The garrison was quiet. Relative calm on the fronts
brought regularity to the life of the military.
Kai spent the second day in Bartholomew's tent.
He was reclining on a soldier's bunk with a pillow
under his back. He was wearing a protective military uniform, casually buttoned
up with several bottom buttons. In the open neckline, one could see an
undershirt and cross glittering on a chain. Camouflage trousers were tucked
into rough army boots. Kai put one foot on the bed to make it easier to play
the guitar.
They drank, taking advantage of the moment of calm
the second day. It was rare. They were lucky.
Kai ran his fingers over the strings once again. The
guys at the table looked in his direction.
"Come on, give us ours," - said Pepper.
"What are you pulling?"
In the tent, in addition to Kai's acquaintances,
there were many officers - those who were admitted here from other units.
The news that Kai was also with Bartholomew made
everyone happy: he always told the news about which they had not even heard,
and it was interesting to talk with Kai, so everyone almost came to Bartholomew
with gifts, so that only he would let in and allow staying.
It was the second day of such gatherings. Some
people came, others left.
Now, towards the morning, there were fewer people in
the tent. Someone was lying on the beds, someone was sitting at the table, on
which there was still seas of snacks and drinks. Empty bottles rolled
underfoot, which the most conscientious ones picked up and took to the trash.
In general, the picture did not correspond to army
discipline. All were not dressed according to the regulations: tunics
unbuttoned, many were simply in T-shirts. They smoked here. The canopy of the
tent was folded back to let in the morning freshness and to get rid of some
smoke.
Kai took a drag and put out his cigarette. Once
again he ran his hand over the strings. The lad remembered that he had not
played the guitar for a long time. He half-closed his eyes and slightly bowed
his head to the strings, because of which a rebel lock fell on his handsome
face; in a low, incredibly beautiful voice, he sang:
"The order came - and on an alarm, we get
up.
Taking the machine gun, we sit down silently on the
plane.
In the dawn hour, when the earth is still sleeping,
We were brought to
The order is simple: go ahead and die.
But how is it possible, spring has been in the yard
for a long time,
And the heart is full of sadness and bitterness.
Their commander fell to the ground with lead in his
chest,
"
His voice trembled slightly. He fell silent, having
stopped playing. There was silence. Everyone was also silent; those who first
heard him singing were amazed by such a voice.
"Should I pour you a drink?" Bartholomew
realized that Kai remembered something of his own, was thinking. And he had
something to remember: so many years in the war.
"Pepper, pass him a glass. Should I give you a
snack?"
Kai drank the already warm vodka in one gulp.
"No," he said, then bent over the guitar,
as if squeezing it, then leaned back on the pillow. He also continued with
half-closed eyes:
"It's a Beautiful wild mountainous land
The order is simple: go ahead and die.
But how is it possible, spring has been in the yard
for a long time,
And the heart is full of sadness and bitterness.
My friend fell, his beautiful face covered in blood
He was dying away from mother earth.
The last time looking into foreign skies ..."
"Great! It gives the creeps!" - Pepper was
always unrestrained and expressed his emotions violently.
"Why are you singing this? Do you like tearing
your soul out with memories?" Frol stared at Kai, who was still reclining
on the bed.
"I do not care. There are no memories! For a
long time already there is nothing."
"Do you like to play the hero? You are cool, of
course, we are no match for you, and you don't even have memories! Willpower is
great! And we have, we are no match for you, oh great Kai, our superhero!"
finally losing his temper, shouted Frol, enraged with the words of Kai, again
finding a reason to grapple.
Kai jumped out of bed, tossing the guitar away. Frol
got up from the table with a crash, threw up his hand sharply, hitting Kai in
the solar plexus. The blow was weak: Frol was drunk and poorly coordinated his
movements. Kai grabbed the table but immediately regained consciousness,
catching his breath.
Between them, instantly assessing the situation,
Bartholomew arose.
"Stand down, officers!" Bartholomew said
in a commanding voice. "What are you doing? Have you drunk
completely?" he looked at Frol, seething with anger.
"Why are you doing that, Frol? I’m sorry if you
really think I’m no match for you. You are my friend!" there was no
offense in Kai's voice for the blow. He wanted, really wanted, that peace reigned
between them. What a pity that Frol constantly finds fault with something.
In order not to annoy Frol with his presence, Kai
went to the exit from the tent.
"Wait, where are you going?" asked
Bartholomew.
"To my place."
