Vlad
The shadows around the bar called me. There were so many of them around me, I could barely breathe. I closed my eyes a little tighter and pushed them away. The struggle was constant, and some days it was harder than others.
“Hey, man, are you okay? You look pale. I mean, more than usual.” Bruce winked at me as he finished his beer in a long gulp.
Bruce was one of my closest friends. More like a bother. He had my back, and I had his. I worked with Bruce in a nomad circus called Stunt. We were two of the three men in the featured act at the show, the Boulders, and we had been working on our craft for years. We were huge men doing unthinkable contortions that attracted people from all walks of life. The third of our impressive trio was Remo.
In our world, being part of a circus fit perfectly with our gifts. We all had abilities that, according to the government, had to remain hidden from humans. I was a shadow lifter and the shadows most of the time just tormented me. If I needed to defend anyone I loved, the shadows could be anyone’s worst nightmare. But to me, most of the time, it was just a torment. My friends all had different abilities. I was a shadow lifter, Bruce could make things explode and breathe underwater, and Remo could fly and persuade. We were all hidden in plain sight in a place where we didn’t have to be afraid of ourselves or what we could do. Stunt was full of supers, and we were a family. Remo had just gotten married, and Bruce and I decided to grab a drink after the short ceremony.
“I’m all right. Long day,” I told him, hearing garbled “g” on the end of the word “long.” My thick Russian accent kicked in hard as I tried to ease the tension I felt around me.
“I know. I can’t believe that motherfucker got married.” He took off his tuxedo and put it to rest next to mine.
“Ms. Ginny and Remo are happy…they deserve it.” I stared at the whiskey in my hand. I was happy for my friends. They were both good, kind and deserved each other. Ginny turned Remo’s world upside down last year when we were forced to hire her at Stunt due to a new government regulation to include more human employees on super facilities. She was a supporter from the start and fell hard for my dear friend. When I saw their love grow, it reminded me of what love felt like. I could not help but to think of Lada. Always her, my first love back in Russia.
Before Remo met Ginny, all three Boulders had only one philosophy toward women. Hit it and quit it. We all had meaningless sex with multiple women. No attachment, only satisfaction. I was okay with this arrangement and Bruce was too. Remo completely fell for our feisty new colleague, and we all saw how he changed his ways. I was happy for them, but my view toward women remained exactly the same. For me, there was only one woman who I could love, and she was dead.
Bruce stood against the bar and looked out into the crowd. “So, I see drunk at three o’clock, tipsy at twelve o’clock, and bridal shower at six o’clock. I say we go for bridal shower.” After Remo’s wedding, the night was still young, so Bruce and I decided to go out for one last drink. Bruce scanned the place out and always decided our game plan for a fun night. I didn’t answer him, so Bruce momentarily forgot about his future prey and turned to me.
“Vlad, what is it?” He seemed concerned.
“It’s bad today, man, that’s all.” I looked away. The shadows were strong, and I felt too overwhelmed to think of women right then.
“Nothing a wet little pussy can’t fix, right?” He raised his brows and grinned. I could not help but smile. I knew he tried to ease my mind, but I had a hard time concentrating. I finished my drink as well, stood, and went up to our tipsy twelve o’clock.
“Hey, what are you drinking, darling?” I pushed all other distractions aside and concentrated on her goods.
She looked up at me and devoured me with her eyes. “Where are you from? Your accent’s hot.”
“Mother Russia.” I leaned in.
She grinned. “Isn’t Russia enemies with the US?”
“We are not all Putin or Stalin, gorgeous.” I leaned in closer.
“Who?” Her blank expression told me everything I needed to know about this woman. She had no brain, and I entertained the idea of using my shadows to make myself disappear. Then she smiled and finished her tall fruity drink in a single breath. She was tipsy but not drunk. I looked back at Bruce, and he was in the middle of six girls from the bachelorette party. I said nothing and decided to finish this as soon as possible when she grabbed my junk and said, “You’re hot, you Russian man.”
“You’re a beautiful woman.” I tried to keep it classy, but she was not one of those either.
