Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1)

by William Bernhardt

  She led her team to the woman and held out a hand. "Maria?" The woman nodded and took Camille's hand. "I'm Camill--" she barely stopped herself from using her real name "--a Walker. This is Brenda, Rachelle, Virgina, Sophie, Kara, and Dasia."

  "Welcome to Moscow," Maria said in a soft British accent. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the flat you'll call home for the next three weeks before moving to your permanent flats in Izhevsk."

  They followed the woman out of the airport.

  "Holy taxis," Brenna gasped.

  Taxi cabs were everywhere, vying for those coming out of the airport.

  Maria laughed at their wide-eyed expressions. "The taxi is very expensive for Russians, so they don't often use them. You'll use the subway while in Moscow, then the train and buses mostly when in Izhevsk. Come, I have a taxi van waiting for us."

  The ride to their temporary lodging was the most death defying car ride Camille had ever experienced. Traffic jams appeared out of nowhere. The driver slammed on his breaks as he cursed at other drivers. The Russian drivers seemed to have a total disregard for safety as they changed lanes with no blinkers, slid through three lanes of traffic on a whim, and drove up on the curbs and sidewalks to get around each other. The few pedestrians scattered like leaves hit by a strong wind gust each time this happened, then continued on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

  "Welcome to Russia," Rachel muttered beside her.

  Karen let out a high-pitched nervous laugh that ended on a squeak as the van rounded a corner on two wheels.

  Camille smiled. "We aren't in Kansas anymore, Todo."

  Sophia started giggling, then Daisy joined her. Soon they were all laughing, Brenna so hard that tears poured down her face. Maria smiled back at them and began asking them about where they lived in the United States.

  Finally they pulled up to a stereotypical, Communist-era apartment building. Maria led them up four flights of unlit stairwells. Brenna pulled a tiny keychain flashlight from her purse.

  "I bet you were a girl scout, weren't you?" Rachel asked in a derisive tone.

  Brenna glared at the other woman and recited the quote by actor Jimmy Smits she kept as the screen-saver on her tablet. "There are no right and wrong ways to work in this business, but there are some basic common-sense practices. Work very, very hard and always be prepared; never give up; and once you get the job, give them more than they ever expected:-Shine!"

  Maria paused and turned toward them, her head cocked to the side as she studied each of them. "That is a very interesting quote. I may have to borrow it from you."

  Camille’s grip tightened on the straps of her backpack when the GEIV woman studied each of them a moment longer, then turned to lead them out of the stairwell on the fourth floor. Reminding herself they weren't in the United States where behavior like that would be suspicious, Camille nevertheless cast a warning look at her team. She hadn't come this far only to ignore her instincts now.

  Maria stopped at their door and handed Camille a key and the large bag she'd had hanging on her shoulder. "This is the key to the flat and this is a little something from GEIV to welcome you. My phone number is in the bag as well as your schedule for the next two weeks. The older woman you're staying with is out of town visiting family for the weekend. She'll return tomorrow."

  Camille nodded. "Thank you."

  "I'm sure you've all had a long day. Please make yourself at home and don't hesitate to call if you need anything," Maria said.

  The GEIV woman left and Camille let them into a flat much bigger than what they'd expected with a large kitchen that looked out over a dining room and living room. A basket with loose-leaf tea and cookies held a note. Camille read it out loud.

  "Welcome to my home. I pray trip went well. Please be comfortable. The two back bedrooms and the bathroom between them are for your use. If you need food, the grocery store is ten minute walk. I return Monday and look forward to welcome in person." She turned the note to face the rest of the group. “She sketched a map from here to the grocer.”

  "What's in the bag?" Brenna asked.

  Camille pulled it off her shoulder and opened it. There was a set of fresh new sheets for each of them, a welcome letter with maps of Moscow and its metro, info sheets with local lifestyle information, phone cards, transportation cards, a small package of sugar cubes, and more Russian tea. Camille took her portion of the items, then handed the bag to Rachel to do the same. After checking out both bedrooms and the bathroom, she chose the larger room with two double beds and a balcony. Brenna, Rachel, and Sophia joined her, leaving Karen, Daisy, and V to the smaller room that held two sets of bunk beds.

