Path of Ranger: Volume 1 (11 page)

“What would you like, young man?” the waitress asked.

“The biggest burger you have, a large cola and ‘M&Ms’ perhaps,” he said without even looking at the menu.

The waitress wrote down the order and returned to the bar, where two other waitresses were. She sat down like there was nothing to rush about. The others noticed how their co-worker kept looking at JB and El’s table.

“Do you need any help with an order, ma’am?” a younger waitress asked.

“Don’t rush it, my dear. They need some time.”

“You’re impossible,” the third waitress (also in her older years) said smiling.

Meanwhile, JB and El kept chatting. It felt somewhat new for him. El wasn’t any random girl for that former gangster, whom he might want just to seduce. His previous life didn’t have much place for feelings, love especially. No doubt he wanted El to like him, although he didn’t know yet what he would do with that sympathy. At some point, his appearance made him a bit uncomfortable. A street gangster style was a part of him for years and he got used to it, so as he got used to that he was a ‘white crow’ among regular people. But for the first time in years he desired to change something about that.

“So Jerry, would you tell me where have you been all those years?” after a good hour of chatting El came closer to the main subject of her interest.

“The most part of that time I spent in LA. Traveled a bit. Not much. Visited Russia several times.”

“Russia?” El asked. It was a sensitive subject at the time, considering the war. “Business or leisure?”

“Business? No,” JB responded. “And who goes to Russia for leisure?” he added sarcastically. “Helping out someone I know, more likely.”

“A friend?”

“Actually, I’m not sure,” JB lingered for a second in thought. “It doesn’t matter. Why don’t you tell me something about yourself?”

“Okay, what do you want to know?”

“What are you doing here? A twenty-two year old studying along with twenty year olds.”

“I applied late. I also traveled. After graduating school. A lot,” she said sadly. “I have a confession to make. The first couple of years were painful without you. How could you leave me then? After everything.”

“We were kids. Nothing was there. Children's lives don’t matter,” JB commented ironically.

“It’s not true! You were my best friend! My only friend. You promised to be there for me. Don’t you dare tell me that it didn’t matter!”

El got into a fuss. JB tried to lower the pressure.

“I had to go. I couldn’t take that no more. Who could know that betta than you?”

“You mean, living with your family? Yes, I didn’t understand that at the time,” El looked at him remorsefully. “Have you stayed in touch?”

“No. Not once. Never,” for a brief moment JB’s face gained a micro-expression of suppressed anger.

“I’ve seen your brother couple times over the years. He told me about himself and your father. Do you want to know?”

The conversation got on thin ice. JB stalled for a second, then he snorted and looked aside.

“Thirteen years I spent overseas, trying to forget, and now it’s all coming back.”

El stopped pressing. She decided to change the subject.

“So how are you doing now? Seeing anyone? A wife? Girlfriend?”

JB wriggled and shook his head.

“I tried to keep a dog once… Nothing good came out of that.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah, I used to have a few,” JB smiled. “Most of them are dead by now. Some of the others tried to kill me. That’s why I’m here, actually.”

After a short laugh at another joke, as El thought of it, she relaxed. Their looks met.

“I’m so glad to see you.”

“You don’t know who I am anymore.”

The talk appeared much more sensitive than JB expected.

“I want to get to know each other. Don’t you?”

“Me? I don’t know. Aren’t you concerned that you may not like what you might find out there?”

“I’m sure it’s going to be fine. We have to try anyway,” she laid her hand on his cheek. “Everyone needs someone who can be trusted.”

JB said nothing. Those words reminded him Tyris and Big Dog, who both had died because of him. He experienced bad luck with close ones. It changed a lot of his attitude towards life.

The lunch came to its end, along with the conversation. A couple of hours flew. JB and El talked about lots of things, but he never actually told her about his past or about the plans for the future.

        “I would like you to join us for a trip to Hollywood. I suppose it’s not new for you, but still,” she said.

“Going on a trip with a group of strangers… I don’t know.”

“Come on, some of the guys you already know: Alex, Vova, Vitaliy. And you’ve met Eugene…” they both laughed. “Besides after today you might already be the most popular among all of us. I think they like you.”

“Yeah, that was quite a show, wasn’t it?” JB smirked. “Still, I don’t know. You think I should?”

“There’s plenty room, think about it. You have to decide within the week.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it,” he said. “Let’s go, I’ll give you a lift home.”

Of course, a part of JB wanted to spend a good time on vacation, but something felt wrong. In fact, he had an extremely flexible threshold for ‘wrong,' considering his criminal experience. But there, in Ukraine, lots of things seemed to conflict with morality. Too many elements were missing the balance. The country was poor, but luxury cars could be found everywhere, nightclubs were full of unhealthy rich youth. And people overall seemed to have an unnatural appetite for expensive things. Lies and deception spread everywhere, and everyone knew that. Yet, people just kept pretending that nothing was happening.

A war was on. JB hadn’t understood details of it before he came to Ukraine. It seemed like a well fit cover for the moment, but it was nothing as he thought it was. Everything about that war was a lie: the motive, the government, the enemy… The only pure thing were people. But what could he know about that war? He just used the leftovers of the country that was alien to him.

Ukraine was full of crime, every bit of it sunk in it. Back in America it seemed simpler. He was a part of the crime machine there. But in Kiev Bridgers wouldn’t even know where to begin. When he saw a girl on the street dressed in a nice outfit, there was never telling whether her wealth was dirty or not. Too confusing for a man that didn’t belong. JB was tired of the lies.

