Answering God's Call - Chapter 15

What have we even seen of each other, and for how long, for him to act like that?

Just like before, anyone would think they were close if they saw them. Always so unnecessarily kind. Tatyana, who always put taking care of her own body first no matter what happened, deliberately answered more curtly.

“I’m fine. Thanks to someone.”

As much as he was concerned about her condition, Tatyana didn’t want to show that she was also worried about Ruslan’s injury. It would be troublesome if pointless kindness became mutual.

“That’s a relief. Then let’s move.”

Ruslan nodded as if genuinely reassured. Since the explosion occurred in the middle of the night and caused a commotion, it was obvious that not only the police officers who were patrolling but also onlookers who had nothing better to do would flock there.

“This way.”

Ruslan scanned the surroundings to gauge the direction, then took Tatyana’s hand and led her to the parking lot. She thought there was no need to grab her hand when she could follow on her own, but since he was injured, she couldn’t just shake him off.

In the end, as she was pulled along the way he led, Tatyana asked suspiciously, “Don’t tell me we’re going to the church like this?”

“My arm is injured, not my head.”

“Seeing you worry about others in that state, it looks like your head’s injured too.”

Even at Tatyana’s blunt reply telling him to get a grip and take care of himself first, he didn’t react. He only lowered his voice and muttered quietly.

“Of course I should worry.”

“…?”

Ruslan pulled her closer and tilted his head.

“If you’re not fine, who’s going to fight them?”

Don’t look back. As if she might turn to look, Ruslan wrapped an arm around Tatyana’s shoulders and held her in place. Only then did she notice the multiple gazes and presence mixed among the onlookers staring this way, leaving her no chance to point out that the contact was inappropriate for a priest and a nun.

At the uncomfortable stares digging into the back of her head, Tatyana pressed her lips together. It annoyed her that even someone injured had noticed them, while she, distracted by that injured man, had missed it.

“Who do you think you’re treating like a trainee—”

“I know you’re not.”

“So where are we going?”

She could understand that Ruslan knew Vandenberg better than she did, but she didn’t like him taking the lead in this situation. She had long been used to moving alone and handling things on her own, so following someone else’s lead now wasn’t comfortable. Still, there was no better option than to follow him.

“First, somewhere without eyes on us. I have a private safe house not far from here.”

“Fine. Let’s go right away.”

Ruslan nodded, then placed the car key in Tatyana’s hand and gestured.

“My arm’s like this. Can you drive? You can, right?”

“Of course.”

Ruslan climbed into the passenger seat and let out a small groan, clutching his side. As soon as Tatyana started the engine and shifted gears, she pressed the accelerator and slid out of the parking lot.

“Father, don’t lose consciousness. Guide me.”

“…Go straight for now.”

Tatyana pressed down on the accelerator and increased speed. Keep going straight. The traffic light turned red, but at Ruslan’s short instruction, she didn’t slow down and ignored the signal entirely, speeding straight through. Startled, Ruslan turned to look at her.

“Are you trying to get us arrested?”

“I had to confirm if we’re being followed.”

“We are. They’re chasing us hard.”

Even after running two lights, the car behind neither closed the distance nor fell back noticeably. He didn’t know who was tailing them, but… Tatyana switched lanes smoothly and asked, “Is there a first aid kit in the trunk?”

“Not in the trunk. There is at the safe house.”

“That’s something, at least.”

Her voice remained calm, but the hand gripping the wheel as she maintained the high speed was anything but gentle.

As his body was pulled to the right, pressed almost against the window, Ruslan asked, “…Is the brake broken?”

“I haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t know.”

“Did Lubyanka not have traffic laws? What about a driving permit?”

“Of course we do. I took the test too. Years ago, anyone could get one just by paying a fee, but now if you can’t drive on icy roads, you won’t even dream of getting a permit.”

“….”

Do they really all drive like this in Lubyanka? Dumbfounded by Tatyana’s driving, which threw safety to the wind, Ruslan pointed toward the roadside rushing closer.

“Pull over there. We can’t expose the safe house’s location.”

Apparently, the brakes weren’t broken after all, and Tatyana finished driving without incident. She sprang out of the driver’s seat and moved to the passenger side as if vaulting over the hood of the car.

