Yuri Korchevsky
Courier. Book 1. Centurion
plane crash
A well-known case: you wait a long time for a vacation, but it flies in an instant. So it seemed to Alexei that he had just arrived to see his parents, chat with friends over a glass of tea, and it was time to leave for work. And oh, how far to get! First, by plane to Uktus airport, which is twenty kilometers from Yekaterinburg, the former Sverdlovsk, then five kilometers to Koltsovo airport, and by large plane to St. Petersburg. If by car to the nearest railway station, and then to Yekaterinburg, you will lose even more time. Far from the capital of the region, his native Eremino, in the very east, on the border with Yugra. But the places are beautiful, not spoiled by civilization. The forests around are almost impenetrable, rivers, rivers and streams. Because fishing and hunting are notable. Only now I managed to go fishing only once, every day friends and feasts. Haven't seen each other for a long time. First, studying at a military school, then serving in the North. And suddenly, quite unexpectedly, his regiment was disbanded. They offered service in Kamchatka, but Alexey did not sign the contract. He and Severov, where there is practically no summer, were more than enough. But then one of his fellow students at the school called him to his place in St. Petersburg, helped him get a job in the State Courier Service. Previously, the service was part of the structure of the OGPU-NKVD, and with perestroika, it became a separate service. However, the old ties were not broken, Alexei underwent the same medical examination at the clinic of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Of course, in the two years that Alexey served in St. Petersburg, he got used to city life, his native Eremino seemed small and boring. But - I saw my parents, it's time to know the honor. Mother kept asking if he had got a bride and when was he going to get married? Only Alex was in no hurry. Yes, he's twenty-six, senior lieutenant, but he doesn't have his own place to live. Well, he is getting married, but where to take his young wife? And so, almost half of the salary went to a one-room rented apartment, although he rented housing not in the center. There were enough girls in St. Petersburg, a student city. Communicated, not without that, but not one sunk into the heart. And can you find a wife in a nightclub?
The loudspeaker announced the landing on the plane - the "AN-2" of yellow color was standing not far from the terminal building. However, "air terminal" is too strong a word. A small building with a dark waiting room, ticket office and KDL upstairs, on the roof. Nearby, on a flagstaff, a striped “stocking” of a windsock dangles.
Passengers with luggage reached for the plane. Eremino is a typical rural airfield, the best time of which, the time when flights were more regular, is already behind. And no concrete or asphalt, a dirt runway rolled to a rocky density. Only light aircraft, like the "old man" "AN-2", could take off and land from it. They stopped producing them a long time ago, but there was no replacement for them. In pursuit of profit, numerous airlines that have proliferated in recent years have leased Boeings and Airbuses, waving a hand at local airlines: you won’t earn much on them, only a headache. And there are no amenities in the AN-2. Benches along the sides instead of regular seats, there is no toilet. And it shakes and makes noise in a way that the passengers of the Boeing did not dream of even in a nightmare. In general, the comfort level of the fifties of the last century. Passengers were forced to put up - and where to go?
Alexey sat down on his seat, put a sports bag between his legs. Upon arrival on vacation, I distributed gifts to relatives, and the bag was empty. And now it’s almost full, the mother of homemade gifts stuffed: pies, fried chicken, a jar of jam.
The last person to climb the stairs to the plane was a girl or young woman in her thirties. She was dressed in urban style: jeans, under a windbreaker - a T-shirt, a bag over her shoulder. It seems like a pretty girl, only her eyes are slightly arrogant, even dismissive.
She sat down on the seat opposite Alexei and preened herself for a long time: either she would tint her lips, or straighten her hair. And then she pulled out a tablet from her bag and completely buried herself in it.
Alexey immediately dubbed her "fifochka". But what does he have to do with her? After a couple of hours of flight, he will be in Uktus.
The flight mechanic pulled the ladder into the plane and closed the door. The starter buzzed, sneezed a couple of times and the engine started. A small shiver ran through the plane. The pilot drove it a little in different modes and taxied to the runway. The engine roared, the fuselage shook as if in a fever, the pilot released the brakes, and the plane began to take off. On the uneven runway, he was thrown up, but after a short takeoff, the plane soared into the air. The roar of the engines was so loud that it filled your ears.
Having gained altitude, the plane made a U-turn, and Alexei saw in the window the runway on the outskirts of Eremin and the village itself, quite small from a height.
The passengers were silent. Try to speak when your own voice is almost inaudible. Seats are hard, take a nap.
Alexei looked at his watch. Two hours of flight, and he will be in Yekaterinburg.
"Fifochka" opposite shoved the tablet into her bag. Well, yes, it is impossible to work in such noise and cod.
Having nothing to do, Alexei half turned around and began to look out the window. Below, small squares of fields floated by, rivers and rivulets shimmered with silver, and basically, the taiga was spread out like a green carpet without end and edge.
Soon, my neck stiffened from the uncomfortable position. Aleksey leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes - why not stare at the “fifochka” all the time?
Suddenly, the plane shook violently. Over the noise of the engine, the passengers screamed in fright. However, the pilot coped by straightening the car on a flat horizon. Alexey was still surprised: what kind of air pocket is this, which almost turned the AN-2 over?
However, before the passengers had time to calm down and take a breath, the aircraft's engine sneezed, then another, and black smoke went past the portholes from the nozzles. Suddenly there was silence, the engine stopped.
For several seconds, the few passengers looked at each other in bewilderment, then the fat woman, who was sitting at the very cabin, yelled heart-rendingly:
- We're falling!
And how she gave the start command. Immediately everyone screamed, grabbed the seats with their hands.
The plane began to slowly descend.
The AN-2 biplane was old and slow-moving, but unlike modern aircraft, it did not fall like a stone - its ability to stay in the air with the engine off was quite high. The plane scoured the course a little - probably, the pilot was looking for a suitable piece of land for landing.
Alexei leaned against the porthole. Everywhere there was a forest, the height was already six hundred meters, and every minute it fell.
Passengers in the cabin fell into hysterics, screaming. All these screams got on my nerves, but Alexey tried to switch off and remember how to act in such cases. On large jet planes, it was recommended to buckle up and keep your head down. But there were no such seats here, just a bench along the side.
He glanced out the window: the height is already two hundred meters, soon a meeting with the earth - will it be some kind?
Alexei got up, took a couple of steps towards the tail, which was within easy reach from his place, lay down on the floor, feet forward in the direction of travel, and grabbed the seat fasteners with his hands.
The passengers fell silent and stared at him in surprise.
The wheels of the plane began to cling to the tops of the trees, then scratched, rustled from below along the skin. Then the plane was shaken by a strong push and blow.
An unknown force lifted Alexei off the floor and tried to take his hands off the seat, but he held on. Instantly, the floor and ceiling in the cabin changed places, there was a crack and crunch of metal, a terrible scream, and it became light.
There was an unnatural silence, broken only by the murmur of water. There was a sharp smell of gasoline. “Lord,” Aleksey suddenly realized, “it’s not water murmuring, but gasoline from tanks! We must go, crawl away from the plane!” However, his whole body hurt like a bruise.
Alex got up on all fours and looked around.
The tail, in which he was, lay two dozen meters from the fuselage, the wings were simply torn off.
Alexei straightened up, moving his arms and legs. Like a target. He received bruises, but they will heal before the wedding, the main thing is that he is alive.
He got up and, staggering, went to the fuselage, torn and crumpled. Maybe there are still alive there, maybe someone needs help to get out before the plane, or rather, what was left of it, did not flare up.
The bodies of passengers were pressed against the bulkhead of the cockpit.
First, Alexey saw the "fifochka". Grabbing her across the body, he climbed out of the fuselage, dragged her to the tail and lowered her to the ground. Returned to the fuselage.
“Well, this uncle is dead, his head is almost turned back and covered in blood,” he reasoned to himself, in a state of extreme nervous stress, completely unaware of this.
But all the same, he began to pull out everyone in a row - then he would figure out who was alive, who was injured, and who died.
While dragging the body, smeared in blood.
Having freed the cabin, he laid all the passengers in a row and tried to open the door to the pilot's cabin, but the bulkhead was deformed and the door did not open.
Alexey went around the fuselage and looked into the broken cockpit. The glass from the collision with the ground was knocked out, the cabin was flattened, but the sight of the dead pilots horrified Alexei. Okay, it's not his business to pull out the corpses. There is no tool, and nothing can be done with bare hands. There is also the Ministry of Emergency Situations, other services. Their disappearance from the screens will be noticed quickly. And since the route is known, they should be found quickly.
Alexei returned to the passengers. Passing from one to another, he checked the pulse, looked for breath.
He had already managed to make sure that the four passengers were definitely dead, when he heard a groan. Thank God he wasn't the only one saved!
Alexei went up to the "fifochka" - it was she who was moaning. Slap on the cheeks? What if she has a severe head injury?
The woman's fingers twitched. Damn, what can I do to help her? His medical knowledge went no further than bandages for cuts.
However, the "fifochka" opened her eyes, led around with a cloudy, misty look. Gradually, the look acquired meaningfulness.
- By the plane. – Alex was glad to hear her voice.
- Why am I lying down?
Do your arms and legs hurt? Or a head?
The woman moved her arms, then her legs.
- It seems not.
She made an attempt to sit up, and Alexey helped her, supporting her under her back.
And then the "fifochka" saw a broken plane.
So we fell?
- Something like that.
She turned her head and saw a row of bodies lying on the ground:
- Are they what...
The meaning of what she saw reached the "fifochka", and she squealed:
- Who put me next to those?
- When I pulled it out.
Well, here is gratitude for the salvation, and at the same time a new name.
The woman rose and stood, swaying.
Seeing that she had already come to her senses, Alexei continued to examine the bodies, but there were no more living ones.
The woman looked around her.
– Where is my bag?
- In airplane. But I wouldn't recommend going there. Gasoline from the tanks is leaking, no matter how it caught fire.
Paying no attention to his words, the woman slowly walked towards the broken fuselage of the aircraft. Does she really value things that much?
She finally found her bag, returned and took out her cell phone.
Alexei was annoyed that he himself had not thought of calling the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the police, or somewhere else. And yet, he was busy, there was no time for calls.
The woman dialed the number, turned the phone in her hands and put it away:
- Doesn't take. Network search.
Alexei, following her example, went to the crashed plane and found his bag in a pile of luggage. It is not known when the rescuers will come, but at least there are pies there, it will be possible to eat in the evening. Thinking like this, Alexei was immediately ashamed of his thoughts. The catastrophe occurred, people died, and he was talking about grubs. In turn, he tried to dial the number, but it did not work, base station long away. If only to try to climb higher? Alexei climbed a tree.
- Hey, boy, what are you, crazy? the woman called after him.
He got almost to the top of the tree, but even then the phone didn't work.
It was worse to go down: the branch crunched under his foot, broke off, and he almost collapsed to the ground, he just miraculously resisted. Once on the ground, he mentally scolded himself - all that was missing was to break his legs far from civilization.
Sitting at the tail of the plane, Alexey tried to analyze the situation. He knew he had to be patient and wait. Where they were, he did not know where to go - either. In the taiga, you can easily get lost. And so you just have to wait for help to come. The question is, when will they be found?
He lay down under a tree, putting a bag under his head, and felt that the ground was already cool, warmth was drawn from his body. He took a windbreaker out of his bag and pulled it on. On vacation, he flew in civilian clothes, left the uniform at the apartment. All day in it, already fed up. And then - after all, no one walks at home in working overalls or in a diving suit, even if they like the work.
Of course, the courier service is not the army. Deliver a secret cargo, hand over, receive another. In fact - a courier for secret mail, a postman with a weapon. What attracted me was that the work was not in the office, but alive, with a touch of risk and romance. But the days of Comrade Nette have already passed, no one attacked the courier; they chose collectors, they have money.
A woman approached him:
Man, do something!
- So I'm an idiot, I'm waiting for instructions.
"Fifochka" pursed her lips in resentment, went to a nearby tree and sat down under it, leaning her back against the trunk.
Alexei looked at his watch: twelve twenty-two. While he was dragging the bodies and climbing a tree, forty-five minutes, or even an hour, passed. If their disappearance was noticed, the alarm was raised and the search began, more than one hour would pass. Rescuers have helicopters, their speed is low. According to his estimates, a helicopter flight to Uktus is two hours. And it’s not a fact that the place of the fall was accurately spotted. Interestingly, does the AN-2 have any kind of radio beacon or is the car too old, and such devices were not installed on it? According to Alexei's calculations, under all other favorable circumstances, they will not wait for help until evening. And if the rescuers begin to fly around the entire route, then tomorrow. It would be necessary to collect branches, lay down a fire. If they hear the rumble of an airplane or a search helicopter, you can light it up, draw attention to yourself with smoke. Yes, and there will be at least some business, we won’t sit all the time, will we?
Aleksey found branches, thirty meters from the plane on a small patch free from trees, he built a fire - so it would be visible from afar and from above. What is the point of planting it under the crowns of trees, it is not enough just to set fire to the forest.
He worked automatically, his head was occupied with thoughts. He has to work the day after tomorrow, but he cannot tell about himself. At the airport, they must give some kind of certificate, and they will understand at the service. After all, he didn’t walk out drunk, for a good reason.
A woman approached him:
- Warm up the fire?
- No, give a smoke signal to the rescuers.
