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UNDERGROUND 18
inevitable predestination.Victor reread the phrase in a square with an arrow pointing three cells to the right. How simple. It is strange that the person who solved almost the entire scanword did not write this word in three cells. Moreover, in the middle there was already an “o”, formed by an intersection with a four-letter word, conceived as “a precious stone and a male nuisance”.Victor chuckled, crossed his legs and again began to look at the girl. Maybe the Wi-Fi was up, or maybe she was just looking at the pictures, but her beautiful, focused face again shone with the pale light of the display.Unexpectedly, the aesthetic contemplation of almost absolute harmony was broken by a bow-legged bearish figure. The bear-man appeared in Victor's field of vision, and blocked all the space in front of his eyes, including, of course, the girl.The man grabbed the handrail with his paws, and with the dexterity of an animal, sat down next to the girl. Apparently it was some kind of instinct
UNDERGROUND 19
The faces looked back questioningly. Pustovalov gently pushed the dark-haired girl aside, went up to the door and, with an unexpectedly confident movement, as if he had been doing this all his life, tore off the seal and pulled the fastening lug of the door leaf towards him. There was a soft hiss. Pustovalov put his hand through the crack in the door and with energetic jerks pushed the door leaf to the left.The gorilla wrinkled its sloping forehead.At that very moment, the light went out, and everyone felt what pitch darkness meant at a depth of fifty meters.The light soon came on, but now it burned dimly, as if it lacked power.Pustovalov peered into the tunnel, smelling a thick smell of dust, creosote and metal shavings. To the right was total darkness. On the left it was a little brighter, although Pustovalov thought that the headlights should burn brighter.The girl with the crocodile followed his actions with the same shamelessly childish gaze.– What is there? she asked.Pust
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- Who? - Asked the brunette.The guy shrugged.What about in the other cars?“I saw someone next door. There seemed to be a person there.“I think there was a bum sleeping there.”- If the train does go, it will not be very soon.- Some garbage and the phone does not work. Does everyone have it?- It does not work for me.- The network does not catch.Listening to conversations in the dark, Pustovalov climbed into the control cabin, lit the floor with a flashlight. There was no subject. A pack of Winstons had also shifted and now lay against the far wall - apparently the "goal" scattered everything around when he stared at his display, but did not notice the most necessary thing.Pushing back his chair, he began to carefully examine the floor and soon found what he was looking for. The trihedral key lay under the control unit near the partition. Pustovalov picked it up, inserted it into the well, and opened the inner door.- Come here! - He said to the shadows in the car.- Praise the
UNDERGROUND 21
Well, thought Pustovalov - the same fragments of the same nightmare. How quickly people approach in a closed space.“For some reason, I just feel like I should have gone back.”"So why didn't you go?" Pustovalov asked.- I'm not used to breaking away from the team. Also, I'm afraid of the dark.- And if everything is closed there, they might not let us out? Katya asked, turning her head to Pustovalov.- They can. - said Pustovalov and looked at Kharitonov. “But there are those among us who will not be deterred.When the bright square of the station appeared far ahead and the path went uphill, Pustovalov shouted to Victor to turn off the lantern.- From whom are we burning? Romik asked conspiratorially.- Did you buy this lamp in the store?Victor switched off the flashlight.What about phones too?- Yes.Kharitonov stopped, letting the others through.- Is that why you came back? he asked from the darkness when Pustovalov caught up with him.– What are you talking about?“You are not
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Looking back at the dark station, at the end of which a heavy bas-relief depicting Lenin was attached, he began to rise. Unlike the others, he went not along the central, but along the left escalator.Pustovalov quickly caught up with Kharitonov, who was lagging noticeably behind, and now they were climbing up the neighboring escalators. The giant looked up at Katya, but hearing a thin peep on Pustovalov's watch, he turned his head.What will they do to you when they catch you?- What are you talking about, buddy?Kharitonov spat, starting to fall behind Pustovalov.- You have an interesting watch - it goes backwards.Pustovalov chuckled.“I think I understand why no one can stand you.Kharitonov wheezed, trying to laugh and suppress his shortness of breath at the same time.The next second, a sharp whistle made them turn their heads.A fat man was descending down the third escalator, to whom the guys whistled and shouted, but the fat man ignored them. He looked unusual: a gleaming ba
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Pustovalov was the first to run down the escalator, but was soon overtaken by an Asian. Dasha ran after her, followed by Kharitonov, stomping deafeningly and threatening to break through the escalator. Victor ran after Dasha, and Romik and Katya ran along the nearby escalator.- Aaaaaaaaa!!! - It sounded furiously from above. Someone up there with superhuman strength scattered fences.Katya squealed in fear somewhere behind the left under the clatter of feet.The Asian was the first to jump out at the station, and disappeared under the arch. Pustovalov ran out next, noticing that the Adidas bag had disappeared, as well as the padlock on the metal door. The Asiatic has already overcome half of the hall, and sped off up the stairs of the transition to Rimskaya.Pustovalov ran on, passed the nearest pylon and hid behind the next one. Kharitonov, who overtook Dasha, followed him. Both were breathing heavily. Pustovalov wrinkled his forehead, peering around the corner. In the center of the
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- Terrorists?“Well, ISIS or something like that.- And what can be captured on Ilyich Square?- How do I know! I'm just saying we don't know everything.Kharitonov again caught up with Pustovalov.Are you sure we are on the right track?– Do we have a choice?- I'll go back. Katya stated.- Are you joking? Roman was surprised.“What makes you think they need us?”“This is a shock,” Victor “explained”.- It's not a shock! Do you think they're sitting there waiting for us? They have some business there. We just got caught in a hot hand.- You squealed all over the subway!“What, you want to go back to those monkeys?” Kharitonov turned to her.- The monkey is you!“So, back in the carriage, I was right about you?”- Yes, you went!Victor quickened his pace, caught up with Pustovalov, who was quickly moving away from everyone, who took out a Simon Coll chocolate umbrella from his backpack and began to unwrap the wrapper.- Listen, on the "Ploshchad Ilyich", in that room, what did you see
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Pustovalov crossed the tracks, climbed onto the platform from the tunnel side, peered through the grated door into the opposite portal, the only place that bothered him. However, he understood that it was foolish to set up an ambush there.Pulling up the strap of his backpack, he tucked the Walther into his belt, then climbed over the railing and climbed onto the platform. Silently stepping, he reached the first opening. Looked into the hall. On the marble column opposite, a bright blue sticker pointed with an arrow "exit to the city." It was from there that music and a mechanical rumble rushed, which, as Pustovalov now understood, was emitted by a working escalator.Leaning his back against the wide end of the wall, he began to shift to the left, gradually opening up a view. Silver-crystal, like corkscrews, lamps of the main hall and a row of pylons appeared before my eyes. A double staircase led from the center of the hall into the space above the opposite paths. The deserted hall e