“Wanna fuck?” she whispered.
“Sure.” I took her back and fucked her good in a stall of the woman’s bathroom.
“Your dick is bigger than my husband’s,” she screamed after her orgasm.
I left her with a smile on her face as I discarded my condom and then came back out to find Bruce.
Bruce was still surrounded by women and having a blast. “I’m leaving.”
“You cannot be done already,” he said incredulous.
“I’ll take a taxi, I’m tired.”
“Are you sure? These lovely ladies have a hotel room.” Bruce had an arm around almost drunk number one, and the other hand grabbed her friend’s ass.
“It’s okay. I’m done tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow at rehearsal. It’s at nine.”
He waved me a good-bye before he kissed one of his eager companions.
I walked away before he had a chance to insist. When I got to Stunt and walked into my trailer, I let out a big sigh. What was going on with me? As soon as I was home, the shadows tended to calm themselves. I took a shower and washed the scent of the stranger I had just fucked in a bathroom off me. I grabbed another beer from the fridge. I highly doubted Bruce would come back any time soon. I picked up the remote and sat to watch a wrestling match when there was a knock on my door. I wasn’t in the mood for any woman to come around after the pity fuck I’d just had. In my line of work, women came out of nowhere sometimes. I opened the door and saw a suit. The last thing on my mind was an agent visit. The Agency handled all supernatural issues and being around this late meant the issue was important. Agents were always men dressed in black and had no identity. The last time I was interviewed was when I had to use my ability and killed another super who’d tried to kidnap my good friend, Ginny. I would do it over and over again to protect the people I love. I had the charges dropped when the investigation concluded. I acted in self-defense. I thought they would have left me alone about this.
“If you want to talk to Remo or Ginny, they’re not here.”
“I’m here to see you, Mr. Kuznetsov.” The agent’s blank expression said nothing, but I still felt nervous.
“Come on in.” I sat back down and tried to look relaxed. I was raised not to trust agents.
“As you know, the Agency has been keeping an eye on you for some time now. After the incident that happened here at Stunt last year. We examined the body and were highly impressed with what you did to it.” The agent stood like a statue in front of me.
My blood boiled with his comment. “Impressed? If you’re some kind of recruiter for the Agency, don’t hold your breath. I won’t join any taskforce. My ability is nothing to brag or be impressed about.”
“We disagree. We have made offers in the past, but this time it’s different. Do you recognize this woman?” He took out a small tablet from his pocket. I could not believe my eyes. “Her name is Lada Petrov.”
I interrupted. “I know who she is. But she’s dead.” It was so tough to see her again or hearing anybody speak her name. I gave the tablet back, and the agent took off his glasses. He looked confused.
“Mr. Kuznetsov, Lada is very much alive. This picture was taken last week.”
I couldn’t breathe for a second. All this time, Lada was alive? I’d left my homeland, my family, for nothing? I stood, and the agent’s shadow stood with me. I closed my eyes and filled myself with its power. The shadows that surrounded me all night were more than willing to be of use. In seconds, the man was on his knees, his agent-tough persona gone.
“Please don’t hurt me. Please!” he pleaded, and it made me stop. I could sense he was a father of three and was just doing his job. He had a ruthless profession but a kind soul. My shadows left me immediately, and I sat back down and tried to process what he’d said. Lada lived.
“How can she be alive? What do you want from me?” I panted.
It took him a few minutes to find his composure again. “She lives here and has had connections with a super called Arkady. He deals with hackers and identity theft. Lada was his muscle last time we were able to track her.” I could tell he was still in pain, but I dismissed it.
“Muscle? What do you mean?”
“We are aware she’s a shadow lifter like yourself. The ability that you both possess to use shadows to torture and even make a body explode inside out is uncanny. She has perfected her ability and is able to create black holes in other dimensions even. She has people obey her every whim. Men like Arkady hire her to intimidate and torture people who have betrayed or owe him money. We are not sure how she gets her contracts with these individuals, but we have an informant who gave us her name, and we know the power she holds. She works alone, does a contract, and moves on. Arkady was her last employer that we know of.” He sat next to me and held his head in pain.
