“Zora, look, it’s not by chance that you’re here. Strings were pulled, and tons of weight was thrown around to get you here inconspicuously.”

“What’re you talking about.”

“These men are after you too, and we don’t know why. The only thing that makes any sense—”

“Go ahead.” 

“---Is that your father has something to do with this.”

“My father!”

“Yes, he’s a Mafia kingpin. The biggest trafficking lord in the country…”

 Zora signed quickly. “I know who he is, Luka!”

Luka cleared his throat.  “Yes, of course, you do.” 

“Vadim–I haven’t said that man’s name in years. The sound of it still makes me sick.”

“I’m sorry, but here’s where it gets dangerous for you! They want whoever could interrupt their operation out of the way. Big guys, small guys, it doesn’t matter. They want them exterminated.”

“My father wants me dead?”

“That shouldn’t surprise you. The bad part is that they know what you look like,” he signed. “But they’d have no idea who you are now. You and Lev will both be safe here.”

Zora touched her cheek with the tips of her fingers. “Lev’s being here was planned too?”

Luka gulped the last of his soda.

Zora looked in his direction, and he shot her an upward glance. “Shit! It was you! Wasn’t it? It was you! Or one of your cronies that pulled Lev from that burning building. How else would he have gotten out? How did you do it without anyone noticing? But more importantly, Why?”

“Look–we saved his life. We’re not the bad guys here.”

“I don’t believe you! How, Luka? How'd you get him out of there? The building was an inferno!” She lunged for Luka and spun him around. “Don’t turn your back on me, Luka!”

“I already told you enough to get my ass killed.”

“Well, you have nothing to lose then, do you?”

“You do know you're starting to get under my skin, right?”

“Mission accomplished,” she signed. 

Luka shook his head and cracked open another soda. “We transported him to the hospital through the secret tunnels under the jail.”

“Tunnels? They connect to the hospital?”

“They connect everywhere.”

“We? You keep saying, we– who’s–we, Luka?”

“I can’t say anymore without jeopardizing–never mind. Look, you have to believe me when I say this. If anything goes down, Lev will be protected.”

“Oh, my god– that’s it!" Luka looked her in the eyes as she squeezed the bend in his arm.  “You son-of -a- bitch. You’re using Lev as live bait–arent you? Who do you work for?---Answer me, Luka!”

Novgorod Orphanage / Entry 6 /1934 / The Tunnels

“I can’t tell you who I work for. Just know I’m the only person who can protect you and Lev at this point.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Luka let out a short breath. “Okay, I’m sorry for the umpteenth time. I realize I lied to you, and I do understand your mistrust…”

“Do you, Luka? Tell me what you understand,” she signed.

“What are you doing, Zora? Are you testing my commitment to you and your brother, or are you trying to piss me off?”

“Both!”  Zora reached into the side pocket of her suit jacket and pulled out a cigarette case.

“You smoke?!”

“Only when I’m feeling vulnerable—Light?”

There’re matches and an ashtray on the side table next to you.”

Zora reached hesitantly for the box of matches and returned her hand to her lap. “Luka, please, I’d appreciate it if you’d light it for me.”

“Sure, are you okay, though? You’re shaking like a leaf.”

She held the cigarette away from her face, and Luka struck a few matches before one lit under the tip of her cigarette.

“You have to puff on it to get it going.”

“Yes, I’m aware!” Zora pulled in a long drag and then a few short puffs. “Thanks for the light,” she signed.

“Sure, Of course.” Luka blew on the match, and Zora focused on the wooden matchstick as it clinked against the glass ashtray.

“Zora.” Luka waved his hand in front of her eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. I'm fine. That match—it’s still burning, Luka?”

“It’s okay. It’ll burn itself out.”

“Yes—of course, it will,” she signed and looked back at the burning match.

Luka shot her an odd glance.  “Anyway— It’s imperative that we're on the same page here. These men that work for your father are no joke! They’ll lop off your head and piss down your throat just for a laugh.” 

Zora coughed out a cloud of smoke and butted her cigarette into the ashtray.  “I’m capable of handling myself, Luka.” 

“Yeah, I can see that.” Luka walked to the window and turned to Zora.  “Do you mind if I let in some sunshine? It’s beginning to get a little dark in here.”  He pulled on the drawstring and stared out the window for a few seconds. “We have company,” he signed.

“What! Who? What’s going on?”

Luka grabbed Zora’s hand without slowing his gait and pulled her out of the chair. They stopped in the hallway, and Luka opened the closet door. “Get in!” he signed.

Zora backed away.  “Wait a minute. This is your way of protecting me? Shoving me in a dingy coat closet?”

“Yes, and I’m coming in with you.” Luka squeezed in beside her and reached up for the bulb string.

“Why you lily-livered—”

Luka pushed the hanging coats to one side and opened a trap door. “You were saying?”

Zora peered cautiously into the hole in the closet floor. “Ahh, Is this the new vacation spot everyone's been raving about?”

“It’s part of the tunnel system.” Luka pulled a folded paper from his top pocket and pressed it into Zora’s palm.

She played with the fold in the paper. “Let me guess, a drink voucher for the tiki bar, right?”