The time was late. The Escalade rolled through Kiev. JB and El arrived in downtown. It was full of prestigious houses and gorgeous automobiles. The contrast in comparison to less wealthy neighborhoods was excessively saturated.

The SUV came to one of the new high-rise buildings. El lived there. JB parked the car in front. The concierge appeared in the window, he took a good look at the unfamiliar vehicle. JB turned to El.

“We’re here.”

“Yes. I guess it’s time to say goodbye,” she pronounced quietly, somewhat uncertainly even.

The girl pulled the handle to open the door.

“Have a good night, El,” JB said.

El smiled at him and gently stepped out of the car. She almost closed it up, but her hand stopped. A brief moment later she opened the door back to look inside the car.

“Do you want to…” the words came out on their own. She took a deep breath. “Maybe, you want to come in?”

“Think it’s a good idea?”

“Yes, I suppose…”

“Okay, just hold on a minute. I need to park the whip somewhere.”

El smiled in return and closed the door for good.

JB wasn’t surprised by such an invitation. He had thought that he would deny and leave. But the consent rendered by itself. All those dim feelings from the past were echoing deep inside of him. El and he were best friends long years ago. That had vanished from his memory, but somehow it was coming back. The space and time of separation deform the real feelings between people. One person idealizes another, forgetting the bad things and turning right ones into warmth to keep in their heart forever. When JB was around El he didn’t want to plan anything ahead, he just wanted to be with her, no matter where it might take him.

The truck was parked. JB went to El, who waited for him on the sidewalk. It looked almost hard for her to idle with all those heavy notes and books in her bag that she held. She was unconsciously tapping her heel on the ground. As soon as JB came close she stopped.

“Let me,” he said reaching for her bag with his open hand.

All she was left to carry was a light jacket. The weight seemed nothing to JB. It was the first time El took a fresh look at him. From the moment they had met earlier all she saw was her old ‘kid friend,' as she remembered him. Now she stared at an adult man. Handsome, strong, and independent. His style was weird for the place: wide jeans, cheap t-shirt, the du-rag, the cap and the jewels. But it wouldn’t make less of him anymore. It felt like for the first time that day she saw him for real.

JB smiled at the girl as a signal to go ahead. They strolled towards the door.

“Hello, El,” a curious concierge spoke.

“Hello, Uncle Max,” she answered smiling.

The apartment of hers was on the eighth floor. They came to the door and JB returned the bag to El. She started to search for keys. It took some time.

“Aren’t your parents home?” Bridgers asked.

“No, they are on a business trip. They aren’t coming back for a month,” she replied sadly.

“Do they leave you alone often?”

“Yes, quite so lately.”

“That’s why you wanna go on that trip so badly?”

“Spending that much time alone freaks me out.”

“Because of the war?”

“Because of the past…” she said and looked at him as if he would know what she meant.

Finally, the search was complete, El found the keys.  As a matter of habit, after entering inside, JB briefly checked the hallway. He closed the door and locked it with both locks. The girl went ahead but suddenly stopped, turned around and moved back to him. She came close looking into his eyes. Her look seemed uncertain to the man. El reached out behind him to get to the light switch. The place got lit.

“That’s better,” she said and moved back.

As soon as El walked into her apartment she felt safe and comfy. She put her jacket on the hanger and left the bag on the floor near the wardrobe. Her shoes went to the rest, in the shoe case. Then she returned to Jerry, who was joyfully watching her every movement.

“Come in, don’t be shy. You make yourself at home,” she smiled. “You may look around now; I’ll make us some tea.”

JB nodded in return. She playfully walked to the kitchen arc.

The living room, where JB stayed, was quite large. It had light tones, beautiful furniture, and a widescreen TV on the wall. The apartment had many, excessively spacious rooms. El’s family was obviously wealthy.

JB didn’t rush to take off his shoes. It was an old habit of his when coming to a new place. He noticed a designer rack with a bunch of photos. Each shelf had several frames on it. There was El’s family, friends, classmates, lots and lots of memories. Eugene was on one of them, with El kissing him on a cheek. But then he found the one he would never expect to see. That was an old photo from their childhood, where El and Jerry were playing in the school theater.

His feelings got mixed up when JB picked up that frame. A shadow of a lost life appeared before his eyes. His whole teenhood that was taken from him by the cold Los Angeles streets.

“You saved it,” he said quietly.

She came to him in perfect silence from behind. But he knew that she was coming from the very first step.

“Sure I did. It was our first play, remember?” she put her arms around his shoulders from behind.

“It felt real,” still keeping the image, Bridgers turned to her.

“It was real.”

They kept the eye contact, El held her hands on JB’s wide shoulders. A spark flashed between them. El slowly moved her lips toward his. She had to shift up on her toes to reach that high. JB didn’t rush it, he still was in doubt. But when El closed her eyes and moved tightly, he threw away second thoughts and kissed her.

The first touch was light, uncertain, after a moment the movement began growing. Their lips played out in passion. El’s hands were moving down from the shoulders to his shoulder blades, then even lower, to the waistline. Time stopped for them, it felt magical. The girl's fingers hugged JB’s back and kept shifting until they got where they were not supposed to. JB felt it. El found the gun behind his back.

Bridgers was the first one to stop. El followed a moment after. The girl opened her eyes to see that he was staring at her. She moved away a bit, but her hand was still there. Her mind wouldn’t recognize the weapon at once, she needed some more time to process it. But that wasn’t a touch that gave her an understanding, it was JB’s look. His face was telling that she shouldn’t have done that.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, Bridgers moved his hands from her waist. El did the same. He turned around to take a step towards the door. The girl froze, she didn’t know how to react. Jerry halfway turned back to her.