Arctic Sunrise

by Robert G. White

  Chapter III We were friends

  Years and years ago.

  ''And then she turns to me in an instant, her face is overflowing with anger and she asks me if I think she's a whore, and I'm just standing there, speechless and dazzled'' Anatoly shouts.

  ''So what did you say?'' a cloud of voices asks in unison.

  ''When someone does something for a long time, he or she becomes very efficient in that domain. For example, I'm not saying that you're a whore but you were fucking born pregnant and without a gag reflex, you suck dick like a industrial strength vacuum cleaner, can't be gagged with a baseball bat. So then she stopped and looked in my eyes.'' Anatoly continues.

  ''So what did you say?'' the same cloud of voices and laughter asks.

  ''Whenever you suck my dick, it gets a little whiter and the second day I still have bits and pieces from the bed sheet up my ass...that black hole cosmic suction.'' Anatoly says, standing up and raising his arms like a conductor of an orchestra.

  Everyone is laughing so hard that the table at which they're sitting is shacking. Everyone is drunk because earlier they were celebrating Dmitri and Anatoly's release from prison after the five years they served for a robbery. It's about five in the morning and they're in the back of Dmitri's strip club, playing poker, drinking and smoking. Besides the newly released, there's Train, Dalesio, Vladimir, Sergei and Alexander, a young man, mid twenties, working for Sergei, trying to earn his stars.

  ''Tell me one quality he has!'' Anatoly asks.

  ''He has good teeth!'' Dmitri answers.

  ''That's not a quality, that's a feature!'' Anatoly shouts.

  ''Tell that to some toothless bastard!'' Dmitri says.

  ''Come on Dmitri, even a horse can have good teeth!'' Anatoly replies.

  ''Doesn't matter, horses don't smile!'' Dmitri says and everyone starts laughing.

  ''All right that's enough, you smartass!'' Anatoly says.

  ''I bought Ana something really nice for her birthday, take a look!'' Dmitri says, revealing a huge diamond ring from his inner pocket.

  ''Why buy her that? That's like putting a chandelier in a pig sty! It's shameful for me to have such a sister.'' Vladimir blurs out.

  Dmitri stops talking, puts the ring back in his coat and focuses on Vladimir's face.

  Vladimir is very drunk, hugging and kissing everyone like he's the one just released from prison. Train is still upset about getting refused by ten whores earlier, Dmitri isn't drinking, Anatoly seems in good mood though something is clearly bothering him and he keeps peeking at Dmitri. Sergei and Alexander are tired, barely awake. Dalesio is sharp and vigilant.

  ''I think I'm going to call it a night, boys!'' Sergei says and stands up, Alexander follows his boss's lead.

  Sergei kisses and hugs Dmitri and Anatoly one more time, tells them how happy he is that they've been liberated and leaves the club. They young man called Alexander does not partake in intimate gestures, only nods in sign of respect as he leaves.

  Dmitri slowly smokes a cigarette, his eyes are far away, and his expression is as serious as the day he was sentenced. He tilts his head towards Train and whispers '' let's begin'' and in a flash Train stands up and kicks Vladimir in the face, sending him flying off the chair and losing his conscience. Dalesio instantly locks the door from the inside and starts spreading plastic sheets on the floor.

  ''Please, don't do this to my brother.'' Anatoly begs Dmitri, falling to his knees. Dmitri keeps smoking as Train starts undressing Vladimir.

  ''He took five years of my life, and yours. And for what? To not do the three years? He gives up his own brother for three years? I wouldn't rat on my mailman for three years. How is a vor afraid of prison?'' Dmitri says, banging his fist on the table, ashtrays and poker chips flying off in all directions.

  ''Please, I'm asking you as a friend and brother, we've been through everything together and I've never asked you for anything! I am asking now. I know he's a weak piece of shit but he's my blood, I couldn't look my mother in the eyes if I just stand here and watch you kill him! What would Anastasia say about you killing her brother?'' Anatoly shouts, hugging Dmitri and crying on his shoulder.

  ''Someone has to die for this! Look at him, he's a fucking embarrassment to all of us, he's a joke. Five fucking years in Siberia, five years...I'll never get those years back, my stomach will never recover from five years of that disgusting food. Go home Anatoly, you have no part in this! '' Dmitri says.