“Not even close. It’s a map of the system, in case…” 

“In case? In case what? In case you don’t come back?”

“Look, if I’m not here to get you in an hour, follow the tunnel map to the orphanage trap door closet and get settled. Your cot will be on the other side of the room near the window. Stay there, and do not approach your brother.”

“The words ‘do not’ seem pretty final, Luka.”

“Listen, stay the night, and if you don’t hear from me by early morning, get Lev out of there, pronto! You can tell him whatever you want after that.” Luka pulled a bag down from the closet shelf. “Here, here’s clothes to change into.” 

Zora rummaged through the bag and dropped it into her lap.  “It’s just white hospital scrubs and a pair of Keds, Luka!”

Luka paused and shot her a defeated glance. “What were you expecting? A ballroom gown and stilettos?”

“Men! Don’t you realize a girl only gets to die once?” 

“Okay, no more jokes. You’ve got to get serious.”

“I was merely pointing out that I didn’t think I’d be wearing Keds and white scrubs on such a momentous occasion.”

“Zora!”

“Fine, no more jokes.  Mr. Killjoy.”

“Good!” Luka helped her onto the ladder. “Okay, go down slow and watch your step,” he signed. “The rungs are soggy in a few places.”

She stopped halfway down. “It’s dark down here!” 

“There’s a lantern to your left.”

“Okay, I see it.”

“Do you need me to light it?”

“Would you, please! And get that smirk off your face, Luka. Didn’t your mother teach you never to play with matches in dark secret tunnels?”

“I must’ve missed that lecture, sorry.” Luka paused. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were pyrophobic,” Luka signed.

Zora teetered her feet on the second to last rung of the ladder and then sheepishly caught Luka”s stare.

“Damn—you are, aren’t you?”

“Terribly,” she signed.

“I’m sorry that was insensitive and completely unintuitive of me. I should have realized earlier, and with all you’ve been through.”

“It’s okay. I’m working on it.”

Luka lit the wick and raised the flame.”Does the lantern bother you?”

“A little, but I have to see. Unless you have a nocturnal tour guide.” Luka let the humor slide and handed the lantern down to Zora.  “I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he signed.

“Wait, Luka!” Zora climbed the ladder and exited the trap door entrance to her waist. “Come here,” she signed. “No, come closer.” She held his chin between her fingers and pressed her lips against his.

Luka’s lids fluttered as their lips slowly separated. “Mmm, I’m not complaining, but what was the kiss for?” 

“Motivation–perhaps.” Zora cupped his face in her palms and kissed him again slowly and deeply.

“Mmm, this is a little out of character for you.”

Zora touched his face with the back of her fingers. “Come back, Luka,” she mouthed slowly.

Luka nodded and watched Zora as she descended the ladder and lowered the trap door. He pulled the coats across the hanger bar and locked the closet from the hallway. Beautiful and fickle. Damn, I'm gonna marry that girl someday if it’s the last thing I do.

 

****

 

Dimitri nudged Lev. “Hey, did that girl just come out of the boy’s changing closet?”

“Yeah, I thought I saw that too. I wonder what she was doing in there?”

“Not sure,” Dimitri studied her as she sat on a cot across the room. “I’ve never seen her before.”

Lev shot her a glance and then turned his attention to Dimitri. “Is she looking at us?”

“Yeah, big time!”

“Do you think she’s okay? Maybe she needs our help or something?”

“Nah, if I had to guess, I’d say she’s an orphan whore looking for a…”

“Dimitriiii?”

“What? Why don’t you go ask her, then?”

“Maybe I will. Her reason has to be more logical than yours.”

“Huh, I doubt it.”

“It never ceases to amaze me how you can entertain yourself so easily.” Lev started across the room.

Dimitri cupped his mouth. “Let me know if I’m right—maybe we can split her cost,” he yelled.

Lev glanced back disdainfully and stood in front of the cot. “Sorry about my friend.”

Zora tugged on her earlobes.

Lev nodded and sat on the cot beside her.  “How long have you been deaf?" he signed.

“Since birth. And you can tell your friend I’m not an orphan whore. And if I were, I’d be way out of his league.”

“Cool, you read lips too.”

“Proficiently,” she mouthed.

Lev pointed to the other side of the room. “So you don’t go in there again–that changing closet you came out of is for boys only.”

“Yes, I figured that out after it was too late.”

Lev paused and stared at her for a second. “You act much older than you look.”

“Do I?” Zora sank her arms into her lap and looked away from Lev.

He tapped her on the arm. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“It’s okay.  I lived on the streets for a long time. I guess I had to grow up fast.”

“Yeah, I guess we all had to.”

Zora glanced at the scars on Lev’s arms.

Lev twisted them back and forth in front of her. “Pretty cool, huh? They’re burn scars. I got caught in a prison fire in Mohziak.”

“Oh?”

 “Yeah, the last thing I remember is part of the burning ceiling crashing around me, and then the next thing I knew, I was waking up in First State Medical.”

Zora lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry that happened, Lev.”

Lev waved his hand in front of her eyes to regain her attention. “How did you know my name?” he signed.

 

To be continued: