Maxim Titovets - TWO PLAYS. MAIDEN FOREST. THE ADVENTURES OF YUMI

Natalia.They will kill you both. You and Moray. You are his weak spot.

Khlora.If you let me go, Chopper won’t take it lying down.

Natalia.I will deal with it. Tie me up. And go while Jacket is still out cold.

Khlora.They will kill us all.

Natalia.Yes. Maybe.

Khlora.Do you know what my father used to say? The best defense is a good offense.

Scene 9

Night. Fyodor Kolosov’s summer cottage.

Fyodor is tied to a chair, his mouth is taped shut. Slav and Moray are standing by. Chopper is talking on the phone.

Chopper.Karen, stick to the plan. Out. [He stops the call and puts the phone back into his pocket.] All good, Slav. We’ve got the icons.

Slav approaches Moray from behind and knocks him out with a truncheon. Fyodor is trying to free himself, squirming on his chair.

Chopper.Don’t move, Kolosov. You have lived a disgraceful life but you will die the death of a righteous man.

Slav.Don’t take it personally, old man. We are just tying up loose ends.

Slav puts the truncheon on the table, ties Moray’s hands and legs with plastic cable ties, and drags him along the path towards the banya.

Slav.The bastard is heavy.

Slav and Moray whip out of sight. Tatyana, with the rifle in her hands, comes out of the dark and points the rifle at Chopper.

Tatyana.Just a twitch and I’ll shoot you, scumbag.

Chopper.Hello, Tatyana.

Tatyana.Who are you?

Chopper.You are just like a guardian angel coming down from heaven.

Tatyana.Untie him. Now!

Chopper.I have respect for bold people, Tatyana. Give me the rifle.

Tatyana.Untie him.

Chopper.Give me the rifle. Don’t mess with me.

Tatyana.Don’t put your fingers in the fire, sweetheart. [She flips the rifle bolt.]

Chopper approaches Fyodor, takes the knife from the table, and cuts Fyodor’s hands free.

Chopper.Now that’s a woman. [ He puts the knife towards himself and gives it to Fyodor.] Lucky you, Kolosov. [ Aside.] Frost, you son of a bitch, where are you?

Tatyana.Put your hands behind your head!

Chopper slowly puts his hands behind his head. Fyodor quickly frees himself, removes the tape from his mouth, spits blood, takes the truncheon from the table, approaches Chopper from behind, and strikes his legs. Chopper drops down on his knees.

Fyodor.You are dead, you piece of shit. Put your hands behind your back.

Chopper is on his knees. He puts his hands behind his back, Fyodor ties them. He takes off Chopper’s balaclava.

Fyodor.I recognized Moray’s voice at once. But you… I’ve never seen you before.

Chopper spits on the ground.

Fyodor.Face down.

Chopper.Do you know what I am doing now? I am speaking to a dead man.

Fyodor.What are you talking about?

Chopper.You are toast, Kolosov. You will all die tonight.

Fyodor kicks Chopper to the grass, approaches Tatyana. At this point Slav reappears out of the dark and lashes out at Tatyana with the knife, trying to take the rifle from her. Tatyana dodges his attack nimbly. Fyodor sends Slav sprawling with a heavy blow, takes the rifle out of Tatyana’s hands. Then he knocks Slav out by hitting him over the head with the rifle stock.

Scene 10

Late night. Fyodor Kolosov’s summer cottage.

Slav is handcuffed to the handrail core, he is unconscious. Chopper is tied to a chair in the gazebo, his hands tied behind his back, his mouth taped.

Fyodor.Thank you, Tanya.

Tatyana.Fyodor… I feared for you so much.

Fyodor.It’s gonna be alright.

Tatyana.It was Artyom who brought the bandits here.

Fyodor.Artyom? Where is he?

Tatyana.Artyom is in Rybin’s old house. Do you remember Ivan Moray?

Fyodor.I’ve seen him today. He’s lying dead in my banya.

Tatyana.Good Lord! I might have smashed Artyom’s head with a poker.

Fyodor.You are a doctor, not a killer.

Tatyana.I was frightened.

Fyodor.Who else has seen you?

Tatyana.There were two women in the house with Artyom. One of them was taped to a chair.

Fyodor.What a beauty. Must be Khlora and Natasha.

Fyodor enters the gazebo, sits down at the table, and puts the rifle next to him. Slav regains consciousness but closes his eyes again, pretending he is still unconscious.

Tatyana.We should call the police. My phone is broken. Where is Alexey? And Venya?

Fyodor.I don’t know. Go inside, have a look there. Meanwhile, I’ll deal with this piece of shit. [He takes out the hunting knife he took from Slav.]

Tatyana.Yes, sure.

Tatyana goes up to the house. Fyodor gets up, walks up to Chopper with the knife, cuts the cable ties serving as handcuffs, and gets Chopper’s hands free. Chopper silently rubs his numb wrists, removes the tape from his mouth. Fyodor sits on his chair, takes the bottle of vodka, and fills two glasses. He takes one glass himself and offers another one to Chopper.

Fyodor. [Swallowing his vodka in one gulp.] Did you really think I would give you the collection?

Chopper remains speechless

Fyodor.It’s not the money. The icons hold a sentimental value. They remind me of Lyudmila.

Chopper. [He removes the tape from his legs, now he is free.] Karen the cracksman told me he had already got the icons.

Fyodor.These are copies. Knockoff.

Chopper. [Takes his glass with vodka and drinks it off.] Why didn’t you say so?

Fyodor.You never asked. You kept harping on the same thing: Password, password.

Pause.

Fyodor.I want to offer you a deal.

Chopper.Go ahead.

Fyodor.You and I are men of business.

Chopper.We both have something to lose.

Fyodor gets up from the table, approaches the porch, and opens a hiding place on the side. He produces a bundle of money wrapped in plastic, steps up to Chopper, places the bundle on the table in front of him, and takes his seat again.

Fyodor.There’s a million and 200K in there. You will get another million and 800K in three days.

Pause.

Chopper.What will I have to do?

Fyodor.I want you to kill Artyom today. He is in Moray’s house now.

Chopper.How can I be sure that you won’t turn me in?

Fyodor.We are not savages. You will have to take my word for it.

The front door opens. Venya goes out on the porch, wearing his jacket. He looks rough. A rope is wrapped around his arm, he grasps his head every now and then and writhes in pain.

Venya.Fyodor. Ouch… Where is everybody? My head is splitting. Ah, it hurts.

Fyodor. [Aside.] That’s all we need now. Out of the blue! [To Venya.] Venya! You are alive. Thank goodness.