*Scene from Obituaries.

[Laundry Room]

Ryan: You played this one well, you covered all your bases, kept your hands clean, no one knows about the cell phone, so no one suspects you. It's nice. I think I underestimated you, Nikolai, and I don't usually do that. Listen, we could drag this thing out, go to war, but you know, eventually, I'd win. So, I say, let's just work together. Like Russia and the US. What was that called again?

Stanislovsky: Dtente.

Ryan:. Dtente. Exactly. What do you say?

(Stanislovsky shakes Ryan's hand)*

Americans are so nave and so arrogant. I stand here in the laundry room and watch alliances being forged and demises being dealed and I cannot help but smile. They think they are so smart, so hardened here inside these prison walls but they have no idea. America is such a young country. All these petty games they play are of little consequence. They have not been bred by centuries of war and betrayal. They do not know what real tyranny is. Most of these men, these hoodlums would not survive a week inside a Russian jail. The exception of course is my pal Ryan O'Reily.

That one, he might last a month or two.

I know this peace we have forged is not for real. He does not trust me and I do not trust him. This dtente will not last and we will go to war, but that is how it should be with equated adversaries. He is a sly one, but he, like all Americans, is, what is the word...cocky. And that will be his downfall.

And as if he can hear my thoughts, he slips into the laundry room carrying a bag of clothes. Dumping them into the washer, he turns and nods to someone outside. Ah, it seems his sidekick Liam is guarding the door. I guess we will be doing business. As he approaches me, I smile at him and prepare to kill him with kindness. I shake my head at that thought. English is such an silly language.

He leans against the washer next to me and says, "Nikolai, how's it hanging buddy?"

"Hanging?" I reply. I know what he means but sometimes it helps to play the fool.

He looks me in the eye like he knows I am putting him on, but he explains anyway. "Just a colorful American expression asking how your day was."

I nod my head knowingly. "Fine, and yours, my friend?"

He grins a little when I call him friend. "Peachy. I got a question for you though."

"Yes?" I answer knowing this has something to do with the cell phone.

He leans in close and whispers. "With Gulino pushing up daisies, how are we gonna keep using the phone. The service will be cancelled."

"Daisies?" I ask, again playing stupid.

"Dead," he answers louder than he should. He glares at me and I am almost afraid. He is a dangerous man. I must remember this.

I walk over and retrieve my clothes from the dryer before walking back to where he is waiting. "Not to worry. It's taken care of. The cell phone will work as long as I want it to."

He watches the hack walk by the window and answers without looking at me. "Oh yeah, how's that?"

"Kak dva pal'tsa obossat," I say. I can not resist the urge to make him annoyed with me. Some might not think it wise, but it is the best way to gauge his intent.

He looks me in the eye once more. "One more time in English."

He is learning. He does not let his anger deter him. "How do you say...It was a piece of cake. Cloning, my friend. It's the wave of the future."

Slapping his hand against the washer, he laughs. "Cloning the phone. That's fucking brilliant. You know Nikolai, I think I just underestimated you again. And that really never happens."

"That reminds me of the second time you tried to, what is it you Americans call it, outplay me," I say knowing he will be unable to resist my bait this time.

I know his answer before the words leave his mouth. "Don't you mean the first time?"

I smile. "No, the second. Don't tell me you have forgotten all about Kosygen."

Only because I am watching so closely, I see the shadow of surprise move across his eyes. He plays it very well, giving nothing away, but I can tell he was not expecting me to figure out that he sent that u'ebitsche after me.

His face remains impassive. "Kosygen? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mudozvon. Ty mne van'ku ne val'aj. Of course you don't. My mistake," I say knowing full well that he is lying to me.

I can tell he is tired of the chit-chat so he gets to his point. "Exactly. So, you'll let me use the phone tomorrow?"

Nodding in agreement, I still wait a few seconds before I answer. "Of course, my friend...for the price we discussed."

Ah, I see he thought he would be able to persuade me to let him use it for free. But, that will never happen. He needs to know that I still hold the upper hand.

"You know Nikolai, you probably shouldn't underestimate me either," he says, intent clear in his voice.

I turn to face him head on. "Is that a threat?"

He steps toward me and throws his arm over my shoulder and shakes his head. "No, of course not. We're in our comfort zone, our dtente. I'm just saying it's better to be my friend than my enemy."

I turn to face him once more. "The same can be said about me. That is why I will let you use the phone...for a price."

I can tell before he answers that he has decided not to push the point. At least not today. "Fine, whatever. But we will renegotiate later."

"I don't think so." He must know that the cell phone is mine to control. We are not partners.

He grins wide. "Never say never, Nikolai. You're in America now. Nothing's final but death."

"Now that sounds like a threat," I say, letting him know I am not afraid of him.

He grins and pats me on the back. "Nah, just showing you the way to the American dream. I'll meet you at your pod at shift change tomorrow morning."

Our business done, he walks away. "Very good. Make sure and bring the money," I say as he opens the door to exit.

He nods and says nothing.

I see now that our war will begin sooner than I imagined. It is too bad really, a great adversary is sometimes more welcome than the best of friends. But O'Reily and I are too much alike. One of us is going to have to die and soon. There can be no other outcome.

It is ironic but I will miss him when he is gone.

Ah good, there's the Russian, all alone in the laundry room. I've been watching him closely since we shook hands and made like the fucking United Nations. Of course, that don't mean dick. Peace is for pussies. It's just the calm before the storm. But I got to check a few things before I can make my move. I motion to Liam to watch the door as I head inside.