“You must have the wrong information. Lada is a sweet girl. We met at the circus. My family was the main acrobats’ act, and she and her sister danced during intermissions. It was only those two. Her parents died in a car accident when Lada was seventeen, and her sister was fifteen. She was trying to control her ability when I met her, and we worked on it together. It was such a joy to find someone who shared my torment. In the middle of it all, we fell in love. We were kids. Then, everything went to shit. But you already knew, didn’t you?” My fists tightened at the memory.
“Please continue,” the agent said. I didn’t know if I was sharing too much, but I could feel his kindness, so I went on. I had not talked about Lada with anybody for the last ten years.
“What do you want with her?” I felt hesitant about this. The Agency had to have a major interest in her to go through all this trouble to find her.
“I won’t beat around the bush. The path she is on right now will not end well. The Agency wants to hire both of you for a special task force.”
“Not interested,” I interrupted.
“Listen, if you don’t join, at least give her the opportunity to get out of the mess she’s already in. The task force is being planned to go against a super who stands as the number one terrorist threat in the United States.”
“Her?” Terrorism has to be the lowest of all crimes. I could sense he was telling me the truth so I was curious.
“I’ll give you more details if you join the team. What exactly happened to Lada’s sister?” I hesitated, but for some reason, I continued.
“Anfisa died.” The pain in my heart felt as if it was yesterday. The agent said no more for a while.
“Vlad, we need to find her. Lada’s playing with fire.”
“What’s your name? And don’t tell me any Agent Z crap.”
He took in a short breath. “I’m Victor. I’m originally from Kiev and have been working with the Agency for twenty years.” Victor looked like a regular forty-year-old father with a mild Russian accent that just peeked out. Some gray hairs were starting to appear, and he had a clean shave with freckles, just like me.
“So, the strategy was to send the Russian to get a Russian?” I sat back.
“I guess.” He sat back as well and said, “Can I have a beer?”
I have never talked to an agent like this. For some reason, I trusted this motherfucker. I went to my fridge and passed a cold one back to him. “What happened with Anfisa?” he insisted.
I gathered my thoughts and continued speaking in Russian. “She got sick. When she started complaining about pain, the cancer was already spread. Lada was devastated. She even shaved her head as well when the chemo took Anfisa’s beautiful red mane. I shaved too. I still do.” I passed a hand over my shaven scalp and looked him in the eye. I wanted to make sure he understood me. He did. So I continued.
“When Anfisa could not perform anymore, the circus took care of them. We were family. One night, I went in to stay with Anfisa so Lada could get some sleep. As soon as Lada fell asleep, Anfisa asked me to kill her. She knew what I could do. She just wanted it to be quick. I sensed her pain and desperation, so I did. I killed her in seconds. When Lada woke up and found her, she vanished. I looked for her for a month until my family got news that she used the shadows on herself. I felt so guilty. I left Russia and never turned back. My family understood, and I have not been back home since. I have lived with this for years, and now you come and tell me she’s alive?”
Victor looked at me closely with pity in his eyes. “The Agency wants her Vlad. It’s either us or who knows what. But bad people want her bad. She has more power than I have ever seen in shadow lifters. There are not many like you, but she’s one of a kind.”
I nodded. “So, what do you want me to do?”
“We need you to contact her and talk to her. Maybe it will be easier to get her through you.” I said nothing when he took out a cell phone. “Here, all the info is in notes. You can use it to contact me too. It’s a secure line. I gotta go. Bruce might be back at any moment. He left the hotel not long ago.”
I looked up at him. “How do you know this?”
He signaled his earpiece, and I said nothing else. The Agency knew everything. What a stupid question. Victor stood, and I noticed there was a little blood coming out of his left ear. I looked away. Sometimes the power I had scared me.
He turned to me and said in the native tongue I loved so much, “Thank you for confiding in me. The Agency knew the story, but I just wanted to hear it from you. What remains a mystery is why Lada faked her death back home. That would be a mystery to us all, I guess. Please be in touch.” He began to leave.
