Chapter 22. High price
They got out on the Victory station, the last stop before the City.
“We can’t stay in a prominent place. We’ll have a snack somewhere in the café and hitch a lift to the Silencers’ desert, cross it by foot, then through the mountains and we will come to the City,” the Soldier said looking about.
“Two days,” the Stranger said thoughtfully. “I know this region quite well; we can walk the short cut.”
“Maybe, we are safe now? What do you think?” the Soldier asked.
The Stranger listened to himself and had an unpleasant feeling as if the storm clouds amassed above his head.
“And closing my eyes I feel: the whole world is marching against me.”
“I think the same,” the Soldier spitted on the ground. “Do you believe the Seer is helping them?”
“No. We’ve been on the lam too long.”
They walked down to the tunnel and went out to the marketplace. Near the countless small shops there were young and middle-aged men sitting, making a row, gesticulating, playing dice, tables, and cards.
“Unemployment,” the Stranger sighed.
“Don’t worry for them. This town is the center of drug dealing, stolen articles sale and other unpleasant things. Just don’t look anybody in the eyes, here it is considered to be an aggression and challenge. As if they were beasts. I need a gun, really need it!” complained the Soldier. “The locals must think we are on business here, but not some mere curious idlers. God forbid if they take us for undercover cops. We should buy something.”
“Let’s buy a couple of knives, it is almost legal, here it is cheap.”
“Good idea, we have come to buy good and cheap blades. What for do you need a knife?”
“We are going on the war-path, we shouldn’t be unarmed,” said the Stranger with eyes predatory slit.
The Soldier looked at him uncomprehendingly.
“Calm down. It is not the kind of war where they shoot and cut with knives. Knife is a symbol,” explained the Stranger quickly.
“For us is a cover,” clarified the Soldier.
“By the way, this small town has its own story. Many centuries ago, a famous saint named the Winner was born here. He was a general, a desperate warrior who had never lost a battle, but one day his life changed. He met the disciple of the Prince and followed him; he abandoned all his posts, honors, belongings. The authorities captured him and tortured for a week. Any other person would have died on the first day of such torments, but not the Winner…” the Stranger stopped speaking.
“What befell him?”
“He’s got his head cut.”
“I’ve heard something about him. Some legends,” said the Soldier incredulously.
“Fables always follow the legendary people; every myth has a prototype in reality. I got to read the scroll which was found in this land not so long ago. It was written a bit later after the life of the Winner and by some miracle remained intact in one cave. All the tortures he was put to were described in detail; he was decapitated because they were not able to kill him with torments. His firmness and endurance inspired a lot of people to become the disciples of the Prince.”
The Soldier shrugged.
They went to café, sat to the far corner near the wall: complete overview and covering of the back in case of the assault.
As they began eating, a pretty, slim girl with black eye-rims on the pale face, set down to their table.
“Got a cigarette?” she said and added quietly, “cheap service.”
“Take the whole pack, beauty,” the Soldier gave her the cigarettes. “And get out.”
“You’re a boor!” the girl shouted but took the pack.
Suddenly a short dark guy appeared.
“Sister, did they offend you?” the boy asked, flexing his muscles.
“To the very heart,” the fair-skinned girl confirmed.
“I didn’t know ‘beauty’ was an offensive word,” the Soldier said calmly.
The Stranger looked at her absent-mindedly. There seemed, he was disturbed.
“You should pay,” the boy said through his teeth.
The Soldier sneered, his eyelids narrowed. The Stranger decided to recapture the initiative, until it’s too late, stared at the boy and slowly started to speak:
“Young man, if you want to live and stay safe and sound, do not interrupt our dinner. We are on business here. The girl will stay.”
The novice bandit looked at them perplexedly and stammered:
“Should I… go?”
The Stranger nodded lazily. The girl got scared too, but after taking a glance at him, calmed down instantly. Instead of fear a new feeling appeared, a feeling of kinship, as if she met an old friend.
“What do you want?” she asked with her eyes cast down.