Do you think they are already looking for us?
- I would like to hope. According to my estimates, they will not come for us before evening.
- My name is Natasha.
– Aha! A beautiful name, and most importantly - a rare one, - Alexei teased her in response to the "idiot". And then he introduced himself: – Alexey.
The woman took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
Alex reacted instantly:
- Do not smoke here, it was not enough to set fire to the plane! Do you smell gasoline?
The woman obediently put the cigarettes and the lighter into her bag.
– And take care of the lighter, what if you have to hang around here for more than one day?
“Next to the dead?”
“She could have been in their place.
- I'm afraid of the dead. The woman shrugged her shoulders.
- What will they do to you? They lie down and lie...
The woman was constantly spinning around him, apparently, it was scary alone. Yes, Alexei himself was uneasy, he got into such a mess for the first time. Hooligans attacked him at night, fell through the ice, got stuck in the elevator - but there he at least clearly imagined what he had to do. And here sit and wait. The pilots would have been pulled out of the cockpit, but he was afraid. The slightest spark - and for the pilots a crematorium. And they did not deserve it, they fought to the last for the plane and passengers. But a piece of iron - it is a piece of iron and is, old, it could break. Did they themselves want to fly on junk?
Alexei lay down under the tree again. Most The best way kill time - sleep. So he tried to sleep. When he was in a military school, Alexei learned to sleep in any situation, but now he could not. As soon as he closes his eyes - again a crack, a blow, screams in his ears are standing. The impressions were too fresh and strong.
Three hours have passed. Alexei's back was numb from being in one position. The earth is not a soft feather bed.
He got up, walked around, listened - there were no sounds anywhere, similar to an aircraft engine, only the sound of the wind and the rustle of leaves. Well, at least it’s not winter, you can freeze from the frost overnight, in their parts there are such frosts - the trees burst.
Gradually it began to get dark, the sun sank to the horizon. And worse than that, the clouds began to gather.
Alexey approached the severed tail of the aircraft. The door was there, so she was interested in him. There might be tools in there—he hoped to open the cockpit door. Getting the pilots out is a matter of course, and most importantly, find a map to orient yourself.
The door was not locked at all, and behind it was a small room like a wedge. And all that was in it was a canvas cover for the engine, smelling of gasoline and oil.
Alexei wanted to close the door at first, but then changed his mind: pulling out the cover, he folded it four times and threw it on the floor. It looks like they will have to spend the night here. From the sides and top - from rain and wind - the walls of the fuselage will protect, and from below the canvas cover will save from the cold, everything is not lying on bare metal.
Alexey went up to the tree, unzipped his bag and took out a bag of homemade food from it.
- Natalia, will you eat?
- Are we already on "you"?
- Sorry…
Well, it would be suggested.
Alexei unwrapped the package, and the smell of chicken and homemade pies immediately made his mouth water. Choosing a fried pie, he immediately bit off a fair piece of it. Mmmm, with rice, green onions and egg! Yummy!
"Fifochka" fidgeted - you can see, and the smell reached her. However, Alexei was not going to invite him a second time - why persuade? He ate a pie, tore off a leg from a chicken.
And then the woman could not stand it; they say the truth - hunger is not an aunt. Came up.
- Can I take it? She timidly pointed to the pie.
- Everything is possible, and the chicken too. There is no refrigerator, so you have to eat. Sit down.
Ate silently. Alexey managed to work up an appetite during this unhappy day, and Natalya did not lag behind. They ate everything that mom put in Alexei's bag.
- Delicious, - Natalya sighed, - probably homemade?
“Mother did her best.
- Thanks. Water would now ...
- Look for a stream. The terrain is low, they should be here.
By the time we ate, it got dark. Alexei climbed into the tail of the plane and lay down on the cover.
Natalya returned from the forest. Surely she did not go far, fearing to get lost, it is clear from everything that she is a city girl. I got used to civilization, I only saw a cow in pictures. He will stand next to the tap and die of thirst, not knowing how to get water.
She wandered in the darkness by the trees, and then shouted in fright:
- Alexei, where are you?
"Here," said Alexei.
“Lie down,” Alexei slammed his palm on the tarpaulin. - And soft, and warmer than on earth.
The woman snorted.
Sleeping with a stranger? Fi! - and went to the trees.
Well, own hand - lord, it would be an honor offered. In the morning it will be cool, it will get dull, you see - the mind will increase.
Natalya came an hour later, because it started to rain tediously. The crowns of the trees protected her for some time, not letting water through, but then, with the first gust of wind, a whole stream fell upon the woman.
She trampled at the tail - pride did not allow to lie down right away. Well, after all, Alexey didn’t have anything like that in his thoughts. Now their task is simply to survive, not get sick and wait for rescuers.
What are we standing for, who are we waiting for? Taxi to airport?
Natalya sighed, bent down and stepped into the torn tail.
– Be careful with shoes: it’s still clean here, we’ll sleep on this.
Natalia subsided. Far from Alexey - on the very edge of the cover.
Rain pounded on the duralumin lining.
Alexei raised his head - he heard some movement.
- What are you? Natalya immediately reacted.
- No matter how the wolves come.
- Are there wolves here? she was genuinely surprised.
Do you think they are only in fairy tales? There are wolves here, and bears, and wolverines.
- Do you have a weapon?
- Where? Checked at the airport. I don't even have a knife.
“What if they attack us?”
- You will be eaten first, I am wiry and tasteless. But seriously, the wolves are now full, they can attack a person only in winter, when the belly fails from hunger.
Natalya moved closer to him and almost pressed her back. Alexei put his arm around her and pulled her close to him - it's warmer.
- Take your hands off, what are you pawing for?
Alexei silently removed his hand and turned to the other side. “Definitely not married,” he thought of Natalya, “who would take such an ulcer?”
He fell asleep quickly - the army habit affected. The soldier is sleeping - the service is on.
In the morning I felt that I was cold, my hands and feet were frozen. Only her back was warm, because Natalya pressed her whole body against her and already hugged him herself.
Alexei chuckled. No to immediately. A man in the taiga will survive alone, and a woman, at best, will stray in three pine trees on the outskirts of the village, and at worst, she will die of hunger or hypothermia.
He turned to the other side. The woman woke up and moved away from him.
- Don't roam, I'm not going to rape you! We need to survive. It is not a fact that they will come for us tomorrow, that is, today. The rain does not stop, and aircraft will not fly today.
- How? - Natalya from the indignation of the village.
- But like this. Let's sleep.
Natalya lay down, hesitated for a second and pressed her back against his chest and stomach. In women, the butt is the coldest place on the body. She is warmed, this fifth point, and the woman does not freeze. That's the way they are.
However, the dream didn't come. It was cold, fog fell over the forest.
- What is your profession? Natalia asked.
- Courier.
- It's like guarding the forest?
- I'm not a huntsman, but a courier. I carry secret mail. I serve in St. Petersburg, after the holidays I just flew there.
- And I'm a journalist, I work in Moscow.
Well, yes, the metropolitan thing.
“Now there will be something to write about if we get out of this scrape alive.
- Are you serious? Natalya sat down again.
But Alex was not joking. It will be possible to take a breath only after they get to some settlement. There will be communication, and food, and at least some shelter over your head.
In June, the same "AN-2" took off from a local airfield with a city traffic cop and disappeared. For a long time searches were conducted, but for three months no one and nothing was found. But the plane is not a needle.
As soon as dawn broke, he got up and looked at Natalya. She wrapped herself in a tarp.
Alexey went to the plane. It seems uncomfortable, it looks like looting, but he still decided to inspect the luggage of the passengers. He was not interested in money, but in warm clothes and food. Natalya was shaking all night from the cold, and she needed to eat something. Vodka would have been for warming, only he did not hope to find it, they would have seized it during the inspection. The soul did not lie rummaging through other people's things, no matter how later the rescuers accused him of stealing. But with his mind, he understood that it was necessary. There are no weapons for hunting - not even a knife, therefore, hunting as a source of food disappears.
Alexei climbed into the mangled fuselage and began to open the bags. It is at large airports that bags and suitcases are wrapped with foil, but here you open the zipper on the bag - and look. Unpleasant, of course, as if peeping at the neighbors through the keyhole.
Aleksey carefully examined the first bag, but did not find anything worthwhile. I put everything in the same way, zipped it up. He snapped off both locks on the suitcase, which had obviously seen the signs, found a coarse-knit sweater, thick - Natalya should fit in size.
- Natalia, come here.
The woman approached, shivering from the morning chill.
- Try it on.
- Are you rummaging through other people's things? Marauder!
- I'm not for myself, for you ... Do you want to freeze again?
- I won't wear anything! She turned around and walked towards the tail of the plane.
Well, I wanted the best, but it turned out, as always. Still, Prime Minister Chernomyrdin was an inexhaustible source of pearls that went to the people.
He put the sweater aside. Natalya will change her mind by the evening, put it on.
Another bag contained accounting papers, women's underwear - he put everything back.
But the next suitcase pleased: it was chock-full of fish lightly salted and wrapped in oiled paper. Yes, not some, but Chinook salmon. Good fish! To cook this for the table - a royal treat! Just to dig it. But if you bake it on a fire, it will also be good. And, what is important for them now, it will not go bad for a week or two. Of course, he was not going to stay with the plane for so long, but knowing that there is a strategic reserve is useful, and it inspires confidence.
He did not search further. It’s already eight by the clock, and while he’s building a fire and frying fish, God forbid, have breakfast at ten. The carcasses were gutted and all the same size, an elbow. Alexei chose two and carried them to the branches for the fire. At the same time, he grabbed a sheet of newspaper that was lying in the cabin. The paper flared up quickly, branches and branches smoked, but gradually flared up. They smoked a lot at first.
Meanwhile, Alexey planted the fish on twigs. Skewers would be, but where can I get them?
The branches burned out quickly, but the branches were still on fire.
Alexei ran into the forest, broke branches from dead trees and threw them into the fire. Eh, a hatchet would be here - even a small one, a tourist one!
Then he fried the fish. Having stuck two rogulins into the ground, he twirled the fish over the fire.
Ten minutes later, just a delicious smell went around the area. Or did he want to eat so much?
Natalya looked out of her shelter, sniffed, then approached.
- What's this?
- Chinook. I'll finish it now, we'll have breakfast.
- Coffee with croissants. Natalia stretched.
- You'll get over. If you don't want it, I'll eat it myself.
Aleksey, of course, was not going to eat alone. He is a man, a breadwinner, he must take care of his family. Natalya is not a family, but in their current situation he is the only breadwinner.
When Alexey decided that the fish was ready, he laid it on a burdock leaf and, playing a little trickery, pretended to be a waiter in a metropolitan restaurant:
- The meal is served, sit down to eat, please!
Natalya stretched out her hand to the fish, but was immediately stopped by his exclamation:
- Did you wash your hands? We only lack dysentery.
- Still no soap. She shrugged. “Wait a minute, the stream is not far away.
There was no hurry. Anyway, fish only from the fire, hot - you can’t take it in your mouth.
They both went to the stream, washed.
When they sat down at the impromptu "table" and started breakfast, it seemed to Alexei that he had never eaten tastier fish in his life. Yes, and Natalya upisyval fish for both cheeks. There were few bones in it, the meat was red, like salmon. It was fried, of course, but a pleasant feeling of satiety appeared in the stomach.
- Oh, and delicious! No sushi can compare!
- Where did you get such words? This is not Russian food, worms from it.
“Ugh, you’ll only hear bad things from you.”
- And you can't wait to get a thank you!
Natalya blushed slightly. Wow, a journalist, by definition, a cynic, and even a metropolitan thing ... In Lyokhin's opinion, in both capitals they have forgotten how to be ashamed. Brash, impudent, consider themselves the navel of the earth, and behind the Ring Road - well, a deaf province.
Having eaten, Alexei lay down on the tarpaulin. There is nothing to do anyway, at least to pass the time somehow.
The clouds were gradually blown away by the wind, the sun appeared and it became warmer.
Natalia wandered around and sat down beside him.
- Tell about yourself.
- Terekhin Alexei Ivanovich, twenty-six years old, not married, no apartment - I'm renting. What else are you interested in?
“You’re just like in the personnel department!” Move over, - Natalya lay down next to him.
Imperceptibly both fell asleep - after all, because of the dampness and chill of the morning, they were forced to get up early. Siberia is not blessed Sochi.
A couple of hours later, they woke up at the same time.
- Come on, Natalya, collect branches for the fire. You see, the clouds have dispersed, they can search for us from the air. Let's give a signal.
They picked up a big pile of deadwood, which wasn't difficult at all. After all, the forest is not a city park, full of fallen trees, dead wood.
Aleksey even climbed onto the fuselage, higher, in order to see the helicopter from afar. But for all the time only one jet plane passed, and very high, leaving a trail behind it. You can't even see them from that height. Apparently, the crash site was far from the air corridors and routes.
When it became clear that the day was leaning toward evening, Alexei lit a fire and fried fish. This was their salvation from hunger.
It quickly got dark and they went to bed. Natalya fell asleep quickly, but Alexei could not sleep. The second day has already passed, but he did not see search actions. Or did their plane veer off course? Still, the engine was out of order, and the pilot, looking for a suitable landing site, could deviate from the route. Surely they are looking for, but not here. And how long can they wait for help? Maybe try to get into the cockpit in the morning and take a map? Sverdlovsk region- this is not the Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug or Taimyr, settlements are not uncommon here. At least get to any road. But where is she, in which direction? Without knowing, you can go in parallel, exhausted.
