Реклама. ООО «ЛитРес», ИНН: 7719571260.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
"Hello, Colonel," she said, as she recovered quickly "Hello. Katya Bodnarchuk, right? Did I startle you?"
"Nor did I. How is the work going?"
"That involves the reactor rooms?" asked Sergey
"Any problems?" asked Sergey politely
"Good!" said Sergey
"I have it, Colonel. Thank you."
"I’m on it, Colonel," answered Elovach
Elovach stood, deferring to his departing superior
I am counting on it, thought Sergey, to himself. Sergeant Ivanekov was actually a cover name for the intelligence agent in Zhigansk who posed as a liaison officer for the military
Chapter 7
"News, Sergey." "I can speak freely, General; go ahead."
"What did you decide?" asked Sergey
"And the Army?"
"True enough," agreed Sergey
"What's the next move for FSB, General?"
"You can count on it, General." Sergey reflected on the continual fear in every Russian: who will be the next person to threaten the stability of one’s life, of the life of the nation? His mother insisted men should not be running the world because they love to fight. They love to fight and put everything on the line, their lives, their families’ lives, the survival of the whole human species. They always believed they would win even if they lost over and over and over again, she said. “You don’t see the women starting wars, do you?” she said. Well, the women would have to get hold of all the weapons if they ever wanted to change the recklessness of men
Chapter 8
Disposition: (September 3, 1992)
"Did you complete your measurements?" asked Sergey "Yes, Colonel. Thank you," she replied rather indifferently "Good."
"And your problem is?" he inquired gently
"Go on," he prompted as she paused
"All right, Colonel. You get the fifty ruble lecture," she said
"Yes. In dangerous work, boredom can kill you. Go on."
"An extremely powerful lure," she agreed, reaching over and tapping her pen on the desk as her enthusiasm increased
"Some, of course, but I needed a better understanding and I thank you. No one will accuse you of not knowing your job.” Sergey replied
"If that's all, Colonel, I will be on my way."
"Welllll," responded Katya more comfortably
Chapter 9
Sergey agreed
Chapter 10
Below that was another note, added later in the day
"No. Just tell me what you know."
"Is gasoline kept in the machine shop?"
"Do you have any suspects, Zonda?"
"Correct, Colonel." "Let us have a look, shall we?"
"Was there an explosion?"
Zonda peered at it and asked, "What is it?"
It looked like a dead end
"Except if it has been jammed by a wrench?" "Exactly, Colonel" "Thank you for your help, Zonda."
Sergey decided to let it lie there; give Zonda time to recall the breakin
"Why is there grit on the blotter?" he wondered
Sergey telephoned Yuri at home "Can you come over to my office now? The back way."
Chapter 11
"You suspect him, Sergey?" asked General Samocherny "I have him on my short list." "Do you need anything else?" "Not now, General. I will call you when I have news." Sergey broke the connection and stowed the telephone
Chapter 12
She smiled and said, "Good evening, Colonel."
Katya smiled and led the way to the car
"Shall we?" he asked "Yes," she replied
"Uncle Sergey!" she cried, "You came. You came."
Chapter 13
"Do you have your identity pass, Sir?" asked the guard. Sergey held up his card "Thank you, Colonel."
"Did you deliver the case successfully?"
"You did not get much sleep then, Elovach."
"Did you enjoy the party last night?" asked Elovach slyly
Chapter 14
"Sergey here," he said
"Its very late for you there, General," commented Sergey
"Very good. What have you found out about Bechinkov?"
"Any word about him since then?" Sergey knew too well that there were few options for ex-agents of the KGB, private security agencies that are springing up in an attempt to combat the increase of industrial crime. The other, of course, was the new Russian Mafia. “If I had to put money on Bechinkov's choice, I would bet on the Mafia or a personalized version.”
"Keep your head down, Sergey."
Sergey turned off the phone and turned to his monitors
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
The men stopped and looked questioningly at her. Sergey noticed that every time he looked at Katya he saw something different that he liked about her. He saw her serious expression just as welcome as her happier expressions, her emotions were an open window at the moment, but he knew she could be guarded and unreadable when she chose to be
Chapter 17
"Any disturbances?" asked Sergey "No, Colonel," was the reply
"I'm going to have a look in the tunnel, Zonda." "Shall I come with you, Colonel?" offered the chief "No need. I’ll be back soon."
