ALL NOVEL Chapter 10: Part 10
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- I just wanted to take a little walk. And it's interesting with you, you never showed me the city, did you? - she smiled wryly. - So I'll have to pay for the last date... Ahem, a walk. - she corrected herself.
And what, I wondered, was on her mind? Women are always a mystery to me. Sometimes it seems that you're about to find her out, but no, it's just another round for cunning intrigue and manipulation.
- Well, if you want to, no problem, sunshine. - smiling back, I took the girl under my elbow.
Enjoying the pleasant weather and the girl's company, I almost forgot about all the events of the day and relaxed listening to what Mary Jane was saying. However, I didn't listen to everything and often just nodded and smiled understandingly in the right places. The main thing is not to lose the thread of the narrative and not to agree to something you don't need. But something did happen, and a huge Rhinoceros swept across our path, literally passing through the houses. Turning around and covering the girl with my back, I felt only a slight discomfort from the shrapnel flying in all directions, which had recently been a solid wall of a multi-storey building.
Quickly picking up the girl in my arms, I sped up a little, but still within human limits. Finding myself safe at the very last moment before the office building completely collapsed, I exhaled. Hopefully there were no people in there, and the time was near evening now, so any possible casualties should be minimised. Taking the girl under my elbow again, I hurried to get as far away as possible from such a dangerous neighbourhood where Rhinos were running around. Or people in heavy suits that remotely resembled this behemoth.
- Why don't we skip the field trip? Let's go for ice cream, because I know a Korean shop nearby that sells ice cream from all over the world. And what better place to have a date and restore your peace of mind. I'm sure no giant rhinoceros will get in there, what do you think? - Being in a state of shock again, the girl only nodded uncertainly. Smiling encouragingly, I continued to carry the beast in my arms.
I wondered why she wanted to meet me so badly. Wasn't the last time enough for her? Or is she an adrenaline junkie? Hell knows, I don't understand girls. Sometimes, of course, I can guess something, but it's more of a miracle than a thoughtful analysis. Having reached the shop, the address of which I've got out on the net, I calmly put the redhead on a lonely bench and having received in gratitude a kiss from a nice girl and her scarlet cheeks, I simply nodded and went to the shop, leaving the thoughtful beast on the street.
- Peter. - I heard something indignant in my back.
But I calmly ignored it - if she wanted to get off and keep up, let her hurry up, I'd be waiting for someone else. A couple of seconds later I was already hit in the side with a fist and grumbled menacingly, but did not hurry to speak, apparently offended in advance. And what about me? I was still calmly choosing my ice cream. When I found the ice cream I loved in my previous life, I smiled sincerely and took two.
- What do you want? - I asked the girl.
- Didn't you get one for me? - The beast said threateningly, and I had to lose one chocolate monarch, receiving a 'thank you' and a hug in return. I went to the checkout, where a pretty Korean girl with nice facial features was bored.
While eating ice cream, we ran into a crowd of Mexicans on one of the streets.
- Es chora de compartir, you know? - The criminal element smiled brusquely.
Handing Mary Jane my ice cream, I calmly stepped forward and, stopping next to the stranger, gave him a savoury jab, breaking the Mexican's nose. I turned to the other four, who were in no hurry to attack. A moment later, having overcome the stupor, the healthiest of the four stepped forward. I leapt, accelerating sharply, and struck his head with my fist as if it were a sledgehammer. Growling incoherently, the others rushed into the fray. The first received a direct blow to the head and immediately dropped out, the second was honoured with a kick and flew into a brick wall, and the third received a two on the kidneys.
Hands are remembered, as they say.
Taking the ice cream from the girl and taking her under my elbow again, I continued our date. Otherwise some Mexicans will demand money from me, we live in a free country, so go and earn money, because they always need something. I hate marginalised people like that. They're like a tumour that's killing our soft-hearted society.
I put the girl in a taxi and said goodbye, leaving all the questions for later, I continued walking, hoping to find Rhinoceros. Or his lair, because it's a very interesting machine he has at his disposal. And I need to think about how I'm going to get away with it. Maybe I should join a boxing club or something. It would be an excuse for increased strength, and techniques can be honed, because if I had a little too much strength, there would be five more dead bodies.
Having climbed to the roof of one multi-storey building, I started to look around and after about an hour of active observation I noticed suspicious arkharovs. Having followed them all the way to the warehouses of the infernal kitchen, I saw Rhinoceros, who had left the gut of his suit and for some reason was drinking vodka straight from his throat. Greedily examining the contents of the stolen boxes, he leisurely pulled out a state-of-the-art microscope from the box. After holding the device in his hands for no more than a second, he immediately smashed it against the wall. Having finished his vodka, he also sent it flying, but it hit someone in the head. A moment later, I heard a selective mat mixed with Ukrainian language.
But that's not what interested me, but something else. A couple of stolen crates had Stark markings, so there must be weapons for our valiant military. But what they're doing in the hands of the mob is another matter, so I'd be interested in examining those toys and maybe taking some with me. Why does Rhino need so much stuff? Guns, I get it, but everything else? So he's not going to be shortchanged.
