2022-07-15 05:47:06
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UNDERGROUND 168
Pustovalov woke up in the twilight and immediately felt tired, as if he had been climbing a mountain all day, and then, despite the distant hum, reminiscent of a transformer hum, an oceanic void for endless kilometers around. He was lying on his stomach, pressing his cheek against something warm, and with difficulty raising his head, he realized that this was Dasha's hand. The girl stirred as she felt his movement.Holding each other, they rose, silently staring at the concrete wall, lit by a dim red lamp that looked like an emergency light. On the wall was inscribed in huge symbols: BLOCK 10.Because of the twilight, they did not immediately notice the elevator with its doors wide open. It looked like everything around it - broken and long forgotten by everyone, a static lilac inscription multiplied in the dead mirrors: Only black card.So we found a way out? - With difficulty moving his tongue, said Pustovalov.Dasha did not answer, she slowly approached the elevator and leaned agai
UNDERGROUND 169
Pustovalov climbed deeper and deeper, ripping open the damp, viscous layer of last year's leaves with his feet. It became more difficult to move around, it darkened around, as if evening had come. Then he saw the mound and went to it, sure that it was there that he needed to. Having climbed onto it, from the side that resembled a gentle low hill, Pustovalov discovered that it was a building covered with soil, like a disguised entrance to a bomb shelter or a bunker.At the top there was a small open hatch, no larger than a window, looking into which Pustovalov felt a painful prick in his heart. Bright electric light, uneven floors filled with cement, bare brickwork spattered with blood. The space below was significantly lower than the ground, and consisted of two full levels. The level immediately below it was plunged into darkness, and the lower one was visible through an open hatch in the floor of the first floor. It was larger in size and resembled an ordinary hole in the basement.
UNDERGROUND 170
Pustovalov abruptly turned around and ran into the room, waking Dasha up.- What? - The girl was scared when she was awake.Don't be afraid, but I need to leave. I have to find Victor!- Do you want to go alone?It will be faster and safer this way. There are no people here...- No, no, that's right, I won't go back there, I'd rather die here.You won't die, I'll be back. Me or... if something happens to me, your father's people. But you won't die!Pustovalov quickly got ready, Dasha escorted him to the exit. The main gate was opened from the inside with a button, but a black card was required to open it from the outside and take the elevator. He gave the gun to Dasha and showed her how to use it.- Did you find out something?- Yes, I had a dream.Dasha nodded in satisfaction, as if that was an adequate explanation.If I don't make it, we'll stay here forever. We'll all stay, you know?Dasha silently looked at him, her face in the twilight was beautiful. He knew that splitting up was
UNDERGROUND 171
Mirzakarim Viktorovich took out a metal thing that looked like a giant dildo from the closet and handed it to Katya. Katya looked at the object, as if at a monstrous insect.- Take it.Katya shook her head.- We agreed. Or do you want to watch the execution?Katya took a metal phallus and threw it across the huge living room, it fell on a table made of natural stone and broke something there.Mirzakarim Viktorovich sighed.Do you know what Freud said about female penis envy?At that moment, one of Claude Debussy's melodies began to play, Mirzakarim Viktorovich aimed a small remote control at Katya and pressed something. The collar on Katya's neck blinked red, the girl grimaced, and Mirzakarim Viktorovich laughed and walked towards the door with his light gait.Outside the door stood an excited Malek the Quick.“I apologize for the unscheduled visit,” Malek began, carnivorously looking for Katya with his eyes, but she disappeared into the bedroom, “but it's worth it.- Come in, - Mirza
UNDERGROUND 172
Katya suddenly grimaced violently, clutched her neck with both hands, and cursed."What the hell are you doing with that thing?"- He gives a discharge from time to time.- That's hate.- Even some!“I thought you did well too.”“Looks like it, golden cage and all.” Yes, he does not have a chainsaw, but he seems to read my mind, as if he knows what I love and what I hate, and uses it on purpose!Kharitonov looked seriously at Katya.- I'm familiar with it.- Yes?“I know what it’s like to live with a sadist.- I can not stand.- You will survive.Katya shook her head.“You know, I think they knew they were doomed.- Who?“These fugitives. I think they still succeeded. I saw what happens in the capsules. This is worse than eternal punishment, and they just died. I think they did some sort of ritual...Kharitonov looked at Katya, watched her eyes fill with enthusiasm, and outlandish thoughts were born in his head.***The next morning, Kharitonov "checked out" and went to his block with
UNDERGROUND 173
Only now, when the true scale of General Afanasiev’s capabilities was revealed to Boris, he suddenly began to be overcome by the question: was the observed power really the result of the general’s love for his daughter, or was it due to demonstrating an answer to something that was not worth joking with.Together with Yakov, who again joined them, the trinity was pushed back by the vanguard in the person of Colonel Makarov and the commanders of the special forces. The wide pavement was flooded with dark blue minibuses, approaching from the side of the highway a convoy of Punisher and Viking armored cars.While a commando rang at the door, hiding behind a shield, from both sides of the checkpoint, "crocodiles" were moving along ladders - large figures in black uniforms and futuristic helmets with corrugated tubes. Soon, Boris heard familiar, nerve-wracking cries interspersed with obscenities. When the gates opened, the whole armada of "Punishers" and "Vikings" rushed at breakneck speed