Chapter 18
"Colonel?" she asked
"What do you mean?"
"Only when I think it might work," he rejoined warmly
"Now I'm really curious. So tell me," she urged him
Chapter 19
"What's happening here?" he asked
The telephone rang and he took it "Yes?" he said, with the handset to his ear
"No, what do you have?" asked Sergey
He started the big elapsed time clock on the console "I can't get the moderator frame to move."
"But how ... " Katya started to say and trailed off
"Two minutes gone," yelled Vladimir
Semislav's relief was obvious, so was Sergey's
He hurried off to the shower room
"One of the security men will take him. I need you here."
The clock showed that six minutes had already elapsed
"Is it safe to leave it alone now?" asked Sergey "I'm sure of it," said Vladimir, confidently. The reactor crisis was over
He pocketed his handkerchief and continued investigating
"The report will be printed in a minute."
"I believe I will. Good night, Colonel"
Chapter 20
"If they only knew," replied Yuri
Chapter 21
Sergey's intercom buzzed. It was Mrs. Satkova calling "Colonel, can I come up and clean?"
He tapped the telephone dialer and waited a moment "Security Crew Room, " was the curt reply
"Of course, Colonel," replied the Security Crew Chief
There were no active alarms. The vault appeared to be safe
Sergey turned to go when Zonda stopped him
"Did you lose any arms?" asked Sergey
Sergey needed a change of scene. He went home. In the distance, to the south, the white snow spread for miles to a spread of evergreens in the far distance. Later in winter, some of those trees would snap and crack like rifle shots when the temperature went down to 40 below. Closer, three spindly leafless deciduous trees were silhouetted lonely in front of the sunset that was turning yellow, orange, pink, and red to dark blue as the day faded
"Good evening, Anna. How are you?" he asked Katya’s landlady
Sitting up, Sergey asked, "What is it, Anna?"
"Yes, go on, Anna," prompted Sergey
"Go on, Anna," prompted Sergey again
"No, Colonel, she has not come back from her walk yet."
"So?" asked Medved
Finally, Elovach spoke again "Are you sure you have everything you need?"
"What about the truck. What did you get?"
"What do you take us for, amateurs? Everything is ready." There was a snort of disdain and a snigger from Kotka "For your sakes, you better be right," said Elovach, peeved
There was silence, then Elovach continued
Sergey could hear the rustle of a map being opened
Again, Sergey heard the sound of the map
There was a silent pause. Then Elovach asked, "Any questions?"
"How much is this going to be worth?" asked Medved "Somewhere around six million rubles," replied Elovach. Sergey heard low whistles from both Medved and Kotka
Chapter 22
"I'll be over in a few minutes" replied Yuri
"Yes," agreed Sergey, "as long as they stay true to form."
Chapter 23
"Ready to be relieved?" asked the young guard
"Don't worry. I can handle myself. I'm no vulture meat."
Zonda, Medved and Kotka crossed the empty foyer to the elevator "Take us up," said Medved
Upstairs, Sergey saw it all on his screen
Zonda nodded to a gray steel door at the end of the room "Open it!" he ordered
"Collect the guns, Cat," said Medved. Kotka complied
Chapter 24
They moved back into the dark and grouped around Sergey
"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Medved "The door is jammed, you idiot!" retorted Elovach "Step aside. Let me try," said Medved, anxiously
Chapter 25
Sergey listened without saying anything
"Sit, Katya, and get yourself together." He picked a dirty tarp off a dust thick counter and tossed it over the body
Chapter 26
"You caught up with him?" Zonda asked with surprise. “On that old motorcycle?” "Yes."
"Of course, Colonel."
Chapter 27
This is a feeling you won't find in Moscow, he thought, as his eyes captured the sight unable to turn away. The tension seeped unnoticed out of his muscles. The scene was so at odds with the behaviour of these people and his own behaviour. The ugliness of the world and the beauty of the world was profound and inexplicable. As always, his thoughts went back to Tanya who had not understood his work. “Do you have a belief system, Sergey?” she had asked him. She wanted to believe in goodness and she wanted him to believe in goodness. But Sergey had long given up a belief in a God, if he ever had one. He believed some forces were at work in the universe, and you could call them god, but no loving god would tolerate what happened to Tanya, would tolerate the violence men do to other men, women and children. He lived as he had to – clinging to the idea that what he did was for the greater good – a pragmatism that met his own code of acceptable human behaviour. Neverthelesss, when he could see the beauty like this, he was closer to her memory
"Yes of course, Colonel. You have my word."
