UNDERGROUND

57

The bald man with piercing bulging eyes carefully examined the certificate and even more attentively - Boris's face, as if he worked as an ophthalmologist.

- I'm from Colonel Makarov, - said Boris, driven by the beast, - to Fedotov.

“They’ll come out to see you now,” the bald man said, and Boris began to wait impatiently, tapping his boot toe.

The Beast did not like to wait, but for now he controlled it.

Five minutes later, the bald man's partner in a black minibus called someone again, and finally, Boris was allowed to go to Fedotov on his own.

- Wait on the first floor at the entrance, he will come.

Boris was more than satisfied with this. Maybe it will be possible to enter before Fedotov comes to him?

To his delight, that is exactly what happened. Boris went through the locked carousel door, nodded businesslike to the guard at the entrance, and also busily headed for the stairs, trying to portray a man who knows where he is going. The huge hall was dim, but the rooms on the right,