He wasn't a computer repairman anymore. He wasn't a lonely man watching old videos.
She paused, listening. Another sound from off-camera. This time, a muffled male voice, angry.
The screen went black. The AVI ended. Alexei sat in the silence of his shop for a full minute. The hum of his repair rig was the only sound. His heart pounded. This wasn't a language lesson. It was a cry for help, recorded two years ago, lost on a broken laptop.