Nicki almost screamed when she entered Andrey’s hospital room and saw him. A TV hung from the ceiling, and there was a cupboard on wheels to the side of the bed. She didn't want to count how many tubes were sticking out him. There was a machine on a stand that seemed to be measuring his heartbeat and other vital functions.
She took off her coat and pulled up a chair. What had he been doing? Who had done this to him? Would he be angry when he woke up and saw her? She would have to wait.
After a couple of hours, a nurse came and replaced the drip.
“Is he going to be all right?” Nicki asked.
“We think so. All his organs are okay, and he hasn't suffered any brain damage. He's got a few broken bones, and he'll need painkillers for some time, but we're optimistic.” She looked at Nicki sympathetically. “Are you his wife?” Nicki shook her head.
Sometime around 11 p.m., he woke up. Nicki was asleep in the chair next to him. When he saw her, he smiled. His mouth was swollen, and he couldn't speak very loudly, but Nicki wasn't in a very deep sleep, and his whisper was enough to wake her.
“Nicki, I'm sorry.”
“No, it's all right. I'm just glad you're alive.”
“Where are my jeans?”
Why did he want his jeans? Surely they should be the least of his worries. “I don't know.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Please find them.”
Nicki went to find a nurse, and when she came back she opened the beside cabinet and pulled out a plastic bag. When she took out a pair of jeans, she heard him give a sigh of relief. “Here. The nurse said she'd put them in the cupboard.”
“Great.” He paused and took in another breath. “Look inside the left leg.”
“Andrey, why?” She put her hand up into the leg and felt around. When she pulled her hand out, she was holding a tiny wire with a little box on the end of it. “What is it?” she asked.
He didn't answer. “Now call Mel at the restaurant and tell her to go into my apartment. Under the bed there is a black box the size of a cigarette packet. She should bring it here.” He coughed and winced. “Tell her to grab my wallet from the bedside cabinet and some of my clothes. She should close the restaurant and come here. Tell her to be quick.”
Nicki dialed the restaurant and told Mel what Andrey wanted her to do. While they were waiting for Mel to show up, Andrey took his opportunity.
“I want you, Nicki. I want to be with you and be the father of our child.”
She gasped and fought back the tears. “Then why didn't you tell me when I came to you? Why did you send me away in such a cruel manner?” She didn't understand his behavior, and she wanted some answers.
“Sokolov. Because of Sokolov. When you told me you were going to try and interview him, I wanted you to know how dangerous it was.” He gulped some more air before continuing. “I didn't want him to see you hanging around me. And when you arrived at the restaurant, pregnant, I had to be cruel and send you away. For your own sake. He's a racist and will kill you if he finds out about our child. Forgive me, but I could see no other way at the time.”
“So you cared for me all along?”
“Yes, very much. I have been thinking about you all the time.”
“Then why didn't you give me some indication, anything?”
“Because I wanted to do something for you first.”
“What?”
“Wait until Mel gets here.”
They sat and held hands as they waited for Mel. Nicki tried to kiss him on the lips, but the pain was too great. She ended up kissing him on the top of the forehead.
When Mel arrived, she was carrying a bag that was almost bigger than her.
“Did you find the small black box?” he asked. She nodded and held it up.
“And your wallet and some clothes. Hi, Nicki, by the way,” she added.
“Right, listen to me, both of you. I've got a house nobody knows about. It's in Montana. I want you both to go there and wait for me. When I get out of here, I'll come to you. You'll be safe there, and if Nicki does her job properly, we'll soon be safe forever.”
Nicki understood the part about going to Montana, but not the part about her doing her job properly. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“Take the black box, open it, and listen to the tape inside.”
She took the box from Mel and opened the lid. Inside there was a tiny recorder. She pressed the play button and listened.
“Andrey, my boy, have you come to apologize?”
“No. I've come to tell you that you are a two-bit piece of shit. You're nothing but a lowlife whore fucker. All you've done with your life is threaten and rob people. You've never done half the things attributed to you. Everyone thinks you're a tough guy. You’re not. You're a pussy.”
“I've done more with my life than you will ever do. Who do you think you are? I'm gonna kill you. Leave this to me.”
“You're just a showoff, leaving everyone to think that you killed Judge Hudson but got away with it. Why don't you ever deny it? Everybody knows the jury was right. You haven't got the balls to kill anybody.”
“I killed Judge Hudson, just like I'm gonna kill you.”
“You didn't. You're a liar and a cheat. I've never met anybody so full of bullshit.”
“I tell you, I killed him with this gun.”