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UNDERGROUND 44
Pustovalov walked along a narrow corridor towards a black cloud - he did not know why and did not feel threatened, his legs themselves carried him. The sand creaked underfoot, like at that abandoned construction site where he had smashed his head a little earlier, failing to jump to the edge of the concrete slab. And he knew that here the sand is exactly the same. Moreover, it is the same sand. There, a layer of quartz hid the concrete base of a giant hangar, which had grown old, but remained unfinished. Here, under the sand, the floor was also light gray, and the same block walls. The walls had been shifted, making the hallway unnaturally narrow, in violation of all building codes. A dim, mortar-splattered, twenty-four-watt bulb illuminated the passage every fifteen meters. There were only nine left before dark. Passing the fifth, Pustovalov heard a child's cry. He had heard it before too. Pustovalov looked down and saw the movement of his own legs. The steps were unusually small and
UNDERGROUND 45
- Let's! shouted Kharitonov.Romik and Viktor ran, and Pustovalov moved with his back to the "glass", emptying the last magazine of the MKV-15.***While one hand of the athlete was holding Katya, the other, with the strength of a rail excavator, lifted Dasha and placed her on her shoulder. For an athlete, judging by deep breathing, this was not difficult. Both girls squealed, especially Katya, who beat the athlete rather bitingly on her bare back and stone buttocks.- Quietly, - the athlete used to say, - save your strength.Alina met them downstairs. The giant's girlfriend smiled, in her blue eyes - a little fright, but more - delight and excitement. Chest under the gray T-shirt heaving. Dasha managed to read the inscription in English "Take me after the party."But the blows from above washed away the smile from the fox's face, turning her face into a mask - as if without a smile, her face ceased to be a face. Sinking down on Inga's shoulder to the lower level, Dasha noticed how Al
UNDERGROUND 46
For the first time, he noticed a strange glow above the boom when the workers finished changing the fourth section. He just turned in his chair to check whether there was still room in the Aqua Minerale bottle, and at that moment a beam hit his left eye through the arrow joints, which he at first mistook for a sun glare from the belvedere of the Prometheus business center "- the only building above it in the district.He tried not to think about anything because of a full bladder and therefore did not attach any importance to this, only some vague thought noted that for a glare the beam was too insistent, changeable and as if purposeful. And only when the sun completely disappeared behind the new buildings, the glow finally really interested him.It was, of course, not the lack of sunlight or the fact that the glow interfered with work. At the construction site, there are more than enough such sources. The fact was that this contraption shone at a height of one hundred and thirty mete
UNDERGROUND 47
It snowed all Sunday and Monday until late in the evening, when the temperature rose, turning the precipitation into a slush. On Tuesday morning, it suddenly froze and a blue sky opened up over Moscow, without a single cloud.- No, dad, we just left the Moscow Ring Road. We didn't even get to the bypass. Everything costs from the third ring! The man behind the wheel of the black Kia Surato grimaced, trying to outshout his sons screaming behind him. - I dont know! And don't call me yet, I'll turn off the phone.Putting away the smartphone, the man cast a sidelong glance at his wife.- Ira, don't look like that, I just forgot.“You yourself will grumble when called.- If you're talking about that terrorist attack, then ...- Listen, who calls you at all except for work?You parents...- You have already talked with your parents, and I am already here.The man ran his finger across the Samsung display. His palms were disproportionately large.Everything, airplane. Only they will get thro
UNDERGROUND 48
- There is also a traffic cop ahead. - Irina said, looking out the window from her side.– What is he doing?“Just walks between cars.Where is he looking?- He ... Down ... He looks at the numbers!- So I thought! Boris stated.- What?They are looking for someone.- Who, dad? Terrorists?Boris shook his head.A vaguely recognizable tune played. Boris heard this sound so rarely that he was surprised at its unexpected loudness.- Yes. He heard his son's voice behind him.The parents looked at each other and turned around at the same time. They completely forgot that their children use their smartphone not only for games and tik-tok.The boy handed the smartphone to his father.- You.- Is that grandpa?The son shook his head.- Who?- I do not know.Boris took his son's smartphone. The wife watched her husband in fear. Watched his face change. How the warmth leaves, how the wrinkle on the bridge of the nose reappears. As he exhales, between the short, muffled "yes" and "so sure," the
UNDERGROUND 49
Pustovalov could not understand how such huge spaces in the center of Moscow remained undeveloped. It could accommodate several shopping centers or a museum.All this bothered him, but most of all - a corpse in a suit on the stairs in a concrete glass. Judging by the severity, lead, steel, or even tungsten could have been used in the suit. The corpse's legs were hard, there must have been plates there. And those faces above, looking through the glasses of spacesuit helmets... All this led to bad thoughts.Under the measured murmur of a reasonable voice, broadcasting something about an expensive three-story mansion on Taganskaya with false windows and six-meter-thick walls, Pustovalov again began to fall asleep and floated this time through the tunnel.Pustovalov wanted to see something, at least to remain sighted in a dream, but sounds dominated here. Again water and again fear. The source of the fear was now behind him. It's your turn, the thought pounded in my head. Your turn. Pusto
UNDERGROUND 50
How did they differ?- Well, firstly, they were all older, and secondly ... - Pustovalov thought, - unusual. So I remember a guy lived in the room with me, he was three years older than me. This guy knew how to hide in a room so that it was impossible to find him. Well, simple, even if the room is two by two and there is no furniture. Then I found out that he is always behind your back, and for some reason they called him “boar”. Everyone there had such strange animal nicknames.- Everyone has? And you too?- And I have.- And what was yours?- I don't remember. Something petty.- Maybe a weasel?“Ha ha, maybe,” Pustovalov laughed, “I don’t know, there was such a man in the blue uniform of an aviation lieutenant colonel. He told me that the stronger your abilities, the bigger the beast in your nickname. Apparently my abilities were the most miserable.- And what were you doing there?- Nothing special. We played something similar to orienteering, wandered through the forest and abando
UNDERGROUND 51
The general - strong, stern and stately - as a colonel general should be, listened intently to the meow, which came alternately and exactly from different cat's throats. The falsetto of a young cat had just meowed, and now a large village cat was howling in a long way. Each meow was preceded by the click of a selector switch. After another such click, instead of meowing, there was a jerky bark. The colonel-general frowned and barked loudly into the microphone:- Swamp cat, fuck your mother!The barking was immediately replaced by the squeaking of a cat that spotted a sparrow outside the window.Boris looked at the bowed head of the general. His hair was thick and black, but with grey. His clean-shaven face looked focused. The black-eyed man in civilian clothes finally tore his eyes away from Boris, and leaning towards the general whispered something to him.“You didn’t go to work today,” said the Colonel General, raising a piercing look at Boris.Obviously, first of all, it was a ques