The CHANGI BULLET

Chapter 36 - Crash

Their train slowly pulled into Warsaw on a sunny day, allowing them to glory at the tinted-glass skyscrapers and super-modern architecture of the Polish-Russian capital.

Both had slept on the journey and felt greatly refreshed, ready to forge ahead. Holding hands, they passed the swab and temperature tests, and were allowed to exit the station. Dmitry decided that they needed some fresh air and food before they hired a car; and as Warsaw happened to be known as the home of the hot dog, they headed to a stall on a nearby shopping plaza, although the shops were not allowed to be open. Their hot dogs, topped with chilli and mustard, were simply awesome, probably because they had not had any takeaway food since leaving Amsterdam.

They strolled along the streets, both trying to ignore the rising panic over the journey still ahead of them. They came to the main river which moved through the capital. There were boats of several types in view, plying their trade.

'That's the Vistula,' he informed her.

'You know, Dmitry, I prefer Warsaw to Berlin.'

'Me, too. We'll have to come back and visit some time.'

They both laughed hysterically at his mistake, and cuddled hard.

'Okay,' he finally said, kissing her left ear and down her delicate neck. 'I think that's enough tourism. Let's go hire a car and rag the ass off it.'

The Car Hire companies were still allowed to do business, as the general public needed mobility to be able to shop and seek medical attention. Dinah waited outside while Dmitry hired the most powerful vehicle that his license and wallet would allow, and soon they were heading east out of the city, with him taking the first shift behind the wheel.

'I love you,' she said.

'You love me?'

'I do love you.'

'Really, really love me?'

'Yes!'

'Then take your feet off my dashboard.'

She screamed at his cheek and he laughed uproariously.

'Dmitry, you're so bad.'

Eastern Polish-Russia was fairly quiet on the roads. They mostly saw delivery vehicles, with one or two old tractors trundling along. They passed farms with miles and miles of wheat fields, and small rural towns. The countryside seemed quite old and barren after the polished gem of Warsaw. They swapped positions after three hours, and he immediately put his feet up on the dashboard.

'Hey!'

They talked, or listened to strange music on the radio, and the road trip adventure became great fun. Dmitry took the wheel again. Dinah lounged in the passenger seat and rested a hand on his thigh.

'I hope they'll be all right,' she mused.

'Oleg-Paul and Liza? They'll be fine.'

'I'm pretending to be Liza now, right? Because of the name on the ticket. But I don't know my surname.'

'They are in that pocket, there. Read who you are, silly.'

She reached into his jeans pocket and looked at the documents. 'Gruffudd. Are you kidding me? Liza Gruffudd. Is that how you say it?'

'How would I know?'

'What if they ask me my name?'

'Just be confident, and whatever comes out of your mouth, that's how you pronounce your name from then on, Miss Gruffudd.'

She giggled, and sighed. 'Yes, those two, they'll be all right.'

She put the tickets back in his pocket, and he playacted enjoying that.

A few more miles of road went by, and the farm scenery never changed.

He asked, 'Do you wonder what your father is doing?'

'Yes, often. I hope he's having a safe and quiet trip.'

'Do you think he'll like me?'

'Of course he'll like you. Why wouldn't he?'

'Well, dads don't normally like guys who are dating their precious daughters.'

She patted his thigh. 'Any father will love the man who safely gets his daughter to the far side of the universe.'

They laughed together, and that was the exact second that a tractor pulled out in front of them, causing Dmitry to grab at the wheel, swerving them to the left, as he hit the brakes, around the flash of bright red obstacle, and then correcting harshly to the right. It seemed to all happen in slow-motion to them both, and then the hire car could not take it and it flipped over. It rolled twice before settling down into a crushed heap on the grass verge.