UNDERGROUND 174
- Wait ... - Yakov ran away somewhere, quickly returned with a shovel and began to dig out the snow around Boris, but the shovel only ran into the asphalt.– Open the asphalt?– What is left?- You can ask for help.- Makarov?- Well, it’s not for nothing that they brought so much equipment. Let's try, it seems like the ball is on our side.They came to Makarov, who listened without enthusiasm and only nodded at Vindman.– His idea?In the presence of Yakov, Makarov always communicated with Vindman in a strange manner - exclusively through Yakov, as if Boris was a foreigner and Yakov was his translator.Jacob nodded.- How deep?- Thirty-six meters.Makarov made a grimace, as if he did not understand what he was talking about.Important men from Makarov's entourage did not like the idea either.- Is he serious? - Asked the fattest of them.“It’s like a local clown,” Makarov explained, “don’t pay attention. Yasha, make better plans.Yakov wanted to say something, but Boris pushed him o
UNDERGROUND 175
However, the old man nevertheless reluctantly took out an iPhone from his pocket, and, dialing a number, threw it to Windman, who barely caught it and immediately put it to his ear.In the tube there was a rollicking singing:- And I'll sit in a cabriolet-ee-ee-et. And I'll go somewhere-nibu-u-ud ...- Hello Hello! Vindman shouted. Through the singing came a familiar, confident voice. - I'm listening.- Be quiet, I can't hear you!“Excuse me, are you an idiot? - Broke through the singing.- I'm here! Vindman called out. "But there's nothing here, you're wrong!"- Did you go down?- Yes Yes!– Directly there?- Exactly!“Thirty-six meters?”“Thirty-six and a quarter!” There's nothing here!- Give me a sec…Boris listened to a couple of verses of Lyubov Uspenskaya's song. Finally, Grisha's voice resounded against her background. Boris was terribly annoyed that he almost did not hear Grisha, and besides, the connection, due to the great depth, was interrupted for a split second, from whi
Latest Chapter
Epilogue
From the panoramic window, Victor can see the San Francisco Bay, but the waters no longer impress him. He still can't get used to the Golden Gate, but the views are much duller in his research center. Somewhere out there, beyond the countryside, he discovered Sunnyvale Pond. This place reminded him of the Moscow region at all. However, this is rather a minus, Victor is too young to be nostalgic for his homeland.Out of habit, everything comes surprisingly easily to him. A psychologist friend said that there was nothing extraordinary in his phenomenon, he just pulled out a lucky lottery ticket called "beautiful parents." Victor won an international competition, and while still a student, he got a job at the Ames Research Center, and on Sunday he met the daughter of emigrants from Lithuania who work in Los Angeles. Dimon without exaggeration would put "ten". Victor never gave grades to girls. Dimon knows that Victor was born with a golden spoon in his mouth and tries to reach for him. Vi
209
An old photograph, hitting the slimy walls, slowly spinning like an autumn leaf, slowly falls into a deep well. The well is so deep and bottomless that the round hole at the top has long turned into a bright dot, and is about to completely disappear. And the photo keeps falling and falling. It depicts three boys, three of them are twenty-nine years old. One of them, dark-haired, with curly hair, stands in the middle, hugging his friends. It is slightly lower and seems to hang slightly on their shoulders. All three are smiling. The photo is old, you can see it not only in the crumpled corners, scratches and faded palette, but also in stretched sweaters and old-fashioned shirts with rolled up sleeves.The photo keeps spinning and spinning, and in one of the turns, the image on it changes. Now there are only two boys. They also hug each other and look into the camera with smiles, but the black-haired man standing between them is no longer there. It's like it never happened. Maybe it's a
208
The old man, Makarov, rushed after him, and only after them did the special forces pour out.Still running up, Boris saw a square hole in the center of the site - not at all like what he saw on the day of his last visit to the plant. Perfectly smooth, carved into cubes that were stacked near the tractor. Next to them lay a completely black device, which he saw in the photographs sent by the Special Metals Research Institute.Boris was the first to run up to the edge of the hole.Below, he saw what he had seen before - the shaft of the mine, only at the bottom of the bowl there was now a well. There was absolute bedlam going on: corpses, blood, weapons, overturned chairs, pieces of collapsed stairs and galleries. He did not immediately notice living people, but when he saw a figure crawling away from the wall, he immediately recognized it, although he had never seen it alive.- Daria! he shouted. - Daria Afanasyeva!The girl raised her head.Makarov, running up, heard Vindman's scream,
207