  After setting her suitcase and backpack on the bed nearest the balcony doors, Camille stepped onto the balcony and looked around the darkening neighborhood.

  "I can't believe we're finally here," Sophia said behind her.

  Camille leaned her forearms on the balcony's railing. "For the sakes of all Shines, I hope Russia is the haven we've been led to believe." She remembered the way Maria had studied them. "I'm not leaving until I'm sure the ones I leave behind are safe."

  Rachel joined them on the balcony. "I'm starving. Who wants to go find this Perekrestok with me?"

  Camille straightened from the railing. "I'll go."

  "I'm in," Sophia said, her excitement at seeing her homeland palpable.

  The whole group ended up following Camille down a street lined with identical looking five-story apartment buildings. They turned right onto a busier street and found the grocery store with no problem. They each grabbed a basket and made their way down the first aisle.

  "Why do they package milk this way? Won't it go bad faster if you can't reseal it?" Rachel asked, palming a liquid filled pouch with the Russian word for milk written across it.

  Camille shrugged. "When in Rome..."

  Rachel shook her head and placed the pouch in the basket.

  V perused the selection of spreadable cheeses, her brow wrinkled. "Is this like cream cheese?"

  Karen typed the word V pointed out into the search engine on her tablet. "It's a soft, sweet cheese similar to cream cheese, according to this."

  V tossed it into the basket on her arm along with the Russian bagels, or Bublik, that she'd found.

  Sophia appeared at the end of the aisle, a white pitcher in her hand that she handed to Rachel. "For the milk. It'll seal it when not in use."

  Rachel added the pitcher to her basket. "Seems like it'd be easier to just put it in a jug."

  Sophia rolled her eyes. "You're such a know-it-all American."

  Rachel smiled, choosing to believe Sophia complimented her. Camille smacked her on the back of the head and continued down the aisle.

  "Hey," Rachel scowled, rubbing her head.

  When their baskets were filled with what the five of them could carry, they moved to the checkout counter. Camille smiled at the elderly clerk and unloaded her items, then gestured for the others to do the same. The Russian woman raised her eyebrows and finished ringing up the group's groceries.

  Camille glanced at Sophia, who was pointing out different items around the store to Brenna.

  "1500 Ruble," the clerk said.

  Camille pulled out the pre-loaded card GEIV had set up for them and held it out to the old woman. The clerk pointed at the little round plate that sat on the counter and launched into a barrage of Russian so thickly accented that Camille couldn't understand her.

  "Could you speak more slowly?" Camille asked the woman in Russian.

  Her eyes narrowed. "Angliiskaya," she said like a curse.

  Sophia stepped forward. "You're an embarrassment to this country," the Russian Shine spat in her native tongue. "Baba. Will you check us out or should I call for your boss?"

  The woman scowled, but shook her head. Under Sophia's watchful eye, she took Camille's card and swiped it for the amount of their groceries. Camille sighed in relief when they were finally able to leave.

  "What's baba mean, S
oph?" Karen asked.

  Sophia blushed. "It is a derogatory name that translates to mean something like fat, ugly, mannerless woman."

  Camille grimaced. "What exactly did I do wrong?"

  "I'm sorry, Cam." Sophia said. "I forgot that it is considered bad luck by many older Russians to touch the hand of the person handing you money."

  "That's why she pointed at the little white plate thing as she yelled at me," Camille said.

  Sophia nodded. "I'll try to remember any other things that are considered rude or impolite and write them down for you all." She turned to Brenna. "You think you could do a search to see if there's a list out there on the topic?"

  Camille turned the group down their street, suddenly aware that all the apartment buildings looked alike in the dark. "Does anyone happen to know which building is ours?"

  The group stopped. Rachel walked up to the closest building. "Ours had what looked like green paint spilled on the first step." She pulled on the door. "Which we won't be able to see if we can't even get in the lobby."