For himself, Aleksey decided to make an attempt to get a map tomorrow, and if there was no help, he would get out on his own. The option is not the best. If it is still possible to detect a crashed plane from the air, then they will not see the two of them in the taiga, under the cover of trees from above. They will leave, and then soon the plane can be found.
He thought about it this way and that, and with that he fell asleep.
In the morning we washed ourselves, Alexei made a fire, fried fish. After breakfast, I began to look for a tool like a pole - to bend the door of the pilot's cabin or part of the glazing on the lantern.
Not soon, but he found a suitable broken tree. He beat off dry branches with his foot. I tried the resulting pole, launching it into the gap between the bulkhead and the door, to open it, but no matter how hard I tried, the door did not open.
Having got out of the fuselage, he approached the pilot's cockpit. This is where it started to work. There were no glasses themselves, but the duralumin frame, deformed from the impact, made it difficult to get inside the cabin.
Rails managed to bend the frame. It was impossible to crawl through it completely, but it was possible to climb deeper with your hand. Alexey saw the tablet, but, as they say, he sees the eye, but the tooth is numb.
He found another way: he pushed two branches into the cockpit, like tongs, picked up the tablet with them and pulled it out of the cockpit. Sitting down right there, he unfolded it.
The map was - but the scale! It was intended for an airplane, with its speed, this is not very suitable even for a car.
He tried to figure out which way was north and which way south. In the forest, this is easy: the part of the tree facing south has a denser crown.
Aleksei stood facing north and peered at the map. A route was drawn on it with a pencil. They flew for about an hour, during this time the AN-2 overcomes ... With what speed could it fly? Suppose two hundred kilometers per hour, plus or minus fifty. Then the drop point is approximately... he moved his fingers... right here! On the map in this place there is solid greenery, that is, a forest, and no settlements. There is a village about forty kilometers away. With Natalya, but through the forest, but without a compass - two days' journey is sure, if not more.
He didn't hear the girl coming up behind him.
- Who are you talking to?
Alexei did not notice that he was talking aloud.
- Oh, do you have a card? Hooray! So we're going to get out on our own?
- Let's wait until the evening. If they don't look for us, tomorrow we'll go ourselves.
- That's right, we can sit here until the winter; it's better to go.
Alexei looked at Natalya's shoes. Who would talk about the campaign! On her feet were shoes with small heels. You won't be able to walk a kilometer in them through the forest. Or the heel will break, or you will twist your leg. Then you will have to carry it on yourself, which Alexei did not like at all. It is on the map in a straight line forty kilometers. And if they meet a swamp on the way or a blockage of a forest, they will have to go around, and the distance will double.
Natalia caught Alexei's gaze.
- Your shoes are not suitable for a hike, you won’t go far in such shoes.
- What's wrong? Doesn't rub anywhere.
- Heels will sink into the soil. Better sneakers. Look in passengers' luggage.
- Well - no, I'm better barefoot.
- Until the first spruce cone. If you step carelessly, you hurt your foot, and we don’t even have a bandage.
Well, "fifochka", no matter what he says, opposes everything. He would teach her. Let him walk in heels, but then it will be worse for him, he will have to carry it on himself.
By evening, Alexey made a fire, roasted the fish, and they had dinner.
Natalya did not look for shoes more suitable for walking. Let her!
In the morning Alexey made a fire again, and again there was fish for breakfast. In three days he ate fish for a whole year. In his bag, he put the four remaining raw fish - at least two days they will not die of hunger.
The corpses were already beginning to smell, and in any case it was necessary to leave. Although it is cold at night, it is still warm during the day.
Alexey unfolded the cover they were sleeping on and covered the bodies. It didn’t work to cover everything, but still. Of course, they would take a cover with them, lay it under themselves at night, but it is painfully heavy, and a fair amount. You just mess around with it.
Alexei looked at Natalya:
– Ready?
- I took my bag, but I have nothing else.
- Then let's go.
Aleksey knew the direction approximately. The closer to housing, the more chances to meet people: mushroom pickers, hunters, lumberjacks - even urban ones who have left for berries. The forests are full of berries - blueberries, lingonberries, stone fruits, just pick them, don't be lazy.
They went through the forest. Natalya tried to smoke, but Alex immediately stopped her:
- Come on, not for a walk, there is not enough breathing room.
However, the stubborn girl continued to smoke.
- Alexei, you are young, but such a bore! You only give instructions.
- For your own good.
Alexey counted on going as far as possible before evening, he did not want to spend the night in the forest on bare ground.
He walked with an even step and breathed, as they taught in schools, on marches. Natalya, after a kilometer, began to stumble, fall behind. He had to stop and wait for her. These stops irritated him.
- Natalya, speed up, so we won't come until winter.
“It’s good for you to speak, you are strong, you are a man. At least take my bag.
Alexei cursed to himself, but took the bag anyway. It was inconvenient to walk with two bags, both hands were occupied.
An hour later he announced a halt. He took out a spare T-shirt from his bag and put it on. The rest - like a razor and underwear - he threw away. Opened Natalia's bag. Lord, what women just do not carry with them! And besides - nothing good, half the bag - cosmetics, perfume, underwear. He threw the bag into the bushes.
- What are you? There cosmetics for a thousand bucks!
- Excess weight. If you want, bring it yourself.
Natalya climbed into the bushes, pulled out her bag and began sorting out perfume, lipstick and other little feminine pleasures. Cursing like a boatswain on a ship, she also threw her bag into the bushes.
Alexei was surprised. He had never heard such a catchy, such an ornate obscenity even in men's companies.
“I didn’t know you were such a virtuoso!”
Natalya gave him a withering glance. Yes, what is he doing here? At first I bought a bunch of expensive cosmetics, took it with me on the plane, and now I don’t want to carry it. Only now wasting time on insignificant, according to his concepts, knick-knacks was unnecessary. Hike in the taiga and so took a lot of strength.
After another couple of hours of walking, Natalya sat down on the ground, kicked off her shoes and burst into tears.
- What happened?
- Shoes! I think I twisted my leg.
Yes, what a punishment! After all, he told her!
Alexei sat down in front of Natalya and felt her ankle. There is definitely no fracture. He picked up her shoes from the ground, pulled himself up, tore off one heel, then another. He handed the mangled shoes to Natalya:
- Put on your shoes!
Who will I look like in them? And how will I go? I'm used to heels.
“You’ll get used to it,” Alexei snapped.
He was genuinely perplexed. Doesn't she understand the gravity of the situation? Regrets about cosmetics, ruined shoes? He and she were incredibly lucky to be alive. And now it is still unclear whether they will get out of trouble, and with what losses and consequences for themselves.
Natalya calmed down, rested, and they went on.
A couple of hours later, she fell helplessly on the moss.
“That’s it, I can’t take it anymore, I don’t have the strength.”
I'll give you ten minutes to rest. You lift your legs up on the tree, so they will move away faster, - and he himself, raising his legs, leaned them on the trunk of the tree.
When the time for rest, appointed by him, passed, Alexei defiantly looked at his watch:
- Climb!
Natalya barely got up.
- Oh, mommy, my legs hurt!
- You need to walk more. I suppose I got used to it in the capital by metro and by car. Maybe you want to smoke? he poked her.
The girl didn't answer.
They were moving slowly, but still moving forward.
When the trees began to cast long shadows, and the air freshened up, Alexei began to look for a place to sleep. I decided to settle down for the night under the tree, on fallen needles. It is dry there, and in case of rain they will not get wet.
Natalya collapsed without strength.
Until it got dark, Alexei gathered branches for the fire, made it and fried the fish. Ate a fish.
Alex lay down next to the girl. After eating, she fell asleep for a moment, and he wondered how much they had gone in a day. It turned out a little, twenty kilometers. Tomorrow they won’t go through so much, because Natalya’s unaccustomed to it, all her muscles will hurt, it’s good if it clears up by dinner.
In the morning, Alexey gathered branches, lit a fire and cooked fish. By the way, the last one. And Natalya was still asleep.
- Get up, couch potato, great things await us! - Alex joked.
Natalya woke up, sat up with difficulty, groaned:
- Oh, all the muscles ache. Let's not go today, let's have a rest?
- We have the last two fish, there is nothing left for dinner. If we rest, we won't have strength tomorrow. Get up, relax.
Alexei sat down to eat. Natalya moaned and groaned like an old woman, but still she got up and ate.
For the first couple of kilometers, the girl walked slowly, and Alexei did not rush her. Then she broke up anyway. Aleksei did not stop until Natalya herself collapsed exhausted. Okay, let him lie down, although it's only twelve o'clock, noon. The sun is high and warm.
Half an hour later he lifted her by force.
“I won’t go,” she began to resist languidly, “leave me here.”
- Yeah, there will be something for the wolves to eat. Let's go!
- I just hate you!
- As soon as we get to the first village, we immediately part. I'm not your husband.
They went again. At times, Alexei took her by the hand and simply dragged a barge along with him, like a tugboat. However, by the evening he was also exhausted. That's because the burden imposed on his neck! And you will not leave in the taiga.
They spent the night under a spruce. I wanted to eat, but there was nothing to eat.
Natalya slept like a dead sleep.
In the morning, Alexei's leg muscles were also shaking - he had completely lost his training during the vacation. He got up first, found a nearby stream, washed himself and drank delicious water.
Returning to the place of spending the night, he looked under the spruce:
- Get up, sleepy!
“I can’t,” the girl said in an exhausted voice without opening her eyes.
- If I am not mistaken with the direction, by the evening we should go to the village.
“I can’t,” Natalya repeated. - Go alone, then come back. Say, on a horse and cart.
Do you think I can find you? I'll pass by a hundred meters and not see you. This is taiga, not Losinoostrovsky park.
He picked up the girl by the hand.
- There's a stream over there. Go wash up and have a drink. There are no fish.
They were on their way again.
An hour later we came to a clearing dotted with blueberries.
- Everything, halt. We will have breakfast.
- How? He himself said - no fish.
- Look under your feet, you are walking on blueberries.
They started eating berries. Soon the lips, tongue and hands turned black, but they ate to satiety. However, berries are not fish: the stomach is full, but there is still hunting.
Natalya, seeing Alexei, laughed:
- Oh, I can't! Dead!
“Look at yourself, do you think you’re better?”
“There is no mirror,” Natalya sighed.
They walked until evening, but no longer at the same pace. Alexey looked around - there must be at least some signs of close housing. Paths, forest roads, deforestation, empty cans, bottles, cigarette packs... Nothing! No signs of habitation.
When it began to get dark, Alexei chose a drier place. There were no fir trees, only deciduous forest around. Both of them were wearing dusty clothes, but that didn't bother anyone anymore.
Natalya clung to Alexei:
- Lyosh, do you think we will go out?
“We should, but don’t be discouraged. Despondency is a sin.
- Are you a believer?
- Baptized. Sometimes I go to church, but rarely.
- Me too. There is a hunt!
Let's not talk about food. Need to sleep.
In the morning they woke up from the cold. There was a light fog over the forest, it was dank.
Alexei got up and, dispersing the blood, did a few squats. Natalya also tried to warm herself, jumped, moved her arms. There was no food or water, and Alexey regretted that he had not taken an empty plastic bottle from the plane - at least they had taken water from the stream.
- Let's go, we have to go. It's already seven o'clock.
“I was still sleeping sweetly in Moscow at that time,” Natalya said dreamily. - In a warm and soft bed, under the covers.
- Both the blanket and the bed will still be there, you just have to go.
An hour later the fog cleared, the sun came out and it became warmer. Yes, they warmed up along the way.
After a couple of hours, they came to the edge. The forest did not end, just ahead was a huge clearing, with a large field. The trees were visible again.
- That's it, halt, you need to rest.
Natalya sat down on the ground where she stood. Alexei lay down, putting his feet up on the tree trunk.
- Oh, people! Natalya suddenly screamed and jumped up with a jerk.
Alexei only managed to grab her by the ankle, but he failed to keep the girl. She broke free and rushed across the meadow.
And where did they come from!
Alexey rolled over on his stomach, peered. From the other side of the forest, three men really came out. Oh, she didn't run for nothing!
The service taught Alexei to be careful. He left the entrance - look around if there is a dangerous subject nearby. And in the forest, after all, not only mushroom pickers are found. Near the settlements and homeless people can be found, and fugitive convicts, which happens in Siberia, because there are a lot of camps here since Stalin's times. Some of them closed after Khrushchev came to power, but not all of them.
Habitually orienting himself, Alexei estimated the distance: far from people, about two hundred meters. You can't see the details of the clothes, but obviously not the rescuers and not the military. Jackets for men are gray, the same trousers and boots. Shoes for the forest are the most suitable - neither a tick nor a snake will bite. Who is this? If the lumberjacks, then the chainsaws in the hands are not visible, but one of them has a weapon behind his back, the trunk gleams.
Alexey hesitated - to leave the forest or wait? You need to find out the road to the village or village. Only the big question - do the peasants need witnesses? He decided to wait and take a closer look. And so it is already clear - somewhere nearby the settlement. Opening the flight pad, he studied the map. It seems that there is a similar bend in the forest, and the village is not far away, about five kilometers.
