The Way of the Clan 2 (World of Valdira)

by Dem Mikhaylov

  ‘Why not?!’ I was completely stunned by this nonsense. ‘What should I do with her? Put her back inside the car?!’

  ‘Take her home,’ Gosh said clearly and distinctly, still sitting motionless behind the wheel of the twisted car. ‘To your place!’

  ‘Gosha... what do you mean? Are you hallucinating? You're after the accident. You need to be brought to the hospital! She's unconscious! She can pass away any minute!’

  ‘She's fine... she’d stoned... will soon come to her senses... and then explain everything... just take her away from this place, Ros, take away. Immediately.’

  Stoned?!

  ‘Gosha...’

  ‘TAKE HER HOME!’ the stalwart shouted, with an effort turning over the whole body and spitting blood clots. ‘FAST! DO NOT ARGUE!’

  ‘Damn it all!’ I shouted wildly back, picked up the girl without feeling her weight. ‘I’m fed up with you! That’s too much! Got it?! As soon as you recover, I will break your legs again, son of bitch! Ah!

  After shouting, I hobbled to the front door of my entrance, accompanied by the hefty guy’s low voice, ‘Thank you ... Ross.’

  ‘Pest on you!’ I said without turning around.

  In response, I heard a gurgling laugh, succeeded by groaning. Well, soon Gosha’s first moments of shock will end and he will feel PAIN. I do know it, as I had an accident when I was young. I really wish he survived…

  Running into the entrance, I stomped with an effort on the crashed concrete steps and an alarm bell in my head was pounding. "What are you doing?! You’re a moron! What if she dies in my arms?! Then there will be a corpse in my flat! And it will be an epic f…"

  With hoarse gasps and sighs are many, overwhelmed with fear and blind fury I got to my floor and immediately stumbled upon a menacing Varvara Pavlovna standing in the doorway. Nikolay was munching a pie at her side. So now she is treating him pies not me, the old bitch... they didn’t come to see the accident, because they wanted me quarrel with me...

  ‘Rostislav, is that the way you should...’ Nikolay was the first to start speaking, but he stopped immediately and opened his eyes wide when he saw a hand hanging limply from the blanket.

  Leaning my shoulder against my door, I turned to the neighbors and grinning angrily, snapped,

  ‘Shut up! Both! And get lost in your flats! Got it?!’

  Varvara Pavlovna vanished instantly, the door slammed behind her. Nicholay disappeared in a second after it, followed by an echo of fast steps. He also slammed the door closing. I believed they were calling militia at that moment... or I’d better say police, as they have changed their name.

  "Well, Ros, you're in hot water now!" ‘I concluded while walking into the hallway and slammed the front door.

  In a few short mincing steps I dropped the girl on my bed, and I being completely exhausted flopped on the floor, hoarsely gasping air by my open mouth. Although the muscles have been warmed up better than ever.

  What an adventure, but originally I went out to throw my litter away!..

  Lying on the bed Keira let out a barely audible groan and I quickly sat up and stared at her face. She was pale. A bit too pale, but her lips color was normal, not cyanotic. My father used to tell me that ‘you have to worry when lips are turning blue.’ Her eyes were closed, but the pupils were shifting under the eyelids.

  What did Gosha say? She is stoned... So to crown it all she is a drug-addict. Gently putting out my shaking hand I gently fingered her head, checking if there were any lumps or cuts. It seemed alright. But who knows, I'm not a doctor. I act as an amateur. But as far as I could see the head wasn’t injured. There was one bloody line on her forehead, but it was Gosha’s blood. I had swiped it by my palm…

  Gosha!

  He is still sitting in the broken car, bleeding...

  Exhaling a doomed moan, I got up and hurried back to the door, looking into the bathroom on my way and grabbed a few towels from the rack. It occurred to me to take a couple of aspirin, but realizing the stupidity of this idea, I cursed out loudly, being angry at myself. I grabbed the keys and ran out to the porch, slamming the door. That time it was much more difficult to go down the stairs my legs and knees were trembling like hell.

  Cutting a path through the thick green vegetation, so zealously cultivated in front of his windows by the neighbor from the first floor. I managed to crush some flowers. In the morning our yard will be shaking with his cries and moans...

