3

Once Upon a Time in Russia

The bar is dingy, a few lamps dotted sparsely around offering little light which merely seems to add a slightly sinister vibe to the establishment. The air reeks of dust and damp, the faintest undertone of blood to a person with a keen enough sense of smell to pick it up. At the bar a short, well-dressed man and his boulder shaped friend hit on a lone girl having spent a good forty minutes attempting to lure her to a 'good place'.

'You swear he's got some good stuff there?' she asks. Her hair is the brightest of blondes with a fringe which perfectly cradled her pretty face. She spoke in broken English with a strong Spanish accent,.

'Baby, come on' the sickly suave Russian man pleaded. 'I told you it's a good party. You calling me a liar?'

'No it's just I'm a little worried about leaving before my friend gets here.'

'Call her from the house! We have phones there. Invite her along, the more the merrier. We got to go though because guest list ends soon. Do you want to say you missed the biggest party of the year because you waited for your friend?'

'I guess not…'

'Good!' he said, taking her by the arm and leading her to the door.

A few moments later the three of them were walking down a cold and windy street. The two men lead her to a car in an alley where she stops.

'Wait…what's going on here?'

'Get in the car baby.'

'You said the party was nearby. Why do you want me to get in the car?'

'Look, I've just spent nearly an hour playing this game and frankly me and my friends patience is starting to run a little thin.'

'I'm gonna go.'

In an instant the gun was out of his coat pocket and aimed directly at her head.

'YOU ARE GOING NOWHERE!'

She burst into tears as the man's friend grabbed her roughly by the arms and began to push her to the car.

'Please…please don't do this' she pleaded to no avail.

'Shut up and get in' the gun wielder responded as she was throw into the backseat of the car.

'Call me old fashioned but I'm not sure she's too keen on going to this party anymore.'

The man with the gun and his friend looked around franticly, shocked by this sudden new voice.

'Who's there?'

'Hey, over here' came the reply as a young man in his mid-twenties slowly walked towards the car, hands raised. His dark brown hair was messy and unkempt, his full and rather good-looking face partially hidden by the scarf around his neck and up-turned collar of his black rain coat. He seemed remarkably calm for a man with a gun now pointed directly at his face.

'Turn around' the man with the gun warned. 'Don't try and be a hero.'

'Hah' he laughed. 'I been called a lot of things in my time but hero?'

He laughed again.

'Shut up! I will put a bullet through your heart if you don't turn around right now.'

'Look…mate' he attempted to reason. 'You know what you're trying to do here…I know what you're trying to do here. The girl obviously doesn't want any part of this. Just let her go and we'll forget all about this.'

He was now dangerously close to the car and the gun.

'One more step and I swear I'll pull the trigger.'

'Let her g-'

He never finished his sentence. A loud bang echoed around the small alley and moments later a body dropped lifelessly to the floor. The girl shrieked in horror from the back of the car.

'Quick! Let's get out of here' he motioned to his friend as they made a hasty dash to their car.