“Victor?”
“Yes?”
“Why aren’t you arresting me for Anfisa’s murder?”
He walked and paused right at the door. “I don’t see any murderer here, Mr. Kuznetzov. Find Lada and bring her to us. This mission will exonerate any charges that might be pending against you.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“We know, but without Lada, our main terrorist threat will kill more people than you can imagine.” He left without another word, and I just sat back down and looked at her picture again. I went through the phone he’d given me, and it had all the information I needed to track her down. And track her down I would.
»»•««
“You’re out of it today, man. What’s going on with you? Last night was unreal. You missed a hell of a party.” Bruce flexed his muscles.
I had woken up early to start our rigorous training. Being a Boulder was not easy. We had to work out every day and go over our routines. Remo was on his honeymoon, and he still trained. Ginny sent me a picture of her rolling her eyes while he was doing push-ups. Stunt was our passion. The intriguing show had been our harbor for years now. Bruce, Remo, and me were in charge of its main attraction. Our act was full of gymnastics, contortions, and flight. We used all our abilities to make the act unique and cool. It had become our lives. Not being able to perform for two weeks would be a challenge for me but Remo was on his honeymoon, so we had no choice. My routine became my escape and comfort place.
“I’m sorry, Bruce. Let’s go again.” We rehearsed our part of the act and worked out for two additional hours, but I was not ready for it to be over.
“Vlad, I know something’s off. You can talk to me if you need it. I know Remo is not here, but I am here for you too, brother.” He put his hand on my shoulder, and I nodded to let him know I knew and that was it. If Lada was in some kind of trouble, I didn’t want my friends to be involved.
“The shadows just have worse days than others. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. Do you have plans today?”
He let out a sigh. “Lola wants to hang out tonight.” He did not look happy about that. Lola worked with us. She had a dance and trampolines act, but she was fierce when it came to her unique ability—body theft. She could steal anyone’s body and use it for whatever she wanted. I am glad she liked me, somewhat. When it came to Bruce, they used each other for sex. Their relationship was simple. But I knew she freaked the hell out of him.
“I’m going out. There’s a bar I want to check out.”
“Need a wingman?” He looked desperate for an out from Lola.
“No, man, you do your thing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I left him quick before he could insist, went to my trailer and took a shower. My hands trembled with the thought of seeing Lada again. I had to do everything in my power to get her out of whatever she was doing. I put on some joggers, a black hoodie, and left the camp undetected. I walked a few blocks away and looked at the device Victor had given me for Lada’s address. I called a cab and went on my way. I saw how the vibrant city that surrounded our show site disappeared and the streets got a little darker and humbler. The cab stopped in front of a small house. It looked like a little dollhouse in the middle of this middle-class suburb. It looked clean and simple. It had flower baskets on the porch and a white picket fence. I pictured Lada living there.
“Could you drop me off on the next block, please?” The taxi driver said nothing and drove on. “Will you be in the area? Could I call you if I need a ride right away?”
“Of course, my number is right here,” he said and pointed at the dashboard, and I quickly kept his info, paid him, and walked toward the house. The street was deserted, but I had to walk slowly and resisted all the shadows around me. I took a second and closed my eyes to establish some dominance. As soon as I did, I breathed better and walked faster. As the little white house approached, I felt a long-lost pull toward it. Lada. Shadow lifters like me could sense any kind of shadow, negative and positive. So people who impacted our lives had a special pull on us and shadow lifters could read them like a book. I had missed this feeling and reveled in it for a few minutes. I went to the side of the house and noticed the television was on. I peeked in and saw a little African American girl with a beautiful big smile, a head full of curls, and wearing a pink princess pajama set. She had to be around five years old, and she sat comfortably on the sofa, watching cartoons. I checked my phone to verify that I was in the right place. I looked up and saw a slightly older girl bringing two cups of milk. I must look like a sick pervert as I peeked through the window.
