Владимир Баранчиков – The fourth president (страница 3)

– What brings you here? – The owner asked with a slight smile. – Have you got the wrong address?

There was a slight irony in his question, a test arrow launched into the very heart of a woman’s self-esteem. The answer puzzled him somewhat:

– I came exactly to the address where specialists do miracles, – Elena Nikolaevna said without false piety. Then she paused to say the main thing, and the unexpected. – Irakli Davidovich, my husband needs an operation.

Then reasonable questions followed: why didn’t he come himself, who he is, what he complains about and what he wants to achieve as a result of treatment – ideally, of course. Here, according to the scenario of negotiations, Elena Nikolaevna had to pause, sigh, as if thinking – should she reveal herself to the end? – and then continue quietly, as in confession, periodically casting a pleading glance at the interlocutor. So she played, and Irakli did not suspect insincerity in her words and the almost pleading look of those hypnotizing female eyes. It’s not that he swam under the influence of an involuntary and alluring charm, no, I just felt the request of a good person – how easily we are deceived, how easily!

The smartphone buzzer sounded, but Irakli Davidovich ignored it. A good sign, his interlocutor automatically stated. She moved a little closer to the table, bent down a little and confided:

– My husband, Vasily Petrovich, did not want this operation, but I had to insist (pause) to preserve our marriage. You, Irakli Davidovich, will probably be able to understand me. My husband is a solid businessman, financially secure, a deputy of the State Duma in the past, so material issues do not bother us at all, we are interested in the possibility of an urgent operation under your leadership, and preferably by you personally, within the next dates. Is it possible?

– I need the patient’s ideas on the types of operations: rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, facelift. We need a photo of your husband, how old, to begin with, we need facts, specifics, – insisted Irakli, professionally accustomed to dictate conditions. The situation intuitively ceased to please him.

– We have previously consulted on medical aspects, all three types of operations will be required, there are no contraindications.

– Then, taking into account the urgency and VIP service – one million 920 thousand rubles. Are you ready to conclude an agreement now? – Irakli Davidovich was already pushing, who wanted to get rid of this assertive lady as soon as possible and merge her to the administrator for paperwork outside his office, compensating with an inflated amount for some intuitive dislike of the transaction.

– Great! I’m paying you right away, now … – the brown-haired woman opened her briefcase, pulled out six bank packages with five thousand rubles bills and carefully laid them out on the table in front of Irakli. – There are three million here, a million for confidentiality.

The case smelled of kerosene, as they say in Odessa.

– What kind of confidentiality? – Mr. Dekanosidze could not contain his indignation, raised his voice and looked piercingly at Elena Nikolaevna. He had not been humiliated so abominably for a long time. – Take YOUR money and bother to leave my office!

– Hush, Irakli Davidovich, they can hear us! – his interlocutor repelled the attack with a suddenly changed, commanding tone. Bewilderment and confusion appeared in the doctor’s eyes. After a short pause, she continued pumping:

– Here is my certificate, – Elena Nikolaevna showed the astonished Irakli a red book with her photo, seals and credentials. – I am a representative of a special service, and the operation – I mean not only the medical part of it, is carried out in the public interest. I repeat: in the interests of the state. You are a participant in it, as an extra-class specialist, as a citizen of the Russian Federation, and as part of the overall plan. We could operate in medical institutions of the Ministry of Defense or the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but, unfortunately, there are no specialists of your qualifications there either. We have analyzed everything, if events develop in the opposite direction, they will not follow this trail – it is too risky from the point of view of secrecy, but this is at first glance. Your history, your personal file (Irakli shuddered internally) – the questionnaire, friends, connections, business and lifestyle have been thoroughly studied, and, in our opinion, there can be no misfire on your part. Of course, this also applies to the patient. That’s why I’m here today… By the way, here are the photos you asked for: a photo of your husband and the ideal to strive for, the requirement is identity of at least 95 percent, since we are talking about numbers.

Elena Nikolaevna carefully laid out six photographs on the table with her thin fingers. The light scent of her expensive perfume could be regarded as a mild anesthesia, but it caused a backlash in Irakli, another attack of internal protest. Three photos of an unfamiliar man in his thirties – full face, profile on the left, profile on the right – nothing unusual, and from the point of view of the surgeon, complicated: blond, average face. And here are the others… When looking at them, Irakli Davidovich, who had seen the sights, had a loud, intermittent heart that went somewhere sideways. Alexey Navalny was depicted in the photo.

– That’s how it happens in life – you go, you go, everything is fine, bang!, and everything is derailed, and you are not there, – Irakli flashed through his brain, looking at the impenetrable face of this one… – he couldn’t even find the right definition right away, – this…

He didn’t see a way out, didn’t know what to do. And where did the soft feminine charm of the visitor sitting opposite him go? The mask is thrown off, the beautiful face has been transformed, a hard, piercing look. «With greedy, like wolves, eyes…» – a metaphor that is quite appropriate now surfaced from memory.

– Do you agree?

Arguments for and against. Well, he has connections with the Moscow government and the Ministry of Health, and Caucasian authorities – just whistle. But, as an intelligent and experienced person, he understood that everything that was happening to him now was an event of a completely different level, and hardly anyone from his entourage was able to really help.

– Well, and if you go to the Lubyanka, report blackmail, write a statement… – His thoughts were racing in search of a solution. – No, not really…

Irakli began to deflate. Meanwhile, his interlocutor professionally monitored his vasomotor reactions, the whitened skin of his haggard, suddenly aged face, which had lost its usual confidence and majesty. Now it’s time to bring the final arguments developed in the training and conduct a quick briefing, expressing sympathy for the victim:

– Dear Irakli Davidovich, I understand you, a difficult decision, exceptional in its importance… But surely it does not contradict your moral principles and professional ethics? You see, we are offering, even asking you to perform an operation that is familiar to a surgeon with your experience, and nothing more… Do you hear me?

There were no objections, so he agree, now is the time to cut off the way to retreat:

– Your verbal consent is enough for us. Do you agree?

The critical moment has come. In the recruitment scenario, there were two options: either consent after ten seconds, or (unlikely) pounces on Elena Nikolaevna with the desire to tear her into small pieces. Dekanosidze made it in ten seconds and squeezed out something like «yes». But the uncertainty did not suit his tormentor, and she demanded to confirm her word again, but more clearly and firmly, which was done. Irakli felt himself on the edge of a precipice, he no longer wanted anything: neither to hear her, nor to see her, nor to breathe, and even to live. He hated himself for his cowardice. Time has stopped, and let it continue to flow without me – these were the unspoken emotions of a morally shaken person. But professionals are professionals, and the next step was prepared for this case.

– We understand your condition and are trying to help you, but do not interfere with it yourself. For your safety and support, we will attach to you our employee, a young woman, a psychologist, by the way. She won’t disappoint you. Introduce her to Mom as your fiancee, stay with her overnight. She will accompany you and protect you from unnecessary accidents. Tomorrow you and she will come to the clinic, and we will bring the patient, Vasily Petrovich. And your new friend has a higher education and is also an interesting conversationalist. You can talk to her on any topic. My advice to you: relax, life is wonderful! Look at the world more optimistically! In my opinion, many men would envy you, – she said with a smile. The client matured, it took only forty, no, forty-two minutes. Now acquaintance:

– So, am I calling her?

– Yes – Irakli answered quietly. Elena Nikolaevna took her mobile phone out of her bag, contacted someone on the phone.