  ''Take my life instead!'' Anatoly says.

  ''That I cannot do!'' Dmitri says, shaking off Anatoly and standing up from the chair, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a switchblade.

  Anatoly jumps on his unconscious brother to shield him from what is to come.

  Dmitri sees this and even though Train is saying ''kill him'' , he does not. Dmitri throws the knife at Anatoly's feet. Dalesio seems disappointed, probably because he has to wrap up the plastic on the floor.

  ''He does not deserve a brother like you. You are a true soldier, a true brother, a stone member of our world but the next time he crosses me, the next time he betrays me, I shall kill you too, my brother. His life is now yours.'' Dmitri says and leaves the room followed by an angry and confused Train, slamming the door hard on his way out. Dalesio quickly wraps up the plastic sheets on the floor and leaves.

  Vladimir begins to wake up and sees his brother sitting on a chair, drinking vodka out of a thick glass.

  ''What happened? Did I pass out?'' Vladimir asks, confused and drunk.

  Anatoly says nothing, he rushes Vladimir and starts beating on him, screaming ''you shamed me for life, you fucking coward.''

  Vladimir defends himself by running into a corner, crying and drooling, shouting ''I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.''

  ''If you were anyone else than my brother, I would have given your head to Dmitri in a blink of an eye. How fucking stupid are you? He knows, he's known for years that you were the one that gave him up! He wanted to kill you personally when he got out! I saved you by shaming myself for the rest of my life. I did it for our mother, to spare her the tears.'' Anatoly says, picks up the knife and cuts his right ear off.

  ''Now I will wear my shame for all to see for the rest of my life. '' Anatoly says and leaves the room, the pain of knowing that Dmitri will never see him like a brother is stronger than the one radiating from where his ear used to be.

  Left alone, Vladimir vomits and cries, his nose is running, blood is dripping from his opened eyebrow and he falls asleep, alone, in the corner and in darkness, talking to himself ''I was only following the orders given to me...''

  ''Wake up, Dmitri!'' Train's thick voice startles Dmitri.

  ''What? What time is it? I dreamt of a night long ago.'' Dmitri asks in a groggy, heavy voice.

  ''You've slept! you finally slept! I'm happy for you, I was afraid you had died...it's good that you're sleeping, maybe you're forgetting...I finished burning Sergei's body.'' Train says.

  ''What about Anatoly's body? Where is it? Did you place it in the car?'' Dmitri asks, noticing that Anatoly is no longer in the chair in front of him.

  ''Yeah, wrapped it nicely too. I know you feel for him but he did this to himself when he stood tall for his brother all those years ago when you wanted to kill him'' Train says.

  ''Shut the fuck up already and go wait in the car! We shall never speak of Anatoly again, honor him for the man, the soldier and brother that he was! '' Dmitri snaps off at Train. ''and take Nikolai with us.'' he adds.

  ''Wait Train, listen, something's wrong about this kid and this whole thing with Vladimir is not adding up, keep an eye on him while I try to make sense of everything.'' Dmitri says as Train is in the doorway.

  ''Yeah, I saw it too. No boy that age can just watch that torture without flinching, and excuse me for saying but Ivan's lost his edge. Killing Anatoly like that, getting all riled up over nothing? Or maybe he's playing some game.'' Train says.

  ''I'd die for that man so watch your words.'' Dmitri utters.
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  ''And I'd more than die for you. Remember that.'' Train says.

  ''I know brother but you're still a big mouth dumbass.'' Dmitri says. Train laughs and leaves the shed.

  Dmitri looks at the seat of the chair where Anatoly and Sergei died and sees the imprinted, hardened blood on it ''who knew you'd bleed red?'' he thinks, and leaves the shed.

  They meet up at the car. ''You drive Train, I need to think.'' Dmitri says.

  Dmitri sits in the right passenger seat and Nikolai sits in the back.