As an invisible shadow I sneaked into the warehouses and grabbed an old hammer from the toolbox, I began to take the workers out of the game one by one with a methodical hammer blow to the temple. When I was done with the clean-up, I pulled a medical mask over my face that I bought at the nearest drugstore and went out to deal with the rest of them. There's no such thing as levak. Mentally quoting one of my acquaintances, I noticed a solid-looking sledgehammer lying on a huge tyre. Apparently, someone is practising here. Immediately replacing the hammer with a heavier toy, I grinned predatorily. With a tool like that, I could go to Rhino. I hope he won't have time to crawl into his walking tank or even get drunk. Although, one bottle won't take such a bull, but nothing, we'll sort it out on the spot.
Confidently breaking small henchmen's bones with a surprisingly handy sledgehammer, I calmly moved around the warehouse, with each new blow killing another scum. The technical blows of the sledgehammer easily broke bones, ribs, and skulls. Feeling like a kind of paladin, I methodically moved forward, cleansing the city of 'filth'. I was stressed out, so I had to let all my demons out.
Soon the big guy showed up, looking at me incomprehensibly.
- Boy, are you lost? - The big guy asked me in an accent, but I didn't answer, so I took advantage of the surprise and hit Rhinoceros with a sledgehammer. Thankfully, he wasn't in costume, so it wouldn't take him out of the game for long, if not permanently.
When he loosened his grip, he released another bottle of vodka, which shattered on the floor. Humming, I continued walking toward the passed-out bandit. When I reached the man who had destroyed a dozen houses, I shook my head disapprovingly and silently picked up the handy sledgehammer. Tearing off a piece of the big man's shirt and wetting it with spilled vodka, I began to bring Rhinoceros to his senses, and as soon as he opened his eyes I immediately smashed his knee with a dashing blow of the sledgehammer, so that he wouldn't move. And he couldn't run away, for I had so much to learn from him.
Growling with pain and swearing in three languages at once, Rhinoceros quickly came to his senses and was ready for dialogue.
- Come on, my dear, don't be so slow. - The sledgehammer again gingerly touched his shattered knee, and the big man immediately howled. - I only wondered where you were in such a hurry that you didn't even pay attention to the houses that stood in your way. - Another blow with a sledgehammer, but on his arm, made the guerrilla speak.
- I work for Ambal. - the Rhinoceros roared furiously. - If we catch you, son, I don't envy you. Your fate will be worse than death, whether you kill me or not. The brothers or Ambal will come after you sooner or later, and I'll be waiting to meet you in hell. - Apparently in a state of shock, the big man laughed madly, feeling almost no pain, and tried to stand up, using the sledgehammer as a crutch.
A powerful kick in the mouth abruptly stopped all the activity of our Rhinoceros, and he again took a lying position, whimpering and complaining to his brothers that they had set him up with the work.
- The key word here is if,' I said without any accent into the bandit's wide-open eyes, for it's not often you hear such familiar speech from anyone other than your associates. - So Ambal hired you? For what? - A heavy sledgehammer easily swapped its place on the big man's throat, promising to break his throat in an instant.
- I was to create a diversion and make a mess in Stark's warehouses while my boys loaded weapons and whatever else they could find onto the wagons. As you can see, I did a pretty good job of shifting the focus of attention and the whole chase onto myself, even you came along. But who are you, you prick from the mountain? I've never seen you before, and you don't look like a country boy, just a punk, but you're strong. Would you like to come under my arm? - The bandit grinned insolently, not being embarrassed at all and using the moment for recruitment.
- If anything, we have a full social package, holidays and a decent salary. - Rhinoceros continued to stall for time. - And we're hardly in jail, since Ambala's been feeding the prosecutors. How good is that? - Soon the police sirens were wailing, which was at least strange, since not a single shot had been fired.
Checking Rhino's pockets, I found an unusual-looking set of keys and a keychain with 'Reno' written on it. I grinned. At least it wasn't a Renault or a Peugeot. Noticing the big guy's eyes racing, I checked the key fob and, surprisingly, the huge suit responded, rumbling menacingly with its engine running, steam blowing from the suit's nostrils.
So much for the potato tractor. Once settled in, I quickly got to grips with the controls and, brazenly taking two lorries, easily left the ill-fated warehouses of Hell's Kitchen. Having searched the maps for an abandoned underground line and two stations that were not used due to the economic crisis and the changed vector of urban development, I decided to hide everything there. And nothing catches in the underground, so you should not be afraid of bugs and spiders. But let everything stay in a neutral place. After leaving the suit, I began unpacking.
Examining the crates labelled Stark, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of weapons. There were the usual officer's model pistols, as well as automatic and assault rifles. There were even compact rockets for active fighting in the city. When I got home at nightfall, satisfied and tired as hell, I got in the shower and soaked quietly, and then headed silently to bed.