My pull toward this house felt stronger and stronger. I could hardly move. Then my world shook underneath my feet. Lada came into the room. Her fiery red hair was up in a ponytail. My eyes admired her womanly curves and milky skin as she moved swiftly, wearing yoga pants and a tank top. She had another glass of milk in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. Her face looked older than my memories of her, and her breasts were fuller. She looked stunning to me, and my dick let me know exactly how it felt. Was she married? Divorced? Is there a motherfucker who gets to lay with her every night? Just the thought of her having beautiful children with someone else got my blood boiling. The shadows tempted me to tear apart whichever man lived in this house.
I calmed myself and realized I was being a big baby, intruding on a family’s privacy. I looked one more time and waited a little. Lada and the girls enjoyed their milk and cookies and laughed at whatever they were watching. The older girl took a blanket that lay on the table next to them, and they all shared it. I could not help my smile as they snuggled and enjoyed their treat. No man came into the room. I only felt their three souls in the house. I stared like a sick bastard at their peaceful display when I saw Lada straighten and place her hand on her chest. She looked toward the door. She could feel me too I was sure. I turned to leave. I had been there too long. I picked up a couple of shadows to cloud my exit. I ran and hid like an idiot, took out my phone, and called the cab. I saw her go out to her porch and looked out into the night, she felt me too. After my cab ride back to Stunt, I could not brush away the stupid grin I wore on my face.
»»•««
I had to be more careful. I got home and looked for any information online on Lada Petrov. Nothing came up, except a realtor site with no picture. I typed in her address, nothing. The property appeared to be owned, not rented. Maybe she used the father of the girls’ last name. Bastard, whoever he was. Just thinking about that possibility got me pissed again. When we were young, Lada and I used to dream about growing up and having our own act. We made love and thought about a family and our future together. I had suppressed all our memories for so long, thinking she was dead. Seeing her stirred something in me. The connection between this woman and I was as strong as ever. It was not only that I found her hot as fuck, it was the history we shared. She was my first love and life took her from me. I never fully recovered from losing her. I have not had a girlfriend after Lada. Just superficial, meaningless encounters. But all stopped as soon as I saw her again.
For the next couple of days, I continued my daily life, practiced, trained, ate, and slept. Bruce and I went to a fan Q & A for the show, and a couple of women invited us to a party afterward, but I was not interested. Even if it sounded sick, I made it part of my routine to pass by Lada’s house daily and see more into her life. I called Victor and told him that I was tailing her as an excuse to see her every day. I looked forward to seeing her with her girls. They played board games, did each other’s hair, cooked together, baked, did crafts, filled up a little plastic pool in the back of the house and had fun. Lada looked hotter from one day to the next, and the girls seemed to be so happy and well behaved. Lada was not a criminal mercenary. They looked like a happy family. My favorite part became the milk and cookies while they snuggled on the couch at night. I was on my usual route to her house when Victor called.
“Have you made any progress?” He cut right through to the chase.
“On my way right now to tail her.”
“Vlad, do not bullshit me. I need some progress or we are moving in without you. I need you to talk to her, tonight. At least reach out and let’s see how it goes. I know you love this woman, but she is dangerous and in danger. I’m calling you tomorrow. You better have something better than milk and cookies for me then.” He’d spoken in Russian.
Motherfucker hung up on me. I told the taxi to turn around. What the hell was I supposed to do? Victor was right, I had dragged this out long enough. I had the day off tomorrow, so I decided to come by in the morning. Maybe this was all a façade because the girls were there. I needed to see Lada when she was alone and see how she truly was once and for all.
»»•««
I rented a car and drove over to her house at seven a. m. Her own vehicle was still in the driveway. Perfect. I hid while I saw the girls walk out, wearing their school uniforms and purple backpacks. They talked in Russian with her. I have never heard anything more lovely. She wore jeans, a tight T-shirt, and sandals. Her hair was braided to the side, exposing her soft neck. My cock could not contain itself in my jeans. I felt it hardened as she walked around the car, closed the trunk, and got into the driver’s seat. I tailed her all the way to school and back to the house. This was it. The girls were not there. It was time for Lada to act like the criminal for hire Victor described. She didn’t. She went into the house and closed the door. I waited for like an hour, and she was still in the house. I moved the car farther up the road and walked to my usual spot. To my surprise, she was already there. She looked at me with her hands in her back pockets and tilted her head.