  ''So, this is the plan.'' Dmitri says after about an hour ''we've killed Vladimir's nephew and brother. Now we go after his woman, his mistress, his whore or whatever he calls it. She's in charge of the biggest tolerance house in Saint Petersburg'' Dmitri notices that Train is looking at him confused so he adds'' a whorehouse, a brothel, that's what tolerance house means''. Trains nods with a serious look on his face.

  ''Anyway, the top tenth floor of a modern building in the centre of Saint Petersburg. We will need Dalesio and two more guys, I've already called, he'll be waiting with tools and the muscle in a hotel in Saint Petersburg across the street from the building. We will kill all the men protecting the whorehouse and leave the whores alive to tell the story. As for miss Vladimir, Dalesio knows her name and face, I don't. Her head will be sent express to one of Vladimir's clubs after we detach it from the rest of her body. Vladimir will be consumed by anger and revenge and he will make a wrong move. Then, he shall die.'' Dmitri says.

  Nikolai listens carefully, analyzing everything Dmitri is saying. Train is pondering whether they have time during the hit to have sex with a couple of the girls. He's afraid to ask Dmitri.

  ''Nikolai you will wear a vest and come with us but just to observe.'' Dmitri says.

  Nikolai seems surprised but also willing and happy.

  The hours pass by quickly and Train finally arrives, parks in front of the hotel and Dmitri gets out followed shortly by Nikolai and Train. They take the elevator to the fifth floor and knock on room 261. The door opens and a medium height man smiles in the doorway.

  It's Dalesio, nicknamed the lady vor or pretty boy because he's the opposite of a vor in appearance, he's skin and bones, blonde long hair in a pony tail, sharp nose, a small mouth, big eyes and eyebrows and no jaw line.

  ''Why are you sitting in the hall like a bunch of morons? Come in already.'' Dalesio says, fixated on Nikolai.

  Dmitri walk in first to see the king size bed covered by guns, he chuckles and asks ''don't tell me you forgot the explosives? The door is reinforced, blasting it is the only way to get inside fast.''

  ''I didn't forget, don't you worry but what's with the kid?'' Dalesio says and points at Nikolai.

  ''He's mine.'' Dmitri says and Dalesio understands, he looks shocked and blurs out ''I never believed I'd live to see this! to see Dmitri tutoring in ways of the world to snot faced kiddies.''

  ''That's what I said!'' Trains utters while strapping on a bulletproof vest that seems way to small for him.

  ''Never mind the foolishness, gear up and listen up.'' Dmitri says as both men that were with Dalesio in the room listen closely.

  ''We are going in heavy, safeties off. Shoot anyone you see, no witnesses! I am first through the blasted door followed closely by Train and Dalesio, you two guys will cover the hall in case there are other men hiding in other rooms and after precisely two minutes you go to the hotel entrance to guard us for four minutes. After that you two disappear, go to the countryside. Myself, Train, Nikolai and Dalesio will be out of the building in under five minutes. After we blow up the door we kill everyone that is in the first room. Should be about four men, all armed with pistols, maybe something a little better but we're packing enough to blast them before they get a chance to return. It should be easy. Does anyone have any questions?'' Dmitri says, waiting.

  ''We bringing this Nikolai, this boy with us? Is there a purpose to that?'' Dalesio asks.

  ''You're questioning me now? I said that the boy comes and he comes!'' Dmitri commands, stepping closer to Dalesio but not in a menacing manner.

  ''Maybe those Serbian whores of him have fucked his mind up! I heard those whores have fire in their pussies!'' Train says, loading shells into a shotgun and flicking his tongue towards Dalesio.

  ''Train, how about you shut the fuck up?'' Dalesio shouts.

  ''We hit the place at dawn, at five in the morning. We got two hours until then. Let me get some sleep.'' Dmitri says and walks into the other room.

  Chapter IV Men of action

  Years earlier.

  ''Ana, my love, why are you crying? What happened?'' Dmitri asks as soon as he enters the apartment.

  ''How stupid do you think I am? Get away from me! Leave and never come back!'' Ana screams at Dmitri. Her face is red and in tears, reeking of desperation. Dmitri, vexed, blinks a few times and then casually strolls into the kitchen. Ana lays on the bed, face down, burrowing her face into a pillow to muffle her cries.

