Me and Jarno climbed to the surface, Morten went inside, and the fat guys went to the truck to inspect the cargo.
«Well, show me,» the fattest, and obviously the main fat man, «what youve got. Morten jumped up and opened the doors, «Here, look,» and behind them was a pile of wooden crates, mostly used for gas masks or «plastic ice cream scoops» (as I sometimes call things that are not needed in the business). The white blazer waved his hand to the black, and the two (lets designate them #1 and #2) hissed, reached in, and opened the first one they found. It was overloaded with grenade launchers
Satisfied with the result
1:40 a.m. July 22
«Uh-huh okay» the right-handed shopper steadied himself as he looked at the weapon, «Wheres it from?»
«Poland, Yugoslavia, even Russia, by the way, Russian guns are more expensive. The seller praised his goods with evident pleasure, «First of all, they are better and, secondly, they are harder to get».
«When will the rest arrive?» «Any minute now.»
«My time is worth a lot.»
«We arrived ahead of schedule.» «Okay, you can examine the board.»
Nos. 3 and 4 went to the containers and opened them more than to the limit. Fresh European Union currency was revealed.
«Its all thirty million here.»
Morten was on the spot in a bullet, «hugged» the entire pile of the first container he found, grabbed a wad of bills, flipped through them, sniffed, took out the money, checked it for light, sniffed again, and put it back.
There was a knock on the gate a second party with an escort had arrived. The guard repeated his procedure. It turned out to be Gentos crew, Penzals. They too climbed out of the car, and their ward vehicle was also opened and the contents examined. The bosses were inspecting the merchandise, seeming to take some pleasure in it. The next five minutes passed at this pace, and I realized that something had happened to Cepino, so I turned to Galanzio almost in a whisper, «Hey, Jarno, does Cepino have a cell phone?»
«Yes.»
«Number.»
«9547848».
I poked at the receiver and heard a familiar voice say, «Yes.» «Its Faust, why arent you there yet?»
«I dont know, the KAMAZ is going the wrong way.» «Where are you?»
«On Ostrovskeho St»
«Wait.»
I leaned over to Garibaldi and asked: «Joz, where is Ostrovskeho St.? How far is it from here?»
«On the other side of the Vltava River.»
I whispered into my cell phone, «What the hell are you doing there?! Quickly catch up with the driver and set his mind right, does he know where to go or not?»
«Said he did»
«I dont care if he gurgled, the load has to be here, not across town!» «Okay now well do it.»
«Fly!!!!»
I slammed the phone down. What kind of people, they cant do anything humanly I
wonder where they got this fool from? We have trade going on in full swing here, and hes driving around behind a truck, saying he was told only to guard it And why do I
always have to work with such people, I should raise my salary.
If I had worked like that in my twenty-five, I wouldnt have lived to be twenty-six
I remembered how I was driving around Syracuse here and there, looking for some car, wanted by the police along with others like me, and still did not find, remembered how I guarded the boss, remembered that I am already forty-seven and that my son is now sitting at home with a nightmarish disease
Suddenly I noticed the hands of the No. s reaching under their jackets, saw their faces and the glare in their eyes. Those glares are the first thing that give people away before they want to whack someone. The second thing is what they want to turn it in with.
I grabbed a Kedr (Yevgeny Dragunovs design; being in the «embassy» I had replaced the pistol with a submachine gun), which had the safety off and was set on automatic firing mode, pulled it out and opened fire. The firing began
I took out three of them at once (the right boss and two of his #s). On our side we shot Morten, Penzall and the trucker (he just didnt have a chance - the cab of the truck was in front of the middle fat guy with his Nos. who had been standing there since I saw
them), Garibaldi was wounded in the shoulder, as I found out later, I was not hit (all the time I was there I was covered by the back door of the Skoda), Jarno, despite his sluggishness, survived and, following my example, opened the door nearest to him and started shooting, blasting away even more fiercely than before.
I hid with my head behind the door to at least cool down the ardor of those who were shooting at me, then I came out with a new machine-gun burst this time only two «black» corpses (people had time to scatter), again «got behind the rock» and heard that the glass on the door shattered into pieces (this event surprised me a little, because I was absolutely sure that it was bulletproof).
Suddenly a thought pierced me like an arrow: two more men behind me. I turned around lightning fast, but saw only two corpses in their own pools of blood. I could tell from the amount of red substance that they had been killed seconds ago, that is, almost at the time of the «start» of the firefight.
«Wait. One thing struck me about this case,» The guards were killed at the beginning, or possibly before the beginning, that would explain the fact that the #s reacted in sync»
The bullet hit the foot of my left leg: my body started to roll to the left (away from the car), but I managed to catch the wounded part and put my knee in its place. This brought me to my senses, because, jumping out and shooting from behind the door with a brutal murderous scream, I ran out the last three «competitors» (one fat guy and two #s). The battle was over
Its not clear to everyone
1:48 a.m. July 22
I stepped away from the door, looked at her (shot up in a flash) and shouted: «Who among us is still alive?» Gento and Garibaldi answered.
