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UNDERGROUND 79
Pustovalov was surprised that he himself had not thought of what the old man was talking about, but he soon realized that he simply needed more time for similar decisions. And since time is a very important variable when escaping from armed thugs, his decisions were less elegant and more focused on action.Meanwhile, they had already reached the stairs, and no one had appeared in the passage behind them.“Now they know where we've gone, but they'll have another task to solve soon. Not sure if they can handle it. - Said the old man, pacing with his crane-like gait where Victor and Pustovalov ran four minutes ago.Victor even noticed a black dash on the step from the sole of his sneaker.– How do you do it? Victor asked.The old man took a few short breaths - apparently some kind of breathing exercises - and then spoke to the wall, so that Victor did not even immediately understand that this was the answer to his question.- I'm walking strictly along one branch at a distance of about t
UNDERGROUND 80
Are you not afraid of them at all?You don't have to follow my example. They are dangerous for you, - the old man looked narrowly at Victor with his blind eyes and turned to Pustovalov.“Your Sancho Panza is really bad.“He got it,” Pustovalov agreed.“Let him rest, you will need his help.”The tunnel they were going through was old, perfectly round, and well lit. All the lamps located on both sides above the cables worked. The light reflected off the rails and painted menacing shadows on the walls. Probably, all this is bad, Victor thought, but watching the old man, he again drew attention to his icy calmness.With the help of Pustovalov, the old man climbed onto the concrete parapet along the wall, which he called the shield penetration. He moved along it quite freely, lightly touching the cables with his palm, and pressing the canvas bag with his other hand. His tall figure, slightly bent under the lamps, reminded Victor of a textbook magician from fantasy sagas.Soon, Victor began
UNDERGROUND 81
The car stopped in front of a three-story red brick building, lost somewhere in the industrial zone in the east of Moscow. The light from the lanterns of the neighboring street streamed from the window failures of the upper floor. Getting out onto the snow-covered sidewalk, Boris saw a sign nailed to the extreme pediment: "Tkatskaya Street, house 18."Between the first and second floors, under the semicircular canopy of the entrance group, there was a laconic sign - "Dining Room". Under it is an old metal door, without a porch and steps - the first floor here merged with the ground level, this could be judged by the low-lying boarded-up windows. Outside, they were covered with a fine chain-link mesh.“It doesn't look like there's an airfield nearby,” Boris said.- Still not used to the surprises of the authorities? - Jacob reacted gloomily.- You get used to the bad for a long time.The first floor was obviously inhabited and may have been used as some sort of warehouse or something.
UNDERGROUND 82
- Who?- Your pi..kindness!Boris leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms. His face was on fire from the balaclava.– What is under the building of your office in Moscow? - He asked.- I have no idea. Look, you won't find them anyway. All your questions show that you have the brain of a chicken. I understand why we are here. You don't know anything about your work. I mean in what you are obliged to do there according to your position. It's all boring to me. Let's better go ahead, what's on your schedule. I won't say anything more.Vindman took off his balaclava. The mustachioed man frowned, and Makarov smiled his dismissive smile - they say, well, I told you he was an idiot. He really did smile every now and then, especially when Stotsky insulted Boris.“Stotsky, if you haven’t understood yet, I’ll repeat - I don’t give a damn about your bosses and my own, too,” Vindman began, not approaching the microphone, “even if they are really wet there, I’m not sure that the authorities will
UNDERGROUND 83
Pustovalov noticed a change in Victor's behavior. Habitual good nature was replaced by defiant recklessness and inept irony. The guy seemed to be going through a belated transitional age. But Pustovalov did not at all see himself in the role of a parent, forced to endure all this. But still he endured. And not only because he needed Victor, but because he liked him anyway. At the Lubyanka, Pustovalov suggested moving to the next stage, and Victor deliberately slowly climbed onto the platform and imposingly crossed the hall, copying the apparently crazy old man. And although the station was empty, in a different scenario, such a trick could cost them dearly.Why hide when there are cameras all around? - Victor mowed down "for a fool". - I'm still silent about the volumes. I hope you know they're all over the place?Pustovalov pretended not to notice the barbs. He guessed that Victor was offended because of the incident with the hunter. Perhaps Pustovalov went too far then, which he reg
UNDERGROUND 84
You are a master no doubt. But there is no command. You just masterfully use everyone, including me.We are a team as long as we have a common goal.- In fact of the matter. We have no common goal. For example, I don't want to go to Komsomolskaya. Why am I going there? Just because you said.- Victor, we discussed this. There is an exit, a depot, and you yourself said that your home is there.“Home,” Victor smiled sourly, “do you know what my house is? A fucking cold empty room in a communal flat. With a fucking air mattress. With an empty refrigerator. I pissed on my last pair of jeans, ripped my only sneakers, my pockets were empty, my score was zero. Do you think this is the house you want to return to?- Do you have a family?“My father died when I was little. There is a mother who, immediately after his death, jumped out to marry an old man who looked like Belmondo and bore him three children. She loves them, but not me. 'Cause I look like someone she never loved.Pustovalov look
UNDERGROUND 85
– Are you out of your mind?! - Katya was taken aback.“They won’t kill you,” Victor supported Pustovalov and, pointing to Kharitonov, added, “but if he comes out first, he may be mistaken for one of them.”– We have no choice. There are no weapons. You can't go back. Victor and I have inherited too much there.- Yes, go fuck yourself! - Katya did not let up.“Perhaps they know you,” Victor looked at Dasha.Are you saying that there...“Their enemies are our friends.Dasha looked at Victor, trying to understand him. But the "new" Victor looked unperturbed.“I won't go ahead. – Completed the “discussion” Katya.“I’ll go,” Dasha stepped forward.Pustovalov sighed. He convinced himself that there was no other option.They walked in silence, stretched out in a chain. It was not much brighter at the Red Gate than in the tunnel. The only source of light was hiding somewhere in the hall. Toli from poor light, or from fatigue, it seemed to Pustovalov that the pylons and walls at the station we
UNDERGROUND 86
"Okay, what's the clue?"- We need to interrogate one traffic cop. There are few details, but something related to Daniker.– Yes, what is this “daniker”?- The name of the commander of the special forces group, who disappeared during the assault. He... Are you listening?Boris looked into the well of the tunnel.- It's hot out there...- What?- Yes, I understand, - Boris raised an unseeing glance at Yakov, - let's go.- Okay, I'll just wash my hands. Meet me at the car.When Yakov was washing his hands, a frightened Tkachenko burst into the toilet.- There ... Your colleague, he ....- What?“He seems to have gone mad. He undressed and...Yakov removed Tkachenko and returned to the basement. Vindman was nowhere to be found, only his clothes were scattered on the floor, and the sounds of blows could be heard from the tunnel.Yakov descended into the tunnel, lit only by a hand-held portable lantern placed on a stool. Behind her, Vindman, stripped to his underpants, was digging a tunne