clung to the glass, and then, coming to his senses, rushed into the room for clothes and rushed to the door in the blind hope that maybe he would still have time. He’ll have time! Out of place or out of place, Nikolai’s request to leave immediately came to mind, and Yura instantly connected what had happened on the street with Vika. She was murdered! Shot or hit by a car for getting into a dangerous business.

The doorbell sounded like a death knell in the light of his terrible guesses. Yura recoiled in horror: so they came to inform him about the misfortune. With an unruly hand, he opened the door and was stunned to see a smiling Vika on the threshold.

“Shusha asked to go to the toilet! Who said that Shusha’s reputation is tarnished?” she announced, taking the greyhound off her hands. “Nothing like that! Shusha - well done, he did everything he needed to do on the street! I endured until morning.”

Yura looked dumbfounded at Vika and couldn’t say anything in response. Even praise the dog for rehabilitating his reputation.

“And on the street, can you imagine, the van didn’t fit into the turn,” Vika continued, taking off her shoes. “I was taking fruit to a vegetable shop. There are several boxes spilled out on the road. Strawberries crumbled and choked, so sorry!”

Strawberries… Crushed strawberries! How stupid he is! God knows what he imagined!

“Is something wrong?” Vika broke off, not waiting for a word from Yura. “Are you okay? Or… Aren't you glad to see me? I'd better go, right?”

Her lips twitched, a shadow flashed across her pretty face. Vika smiled awkwardly and backed towards the door. Only then Yura froze and exhaled:

“Don't do that again.”

“What?” she was scared.

“Don't disappear. Okay?”

“I'm just kidding…”

“Don't disappear,” Yura repeated. “In general. Do you understand?”

“Where am I going to disappear… from Shusha,” Vika sighed, looked up at Yura and smiled.