I waddled over to Jarno forehead shot through (obviously shot from a Yugoslavian «monster» «Zastava» (a six-shot revolver, if you can call it that)), Morten three holes in his torso (he didnt even have time to move), KAMAZ driver head, neck, shoulders (hands on the wheel), Penzalla torso, arms, legs, in a word, got the most (hand with a gun pointed towards the garage door).
«So. I stretched out, turning to Gento Whos been slaughtering the gatekeepers?» «Penzalla» he replied.
«Jos, you saw Penzalla shooting at the guards at the gate.»
«I didnt see anything, I hid here in the car You know Im just a chauffeur» «Nothing, nothing» I reassured Garibaldi and continued with Gento, «And why should I believe you? Maybe you couldnt stand it yourself and then blamed it on Penzalla.» «See for yourself the position hes in The hand with the gun is pointing toward the gate»
«Who knows, maybe you were the one who put him in that position while I was walking around inspecting dead bodies.»
«Yeah, no, he laid down like that right away» «Well figure it out»
I decided to use the famous check tactic: I turned around, took one step, then did a 180- degree flip with my weapon in my hand (in this case a Russian Kedr). Gento managed to get the gun, but not to point it at me, most likely he wanted to finish me off, after Garibaldi, and tell Cepino that it happened during the firefight (its not hard to convince Cepino of this, and after all the corpses will be removed and neither our best specialist Francesco Scarabelli, nor our colleague from the Yakuza Ishiro Yamomoto will be able to find out what really happened).
«Drop the gun!» I yelled.
«Come on, I just wanted to clean it» «Drop it!!!!»
He didnt though put the firearm down on the sand.
«Turn around. Hands behind your head,» my voice came back to normal. «Youve got it all wrong.»
He obeyed the order, and I sprang up and slapped the handle on his head, just as there was a knock on the gate: Cepino had arrived at last.
«Jos, open up, ah Im getting tired of limping.»
Garibaldi, holding his shoulder, repeated the dead mans procedure. "HeyUhGuys, what happened here?»
«Dont you see, the price didnt add up.»
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed a number: «Richard, this is Faust, send the guys to 3 Jeremenkova Street, we need to clean up the trash.»
«Will do.»
I looked around and, not seeing someone, I said to Cepino, «Wheres the KAMAZ driver?»
«You said to set his mind right» «What, did you kill him or something?» «Yeah»
«Idiot!!! I told you to fix his brains, not knock him out!!!» «Didnt they right themselves?»
«Where did you put the bodies?!» «Put it in the KAMAZ, by the crates.»
«One more prank like that and youll be dealing with Rimanoa.»
Rimanoa was the «executioner» in the family, he was only seen once (except for the boss and those who sometimes took the condemned to him, but all criminals above the second rank knew his name; he is our symbol of invincibility, and if we had a flag, I have no doubt that with the boss in the middle and his right hand Roberta Tobia on the right, Rimanoa would be on the left (there are 7 ranks in total: 1 simple bouncers, badasses and security guards (such as Jarno Galanzio); 2 already experienced thugs (the so-called «bros»: Gento, Penzalla); 3 thug commanders (sort of like officers: Cepino (although this man, generally speaking, should be rank zero, i.e. corpse); 4 liaisons and excellent chauffeurs (Lionheart and Garibaldi); 5 - professional killers
(killers), as well as people engaged in private affairs and assignments («managers»), all this the highest officers (this is me, and I used to be a killer, now manager); 6 «ambassadors», advisors to the boss and «viceroys» (LaSkoltza); 7 the boss himself). Cepino fell silent.
Lets start a new one
10: 34 Aug. 15
In the end I was taken to the doctor, the corpses were cleaned up, Gento was dealt with (what became of him is of absolutely no interest to me) and now I have to deal with the case for which I am to receive an additional five hundred thousand euros.
It turned out to be that a very rich daddy wanted to train his little boy in the skills of murder and all that went with it.
«First of all, I said, when I arrived the next day in Brno at our big training center and saw this very student (a tall thin twenty-year-old guy with a dirty head, dressed in a nice expensive suit and holding an AKM over his shoulder; his eyes were empty, his brain, probably, too; in a word a mediocrity) Im not going to teach you all the skills, you understand that right away. I yawned Secondly, the strength of a professional is not in his weapon, but in the ability to think quickly and correctly. My voice rose sharply So, put that thing on the floor!»
There was no one else in the room besides us, so even if he was a complete dimwit, could have realized I was saying that to him.
