- It’s a load of rubbish - thought Colonel.
- And if they come to life again? - he cried loud into the ears of the Elshteins.
- Theoretically, it is possible - Thomas frowned.
- Maybe to throw everybody? - Mari asked him.
- I got it. Come on, it's time to land. Can you help?
- Do you know how?
- We will learn at the same time.
The trio moved toward the cockpit. Some of the passengers looked at them with horror, some with inevitably, and others with hope.
- Thomas, you have to look attentively at the dead. If they move, throw them in the hatch.
Colonel noticed that Thomas’ hands were slightly trembling, but he did not pretend.
- A fighter - he thought.
Dux’ mood quickly improved.
"A real life is a takeoff and landing," - he smiled.
*
- I can allow landing only you.
- Are you kidding?
- Yeah, actually I understand only forty percent of what they say in English. Do everything by the instruction. So come on. Do not worry and obey the senator.
The autopilot has been successfully coping with the Boeing. The self-styled crew saw that the white arrow which was shaking on the figure of two hundred before, now slowly started down to a hundred and twenty. Obviously it was nodes. Mentally Colonel imagined as the manager calls a lot of his bosses, as they, drinking hot coffee, decide how to help them. The plane began descending. They were giving a lot of instructions on the radio. Mari listened attentively to their voices, set the slats in motion, using the buttons, toggle switches and rods which were thrust in front of the control rod.
- You are talented and beautiful! - said Colonel.
Mari read attentively a long instruction of the aircraft data on a special plate. She, by herself, found the handle of the chassis mechanism, which was on the right of the center console on the front dashboard, above the left knee of the co- pilot.
It was a drive! The plane shuddered and creaked, buttons showed a successful chassis emission. The autopilot made the plane land. The weather was beautiful and sunny. Colonel sadly remembered the last time he flew from New York a few years ago. The weather was also gorgeous and he stared at the greatest city of his dreams.
The autopilot disconnected. The plane flew to the glide path. Mari was observing attentively the device of the wind speed, which showed that all was in the green range, but strained to the limit.
- It will be funny! – said Mari.
- It will be difficult! – echoed the controller's office. – A side wind with a sharp gusts up to fifteen miles per second.
- What to push and where to pull? - Asked Mari.
But it turned out that everything wasn’t so bad. Listening to the manager’s prayer, she properly advanced her left leg, which was taken-off. It was courage. Ruling the pedals, she managed to keep the plane strictly in an alignment of the axis at the right angle. The altimeter squeaked "hundred", "two hundred and seventy."
One hundred trillion of body cells cheered up with the incredible pleasure. She felt the power of a huge plane, approaching the earth, and her eyes sparkled with inconceivable brilliance. Mari remembered her school. She won the regional competitions on surfing in the Baltic Sea and was one of the first who made several flights in kitesurf, till they were closed by the militia.
Without listening to the manager’s phrases, such as "giving your feet on the bow," she reduced the rod. Carefully, little by little, she pressed the right one, gave the control column and landed the plane exactly on the axis.
- Bravo! - Cried out in the controller's office. - Brake, but not strongly!
The senator, who previously was rather pale, stretched his neck proudly, showing his importance and said:
- This is incredible! Thank you!
She heard the prolonged applauses of the economy class. Thomas was not busy with other things for the corps’ guardening, He rushed to his beloved woman to kiss her with a deep-drawn kiss. Colonel pretended to be indifferent, and began observing the life frailty through a thick dusty window: the fire and airfield equipment, police cars, black lacquered FBI car with a flasher.
*
With a sixth sense, he understood that it enveloped him and took the both at the astral sky. Dux understood that he had faced with something he couldn’t forget and avoid. Mari wouldn’t be near. Sometimes she would come closer to him, and then his voice would be anxiously broken away. And he would say something not typical for him, and his maimed charisma would renew, and his eyes would shine with happiness.
- Stop the car! - said Mari.
- Thomas, what do you think who could hold it, - asked Thomas Colonel.
- In what sense?
- What do you mean ...? - Thomas blushed.
A couple of minutes later there was driven up a ladder and a lot of policemen, firemen, detectives and all others staff specialists began to bustle .
Colonel subdued whispered Mari:
- I will be arrested now. I will call you. You will be tortured and released. Find a place the dry cargo ship was moored up.
- Of course!
He looked attentively at her radiant eyes.
- I hate pathos, but there will decide the fate of the USA.
He wrote on a piece of paper the name of the cargo ship. She remembered everything. Colonel took the piece of the bible druck paper, chewed and swallowed it.
- A madhouse - she thought.
- Never tell the name of the cargo ship to no one , and you will okay!
The police was seen everywhere. Thomas suddenly unclenched his hand and showed Colonel something. It was a twisted silver thread. Colonel warmly smiled, looked at Thomas and said:
- Thank you!
*
When the quartet, including the senator, left the cockpit, the passengers of the economy class gave applauses again. They were greeted as heroes on the leader. Endless camera flashes, tears for the victims and the incredible joy of the saved ones. The journalists made an improvised press conference. The senator felt ill at ease, talked a lot and automatically calculated his rating. Mari felt like a rising star. She shone, rejuvenated and bathed in glory, holding the hand of a solid Thomas. The role of the heroine suited to her.
Only Colonel hid behind their backs, trying to keep a low profile.
- Here's another fine mess I've got myself in- he thought. – In the place where he was taught, the main principle was the slogan, "Keep a low profile!".
When Mari turned to Colonel, he blinked in fright, shaking his head. However, the senator and Mari pushed him to the public. He felt naked. He imagined as Vasily Ivanovich grining, as Kuzma with his friends laughs at this funny show in his quiet office. The worst is that these pictures are shown in the news.
And Skull will see it.
Dux started. Instinctively, he, having rolled his eyes and screwed up, pushed his jaw forward, stretched out in his wide monkey smile, moved his ears and let them bulged.
- Probably they will not know - he thought.
Slowly Dux tried to disappear in the crowd, but far from it. A tall forty years old typical man in a perfect suit was already next to him. A man, with a dark sleek hair with brilliant tint, wore dark glasses. He was sarcastically smiling and offered him a lift.
- Maybe you show your certificate?
Smiling and expressing real happiness, a guy took out a purse with big magical letters: FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Colonel was pushed into a powerful “Gta 4 Cavalcade”, thoroughly searched and put the handcuffs on him, joining his right hand with the left agent’s hand.
*
A sophisticated jeep passed the military warehouse and drove at the eighty-seventh street.
"Probably, this is Stewart. In New York we will be driving for two hours. There is a time to think. " The road was set off with a beautiful forest.