— Kurganov!
— Listening.
— Go to hell.
And turned off the radio.
Vera suddenly laughed. Quietly, nervously, but laughed.
— You are crazy, Nikolai Petrovich. A real madman.
— Maybe, — I agreed. — But conscience is clean.
We sat in the dark, the three of us. Another night ahead. And in the morning Kurganov will come. And then everything will be decided. Alina, whom I considered a burden, saved Vera at a critical moment. Dragged her out from under fire, covered her with herself. In her eyes was no longer fear, but steel.
They came at dawn. I didn’t sleep all night. Sat on the upper position, looked into the darkness. Wound in the shoulder throbbed with dull pain, but I paid no attention. Pain is good. Pain means you are still alive. Uglyum lay nearby, putting his muzzle on his paws. Didn’t sleep either. I saw his eyes glinting in the moonlight. Loyal friend. Only one who was with me all these 11 years. Who never betrayed, never lied, never demanded anything but a bowl of food and a kind word.
— What, brother? — I said quietly. — Last fight?
He raised his head, looked at me.
I ruffled his scruff.
— Nothing. We’ll break through.
First I heard motors, then voices, then saw them. Two vehicles drove into the clearing before the gorge. All-terrain vehicles. Military. With cabins. People climbed out of the first one. Five. In camouflage. With weapons. In uniform. With major’s stars on shoulder straps. Second — in civilian clothes, but with a pistol on belt.
Third… Third I recognized immediately. Although never saw before. Short. Stout. With a round face and small eyes. Dressed expensively. Leather jacket. Good boots. On finger — massive ring. Holds himself confidently. Like a master. Kurganov in person.
He stepped forward. Took out a megaphone. Voice echoed through the gorge, reflecting off the cliffs.
— Ranger! I know you are there! Come out! Let’s talk! — I was silent. — I brought Major Sizov from the district police department. Everything will be according to the law. You surrender, we detain escaped criminals, and no one else gets hurt. I give my word.
Funny.
— You have five minutes, ranger. Then we come. And then there will be no mercy.
I looked down at our position. Vera lay behind a boulder, rifle ready. Alina next to her, in cover. Pale, but calm. In these days she changed. Matured, or simply shed the husk of fear, exposed what was inside. Steel. Real steel.
Five minutes passed.
— Well then… — Kurganov’s voice became harder. — You chose yourself!
He waved his hand. His people moved forward, scattered in a chain, like yesterday. Only now there were more of them, and they knew about traps. Bypassed the first pit. Second too. Cut the tripwires. Worked competently.
They entered the gorge neck. Narrow place. Ten meters, no more. Ideal for ambush. But they understood this too. Walked carefully, covering each other.
“Time.”
I pulled the rope. Three birches, sawed the day before, crashed down. One knocked two mercenaries off their feet, pinned them. Second blocked the passage. Third fell right in front of Kurganov, forced him to recoil.
And then it began.
Vera opened fire from below, from behind the boulder. Short bursts, aimed. One mercenary fell, second rolled aside, third lay down. I fired from above. Ammo low. Every shot counts. Winged another one, in the leg. He howled, crawled back. Kurganov was yelling something into the radio. Major Sizov, that one in police uniform, fired somewhere into the white light. Coward. Immediately visible. Desk rat. Not a fighter.
Minute. Two. Three. Mercenaries retreated. Lay behind trees, behind stones. Snapped back with bursts of fire, but didn’t poke into the gorge. Understood: death is there.
Lull.
— Think you’ll sit there until old age? — Kurganov’s voice rang out. — I have time. I have people. I have connections. And you have nothing. Sooner or later we will get you. And then…
— Kurganov!…
Comments are closed.