Читать книгу I am your woman! - Julia Rudenko - Страница 6

Hardly had Malcovich passed Mozdok in his Buick when he was stopped. With their AKMs atilt two patrol soldiers came to the car at the distance of a stretched arm:

– Get off!

Malcovich was about to show them his inefficacious certificate of the navy captain, but those guys didn’t let him do so. Drawing a bead on him at once, one of them repeated:

– Get off!

«Oh, God, for what sins? Do help me, please!» – Malcovich thought.

– Hands on the hood! Feet astride! – one of the soldiers started probing Andrei’s jacket.

He took out his passport, certificate and wallet:

– Andrei Andreievich Malcovich. Born in 1966 in Volgograd. Single. No children. – the soldier read aloud the passport data.

Then opened the military certificate, but read it to himself. After thinking a bit the soldier said:

– Comrade Captain, excuse us for the delay. You may be free!

«Good heavens! They could have let me go before! Thanks, God!» – Malcovich thought.

And then when Malcovich sat behind the wheel and turned the ignition key the second soldier offered him as if reluctantly:

– Do you mind opening the trunk? Just a formality. Just to be sure. And you may go further.

Malcovich left his fingers on the key for a while. Slowly, with dignity he turned his head towards the car-window and asked:

– What?

– Open the trunk I said! – repeated the patrol soldier.

«Good Lord! What bad have I done?!» – a desperate thought flashed by in Andrei’s head.

Humming the tune of «There is an isle of Bad Luck in the ocean», Andrei switched off the ignition, put out the key, opened the door and said rapidly:

– Well, kids! Let’s arrange it! I’ll pay! 500 to each! I’m in a hurry you know! They stop and check me at every post! I’m exhausted to open and close it all the time! One and the same everywhere! I’ve lost half an hour here. I was to be in Vedeno yesterday. So what shall we do? – Malcovich tried to take out his wallet. The second patrol soldier got on the alert.

– Take off your money! Open!

Malcovich heaved a sigh and started opening the trunk… Yawning the patrol soldier wanted to close his mouth with his hand to be decent, but suddenly whistled out and cried to his friend:

– Oh, Vasya! Here’s an arsenal! Guns of all kinds! Just look!

While the patrol soldier was going to Andrei’s car, thoughts were whirling around in his head. Andrei was unable to concentrate on anything.

– OK, I’ll tell you though I mustn’t. These arms are for the commandant’s office of the Northern airport. You know our guys are killed and the Chechens «re grabbing our arms as a trophy. The detachment commanders are in trouble. The office lacks a whale of arms! But it’s useless to explain to those fat-assed generals in Moscow and Rostov that we are losing arms in battle. In battle I say! So I’m going to save my old friends – to refill the arsenal to cut it short!

– This tale will be good for your lawyer, Captain! In court! And then we are surprised why the militants have Russian arms! – said that Vasya and spit scornfully on the move. He convoyed Malcovich to the post cabin, to call the militia from Mozdok, «for detaining an offender».