But Alexey obviously did not like the men. They looked around, as if they were afraid of something - the villagers do not do that. Anxiety crept into my heart.
Natalia talked to the men for about ten minutes. Then one grabbed her by the elbow, and they all went along the edge of the forest. And, as far as Aleksey could judge from the map, not at all towards the village. I wonder where they were going? And most importantly - did Natalya say about him or did she not have time? Women don't keep secrets. Of course, there is no particular secret that there are two of them, but right now he would not want unknown people to know about him, about his presence nearby.
There was a faint cry of Natalya - it was one of the men who slapped her in the face so that she would not resist. Lord, this is stupid! Why did you rush off without asking? It is clear that he is not her husband, not her father, not her boss, but caution never hurts. And now what i can do? Run to the village or follow the men? They have a trunk, so you have to be careful. Approach - yes, but in such a way that it is not detected.
Aleksey left the bag where he lay: he would pick it up later, and now it would only interfere with him, and without leaving the trees, he walked parallel to the strangers, who were still dragging Natalia by the hand. She turned around and looked in his direction, clearly counting on help. Not now, Natalia, not now! Either a careless person or a completely fool can shove across the meadow to the trunk, but he did not consider himself to be either the first or the second. She just looks around in vain, she will call suspicions on her head.
The meadow became narrower, the trees converged on both sides, and a group of strangers approached. Voices were already heard, but the words were incomprehensible.
The men were clearly on purpose. So they entered the forest and disappeared from sight.
Alexey, trying not to step on the branches, ran. How not to lose sight of them!
Ahead, fifty meters away, Natalya's bright red windbreaker appeared. Alexei hid behind a tree trunk.
And the group went ahead, not hiding, talking at the top of their voices. Branches and branches crunched underfoot.
Two hundred meters later it became clear where they were going.
Among the trees stood a small hut - a hunting lodge. With a door propped up by a pole from the beast, but no windows. In winter, a hunter's blizzard will grab - here you can hide, you can wait out. In Siberia, there were such people, everyone could spend the night. In such hunting huts there was always a small supply of food - cereals, salt, even a dozen rounds. And wood for the stove. But an unwritten law was in effect here: if you use it, keep the old order, and leave something from your reserves. Even a can of canned food, even matches or cartridges - it can save someone's life.
It seems that the men knew about the hut and used it more than once. Throwing back the pole, they entered, leaving the door open - otherwise it would be dark in the hut without windows. Fragments of some conversation reached Alexei, then a man's laughter rang out. Here comes the girl! At best, they will rape, and at worst, they will also kill. They won't even bury it, they'll drag the body away and throw it into the ravine. Over the winter, it will rot so that it will not be recognized later.
Gotta save the girl. But he is not Rambo to burst into the hut with his bare hands. They have a gun, and he remembered that. And it’s not a fact that others don’t have weapons, they don’t go into the taiga without knives. We must wait and eliminate them one by one. Alexei did not intend to kill men. Stun, tie, take the weapon and free Natalya - that's his plan. The fact that the company is not good, he already understood.
I heard the sound of blows and the cry of Natalia. Well, yes, they did not pull, they immediately got down to business. He was unlucky with his partner!
No, instead of her, a man would have survived, better - a pilot. But there was no choice.
A man came out of the hut. Aleksey saw the stranger in front for the first time, and his heart sank anxiously and broke off somewhere into the void - yes, he is a prisoner! Probably everyone else too. On the front, on the chest, on the quilted jacket, he had a white stripe sewn on with the inscription: the first detachment, and something else, cannot be seen from afar.
The prisoner went behind the hut with the obvious intention of relieving himself and had already unbuttoned his trousers. The most convenient moment! The only bad thing is that the prisoner stopped next to the hut.
Alexey went in from the side and crept along the wall - not a single dry twig crunched under his foot, and took a step, being behind the prisoner. But with his bestial instinct he sensed a stranger and began to turn his head towards Alexei. However, he grabbed him by the chin and the back of his head and spun him sharply, as they were taught in the army.
There was a crunch of the vertebrae, the body went limp. Alexei barely had time to grab him and carefully put him on the ground - the sound of a falling body was useless.
His plan had just begun to be carried out, and everything had already gone wrong. He was not going to kill anyone, but there is already one corpse. Crap! Now the only thing missing is to go to jail. He was not afraid of the murder as such, he did not fall into a semi-conscious state. And if we discard false modesty, then we must honestly admit that professional assassins are trained in military schools. Yes, they serve the Motherland, preparing to defend it from enemies. But during an enemy invasion, you have to kill, without it - nothing. War and fighting in white gloves are not conducted.
Aleksey quickly searched the prisoner, finding in his pocket a throwaway knife - a typical prisoner's product. Now there is no turning back.
In the hut, Natalya screamed desperately. We must decide.
Aleksey pulled off the quilted jacket from the dead man, put it on himself, put a cap on his head. In the first seconds, enough to confuse the enemy. And the fact that there were enemies in the hut, he no longer doubted. He pressed the button on the knife handle and the blade popped out with a click. He took the knife with a reverse grip in his hand, pressing the blade to his sleeve - so it was almost invisible, and, without hiding, clattering with his boots, he headed for the door.
In the twilight of the hut it was clear that one of the peasants was holding Natalya by the hands, and the second was lying on her, trying to push her legs apart. Which is more dangerous. There was a gun on the floor nearby.
Alexei jumped towards him and stabbed him in the neck. The blade of the knife was short, not an army bayonet, and through a quilted jacket it might not reach the heart. The prisoner bulged his eyes, grabbed his neck, from where blood was gushing out like a fountain, and collapsed onto the trestle bed - on the third, last, prisoner and Natalya.
At first, they did not understand what had happened, it all happened very unexpectedly. Natalya stroked her face with her palm, saw the blood and squealed.
The prisoner, who was lying on top of her, slid to the side. Only now did he realize that he was not his own, but a stranger, but he had no time to do anything. And what could he do if his trousers were completely down?
Alexei took a step back, where the gun lay, took it in his hands, and broke it. A cartridge gleamed dimly in the chamber. Izhevsk single-barreled shotgun "IZH-17", old, with worn bluing, but a good fight.
He closed the barrel.
- Get up, carrion, get dressed.
The prisoner slid down from the trestle bed to the floor, got up, pulled up his pants and fastened them with a button. Where he got the knife from, Alexei did not notice, most likely from his sleeve. I only saw how the prisoner's hand twitched, managed to deviate to the side, and even then barely. Bok burned with pain. Zack turned and jumped through the door.
With his thumb, Alexei cocked the trigger, raised his gun and shot him in the back. There was shot in the cartridge or buckshot, but the quilted jacket on the prisoner's back was riddled with holes.
The sound of a shot in a small hut was simply deafening - to the ringing in my ears. The smell of gunpowder lingered.
The prisoner fell out of the hut and fell - after such a hit from three meters, they do not remain alive.
There was a rustle to the left. Aleksey turned sharply, but it was Natalya who was trying to get out from under the murdered prisoner. Alexey pulled the corpse by the arm, and the body fell to the floor like a bag.
Natalya, with some crazy eyes, examined the hut, the corpses:
“You… you… killed them?”
- What was left for me? - Alexey answered the question with a question. “These are escaped prisoners, in case you haven’t figured it out by now. They would have fun with you in plenty and strangle. Such witnesses are not needed.
He noticed that Natalya's face was adorned with a bruise and her left eye was swollen.
Something warm ran down the skin on the left. Alexei put the gun on the table, sat down on a bench, wrapped up his windbreaker and shirt. The knife slipped through, cutting through the skin.
- Oh, are you hurt?
“Not fatal, calm down. Better look for a bandage and greenery.
True, he doubted that there would be dressings in the hut.
Natalya jumped up and nearly fell, tripping over the corpse. Her jeans were undone and pulled down. Embarrassed, she pulled them up, zipped them up. Alexey arrived in time.
There was a bandage in a sterile paper package, but there was no green or iodine.
Natalya began dressing. She did it clumsily, but she tried.
When finished, Alexei asked:
- Why did you run to them, I tried to grab your leg, stop you?
- I saw people, I thought - the locals will help. Wu! She kicked the corpse.
- Well, yes, everyone can spit in a dead lion, it’s no longer scary.
Alexei sat down on the bench. Fatigue washed over me, even some kind of apathy. Like it or not, the murder of three people. Court, term and prison - that's what he has ahead of him. And all because of this Moscow “fifochka”! Only it was not in his rules to sit back and wait for the end.
Natalya walked around the little hut, wringing her hands.
Alex got up.
- There should be a stream somewhere nearby - they won’t put a hut far from the water. Go, find and bring in a bucket of water, you need to wash the floor.
Natalia nodded and left. She was scared and depressed. Her reckless actions led to tragedy, and she felt guilty.
Alexei went to inspect the area nearby - he decided to pull out and hide the corpses. If they are found and come out on him, therefore, no luck. Well, if they rot and the investigation does not determine the culprit, so be it. Going to the police or the prosecutor's office himself with a confession was beyond his strength.
He described ever-expanding concentric circles around the hut, until he finally found a suitable place - a small narrow ravine, rather a ravine from melt water. Without delay, he returned to the hut, grabbed the legs of the first one he killed, who was lying near the hut, dragged him to the ravine and threw him there. Then I decided to remove the one in the hut, because Natalya found a stream and stood with a bucket of water at the hut, not daring to enter.
He dragged the murdered prisoner by the collar of his quilted jacket and dragged him along. In the middle of the way I decided to take a break, take a breath. Turning to sit down, Alexei's boot caught on the edge of the padded jacket, and on something hard. He reached into the pocket of his quilted jacket and pulled out a pistol - an old, worn "TT", still a pre-war issue. Snapped off the magazine - there were four rounds. Where did he get it? These have not been produced for sixty years!
Aleksey put the weapon in the pocket of his quilted jacket and now he searched all the pockets - it was a very interesting find. However, nothing but a comb was found. It's good that he hit the prisoner first. If the bandit had time to get ahead of him, now it would not be him, Alexei, dragging him to the ravine, but vice versa ...
When he returned to the hut for the last body, Natalya was already washing the floors.
“I washed it once, but the blood still comes through,” she complained.
- My second time, third, rub the boards with sand.
- Sand? – the girl was surprised.
“Well, yes, they always do that in the villages.
Alex is already tired. And it seems that the prisoners are wiry, not well-fed, but it’s hard to drag.
After resting, he took hold of the latter and stopped twice to catch his breath.
Before dumping the body into the ravine, he searched his pockets. In a quilted jacket he found two cartridges for a gun and took them away, deciding that he should leave them in the hut.
In a trouser pocket lay a knotted handkerchief. He was unkempt, and it was unpleasant for Alexei to take on him, but curiosity overpowered him. Unfolding the fabric, he was taken aback - gray, nondescript pebbles lay on his palm. It's strange, why does a prisoner need pebbles? At first he wanted to throw them away, but then he changed his mind - a prisoner would not carry anything in his pockets just like that. Moreover, the hands of the corpse were "decorated" with many tattoos - rings, inscriptions. It can be seen that he had been sitting for more than one year, or even not the first walker, or, as they said, he was galloping.
Having wrapped the stones in his handkerchief, Alexei put it in his pocket, and threw the body into the gully. Whether you like it or not, you have to go here again. Aleksey saw a shovel in the hut, and the thought flashed through his mind - to throw earth at the burial place so that it would not catch the eye. Tired, but necessary!
When he returned, he rested. The floors were already clean, the way they are only immediately after construction. People used the hut, but they did not condescend to washing the floors. Maybe sometimes dust and dirt will be swept out with a broom from branches, but no more.
Aleksey laid out the cartridges on the shelf and put the gun there. It was a pity for him to throw it away, since he had loved and respected weapons since the military school.
He returned to the ravine with a shovel. It took over an hour to work. It was impossible to take land from one place - he understood this well. There will be a pit, it will cause suspicion. Therefore, at first he dug up the bumps and threw them into the gully, and then just the ground. The layer of earth turned out to be not very thick, about thirty centimeters. At the first rain, the earth will sink twice, but Alexei hoped that time and the autumn-winter bad weather would do their job.
Back to the hut, he wandered with a sense of accomplishment. True, the shovel that he carried on his shoulder seemed to him a pood. But Alexey overcame himself and, returning, walked around the hut, peering carefully, were there any traces left?
Entering the hut, he flopped down exhaustedly on a bench.
- Natalya, I want to eat terribly. Look around on the shelf, maybe you'll find something?
- I already looked, - Natalya answered, - pasta and a can of canned fish "Piece in Tomato".
- It will do. Go, fetch some water, and I'll look for branches, melt the stove.
Overpowering himself, Alexey brought a bunch of branches and kindled an ancient potbelly stove. Thanks to that unknown person who installed the hut and the stove, without it it would be really bad.
He kindled the fire quickly. Natalia returned with a smoky saucepan full of water. Unlike a stone stove, the potbelly stove warmed up quickly, but it also ate firewood like your steam locomotive.
When the pasta was cooked, Natalya drained the water, and Alexei opened a can of canned food with a knife and, putting its contents into a saucepan, mixed it. It turned out something unusually red, but it smelled edible.
The cooked dish was divided into two aluminum bowls.
