The Way of the Clan 2 (World of Valdira)

by Dem Mikhaylov

  I dismissed her words and snailed into the room. Damn it all except sleep. I needed a few hours at least.

  ‘Well, I see you didn’t waste time’, the old woman giggled. ‘It’s not a big deal. And the girl is so pretty! Although when I was young we didn’t say ‘playing’ we used a different word to call it, Keira.

  ‘No... I mean he wasn’t playing with me! He felt like being in another world...’

  ‘Oh, you’re using such complicated words to denote the process. We used to name it directly as it is...’

  ‘No! He played the game. Well, there is a cocoon, a helmet on his head. It’s a role playing game.’

  ‘Really? Well, certainly, I heard about it! I ry to follow modern trends. I watch TV. I see what you mean. You have got a role to play, he has got his own. But earlier roles of secretaries and nurse were more popular. And I must admit I haven’t heard that there are special helmets for that...

  "What a total clusterfuck…”, I concluded, gently closing the door and flopping helplessly on the bed. Nevertheless I managed to reach for the alarm clock set the right time, and then immediately fell asleep.

  Jarring and completely non-musical trill of the old alarm clock woke me up immediately. I sat down abruptly and then dropped my feet to the floor, without giving myself a chance to stay in bed for another five minutes that often happened when I was unemployed. However, to my own surprise I realized that I didn’t want to return to the realm of sleep anymore.

  ‘Are you going to turn it off?’ an extremely annoyed and sleepy voice came from my cocoon. First I was thought that my gaming cocoon revived.

  In a second, I recognized the voice and grimaced with displeasure. Keira was still here. I turned off the alarm clock, noting that my pillow had vanished away. Getting up from the bed, I came to the cocoon and sighed sorrowfully when I looked inside. My faithful companion with all the facilities became a comfortable shelter for the girl, who was looking at me upwards sleepily and with obvious displeasure. There was the stolen pillow under her head and my mac instead of a blanket.

  ‘Keira…’ I said thoughtfully, vigorously rubbing sleepy face.

  ‘Ros...’

  ‘Why are you still here?’ I asked bluntly, then turned around and walked into the kitchen, giving the girl time to gather her thoughts. Actually I am not a harmful person and I usually don’t place people whom I do not like against the wall, but it's time to put everything in its place. I was tired of playing a guessing game.

  I managed to ignite the gas, put the kettle on and started to wash the dishes, when Keira finally crawled into the kitchen and after flopping down on a stool, sighed, ‘I left you the pie. One slice.

  ‘Well, thank you,’ I snorted. ‘But, please, do not digress from the question. Do not get me wrong - I am not asking you to leave. But I cannot understand why you're still here, why you are not crying on the chest of your almighty daddy and did not ask to punish bad guys who had offended you. Why are you so calm, you are not worrying about yesterday's incident. Why isn’t your family nervous?

  Having listened carefully to my speech, Keira asked, ‘So you're going to eat the pie or not?’

  ‘Keira! No, I am not!’

  ‘Okay,’ Keira smiled happily and the lonely pie lying on the plate disappeared instantly. ‘And now step by step. First of all thank you again for your help, and secondly, yesterday's problem has been sorted out by professionals. While you were inside the cocoon, Gosha called several times. He seemed to be alright but he didn’t explain any details. As you said, bad guys are being pursued by good guys. My parents think that I'm having rest at my friend’s as I need to get rid of stress, and that my mobile is switched off specially not to have bothering calls and to forget about everything going shopping in expensive upmarket boutiques. My brother, however, could have suspected something, he’s such a thorn is side, but he's busy with his studies at the upper levels of sewage of Algora and he didn’t have time to worry about me.

  ‘Well…’ I held out for a moment, looking up from washing the dishes. ‘I still don’t understand why you are still here!’

  ‘Because nobody at home knows about the trouble,’ she shrugged. ‘Gosha and Claw are controlling the situation. Gosha from his hospital bed. Vlas the Claw and his guys are combing out the city. They have already caught somebody and are questioning him now. All in all, soon everything will be okay.

  ‘But I do not understand why you're still here!’ I repeated.

  ‘For several reasons. Those who caught me, they know where I live, and the situation has not been solved yet. Gosha asked me to wait and not to rock the boat until they finally solve the problem. I do not want to involve my parents into this trouble. And to crown it all, we’ve got a private police officer at home aunty Lena,’ sighed Keira. ‘Our family hellhound.’

