Escaped prisoners, as expected, showed up in town after all. They came at night, alarmed owners of the house that was the closest to the forest. The neighbors noticed something was wrong and called the police in the morning.
Andrew and Mikhalich arrived at the scene among the first ones, and the young lieutenant saluted gallantly and reported that the prisoners refused to get in touch.
'Then where is the prove that our fugitives are in this house?' Andrew asked.
'A neighbor who called the police said that she heard the dog barking at night, though not long - someone smashed its skull. According to the agreement the neighbor and the hostess of this house should have gone to our church to attend service, but she didn't show up in the morning. And from behind the door when the neighbor knocked an unknown rude male voice answered, telling her to get away as was rather careless to my opinion.'
'Yeah, pretty stupid. But on the other hand, it ain't necessarily our lags. It can be anyone.'
'But the neighbor says there lives a woman in this house with an elderly mother and a daughter, there are no men and they weren't expected. Our fugitives or not it is hard to say, but there is someone in the house that is for sure. And this one is not very friendly.'
'Refused to communicate you say?'
The lieutenant shook his head in confirmation.
'Is there a phone in the house?'
'No answer either.'
'So we do not know who they are, how many of them, if they are really our jail birds that we trying to catch for quite some time already, they do not make any demands, and we still do not know whether the hostages are still alive ... Great!' summarized Andrew.
There were onlookers assembling around the house retelling the story to one another with some new details each time. Behind a ring of the police cars they shook their heads and craning their necks watched the actions of people in the uniform.
'Sooner or later they would have to let us hear from themselves,' shrugged lieutenant.
'Well we must help them to do it sooner; otherwise it can be too late.'
'I'm all for it. What are the instructions?' said lieutenant imitating alertness. He took Andrew's discontent as a harsh criticism referring to himself. But Andrew did not pay attention to his taunt, because he actually could understand what this young lieutenant might be thinking: even being superior he was a newcomer that already tried to take the lead easily giving orders. They simply did not know him yet, and therefore treated him with prejudice and distrust.
'First, remove the spectators.' commanded Andrew. He took the megaphone and stepped toward the house. But the house responded with silence still. With an imperceptible movement he unfastened the holster of his service weapon under his jacket and walked toward the gate with an easy step.
'Where are you going without...?!' hissed Mikhalich. Lieutenant just sneered, glancing at the bulletproof vest that Andrew ignored.
No one answered as he knocked. Squeezing firmly his gun in one hand, Andrew put his ear to the door, trying to catch any sound at all, but a cry of horror rang out quite from the opposite direction. Everyone turned around. There was a woman screaming in front of a man who held her as a life shield pressing a gun to her head.
'One move and I'll kill her,' he promised, walking slowly backwards towards the forest and dragging his hostage along.
'How did he get here?!' exclaimed Mikhalich, removing his hand from his holster.
Andrew remembered only now why those prisoners were expected in this little town at all. One of them was convicted on that woman's charges. Shit! Shit! Shit! If he was not so busy with his own investigation, he would have never missed this important information! Under his very nose there was revenge performing for the years spent in jail.
Mikhalich stepped forward. Performing the part of a psychologist he tried to explain to the offender that in addition to three years for the escape he will also be sentenced for murder. Andrew came down the porch steps and cautiously moved to the back yard. If the first convict successfully diverted their attention from the house, then the second was still inside. His assumption was confirmed a few moments later. Coming through the back door, a young man ran across the yard and leaped easily over the fence.
'Don't! Stay where you are!' shouted the first one pointing his weapon at Andrew.
With his hands put out palms down Mikhalich tried to soothe the nervous convict. The woman continued to sob scanning the people in uniform with her pleading eyes.
'He'll get away, Mikhalich,' Andrew hissed at the old detective.
'Lieutenant, get the people away!' commanded Mikhalich distracting the offender. It was enough for Andrew: he darted around the house and ran to the edge of the forest, where the escaped prisoner already disappeared under their very noses. A bullet whistled close by, but the sound of shots and screams drowned in the general confusion. There were enough people for one armed guy - thought Andrew speeding up, and nearly smashed his forehead stumbling on the mound in the grass, when a snow white blur flashed between the bushes.
The chase did not last long. Crumpled grass prompted the right direction at first, but the fir-groove hid all traces and Andrew had no choice but to stop and try to listen to the sounds. But the criminal kept his head down. He couldn't be very far - thought Andrew, - most likely he is hiding somewhere under a tree. Trying to avoid open areas he moved deeper into the forest.
Everything happened too fast; he expected a blow but not from the side it was delivered. Something hit him hard in the chest, and only after that he heard the gunshot. He fell heavily on his back and instinctively held tight a limp body of a dog. Hot moisture burned his hand. It took Andrew a few moments to realize what had happened and his head started spinning. The animal jumped on his chest to shield him from the bullet. And hot blood pulsing under that snow-white fur was quickly spreading crimson over it.
'What have you done...' he whispered, looking over the wounded dog on his lap.
After two heavy rattles her body shuddered convulsively then froze for a moment and finally relaxed beneath his fingers. Still clutching the sticky hand to the wound by the ribs, Andrew tried to look into her eyes hidden now under heavy eyelids and hear the sound of a little feverish heart that in spite of all the laws of nature still wants to live, but it responded with silence.
Strange whistling sounds like Morse code filled the air around, and Andrew did not immediately realize that the sound was coming out of his own chest.
'What ... what are you ... why did you ... Olga...'
The young lieutenant found him first.
'Where is he? Where did he go?!' he inquired.
Andrew watched his mouth moving, but it did not make sense to him.
'Are you all right?' shouted Mikhalich from behind coming to the rescue. 'Wounded? Where the hell did they manage to get rifles, damn it. Can you get up?'
Andrew nodded, gently hugging his savior.
'It's a dog,' said Mikhalich stupidly, as the lieutenant ran deeper into the forest. 'Yours?'
It was hard to say whether the incoherent mumbling in reply was confirmation or denial.
'She saved my life.'
'So you aren't hurt?' sighed Mikhalich in relief, holding Andrew by the elbow.
'No, I'm not. But she needs a hospital fast.'
Mikhalich scrutinized both - a man and a dog.
'Andrew, it's dead.'
'No, it just needs a doctor.'
'Andrew,' called Mikhalich quietly but firmly, holding Andrew's shoulder like he was talking to a mentally unstable. 'There's nothing you can do, let it go.'
'What with the woman? Is she okay?' Andrew asked after a few minutes of silence, still feeling strong pressure on the shoulder.
'Yes, she got off lightly. An asshole is at the station already, I hope.'
'The second one? I let him get away.'
'Oh, don't worry, he has no place to run.' Mikhalich waved his hand. 'We'll catch him as soon as the bullets run out. Let's go, the meatballs are for lunch today.'