Alexey ate slowly, stretching out the pleasure. A feeling of satiety appeared in the stomach, pulled into sleep. Yes, and in fact it's time to sleep, the sun is already sinking in the evening.
“Let’s go to bed,” suggested Alexei.
Natalia just nodded in response. It had not been an easy day for her either.
Alexei closed the door, closed the wooden lock, and lay down on the trestle beds.
Natalya stood in indecision.
- What are you?
- So on the trestle bed ... - she did not finish.
Well, yes, he is afraid. He killed a man on a trestle bed, and Natalia herself was almost raped.
“Are you going to stay up all night?”
Natalya overcame herself, lay down on the edge and clung to Alexei. They both fell asleep quickly, because the day turned out to be difficult.
It was much warmer to sleep on the trestle bed and under the roof than on the bare ground, and Alexey woke up cheerful and rested. And Natalya was still sleeping, she was simply brazenly dozing.
"Get up, sleepyhead!"
- Mmmm, let me sleep! Well, how!
- We have to pack up and go.
- Do you have any other words? Everything go go go! I was ahead of my life.
The village must be close.
Natalya got up. No makeup, hair tousled ... But even in this form, she was attractive.
- Turn around, I'll put myself in order. I'm scary, right?
- Do not anger God, completely ... Let's go to wash, at the same time we will have a drink - there is still nothing to eat.
They put themselves in order, washed, drank and set off.
First, Alexei, heading along the old path, found his bag. The unwise ones had belongings in it, but still ... He remembered from what place the prisoners had left, and went there. Natalia was not far behind.
“Natasha, this is what I want to talk about. Forget yesterday, like there was nothing.
– Do you think we will be questioned or suspected of something?
Suspicion - no. And they will ask about the catastrophe itself, and more than once. Tell everything as it was, but put yesterday out of your head. Not to the cops, not to my girlfriends, not at home on the phone - not a word to anyone. Then we'll both go to jail.
“God, what am I for?”
Well, yes, now he alone is to blame for everything, women are always like that. If she hadn't run to the prisoners, nothing would have happened.
Yes, I'm bleeding. But I protected you. If the bandits had dealt with me, they would not have spared you either. Do you understand?
- Not stupid.
“So technically you are my accomplice.
- With what fright?
- Did you wash the blood in the hut? In the official language, she hid evidence. If anything, they will judge both, they will just give you less.
– I somehow didn’t think about it.
Let's exchange phone numbers, I think we may need them. Only about the hut on the phone - not a word.
“One is purely for friends, the other is for work,” she explained.
- I think, as soon as we go out to people and call the police or the airport, we will have to write some explanatory notes, or even fly to the crash site.
- Fly? Never! I'll go by train.
- That's your business. And yet, so am I. You just need to remember to take the certificate.
- Why? Sue the company?
- Do I look like a slut? I have to be at work for two days already, otherwise they will be fired as a truant.
They went again.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon we went to a country road, and Natalya even squealed with joy.
Soon the village appeared. Alexei found out from the first person he met where the administration was located. He tried turning on his cell phone, but the battery was already dead.
We got to the center of the village. Probably, in the building, about which the passer-by told them, once there was the board of the collective farm, and now it is the administration of the village.
Both went to the secretary, said hello.
- Girl, we should call Yekaterinburg.
"What, you have nothing else to do?"
We are from a crashed plane. We need to tell you where he is.
The secretary dropped the papers and rushed to the door:
- Anton Pavlovich! There are people from the plane who are looking for!
- Start up!
And he himself, following the secretary, appeared in the doorway.
“We should call,” Alexei said again.
“We will do everything in the best possible way,” Anton Pavlovich assured him. - Come in, I'll dial the number now.
He began to call the district authorities. How, first of all, to the authorities, in order to show their zeal, zeal for service.
Then he dialed the number of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and handed the phone to Alexei.
- Hello, we are passengers from a crashed plane that took off from Eremin.
- Everyone is alive?
- Only two.
- Where are you?
“Wait a minute,” Alexei handed the receiver to Anton Pavlovich. He explained the name of the village, nodded his head.
- Ordered to feed and wait, they will come for you. Do you want to eat?
“Do you think we are from a restaurant?” Natalya was outraged.
- Oh sure. Let's go.
They were taken to the dining room in the next building. For the first time in several days, they washed their hands with soap and ate borscht and dumplings.
After dinner, Natalya asked:
- We would like a clothes brush, to clean ourselves.
- Of course now.
Anton Pavlovich took them to his office, found a brush, and Alexei and Natalya took turns cleaning themselves up. After a hearty meal and the realization that they finally went out to people, Alexei fell asleep in an armchair.
Oh, the hero has awakened! What's the last name?
“Alexei Ivanovich Terekhin,” Alexei said in a hoarse voice after sleep.
“There is one on the list,” the airline representative said happily.
A map was laid out on the table. Alexei found the village he came to, pointed his finger to the northeast and pointed:
Approximately this area.
- It can't be, he's off the track.
“The pilots’ engine stopped, they were probably looking for a platform, they could have gone to the side,” Alexei tried to answer.
- Let's figure it out. Are you able to fly with us, show?
- Completely.
“I won’t fly, I’ve had enough,” Natalya intervened.
- Okay, be here. Anton Pavlovich, put the lady somewhere to rest.
- I will.
Aleksey with all the arrivals went to the helicopter, which was standing on the school sports ground. There were about twelve people, all important, in uniform, with folders for papers.
Alexei sat by the porthole and looked down. Of course, the terrain did not look like this from above, but he still recognized some characteristic places.
“Not far already,” he said to the flight engineer.
The helicopter began to descend.
- There he is!
From above, the plane was not very noticeable, it was covered by trees.
Raising a cloud of dust, the helicopter landed on a small clearing, about a hundred meters from the crashed plane.
When the members of the commission left the MI-8, Alexei went first. It seems that the catastrophe happened recently, and it seemed to Alexei that an eternity had passed.
A few tens of meters - and the whole picture of the tragedy was revealed to the members of the commission. Everyone was silent for a minute, then an employee of the prosecutor's office stepped forward:
- Stay here.
And he began to photograph the plane, the detached tail, the bodies of the dead passengers from different sides.
An airline representative approached Alexei:
- Tell me how it all happened.
Alexey spoke clearly and in detail.
“I would like a note,” he asked.
- About property damage?
- No, I have to work, otherwise they will be fired for absenteeism.
- Of course. We'll go back to the airport and pick you up right away.
Sorry for the question, this is how we work. Have you checked your luggage?
- It was the case, I wanted to eat. In one suitcase, raw, salted fish was found. Roasted at the stake and ate it.
Alexei was tortured almost until the evening. Then everyone got into the helicopter and returned to the village. Here everyone was assigned to stay with the locals - there was no hotel in the village.
In the morning, a second helicopter flew into the village, and with it a dozen more different official ranks. The same helicopter went for the bodies of the dead.
After breakfast, Alexei and Natalya were put into another helicopter, where, in addition to them, a few more people from yesterday got on. Natalya was afraid to fly, but Alexey reassured her:
- A shell does not hit the same funnel twice, but we will soon be in Yekaterinburg.
They arrived in Uktus in about two hours, but the paper whirlwind lasted until the evening.
They were examined by a doctor.
- Why the doctor? Natalya was surprised.
- Each passenger is insured, it is necessary to examine, after all - an insured event.
The representative of the airline kept his word - both Natalia and Alexei were given certificates for work. They had to sign a lot of papers - after all, the two surviving witnesses, they are the victims. And only in the evening the representative of the airline said:
- That's it, you're free. Would you like to fly by plane?
- No, - both answered in unison, - we would like train tickets to Moscow.
There will be tickets, wait.
The representative phoned the railway, they were taken by car to the railway station and handed over the tickets. In one car, in one compartment - to Moscow. Half an hour later they boarded the train.
- It's over, this nightmare is over! - Natalya stretched out on the shelf with bliss on her face. - Now I will sleep until Moscow.
- Now you can.
And outside the window, in the darkness, deserted stop-stations and an endless forest flew by.
Two days later the train arrived in Moscow. Alexey and Natalya went out to the platform.
"Let's go to my house!" Natalya suddenly suggested. - Let's celebrate the return. After all, we were lucky - not like the others who remained at the plane. Probably fate.
- Aren't you afraid to invite a stranger to the house? - Alex joked.
“After I slept with you?” Yes, you, as an honest man, must now marry me. Natalia smiled, but her eyes remained serious.
Alexei was confused. He was not ready for such a conversation.
- Are you not married?
- You and I have been together for a week, and you didn’t even ask! Oh, Don Juan! No, not married. And my own apartment.
- Then let's go. I still have nowhere to sleep, except in a hotel.
- In hotel? You will offend me. Too much has been experienced together, we are now like family.
They got into a taxi and drove to Sivtsev Vrazhka - that was the name of the street where Natalia lived.
An unusual name, old and even somehow tasty to the ear, not like the faceless 5th Street of the Builders of the times of socialism.
Natalia opened the door and entered the apartment. Alexei followed. His face was breathless. Still, an apartment or a house lives when a person is in it.
Natalya immediately opened the windows, fresh air and street noise burst into the apartment. “But in new houses with soundproofing it’s bad,” Alexei noted to himself. “You can hear the elevator going, the neighbors playing music.” In the old house in St. Petersburg, where he rented an apartment, this was not the case. If there is a wedding on the same floor and a funeral next door, no one interferes with anyone.
“Sit where you like,” Natalia suggested.
Alex sat down in a chair. Natalya slammed the refrigerator door and left the kitchen with a frustrated look:
- I'm going to the grocery store. Or shall we go to a cafe?
- In this way?
The clothes, although they were cleaned, did not look the best, and there was nothing to change into.
- I quickly.
- I'm with you. Am I going to sit alone?
They went to a hypermarket nearby and got some groceries. It seems to be a little bit of everything, but it turned out to be two large packages.
While Natalya conjured over dinner, Alexei watched the news. Nothing about their crashed plane. Or did they miss the report while they were on the train?
Natalya's apartment was one-room, but her own, not rented, femininely comfortable. Alexey kept his apartment clean, but it looked like a barracks. Women with small details - a flower in a pot, a small picture on the wall, a toy - can give charm, comfort, warmth to a home. And what to hide, Alexey liked Natalia's apartment.
They didn't rush to eat. Alexei felt peaceful and a little sad. During the days spent together, he somehow even got used to this wayward and a little eccentric, even capricious girl. Tomorrow we must part, leave.
Natalya probably also experienced the same feelings.
- Shall we have a drink?
- I will not refuse.
- Wine or whiskey?
- No vodka? Then wine.
Alexey tried whiskey, but he did not like this product - however, like tequila. There is nothing better than good vodka for a Russian person.
Natalya poured Spanish wine into glasses, said a short toast:
- Happy return!
The wine was pleasant, with a good aftertaste. Natalya blushed, perked up.
“I haven’t drunk in years!
- Well, yes - a hundred years! A whole week!
Alexei filled the glasses.
- Fate gave us a second life, it rarely happens. And introduced me at the same time. So let's drink to a meeting and acquaintance!
Natalya drank after Alexei. Then she washed the dishes, and he watched TV again. Then the shower roared, and a few minutes later Natalya came out of the bathroom refreshed, wrapped in a large bath towel.
- Your turn.
Aleksey took clean linen out of the bag and mentally praised himself for having found the bag in the woods on the way back. With great pleasure, he splashed under the hot streams. Eh, nice! He wiped himself off - even rubbed himself red with a towel, as he used to, pulled on his underpants. Dress up more? So after all, you won’t sleep in clothes, not in the taiga. And he decided to get out of the bathroom like that.
A night light was on in the room. Natalya had already managed to move the sofa apart, turning it into a double sofa bed, she covered it and lay down herself.
Aleksey stopped in the middle of the room in indecision - Natalya had prepared a bed obviously for two. In principle, they slept together in the taiga, but in clothes, and he did not make any hints, did not pester. However, their goal was to survive. Now the situation is different, he is visiting her. How are women? You pester - a goat, you do not pester - a fool. So understand their logic, especially when it, in the male understanding, is not.
- Why did you get up? Lie down. I think we already have experience.
It would be suggested. Alexei dived under the thin blanket. He accidentally touched Natalya with his hand, and he was completely overwhelmed with heat - the girl was naked. Here's the damn thing! Provoking or?.. In spite of everything, he decided to just sleep. However, the closeness of a young female body and drunk wine excited, drove sleep away. He turned on his side.
“Are you going to pretend to be a log for a long time?” the girl asked.
In general, what happened was what should have happened between a young strong man and an equally young woman in the same bed.
Natalya turned out to be experienced, temperamental, and they did not sleep until almost morning, indulging in love pleasures and as if making up for lost time. We ended up waking up at noon. Alexey cursed to himself - something does not hurt, he is in a hurry to work.
Natalya went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
- Go eat, dear guest.
They ate breakfast in silence.
- I need to go to St. Petersburg, the service, the vacation is over - with these words, Alexei got up.
Natalya, who had previously been looking at the floor, raised her eyes:
- Lyosh, marry me.
Alexey was confused. Never before had women said such words to him.
- And what? You will be transferred to Moscow for service, but if you want, quit at all, in the capital Good work can be found. I have housing.
Alexei was silent - he was dumbfounded.