  ‘Who?!’

  ‘Our housekeeper. Although I’d better say my second mother. Incredibly curious.’

  ‘Why should she suspect anything?’

  ‘Because of that,’ Keira muttered, removing the hair from the neck. ‘Do you see?’

  The huge purple bruise was covering half of her neck. Only the blind could not only see it.

  ‘And some more of the same kind all over the body,’ the black-haired wondergirl, that suddenly came into my life, added, ‘the cheek got swollen a bit after the slap that I received to calm down. There are a few scratches on the forehead. Well, and the biggest…’ I saw the elbow bend of her right hand, and I could not help whistling.

  There was a huge almost black bruise. Stepping to the girl I unceremoniously grabbed her wrist and examined the damage carefully. A shapeless dark purple blotch in the center of which one could clearly see five injection marks.

  ‘Fuck!’ I concluded grimacing and releasing the hold

  ‘Uh-huh. Imagine what would happen if someone from the family will see this horror? The daughter is a drug addict. The hand is still possible to hide, but the face... Aunty Lena notices everything and if she sees at least one scratch or bruise, she will instantly force me to take off the clothes. And if I try to refuse, she will shout like hell. And when they see the injection marks and the father knows about it... the apocalypses will come.’

  ‘How many times did they make poison injections? Why are there so many holes?’

  ‘Once. I was just kicking around and they couldn’t get into the vein,’ snorted Keira, ‘but then succeeded...’

  ‘I see. It is clear that nothing is clear,’ I concluded. ‘You could stay at your friend’s. It doesn’t matter Although…’

  ‘That's it!’ Keira nodded. ‘Staying at the friend’s is much worse. I will have to wear a high neck sweater there! The bruises are all over my body.’

  ‘OK, I’ll deal with this,’ I waved my hand. ‘Would you like some coffee? Let’s have coffee and do what we have to do. I’ll go to Valdira...

  ‘Ros! You promised not to force me out!

  ‘Yeah, wait a minute! Stop screaming, oh crazy woman!’ I snapped. ‘Listen!’

  ‘You are crazy! And you're lying!’

  ‘Hush! And listen to me! You have no brains at all, don’t you? And you say you are the daughter of mayor’s deputy! I’ll dive into Valdira, but before that I’ll send you in the company of reliable guys to the hospital. Full medical check-up and all analyzes. Today.’

  ‘Ross, I'm telling you - I'm fine. Only a couple of bruises and that’s all. A couple of days I will recover.’

  ‘You are really stupid. And I am only now. As for Gosha, he is an imbecile musclehead,’ I gasped tiredly, leaned sharply to Keira and asked gently, ‘What about the syringe?’

  ‘What about the syringe? What kind of syringe?’

  ‘The kind you were stabbed by! Turn on the logic! And start asking yourself the right questions! Did you buy it at the drugstore? Are you sure it was sterile? And what if before you every city AIDS-infected and syphilitic stuck by it? What kind of chemistry was injected? What kind of infection was on the needle? Maybe y
our liver is falling apart right now or kidneys are about to fall off. You don’t know who stuck this syringe into the hand at the midnight with unknown substance. And you’re sitting calmly and eating cakes with jam?!

  ‘Oh... oh my god...’ in a second her eyes filled with panic and she stifled a sob, ‘Ros...’

  ‘Ros?’ I muttered angrily and lifted the boiling kettle off the gas cooker. ‘Don’t panic! But it is necessary to pass all medical tests immediately. Got it?’

  ‘Yeah...’

  ‘Don’t cry! It's too early to cry. When youget your analyzes results and find out that you have jaundice mixed with syphilis and AIDS, then it’s high time to…’

  ‘Ros!!!’

  ‘How much sugar would you like in your coffee?’

  ‘I don’t want coffee... I want to go to the hospital.’

  ‘That’s the right decision!’ I snorted contentedly. ‘I’ll arrange it now. Since this guy called Vlas the Claw is involved in this story... About two meters tall, blonde hair, a former swimmer, a bit paracriminal, drives a black Mercedes, a scar on his left cheek in the form of an animal claw. Right?

  ‘Yeah…’ Keira sounded puzzled.

