Chapter 5

At that moment, a soft creak and footsteps were heard behind. Basurov pressed himself into an armchair. Pustovalov crossed his arms. A giant with the face of a professor came out from behind and handed Yasin a white smartphone.

Yasin showed them the display of the smartphone. On the screen of the smartphone, the connection time was indicated in large numbers: 02:41 ... 02:42 ... 02:43 ...

- Yasin, we agreed that at twelve-thirty your people would get in touch. - Said Pustovalov. If they're already there, then...

Yasin looked at him.

- ... let them go straight.

“Go straight ahead,” Yasin immediately repeated into his smartphone.

Pustovalov imagined the place where Yasin's people were now - a huge deserted parking lot, covered with an untouched layer of snow. Rows of lonely lanterns, under whose light cones whirlwinds of snow rush.

- After three hundred meters turn, drive on. He heard his own voice.

- After three hundred meters, turn, drive through. – Echo repeated Yasin.

- Behind him parking ...

Yasin reported to the smartphone everything that Pustovalov said.

Pustovalov understood that right now he was voicing a reverse account of his own life. But this understanding did not prevent him from replaying the entire path in his head over and over again in search of an error. What he saw below spoke of its undoubted presence. Seconds flowed, with each indication of Pustovalov, Yasin's people got closer and closer to the LXN-1000.

Pustovalov presented this apparatus and suddenly realized what was the matter.

- First snow.

- What?

- It's probably all over there.

Yasin looked suspiciously at Basurov, who suddenly began to slide in his chair.

Pustovalov turned to Basurov.

- Where next, Igor?

- What?

Pustovalov imperturbably waited for an answer.

- People are waiting.

The Colonel voted on the second try.

“What… So this…”

Yasin's hand, clutching the phone, began to slowly lower.

Hearing the quiet sound of moving chairs, Pustovalov slowly placed his right palm over his left.

Yasin gave a thumbs up.

- Go to the end. Basurov's trembling voice sounded.

- Drive to the end! - Yasin immediately repeated into the phone, looking suspiciously at Pustovalov.

Basurov also looked puzzled at Pustovalov, and perhaps it was his calm appearance that brought the colonel to his senses - his voice sounded more confident.

- Opposite the agricultural market you will see ... "Gazelle" with a blue awning.

- With a blue awning ... Yes, they see.

– The key is behind the rear wheel rim.

Yasin passed and leaned back in his chair.

- What was it?

- Everything is fine, Yasin, - said Pustovalov, - just one more safety net.

- Insurance?

Pustovalov spread his hands. Now he knew that his mistake had a first and last name.

“It’s better to be safe once again than to let down respected people.

Pustovalov understood that Yasin's people went to Matvey Bocharov and he was either bought or captured. If that's the case, then he should be among Yassin's men in the parking lot by now. Bocharov is the only one who, apart from Pustovalov, knows the code, but he does not know that the device has a duplicate. If this assumption is correct, then Bocharov will enter the wrong code using a single input attempt, and then Pustovalov will have a chance. Illusory, but a chance. If only the colonel did not disappoint.

Seconds passed, Yasin's smartphone was silent.

They should be able to unlock the car and get to the device by now.

At this time, Yasin picked up the smartphone again.

- What's yelling there?

- Yasin, - Pustovalov stood up, holding out a piece of paper, - there is protection there, you need a code.

Why didn't you give it to me right away?

- But we agreed. Your people ask for a code - we give. Are they morons and introduced him at random?

Yasin said nothing.

Pustovalov sat down. Yasin studied Pustovalov.

- Well done. And now what?

- Now just wait until the battery sits down and cut ... There is titanium, a hydrocut or a cutter will be required ... You would tell them not to stick their hands without engineers.

There is an engineer there.

- He confirmed?

- Confirmed.

“Well, is everything all right then?”

Yasin was silent.

“If so, we would like to have our share.

Yasin paused, to which Pustovalov was already accustomed, and made a sign. A servant appeared out of nowhere with a brown leather bag and placed it on the table in front of Basurov.

Basurov pulled the bag towards him with a trembling hand.

At that moment, Yasin raised his index finger and the servant grabbed Basurov sharply by the wrist.

“Interesting,” Yasin said, turning to Pustovalov, “a businessman, negotiator, former athlete.”

- Decent biography. Pustovalov smiled.

Yasin pointed to Basurov.

“Wife, two kids, three bad loans, fired for stealing trailers. All that is stolen, spends on cheap whores and treatment of prostatitis. Here is the biography. Yours is missing details.

“I just choose my social circle carefully.

Yasin grinned and, after a short pause, waved to the servant to let go of Basurov's hand.

– May I have a question? - Asked Pustovalov, taking the bag from Basurov.

- Can.

Who needs all this?

Pustovalov opened the bag, looked at the dark pink packets, and looked up.

- More precisely, not even to whom, but for what?

Yasin got up.

- From time to time it occurs to someone that you can impose your own rules on the world. But this is an illusion. All these new rules are just old chaos, and then someone has to clean up the crap. - He said. - Good luck.

Pustovalov got up.

Yasin came close to Pustovalov, looked into his eyes and unexpectedly hugged him.

***

“You sly son of a bitch, Sanya!

In the elevator, the cheerful colonel's tongue loosened, but Pustovalov pressed him against the wall.

- Listen to me carefully. We have very little time.

- What? Back off, dummy!

But the colonel began to understand something. He wasn't a fool after all.

“It will be crowded downstairs. Don't stop anywhere, don't react to anything...

- Sanya...

- ... whatever they tell you - do not answer.

- Something happened?

We need to get into my car.

The Colonel looked into his eyes.

“You… sold him a real machine, didn’t you?”

- Igor, I'm not kidding.

- Seriously? Have you decided that you can fool this person?

The elevator stopped.

“Do you… do you have it in your blood?” Some instinct - you just can't help but cheat? Give me the bag!

Pustovalov grabbed Basurov's hand. He was much stronger than the colonel.

- You did not understand? We were not going to be let out of here from the very beginning.

- You are sick!

- Just get in the car. Then we'll discuss everything.

The Colonel shook his head.

- I'm not involved in this.

The elevator doors opened.

They were all downstairs.

- Let's go!

Pustovalov pushed the colonel into the vestibule. The colonel immediately broke free and tried to return to the elevator, but the doors had already closed, the elevator went upstairs.

Basurov clicked the call button.

“Let’s go,” Pustovalov repeated through clenched teeth, but the colonel had already moved to the stairs.

Don't let him leave! the colonel shouted, running up the stairs.

Pustovalov sighed. Even without this cry, no one was going to "let him leave." Pustovalov walked past the bearded men and went out into the street and stopped. Cold air and a whirlwind of prickly snowflakes hit my face.

"BMW X5" is already well covered. He still stood out from the row by half a body. The passenger door was about fifteen meters away.