“God, what am I talking about?” Natalia got up from her chair. - Apartment, service! I just like you! she almost screamed. - Today the frail man went. With a tie, he, with a laptop, but if he got into the taiga, like us, he would die of hunger. And I'm behind you, like behind a stone wall. Lyosh?
“Wait a little, it’s all too sudden.” I haven't looked that far yet. Don't drive horses, let me think. I know your phone, I know the apartment. Can I think? It's a serious step.
Natalya took a step forward, pressed her whole body against Alexei, and kissed his lips with a kiss.
Alexei was overwhelmed with heat. Or maybe, well, to hell with it, life in St. Petersburg? What does he see there? Service, a rented bachelor's apartment, a dream, service again ... It's as if you are going on rails, and all around is a dull steppe. And life passes, and the bygone years can not be returned.
With difficulty overcoming himself, he broke away from the girl, threw the handle of the bag over his shoulder, turned and left the apartment without looking back. Long wires - extra tears.
He went down the stairs - not the elevator. Coming out from under the canopy of the entrance, he raised his head, saw Natalya in the window and waved his hand to her.
And where to go? In which direction? Where is the subway? After hesitating for a second, he asked a passer-by, inwardly scolding himself: “Well, you’re a bullshit, I could have found out from Natalya, she would have explained in more detail.”
I had to take the subway with a transfer. The Moscow metro is much larger than the St. Petersburg metro, but it was more convenient to navigate, there were enough signs.
An hour later he was already on the train. Not the Sapsan, of course, but it was going fast, and late in the evening Alexei arrived at the St. Petersburg Moskovsky railway station.
When he reached the apartment, he immediately soaked his dusty clothes in water. Throwing the bag by the sofa, I heard something knock in it. Alexei unzipped the zipper ... How did he forget? In the side compartment was a TT pistol, which he had taken from the prisoner, and next to it was a bundle with stones. In all this confusion, he completely forgot about them.
After taking a shower, he set the alarm clock, ironed his uniform shirt and trousers. I would have a bite to eat now, but the refrigerator was empty, before leaving, he turned it off altogether from the network.
Having finished with these matters, he went to bed, as he had not slept at all the previous night. At the memory of the stormy night spent with Natalya, a warm wave swept through the body.
How I did not want to get up in the morning, my whole body protested, but - it is necessary!
He quickly got ready, taking, in addition to the usual certificate, a certificate from the airport, and ran to the tram, and then transferred to the subway. Hastily slipped through the checkpoint, heading for the boss's office - it was necessary to be in time before the morning planning meeting.
“Sam” frowned when he saw Alexei entering, but after reading the certificate and listening to his explanations, he softened.
- I caught a glimpse of the news about the plane on TV, but I could not think that my employee was on it. Thank God, everything worked out. And it seemed to serve properly - and suddenly such a puncture! Go serve as before!
Alexey went out satisfied - the storm had passed.
The department was also surprised:
- Were you on sick leave?
And Alexei had to once again, only briefly, tell about the plane crash.
“Oh, lucky you, boy! You celebrate this day as your second birthday.
And gray days stretched again. From the service he came tired, until he cooked a simple dinner - it's time to sleep. And in the evening, before going to sleep, lying in bed, I thought about life, about the prospects in it, about Natalia. And the more he thought, the more inclined to think about moving to Moscow. They raised their salary or, in official language, their allowance, but even after the promotion it was not such that they could hold on to the service with their hands and teeth - the trolleybus driver received no less.
By Friday, he remembered the stones - he had to find out what they were. After all, it was not for nothing that the prisoner carried them in his pocket! If something is not serious - throw it away and forget it.
He began to remember acquaintances, but there was no one who seriously understood stones among them.
The next day was Saturday, a day off, and he went to the Mining Institute on Vasilyevsky Island. He traveled by tram route 63 - he passed by this stop every day. I went in uniform - the watchmen standing at the checkpoint, uniforms are always afraid. And I was not mistaken, the watchman did not even ask for a certificate:
- Come on.
- I would like to go to the Geological Exploration Department. Do not tell me?
The janitor explained Alexei in detail.
“But I’m afraid there aren’t any of the teachers there right now.
- Nothing, I'll take a walk.
At the faculty, Alexey pulled one door, then another. It was locked, although the students were loitering along the corridor.
- Who are you looking for? a young woman in a white coat, probably a laboratory assistant, stopped next to him.
- I would like one of the teachers.
“The professor is here, let’s go,” the laboratory assistant led him to the door.
“Thank you,” Alexei knocked.
- Yes, yes, come in.
Aleksey expected to see a gray-haired man of advanced years and wearing glasses - that's exactly what he saw in the movies. However, a thin, middle-aged man sat at the table. He looked at Alexei with interest, keeping his eyes on his uniform.
- Hello, sit down.
Alexey, in turn, looked around the office: maybe there is a real professor here?
- You to me?
- Well, if you are a professor, then to you.
- Not simular? the professor laughed. “But I am the professor. Are you from the police?
Alexey did not answer - let him think so. He took out a bundle of stones from his pocket, unfolded it and placed it on the table.
“I would like to know what those stones are.” Well, at least approximately.
– Gemological expertise is a long process. Do you have an official request with you?
- I would first, without a request - to determine further action. They found it in the criminal's pocket.
The man pulled up a handkerchief with stones, picked up a magnifying glass. Having examined the stones, for some reason he touched each one.
– Do you have any idea what it is?
- None.
- Diamonds, Yakut diamonds. If they are cut, then there will be diamonds.
Alexei's eyes widened. Are these nondescript pebbles diamonds?
All except one, this one.
- They're alike.
- Hold it in your hands. Diamonds have low thermal conductivity and are cold to the touch, but this one is warm. What Golconda did you bring them from? Oh yes, seized from the criminal.
– And how much can they cost?
- You see, comrade ... - the professor looked at Alexei's shoulder straps.
- ... senior lieutenant.
- Yes exactly. The cost of a processed diamond increases many times - it depends on the weight, color, clarity. Now it is impossible to say this, but the best one is “a diamond of pure water”.
- What is it like? I am not an expert.
- Of course. If such a diamond is immersed in pure water, it will not be visible, and therefore “pure water”. De Beers sells them for fifty-eight dollars a carat, but our officials manage to sell them for twenty-two dollars.
Are ours worse? Alex was surprised.
Who told you such nonsense? the professor was indignant. - The same De Beers buys diamonds from us for twenty-two dollars, and sells them to Antwerp for fifty-eight.
Why Antwerp?
- There is a world capital for processing, cutting diamonds. Although recently they are increasingly processed in India, it comes out cheaper. Yes, and here in Russia too. Do you know that almost all the owners of cutting enterprises in Russia are citizens of Israel and Belgium?
- No, - Alex was confused. “But how much would it cost?”
- One carat - five hundred to six hundred thousand rubles. This stone is approximately one carat and is. This one - two, maybe a little more. A carat is only zero point two tenths of a gram. So in the handkerchief in which you so carelessly brought the stones, there are fifteen to twenty million. Such valuables in an armored car and with protection must be transported.
Alexei couldn't believe his ears. He wanted to throw them away in the taiga, but it turns out that this is a fortune.
He collected the stones in a handkerchief and slipped them into his pocket.
Thank you professor for your advice. I think you understand that about our conversation ...
- Yes of course! Silent!
Goodbye, you helped us a lot.
Alexei left the Mining Institute in absolute prostration. In the pocket - the state! And he carelessly keeps them at home in a bag, and the door is not very strong, wooden, though from a real tree of old work.
The head was spinning. Call Natalia? It is forbidden. Rather, you can chat, but not about stones. Not only can no woman be trusted with secrets, but cellular bugged by the police and the FSB.
Alexey did not come up with anything better than to return home - he had to think over the circumstances in a calm atmosphere, everything was too serious. If anyone finds out, there will be trouble.
While he was riding in the tram, it seemed that a bundle of stones was burning his pocket.
Already at home, Alexei unfolded his handkerchief and sat down at the table. Wow, faceless pebbles - and such a price! Yes, he will not earn so much in his entire life with honest service! Stop, the professor said that one stone is not a diamond. That's just what? He did not remember: all the stones were similar and differed only in size. By the way, the professor mentioned that diamonds are cold to the touch.
He took one stone in his hand. In fact, cool. And the other is the same, and the third ... I took another stone. Its edges are not sharp - rounded, like those of pebbles, run in with water. How did he get here, to the diamonds?
Alexey rubbed the stone with his finger. Lines resembling ancient runes appeared under a layer of ingrained, compressed dust.
He rubbed the stone harder, with his whole hand now. The stone warmed up, even became hot to the touch. Only Alexei suddenly had a headache, they trembled, as in a summer haze in the heat, and the outlines of the furniture and doorways became blurry. Head spinning, he grabbed the table with one hand and, holding the stone in the other, closed his eyes.
After a few seconds, the dizziness stopped. Feeling better, Alexei opened his eyes. He never suffered from such semiconscious states. Or was it the plane crash that affected him that way? A doctor in Yekaterinburg, though examined, but without analysis. Did he get a concussion? Although he had no complaints about his health, both then and now. But there is clearly something wrong with the head.
Alexei clearly remembered that he was in a room in a rented apartment, and now there was a cobbled road in front of him.
Alexei put the stone he was holding in his pocket into his pocket - he did not connect the incident with him. What if there were lines on the pebble that looked like ancient runes? Museums are full of them.
But first you need to decide where he got to, where is Peter and which way to go? He was once in the service in Kaliningrad, the former German Koenigsberg. So, the paving stones there are very similar to this one, on which Alexei was now standing. No, he must have some kind of memory lapse. He left for Kaliningrad, but forgot the move itself. Moreover, it is not so far from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad, ferries run.
Behind, while quite far away, the heavy steps of many people were heard - this is how soldiers walk in formation.
Alexei turned around and was dumbfounded: on the road, an infantry column was actually coming out from around the bend, but only not Russian army- were the real hoplites. Sandals with wooden soles, tunics, in the left hand - a heavy scutum shield, on the thigh - a short sword in a scabbard. On their heads are helmets, but not steel, as they are now, but bronze, some with a transverse crest, others with a longitudinal one. The most real Roman soldiers were walking, as he saw them in historical films. However, the ancient Greeks also had similar robes, only the shields were small and round. But he would not have undertaken to say for sure, not a historian. I sometimes went to museums, liked to watch films - the same "Gladiator". They know how to do it in Hollywood! We only have remakes like "Office Romance-2", "Irony of Fate-2", "Prisoner of the Caucasus-2". And if only one new film was equal in quality to the old one - ugh!
The column came closer, and Alexei got off the road! The heavy tread of hundreds of feet, dust, the smell of sweat, leather, armor, garlic. How much garlic do you have to eat to smell like that?
At least a thousand soldiers marched past Alexei. They looked askance at him, but passed in silence. Follow them? What if they are on a long trip - against the same ancient Germans?
It was getting hot. He was sweaty in a shirt and trousers. The sun roasted mercilessly, I was thirsty.
Alexei moved in the direction from which the column appeared. In appearance, the soldiers were quite fresh, not dusty, and therefore, they left the city, and close at that.
The city turned out to be closer than Alexey thought. As soon as he went around the bend, as the city buildings opened in front of him in the valley. At a cursory glance, the city was not large - so, a small regional center, at least thirty thousand inhabitants. Buildings in one, rarely - two floors, stone, there is a lot of land around.
Alexei walked briskly towards the city. To the left, on the trees, he saw some fruit. He became interested, and he left the road, going under the crown. The fruits did not look like cherries or plums, they were the same in shape and size.
He plucked the fruit, put it in his mouth, chewed it. So those are olives! He ate them somehow, did not like them. But how they grow, I saw for the first time.
Out of nowhere, a black man appeared - half-naked, in one loincloth and with a whip in his hands. He began to shout something furiously, pointing at the olives. Yes, Aleksey already understood that this was someone's garden, but because he ate one fruit, the owner would not become poorer. He pointed to the fruit, then to his mouth, and held up his finger. One fruit of everything!
But the Negro did not let up. Is he a watchman here? Shouldn't have bothered, abroad private property- always sacred, no encroachment on it will be tolerated.
Alexei put his hand to his heart, apologizing, and went out onto the road. How to say to this chernomasom that he was not a thief and just decided to try?
However, the negro did not lag behind, walked three steps behind and yelled. Alexey did not know what, but he guessed.
Soon both came to the city gates.
Two city guards jumped out to the cries of a black man. Judging by the stern faces and leather armor, as well as the many old scars on the arms and legs, they are former legionnaires. Without a word, they grabbed Alexei by the arms, holding him as if in a vise. Yes, he was not going to run anywhere, he went to the city himself.
He was dragged through the streets, led into some building with a portico.
The negro, pointing his finger at Alexei, was telling something. To know that this would happen - languages would have to be taught.
A man in a white toga, sitting in a wooden chair, nodded, then pointed his finger at Alexei. He realized that it was his turn and began to explain his actions.
Hearing someone else's and incomprehensible speech, the Roman grimaced, made a sign with his hand and threw a short word: either the owner of the garden, or the city official - Alexei did not understand.
The guards grabbed him by the arms again and dragged him. Alexei prepared to accept the punishment. Since he had no money or other valuables, and no one asked him about it, he believed that they would give him a couple of lashes and kick him out.