  ‘Do you know him personally?’

  ‘Yes... And you?’

  ‘A little,’ I said out of the room.

  Rummaging in the bedside table, I fished out my notebook and after finding the desired page, paused for a while to think it over. I didn’t feel like dragging up the old stuff. But still I made a decision and dialed his number.

  Vlas answered on the first ring.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Hi, Vlas. It’s Ros.’

  ‘Ros who?’

  Turning my head, I saw Keira standing in the doorway and listened to the conversation with obvious interest. I grimaced and muttered irritably, ‘Katana.’

  ‘Katana?! Is it you?! How are you?! Wow, bro!’ Vlas’s delighted roar literally stunned me. ‘It’s been a long time! How are you? Where are you now? Have you come back?!’

  ‘Yes, I’m fine. Everything is fine. Listen, Vlas, are you solving Keira’s problems? Right?

  ‘Oh... wait a minute! How did you get to know it?

  ‘Yes, I know. She's in my apartment now.’

  ‘Apartment?! Whose apartment?!’

  ‘In my apartment,’ I repeated fatefully.

  ‘I mean here? In our city?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How long have you had an apartment? Have you been here for a long time? When did you come back?’ the handset was shaking because of the shower of questions, each of which was the nail in my coffin.

  ‘Well, for a few years...’ I said softly, the mobile went silent.’

  Shaking the mobile, I blew into the microphone and said, ‘Vlas? Are you there?’

  ‘Yeah, here. So what are you saying about Keira?’ Vlas’s sympathetic voice was oozing care.

  ‘It is urgent to bring her to a private clinic,’ I said with relief. ‘They stuck something in her hand, there is a bunch of holes, and she doesn’t know what syringe was it. Perhaps the left "machine" was used. So, it is necessary to check her as soon as possible. You know, check-up, all analyzes and doctor’s recommendation. It is not a joke. It is desirable to find those freaks who injected the drug and question them. Well, you know what I’m talking about.

  ‘Of course, I understand,’ agreed Vlas. ‘Good for you, Ross. You’re so clever. And we screwed it somehow. And where is she now? Can you give the address?

  ‘Are you going to send your guys there?’

  ‘Sure, come on! At once. Consider it’s done! The most reliable guys! Give me the address.’

  Having dictated the address, I gave him the most conspicuous landmarks of our sleeping area. Vlas hung up immediately. And I was relieved dropped the phone down, then looked at Keira and said, ‘Well, soon they’ll bring you to the hospital. So do not worry. Let's drink some coffee.’

  ‘Ok,’ Keira nodded thoughtfully looking at me. ‘Let’s have some coffee.’

  Back in the kitchen, I rummaged through the farthest drawer, where all the most important things were kept and fished out the spare key and two green banknotes. I handed them to Keira.

  ‘Hold them. When you get back, I'm sure I’ll be in the cocoon and not available.’

  ‘Okay. And why are you giving me money?’

  ‘Have you got any money?’

  ‘A little. The rest is in the purse together as well as my mobile.’

  ‘Take it! Buy whatever you want... I do not know what women need. And some food, as the refrigerator is empty and I have nothing to feed you.

  Silently nodding Keira took the money briskly and holding a mug of coffee, asked again, ‘So where did you meet Vlas? And you have his phone number…’

  ‘I met him several times before,’ I dismissed. ‘It doesn’t matter much. Are you hungry? I am hungry like hell.’

  ‘Me too,’ Keira said, keeping her eyes on me. ‘Cook something.’

  I managed to fry eggs, and scattered them on the plates, and was about to sit on the stool when the doorbell screamed hoarsely. And moreover it squealed incessantly, as if somebody pressed the button and did not let it go.

  ‘Ros, open the door! It’s me!’ a familiar voice roared and something heavy banged against the door a couple of times.

  Passing through the hallway, I unlocked the door, stepping backwards unwittingly, staring at a hefty body of Vlas.

  ‘Hi, Ros! Hi five!’ Vlas greeted me happily, waving his fist, and the next moment I was thrown head over heels backward and slammed into the wall. My ears were singing, I felt the taste of blood in my mouth.

  ‘Oh... well I wish I died in my childhood,’ I croaked, standing on all fours and shaking my dinging head. ‘Vlas, what a shit!’