"Torpedo, cut off the exit, return this
superhero to his place," ordered Bartholomew.
The huge torpedo completely blocked the exit from
their tent with its mighty figure. The military jersey did not hide his
powerful biceps, which were now swollen with exertion.
Pepper stood behind Kai's back, he was slightly
lower than Torpedo, but also resembled a closet. There were two hefty
paratroopers and between them Kai, who looked like a short, thin
teenager.
He definitely didn't want to fight them, although he
could put them on the shoulder blades in a split second. Now he wanted to
leave: he was touched by Frol's words and his behavior. It was always
unpleasant for him to realize that everyone considered him different, special.
But what was he to blame? He just did his job - he fought and that was it.
Taking advantage of Kai's momentary confusion,
Torpedo and Pepper pounced on him and, practically on their hands, returned him
to his place.
"Sit here," said, smiling, Torpedo,
"no fucking thing to suffer! Frol drank too much, with whom it does not
happen."
Kai, realizing that it was foolish to resist,
remained sitting on the bed.
Silence hung in the tent, no one else interfered
with this showdown.
Major Batulin appeared at the entrance.
"Well, what's going on here? Have you got drunk
and put up a fight?" Major managed to catch the end of the showdown
between Kai and Frol.
All who were in the tent jumped up to attention.
"At ease," the major looked around the
audience. "Well, what a state, officers. Just a rabble," he sighed.
"Bartholomew, Kai, urgently to the headquarters, everyone has already
gathered there, there is a task. Put yourself in order. I'm waiting in the
car."
"What has happened? Why did he come at an
unearthly hour?" said Torpedo, watching as Kai and Bartholomew put their
uniforms in order.
"We’ll find out now," said Bartholomew,
leaving the tent.
When they entered the headquarters, everyone had
already gathered there. In addition to the colonel and his assistants, there
was a company intelligence captain Denis Vladimirovich Davydov, nicknamed
Gusar, with two officers, and battalion commander Petrenko Sidor Ivanovich,
nicknamed Sidr, with his men.
"Have a seat, officers," the colonel
gestured everyone to sit down at the table.
"Somehow the main characters don't look
fresh?" he reproachfully looked at Kai and Bartholomew.
He heard that Bartholomew's tent had been reveling
for the second day, and now he saw from their faces and appearance that the
guys had a good rest.
Kai, out of habit, reached into his pocket for
cigarettes.
"I forbid smoking," the colonel said
sternly.
"Do you have soda or beer for the guys,
otherwise it's a pity to look at them," the always cheerful Cider joked.
The Colonel turned a deaf ear to the joke and got to
the point of collecting them. It turned out that a gang of Mujahideen descended
into the valley and began to nightmare a peaceful village. The task of
Bartholomew's group was: by coordinating actions with reconnaissance and
infantry in the person of the battalion commander Petrenko, push back the
jihadis from the villages in the valley and drive them into the mountains. The
gang is large, but, sensing the hunt, it will go to the mountains. There was no
order to destroy them, only to scare them, let them get out.
The plan is simple, reconnaissance will give accurate
data on which village they are in, the battalion commander arranges a noisy
attack, and Kai and Bartholomew with their guys take three armored personnel
carriers and drive the retreating to the mountains.
It was necessary to act immediately. The APCs should
be at the checkpoint by ten in the morning. In the morning, the spirits do not
wait for an attack, they are relaxed, and so they should not miss the time for
a surprise.
Kai managed to drop in to change his clothes. He put
on a bulletproof vest, a helmet, weighed himself with a weapon and wrapped an
Arab scarf on top, knowing how dusty it would be on the road and in the valley.
If you breathe through a scarf, much less sand will get inside.
Oh, this sand! How he hated it! It was everywhere,
and in addition to it, there was also the scorching sun!
An APC drove to take him. Bartholomew and Frol were
in one APC, Torpedo and Ivan were in another, and Kai and Pepper were in the
third. Kai assumed control. Pepper kept in touch by radio and coordinated his movements.
They were already close to the point of arrival.
Suddenly, in front of them, they saw an armored Mercedes and a jeep, the way of
which was blocked on both sides by the cars of the militants and the fighting
people.
"Kai, how do you hear?" the radio hissed.
It was Bartholomew.
"I hear you!"
"Ahead Mujahideen are polishing off the Japs.
We seem to be friends with the Japs now. Maybe to help the
cross-eyed?"