  Dmitri lays down next to her and places his right hand over her shoulder ''tell me, you crazy woman, what is wrong? I'm a man and I don't know why you are upset. You need to talk to me'' and whispers gently.

  Ana looks into his eyes, sniffs her nose, wipes off the tears on her face and whispers ''you made me fall in love with you but I will always be second in your life. Don't even try to lie to me, remember that Vladimir and Anatoly are my brothers and I know what the life of a vor is!''

  ''Why are you so desperate all of a sudden? You knew what I was before you decided to be mine!'' Dmitri asks.

  ''Because I was sure you would change, now I see that you don't know what love is, you'll probably be dead by the time our child will be able to talk.'' Ana says.

  Dmitri's lips are twitching ''you're pregnant?'' he asks, in a low and uneven voice. Ana nods, with her face in her palms. Dmitri remains stiff...

  ''See? you have no reaction! you're all dead inside!'' Ana screams.

  ''Calm down you insane girl and listen to me. I've never had a father, a mother or a family. I never knew love and maybe you're right, I don't know what it means, to love and be loved...and now the notion of being a father feels so strange and new, a feeling I can't describe.'' Dmitri slides to the edge of the bed and starts massaging his eyes with the tip of his fingers ''I know only that what I feel for you is good, it's pure in a world of dirt...and our child will not grow up raped each day and eating rats in the cold streets of some city. I shall leave the vory v zakone. I'll leave the life. I don't do it because I have to, I do it because I want to. Enough blood for one life, from now on you and our child are my only priorities. That is my choice. I have more blood money than I can spend in a lifetime. We'll buy a house someplace warmer, maybe countryside France and raise our child in a small town...'' Dmitri whispers.

  Dmitri looks over at Ana, her eyes lighten up and a huge smile appears on her face.

  ''Come here baby and stop with the craziness, don't ever be sad again, you'll harm our child with your negative emotions.'' Dmitri says, reaching his hand towards her. Immediately Ana jumps into his arms kissing him and ripping off the buttons on his shirt. Dmitri feels her breasts pressed on his chest, he smells her scent, he runs his hands through her hair as she kisses him gently... ''I love you baby..'' the woman of his dreams carries inside her...his child. For that, he would give up anything and everything.

  ''Wake up, Dmitri!'' Train whispers but his voice is so thick that it wakes Dmitri instantly. Train's voice is like a tenor bear that smokes and has a cold...

  ''Is it five already?'' Dmitri asks, scratching his waist.

  ''Almost, we're all geared up, waiting on you, get up. you slept again, good for you.'' Train says, noticing that Dmitri has an erection visible by the shape of his pants. ''must have been a good dream'' Train thinks.

  Dmitri doesn't put on a bulletproof vest and just hides an M1 Garand shotgun in his coat. Dalesio notices this but doesn't say anything. Their target is across the street. All six men leave the room and
leave the key at the reception.

  Dalesio takes out the two desk receptionists by shooting them in the head with a silenced pistol. Train kills the sentry at the elevator as they arrive on the tenth floor by stabbing him in the windpipe.

  Dmitri and Train move into position, planting C4 explosives in two spots on the door, more than enough to blow it to pieces. Train sets the timer and they knock on the door.

  As soon as Train hears movement from the inside, he detonates it from about ten meters, blowing up the door and the man looking out through the peephole.

  Dmitri rushes the door almost too soon, shoulder in front and passes easily through the remaining shattered door and starts unloading through the smoke into the narrow room, aiming for anything human shaped or moving object...blasting people in half while in the back a faint Bonnie Tyler song plays ''Total eclipse of the heart.'' Pellets smash the music player and a abrupt drowning moan catches Dmitri's attention. He loads two shells into the empty shotgun and fires in the direction of the cries. And then silence and smoke. Train enters a few moments after Dmitri only to witness the carnage because his shotgun jams and by the time he pulls out his spare pistol it's already over.

  ''''Tears of blood as rain'' Dmitri mutters under his breath.

  ''''And forever it shall rain'' Train answers. (a saying used after people are killed in reference to the relatives of the victims.) The men gaze upon the carnage for a brief moment.

  Train turns his head towards Dmitri and utters ''was that Bonnie Tyler I heard?''