– Yes? – says Vika without averting her gaze from Unfortunate.
The voice in the handset is loud and confident, I can hear it well and recognize it immediately.
– I'd like to talk to Gunslinger.
– Whom? – Vika is genuinely surprised.
– Gunslinger. Tell him that Man Without Face wants to talk to him.
I step forward and take the phone.
– Talk.
– Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you Gunslinger. Secondly, I suggest you to come out.
– No fucking way. – I reply.
– Gunslinger, we have no time for games. I'm standing by the main entrance. But this time I outstrip our competitors for a couple of minutes only, no more. Al-Kabar could trace your route. Come out.
– And what's next?
– You will get the promised reward and I will get Unfortunate.
A loud phone, a very loud one. I look at the blonde guy who doesn't consider himself a human, at frowning Vika.
– I think he doesn't want to go with you, – I reply, – I'm sorry.
– Gunslinger, we had a deal…
– I didn't promise to give you the guy. I've got him out of "Labyrinth" and all the rest is our own business.
– You take too much responsibility on yourself, diver.
– At least somebody must make decisions, right?
– Well, you've made yours.
The voice vanishes. In a second the floor quivers, pushing us to the ceiling, the log walls crunch, bending. A picture with a waterfall on it falls on me and the sound of water returns me to my senses.
I rise and crawl along the kicking floor. This is not an earthquake, this is the brothel's walls falling apart, they break the security system so naively praised by Computer Wiz.
Though, if nobody broke into the hut yet, it means that the security wasn't too bad after all.
– Vika!
I help her to stand up, her face is in blood, the jersey sleeve torn off.
– Bastards, – she whispers.
Only Unfortunate haven't fallen down, he stands propped against the wall, outstretching his hands to the sides to keep balance.
– I'll come out of the bui… – he starts, but the next explosion booms and muffles his words, – It's inevitable…
– Do you want to surrender?
– No, but…
– Then stop fluttering! – I shake Vika slightly, – Are there any ropes in the room?
She shakes her head in confusion.
– We need ropes!
Vika turns to look at the window, she understood.
– We could jump…
– We'll kill ourselves, there's seven and a half meters to go!
Fortunately Vika doesn't notice the exactness of the figure, otherwise I wouldn't avoid a untimely scandal. Women are made of a different clay.
– On the third floor… – she starts, and then the door flies open. I tear the belt from my body and it turns into lash with a soft hiss. But there's neither Man Without face nor his mercenaries in the door, Computer Wiz hangs there balancing on his winged slippers. The corridor behind his back is enveloped in colorful glow, flashes and as I look at this carnival blur, something starts happening to me – my movements slow down, lose their precision…
– Wow, 'Warlock Nine-thousandth'! – screams the Wiz cheerfully seeing the lash in my hand, flows into the room, shuts the door and my sudden fatigue disappears. – Vika, where's Madam?
– I'm for her!
– Brothello is under attack! – Wiz is still having fun – The first floor was freakin' swept out to hell! The braker is on but they move anyway!
He flies to me, grabs my sleeve and asks excitedly:
– Saw this illumination? So much junk info is flowing to their modems, any computer would choke! Well, except the good one… Vika, so where's Madam?
– Can we hold out against this?
– No, sure not! Cool profies are working! But never mind, everything is being logged, we'll file such a protest – don't worry… Where's Madam, I won't start active systems without her order!
Vika's body flickers, she broadens in her chest and hips, the face melts like wax. So that's how looks the diver from the side when exiting virtuality and changing body.
– Fire up everything you have, – orders Madam.
– Oh! Ah! – Wiz thrusts his eyes open in theatrical surprise. Can he ever stop playing I wonder? – I knew, I knew that!
His hands are busy not with a show though, he gets a small console from his pocket and starts typing in some commands.
– We won't hold out anyway, Madam Vika!
– We must get out, Wiz.
– Madam! – Wiz presses his hands against his heart, – I can't help with that so quickly, the diver is necessary here!
– It doesn't anything to do with divers, – I wave my hand towards the window, – The rope is necessary!
– To hang yourselves up? – laughs Wiz. He crosses his legs, falls on the floor and starts pulling off his slippers not stopping to chatter – Geez how funny, that weirdo on the third floor, you know, the one who likes sex for three, he never tells anything about himself, was so scared that jumped out of the window! He fell into the pool and now splashes there screaming that he can't swim and he's the State Duma deputy and we must save him…
He throws me the slippers.
– Take these, the power is unlimited, you'll descend all three! Madam, why didn't you ever tell that Vika is your mask, I'm not tattler, I wouldn't tell anybody!
I pull the slippers on, the wings quiver excitedly and thresh against my fingers. Funny: Madam is Vika's mask for Wiz, for me it's vice versa.
– Oh, what a load of scandals will we have now… And who are you man, huh?
Unfortunate doesn't reply, maybe he feels dizzy too, just as me? Computer Wiz looks like a multitasking operating system which is simultaneously busy both with buffoonery and a serious work. I can't do that.
– Thanks, – I say trying to stand up. Wiz nudges me under my elbow and holds while I'm balancing in the air getting used to it. The feeling is absolutely weird, this is not a jet knapsack which is used on some "Labyrinth"'s levels, but a real walking on air.
– Just like on stairs, – whispers Wiz, – Like ascending-descending stairways.
– Wiz, how much more time do we have? – Madam looks around the hut business-like, hangs Vika's purse on her shoulder, then starts pulling jars and packages from the sideboard and throwing them out of the window with a basketball player's moves. I doubt we'll have time to pick all this stuff up but I don't argue.
– Just for a little parting kiss!
– Then let's postpone it until our next meeting. Please Wiz, try to hold them as long as you can… Chatter with them or something…
– I'll try… – confuses Wiz suddenly, – Well… I don't know how…
– Vika, return into your body, – I ask examining Madam's mighty dimensions, then approach Unfortunate who still clings to the wall.
– Man, I don't care who you are, a human or a program. I tend to agree with both!
He looks into my eyes silently.
– I don't want to give you to those freaks. I'll try to rescue you. Do you believe me?
Unfortunate stays silent.
– I still want to be your friend, – I say, – Whoever you might be.
He makes a step towards me, I add:
– Please… Let's not give those bastards a pleasure to get us!
I think I've said something wrong.
– Good – regardless of the evil? – inquires Unfortunate.
– How else? – Wiz enters the talk suddenly. He have plopped into the armchair, crossed his legs and became suddenly serious, – If there's no any starting point – everything becomes senseless.
Unfortunate silences and obediently pads to the window with us. Vika – not Madam, but Vika – have already climbed the window-sill and looks down with a strange expression.
– You what, fear heights? – I ask a bit too late.
– Come on, don't lose the time, huh! – shouts Wiz behind us. I turn back to look at him – his fingers are threshing against the console while the roaring starts behind the door as if of the Boeing on the runway. Somebody's scream is almost muffled by the roaring. Flames scurry along the wooden door.