“Vlad?” She looked a little incredulous.
I said nothing. I was busted.
With a heavy accent, she said, “It took you long enough. A whole hour.”
“You knew I was here?” Hopefully, speaking Russian would calm her down. I could sense her anxiety.
“Why are you spying on us?” I loved talking to her again.
I stepped closer, and she stepped back. “My family told me you were dead. Lada, I thought I’d lost you. It’s been ten years.”
“Come on in. And talk to me in English, please. I need to practice more.” She walked past me, and I could smell her strawberry shampoo. My dick felt out of control, and I took in another deep breath to try to fight my erection. Her jeans hugged her round ass, and I pictured myself pounding it hard and fast. She opened the door and waited for me to go in. “I have to admit, I was a little freaked when you started this stalker thing, but I was waiting for you to grow some balls and talk to me already.” She smiled. It felt so weird hearing her speak in English, but I needed answers.
“Why did you fake your death? Why did you leave me?”
She grew silent and did not meet my eyes. “How’s Stunt?”
“Excuse me?” Anger fueled in me. I had a roller-coaster of emotions all fighting at once.
“Your show.”
“I know what Stunt is. You know of that? And you never…” I could not believe my ears.
She rolled her eyes. “Listen. I did what was best. After I lost Anfisa…” She breathed in and obviously tried to control herself. “I needed to be alone.”
I walked over to her. Suddenly, the kitchen seemed a little too small. The connection between us was still so strong. “You did not need to be alone—you needed me. I needed you too.”
“You were better off,” she said defiantly.
“Is that what you tell yourself?” I took another step. I could feel her anxiety grow. “I loved Anfisa too, you know.”
“Stop,” she whispered. I could feel her heart racing. “Please.”
I did not push her. I stepped back and gave her space.
I sighed in frustration. “Your girls are beautiful.”
She showed me a faint smile. “They are.”
“How long were you married?” That had been the question I dreaded the answer most. Anything about the man who replaced me could provoke feelings I was not ready to face.
She chuckled. “I never married.”
“Oh.” I did not ask any further. “What do you do for a living?”
“Do you want some coffee? Sit?” She pointed at a small table close by.
“I’m fine, красивая.”
She looked at me and smiled. “It’s been a long time since I heard that.”
“Your ex never said you are beautiful?” I knew this was none of my business, but I did not give a fuck at that point.
“Why are you here? Why do you keep coming here?” She crossed her arms. Lada had grown into a sexy woman, but some things were the same as they were ten years ago. When she crossed her arms, she was on the defensive, and I needed to be careful before she shut down completely.
“I don’t think you understand what’s going on.” I stepped forward. Being so close to her had me going crazy. I had to control the raging urge to grab her and discover her again. “I thought you were dead. And here you are.”
“How did you find me?” She was blunt and did not care for chit-chat.
“You know exactly how I found you,” I rumbled. Maybe she would believe that our connection was enough to lead me there.
“We have been in the same cities before,” she admitted.
“You have been close to me and decided to just let me go on feeling like this?” I stepped away and ran my hand over my horseshoe mustache. I needed to leave. I needed to breathe.
“It was not like you were thinking about me all this time.”
I lost it. I turned around and took her into my arms. Our mouths clashed, and I got a taste of her as if it were the first time. But it wasn’t. Her taste had not changed during the time between us. Her movements were the same, the way she bit, her hands caressing my back. Her body was different. She had more curves, more to explore. She opened her mouth and let me in. My urgency was replaced with a slow, passionate kiss. My hands cupped her face, and she let me take control. I had not felt like this since I kissed her last. Our tongues moved teasingly with each other as I fucked her mouth. I felt her lowering her hands right above my ass. Then she placed her fingers through the belt loops of my jeans. I forgot how much I loved when she did that. I fisted her hair and held her in place so I could have my way with her. I kissed her again and again. I wanted to make her lips swollen. I wanted so much more.
