you!” Varvara exclaimed. “You look beautiful! I love your hair.”
Svetlana brushed aside the compliment. “Thank you. I wanted a new beginning, to start fresh.”
Becan cleared his throat and looked around. “Is it me, or is somebody missin’ from this scene?”
Varvara too scanned the room. “Where is Scott? Did he not meet you?”
“ He met me,” Svetlana said, frowning, “but it did not go so well.”
“ Wha’ happened?”
She hesitated for a moment, then looked at Varvara. “He knows why I am here. He knows about the letter.”
Varvara winced.
“ We will talk about this later. Let us not think of that now.”
“ We will speak soon,” Varvara said. “Captain Clarke wishes to see you, anyway. I will walk you to his quarters when you are ready, and we can talk about it then.”
As Svetlana looked away from Varvara, she saw David across the room. The older operative attended to his damp clothing in silence, placing them in bundles at the edge of his closet. He was the only man attempting to be neat.
Svetlana’s gaze lingered on him, and then she said to Varvara, “Excuse me.” She stepped away, leaving Varvara to change clothes behind her.
As she walked to the other side of the room, several pairs of eyes followed her. The slayers watched her, as did Oleg Strakhov. Esther scrutinized her more intently than anyone.
But David paid her no attention. He did not even acknowledge her presence. Alone, he attended to his towels.
“ At least one person here is neat. Hello, David,” Svetlana said. Behind and unknown to her, the unit watched the conversation unfold—as if the outcome were already known.
Finally, David turned to face her. “I didn’t think you were this stupid.”
Suddenly the noise faded. Everyone seemed to expectantly await Svetlana’s response. She froze in place, staring, unprepared. When she finally did speak, her voice wavered. “What?”
“ They’ve been talking about this day for weeks,” David said, “but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Guess it just goes to show you—some people are dumber than they look.”
“ David, what are you talking about?”
“ About you coming back here—what do you think?” His voice, though low, filled the room. “About getting involved in something that’s none of your vecking business. For God’s sake, does your brain even work?”
“ Don’t do this, Dave…” Becan warned.
David looked at the Irishman, then returned to the medic. “You’re wasting both your time and ours,” he finally said. “But I guess you’ll learn that for yourself.”
Svetlana looked despondent as David distanced himself toward the lounge. The rest of the room listened and waited. At last her defenses kicked in.
“ You wait, right there,” she said. David kept walking as she marched after him. When it became apparent he wasn’t stopping, she halted her pursuit. “You are such a coward.”
David turned around.
“ Yes, you heard what I said. You are a coward , David. You say such hateful words to me, then you walk away before I can speak.”
“ Save it for some other time—”
“ Shut up. Now it is my turn to say something to you . You do not know me. You do not know anything about me. You do not deserve to know me.” Her eyes narrowed. “But you do know Scott Remington. And for you to say that I am wasting my time in trying to help him, that tells me a lot about who you are.”
Before he could speak she went on. “If you were truly a man, you would stand by your friend when he hurts. You would try to help him.”
“ Sveta, he’s a murderer.”
“ Shut up!” she shrieked. The whole room flinched. “Do not say that word! I never want to hear it—from any of you!” Her eyes flashed around the room. “I know who Scott Remington is. I know why he did what he did. Do you think I am a fool?” Before David could answer, she stopped him. “I know already what you think. And I do not care.”
“ He’s a murderer
Svetlana brushed aside the compliment. “Thank you. I wanted a new beginning, to start fresh.”
Becan cleared his throat and looked around. “Is it me, or is somebody missin’ from this scene?”
Varvara too scanned the room. “Where is Scott? Did he not meet you?”
“ He met me,” Svetlana said, frowning, “but it did not go so well.”
“ Wha’ happened?”
She hesitated for a moment, then looked at Varvara. “He knows why I am here. He knows about the letter.”
Varvara winced.
“ We will talk about this later. Let us not think of that now.”
“ We will speak soon,” Varvara said. “Captain Clarke wishes to see you, anyway. I will walk you to his quarters when you are ready, and we can talk about it then.”
As Svetlana looked away from Varvara, she saw David across the room. The older operative attended to his damp clothing in silence, placing them in bundles at the edge of his closet. He was the only man attempting to be neat.
Svetlana’s gaze lingered on him, and then she said to Varvara, “Excuse me.” She stepped away, leaving Varvara to change clothes behind her.
As she walked to the other side of the room, several pairs of eyes followed her. The slayers watched her, as did Oleg Strakhov. Esther scrutinized her more intently than anyone.
But David paid her no attention. He did not even acknowledge her presence. Alone, he attended to his towels.
“ At least one person here is neat. Hello, David,” Svetlana said. Behind and unknown to her, the unit watched the conversation unfold—as if the outcome were already known.
Finally, David turned to face her. “I didn’t think you were this stupid.”
Suddenly the noise faded. Everyone seemed to expectantly await Svetlana’s response. She froze in place, staring, unprepared. When she finally did speak, her voice wavered. “What?”
“ They’ve been talking about this day for weeks,” David said, “but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Guess it just goes to show you—some people are dumber than they look.”
“ David, what are you talking about?”
“ About you coming back here—what do you think?” His voice, though low, filled the room. “About getting involved in something that’s none of your vecking business. For God’s sake, does your brain even work?”
“ Don’t do this, Dave…” Becan warned.
David looked at the Irishman, then returned to the medic. “You’re wasting both your time and ours,” he finally said. “But I guess you’ll learn that for yourself.”
Svetlana looked despondent as David distanced himself toward the lounge. The rest of the room listened and waited. At last her defenses kicked in.
“ You wait, right there,” she said. David kept walking as she marched after him. When it became apparent he wasn’t stopping, she halted her pursuit. “You are such a coward.”
David turned around.
“ Yes, you heard what I said. You are a coward , David. You say such hateful words to me, then you walk away before I can speak.”
“ Save it for some other time—”
“ Shut up. Now it is my turn to say something to you . You do not know me. You do not know anything about me. You do not deserve to know me.” Her eyes narrowed. “But you do know Scott Remington. And for you to say that I am wasting my time in trying to help him, that tells me a lot about who you are.”
Before he could speak she went on. “If you were truly a man, you would stand by your friend when he hurts. You would try to help him.”
“ Sveta, he’s a murderer.”
“ Shut up!” she shrieked. The whole room flinched. “Do not say that word! I never want to hear it—from any of you!” Her eyes flashed around the room. “I know who Scott Remington is. I know why he did what he did. Do you think I am a fool?” Before David could answer, she stopped him. “I know already what you think. And I do not care.”
“ He’s a murderer
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