  ‘And one more time!’ Claw promised, walking toward me. ‘We have only begun granting an advance!’

  ‘Vlas, what are you doing?!’ stunned Keira shouted, flying out into the corridor like a jack out of the box.

  ‘Step off, the old friends are talking. Right, Ros? Take it!’

  After a sweeping kick in the ribs, I managed to intercept and jerked his leg up. Waving his hands, Vlas fell on a pile of clothes and pieces of hangers with obscene cry.

  ‘Guys... stop it!’ Keira who understood nothing stood between us and outstretched her hands. ‘I’ll tell… I tell Varvara Pavlovna everything!’

  ‘Keira...’ I gasped standing up.

  ‘What Ros? What? Does it hurt?’

  ‘The desire to strangle you is growing inside me every hour.’

  ‘I have nothing to do with it!’

  ‘Well done, Ross!’ Vlas chuckled rising to his feet and casually tossing a pile of clothes aside. ‘I see you see her through. Bastard! What the fuck are you running into me? I thought you were under the father building the career of a sailor searching for enemy submarines crawling along the bottom by your severe eyes But you are here in the city and didn’t let anyone know about it! I wish I killed you for that!’ after these weird words I found myself in Claw’s bone-breaking arms.

  ‘Badass, you’re alive!’ Vlas yelled.

  ‘By chance,’ I croaked. ‘Can you speak more quietly? All my neighbors can hear you!’

  ‘Are you afraid of your neighbors?’ Vlas asked me in surprise finally unclenching his vice and releasing my worn-out body. ‘Well, but... Maybe it's not you, but someone who just looks like you? I remember...’

  ‘It's time to get down to business, Vlas,’ I interrupted the chattering guy hurriedly. ‘Can you bring Keira to the hospital? Somewhere with top-quality service where nobody asks any questions. Like a private clinics. Can you?’

  ‘Sure. No problem. Well, devil, are you ready to find out that you’re the carrier of a deadly infection which is able to destroy the humanity?’

  ‘Vlas! It’s not funny! It’s not funny at all!’

  ‘Oh, shit!’ I got terrified. ‘She touched my things... I’ll have to burn everything. I feel sorry
for the cocoon...’

  ‘Ros! You’re a jerk! Stop it!’

  ‘Very interesting,’ I grumbled, “not funny" for him and “jerk!” for me.

  ‘Because you are a jerk!’ Vlas explained happily but then sounded seriously, ‘but actually it is not funny. Come on, Keira, time to go. Let’s test you against bacilli. You thought about it just in time, Ros. Gosha and I didn’t realize this danger. Well, Ros, get ready!

  ‘What for?’

  ‘For the evening,’ Vlas said pointedly. ‘I've already told a couple of our guys, they will tell others. We’re going to celebrate tonight, certainly, if you live up to this stage. When Pasha the Bald heard the news he promised to break your head. He is going to beat you head-on. Others will also try to break some parts of your body.

  ‘Thank you so much, Vlas,’ I said ironically. ‘You shouldn’t have told them. Is Gosha alright?’

  ‘A serious chest injury, a couple of ribs are mashed, something wrong with his foot, concussion and numerous cuts,’ Claw listed quickly. ‘He’ll survive. Actually he told me about you… that you took Keira, and helped him. He said your name. And I didn’t catch it - you know there are a lot of Roses in the city. And he described you rather weirdly as a quiet kid, harmless and unsociable... Well, he is right, you’re rather unsociable, that’s for sure, but I doubt the rest of your characteristics...

  ‘Stop it, Vlas!’ I said. ‘And as for the evening... is there a chance to escape?’

  ‘No way! It is obligatory!’ he shook his head and pushed Keira to the exit. And why are you listening here open-mouthed? Let’s go!’

  ‘I didn’t open my mouth! Don’t push me!’

  ‘What a noisy girl!’ Vlas sighed, following her. ‘See you at eight o’clock; I'll come to bring you there. Try not to disappear! And if you get lost - we will find you, don’t worry! Keira! Why are you standing still again? Do you hear me?! Go!

  ‘Vlas, don’t talk about me, okay?’

  ‘No problem,’ Vlas nodded. ‘But tonight we will have a serious conversation. I don’t understand the way you live, Ross, I do not understand it at all. You shouldn’t do it like this…’