Alexey. A few years ago, there was this Passion Empire massage parlor. It was the time when I was reelected and hit the bottle.
Pause.
Natalia. I recognized you at once this morning, Mister Deputy. Have I really changed so much?
Alexey. But that was another life.
Natalia. I dont remember. I dont.
Alexey. «I sought my love in the maiden forest. With a mocking singer, I spent the night in a stack.»
Natalia. Let it be our little secret. [She kisses Alexey on the mouth, stands up, and takes away the dishes from the table.]
Alexey.[He finishes his beer, yawns, and stretches.] Now thats some good beer. The beer we drank in the banya smacked somehow badly.
The light in the window of the second floor flickers and then goes out.
Natalia. Beer is still beer. Here, have a bite. [She gives him a snack from the table.] Lets dim the lights down. They attract mosquitos. [She steps up to the light switch at the entrance to the gazebo and dims the lights.]
Alexey. Uh-huh [Yawning again.] Darkness is a teenagers friend. [His head droops down, he lays it on the table and falls asleep.]
Natalia. Thats it. [She takes the bottle of vodka from the table, pours some into her glass, drinks it in one draught without having a snack.] The Rubicon is crossed.
Khlora comes out of the house, bringing Natalias clothes with her. Natalia takes her clothes, slips out of the bathrobe, and changes quickly.
Khlora. Veniamin. Old coot. [She takes the bottle of vodka, takes a sip straight out of it, rinses her mouth, spits on the ground.]
Natalia. Is he sleeping?
Khlora. Like a rock. He went out like a lamp.
Natalia. This is good. It means were on track.
Natalia takes out her mobile phone and presses the call button.
Natalia. Chopper. We are ready. [She stops the call.] Khlora! In the banya, there is a padlock on the door handle. Go and lock Kolosov down.
Khlora walks along the path towards the banya. At this moment, Chopper and Moray appear by the gate. They quickly enter the garden plot, approach the gazebo. Moray carries a truncheon.
Chopper.[To Moray.] Tie him.
Moray produces a plastic cable tie from the pocket of his jacket. He puts the hands of sleeping Alexey behind his back and ties them up with the cable tie. Then he ties Alexeys legs, pushes him down from the chair to the floor.
Natalia. Kolosov is in the banya. The third one is inside, on the upper floor.
Moray. Where is Khlora?
Natalia. I sent her to lock the banya. It has no windows, only an air-hole. The old man isnt going anywhere.
Chopper.[To Moray.] Wait for me here.
Chopper goes inside. Khlora is coming back. She walks along the path from the direction of the banya, holding the key to the padlock. She steps up to Natalia and gives her the key. Moray approaches Khlora, hugs her shoulders, and kisses her neck.
Moray. Its alright, my darling. You did great.
Chopper comes out of the house, approaches the gazebo. Natalia gives him the key.
Chopper. Relax, Khlora. Youve done your part. I can be grateful.
Khlora. Screw you.
Natalia. Think about your future, Khlora.
Chopper. Natalia! You know what to do next.
Natalia. Khlora, lets go.
Moray.[To Khlora.] Soon we will be together. Wait for it.
Natalia and Khlora leave. Chopper and Moray get black balaclavas and put them on.
Chopper. Moray, I need Kolosov alive.
Moray. Ill deal with it. Not a day in jail went by where I didnt think about settling scores with this scum.
Chopper. Its time to pay the piper.
Chopper and Moray go towards the banya. Tatyana enters the garden plot through the gate, walks towards the gazebo with a loaf of bread in her hand. Some bustle and dull thuds can be heard from the banya.
Tatyana. Are they sleeping? Its not that late, I guess. Hello? Fyodor, where are you all?
Tatyana approaches the gazebo, sees Alexey, and puts the bread on the table.
Tatyana. What kind of joke is that? Alexey, are you alright? Why are your hands tied? [She tugs at Alexeys shoulder, holds his wrist, and checks the pulse.] The pulse is weak. [She tries to check Alexeys pupils but cannot see anything in the dark.] He is soaked. Its like he got food poisoning. [She starts to her feet.] He needs an ambulance. Fyodor, Venya, where are you? [She stops short, hearing the noise and voices of Chopper and Moray.]
Chopper. What a hulk of a man.
Moray. He stroke me with a log.
Chopper. Help him put on his trousers, or hes gonna freeze his balls off. Kolosov, dont move. We need to talk.
Moray. You piece of shit! Take that!
Chopper. Now tie down his legs.
Moray. You are ours now.
Chopper. Get him. Dont move, old man, or youll make it worse.
Tatyana finds a place to hide. Chopper and Moray drag Fyodor, beaten and scantily dressed, through the grass. Fyodors hands and legs are tied with cable ties, his mouth is taped. Tatyana quickly makes her way towards the gate. She is lurking, waiting. Chopper and Moray do not see her. They drag Fyodor onto the path and stop by the signpost.
Chopper. Hold on! Ive dropped my phone in the banya. Go and take it.
Moray walks towards the banya. Chopper is waiting for him. Fyodor is lying on the grass.
Moray. Chopper! The door got jammed shut, help me open it.
Chopper. Prick.