“Father, let me see the wound.”

“Treatment later. We need to move now.”

Tatyana’s brow creased in annoyance as she spotted the black vehicle closing the distance. She pulled out her pistol and suppressor from the holster at her thigh and asked. Ruslan would, of course, have a weapon as well….

“You can walk, right?”

“If I can’t, are you going to carry me?”

“You look fine. Get up.”

As if telling him not to dawdle, Tatyana made a beckoning motion, and Ruslan grabbed her hand at once. He’s been grabbing my hand a lot…. Startled, Tatyana slowly lifted her gaze as Ruslan rose to his feet. He leaned against her at an angle, a faint smile on his lips.

“As you can see, I need a bit of support.”

“….”

Right, he’s injured. To treat his wounds at the safe house, they had to deal with the ones tailing them first. Besides, it wasn’t as if those people thought they were really a priest and a nun, so what did it matter if they held hands?

Tatyana gave a small nod and braced herself so Ruslan could lean on her comfortably.

She felt him glance down at her hand, completely covered by his. Keeping a suitable distance from the safe house, Ruslan quickened his pace toward a secluded area where no one seemed to be around, and asked casually, “Is this uncomfortable?”

“Of course it is. It’s uncomfortable.”

“Even so, endure it.”

“…?”

What is this all of a sudden? Dumbfounded, Tatyana gave his hand a short tug as if telling him to stop talking nonsense. Ruslan briefly glanced at their hands soaked in blood and then met her eyes.

“What’s with that look? I’m the one who’s injured. Give me proper support. You were good at it before.”

“Support? Me?”

“Who else is there right now but you?”

“I know that, but when was I ever—”

“You supported me when I was about to collapse so I wouldn’t hit my head, laid me on the bed so my back wouldn’t hurt, covered me with a blanket so I wouldn’t be cold, even gave me money so I wouldn’t go hungry. You were good at all that.”

“….”

So that’s what he meant. Tatyana turned the corner of the narrow alley and muttered in disbelief, “You said not to apologize, and now you’re not just prodding me, you’re stabbing at me.”

“I was the one who got stabbed. This is just what you call holding a grudge.”

“….”

Is his head really fine? Or does he want it injured now that he’s already hurt?

She didn’t even care about the hand he was holding like a hostage anymore. Tatyana looked at him as if he were not an exorcist priest but a spirit that needed exorcising. Perhaps pleased by her dramatic change in expression, Ruslan smiled faintly.

“You can’t just throw me away because I’m injured.”

What is he so pleased about? If you look closely, he seems to smile like that every time I show a noticeable reaction. Like a fool who gets carried away by every little response from a woman he likes.

Tatyana’s eyes narrowed for a moment as she stared at him, who was talking weakly for no reason. It was just as they passed under a dim streetlight. Lowering her gaze briefly to gauge the presence of those closing in, she suddenly shoved Ruslan against the alley wall.

“Sister? What are you doing right now?”

“Quiet. Stay still.”

Tatyana’s hand, lifting his soaked cassock like a skirt, reached his waistband, more precisely the leather belt buckle. Startled by being shoved against the wall out of nowhere and then having his belt seized, Ruslan’s back stiffened.

Blinking as if trying to grasp the situation, he asked slowly, “Did I make some kind of mistake…?”

“I told you to stay still. You don’t know because you don’t look in a mirror.”

Pulling the belt free in a long strip, Tatyana bound Ruslan’s injured left arm. With no clean cloth to compress the wound, slowing the blood flow came first.

“Your complexion is pale, your lips are about to turn cyanotic. Your speech is slower than before. You know that?”

At the list of his condition and warning signs, Ruslan’s mouth shut tight. Watching him fail to refute it, Tatyana clicked her tongue softly.

You asked for support. If you’re dizzy, say you’re dizzy, say the bleeding won’t stop. Why pretend you’re fine? Did you really think I’d leave you behind?

Even while being lured as if chased, he kept talking about grudges and making light of it, so she hadn’t realized how bad it was. She had even thought the weakening grip of his hand was consideration for her, since he knew she found holding hands uncomfortable.