Before saying goodbye to life, Dasha managed to become a witness to strange events that replaced each other with kaleidoscopic speed. First, something flew from above right in the center and with a disgusting thud plopped behind the makeshift spectator box. Dasha could not see anything in such a short time, but for some reason she was sure that this was a human body. More terrible than the blow itself were the frightened cries.And here is how a deaf-mute worker jumped from the upper gallery, and with inhuman speed slipped somewhere into the darkness, she saw very well.Just then, a strange movement began. On the right, something overturned with a crash, and someone very frightened shouted something in an incomprehensible language. Apparently it was a command, because right there from the depths of the hall there was a coordinated stomp of feet.Dasha saw four of the six burner paws, above her, the other two were located on either side of her head. From above, the bright light of hang
206
Only one person directly looked at her - a stern, gloomy old man from the gallery on the second floor. She had seen him before, I think in the ninth block - an ordinary mute worker with the right of free movement. He seemed to her out of his mind, but in his current “hawkish” look there was some kind of repulsive meaningfulness, without a hint not only of compassion, but even of curbed hatred. He looked at her just like a log, dissatisfied with the fact that the log was too thin and would not give the required warmth. There was no life in that look, only cold. This is how a dead man who managed to challenge life itself would look.However, all this, even the dumb old man, she saw fragmentarily, as in a painful dream, and then completely disappeared, only the darkness above her head remained - real or in her imagination. She stopped hearing conversations, footsteps, and the creak of the wheels of the gurney; only dull pops were heard in her head, reminiscent of explosions of a gas-air
205
- Stole?Boris nodded, pointing to the picture.- On the day of the visit to Novikov, Colonel Basurov, a well-connected former member of the procurement commission of the Ministry of Defense, was with Pustovalov. Most likely, he played the role of an intermediary. He went missing that day. Since Pustovalov himself is a ghost and it is impossible to track his movements, we tracked Basurov's movements before he disappeared in the warehouse. And through him they came across a certain Dementiev. We interrogated him. Dementiev is a professional safecracker, it was he who helped Pustovalov steal the installation. He also said that there were two installations. That is, one working sample, and a spare case without filling - in fact, a dummy. But it looks like the real one. He confirmed that Pustovalov was going to sell the unit to Yasin after learning that he was behind her order on the black market. In addition to Basurov, another person went missing that day, previously in contact with Pus
204
The car ran into a minibus lying on its side, Boris opened the door, leaned half out of the passenger compartment, exposing his haggard face to the frosty wind. There was a false peace here. Distant screams and shots were drowned out by unobtrusive music, but this tiny lane adjoining Frunzenskaya Embankment bore little resemblance to the island of former life. Rather, the coldness of the future blew from him - the very one that none of them would ever find. Desolation oozed from the planed poplars gathering darkness, from the mangled cars sprinkled with snow, forever left after yesterday's accident, from under the architraves of the shifted "stalinok", from the black windows of the buildings deprived of power supply.Boris looked at the piece of paper with the address and saw how it was distorted by a five-centimeter wall, carved from a dark space ice floe. With a crackling, cascading arc, the wall passed through Windman and, outlining the front facade of a two-story Chinese restauran
203
He appeared on the bridge in a couple of minutes. Maurice, who was sitting under the window of a high tower, calmly rose and aimed his rifle at him:- One, two, three, and well, freeze! - He said cheerfully.Pustovalov obeyed and, without raising his head, said:“Using your man as bait?” Clever.“You used yours to get out too, didn’t you?”Pustovalov raised his head. Maurice saw through the eyepieces of the night vision device that Pustovalov was without night vision devices and knew that he only saw the outline of a dark silhouette in the window.- Komsomolskaya, - Maurice nodded with a smile, - now I understand why Daniker began to be so lucky before his death.- You're confusing me with someone else. I happened to be there.“Just a subway passenger?”- Exactly.Maurice burst out laughing and at that moment Pustovalov disappeared. He quickly figured out that he just jumped through a hole in the bridge.Still laughing, Maurice jumped lightly onto the bridge and called out:"You're br
202
Coming up to him, Maurice found a crumpled fireman's heat-reflecting suit and smiled. We must pay tribute, although Maurice was not upset at all. He could have guessed right away that the trick with heat guns only made sense if you were already inside. It didn't matter now. Maurice knew that infrared sensors would not be a problem for him, like everything else that they had already prepared. He knew that the one they were waiting for would go very far, perhaps even manage to reach the very end. Of course, to the end, to which he is allowed to reach. That's why Maurice was here. And Maurice was rather upset if the one they were waiting for deceived his expectations.After walking a few more meters, Maurice saw a shining helmet with a visor-mirror in the bushes, and his smile grew wider. No, as long as he did not deceive his expectations.***Having reached the northern section of the bypass route, Kruchina quieted down and took a step. Moving along the trodden path, he soon came to two