Chopper leaves. Tatyana leaves the garden through the gate and bumps into Slav dressed in police uniform.
Slav. Hello there!
Tatyana. Help me! Some bandits attacked my friend!
Slav. Well get it all sorted out. Dont worry. What happened?
Tatyana. You have to call for backup.
Slav. Lets step aside so no one would see us. What is your name?
Tatyana and Slav leave. The noise of Chopper and Moray trying to open the jammed door can be heard from somewhere around the banya. Fyodor groans. He stirs and tries to break the ties on his hands and legs, raises himself onto his knees in an attempt to get to his feet but falls to the ground.
The end of Act I.
ACT II
Scene 6
Night. Morays house.
Artyom is sitting on a chair, holding the rifle. There is an open box of bullets on the table. Natalia is sitting in the armchair by the stove, with her back to the door. Khlora is taped to a chair, she is gagged.
Artyom. Bitch. She bit my hand through.
Natalia. Let Khlora go, Jacket! This wasnt the deal.
Artyom. Chopper arranged everything for you. He told us to screw you too if you try anything. As for your daughter, well take care of her.
Natalia. I will cut your throats for my Svetlana.
Artyom. So stay put. Chopper delivers on his promises.
Natalia. What a nasty piece of work you are, Artyom. You dragged your buddy, Moray, into this crap. Chopper will finish him off.
Artyom. Every man for himself.
Natalia. You are not a stupid fellow. Let Khlora go. And go yourself.
Artyom. Chopper wont harm her. He only told to keep her back so that she wouldnt kick up a row. We are not savages.
Pause.
Natalia. Do you think Chopper will let us live when he gets the icons? Will he give us our shares?
Artyom. Chopper is only a sidekick. But Frost covers up for me. He loved my mother ever since school. Then she got married to Kolosov and died.
Natalia. Kolosov seems to have crossed you all.
Artyom. I hate the bastard.
Slav enters. He is still dressed in police uniform, his face is all scratched up. He pulls Tatyana inside. Tatyanas hands are tied, she has a hood over her head. Slav forces Tatyana to the floor.
Slav. Dont move, bitch. Or youll get some more. [He ties Tatyana up and checks if the rope is tight.]
Natalia. Why did you bring this skank here?
Slav. This is Kolosovs wench. She saw everything. Meant to turn us in.
Artyom gets out of the chair, still holding the rifle, and steps back to the fireplace.
Slav. Now this woman is our guarantee. [He approaches the table, pours himself a glass of vodka, drinks.]
Artyom. She shouldnt see us. I dont need witnesses.
Slav. Did you think youd get off with a whole skin, chump? [He gets a hunting knife, approaches Tatyana, pulls the hood off her head. Tatyanas mouth is taped, there is a bloody scratch on her forehead.]
Artyom. You are a louse, Slav. Do you want blood?
Slav.[To Tatyana.] If Kolosov gives us a hard time, Ill cut this bitch up and feed the bits to him. And you will help me with that.
Artyom flips the rifle bolt. Slav leaps to his feet with a knife clasped in his hand, ready to hurl himself at Artyom.
Natalia. Easy, Slav! We will deal with it ourselves. Go to the guys.
Slav.[To Artyom.] Its your life you will answer for her with, Jacket.
Slav leaves
Artyom. Thats it. The Rubicon is crossed. She recognized me.
Natalia. Let Khlora go and be off. Why would they share with you? They will just wipe you out. And then burn you in here. Together with Moray and Khlora.
Artyom. Stop bluffing!
Tatyana carefully unties her hands and frees herself. She looks around and sees a poker lying on the floor. Natalia and Artyom do not notice.
Natalia. Chopper is a cop. A werewolf. He leaves no witnesses behind.
Artyom. We are in cahoots.
Natalia. Uh-huh. You will be the first one to turn us in to cops if they catch us in the act.
Artyom points the rifle at Natalia.
Natalia. You are a good-for-nothing. You lack the guts to kill somebody.
Artyom puts the rifle down. Tatyana leaps to her feet and strikes Artyom over his head with the poker. Artyom drops the rifle and falls unconscious. Tatyana grabs the rifle and runs out of the house. Khlora and Natalia keep their seats and stare at each other.
Scene 7
Night. Fyodor Kolosovs summer cottage.
Chopper and Moray wear balaclavas. Fyodor is tied to a chair.
Chopper. Heres the deal. You will give us the icons and save your friends lives. Tell me the password!
Fyodor. Who gave you a lead on me?
Chopper. Tell me the alarm password!
Fyodor. Who gave you a lead on me?
Chopper. We will ransack your roost anyway. But before that, well roast you in your own banya.
Fyodor. Who gave you a lead on me? Artyom?
Moray kicks Fyodor in the stomach.
Chopper. You are not suicidal, Kolosov, are you? Tell me the password.
Fyodor. So it was Artyom who told you about the icons. Ill kill the rat.
Moray kicks Fyodor again.
Chopper. If you dont care about yourself, think of your friends.
Fyodor. Go to hell, bastards!
Slav, dressed in police uniform, enters the garden and puts on his balaclava. He approaches Fyodor and throws Tatyanas handkerchief at him.