Chapter Text
For mid-June in St. Petersburg, it was not a hot day. Even without an overcast sky, Lara Rodionovna would, under normal circumstances, have classified the weather as pleasantly warm. But tromping around in the squelchy, sandy floodplain of the River Yekateringofka was sweaty, hot work. Lara squinted at her companion and attempted to embrace Nadya’s enthusiasm. Clad in trousers borrowed from her brother and cinched uncomfortably at the waist, Lara followed her friend through the wet sand, scanning the ground for the elusive Gymnopolis fungus.
“Remind me why I agreed to come here with you?” Lara queried, teasing. She moved a loose curl behind her ear.
“You thought it would do you good to take in the fresh air and exercise a bit,” Nadya responded flatly, continuing to run her eyes across the desolate land. She halted and turned to look at Lara. “You did not want me to be alone, out in the wilds.” Nadya relayed this with an exaggerated gesture, encompassing the whole of their quiet locale.
“Yes, of course,” Lara acknowledged.
They trudged on, moving farther away from the roadway where they had alighted from their coach. The sky darkened. The gray haze that hung over the city that morning had morphed into spotty clumps of billowy clouds, many of which were now an ominous charcoal. A low rumble fell on the women’s ears. Lara looked up, observing the moving clouds and threatening canopy.
“Nadya,” she called. “Did you hear that?”
Nadya Galineva plucked a sample out from a mat of greenery; its tendrils of small oval leaves and miniscule, delicate flowers caught her eye. Fungi, it was not, but intriguing nonetheless.
“What?” she answered distractedly. Lara hurried to where Nadya stood.
“Thunder, Nadya,” Lara informed her. “We should head back.” Lara’s gaze returned heavenwards. Nadya Lukyanovna dropped her specimen in the woven basket she carried and joined Lara in contemplating the prospect of the swiftly impending storm.
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They walked briskly, glancing skywards and along the road with every step. The cabs-for-hire were nonexistent - the site of Lara and Nadya’s exploration too far from the center of town, or perhaps the drivers were discouraged by the gloomy weather. Large drops of rain accosted them; each plop of water was substantial but they fell sparsely, sparing the ladies a complete dousing. The friends ran, spying potential shelter in the melange of buildings that lined the Obvodny Canal.
Nadya, who led their flight, paused at a four-sided, ramshackle structure. Lara pulled her along, deciding instantly that their safety would only be jeopardized further if they attempted entry there. She had spied a far more promising spot - a two-story solid brick building. Even from two blocks away, it was obvious that the former storehouse was abandoned. All the windows were cracked or had whole panes missing, and a section of the roof flapped up with every gust, clanging back down noisily.
The front entrance proved to be locked, but the rear entry was accessible. The large metal door hung slightly askew, the top hinge broken. Together Lara and Nadya managed to haul it open and slip inside, just as the full fury of the summer deluge caught up with them.
They stood breathing heavily, brushing off beads of water and shaking out their straw bonnets. It was warm inside the damp and dusty building. Finished with drying themselves as best they could, Lara and Nadya assessed their surroundings. The door through which they had come led to a sizable room with high ceilings. Long and broad metal contraptions, whose purposes were not plain, hung from the rafters, and large hooks ran the length of one wall. Some brightness, along with a steady stream of rainwater, filtered in through four small windows near the ceiling.
“We may be here for a bit,” Lara observed, the rain pelting loudly against the metal roof and the glass panes. “Shall we lunch?” she asked Nadya.
Nadya eyed the grimy floor and the absence of alternative surfaces for setting up their picnic. She arched her eyebrows at Lara questioningly.
“Maybe there’s another room - one less...filthy,” she suggested.
“Hmmm...Let’s have a look.” Lara walked determinedly towards the only interior door, one that suggested an office might lie behind it. Nadya followed.
The pine door was worn and warped; it stuck as Lara turned the knob and pushed. She grabbed and twisted with both hands, laying her shoulder against the plank. As the edges released their hold on the frame, the door swung forward with a low-pitched squeak. A faint glow caught the women’s attention immediately. There was a lit candle - a stub only, but it gave evidence of recent visitors.
There was no light other than that given off by the squat wax remnant. It glowed from its perch on the edge of a wood desk in the far corner. Lara Rodionovna could make out the shapes of several filing cabinets and a large framed map. They approached the desk and gratefully noted that its surface lacked dirt and debris.
“This should do nicely,” Nadya commented. She looped her finger through the handle of the chamberstick, lifting the light so it illuminated the length of the desktop.
“Nadya,” Lara called sharply. “What’s that?”
In the candlelight, Lara had caught the outline of something bulky behind the desk. She pointed at the amorphous shape. Nadya moved the candle over the edge of the table. It was a man - prone, unmoving. Nadya gasped, almost dropping the light. Lara swiftly rounded the desk and nudged the man’s shoe with her foot. He didn’t stir.
“Give me the light,” Lara commanded. Bringing the soft glow closer to the man’s head, she saw now that he was dead. His eyes stared off without any sign of life. She placed her hand in front of his mouth and nose and gently felt for a heartbeat along his neck. Her fingers came away red and sticky - blood, she observed.
“Is he...dead?” Nadya Lukyanovna whispered, growing pale. She stared intently at the body.
Lara Varfolomeyeva nodded. Nadya backed away, stunned, frightened. When she got to the door, she spun around and ran.
“Wait! Nadya!” Lara called after her. She set the lamp down, glanced once more at the body and chased after her friend.