“There is a lot of dirt in your life, but your heart is still kind. I want to help you. Come with us.”
“They won’t let me go. I owe a lot, I have to work out.”
“We will settle this question,” the Stranger said, looking at the Soldier who shook his head.
Outside the café they saw the familiar guy and some scowled people.
“If I start first now and with no mercy, I can deck them in few seconds. We can’t allow them to pull out the knives and start waving them around. Take their car and get out of here,” the Soldier whispered.
“Don’t do anything!” the Stranger prohibited. “I see, you are the head,” he started speaking, referring to an unshaven man. “I have a talk.”
“Who are you?”
“I am the Stranger. Have you heard about me?”
“I don’t recall,” the criminal answered cautiously.
“Phone the Serpent or you don’t recall him as well?”
The unshaved man sneered.
“If you’re bulling, we’ll bury you in the garden,” he pulled his hands out of the pockets. “I’ll call him, but in case the Serpent doesn’t recall you, you’ll breeze no more, you’re alive no more. Change your mind, until it’s too late, pay the amends. I see you don’t have the needed sum with you, but you can go home and bring it, while your friend stays here for some time…”
“You talk too much,” the Stranger interrupted. “Give me the phone.”
“Don’t have money to buy your own?” the bandit said through his teeth with a grin but passed him the mobile phone. The Stranger thought to himself for a moment, dialed the number and turned the loudspeaker on.
“Would you be so kind to calm your guys down?”
The criminal took the phone carefully and said respectfully:
“This is Bumblebee, there’s some Stranger here and we don’t know him. Behaves like a big cheese and looks like a tramp.”
“I know him,” answered the phone. “Pass him the mobile.”
The Soldier has just gone into the state of fight: there is no chance of fixing up with such jackals. While negotiations are carried, it is time to attack.
“Problems?” asked the Serpent.
“Always problems. It’s good they didn’t go worse,” the Stranger answered. “Here is the girl, young and slim, she works for your Bumblebee, I need her, want to buy her.”
“We don’t sell our people, we buy them. Sorry, bro, she is ours and we need her. She is a valuable worker. Go, they won’t touch you. No need to thank.”
“Listen,” the Stranger’s voice became husky with anger. “There is ours and nobody takes what is ours. Give back what you had taken.”
“You are not in state to make terms with me,” hissing sounds for which he got his name appeared in the speech of the criminal. The Serpent spoke no more.
The Bumblebee gave a nod: the audience was over. The Soldier looked at his friend, sighed and whispered into his ear:
“Let’s go out from here. We did everything we could. Do you want me to interfere? Shall we left the bodies and take the slut?”
The Stranger stood still; he felt he coul
dn’t leave without the girl. He cannot leave her here.
He delved in the pocket of the old jacket and pulled out a small worn leather baggie. He untied the ribbons and carefully took out a shiny small stone.
“This is a diamond. Three carats. Crystal. More than enough for the girl’s debts.”
“Thanks,” thanked the Bumblebee with a grin and took the diamond. “But you’ve heard the Serpent, he doesn’t let her go.”
Anger filled the Stranger. “Come, Wind, Power of my God, show up!” he called on and felt the faint breeze of the Wind on his head, but it was not enough to subdue a few stoned people. He was not able to control the power. “I really need it, help!” Useless. The Stranger tossed inside, it seemed he was going to burst into tears under the insult. He tried again and again. As if he was trying to start a car, but the starter didn’t work. He looked up to the sky in despair and saw it darkened. He peered and noticed that some building has been burning. Heavy black smoke went up high into the sky.
The Stranger felt the power approaching. The Wind got stronger. He took it happily and didn’t think of any limits. For a moment he realized that the Wind had changed him completely, but it was too late. The Stranger didn’t feel like himself anymore. Consciousness was thrown away.