"Let's help, otherwise they are trapped,"
Kai also realized that the armored vehicle belongs to the Japanese, by the
flag.
Torpedo's armored personnel carrier, at full speed,
crashed into the militants' car and pushed it into the abyss. Kai did the same
with the second car. The armored personnel carrier of Bartholomew poured fire
on the bandits fleeing into the mountains.
To make it easier to fire at the people running up
the mountain, Kai and the guys got out of the armored personnel carriers and
climbed onto the armor of the vehicles. They fired at the retreating jihadis in
automatic bursts, they stood off, but heavy fire and the factor of surprise
played a decisive role in the battle, the enemy retreated. Pepper and Torpedo
“poured” them in long bursts, knowing that in the crowd the bullets would reach
their target.
Kai shot aiming while keeping everything that
happened under control. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sight of
the gun aimed at Frol.
He fired first, saw the jihadi fall from the stone
on which it had been standing.
Soon the shots died down. Bartholomew finished off
several writhing bodies on the slope with control. Judging by the scattered
corpses, hardly anyone managed to escape.
Bartholomew turned to the Japanese, who were
standing at the Mercedes, looking at their saviors. For them, everything that
had happened was a complete surprise.
In good English, Bartholomew said:
"I'm glad we made it on time. I hope no one was
seriously injured among you. You can go. Don't linger here."
Kai's armored personnel carrier stood practically in
front of the doors of an armored Mercedes. Kai sat down on the armor, put down
his machine gun, rummaging in his pockets for cigarettes.
One of the Japanese opened the back door of the
Mercedes, the others bowed respectfully. A tall young man with a not entirely
Japanese appearance got out of the car, but slightly more than a European's
slanting eyes betrayed his belonging to this nation. He looked about thirty,
maybe less. He was dressed like in a Japanese engraving: harem pants tucked
into boots, a kimono, a silk belt, and swords at the waist. He was handsome
with an enigmatic oriental beauty.
Glancing attentively at all those present, he turned
to Bartholomew in almost pure English with words of gratitude.
After listening to him, Kai replied in perfect
Japanese:
"You need to be more careful! You shouldn't
ride here with such a few guards."
Everyone turned to Kai, who, having said this,
finally found cigarettes and lit one.
The tall Japanese man stared at Kai without
stopping, and then answered also in Japanese:
"You speak my language perfectly. I will take
your advice into account. Thanks for the help. My name is Toyami Takeru."
He bowed and gazed into Kai's eyes.
"Gray eyes, it is surprising for
Japanese," Kai thought.
The radio next to him hissed.
"Guys, Cidr is driving them, where are
you?" came from it.
Kai replied:
"We'll be there in twenty minutes!"
"Have you heard? Turmoil has already begun
there! That’s all we need," he shouted to the guys.
Already getting into the car, he turned to Toyami
and said in the same Japanese:
"It was nice to meet you, but I can't chat: we
will have fun in another place."
His armored personnel carrier jerked off.
Toyami remained standing, watching the cars leaving
in the distance along the road.
He was amazed. Hearing from a Russian - yes, he was
definitely a Russian, such a perfect pronunciation! This young man amazed him.
Such aristocratic features and such eyes - they were like precious emeralds,
fascinated, flashing green lights.
"He is very young, much younger than me. I
don't even know his name. "
As if reading his thoughts, Isoa, standing next to
him, said:
"This is Kai."
"Oh, yes, many told some mythical stories about
his military exploits," he thought. Though, now he was ready to believe in
their plausibility, having seen how he famously shot the fleeing bandits. But
he could not imagine that Kai looked like that and so young.
Toyami gave the order to go: it was really dangerous
to stay here.
All the way, thoughts about this young man did not
leave him.
"Yes exactly! I've heard so much about him, but
I've never given it any importance. They say that Kai is excellent with a
sword, he has no equal in this. And these stories are about his heroism! It
seems he has been here for a long time. But why? What keeps him here? Does he
like it all? How many questions at once I would like to ask him!"
Toyami smiled: "I would like to ask - looking
into those green eyes ..."
He listened to himself: a strange feeling, he hadn’t
felt it for a long time - a desire to see someone again.
He became indifferent to everyone. He learned and
experienced a lot over the years, gradually losing interest in everything.
Rather, he just lived: he did his job well, in his free time he met with
friends and allowed himself to be entertained as he wanted.
Where does this desire come from now in him again?
Toyami turned to the window, looking out at the
flickering dusty landscape.
"I'll see you again, Kai!"
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