The Chief nodded emphatically. "Yes, Colonel."
"Yes, Colonel" "Then let’s go."
"Come in from the cold, James," said Sergey, quietly "Don't mind if I do."
"Is everything in order, James?"
"Good," commented Sergey "What are you going to do with all that money?" "Maybe I should open my own bank," replied Sergey
"Fine. So don't confide in me," said James in mock hurt
"What's in it for the CBR?" asked James
In return, James handed Sergey a large fancy shaped bottle "Chives Regal bourbon, Sergey. I know you like it." Both men uncapped their bottles, clinked, and took a pull
"It's great! Just caught me off guard, that's all." "That's dangerous in your profession, James." "You got that right," he replied ruefully. They lit cigarettes and sat back to wait
"Where does it go from here?" asked Sergey
Sergey grasped it warmly "Before you go, James, I have something for your birthday."
"Open it," urged Sergey
"Thanks, Sergey. Thanks a lot."
"Of course I will, James."
"Time to go, Sergey."
"Very good, Yuri."
"And you?" asked Yuri
"How are you doing?" was all Sergey said
Chapter 28
"You sleep, Yuri, I'll take it the rest of the way."
"Didn't he realize that the heat is never off?"
"I could do that, but I don’t know about the celebrate."
Chapter 29
"Thank you, Colonel, but I can do that later." "Never mind, Anna. I need the exercise." Anna nodded and smiled
"Hello, Colonel," she said without enthusiasm "Katya! How are you?"
Sergey poured a full measure for each of them. Anna smiled at Sergey and lifted her glass in salute
After lunch, Sergey and Katya went for a walk
They strolled down Za Voda Street
Katya barely listened. She was back in the post gunfire mode, and had an unstoppable need to unburden the whole story. She couldn’t stop herself. Keeping it to herself for years and then suffering the hysteria of the moment left her talking like she had been chewing coffee beans
Katya countered with, "But you were there; you saw me shoot him."
"I will see you at the plant tomorrow. It will be better to work than sit home persecuting yourself with your thoughts.”
"Fine. I will call you," and he lifted a hand goodbye
Chapter 30
"Where will I be, Colonel?"
"Let's have a talk with him, Yuri, over here on the table."
"Its one of the electricians from the plant," said Yuri in surprise
The man's eyes darted around but he remained silent
No answer
"No! Don't kill me! I only came for what was mine." "And what would that be?" asked Sergey "Elovach Bechinkov owes me money. I was looking for it." "Money for what?" Silence
"Go on," prompted Sergey
"Whose access card did you use?" "Bechinkov gave me the card of the Princess." "Who?" asked Sergey
Or a duplicate, thought Sergey
"Yes, Sir, Colonel. Can I leave now?"
"What did you get?" asked Sergey
They crossed the bridge and turned down Za Voda
Chapter 31
"Yes, Colonel."
"Thank you, everybody. Let us get back to work." The crowd applauded and dispersed
"Good. Now come on. We are going for a helicopter ride."
"I will take charge of your prisoner, Sir."
He walked back to Sergey for instructions
"Yes, Colonel."
"I understand perfectly, Colonel."
Chapter 32
"Did you complete your report?" "Yes. Colonel," and she handed him a folder
Sergey went back to the beginning and looked up at her
"Yes, Colonel."
"Yes, Colonel." "How long would that procedure take?"
"And what if the procedure is not done?" asked Sergey
“You also identify some obsolete systems and equipment."
Sergey studied her face and her posture, probing for answers
"What the hell is this all about, Zonda? Have you lost your senses?"
"Where are we going after we leave the plant?"
"Stand aside, both of you," commanded Zonda
"Lock the door!" ordered Zonda
"Now the inner door," commanded Zonda
Sergey began to say something but Zonda cut him off
"Sergey! Sergey!" came a voice out of the haze
"Just lie there. Let me get a look at that wound."
Chapter 33
His senses and memory were returning rapidly now "Where is Katya?" asked Sergey
"I do agree, Yuri."
"Good. Let's go upstairs. I want to see Katya."
"Tell me what happened at the end," asked Sergey
Sergey nodded and Yuri continued
"Thank you, Doctor."
