Татьяна Викентьева – "STOLEN IMMORTALITY" (страница 8)

Alexander got out of the car and headed for the lab door. Just then, the door opened. Laboratory director Vladimir Zverev ran out to greet him.

"Alexander Ivanovich, my dear! You've finally arrived!" he said to the boss.

“Did you do anything without me?” Alexander asked as he walked.

"No, Alexander Ivanovich! What are you saying? We were waiting for you!" Vladimir replied, following his boss.

-Where is the young man?

-We put him in a cell.

-Why? You could have just given him a sleeping pill.

- We tried. But nothing worked. He refuses to drink anything. He's afraid he'll be poisoned.

-Well, then I should have given an injection.

- We tried that too. But this young man is so angry that he won't let anyone near him. He's already beaten up two of our guards.

-Whom?

-Fat Nikita and little Alfred.

-I see. And where did you find this young man?

-At the casino

“In the casino?” Alexander asked in surprise, walking quickly along the long, narrow corridor.

“Yes. He was playing there,” Vladimir answered, barely keeping up with his boss.

-Did you win?

- No. I lost. I lost ten thousand dollars in one evening.

-Wow! Cool! Apparently, he's not just some poor Pinocchio! Why did you decide to take him?

"Because he's very handsome. Moreover, he has exactly the type of masculine beauty that Zinovy Izotovich likes. After all, the banker described to us the body he wants. Young, muscular, toned, with refined, aristocratic features. Remember?"

“I remember,” said Alexander and entered the office. “Come in, Vladimir. Sit down.” He pointed to the chair closest to the table and sat down himself. “Now tell me in more detail where and how you kidnapped the young man.”

"We kidnapped him as he was leaving the casino. Four guys jumped on him, twisted his arms, shoved him into a car, and drove him to the lab."

-There were no witnesses to the kidnapping of the young man?

- No. The kidnapping happened at three in the morning. The street near the casino was quiet and deserted.

-I see. Did the guy have any documents on him?

-There wasn't.

-And what did he say? Did you find out who he is, what his name is, what he does?

"We found out. But I don't know if it's trustworthy. The guy said his name was Eric Barskin. He's twenty years old. He's the son of oil magnate Philip Emmanuilovich Barskin. He doesn't work or go to school.

-Why?

- He said he doesn't want to! But he has more than enough money for entertainment! Daddy spares nothing for him! And he also said that they will look for him. And when they find him, they will kill us all!

-Does he really think they will find him?

- I don't know. In any case, he says his daddy can do anything!

"I see. Now tell me, Vladimir, why do we need to go to all this trouble with his father? After all, I asked you to kidnap a young man like him, one who has no relatives. Especially not rich ones."

-Alexander Ivanovich! I think the guy is lying! He's not the son of an oil tycoon!

-What about the ten thousand dollars he lost at the casino?

- This money isn't his. The security guard at the casino told me so.

-Whose then?

The guard said the young man was a thief and used the stolen money to gamble at the casino. He also said the boy was from an orphanage and had no relatives.

"What the guard said doesn't interest me! You should have checked everything yourself! Personally! Do you understand?"

“I understand,” Vladimir lowered his head guiltily. “I’m sorry, Alexander Ivanovich. I made a mistake.”

"A mistake!" Alexander exclaimed angrily. "How else will your mistake come back to haunt us? Who knows. Maybe this young man really is the son of an oil magnate. They'll start looking for him. They'll find you and our guys. And then me too..."

-They won't come out! I told you there were no witnesses to the boy's abduction.

-Well, let's hope so. But there's another problem.

-Which?

"Zinovy Izotovich won't be able to stay in Russia after receiving the body of an oil magnate's son. Otherwise, he'll be found and exposed. Then my secret will be revealed, too. And I don't want that. Do you understand? I don't want my operations of transferring souls into new bodies to become public knowledge!"

"What should we do, Alexander Ivanovich? Maybe we should find another young man? And let this one go?"

“I don’t know... I don’t know...” Alexander said thoughtfully. “But you’ve already told the banker that you’ve found a suitable young man?”

-Yes. They told him. He's on his way to the lab now. He'll be here any minute.

- I see. Well then, I'll talk to him, and then I'll decide everything. And now, Vladimir, take me to the guy's cell. I want to talk to him.

"Okay. Let's go, Alexander Ivanovich." Vladimir stood up and headed for the door. Alexander followed him. The men walked down the long, narrow corridor again.

"Tell me, Vladimir, did you conduct a comprehensive examination of the young man's internal organs? Did you run any tests?" Alexander asked as they walked.

"No, Alexander Ivanovich. We haven't done anything yet. We haven't had time," Vladimir replied, continuing to walk forward down the corridor.

"What kind of workers are you? You haven't finished yet! You haven't done it yet! Why am I paying you money and saving you from the law? For what?" Alexander lost his temper and started shouting. "For working for me! And how do you work? Badly! Disgusting!" He stopped dead in his tracks and looked sternly at Vladimir. He, too, stopped and said guiltily:

- Forgive me, Alexander Ivanovich! Forgive me! We will improve! Forgive me!

"You're cunning, Vladimir! Very cunning!" Alexander said, and walked down the corridor again. "Now I understand how you managed to ruin four wives and five children. Misled by your cunning, they let their guard down. That's what ruined them! But I won't let my guard down, know that! And your cunning won't help you! If you don't work hard enough for me, I'll fire you! And then you'll go back to prison, because you have no other choice!"

"Ah, Alexander Ivanovich! Anything but that! I don't want to go back to prison! I'm so grateful to you for getting me out of prison! I'm truly grateful! Believe me, I'm not being dishonest with you! You are my savior! My benefactor! I owe you my freedom! And that's why I will try my best to work for you!" Vladimir said in a soft, ingratiating voice, following his boss down the corridor.

"Okay, Vladimir. I believe you. For now," said Alexander, emphasizing the word "for now."

The corridor ended, and the men began to descend the stairs leading down.

“Tell me, Vladimir, how many people are in our cells now?” asked Alexander.

“Fifteen,” Vladimir answered the boss.

-And everything is to order?

-Yes. There are orders for everyone, and you have signed contracts.

-What is the first planned operation?

The first is to transfer the soul of Aleftina Ermolaevna Korovchenko into the body of her niece, Irina. The operation is scheduled to take place in a week.

"I can't next week. I have to be in Dubai. I have a big contract there. So I'll have to reschedule Korovchenko's surgery. I'll have it a little later."