However, the reality turned out to be worse - he was thrown into the basement, behind bars. Moreover, when they brought him into the cell, the overseer searched him. Stumbling on a stone in his pocket, he examined it and threw it on the floor. Constipation rumbled.
There were several other people in the cell.
Alexei looked for a stone on the floor, found it and put it back in his pocket.
The cellmate, who looked like a uniformed Ethiopian, shook his head, pointed to his pocket, and then to his mouth. Aleksey guessed, took out a stone, wiped it on his sleeve and put it in his mouth - now it was the most reliable place to store it.
Thick stone walls and bars on the window made it impossible to escape.
Alexei sat down on the dirt floor. I don't know how long he'll be here? Waiting for the court? For one eaten olive? Well, they are in order! However, for the Romans, he is a barbarian, because he does not know the language and walks in trousers, like a Scythian.
Time passed slowly. By evening, two more people were pushed into the cell, European-looking, they only spoke to each other in an incomprehensible language.
In the evening the overseer brought a wooden tub of water. The prisoners, pushing each other away, greedily fell to the life-giving moisture. In the cell, despite the window, it was stifling, and heat wafted from the outer wall. And only the night brought coolness. I wanted to eat.
Little by little everyone fell asleep, and Alexey too.
In the morning he was awakened by the overseer's kick. The rest of the inmates were already standing by the wall. They tied everyone's hands with a rope, and one more - all among themselves, in a chain, they took them out of prison and led them down the street.
Aleksey turned his head around: it was interesting to look at the city and, just in case, remember the way - he did not give up hope of escaping at an opportunity. Alas! Very soon it smelled of the sea - freshness and algae.
Turning the corner, the captives saw the sea, a pier with ships.
The cellmates let out a heavy sigh - they understood before him what fate was in store for them.
They were led to the libourne, as Alexei later learned. He took a look at the ship. Forty meters long, two rows of oars along the side, a concave stem is decorated on the sides with figures of crocodiles. In the bow rises a turret for archers and slingers. On the very nose - a ladder-raven for boarding. There are two passages on the bulwark - in the bow and at the stern. At the stern, an awning for the authorities was stretched. So after all, this is a Roman bireme, as Alexei saw it in the paintings and engravings! Roman ship for reconnaissance, messenger and sentinel service.
A chill ran down his back. Alexei understood. He and his cellmates will have to be rowers. Slave and hard labor, no one could stand it for more than a year - they died. The bodies were thrown into the sea.
The sailor who was standing by the gangway counted out the prisoners with his hand, then he counted out the money to the guards. Crap! Anything, Alexey imagined, but not the fate of a rower in a galley!
The liburna he was taken to did not even have a mast with a sail. This means that even with a fair wind, you still have to work without unbending.
The future rowers were untied and brought down. Some people were left here, two were taken even lower, to the lower deck. As Alexei later found out, the rowers of the lower row of oars were located there, one per oar. On the top row of oars sat three rowers per oar, because they were longer and heavier than the bottom ones.
They put him on a bench. Almost immediately, a blacksmith came and shackled the newcomers into leg irons. The rowers could work with their hands, eat, but move from the bench - only by the length of the chain, about half a meter. As soon as the ship ran aground or got a hole in battle, the rowers went under water along with the ship.
Then another sailor came, threw a rope loop around Alexei's neck, on which a small wooden block dangled. Alexei did not understand its purpose, but he did not ask either. It looks like the rowers are people of different nationalities, a real Babylon. Here he is stuck! Only now, chained to the ship, did he realize the full horror of his position. Will you run away from here?
The ship stood at the pier for a long time, three hours. Then the drum beat, and the rowers took the wooden logs into their mouths. Alexei did the same.
With long poles, the sailors pushed the ship away from the pier. Measured began to beat the drum. First, the lower, short oars began to work, taking the ship to clean water. Then a short whistle sounded, and all the rowers took up the oars. The handle of the oar, at which Alexei was sitting, had already been polished to a shine by the previous rowers, but they did not want to think about their fate.
Alex did not lose hope. He oared steadily with the others - the beginners were seated on benches with experienced rowers.
To the measured beats of the drum, all eighty-eight oars of the liburnum worked together. The water foamed in front of the stem, the ship picked up speed. It was fresher on the rowers' deck, though not by much. The smell of sweat, feces, decayed clothes seemed to be absorbed into the ship's hull.
After a quarter of an hour of hard work, Alexei was sweating all over, and an hour later his palms began to ache. However, he clenched his teeth and endured. If only to wait for the evening - he will try to rub the stone again. If he brought him here, let him get him back. I wonder what year it is? The fact that he was transported into the past for many centuries, or rather, millennia, no longer caused doubts in Alexei.
Four hours later, the drumming stopped. The rowers threw down the handles of the oars in exhaustion.
An overseer with a clay amphora and a bowl went between the rows of seats, distributing water. It seems that the matter has not yet come to feeding, but I just wanted to eat terribly.
Warriors ran across the deck. Nothing can be seen from the rowing deck, only a patch of sky.
Then the drum beat again, more and more often, setting the pace, and the liburna began to pick up speed. Suddenly, a sharp turn to the left, there was a crack of breaking wood. Alexei was frightened: damn it, is the vessel really going to the bottom ?! And he?
Screams came from the deck, the sound of metal, apparently, there was a naval battle.
Water did not enter the hull, and Alexei calmed down. Perhaps the liburna broke through the side of another ship with an underwater ram.
After half an hour everything was quiet, and soon four men were pushed onto the deck of the rowers, Arabs in clothes and faces. Began to chain the first. He realized what fate awaited him, and began to break free.
A warrior in leather armor standing nearby pulled out a short gladius sword from its scabbard and poked the poor fellow in the stomach with it. And he did it calmly, even somehow indifferently, apparently, he did it more than once.
The Arab crouched in pain and pressed his hands to the wound, from under which blood flowed profusely. He was picked up by two soldiers, dragged to the upper deck, and almost immediately a splash was heard - the agonizing Arab was thrown overboard.
The rest, seeing the fate of their comrade, did not resist. They were immediately shackled.
Liburna has gained momentum again.
We walked almost until evening, stopped at the shore. The sound of the surf was heard, the cries of seagulls. The overseer brought cakes and dried fish - it was both lunch and dinner. The rowers began to eat.
Alexey ate everything rather quickly, and the hungry cramps in his stomach subsided for a while.
Taking advantage of the fact that the ship was standing, the rowers fell on the benches and fell into a heavy sleep.
Having waited until his comrades in misfortune fell asleep, Alexei spat out a pebble into his palm and rubbed it with his fingers. Nothing changed. He rubbed it again, this time with his palm. And again, no change.
Alexei sighed in disappointment. His hopes of being transported back - to any other time and place - vanished.
He lay down on the bench. Already falling asleep, I thought that after all, he rubbed even during the day, but then it was a full moon, the month changed. Nothing, he is a Siberian, he is patient. Alexei fell into a heavy sleep.
And in the morning - breakfast from the same cakes and fish. Having chewed the last piece of the cake, he briefly thought that if the rowers on the ship were fed only twice, in the morning and in the evening, and even so poorly with such hard work, it was not surprising that the death rate among the rowers was high. In a month he himself would look like his comrades, more reminiscent of emaciated shadows than young men.
After eating, he tore the sleeves of his shirt into strips and wrapped them around his palms. After yesterday's work, blood calluses swelled on the skin. If they burst, the palms will not heal for a long time in the salty sea air. And if they rot - write wasted.
He looked around: overgrown faces, dull eyes. Does the same fate await him? It was possible to exchange a few words with the neighbors on the bench only in the morning or in the evening, during meals. Everyone spoke to different languages, mixing words, but understood each other - after all, they were talking about simple things.
His neighbor turned out to be an Italian, and, communicating with him, Alexei gradually learned the language. He pointed to parts of the body, for example, to the hand, to the objects surrounding them - to the oar, to the bench, and the Italian said what they were called. Gradually Alex remembered simple words, and, at least, albeit badly, but in a month he learned to understand what the overseer was saying. But while rowing, you can’t talk, your breath goes astray, and with it the rhythm. And the overseer is vigilant. He will see that someone is lazy or tired - immediately with a whip on the back, or even more than once. Alexei had not yet been beaten, but he saw how the weakest get it.
He barely waited for the time when one evening the full moon floated into the sky. When the rowers were asleep, he took the stone out of his mouth again and rubbed it. From a long stay in the mouth, the stone became as polished. And again, nothing: as Alexei sat on a bench in shackles, he remained.
From anger and disappointment, he already wanted to throw the stone overboard, into the oaring port, but changed his mind in time. He had already gotten used to the stone, which reminded him of the house. Habitually putting a stone in his mouth, Alexei fell asleep.
The ship plowed mainly coastal waters. Liburna had a small displacement, a small draft and could come close to the coast. As Aleksey understood, she was guarding the coast from smugglers and enemies.
And Rome had many enemies. The empire, torn apart by internal strife and contradictions, attacks by the Huns, Gauls, Saxons and other tribes, was divided in two - into the Western and Eastern empires - in 395. The power of the empire gradually faded, it no longer scared the enemies as much as before. The same Huns imposed tribute on Byzantium - like the once all-powerful Rome on neighboring lands. And the arrogant Italians, despising the barbarians, paid them annually up to 700 liters of gold (about 230 kilograms).
The Roman army, however, like the fleet, also weakened. More and more, not only Italians were recruited into it, as before, but also other peoples. Previously, they were taken only to the auxiliary troops - the same Numidians in the cavalry. However, Rome has long been strong in infantry, these unshakable phalanxes, cohorts and legions. But, alas, no empire lasts forever.
After two months of Alexei's stay on the libourne, a fierce battle took place.
Liburna went out in the morning, as usual, to patrol the water area. Around noon, an alarm sounded - the signalman's battle trumpet roared. Warriors ran in, preparing for battle. The ship maneuvered several times, the oars worked first on one side, then on the other. Here there was a blow of a ram, screams, then a "raven" fell on someone else's ship - Alexei had already learned how to imagine a picture of a battle by sounds.
The soldiers from the Liburnian rushed to board. But, apparently, the enemy was numerous, had more than one ship.
From the starboard side, where Alexei was rowing, there was a crackling of wood, several oars turned out to be broken. Then a strong blow shook the galley - another ship approached the starboard side. From it, Berbers, pirates of the Mediterranean, poured onto the deck of the galley. The Roman Liburnian was ambushed.
Seeing a Berber xebec and considering it a weak target, she chased after it, not knowing that two more xebecs were hiding behind numerous islands. As soon as the forward xebec under sail and the galley retired, they rushed after them. The balance of power has changed dramatically. Now the ship's commander was forced to defend himself.
And the Berbers climbed aboard the libourne, hitching the ships with grappling hooks. For some time, the Romans managed to hold back the onslaught of the Berbers - the Romans were rescued by the bow tower, where the archers were located. From above, over the heads of the legionnaires, they fired at the attackers.
But among the Berbers there were well-aimed arrows. One archer has already been killed, the slinger hung lifelessly on the railing. Then there was a blow to the stern - this is another Berber ship went on board.
Both sides fought fiercely and furiously. The Romans understood that even if they surrendered, there would be no mercy for anyone, everyone would be slaughtered or thrown overboard. In defense, even if without weapons, you can’t hold out in the water for a long time.
But with every minute the ranks of the defenders were melting. The Roman phalanxes were strong in a monolithic formation, and when they attack from all sides, and even with a numerical superiority, there will be trouble. Plus, short gladius. They are good at stabbing the enemy from behind the shield, advancing with a wall. And the favorite Roman technique - the “turtle” - cannot be built, there are too few soldiers and the deck is narrow.
Gradually, the battle moved to the port side, and then completely died down. The Berbers scoured the libourne, collecting the weapons of the Romans and other trophies, and only then did they look at the decks of the rowers. First of all, they freed their fellow tribesmen by cutting the chains. Then they shouted for volunteers, translating into several languages. Everyone volunteered - they really hated the Romans for their cruelty. No, the pirates did not try to organize a war with Rome - the forces were not the same, but it was required to make up for the losses from the boarding.
Alexei did not understand well what it was about, but when they began to unchain the rowers, he also volunteered. A few blows with a hammer - and the leg chains fell. It turns out that it's so cool to just get up from the bench and go out on deck. Only it is full of corpses - Romans and Berbers, and the deck boards are slippery with blood.
The leader of the Berbers pointed to the corpses, and everyone was indiscriminately thrown overboard into the water, while the deck was doused several times with outboard water.
Due to the breakage of the oars, the liburna lost its course, and one of the shebeks took her in tow. The whole caravan headed south to the African shores. The galley could well have been repaired, and the Berbers did not abandon the trophy. The ship is money. But this was no longer Alexey's concern - the Berbers had leaders.
When the shebeka poked its nose into the coastal sand, Alexei jumped into the water. Undressing in shallow water, he washed himself as best he could. For a month and a half spent on the galley, most of all I wanted to wash myself, my body itched from sweat and dirt, my hair stuck together into a tangle. He rubbed himself with sand, washing away, even ripping off the dirt. Then he hastily washed the clothes, which smelled unpleasant.