But I stopped. I looked into her hazel eyes, and she had a confused look on her face. I forgot what I was doing there for a second and said, “I have had you in my mind every day for ten years. How could you do that to me?”
“I’m sorry.” She stepped away.
“You did not think about me? Not once?” I sounded like a desperate, insecure teenager, but I did not care.
“Of course I did, Vlad.” She turned around to the fridge and got a bottle of water. I loved seeing her face and neck flushed. Her lips were bare and swollen because of me. My cock had a mind of its own, and I had to close my eyes to get him under control.
“Then why? Tell me,” I insisted.
She flipped her hair to the side. “I was broken. I wanted to die with her. I loved you too much to put you through what I was going through. I took to the streets and met a man who got me out of Russia. I sent someone who knew your mom and convinced him to say that I killed myself. I knew you would not stop looking for me and I wanted you to let me go.”
“Who helped you?”
She put her hand on my cheek, and I grabbed it tight. “I can’t tell you.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“No.” She did not meet my eyes.
“Lada, if you’re in trouble, you can tell me. You can trust me.”
“I can’t be seeing you. I live here with the girls, for now.”
“Come with me. We can pick up where we left off. Bring the girls. There are families at Stunt. We can make it work.”
“You’re in love with someone I used to be. I’m different now. I have responsibilities. I can’t just pack up and leave with a man I have not seen in a decade. I’m sure you have changed too. I’m sorry, but you need to go.” She walked toward the door.
“The show is here for a couple of weeks. Let me come see you again.”
“I have children, Vlad. I don’t want to introduce them to you and then lose you. I’m not available.”
I walked toward her again and took her hand. “Close your eyes.” I put her hand over my heart and closed my eyes as well. If she remembered how to connect our abilities, she would see what was in my heart. With the shadows that surrounded me, she would be able to read me like a book. In an instant, she saw my loneliness, my struggles, my longing for her over the years. When I opened my eyes again, she had kindness in her gaze. “You’re the only person who could understand me. I see you too, you know. Do not take ‘us’ away from me again,” I whispered.
I leaned in to kiss her again, but she backed away. “I’m sorry, but you need to leave.”
All the wind was knocked out of me. I could not believe that the woman I had loved all my life was not only alive but was rejecting me. I walked out without another word. She’d seen how these past years without her had been for me and still, she dismissed me.
»»•««
I called a cab and then went back to Stunt. Everything was so quiet—people had taken days off, and half the crew was out. I felt a phone vibrate in my pocket and it brought me back to the task at hand. Victor.
“Hey, man, what’s up?”
“What’s up? I waited long enough. You told me you found her and were spying. Did you make a move?”
“Yes, today.”
“And?”
“She kicked me out. She wants nothing to do with me.”
He cursed to himself and took a deep breath. “Listen. You need to tell her directly why you’re there then. She needs to understand that she will be better off with us.”
“To tell you the truth, I’m having a little bit of trouble picturing her as a criminal. She lives in a modest home, has two little girls and…”
“You listen. She’s dangerous. All you see is a little hot single mom, but she’s powerful. Her abilities are beyond anything we have seen, even you. You need to bring her in or the Agency will take her by force. Think of her girls.”
“Give me some time. I’ll try my best.”
“Try your hardest, for her sake.”
»»•««
“You’ve been blowing me off all week. Let’s go out tonight.” Bruce had no idea what I had been up to, and it was getting harder to hide. Fuck it, Bruce was like a brother to me, and I needed someone to talk.
“Listen, I met someone.”
He looked at me as if I were a ghost. “No, you too?”
“Fuck you, man.” Bruce lived a never-ending bachelor life. He fooled around with Lola but also slept with multiple MILF’s that came to our shows.
“Who’s she?” he complained like a child. Remo was married, and I could not even look at other women anymore.