  I broke through and suddenly stopped plowing up the ground by my feet. I could see through the foliage blue flashing beacons of the cars that came to rescue. But it wasn’t the ambulance. Police arrived first.

  Leaning forward, I saw a police officer looking inside the car and saying something to Gosha, two others were thoughtfully gazing into the asphalt of the road, flashing the torch, another one was speaking on the transmitter installed in the police car. There was a dozen of onlookers wearing sloppy clothes some steps aside who were peering into the wrecked car. Damned vultures! However, there was one man holding a compact car fire extinguisher that, fortunately, he didn’t have to use. Thanks God, there are normal people in this city! I heard a leaping siren from a distance. That ambulance was hurrying to the place of the car crash. Moving backwards I got out of my hiding place, holding towels that were not necessary. I thought for a second and decided to make a large arc by walking past the accident place and finishing at the glass doors of the elite block of flats where Gosha lived. I didn’t have to call or to knock as a broad-shouldered guard was standing just in front of the transparent door. Seeing me, he stiffened abruptly and reached his hand for his belt, where a strange-looking club was hanging.

  ‘What do you want?!’ the guy barked through the door, looking suspiciously at me and obviously not coming to the delight of what he saw.

  A worn-out track suit, flip flops stained with the ground and an armful of crumpled rags. Yes, and traces of blood on my hands, and certainly on the face. What a great look!

  ‘There's a car accident,’ I blurted out quickly, ‘not far away from here. About a hundred yards away.’

  ‘So what?’ the guy asked a little softer, glancing at his partner who came out as soon as he heard the noise. ‘I’ve seen a police car passing by and here is an ambulance. How can I help?’

  Indeed, the ambulance with the wailing siren dashed behind me, the tires creaked and the car turned the corner abruptly. In a second the siren ceased, and I heard claps of the doors.

  ‘You can’t,’ I shook my head ‘but the guy who got into that accident lives in this house. He is living alone now without his wife, maybe you can call her or his relatives? I just don’t have their phone numbers.’

  ‘What’s the surname?’ the second guard boomed, taking a step forward.

  ‘Mine?’

  ‘Nope! The guy’s who has had an accident!’

  ‘I do not know...’ I admitted and tried to remember everything I knew about Gosha.’ He is a good friend of mine. His name is Gosha. He is living in this house. On the fourteenth floor, the elevator to the left, a dark brown wooden door. I don’t remember the number... He seems to work at a bank and drives a silver foreign car... he drove ... his car is totally smashed.’

  ‘Gosha? Do you mean George? George Panteleev? Hey, Sergey, check if he returned!’

  ‘I think it’s he,’ I nodded and added ‘so he's a hefty guy. He weighs about one hundred kilos, maybe more. He’s not fat, but muscular.’

  ‘Exactly,’ the senior guard growled, taking a step forward ‘Shit! Sergey, any news?’

  ‘He left at half past ten yesterday evening, and hasn’t returned yet’ the man shouted, looking up from the computer screen. ‘I think it’s he.’

  ‘Stay here,’ the senior ordered briefly, unlocking the door. ‘I’ll check what’s happening.’

  I backed away, letting the strong man pass by and pointed out in the right direction, ‘Over there. Thank you, guys. Don’t forget to call his relatives! It’s important.’

&nb
sp; ‘We’ll sort it out!’ the guard boomed looking around and making sure that I'm alone and there wasn’t a dozen of thugs waiting around the corner. Or am I wrong? He seems to be a normal guy.

  ‘Over there,’ I said again, pressed the towels to my chest and trotted off.

  ‘Hey! Where are you going?’

  ‘Home,’ I said without turning around. ‘I haven’ finished with my laundry yet!’

  Stop! I’m fed up. I've had enough good deeds for today. Probably, they think that I’m a compassionate psycho, but I don’t care.

  Without paying attention to what was happening on the road, I flew into the house and clutching the railing, reached my front door. With trembling hands I groped the key in the pocket, the lock creaked briefly and I burst into the apartment, quietly closing the door. Dropping the towel on the floor, I took off the dirty flip flops and hobbled along the hall to look into the room. Dumbfounded I opened the mouth. The bed was empty. No blanket no girl!

  ‘I don’t understand, is it a joke?’ I uttered the most stupid phrase for today and winced feeling some movement behind my back. I turned around abruptly, almost crashing my face into the jamb and stared at the fleeting vision standing in the kitchen doorway.