Some, following the example of Alexei, also began to wash and wash cast-offs, but these turned out to be a minority - it was not customary to wash regularly in Europe, Asia and Africa. These Slavs once a week, or even more often visited the bath. Rome was also famous for its terms, where washing the body is a whole ritual. And the French kings, for example, even in the 16th century washed twice for life - at baptism and even before the funeral. But the Russians turned up their noses, the Slavs, they say, barbarians. Who would teach!
Fires have already been lit on the shore. A ram was dragged from a nearby village, immediately slaughtered, chopped into pieces and thrown into boilers. Hungry galleys crowded around the fires.
After the fall of Carthage and the Phoenician state, the Romans reigned supreme at sea, but they turned a blind eye to pirates of all stripes. Pirates were beneficial to Rome, they supplied the empire with slaves. In addition, the pirates did not allow merchants from other countries to bring grain to the empire, in which the Roman landowners were vitally interested.
The Great Migration of Peoples in the 5th century brought the German tribe of Vandals to North Africa. For two decades, several tens of thousands of vandals created their own state with its capital in Carthage. Around - deserts with rare oases, so the vandals elevated piracy to the rank of state policy. The pagan vandals later realized that Rome was weakened and sacked the Eternal City.
He defeated the pirate fleet, and even then not on the first attempt, the fleet of Byzantium, this fragment of the formerly mighty empire. But even when the Vandals were in power, the Berber Arab tribes came out to the coast - they also wanted to grab their share of the pie. And after the defeat of the Vandals, the Berbers occupied their capital and the entire coast - the place of the pagans was taken by militant Islam. Piracy continued on a much larger scale - there have always been pirates in the Mediterranean. The sea is warm, there is practically no winter, shipping is busier than anywhere else, and the Armenian king Mithridates provided shelter to pirates in Cilicia, nicknamed Lesser Armenia.
Alexey got to the Berber-Arabs. The vandals endured them, gritting their teeth, and, on occasion, did not hesitate to kill the crew and seize the ship as a trophy. But they tried to do it secretly, away from the coast. Because the small state of the Vandals was surrounded on all sides by tribes of nomadic Berbers who supplied cattle to Carthage for meat, dates and other provisions.
Meanwhile, the lamb meat was cooked. The pirates poured rich broth into clay bowls, adding each piece of meat. People greedily pounced on food, noisily slurping from bowls over the edge.
Alexei had not eaten meat for a long time, but he did not like lamb in any form. The smell is peculiar, and as soon as it cools down, as fat appears. But now the treat of the pirates seemed almost royal to him. Although he understood that free cheese is only in a mousetrap: pirates feed the galleys to appear generous, to persuade them to serve them. After all, piracy is a risky business, losses in teams are great. And in case of luck, the lion's share of the prey did not even go to the captain - he got only a tenth, the main bloodsuckers were sitting on the shore. They bought ships, recruited crews, bunkered them with provisions, fresh water, weapons. And yet, it has been so in all ages. Who does not risk, he gets the profit.
Unlike many others, Alexei did not feel free. Yes, he is not shackled to a bench and can walk along the shore. But where will he go from this desert land? After all, there is absolutely no choice. Freedom implies some, albeit limited, but choice - in the place of residence, actions - even food. And the Berbers - either piracy, or die of hunger on the shore. By and large, neither one nor the other did not suit him decisively. There was just nowhere to go.
And he planned to join the pirates, and at the first opportunity to escape to more civilized places. True, the empire, where he initially landed, also turned out to be not quite hospitable, and for the plucked olive he landed on the galleys. A crazy thought flashed through my head - to get to Russia. Still, native places, familiar nature, language. However, it is still unknown with the language, the time difference is too big. Maybe Byzantium? Rome, as an empire, did not have long to exist, just a few more years. Emperor Valentinian III was unable to save the Western Roman Empire. The eastern empire, with its capital in Constantinople, will stand for many more centuries, and will adopt Orthodoxy.
And Alexei set himself a goal, albeit a distant one, - Constantinople. The merchants of Kievan Rus also get there.
He found an Italian, a neighbor on the bench in the libourne, pointed to a pirate xebec. The Italian nodded happily. Well, yes, I decided to become not a galley owner, but a free pirate.
Alexey smiled and shook hands with the Italian - they seem to be comrades now. In the evening, they lay down side by side to sleep on the shore.
The name of the Italian was Romulus, probably in honor of the founders of the Eternal City. Sand interspersed with pebbles on the shore warmed up during the day, it was comfortable to sleep on it under the measured roar of the waves, it was easy to breathe.
In the morning, just before dawn, the Berbers came from the village and handed out fresh cakes and dates. After breakfast they counted out two dozen men from the galleys and pointed to the xebec.
Alexei, as he wanted, got on the same ship with Romulus. He is Italian, knows his waters and lands, will help you navigate. Other former rowers ended up on other ships.
Several people decided not to engage in piracy and headed west as a group. Alexei only sympathized with them - they did not have a supply of water, food and weapons. Without water, they will last only a couple of days in the desert, unless they are taken prisoner by numerous tribes of nomads. They had few chances to get to Europe - the same Spain.
The galleys boarded the ship.
Shebeka was twice as small as the libourne. But what pleased the galleys was that it had only one oar, the helmsman. And there was a mast with a sail on the ship. Of course, a rowing galley did not depend on the wind like a xebec. But, if the wind was blowing, shebeka could go for a long time at a decent speed.
But there were no weapons on the shebek either - a bow turret for archers, an underwater ram, a flip-over ladder - a "crow" with a beak.
The newly-minted pirates were given short, peeled, curved sabers of rather poor quality, and even without a scabbard. The blades did not hold sharpening, the handle was wooden and made roughly.
Shebeka went to the open sea. Until noon they went on tacks, looking for prey. Most of the pirates immediately began to play dice. However, the game quickly ended as the former galley owners had no property to stake. And when one of the former galley owners won against the Berber, a fight broke out altogether. But the helmsman quickly interrupted the quarrel, without starting to figure out who the instigator was, and punched both in the teeth.
Long after noon, the lookout shouted:
- Ship! - and showed the direction with his hand.
The game was immediately forgotten. The pirates leaned to the side. In the distance, almost on the horizon, a sail was barely visible. And the ship was moving towards them.
- Lower the sail! - shouted the helmsman.
The pirates followed the command, and the xebec lost its turn.
At first, Alexei did not understand why it was necessary to lower the sail, only then it dawned on him. The sail can be seen from afar, but the mast is difficult to see. And only when the ship comes closer, the body of the xebec becomes visible.
The pirate ship was low-sided, not noticeable from afar, but well adapted specifically for pirate activities. Unlike them, merchant ships had a tall and wide hull in order to have capacious holds, which is why the silhouette was visible from afar, and they had a small course. The crews of merchant ships had weapons and could fight off a small pirate ship, but often did not resist at all.
The Berbers did not shed the blood of captives in vain - for each one could get a ransom. And if you kill, the money is gone. After all main goal pirates was not a war, but a profit. After receiving the ransom, the captives were returned, there were no cases of deception: the pirate leaders understood that it was impossible to undermine the business. They usually kept prisoners away from the coast, in secluded places, so that relatives, if they organized a force sortie, could not find the prisoner.
Alexei was on a pirate ship for the first time and therefore watched the actions of the helmsman with interest - he is also the captain. And then, it was necessary to learn the tactics of the enemy from the inside, and he had no doubt that the pirates were his enemies.
Meanwhile, a foreign ship was approaching, and it soon became clear that this was a merchant ship. As Aleksey understood, if the ship turned out to be a military vessel - the same Roman trireme or even a quinquereme, the pirates would have to urgently take their feet. Alone against a small warship, they could not cope.
Pirates were also noticed on the "merchant". The ship abruptly changed course, but it was too late.
The helmsman ordered to raise the sail. At such a distance, a slow-moving ship cannot escape a light and fast shebek.
Now the distance began to shrink, and after a couple of hours the xebec chase came close.
The helmsman, folding his palms like a mouthpiece and putting them to his mouth, shouted:
- Lower the sail! If you don't resist, we won't hurt anyone!
Berber wasn't bluffing.
On the "merchant" they lowered the sail. Shebeka did the same. From the "trader" they threw "cats" and pulled the shebeca to the side of the merchant ship.
Screaming, sabers brandishing, the pirates boarded the merchant ship. However, the team got lost at the stern, she had no weapons with her, and therefore did not show resistance.
The eldest of the boarding team, the Berber Mislim, ordered to drive the entire crew of the ship into the hold and closed the wooden lock himself. They immediately dropped the "cats", raised the sail on the "merchant", and the boarding team temporarily became the ship's team. Both ships were now heading for the African coast. The capture took place quickly, bloodlessly and even somehow mundane. Alexei himself was in the boarding team and saw everything with his own eyes. Of course, this is his first experience, but it was too easy and just everything happened. Of course, which of the Barbary chiefs, being in his right mind, would refuse easy prey, big money? But after a couple of hours, he realized that he was very mistaken.
Two ships appeared on the horizon, moving rather quickly across. The pirates also noticed them. Both on the shebek and on the “merchant”, the pirates from the “old men” climbed onto the masts.
When the ships approached so close that people and details of the ships became visible, an alarming cry was heard:
- Vandals!
For two pirate ships, one pirate xebec, and even with an incomplete crew, since the boarding team was on the "merchant", was easy prey. The helmsman of the shebeki also understood this. And if earlier, accompanying the merchant ship, the xebec was sailing at half-mast, now the command was given to raise it completely. The helmsman decided to abandon his prey and his people and save himself. The water in front of the stem frothed, and the xebec began to move away.
The Berbers hoped that the vandals would attack the merchant ship. However, no matter how! The vandals realized that the “trader” was not going anywhere, and rushed to catch up with the shebeka. Their ships were larger than the xebec, both had a mast and a sail, and in addition - rowing oars in one row, and were not inferior in speed to the xebec.
The senior boarding team, Mislim, understood the plan of the vandals. He dropped the steering oar and darted around the stern, looking for a way out. Then he grabbed the steering oar again and broke the turn:
- Set sail!
Now the wind was blowing from the other side.
Mislim steered the ship straight north, towards the Roman Empire. On their way lay numerous islands, the largest of which is Sicily. Mislim clearly wanted to reach the islands, take refuge there.
But the merchant ship was slow-moving, and the boarders all the time looked anxiously back, over the stern.
After a long time, when everyone calmed down and decided that they had already broken away, two sails appeared on the horizon astern. Damn! The vandals, having dealt with the shebeca, were chasing them.
A small island was already visible ahead. It slowly grew as the ship approached, as if rising from the water. Now everything was decided by time and luck. Will the pirates have time to approach the island, take refuge in a shallow bay, or will the vandals overtake them earlier?
Led by their leader Geizarikh, a small man, lame, secretive and greedy for wealth, the vandals were bloodthirsty and cruel. Often they were content with a captured ship and the goods on it, killing ship crews and passengers - cruelty was in their blood. No wonder that in 455, when the Vandals took Rome, sailing there on ships, they raped the Romans, and also killed many slaves and citizens of the Eternal City. Then, having loaded the ships with trophies, taking only 400 tons of gold, they ruthlessly smashed and burned everything that they could not load. Their hearts were alien to the concept of the beauty of things created by human hands, sculptures, paintings.
The pirates failed to break away. Both ships of the vandals came close to the "merchant" from two sides and, without offering to surrender, immediately rushed to board.
But the Barbary pirates didn't want to sell their lives cheap. A battle broke out on the deck of the merchant ship. Surrendered and wounded enemies were finished off, and the deck was littered with bodies, covered in blood. Aleksey managed to notice on the mast of one of the vandals' ships the helmsman of their former shebeka hanging in a noose. Therefore, the Berbers did not leave, they did not have time. The fate of the other members of the team must have been tragic.
Alexey fought back along with everyone.
Vandals poured into their ship from two sides at once, effectively dividing the crew in two. Now one group of Berber boarders fought at the bow, another with Mislim at the head - at the stern. The Vandals were taller and larger than the Arabs, Italians and other boarders. Bearded, in leather armor, probably taken from the dead Roman soldiers, they fought fearlessly and furiously. There were more of them, and the ranks of the defenders quickly melted away.
Alexei turned around. The islet was relatively close, about a kilometer. He hit the vandal with a saber on his bare arm, threw the saber away and threw himself over the bulwark into the sea. All the same, there were only three of them on the bow, and they could not hold out for more than a few minutes.
He immediately dived, working with his hands and feet, trying to swim away under water. Although Alexei did not see the bows of the vandals - and who goes boarding with a bow when they have to fight with swords and sabers, he did not rule out their presence and arrows in pursuit.
He surfaced about fifteen meters later, breathed in air and again went under the water. He swam until his ears rang from lack of oxygen. Jumping up, he turned around.
On the nose of the "merchant" it was all over. The battle was still going on at the stern, but its outcome was a foregone conclusion. No one fired at him, and he swam on in fathoms. In these times, few people knew how to swim, because they were afraid of mermaids, water and other evil spirits, which, according to popular beliefs, live under water. They could drag the swimmer to the bottom, drink the blood, make them their slave for life. Each nation had its own tales, different, but their essence is the same.
Alexei swam as long as he had the strength. Three ships were already far away, and the island did not get closer. He lay on his back, spread his arms and lay in the water, resting. But it was impossible to lie down for so long, the body begins to give up its heat to the water.
He swam again. Apparently, he initially incorrectly determined the distance.