  Camille handed her their key. "Maria unlocked the lobby door and our apartment with this."

  Rachel swiped the key card, but the lobby door didn't open. "We were on this side, right?"

  The group grew silent, eying the apartment buildings lining both sides of the street.

  "Did we turn down the correct street?" Karen asked, her voice shaking.

  Camille patted her arm. "I'm sure I turned us down the correct street and I'm equally sure we're on this side." She led the group to the next building. "I just can't remember if we were the third or fourth one."

  The whole group sighed in relief when the door to the third building opened. They trudged silently up four flights of stairs, Brenna's flashlight lighting their way. In the fourth floor hallway, Rachel lifted her arm and stopped the group. Camille shoved her Shine out and hid them from any watching eyes.

  "The door to our apartment is open," Rachel whispered.

  Camille glanced at Sophia, who nodded and vanished. She appeared at the door to the apartment thirty seconds later and held it open.

  "Someone's definitely been here," she whispered. "Our things have been gone through."

  Camille met each Shine's gaze. "Did anyone leave their tablet, glasses, or papers behind?" The Shines all answered in the negative. Camille lowered her voice. "No one Shines. No one talks about Shining while in this apartment. We don't know what they wanted or what they left behind, but we will not give anyone a reason to stay interested in us."

  The Shines nodded. Camille stopped Shining and opened their flat's door. The women went inside, then closed the door behind them. They unloaded their groceries and Rachel started dinner as each Shine casually went and checked for missing property. Rachel was the last Shine to check her things. She came back into the kitchen, shook her head, then continued preparations for dinner. Camille met the other Shine's troubled gaze.

  What had the intruder been looking for? And what had she, because Camille had a pretty good idea who had visited their flat, found?

  CHAPTER TEN

  Camille waved to two Canadian interns as she and the other Shines headed for the GEIV central school's front doors. They'd just finished their first week of intern training, an exhausting combination of Russian grammar lessons, practice teaching, and observations.

  "Only two more weeks to go," Karen sighed.

  Rachel scowled. "Yeah, then the real torture begins." She pretended to shudder. "All those kids."

  Each morning they left their flat at eight to spend thirty-five minutes on a metro train, spent all day at the school, then finally returned to their flat each afternoon at four. They'd spend an hour relaxing then get back on the metro to find dinner and do some sightseeing.

  "I vote we have dinner in tonight before heading over to the Canadian interns flat," Camille said. "I'm exhausted."

  The others nodded in agreement. They'd been invited by the Canadian interns to celebrate the end of the first week of the internship.

  "Let's stop at the bakery after we hit the liquor store and I'll put together a tray of sweets to take with us," Sophia said. "The British interns are bringing cheese, crackers, and fruit."

  "Mrs. Gusarov left this morning to visit her family in St. Petersburgh," Karen reminded them. "So it doesn't matter how late we stay out."

  They stopped on the way to the train station at a wine and liquor store they'd been introduced to by some other interns. After choosing several bottles of wine, they went next door to the French bakery they'd visited almost every morning for breakfast. Sophia chose mini strawberry cakes, mango cheesecake bites, mini-eclairs, and cookies.

  After she paid, she turned and caught Camille staring. "What?"

  "Did you leave anything for the other customers?"

  Her cheeks turned pink. "I couldn't decide between them so I got them all."

  Brenna bumped Camille with her shoulder. "What'd you expect when you led the member of your team with the biggest sweet tooth into a bakery?"

  The clerk handed Sophia a single mini-eclair and Camille laughed. "Indeed."

  Sophia bit into the treat and her eyes fluttered shut. "I just can't help myself," she moaned.

  Rachel snagged the other half of the little treat from Sophia's hand. "As your friend, it's my duty to keep you from the inevitable weight gain of your addiction." And the snarky Shine stuffed the rest of the mini-eclair into her mouth.

  "Hey," Sophia cried.

  Shaking her head, Camille led the Shines out of the bakery, their arms loaded with wine and baked goods. They headed for the large red 'M' sign that signified the Metro entrance and descended two flights of stairs. After scanning their Metro cards, they took a seven story long escalator down into the overheated bowels of the earth.