“The woman goes with us,” he started slowly. “This place will be committed to flames which will burn your wickedness. You all,” the Stranger said suddenly with a totally hoarse voice, “cannot enter the land of Eternity and you will not last long here. You,” he turned to the Bumblebee, “slaughtered a teenager when you were seventeen; at twenty you raped a girl despite her cries. You robbed and tortured. You escaped punishment, and you didn’t repent, you didn’t value the great mercy that you hadn’t been destroyed like some stinking trash, but you enhanced your wrong-doing. But you will not escape the judgment of the Justice, it is here.”
From afar to the consciousness of the Stranger glimmering has come: a few more words and the criminal will die. He turned to the other bandits. He looked in the eyes of each of them.
“You, on your knees! Pray to stay alive. The keys, now!”
One of them obsequiously passed him the car keys with shivering hands and his eyes bent on the ground. The Bumblebee stood waggling. He saw himself in the abyss and there were no escape. Crimes arose in his mind, laid as heavy as stones.
The Stranger nodded to the girl, pointed on the car. He got behind the wheel, depressed the clutch, started up the ignition, put the transmission lever in first position, pulled away slowly.
“The God has visited us, the sinners,” the Soldier said reverently. “Let me drive, take some rest.”
The Wind was still here but the Stranger began to realize the reality. He stopped the car, asked for a chocolate bar; the Soldier pulled it out of the bag in a hurry. The Stranger divided it into three pieces and shared with his companions.
The Soldier pulled away with a screech.
“What should we do with her? We can’t take her with us; she will not be able to climb the mountains.”
“Have you been at war?” the Stranger asked.
“I have…”
“Do you know the rule: never leave the wounded man on the battlefield?”
“Yes, I do. But the professionals destroy the firing posts first and then take care about the wounded comrades.”
“She will help us. If she can’t walk, we’ll carry her.”
“What has happened? What have you done to them?” the Girl nipped in.
“Me? It was not me,” the Stranger answered dimly.
The Soldier turned back for a moment and screamed delightedly:
“It was great, really great! You smashed them. I believe in you, Stranger! God is in you! We will turn this shitty world upside down! We will clear it out!”
“Don’t be too excited,” the Stranger didn’t seem to be pleased, if anything. “It’s a pity we couldn’t understand each other. The only good thing: we took the girl without blood. And may be those people will come to reason.”
“Are you happy? And what about me? Soon I’ll get withdrawals, it’s time,” the girl spoke trough set teeth.
The Stranger looked at her arms.
“You don’t main-line, do you? Do you smoke grass?”
“Special grass. Few times a day. I haven’t smoked today yet, haven’t earned.”
“I will detox you,” the Stranger promised.
“What do you want from me?”
“Good question,” the Soldier responded. “But it seems that even your savior can’t give an answer.”
“He is right. Soldier, do you trust me?”
“I do. I have never trusted anyone more than you.”
“I saw her soul. I hope, you’ll understand. The future depends on the present. The choice made today will influence the fate tomorrow. I don’t know if this meeting was for good or for ill, but we couldn’t pass by. Excuse me, I need some rest.”
The Stranger closed his eyes. “I need to distract; the breath of the Wind is still here. I was not able to call it, until my consciousness changed. I saw the fire, and the strong Wind appeared immediately. What turns it on? I didn’t pace myself. I can hardly remember what I said. I found myself in due time. I hope. Though they deserve punishment for their crimes, I am not a hangman and not a judge. How can I control the Wind when I don’t feel me? What is it?” he opened his eyes and looked at the shivering girl.
“Are you OK?”
“No,” she snapped.
“How come you know the Serpent?” the Soldier asked the Stranger.
“I dragged him from under the heavy shooting, it was long ago… Sometimes I regret it. His hands are in blood.”
“They won’t leave you alone. You have taken me, the car, these people don’t forgive debts,” the girl warned.
“I have paid the high price and I owe them nothing. We have more serious enemies,” the Stranger said in calm voice. “We are rushing into the war, where secret services and criminals are the less dangerous enemies.”
“The Seer? Are you talking about him?” the Soldier asked.
“The Seer is not an enemy, he is just a man.”