Stanislovsky's looking at me funny as I approach him. "Nikolai, how's it hanging buddy?"

"Hanging?"

I know he knows what I'm saying, but I don't push the point. A little finesse is required if I'm gonna get the info I need. I look at him and say, "Just a colorful American expression asking how your day was."

He nods his head like a little light bulb went off. The cocksucker is so full of shit. "Fine, and yours, my friend?" he says.

I can't help but smile. He does have a set of balls on him. Calling me friend, when we both know, he'd whack me in a heartbeat. Sometimes I think, the two of us are a lot alike. Then I remember, I'm me and he's just a poor Russian substitute. "Peachy. I got a question for you though."

"Yes?"

I lean in close so I can keep my voice down and get right to the point. "With Gulino pushing up daisies, how are we gonna keep using the phone. The service will be cancelled."

"Daisies?" he says, his expression of confusion too damn perfect. The fucker's playing me again.

"Dead," I say way too fucking loud. Luckily it's just him and me in here getting our whites whiter. I can't help but glare at him though.

Good, he knows the look on my face means business as he walks away to get his clothes. "Not to worry. It's taken care of. The cell phone will work as long as I want it to," he says making sure to emphasis the phone is his.

Not for long, motherfucker. I wait a second before I answer as Mineo walks by the laundry room. "Oh yeah, how's that?"

"Kak dva pal'tsa obossat."

The fucker could be telling me to suck his dick for all I know, but I can't let that get to me. I need to know the cell phone will still be in commission after I airhole him. I turn and give him another hard look. "One more time in English."

"How do you say...It was a piece of cake. Cloning, my friend. It's the wave of the future."

Hot damn, I knew he'd work it out. He's one crafty motherfucker. Too bad, that just means he's gonna end up dead all the quicker. I slap my hand down on the washer and laugh. "Cloning the phone. That's fucking brilliant. You know Nikolai, I think I just underestimated you again. And that really never happens."

"That reminds me of the second time you tried to, what is it you Americans call it, outplay me," he says dangling some sort of carrot out there in front of me.

Second time? No way. There's no way he could know about... No way. I know I'm walking right into his trap, but I gotta ask. "Don't you mean the first time?"

The cocky motherfucker smirks at me. "No, the second. Don't tell me you've forgotten all about Kosygen."

Well shit, I guess he does know or rather suspects anyway. But there's no way that Kosygen can ever be traced back to me. So he can just take that hunch with him straight to the grave. I turn and look at him, showing no emotion at all. "Kosygen? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mudozvon. Ty mne van'ku ne val'aj. Of course you don't. My mistake."

This time I'm sure he's telling me to go fuck myself, but I've got the answer I needed, so I'm done dancing with him. "Exactly. So, you'll let me use the phone tomorrow?"

He nods yes, but waits a minute before he speaks. "Of course, my friend. For the price we discussed."

So he wants to play hardball. Thought maybe he'd be smart enough to know not to charge me. Guess not. He just signed his own death sentence. "You know Nikolai, you probably shouldn't underestimate me either."

He gives me his best impression of a don't fuck with me look. I have to bite back a laugh. "Is that a threat?" he asks harshly.

I sling my arm around his shoulder following the wiseguy policy of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer. He's gonna die all right, but he won't see it coming. "No, of course not," I say reassuringly. "We're in our comfort zone, our dtente. I'm just saying it's better to be my friend than my enemy."

He's staring me down once more. "The same can be said about me. That is why I will let you use the phone...for a price.

I am so done talking to him. "Fine, whatever," I say showing my boredom. Of course, I can't help but throw out a little trash of my own. "But we will renegotiate later."

"I don't think so," he says, so sure of himself.

But he's never seen my A game, so he really has no idea that I always win. Always. "Never say never, Nikolai. You're in America now. Nothing's final but death."

He's doing that harsh look again. He really needs to work on that. He's about as intimidating as McManus. "Now that sounds like a threat."

"Nah, just showing you the way to the American dream. I'll meet you at your pod at shift change tomorrow morning." I smile wide at him and slap his back before I head for the door.

He just can't let me have the last word. "Very good. Make sure and bring the money."

I nod my head in agreement, but that poor fucker, he just doesn't see. All his little warnings about showing him the money, they just remind me that's it's killing time. I hate to say it, but you're not long for this world, Nikolai.

You might be good, but you ain't no match for me.

<fin>

"The Bitter End"

Since we're feeling so anesthetized
In our comfort zone
Reminds me of the second time
That I followed you home

We're running out of alibis
From the second of May
Reminds me of the summer time
On this winter's day

See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end

Every step we take that's synchronized
Every broken bone
Reminds me of the second time
That I followed you home

You shower me with lullabies
As you're walking away
Reminds me that it's killing time
On this fateful day

See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end

From the time we intercepted
Feels more like suicide...

See you at the bitter end

Russian to English Translations.

kak dva pal'tsa obossat': piece of cake.

u'ebitsche: freak, monster

mudozvon: (masc. noun) The one who is talking shit. Literally translation is "The one who is chiming with his balls"

Ty mne van'ku ne val'aj: Don't pretend you are dumber than you really are Literally, means "Don't roll around like a Vanka." ("Vanka" is the usual name given the village idiot in stories.) Can also mean, "Don't pretend you don't understand what I'm saying."