CARTEL

The first thing Vanya sees when they remove his bandage is a dark room with an old lamp. It's cool and uninviting. The loud acoustics make every breath seem deafening, like a gunshot. Vanya's gaze falls on the table covered with medical instruments. Scalpels, knives, magnifying glasses—all of it makes Vanya literally shrink back into his chair.
The phone in Vanya's pocket starts ringing. The ringtone, oddly enough, is the dumbest song ever. Someone's hand picks up the phone. A voice behind him answers.

• "Listen, don't call."
  Then, a hand presses the phone to Vanya's ear. A harsh, rough voice whispers quietly into Vanya's other ear.
• "Answer that everything is fine... Bitch."
  Vanya swallows, answering his father on the other side of the line in a trembling voice.
• "Dad, everything is fine...I'll be online soon..."
  The man behind him hangs up and then throws the phone at the wall. A rough hand grabs Margoldin's long curls, forcing his head back.
  Vanya sees a guy about his age standing before him. His hair is straight and dyed white, and he's wearing a black sweater. He has a tattoo of a computer mouse cursor under his right eye, an hourglass under his left, and a tattoo of the word "loading" with an unidentified progress bar above his left eyebrow. The blond guy also has a tattoo on his neck, with some kind of inscription, but Vanya can't make out what it is—something in English. A predatory smile adorns the boy's face, promising no good.
  The guy squeezes Margoldin's blonde locks harder, causing his neck to ache uncomfortably.
  "What, you idiot, did you think you could hide? No, you're fucked, you're fucked. You shouldn't have been using your tongue at the wrong time and in the wrong place."