  "Next stop—" Rachel lowered her chin and looked at them from under her lowered brow. "—hell," she said in her best creepy voice.

  Camille shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

  Unlike their first time on the subway, the group of Shines ignored the grand architecture and ornate statues that decorated the station, too intent on reaching their destination and escaping the oppressive heat that never left the subway. The escalator spit them out into a mass of pushing, muttering Russians. Camille's foot was pierced by a spiked heel so sharp, she saw stars. Shoving the woman with the offending heals off of her, she clutched Rachel's arm to keep from losing her balance as she reached down to probe her foot for the hole she knew must be there. Rachel gave her an I told you so look which she ignored. They reached their train, stepped over a man asleep on the floor, and huddled near the door.

  "If I never see another subway after this trip, it'll be too soon," Camille muttered, massaging her violated foot.

  Brenna lurched forward, then turned and glared at the offending Russian who'd shoved her. "You and me both, sister. These people care nothing for personal space."

  They switched trains twice, the elaborate themed décor of the train stations changing with each stop. They watched for the marbled archways of their destination station, which always reminded Camille of an aqueduct. Finally making their way up into fresh air, they finished the short walk to their building.

  Camille glanced over at Brenna. "I truly hope our assigned schools are near our flat in Izhevsk."

  The other Shine shrugged. "We've been assigned to different schools in groups. You and Sophia are teaching at the same school, me and the ninja princess at a second school, then V, Daisy, and Karen at a third school," Brenna said, rolling her eyes as Rachel made a woo-hoo gesture with her finger. "Speaking of which, I need to remember to fax in the signed lease for our Izhevsk apartments tomorrow.”

  Sophia looked up from the groceries she'd started unloading. "I'll need to contact my cousin and let her know that we're in Moscow."

  Camille rubbed her neck then smiled. Apparently, she'd adopted Jeremy's thinking gesture. She looked up to find Sophia and Brenna watching her with knowing looks. She lifted an eyebrow, d
aring them to say something. When both remained silent, their smiles wide, she just shook her head.

  "Let's save the phone call until we actually get to Izhevsk. Tonight we celebrate our first week in Moscow." She gave Rachel a hard look. "You and Bren are responsible for dinner. Try not to get distracted with your bickering and burn it."

  Rachel stuck her tongue out at Camille like a child.

  Brenna clotheslined Rachel with her arm. "Come on, princess. Let's listen to our mighty team leader. I'll even let you tell me what to do, if it'll make you feel better."

  Rachel whacked the smart mouthed Shine on the butt. "Oh, you're gonna let me be the boss? Razor."

  Camille smiled.

  "I'm never sure if they hate each other or not," Karen said.

  Daisy looped her arm through Karen's, a sad smile on her face. "If you'd ever had a sibling, you'd understand."

  After enjoying a short nap and dinner, Camille traded her usual jeans and t-shirt for a pair of black silk cargo pants that ended just below her knee, an army green tank top, strappy black heels, and a black leather fedora. Brenna had badgered her into buying the outfit at the Russian mall the day before. After seeing herself in the mirror, Camille grabbed her tablet, snapped a picture and sent it to Jeremy. Two minutes later, her tablet dinged to let her know she had an incoming message.

  You went shopping.

  Imagining the surprise on his face, she replied.Under duress. Brenna.

  I owe Brenna a gift.

  Camille frowned.For what?

  For knowing you so well. That outfit says sexy bad-ass.

  She rolled her eyes.It's just clothes. My feet will be killing me within an hour.

  I wish I was there to kiss them better.

  Her heart clenched.Me too. I love you.

  I love you, too. Be safe.

  Camille grabbed her shoulder bag and stuffed her tablet, glasses, passport, and wallet into it.

  When she walked into the hallway, Brenna whistled. "I knew you'd rock that outfit." Brenna, in new black mini skirt and slinky red halter top, motioned for Camille to spin around. "I think you're one of few people who can make silk and cargo look smoking hot, Cam."