«Are you talking to me?» he interjected. «Yes.»
He threw the Kalashnikov with a tremendous crack about ten meters to his right. «Pick it up.»
«Youre giving it to me again?»
«Everything Im about to say will be directed specifically to you, okay?» «Yes.»
He raised the machine gun. «Put it down.»
This time the AKM flew to the left and much farther away. «Pick it up.»
After twenty attempts to understand that guns shouldnt be handled like that, I couldnt take it anymore: «Why dont you finally realize that you cant throw such things left and right!»
«Can only go back and forth or what?»
Now I understand why this job is worth 500,000,000 Euros in monetary terms. «He cant be thrown at all.»
«I see.»
«It has to be gently, affectionately, carefully placed.» «I see.»
«Demonstrate to me how it should be done.»
He threw the object at his feet with such a dope that it messed up the floor. «And thats called putting it down?»
«Hes lying»
I moved closer, picked up the barrel and put it back down so quietly that I didnt even hear anything myself.
«Thats the way it should be done.» «I see.»
He picked up the gun and tossed it back a little easier than last time, and I thought about the visible progress.
«Okay this exam you passed with a positive grade (I meant greater than zero), now lets see how you shoot I pointed to the leftmost target at the other end of the forty meter hall Shoot.»
He didnt get into any kind of stance, he just took the shot, one-handed. I was petrified: he hit the bulls-eye.
«Not bad, not bad. Now try lying down.»
The apprentice did the same thing and hit the same spot, again shooting with only one hand obvious talent was evident.
«Are you going to shoot with two hands after all?» «Im more comfortable»
«Try it though.»
The sniper leaned his other hand against the barrel, which made the latter shake with such force that the bullet hit the «milk». It was clear that either he had only fired a pistol before, or there was something wrong with his hand.
«Whats your name, kid?» «Michael Williams.»
«Two, never tell me your name.» «I see.»
«Third, you must have at least five other names instead of your real name.» «I see.»
«Come up with some.» «Michael Williams.» «It has to be different.» «I see.»
«So that not even the initials match.» «Uh»
«Since you cant come up with one yourself, Ill come up with one.» «I see.»
«Your name is Amanda Last.» «I see.»
«Do you agree?» «Completely.»
«Fourth, it has to match your gender.»
«I see.»
«So what?»
«It doesnt fit.»
«Thats right. Youll be James Last.» «Good.»
«So, James I had already braced myself for another wave of misunderstandings, but nothing like this Fifth, you need to stand out from the crowd as little as possible.» «I see.»
«So, what does that mean.»
«I have to hide behind someone all the time»
«No. If its hot, you walk in light clothes, if its cold in warm clothes, your gait is loose, your stride is not too big or small, you dont make eye contact or turn your head often and sharply. Things like that.»
«I see.»
«Sixth, you shouldnt drive around in a Ferrari either, but you should drive less. Use public transportation more often, and best of all, walk, thats for sure.»
I remembered walking twenty kilometers once for safety reasons. «So, show me how to walk.»
He strode through the hall as if he had been kicked out of the institute twenty minutes ago and was now facing the army.
«Now you walked too slowly, dragging your feet and hanging your head, and that always attracts some attention. You should walk freely, as if you were going for bread and nothing else interested you.»
«I see.» «Try again.»
This time his gait meant that the chief was not in the mood today. «To hell with the gait,» I thought.
«Okay, seventh, you need to be completely healthy, lest another firefight reveal you have a broken leg in four places.»
«I see.»
«Thats why you should have your own personal doctor who can treat almost anything. I say practically, because you wont need a gynecologist.»
«I see.»
«This very doctor should not know who you are, what your name is, should always be available, he should only know your upper shell.»
«I see.»
«Do you know what an upper shell is?» «No.»
«Its your body and fake first names, last names, IDs, etc.». «I see.»
As the little fellow was not thinking clearly, I added: «Keep in mind that the doctor only has to know one name.»
«I see.»
«So what name are you going to tell him?» «Michael Williams.»
«I said only falsity.» «I see.»
«So tell him James Last.» «I see.»
«Speaking of which, you cant get hung up on the same phrases.» «I see.»
«What are you doing?» «What?»
«You say it all the time understandable, understandable, understandable.» «I see.»
«Here we go again Say okay, clear, yes and your favorite understandable in a variety of ways.»
«I see.»
«As of this minute.» «I see.»
The guy had already realized something with his «understandable». «Yeah and, whats wrong with your arm?»
«No big deal»
«Here, you take care of this nonsense with our local doctor, and then well continue training. Call me when youve sorted out your affairs, ask for «Pierce Brosman» (our man, who does various «miracles» and is at that moment in Brno in that very training center, and therefore knows my cell phone number).