“Just someone from home. We will be here for a couple of weeks, and I want to see where this goes,” I admitted.
“Fuck, you sound like the Russian version of Remo already.” I gave him a look but left it alone. I don’t talk much but Bruce understood me, and that was all I needed right now.
We trained some. I took a shower and then went on my way. It was still early, so maybe I would catch Lada before she had to pick up her girls.
As I drove to her home, I decided to block my energy. I realized even when I fully opened up to her, her energy and shadows were pretty hidden. I could feel her closer, so I tuned her out. I needed to see the criminal Victor had described. As I approached her house, I saw her car backing out. Perfect. With caution, I followed her. The shadows around called. They felt different somehow; maybe they were hers. I had to restrain them, or she would know I was close. Thank God for the red light. I was able to close my eyes and concentrate harder. I felt my body drained from keeping all shadows at peace and away from me. The honk from the car behind startled me. I was only two cars behind her, so I followed carefully as she drove into a state picnic park. A park? Could this woman be more confusing? I parked as well and kept close. She wore work out gear; she looked so damn hot. Her red ponytail was high up, and her ass swayed across the green field. I walked slowly, still struggling with the energy around me but kept my distance. She kept on walking, put on her headphones, and joined a group that seemed to be doing yoga. If I could show this to Victor, I would. What kind of criminal thug went to a picnic park to do yoga with other moms? My phone rang. Victor.
“I can’t talk right now.” I heard my strong accent intensified. I did not want to talk to him. He did not say anything and hung up. Thank God. I had no time to be explaining things right now.
I leaned against a fucking tree like a psycho stalker again. I was there for five minutes and decided to leave. What was I doing? She was fucking working out, for God’s sake. I turned to leave when I felt a jolt of energy. It made me turn back, but I saw nothing. My breathing raced, I felt heat around me, but no one seemed to notice.
Lada was meditating in a crisscross position on the ground. The other women around her did the same. Runners kept passing by, children with their bikes rolled away, and parents who tried to get their kids out of the playground were completely clueless of what I felt. I saw shadows surround the park, all going toward her, around her. She picked such an immense amount of shadows. They covered the people around her yoga class. It all spun around her like a tornado. She seemed so calm. Even with all the darkness that flew around her, Lada seemed so happy and at ease. I picked a couple of shadows myself and joined her dance. I was confident that her cloud was so large, she would not be able to pick up on my intrusion. Or had she? Was she showing me what she could do to scare me away? Or was she clueless I was there?
The tree behind me held me upright. I closed my eyes, and I felt as if I were in the mist of her cloud. Like a rocket, her cloud shot up to the sky and flew away. It took me with it. I held back, but my shadows followed hers.
A block away, there was a man sitting in front of his television. I felt his evil essence as Lada’s shadows went through him. They spoke to him in a thunderous tone. I could not make out the words because of his deafening screams, but they sounded horrifying. I felt my shadows dissipate and I had to open my eyes. I looked around, and everything was the same. Beautiful, cloudless skies, children played, people worked out, and I was the idiot full of sweat and scared like a bitch on the floor.
Once I collected myself, I saw Lada with her eyes closed as she moved her body just like the women around her. I sat in awe and saw how the shadows came back and went into the ground. She finished her yoga, picked up her mat, readjusted her ponytail, and walked back to her minivan. I could barely walk but made it to my rental and followed her. She pulled over at a cyber café a couple of blocks away. She went in with a tablet this time. She ordered an icy drink and sat. With concentration on her face, she opened her tablet. She looked around, took a sip, and kept working. She grinned a little, closed everything up after only twenty minutes, bought a couple of pastries, and made her exit. She got into the car again, and I drove after her until we reached an elementary school. Little kids were organized in lines, waiting for their caretakers, and Lada’s girls were no exception. I could see how they hugged each other, and she passed the pastries to her kids as they drove away. I waited there for a second before heading back to Stunt.
As I drove away, I realized that what Victor had said was true. She was the muscle, she was a torturer, and she did it all while meditating in a park.