  Keira. Tousled dark hair, still wrapped in a plaid blanket, his eyes were fixed on me, and trembling hand was clamping a knife. My knife. My kitchen knife. The pretty blunt blade was still covered with crumbs of stale bread.

  ‘Keira, it’s me,’ I said softly, showing her my empty hands slowly. ‘I’m Ros. Do you remember me?’

  ‘Ros?..’ the girl sobbed, pointing the knife at me. ‘Can you prove it?’

  ‘How?’ I growled angrily, recoiling back. ‘Although... Cradle, the tournament, escape from Graver. Listen! That’s enough! It’s me! If you don’t believe, the door is over there. The key is in the lock. Open it and get out of here to hell! I’m fed up! First, this moron Gosha makes me drag you here, and then I run like a sweaty hare settling his affairs, and now I have to be afraid of the crazy in addict with a knife?! Get out from here! Just put my knife back! I don’t have another one.’

  The knife dropped dull on the floor, and the girl burst into tears, pressing her hands to her face.

  ‘Keira, oh, what’s wrong?..’ I was confused ‘Okay, you can stay here, stop crying.’

  But she didn’t stop crying. With a sigh, I stepped forward, hugged the girl's trembling shoulders gently and pulled her closer to myself.

  ‘Everything is fine. Please, calm down. Now, it’s over. Everything is over. Don’t cry. Paladins don’t cry do they? You’re a paladin, the great and terrible Keireya Protectress, the most dangerous being in the Cradle, the owner of the checkered cloak of power and the terrible kitchen knife...’

  I was talking complete nonsense, but oddly enough, my words helped. Sobs became less frequent, the tremors shaking the girl were decreasing. Finally, she muttered under her breath, ‘It's you. Ros.’

  ‘How did you guess? ‘I asked foolishly without changing the pitch. ‘By my beggarly outfit? By the way, you hav a right to be proud.’

  ‘Wh-what?’

  ‘Well, don’t you understand?’ I was surprised, releasing one hand and started stroking the girl's hair. ‘You're the only one I carried in both worlds. By the way, in this world, you're obviously heavier.’

  ‘It’s not the thing I can be proud of and I'm not heavy!’ Keira whose real name I still do not know murmured. ‘You know that I am Keireya Protectress. But those who have injected me this stuff, knew nothing about it. They wanted...’

  ‘I do not want to know it,’ I said hastily ‘Look, you don’t know that you were in Gosha’s car. I suppose he was bringing you to his apartment when the accident happened. He almost reached the house… Hush!’ I snapped, holding the jerking girl tightly’. ‘He’s alive. He must be on the way to hospital now. Before the ambulance came and the police, he asked me to pick you up. And I did it. Fortunately we live side by side. I’ll explain everything later. Tell me how you are. Does anything hurt? Any buzzing? Any pricks?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Keira whispered. ‘I feel dizzy and sick a bit.’

  'I see,’ I breathed out with relief. ‘But you'd better sit down or even lie down. Maybe you’re still under shock. And that’s why you don’t feel any pain. Actually you need to go to the hospital. For a check-up.

  'Not now,’ the girl replied hastily.

  'Yup,’ I snapped irritably.

  Not only Gosha, but Keira has appeared to have bugs. They don’t take any care about themselves...

  'Are you sure Gosha will be fine?’

  'I think yes. Hey, would you like some tea? I even have jam. Strawberry.’

  'Are you really so stupid?’

  'Yes, a bit,’ I confessed. ‘If I were smart, you wouldn’t get into it, and you wouldn’t be standing here. So, what about tea?’

  The girl didn’t have time to answer – my shaky door shook from heavy knock and there was a loud commanding voice, 'Open! Police!’

  And after that I heard an old woman's voice, 'Be careful with him! Addicts are all dangerous! He can stab a knife!’

  ‘We’ll sort it out! Don’t worry! You’d better enter your apartment.’

  'Don’t believe him! It’s very important! I saw this little girl by my own eyes! Wrapped in a plaid or a checkered blanket, her hair seemed to be dark. And her hand was hanging limp! Lifeless!’

  ‘We’ll sort it out!’ the police officer roared. ‘Ma’am, please, go into your apartment!’

  Fuck! Well, Varvara Pavlovna! Let cats piss at your door!

  'Who is it?’ the girl whispered pulling away from me.

  'Didn’t you hear?!’ I said softly. ‘Police! I was seen, when I was dragging you home. And you didn’t look very healthy! Neighbors have decided that I am a rapist, pervert or enjoy dismemberment at home! What a shit!’

  'Open!’ this time the door shook much strongly. Apparently they were beating by fists or feet.

  'Stay here,’ I hissed, rushing into the bathroom and cried out on the run, ‘I’m coming! Why are you knocking so harshly?! People want to sleep!’

  'Open immediately!’

  'I’m opening! Just let me put on pants!’ I shouted, opening the vault and clearing away bloody streaks from my hands furiously. I looked in the mirror and cursing began to washing my hands. There was blood on my face as well. Now I know what red-handed murderers feel when they are caught. And the whole house must be awake.

  I went out of the bathroom, picked up the towel on the floor and hastily dried my face. Then I managed to open the door before the police started clattering and shouting again.

  'Good morning!’ I blurted out with innocent eyes staring at the man with a mustache who was standing a little away from the door. I had never seen him before. He wasn’t from our district. And he was not alone. Two more police officers were standing on my landing, and Varvara Pavlovna’s door was slightly ajar, a sharp old woman's nose and one eye shining with curiosity could be seen through the crack.

  The police officer didn’t introduce himself. Staring at my forehead severely, he immediately got down to business.

  'It was reported that in this apartment...’

  'Honey, what's wrong?’ my door opened wider, and Keira wrapped in a plaid blanket up to her neck emerged in the doorway. Her hair was disheveled and bristling in different directions, her eyes were half closed. The girl's bare hand went around my neck, and soon the girl clung to me tightly. Oops ... The police officers stared at us. Varvara Pavlovna almost fell out of her apartment.

  'I don’t understand,’ I went out with a jerk of the stupor, in turn, hugging the girl’s waist. ‘You see, the police came. They got some information. We didn’t turn up the music, and we didn’t make any noise.

  'I want to go to bed,’ she pouted capriciously, forcing one of the policemen to cough.

  'Well…’ the officer with a mustache said slowly, turning his whole body to the neighbor’s apartment.

  S
eeing his back wrapped in the uniform, I mentally sighed in relief. Once he turned his back to me, then, our trick worked, at least partially.

  'So, what’s wrong? Tell me what is wrong?’ the old lady was speaking very fast, jumping out to the porch and poking at me by her wizened finger. ‘I’m telling you – I’ve seen by my own eyes how he was carrying the body to the apartment! Maybe it was not her! Maybe they are accomplices in this...’

  'Accomplices in what?’ I raised the voice playing the role of an angry neighbor who was disturbed in the most piquant moment. ‘So was it you who called the police? Well, Varvara Pavlovna, I did not expect it from you!’

  'Stop!’ the policeman ordered, and I obediently got silent. ‘We have received reports that less than one hour ago, a body was carried into this apartment...’

  'Yeah. It was recorded,’ I interrupted him, puffing beatific smile on my face and nodding at the girl clung to me. ‘It was recorded. This is the same body. I don’t deny. But is it forbidden to carry a girl? But... you know what, you can enter my flat and check it, there is one bedroom, and it won’t take you much time. I have nothing to hide. And sorry, but I have other plans this evening, that was not about standing in the cold porch. Please, come in.

  Supporting the girl barely standing on her feet, I stepped aside freeing the doorway to the police, at the same time giving an indignant glance to my neighbor.

  'Do you allow to enter your apartment?’ the police officer with a mustache asked.

  ‘Definitely!’ I smiled broadly, feeling panic, Keira became heavier every moment. Now if only she had not passed out.

  'Thank you for your assistance,’ the senior police officer said briefly and nodded to the others.

  Thundering by their boots, the police went inside. I followed them. Varvara Pavlovna was about to follow, but I gave her such a look that she froze in the middle of the landing, and the mustached police officer chuckled knowingly after noticing my angry glance.

  Well, normal people could understand me. The guy wanted to act out a romantic scene, carried the girl into the apartment and was about to put her to bed and get to the main point of the planned program, when he was brutally prevented. And a half-crazy aunty was to blame of it.