chapter 2

It took a few hours to reach the city. He knew he was headed in the right direction when he saw college kids prowling the streets with drinks in their hands. The first day of the annual spring festival was underway, the streets clogged with young people, and lined with food and alcohol vendors. Sergei parked on a nearby street and waded into the crowd, his height even more freakish as he stood a few heads taller than everyone else.


“OH MY GOD!!!! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”


The American loudness and lack of regard for those around them captured his attention instantly. There, to the right of the endless sea of inebriated patrons, was a picnic table, which seated three girls. Two white, one black. He nodded as he began to walk more aggressively. Like a giant on the warpath, people quickly cleared the way, everyone looking up at him, in disbelief. Being inconspicuous at his size was impossible. He had to charm them.


“Hello, ladies! How are you doing today?” Sergei asked, his accent thick.


“Damn, check out Andre the mothafuckin’ Giant…” The black one said, pointing to him with her thumb and sipping her drink.


“Kendra!!!” The blonde hissed, swatting her with her hand.


“Let me guess… You girls are American?” Sergei asked, a mischievous smile on his face.


“Oh Jeez, how’d ya know?” The third, a brunette with short hair asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.


“Hehehehe, I had a hunch. My name is Nikolai. Could I buy you all some drinks?”


“Ooooooh, now you’re talkin’! Kendra, nice to meet you…” The black one said, waving to him.


“Kelly!” The blonde said.


“Vicky!” The brunette replied.


“Kendra, Kelly, and Vicky! What are you having?”


“Moscow Mules.” Kendra said.


“Coming right up…”


Sergei bought the drinks, returning to the table, having a seat next to Kendra.


“So, Nikolai, are we really that obviously American?!!?” Kelly asked, her shrill voice straining over the roar of the crowd.


Sergei smiled and shrugged. “Well, I must say… You three are very, very, skinny for Americans!”


They laughed.


“No, no, no, but really… I have no issue with Americans. You people tend to think there is a lot of… Hostility… From Europeans towards you. This is not the case! Most of us are pretty progressive. Old cold war bullshit, you know?”


Vicky nodded. “How tall are you?”


“Hehehe, I am six foot seven.”


Kendra whistled.


“What brings you to glorious mother Russia?”


“We’re backpacking!” Vicky shouted.


“Ah, very exciting! Are you staying in hostel?”


Kelly nodded. “Dream Palace!”


“Oooooooh, very nice, very nice. Have you seen any of the, eh… How you say… Attractions here?”


“We’re going to Elk Island tomorrow!” Vicky said.


“Aaaaah! Elk Island! Very beautiful! I would suggest going in early morning hours, the view? Simply incredible. You’ll love it, I’m sure.”


“Yeah, we were gonna go around ten.”


Kendra sighed. “If y’all can drag my drunk ass outta bed at 10 AM…”


Kelly and Vicky rolled their eyes.


“I see…” Sergei said, pulling his phone from his wallet and putting it to his ear. He began to speak into it in Russian and got up from the table. He pulled it from his ear before addressing the girls one last time.


“I must go, I’m meeting friend of mine. Enjoy your trip, girls!”


“Later, Lurch.” Kendra said.


“KENDRA!!!!” Vicky and Kelly said at the same time.


He sat across the street from Dream Palace, watching them stagger inside, finally, just after midnight. The next morning, they staggered out, hopping into a cab. He followed them.


It felt too easy. They were a wonderfully diverse bunch. Kelly struck him as the typical American girl, thick and juicy, one wedding ring away from exploding into a mammoth sow, lumbering around Wal Mart with three rugrats in tow. Vicky had a nice ass, or at least he thought so, it was difficult to tell when she was sitting down. Kendra had a nice set of tits on her, and she was sassy. He didn’t quite understand her references, but her tone of condescension clued him in enough to know he should’ve felt insulted. A little attitude never bothered him much.


He turned the bill of his hat forward as he drove. Simply being in the city to begin with was ballsy on his part. Again, looking “normal” at his size was a fool’s errand. Especially when his big ass was crammed into his medium sedan. As they approached the highway his nerves began to ease a bit.


He yawned, the sound sounding more lion than human, and scratched the back of his neck. He hadn’t slept the night before, adrenaline and his goal fueling him and keeping his eyes wide and awake.


“There’ll be plenty of time to sleep once I have them…” He mumbled to himself.


Finally, they reached the island. Sergei lagged behind them, following them just closely enough to still see them, nothing more. When the cab dropped them off at the mouth of the trail, he parked in a far corner of the lot, investigating his surroundings. There wasn’t another car to be found.


He gave them a pretty substantial head start before he went into the woods, binoculars in hand. His thunderous footsteps made walking off the trail and into the woods far too noisy an option. Instead he followed their voices, their obnoxious giggling, and groaning. With all the drinking they’d done the night before, he doubted they’d be there long.


They reached a small cliff overlooking the water and stopped to check out the view. Sergei couldn’t hear them, but could see them perfectly, and sensed Kendra wasn’t thrilled to be there with her hangover. Vicky dropped her phone, shrieking as she bent over to pick it up. Sergei’s prediction about her ass was right. Damn.


Suddenly, they began to turn back. Sergei went into the woods a bit, off the path, and hid behind a large rock, popping out every few seconds to see how far away they were. When they were within range, he went back out to the trail, walking away from them, towards the cars.


“Hey… Isn’t that… The guy from last night?” Vicky asked.


“Oh my God, it is! Nicolai!” Kelly said.


Sergei turned around. “Well, well, well! Fancy meeting you ladies here!”


“Neither of you think it’s a little weird he showed up here after we told him we’d be here?” Kendra asked.


“You know, talking to you yesterday, I think to myself, it’s been a long while since I’ve seen Elk Island. How did you girls like it?”


“I might’ve liked it a bit more if someone wasn’t nagging us to leave early the whole time…” Kelly said, glaring at Kendra.


“Bitch, please. I drank both of y’all under the God damn table last night. We’re on vacation, aren’t we? The fuck are we exercising for?”


“Guys… My phone isn’t working… Can you try calling an Uber?” Vicky said.


Kelly and Kendra opened their phones, but neither could get a connection.


“Reception here… It’s no good… I should’ve told you that yesterday…”


Kelly and Kendra kept at it, as Vicky paced nervously.


“I can’t get any reception, like, at all…” Kelly moaned.


“What are we gonna do!?” Vicky said.


“Where was it that you girls were staying?”


“Dream Palace.” Vicky replied.


“Hmmm… Is a little out of the way for me, but I could give you a ride. I would hate to see you girls stranded out here. This place, at night… Teenager come here to drink, cause trouble…”


Kelly and Vicky looked at each other while Kendra scowled, crossing her arms. Sergei stole a glimpse at her heavy breasts, which even through her sweatshirt, commanded attention.


“No offense Nikolai but we don’t know you.” Kendra said.


“Wait, Kendra… What are we supposed to do? We’re gonna be fucking stranded here if we don’t go with him!”


“Is up to you, whether you want to come with me. However I was hoping to get out of here soon…”


“Fine. We’ll go.” Kelly said suddenly.


“Is this bitch for real!?!”


“Kendra, we have no other choice!”


“I understand your cynicism, Kendra. However I must assure you that I will bring you home. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”


“My mother’s a politician back home in America, so if you’re thinkin’ of pullin’ any slick shit, don’t. OK, Nikolai?”


Sergei smiled at her. “I would not dream of it.”


The girls piled into the backseat. It was, of course, cramped, but none of them wished to sit up front with their new chauffeur. Sergei made no issue of it, nor did he attempt to start much small talk, he merely offered the occasional smile through the rearview mirror.