Transsiberian Page #4

You are so silly.

Come on.

Let's get on the train.

Can you believe it's snowing?

You know the guy that

I'm staying with...

Carlos Ximnez. Do

you know where he is?

He left this morning by bus...

with the American

woman Nassir.

Did they say

when they were gonna be back?

They are back.

She just left to

the station...

to meet her husband train.

Tovarich.

That means 'comrade.'

Our new cabin mate's

been teaching me some Russian.

I had them phone the hotel

in Moscow...

and they know

we're gonna be a day late.

But there's still two days

to see the Red Square,

and the Kremlin and the...

Well, you really didn't

sleep a wink, did ya?

Was it that bad?

- What?

- Your hotel.

Sweetie, I swear to you.

Mine was like a gulag.

And you know the stock room

in the basement at the store?

It was half that size.

No windows and...

oh, here we go.

And, oh, this is

the best part.

Okay?

The phone rings 3:00

in the morning.

It's reception asking,

'Do you want a prostitute?'

I mean, apparently

it's normal here.

But it threw me for a loop.

I mean, l...

she was...

good at what she did.

Just kidding you.

Sweetie? You all right?

You... you sure

you're okay, sweetie?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I am now.

Oh, there he is.

- Where you been, 'tabarish'?

- Tovarich.

- Ah, tovarich, tovarich.

- You must be Jessie.

Yeah, oh, this is Elia Grinko.

He's our new bunk mate.

- Hi.

My colleague tells

me he is too busy...

and cannot join me

for early dinner.

May I ask you to

accept my invitation?

I am... tak, oh,

it is... famished.

Famished is right.

Yeah, we're happy to join you.

Is that all right, sweetie?

Is the dining car even open?

I'm afraid my

watch doesn't work.

Mine's fine.

And oh, we're in luck.

- It's almost 5:
00.

- Almost 5:
00.

Here I am trying to

explain the situation...

to the station master...

and Elia appears

out of nowhere...

and starts translating.

Your husband is lucky guy.

His English is excellent,

don't you think, honey?

My son encouraged me.

He... he liked your country.

He was going to be in

diplomatic service.

Well, hold on there, Elia.

Can policemen drink

while on duty?

Well, we won't

tell my boss, hey?

No, thanks.

Don't be shy.

- You're a cop.

- A detective, Jess.

Da. With FSKN, like your

Bureau of Narcotics.

Elia is on his way...

to a big conference

in Moscow...

all the way from Vladivostok.

In Soviet days,

official like me...

would get plane

ticket first class.

Now, seven days on train.

- Na Zdorovie

- Na Zdorovie

Hold on there, Elia.

Don't tell me that you miss

the U.S.S. R?

I mean, the U.S.S.R. was

a dark, evil empire.

Maybe so.

But then we were people living

in the darkness.

Now we are a people

dying in the light.

Which is better?

When it was U.S.S.R.,

man lived to age 65 years.

Now it is 58 years.

I know this fact very well.

I am 58.

In Russia now we say there are

only two kinds of people...

those who leave

in private jet,

those who leave in coffin.

Which are you?

I am too old to leave.

Just do my job.

Which is catching

the bad guys, huh, Elia?

Right, Roy.

Well, who are they?

Who are the bad guys?

Ten years ago, it was easy.

Drivers bring heroin

from Kabul in back of truck.

We catch them, so

they get smart.

They add special

chemical to heroin,

mold it into objects...

souvenirs, handicrafts,

small toys.

They pay people... mules.

I think you call them...

who can travel

easily with drugs.

They use students,

old babushkas.

People who look innocent,

but are really not.

Hmm? These are bad guys.

Hey.

Jess, Abby and... ahem...

shoot, what was his name?

The Spaniard.

Carlos.

The backpackers you

told me about...

who shared your cabin.

Yes, Abby and Carlos.

Do you think they could

have been mules?

Why, the past year, this line...

has become major

traffic route.

You know, Elia,

now that I think about it,

this couple

seemed to know an awful lot...

about forging passports...

and sneaking over borders

and whatnot.

This Abby and Carlos.

I mean, at least

that's what they...

said their names were.

This couple... did they seem

suspicious to you, Jessie?

No, just young.

And they were going

where, Moscow?

They never said.

So you left them

on the train...

when you got off in Ulyanovsk?

Yeah.

Well, you feeling better?

Yeah.

Oh, good. You're

lucky you didn't...

have that Russian vodka.

Hmm.

In the end you're lucky

you're not drinking, you know?

So what did you think of Elia?

Now, I know what

you're thinking.

I mean, he's a persistent SOB,

but bet you he

always gets his man.

Hey, buddy, we were just

talking about you.

Only good, I hope.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, please. Allow me.

Oh, no, that's okay.

I've got it.

- Jessie. Jessie.

- No, that's okay.

- No, really.

- Let him get it. It's okay.

- Let go.

- Okay.

- He's got it.

- Thank you.

She's a headstrong woman.

You know how that goes.

Hey, how many days

to Moscow, Elia?

Three more days, Roy.

Whoo. Amazing.

You want to stay

on train forever.

Well, as long as possible...

- Guess what.

- What?

Our shower is broken.

They found Roy.

Keys on the table, okay?

'Spokonya Noche.'

Spokoinoi.

Spokoinoi...nochn.

For now, that's good.

Sweetie, can you

hit the lights?

I have my eye things on.

# Who's peeking out

from under the stairway #...

# Calling a name that's

lighter than air #...

# Who's yelling down,

oh give me a rainbow #...

# Everyone knows

it's Windy #...

# Who's tripping down

the streets of the city #...

# Smiling at everybody

she sees #...

# And Windy has

stormy eyes #...

# That flash at the

sound of lies #...

# And Windy has

wings to fly #...

# Above the clouds #...

# Above the clouds #...

# Who's tripping down

the streets of the city #...

# Smiling at

everybody she sees #

No, not this one. This one.

All the others are smiling.

This one is so sad.

# And Windy has

stormy eyes #...

# That flash at the

sound of lies #...

# And Windy has wings to fly #

The toilet's clogged.

You gonna fix it?

It was an accident.

# And Windy has wings to fly #

I'm gonna go grab

some photos, okay?

I'll keep an eye on ya.

I'll be fine.

Oh, ho, ho, no.

I'm not making the

same mistake twice.

Hey.

Ah, Jessie.

Taking some pictures, I see.

I am not photographer but...

I suggest that

side of platform.

That looks heavy.

Please allow me.

- Oh, no. It's not. It's fine.

- Take my tea.

Now, there is very

nice picture.

Bright colors, babushkas.

Russian faces.

Take, take, take.

Take more.

I believe we have time.

Why do you wear it

if it doesn't work?

It was my son's.

I gave it to him

when he graduated university.

He died of bone cancer.

Oh, I'm very sorry.

Ah. To live life

is not always...

to walk through a meadow, eh?

Still we find ways to survive.

My colleagues in

Karasuk ask...

they searched the Vostok,

the train you got

off in Ulyanovsk.

They could not find

Carlos and Abby.

Maybe they got off

somewhere between?

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