In Sochi during the 2014 Olympics, Shane Hollander walks alone on the beach with a day off, thinking about security concerns in Russia and the pressure Ilya Rozanov must feel playing on home soil. Carter Vaughan and Team USA captain Scott Hunter spot Shane, joke about palm trees and cramped athlete-village beds, and invite Shane to join them, but Shane declines.

As Carter mentions how “brave” openly gay athletes are to compete in Russia under anti-gay laws, Shane’s attention shifts to worry about people he knows—especially Dev from speed skating—and about Ilya. Wanting reassurance that Ilya is safe, Shane texts him a casual message (“Having a good time?”) and waits all night without getting a response.

The chapter shifts to Ilya’s perspective: he is miserable and tense, forced to smile for Russian media and mingle with government officials while Team Russia falls apart and is already out of medal contention. Dreading a mandatory gala, Ilya first goes to his father Grigori Rozanov’s hotel room, where Grigori inspects and criticizes him, shames him for losing to Latvia, and shows signs of cognitive decline while still being controlling and harsh.

On the way out, Ilya sees Shane’s text (saved under “Jane”) but ignores it, deciding he cannot risk contact in Russia. Later, Shane spots Ilya alone in the stands at the Sweden–Finland game and approaches gently to check on him, but Ilya shuts him down—"Not here"—and insists they are not anything at the Olympics, scanning around as if for danger.

Shane notices how exhausted and frightened Ilya looks, with the usual playfulness gone from his eyes, and backs off despite wanting to comfort him. When Shane returns to his seat, Ilya has already disappeared, leaving Shane to focus on Canada’s upcoming quarter-final while recognizing how humiliating Russia’s collapse must feel for Ilya.