Yuri nodded and hurried away
"What happened?” she gasped and moved slightly that brought a scream. “Oh, oh, ohhhh, my stomach…." "You got in the way of Zonda's bullets." Her eyes widened "Don't worry, he is dead." "Are - you - all right?" Sergey was surprised at her concern. "Yes, you saved my life, Katya – again, with your little gun. You gave me your gun and distracted Zonda just long enough to save my life."
Sergey nodded and mumbled the automatic admonition, "Be careful." The quiet and the coffee helped to clear his head. He remembered the discrepancy between Yuri’s version of Samocherny’s instructions and his own version. He was sure he could trust them both. Hadn’t Yuri just shown his honorable colors?
Of course, it was Samocherny’s encrypted number. His mind exploded: “Fucking hell, it is Samocherny’s number!” he yelled out loud. “In Zonda’s pocket!” No one out there knew Dimitry except Magda & Yuri. Sergey slumped, but the pain was so sharp, he sat back up
Chapter 34
Epilogue
"Anything important, Elena?"
"Certainly, Sir." Sergey smiled his appreciation and went into his office
After Sergey signed the documents, he walked down a private corridor to an adjacent office suite, Yuri's. He noticed Yuri's secretary lean into her intercom as he approached, then rise and open the door for him. The young woman gave him a dazzling smile, her raspberry lips framing perfect white teeth. She stepped back and said pleasantly, "Go right in, sir, he is expecting you."
“What's up?"
Sergey continued, "You know the cobblestones that pave the square?" "Yes?" said Yuri, warily
"And we are doing this out of the goodness of our hearts?"
"Haven’t counted them lately." “Well, we won’t have to replace all of them, of course.” Sergey slapped the desk, “And, Yuri, another thing…”
Yuri nodded, "Sounds idyllic – no rushing around. Maybe we should just move there and hunt and fish and gather for the rest of our lives. Or go back to Seytchan and hunt and fish and gather on our motorcycles. At Seytchan, we could actually live in our own town.” “Aha.” They both looked at each other for several minutes of silence. Yuri got up to fill the two coffee mugs with some good Arabica bean coffee. Hunt and fish and gather. Now that could be a life. Sergey glanced out of the window that framed a landscape of big solid buildings and too many people. He accepted the hot mug from Yuri in the continuing silence. If they were hunting and fishing and gathering, they wouldn’t be chasing people around, contending with difficult, often resentful, usually dishonest workers, compromising their morals, negotiating the continually changing power hierarchy… Hunt and fish and gather, ahhhh. Finally, Sergey spoke slowly, looking at the coffee mug, “And not buy the plant in Ubonaya and help all those unemployed people by turning the plant into a snowmobile production centre?” “Ah yes, the beautiful Ubonaya, wherever it is,” he smiled. Sergey continued, “I met a young engineer at the trade show in Frankfurt on Monday. He is an Anglo-Canadian working for a French Canadian company in Quebec. He is going nowhere on the corporate ladder because he isn't French. He has had his head in every design of that company's phenomenal success, but they won't reward him." Yuri raised his eyebrows
"Well, if he wants a motorcycle, he’s our man," offered Yuri
"And I suppose I would have to test drive the products," Yuri speculated
The contrast was startling, much like cold Iceland and its thermal pools or the freezing nights on the hot Sahara Desert or this freezing northern Siberian village with its nuclear powered plant. And Sergey looked like a big contradiction himself, a former KGB operative in a little village, current population 225, in the outback of the planet.
The job was at a remote facility in Seytchan that produced the silvery white metal, Plutonium 239, a power plant that was highly automated and self-sustaining. Only the electrical power generated by Reactor-4 left the plant. One single reactor generated enough electrical power to provide light and heat and operating electricity for the entire plant, for all of the homes in Seytchan and for the houses down on the Lena River basin. All of the plutonium that the plant had ever produced, over a thousand tons of it, was still stockpiled at the site.
.....
Yuri spent the week sussing out the people of the town, listening and looking and meeting the locals, and engaging in all the Russian activities; arm wrestling, drinking vodka, singing, gambling and helping with crosswords. The locals were more than happy to welcome a new character since they would have few opportunities to meet new people when winter set in.
Magda told him that she saw Katya, the visiting analyst, noting the license number of an old green and yellow Lada car parked near the shops.
.....